When I wait this long to update I find it difficult to write anything coherant in prargraph format. Thus the list.

• I'm about half way done with my finals. That means I will be completely done with school in a week!


• I already feel more comfortable speaking Chinese than Japanese. It's massively easier to construct sentences.


• I've discovered that Leviticus is possibly the most intimate soul-searching book in the Bible.


• I will be in China within three months.


• God is completely in love with me. Something I will never understand.

amen.

Yesterday I...

• ...gave a short devotion on the promise given to us in Jeremiah 33:3.


• ...led worship for CC Okinawa.


• ...broke through with a kid in the church that wouldn't speak to anyone, ever. It took 4 weeks and now I'm not going to be there on Wednesday nights anymore. I feel really bad about just starting to break down his walls and then leave. Hopefully the next group reached out to him.

( Today I... )

Here are some things that have been happening that I don't feel I need to go into detail on.

• We are going to the Philippines on Friday for a mission trip. Please pray.


• I'm taking to many classes. Because of it I'm not learning anything really well, but I need to graduate. Oh well.


• I've been listening to a lot of Chinese music. It rocks. Check out yobo.com if you want to fumble through some.


• I've learned that if you want to really memorize scripture memorize it in another language and you will never forget it in English. わたしはただしいひとをまねくためではなくつみひとをまねくためにきたのです。That was last weeks from Luke 2:17. My Chinese verse is on the top of the page from Luke 1:37.


• My heart is deceitfully wicked beyond all belief.

"Have faith in God." — Mark 11:2
"Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God. Poor Little-faith could not have fought "Apollyon;" it needed "Christian" to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain "Giant Despair;" it required "Great-heart's" arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, "It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;" but Great-faith remembers the promise, "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:" and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:" and she fords the stream at once."
— C.H. Spurgeon

So, even though thanks giving is all about gluttony I have a habit of making a list of what I'm thankful for.

• Awesome parents who love me and support me with their prayers. Love you Papa & Mom. And awesome brothers who are examples to me in many ways.


• Salvation and the only true God who loves me and wants me to have the best life ever while serving Him on earth.


• The chance to live in Okinawa with the nicest people in the world. Seriously, people in Okinawa are amazing.


• All of my wonderful friends here in Okinawa, back in Albuquerque, in England, In Ukraine, all over America and the rest of the world where ever you are.


• And all the essentials like food and clothes that I have never been in want of.

Thank you God for loving me and giving me such a wonderful life! I love You!

The following things about me surprise people.

• I have a disciplined life in general.
• I'm a good student.
• I'm always ahead on my homework.
• I wake up early.
• I like to read.
• If I'm in control I'm never late.
• I don't play video games on my computer, I study.
• I take long bike rides for fun. Yes I'm actually athletic.
• I'm not stupid!

I only know a few people that have not been surprised by every one of these thing about me. All because of how I dress and how I act. Words cannot explain my frustration at how people treat me because I don't fit my stereotype. People think I'm lazy, irresponsible, and stupid. I hate that. I'm underestimated in everything I do. Which is good in a way because I never let anyone down. But it also means that people expect nothing from me. And who wants to do anything when everyone expect them to do nothing? It drives me to better things most of the time, but would it push me harder if people actually expected me to be something other than a failure? I'm not sure

Why couldn't God have just made me like everyone else. Then I could be happy with a comfortable mediocre life. I could just got a job and been happy with the standard "american dream." Nice wife, a couple kids, a house, whatever. Why do I have to want to change things? I wish I could just kick back and let everyone else be right about me. But I would rather die then let other people be right about me.

If I do nothing great in life than I have done nothing at all.

I guess I just have to rest on Gods promise when He said, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13).