The Epic Journey

Citrus Lime & Saffron Rice (Weekend Loves)

2011-07-09T19:53:00.001-04:00

As part of my weekend loves, I made this over the weekend. It's a citrus lime chicken skewer with on top saffron rice.
It's so good and very easy to make.
Here's what you need:

1tsp cumin
1tsp paprika
1tsp of hot cayenne pepper
1/3 cup lime juice
2tbsp brown sugar
two chicken breasts
basati rice
1tsp imitation saffron. (powdered)
2 cloves
grape tomatoes. (or any will work).

Mix ingredients 1-7 together in a bowl dissolving the spices and sugar. If you need more lime juice, just add more. I used about two limes.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch cubes, put the marinade and chicken in a ziploc bag and marinate for 3 hours.

Place the chickens on the skewers and grill until nicely browned, even a bit burnt in some places.

While the chicken is cooking, put rice, saffron, cloves, and water into pot, and cook the rice.
While the rice is cooking dice the grape tomatoes into fourths, just so it's basically diced tomatoes.
Add the tomatoes to the rice when serving, enjoy the chicken, enjoy the rice, enjoy the company.

I certainly did!

How to donate and support!

2011-05-27T21:08:00.009-04:00

American Options

Monthly

One Time Donation

Canadian Support Options

Monthly

One Time Donation

Tour De Base

2011-04-09T00:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I know a lot of you wanted to see more of where I work, so here's a quick tour, not the greatest mind you, of the base and my flat.

Enjoy.

Tour De Base (Epic VidUpdate #3)

Rusted Steel

2011-04-04T07:11:00.000-04:00

So it's been a full month since my return here. And I can say I've finally settled back in to this place I call home.

There's been a lot of things happening here. First off, I've been doing some work around the flats (there is a building with 8 flats aka small apartments). I've done a few things such as fix my neighbor's couch, mount a mirror in my other neighbor's bathroom, to even trimming the backyard a bit so that it isn't a jungle as soon as you step outside.

On the IT side of things here, we've gotten a new router that will replace our broken one I've mentioned before. And it's glorious. It's one of the models that I learned on when I went to college for my IT training. So it's almost as if I'm back in that classroom. Which is great!

God has been moving a lot too. Especially in me and my roommate's heart about our future. We've been talking a lot about from everything to the types of food we love to even our future spouse.

And God has been showing me that He has got everything taken care of. Over the weekend, I found a small rectangle piece of rusted steel. Now, if you were to find this on the side of the road, you'd probably just leave it there. But here's the back story...

In our bathroom we have a ledge that is right by the window. This ledge is painted, and here in Australia, there are these little cone shaped incense that we burn to remove the odors from the bathroom. Well, when we burn these incense they leave a burn mark on the ledge. Which turns to be very unsightly and a bit grungy.

Well, I stumbled upon this rectangle piece of steel on Sunday and immediately knew that this would be perfect for our incense. So I picked it up and it was a perfect fit.

On my way to my flat, carrying this rusted piece of steel, I heard God speak, "I'll give you what you need, even if you don't think to ask Me."

And so with this, I just have to keep trusting Him with everything in my life. Which is a lesson He keeps teaching me. And it's a lesson I'm loving to learn.

Fixings, Pain, and Chasing Tails

2011-03-19T00:21:00.000-04:00

This past week has been quite the week!

So last Saturday I posted a video update and within that update I mentioned a washer that seemed to be in a giving mood. Especially with water. Well, it slightly flooded our flat a couple more times.

So just this morning, I decided to take apart the washer, and see if something was corroded or clogged or something. Well, I took it apart, breaking a few little things, but nothing that some tape couldn't fix! And also, I seem to be missing two screws, hmmm.

Any who, I found a long piece of plastic lodged in a tube that connects to a vacuum valve which shuts off the flow of water. I removed that piece of plastic and we'll just have to wait and see if it's fixed.
Well, I'm sure most of you know, my foot has been quite a hassle this past week. I've determined it's gout, which has stemmed from eating fatty foods and not getting enough vitamin C. Well, worry no more, because I have rectified that. I have gotten plenty of juice with each serving being over just half of my daily intake. And I've also gotten a daily men's vitamin.

