here are some more pictures from my new home

front of the house

another shot from the front

another flower

a flower out back

the back patio

right side of the back yard

left side of the back yard

the hall way

the office

the living room area

out back

My Day, My Night, and My Thoughts of The Future

Today is a day that the Lord has made. Today has been for the most part, without taking away from God, just another day. I had today off from the church. I guess the rule is if a Holiday falls on a day off they take a day off latter in the week so since memorial day was on Monday and Monday is always a day off we got Friday off. Hope that makes since. any way, Today i decided to sleep in till about 11:00. it was quite nice and probably needed even though i feel like taking one right now. I got up and decided to sit in the living room and read (The Barbarian Way, by Erwin Raphael McManus) when my "grandma" came in and asked if I would like to go with them to run a Eran and go to a place that has sea food. If you know me much i am always up for food and even more so when its free(I'm going to be so spoiled!). After getting around and reading some more we took off and went to the restaurant "Sea Island" and ate. it was very good I got shrimp and fish it was delish(did you like that rhyme?). after lunch came one of my highlights of the day and that was being lost with locals haha... its always such a comforting thing! but we made our way to and from and finally reached home where I had a conversation with a lovely lady and did some more reading. once dinner time came my "grandparents" invited me over for dinner which consisted of veggies and dip and a little left over chicken. "Grandpa" and I then proceeded to talk a little politics for quite some time. Now, Finlay, I find myself alone. a place that I rarely enjoy with much passion. its hard for me sometimes. I know that its good and I know need Independence and for the most part I know when I need to be alone, but I enjoy company. Company that I Enjoy. this is my last night alone in this part of the house. tomorrow sometime the rest of the family will be arriving back home. You might think that I am looking forward to this and in many ways I really and truly am BUT there is something about being alone in this house that in a way makes it feel like mine. I love having to myself, I love sitting at night on the couch or in the chair and reading a book. there is something missing though. my "home" is empty. I cant wait for the day that i am able to share a home with my wife and at some point kids. I get lonely and with my relationship with the Lord i know that I just need to be Obedient and Patient and look to Him to fill that void, but this is where my heart is. desiring to share my life. As I now snap out of my dream world and face the reality of tomorrow I realize that things are not going to be that way. I will no longer have "my space" (that was never mine to start with) but instead I will have to share it and live amongst these new people. I know God is going to use these people to strengthen me and help me to learn but its a hard truth to come to grips with at the moment. God is Good and I am truly excited to meet them and to learn from them and see what God has in store.

My first night at River City Church Youth Group. It went really well. here are some pictures of the kids playing a game. Should be a fun and exciting summer.

HERE WE GO!!!!

I have arrived!!! my home in San Antonio is beautiful! i am excited to get to know my family and to be here. currently the actual family isn't here they are on vacation so i have the house to my self till the end of the week, but the ladies parents have a place connected to their house. they have two cats named ford and mustang, a 11 year old son and a son who is graduated and married. since i didn't bring a whole lot it didn't take long to get unpacked and settled in. i was able to sit down and eat dinner with the grandma and grandpa that live there which was pretty sweet they are the cutest couple. there are some crazy differences here that just blow my mind. ill get to those in a bit. its so crazy to be here.

its so cool to see what God is doing and how he has planned this out. even on the way here i was not very excited and actually was very nerves about what was in store and going to take place. now as i am settling in to the position and into my home i get eager to see what is still in store for me. one of the lessons i am learning from God these days is to be obedient and patient. he continues to tell me that i just need to follow him and do what he desires me to do and then just be patient because he has it under control and his time is perfect. at times this can be frustrating and discouraging but my focus is on him and i continue to seek his will for my life and wait for him do do his thing.