And since the start of the weekend, I've been able to wiggle my big toe. Something I haven't been able to do since Sunday of last week. So thank you for all your prayers and support!
On the work side of things this week, I've been trying to figure out our internet/router situation. If you didn't know, one out two of routers got fried by high voltage about two weeks ago, and we've been running at roughly 80-85%. Which isn't bad, but usually I have to reset the temporary replacement at least twice a day. And it feels like I've been chasing people's tails to try and get a hold of them just so I can a clear answer.
Next week will resume the video updates with footage of worship and intercession times and possibly a tour of the base!

Until next time, stay classy world!
(HA! That way I can't miss anyone.)

Epic Video Update 2

2011-03-12T00:17:00.002-05:00

Latest news from this week's Epic Update!

Linked Media

Back To My Aussie Home

2011-03-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! I've finally made it back to the Land Down Under and it so exciting! So exciting in fact that I made a video update!

This is how I will be communicating to you about what I'm doing, along with these blogs. I hope to be more communicative this time around and keep you, my very lovely friend, in the loop more!

Below is the video of my first update!

Linked Media

Stay tuned for my very special Flight recap!

Back Down Under

2011-02-14T12:52:00.000-05:00

Well, I have booked my plane tickets and have everything ready to get back to Australia!

I'll be leaving early Feb 28th, and be non-stop traveling until 2:15pm March 2nd.

It's been a wonderful year being back in the States, and God has taught me so much and has let me redefine my dreams and attitude.

I'll be going back to Australia for at least two years. From there, only God knows.

I appreciate your prayers and support through all this time.

I'm still in need of about 45 people offering 10 dollars a month, and I have faith that God will provide.

Pace

2011-02-12T16:17:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Florida back in November. Ever since then I kept searching and looking for a job. Trying to get one as soon as possible so I could get myself enough money to get back to Australia.

Well, God decided otherwise. He knew exactly when I would be getting my visa and knew what kind of situation I would be in if I did have a job right now.

During my time here I've been exercising quite a lot. And I've learned quite a bit about pace on a treadmill. My normal walking pace is at about 3.3. A good jogging stride is at about 5.5. But I've recently been able to bump that up to 6.0.

Now my maximum pace is about 3 miles in 30 minutes. But if I were to run 3 miles in 15 or even 20 minutes, I'd nearly kill myself. And going any slower than that would take walking 3 miles too long.

So how does this involve God and His pace?

Sometimes we really want God to hurry up and do things. Because we think He's just stalling, waiting around just for time to pass. But that's not really who He is.

He knows more about what I'm capable of and how fast I can do it than I do. He's got a perfect time table, a perfect set speed, and a perfect pace.

So even though I've been craving to get back to Australia more and more each day, He keeps me at a good pace so I don't burnout or go too slow.

Are you trying to rush God's pace?

Australian Visa: ACQUIRED!!

2011-02-11T12:34:00.000-05:00

I have obtained my 2 year visa for Australia!
And one of the coolest things about it is I don't have to wait until April to get there!

Thanks to my tax return I believe I am able to purchase my plane ticket.

But I'm in still in need of about 45 people offering $10 a month for monthly support.
If you would like to donate simply go to my BLOG.

If you would like to contact me, my email is: itdcole@gmail.com

This is very exciting! So exciting I'm already shaking!

Just one more step closer.

2011-01-21T12:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I finished all the paperwork necessary to get my 2 year visa for Australia and I sent it in the mail of the capable hands of the United States Postal Service.

It should arrive at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC around tomorrow or Monday. From there, I'm not sure how long it might take to process, but let's hope it's quick!

If you're wondering what I'll be doing in Australia, you can click HERE. It explains more details about what I'll be doing and how you can get involved!

I'm looking at getting to Australia around April 15. That's all depending on my visa and when they allow me to come. I might go there sooner if finances come in and I feel God's release to go.

Putting the rubber on the road.

2011-01-07T20:43:00.001-05:00

What I Will Be Doing In Australia

A Discipleship Training School, also known as DTS, is an intense 6 month training course by which students are trained in the classroom and in the field. First off, there are three months of extensive lectures including subjects but not limited to: Hearing the voice of God, Evangelism, Bible study, The father heart of God, Relationships, and many more. These first 3 months are intended to train, educate, and prepare the students for the outreach phase. Which is the other three months. Outreach locations are usually determined on a per YWAM location basis, and where I’ll be going, the outreach location focus is the small island of Papua New Guinea.
Within Papua New Guinea, we’ll be heading up a campaign to restore the sight of the people of Papua New Guinea. We’ll also be bringing the Gospel to them through restoring their sight, as well as evangelism, music, and other ways.

Well, it's now the new year and there have already been a few exciting new developments.

I've learned that I can apply for my Australian visa any time I want and it won't count against my actual time I spend in Australia. Which means as soon as I get my final documents next week, I can apply for my visa!

That's very exciting because I thought I had to plan to get my visa the day before my flight! Well, now that that pressure is off my shoulders I can breathe a little.

Also, I know you have heard and seen what I've been doing in Australia, and you want to help, but you just don't know how. Well, I've made it super easy for you.
On my blog, The Epic Journey, there are now two, yes TWO paypal buttons for your ease of use.

The first one is for monthly support committing to one year.

The second is a button that is for one time no commitment donations.

To bring you up to speed, I need about 1,500 dollars for my plane ticket and that's if I book now and the latest I can leave to arrive in time according to my visa.

I then need about 650 to 700 dollars of monthly support. My church has pledged to support me monthly which is awesome news! But I still need the help of my friends and family.

Just 50 people, 10 dollars a month, can make a TREMENDOUS difference.

Thank you for all your support, encouragement, and prayer this far. I'm excited to see where God takes all of us this year.

Quick Location Update

2010-11-27T23:57:00.000-05:00

Most of you have known this, but I'm no longer in the Seattle Washington area. I've moved back to Florida, Winter Haven specifically. And I'll be there until about April. Why April, you say? Well, in April I hope to return to Australia. That's right, I'll be returning to the Land Down Under.

But for now I'm trying to raise awareness of what I'll be doing.

It is my number one goal and desire to just raise awareness of what I'll be doing. And through that I'll be upping my communication with a lot of you more on a one on one basis.

Through this time, much prayer is needed. I need money for a ticket. If I book it right now, it'll be about 1,400 dollars.

I need a job. I hope to get a job to pay for the plane ticket and get a new laptop.

A new laptop. As previously stated I need one. My old one gave out this past summer and I've been using someone else's since. I'm looking at getting a Macbook Pro. The cost for this will be about 2,700 dollars. If you want to know why specifically a Macbook, email me and I'll gladly tell you the reasons.

Monthly support for when I get to Australia. I need roughly 500-750 dollars a month for what I'll be doing, of which I will explain in later posts.

And most of all, prayer. Prayer is so important to me and my Epic Journey.

I know God is able to give all these things if I'm obedient to His voice and His direction.

Keep a close eye for more updates!

The Strength To Rest

2010-11-01T19:01:00.000-04:00

This past Thursday was my last day at work. Unfortunately, I had a bit of the flu so I actually didn't go in for my last day. Ironic, huh? Well, I wasn't able to do much physically, so I loaded up on the Nyquil and Theraflu and went into a drug induced comatose state. It took little more than the recommended dose of Nyquil to finally get me to sleep and rest.

I noticed something within my drugged state. I haven't take time to rest in a while. Sure, I've had weekends off, but not much purposeful rest. In fact, I have to TRY to rest just as much as I have to try to work.

A verse that keeps coming back to me is Jesus telling me that I can find rest in Him without trying, without effort. Because of who HE is, I can find rest in Him.

Through the many roads I've traveled, all the countries, everything I've always done I've always had the mentality of I have to try at everything. I have to be strong enough to do do everything.

But Jesus tells me different.

All I have to do is come.

I don't need strength to rest.

I just need to come.

Again, let's stop trying.

Let's just come, and find rest.

500,000 to 1

2010-10-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

500,000 to 1 were the odds of winning a new car from this contest at a dealership. It wasn't just any car, but a 2011 Mustang GT. A 53,000 dollar car.

It was one of those promotions where they send you an electronic key in the mail, and you have to go to the dealership and they get you in the door. The real meaning of the contest.

Well, I didn't win the car. Nor did I unlock anything. I had hope, but I wasn't expecting to win.

So per usual car salesman, he asked about my truck, if I wanted to sell it. Anything to keep me talking. I just kept my words short and kept saying "Thanks, have a good day."

So I got in my truck and left. On my way home, I was wondering why God didn't give me the car. There was something the salesman said though, "Tax is unavoidable." As I stopped at a stoplight, I realized the tax on a 53,000 dollar car. 4,558 dollars to be exact. I'm not sure about you, but I don't have that kind of cash, or even credit line available.

And even though I didn't receive a brand new Mustang, God simply told me, "It's not good enough."

God could have gave me that Mustang. But along with it I would be getting 4,500 dollars of debt.

I'm realizing that God doesn't give me everything I want all at once not because He just doesn't want to give it to me, but because I couldn't handle it. Not that I would be spoiled, but can I handle EVERYTHING that comes with a blessing?