Now let me tell you about Texas! i still cant really believe I'm in Texas. for instance i was doing some painting in the youth room today and was taking the ladder back to where i got it and on my way the was a little lizard running on the sidewalk and puffing out his little throat thing. this isn't the first in counter with lizards since i have been here but its just shocking every time i see them. then on the side of the building right next to the youth building there are cactus growing every time i walk outside i am blown away. I'M IN TEXAS! haha... there is another shocking thing that i am still takin back by and that's the deer in my little neighborhood. so that may not be to big of a deal for some but i promise that if you were here you would have done the same thing that i did and taken a double take and then a triple take. the deer in my neighborhood have been trapped by the new highways and so they don't really have anywhere to go. as i was driving to my new home yesterday evening i look to my right and low and behold there are two deer bedded down under a tree. now i don't know about you all but for me that's just plain weird! but it gets better that is normal they actually just roam the neighborhood when i was sitting at dinner there were about 8 that were walking around and sitting in the back yard!!!! are you kidding me!?!?! so there are a few things that are different down here and that are rocking my world including the heat! its pretty intense right now and everyone says that its not even very bad. i was told last night that it will get up to 110 a lot of times so i guess i have crossed over into hell haha just kidding.

well everyone i cant tell you what God has up his sleeve but i know that he is faithful. my life with him continues to grow and strengthen. i have been diving into the word and i continue to be challenged by amazing friends. the support is awesome and i really thank you all who are praying for me. God bless you and please continue to pray. i am fully expecting God to radical change my life this summer. i know he is doing it now and i cant imagine what is to come. oh and stay in contact i love to hear from others and to be challenged and encouraged so feel free to comment or call me out. Give it to God y'all and be obedient!

A Call to the President!!

Check This Out! Action From our Government is Taking Place!
http://www.blogger.com/www.invisiblechildren.com/news&press/news/detail.php?pID=235739135

God's Timing is Perfect!

So tonight was amazing! I was excited to visit one of the adult leaders from last summer but it wasn't till I got there and saw her and visited with some of the people that I truly was awaken. Diana is such an amazing woman! When I cam back from youthworks I went to this lady for so much. A woman that could be my mother, a wife of 25 years, a daughter of two, one 22 and the other 18 with so much wisdom brought so much joy. Our time Begain with tony and I going to the church saying hi to Diana and talking with the youth pastor (Chris) and another leader from this summer (Ben). We then jumped into the car with Diana and heading to her home where she showed us around a bit and we met her husband. We then proceeded to fix dinner for her family and us. It was such a blessing to be able to serve this family by fixing them dinner. We ended up fixing ground hamburger and fried wild rice with different veggies and stuff. The other cool thing about the dinner was how Diana and the fam talked about how they haven't sat down at the table as a family in a long time. So we did! it was like old time when my family used to sit down and pray and enjoy one another. I love this family Michelle (18 year old daughter)calls me a brother and Diana calls me a son and because of the Talks i have had between Diana and even occasionally her daughters I even feel at home and comfortable to share my life.



It was after dinner that we went to church and I was able to reunite with some of the kids that I loved and was moved by last summer. These kids rocked my world tonight. When i walked in and they saw me i was nearly talked with hugs. it was amazing. i guess its hard to imagine that you would ever get a reaction from someone like that but if you ever do you will know that it feels great! These kids were so pumped and by the end of the reunion I was too. we then went into the small group part where tony and I joined Chandler an amazing kid with a heart bigger than Texas. They proceeded to watch a clip from the movie fireproof where the guy overcomes his temptation to look at pornography and takes a bat to his computer. They have been digging through the issues of purity for over a month now. For me this is awesome I am so glad that the church is stepping up and diving head first at this issue. These kids are getting valuable information that puts them so far ahead of their peers and it rocks. satan is getting a dose of Jesus and being rebuked with wisdom! AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME...! After sitting in on the junior high boys discussion with Chris (the youth pastor) we then mingled and headed over to this pizza place and hung out some more. Two of my favorite kids were there Chandler and Andrew! It was amazing to sit and laugh with these kids it brought back so much passion and evoked a joy and excitement that i had been lacking!



Like the title of this post says "God's Timing is Perfect!" I know this and I continue to be challenged by Him to be patient. Tonight God came in such a amazing fashion. I have not been excited about this summer really at all until now! Like I said God evoked in me such a joy and excitement for what he is going to do in my life that i am so ready to do this. Yes, my nervousness is still there and Yes, I am still in the dark but I know that God made tonight what it was. I know that God allowed this reunion to take place and put these people in my life in such a timely matter and it couldn't have been more perfect! GOD IS SOOOO GOOD!!