Can I handle the 4,500 dollars that comes with winning a new car?

Can I handle living on my own once I move to Florida?

Can I handle a long distance relationship, keeping God at the forefront of everything?

I won't actually know the answers to these questions until I go through the refining process that God has set before me so I am able to handle these.

But I do know that God has given me everything to conquer this day. Because He has made me more than a conqueror. What battles will come tomorrow? I don't know. But I do know that today is boot camp for tomorrow.

So don't fear tomorrow. Because today is all you have right now.
And know that who you are now, is able to take on tomorrow.

Designed

2010-10-08T16:53:00.000-04:00

So I was watching Gattaca the other night. It's an interesting movie. The premise of it is that Ethan Hawke plays a character called Vincent, that is a "Faith Child". Or someone who wasn't genetically engineered before birth to be flawless. And as soon as he's born they test his blood for everything from ADD to alcoholism to heart disease. Seconds after he's born the parents find out he has a 99% chance of having major heart failure and die at age 30.

Through his entire life he was told he wouldn't amount to anything because he wasn't "perfect". He was rejected from certain daycares because he was a liability. Every scraped knee was treated as serious as a heart attack. But that didn't change who he was in his heart.

Through his adolescence he studied space travel. He was to be an astronaut he decided long ago. In his mid-twenties he landed a job at Gattaca. But not as a mission specialist, or anything that could ever get him into space. He was a janitor. He cleaned the place where he belonged in his heart.

He found someone to help him though. There was a man who was genetically engineered to be "perfect". But being engineered at birth doesn't mean life is scripted. Jerome, the perfectly engineered man, was hit by a car and paralyzed from the waste down. He was perfect, genetically. But he couldn't walk. That made him obsolete in the world's eyes.

So Vincent and Jerome meet, and Vincent essentially takes on the genetic identity of Jerome. Now for this to happen, there has to be no trace of Vincent while he is in Gattaca. Because these are Gattaca's security procedures:

As soon as you walk through the doors, to get to any area, you place your finger on a scanner and it takes a blood sample. You're screened not more than 10 feet passed the door.

There's regularly scheduled urine samples taken. Which are not done in complete privacy.

There are regular exercise tests done.

But then the worst happens. Though Vincent leaves no trace of himself in Gattaca, even placing hairs and skin cells from Jerome, a director is murdered.
And as Vincent is standing there, he leaves an eyelash. His own eyelash.

So through the whole movie, the cops are looking for what's called an "Invalid". Not because he was somewhere he wasn't, but because he wasn't "genetically perfect" is why he was an invalid.

Vincent took extreme measures to become Jerome. Here are a few:
He broke his legs so he could become taller.
He applied a false finger print to his finger everyday filled with a pouch of Jerome's "perfect" blood.
Every morning he would spend an hour scraping off loose skin and getting rid of loose hair. Anything that could identify him as Vincent. And then he would burn it.
Bags of blood and jars of urine to last more than a lifetime of tests.

He went to extreme measures to become someone he wasn't, just to be someone else in Gattaca's eyes.
But the whole time, he was being himself. He was being the astronaut. The man that would go into space to one of Jupiter's moons.

I was thinking about all this in Subway this morning eating one of their breakfast sandwiches... Funny when God hits you with something life changing...

How much do we try to be someone else to fit someone else's mold? How much do we change ourselves to be part of something that we think would make us happy? Why do we not be ourselves?

Because being ourselves means we have to be like no one else. We have to be individual. We have to stand alone.

We have to face the fear of rejection, despise, or hatred for being ourselves. So we try to fit a mold that we think everyone would like.

I myself, have been trying to fit in a mold that doesn't fit me. Because me trying to fit in a mold, is actually me not fitting the mold of who I am.

What's wrong with being myself? If the mold that I naturally fit into doesn't fit with somebody else, it's not my fault. Nor is it something I should worry about.

If 6 billion people were exactly the same, the world would be boring, and most likely void of life, Beauty, and everything that makes this world amazing.

We try so hard to fit a mold that simply isn't us.

We try to fit the mold of the perfect employee.

We try to fit the mold of the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend.

We try to fit the mold of the perfect Christian.

But when we try so hard to fit into something that isn't us, I believe we hurt God.

To deny who we are is denying the fact that God made us the way we are.

To not BE who we are is to deny our purpose of existence.

Not being who we are is effectively calling God inadequate in His creation abilities.

Because there are times when we don't want to be us. Because it's hard. Because it hurts. Because it could be easier if we were someone else.

Ask anyone. Them being them is hard. You being you is hard. What makes you think you being them would be easy?

My entire life has been filled with trying.

Trying to fit into the right crowd.

Trying to fit into the model Christian.

Trying to fit into the mold of perfection.

But here's what God tells me, every single time.

I formed you before you were known.
I created you, and saw that it was good.
That I am more than a Conqueror.
That I am perfect, as I am. Not who I'm not.

God didn't make you to be someone else.
He made you to be you.

He made you perfect, the way you are.
How dare you think He messed up, or got something wrong.

Let's stop trying to fit into something that isn't us.

Let's stop trying to be someone else.

Let's stop thinking we should be someone else.

Let's stop wanting to be someone other than ourselves.

Let's just stop.

And let God show us how to be us.

Let's not put on false fingerprints to pass as someone else.

Let's stop trying to get rid of every trace of who we are.

Let's be who we are.

Let's not go to the most extreme measures to effectively call God inadequate.

Let's look at God, knowing that what He makes is good. And He made us. And we were made good.

Let's not be someone else.

Let's be us.

Let yourself be you, without fear.

Let yourself be you, without temptation to run to the idea of being someone else.

Let yourself be you.

Period.

Because you were Designed as you are. Not as someone you're not.

Embrace the Suffering Too (Part Two of Two)

2010-09-21T23:11:00.000-04:00

Part One

So we expect the best from God. We now understand that He, creator of everything, can blow our imaginations out of the water.

But why do we not always get what we want when we want it?

Because God knows we're not ready. If I was ready to drive when I first wanted to, I would've started driving when I was 6 or 7 years old. I wasn't able to even able to consider being able to drive until 9 years later. Let alone reach the pedals at that age.

Now were those 9 years full of suffering? No. Because even though I wanted to drive, I didn't need to drive.

God knows what we want and what we need. Sometimes they fall in line perfectly like a middle piece of a 1000-piece puzzle. Some times we don't even have the right piece of the puzzle. It's like trying to fit a cube into a circle. Just ain't gonna happen. Sometimes we want a quick answer or a quick relief to a problem that needs a committed answer.

In the beginning of Romans 8, Paul talks about living life in the Spirit. But He concludes with a promise of the paragraph...

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We have been set free. That's the first thing that God has given us that exceeds any realm of possibility. We. Are. Free.

But by Him freeing us, He doesn't take the role of a judge, or a dictator who now makes you owe Him your life. No. He takes the role of "Abba"... "Daddy".

He takes the role of the longing Father that desires nothing but to give His children so many good things. He expects us to expect the best from Him, and He always exceeds our best imaginations.

But what about the suffering? Christ suffered to gain the ultimate Glory. Right hand of the Father. And we, we suffer to gain a share in His glory. But we never want to embrace the suffering do we?

How many times have you thanked God for emotional loneliness because He wanted you to draw near to Him?

How many times have you thanked God for waiting to provide financially for you so that He can prove to you that you really can trust Him in your most desperate time of need?

Have you thanked God because He is still working on your spouse's heart to be the person He wants them to be? Especially when they've screwed up for the N^th time?

Are we willing to do more than just clench our teeth and hold on to the altar until God stops the suffering? Or are we willing to worship through it? Are we willing to cry through the pain with tears of joy and of sorrow?

Are we willing to embrace the suffering too?

Expecting the Best... (Part One of Two)

2010-09-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been 15 days since I last wrote something, and it's been about that much time since this subject has been on my heart. I just needed a shove in the right direction to actually get it done.

From the first time a baby breathes, it's considered a miracle. To more of an extent for those who were told that they could never have children.

From the first home that a young couple buys, it's more than they can ever dream of.

Getting married to that person who makes you want to be better than you ever thought possible, is a considered a fairy tale with a Happily Ever After.

Why is it that we never truly believe that we'll receive these from our Father who Loves us so much? Is it completely possible that we think God won't give us these big things because we think they're impossible? Just unachievable?

I know I have done this. I've always made God smaller than He is in my life.

I always wanted to travel out of the USA, I've been to 4 out of 7 continents.

I wanted to use IT in the missions field. I've done that for a whole year, and I long to do it again.

I wanted to meet the girl of my dreams, who would make me want to be better than I could ever dream of. I did.

But I asked God for all those things as one of those conversations that usually start out as "Wouldn't it be great... but...".