God then continued to rock my world as we went back to Diana's house and hung out with her daughter and herself. It was cool just to hang out and hear stories and look at pictures and what not. What was even more amazing was talking with Diana about parenting and just life in general. She is so full of wisdom and i loved hearing her speak and hearing the truth she spoke. I leave this night changed and again amazed at God and how he does things. To God be the Glory. I am beginning to see more and more how important it is to be patient and wait on God. My challenge to you all is to be patient pray fervently and trust in the Almighty and his Perfect timing!

I Stand Amazed!

God always seems to amaze me. I don't know why that is, I guess it kind of shows my lack of faith and trust in Him. I mean time and time again he promises things to us so why do we not believe and why are we so amazed. Non the less I still continue to be shocked and awed by Him. Sometimes I struggle with understanding why He is so good to me. Time and time again I disappoint Him. My past is filled with mistakes and shame but God continues to show me that He has moved past that and that I should to. He Rocks my world with His grace and forgiveness Rocking my world with the things he promises to do and the things he does. Since I opened my heart up to the amazing power of God my freshman year in college He has been cultivating a love for love and a desire that has been amazing to say the least. Yes, within these past few year I have made my fare share of wrong turns and have even battled the Father I love and loves me. Through it all we have grown closer and I have had the honor to learn from Him and the mistakes i have made. Yes, I am a man of faith a man set apart for God and His will in my life. I Stand Amazed in the fact that God wants to know me deeper and on a more personal level. I Stand Amazed at the things He is doing in my life. Like I said I have been on a path of growth since I opened my heart up to God. and in the past couple months God has really opened Himself up to me! Thanks to the people God has put in my path I have been pushed and challenged over and over again. My eyes have been opened to so much and I can not wait to see my future unfold. Someone special a couple weeks ago challenged me to raise the standard, set the bar high, and not to settle. Now, with that spurring on of encouragement I set out to do just that and as I do I am blessed with seeing how God is rejoicing in my obedience and my pursuit of Him. I Stand Amazed!!

I Like To Call My Self Homeless but I Think Wandering Nomad Is More Appropriate

For a while now i have felt "homeless". I dont want to throw that word around lightly because I do not endure the hardships like many but I am unsure as to where "home" really is. All my life i have moved from place to place never living in one place much longer than 6 years. Now that I am older and as I look back at this type of living I long and search for a place to call "home." When I was born I lived in Akron, Indiana. This lasted only till i was 2 where I then moved to Buda, Illinois. I wasnt there long till we moved half way through my 1st grade school year to Charelston, Illinois. Charelston became a more long term place to stay till after 6th grade when we moved to Sullivan, Indiana. Sullivan was and sometimes still is the place I call home its where I have spent some good time. I have had some of my most memerable times in ol Sullyvill and it was the place I stayed the longest. But, after I graduated it was time to go again. I was headed up to Gilead, Indiana with my grandma and grandpa. With me going into College the comeing fall this made this resedence only a place to stay. The next summer i stayed at my mothers in Rochester, Indiana. The summer after that I worked in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and now this summer I am in San Antonio, Texas. Now, I dont know about you all but this kind of life is great for a while but there comes a point where for me I just want to be in one spot for a while. I go and meet new people everywhere I go and then i up and move on to some place new and start all over. I normaly enjoy the nomadic lifestyle its great to just be able to get up and go. There is something about having nothing but what you can carry and just following God and doing life. even now as I type this I like the idea but now, the things I am doing are not like that. maybe it is because deep down I want a place to call "home" so each place I go I try to make that a place to call "home" (by the way, thats not working) so here I am again waundering through life seeking God and knowing that he has me in the palm of his hand leading, guiding, and directing me so that one day he can bring me to my true "Home" with Him!

Ummm...I Dont Know What I Am Doing!

Hi! I actually have no clue what I am doing but i want to do this and have a place that people can stay connected with my life and what is going on. Sooooo... Here is my attempt to do that. Good luck trying to follow my thoughts and what I am saying. Like it says at the top, Caution: You are About to Enter my Brain!! It can be a scary place! OK! LETS DO THIS!!!