I think God doesn't hear the "but". He hears the "Wouldn't it be great if I went into the mission field to do IT." And He replies, "Done."

"Wouldn't it be great if my past would just be forgotten and not held against me?"
"Done."

"Wouldn't it be great to have children, even though I've been diagnosed not to be able to?"
"Done."

"Wouldn't it be great if I could use photography as a way to reach the unreachable?"
"Done."

"Wouldn't it be great if I truly became the leader I'm meant to be?"
"Done."

God gets things done. Because we ask Him. I believe He's eagerly waiting for us to finally figure out that He's not going to say no to what He wants to give us.
But when He does say "No." to things, I guarantee that He'll come back and say, "That would be great, but let me tell you about this. This will be so much better."

Let's dream the undreamable.

Let's think the unthinkable.

Let's ask the unaskable.

Let's let a willing God prove to us that He really is wanting us to expect the best.

Forget the worse that could happen. Expect the best, and prepare for God to do better.

Fear

2010-08-28T17:26:00.000-04:00

I was running a couple of weeks ago. Just out for a nice little trip around town. There's this bridge that's 4 lanes and crosses a small part of the Puget Sound. It's kind of high up too. And as I was running, I could see over the edge. I immediately was encompassed with that adrenaline feeling of about to jump off of something really tall. Now, I don't have a fear of heights, but it's the "being on the edge" that gets me.

I'll tell you a secret. I don't like to be afraid. Having fear run through my body makes me incapable of even the most normal activity. It makes me walk on eggshells. I'm debilitated.

I have lots of fears. The unknown. Failure. Coming up short. But I realized I always had a fear of something, and it hurts me more than anything else.

Fear of God's Love.

I fear God's perfect Love. Why? Because it is so perfect. It doesn't keep any records of wrongs. It always perseveres. It's patient. It's kind. It's not self-serving. But this isn't the love I always knew growing up. It's not the love on TV shows. It's not the love in books. It's not what I felt in my past relationships. It's something I've never experienced before falling to my knees and facing my Creator.

What is this Love that gives me joy? What is this Love that makes me whole? What is this Love that says "I don't care what you have done, I still Love you." Who does that? Who can look at my wounds, both received and given, and not be offended at the ugliness at which I have become?

Who is this that Loves me so?

Why do I cage myself up in fear when all along, there's a key of Love in my shackles? I'm just hesitant to turn the key and be free. Why am I afraid of being free? Because it's unknown. I've been in shackles all my life. I've gotten used to them. I'm safe in my little cage. Why does my hand shake every time I put my fingers to the key? My heart stops and starts itself violently every time I think about releasing myself of this fear.

Am I so afraid of a Perfect Love, that I actually choose not to want it?

I don't like perfection. Because perfection shows the obvious. Imperfection.
But God didn't make me perfect. If He did, then I wouldn't be afraid of His perfection.

He made me as I am. And in that, I'm imperfect. But Paul tells me this:
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

My imperfections disappear when God's Love shows up. They're not pointed out. They're not put on display on an IMAX screen. It's not the latest story on The Wall Street Journal. No. They're gone. They have disappeared.

And then I have no reason to fear. And isn't it Perfect Love manifested that beckons me to come and find rest in Him?

Are you afraid of God's Love, because it's perfect?

Do you think you don't measure up to be free from your cage?

Do your hands tremble with anxiety and fear when you think about turning the key of Love?

I bet if you think about it, your fears have no foundation.

Let's let Love, Love us.
Let's not be scared.
Let's set ourselves free.

C'mon, let's turn the key, take off our shackles, and set our hearts free.

Indebted

2010-08-18T22:11:00.000-04:00

Sundays at work for me are usually pretty slow. The majority of the time I try to find things that can keep me busy. One of the things I found this past Sunday was spot cleaning the carpet in the store. Now that might not sound like a big thing, but the way we have to do it (due to lack of materials and tools) can be quite exhausting.

All we have to spot clean is a stiff bristle brush on a rod and a spray bottle filled with carpet cleaner. So you spray a liberal amount of cleaner on the spot, and you scrub, hard. And as you're scrubbing, you're putting your entire body into it. It's not some sweeping motion, it's completely trying to get rid of the stain.

And of course, this made me think of God. Not how we have to be clean, because there is no possible way on this earth we could ever be clean by our own merits. God cleans us, period. But how much do we try to make ourselves into something that we can offer God that will pay Him back for what He's done?

I owe God my life, but is there debt that I need to pay God for?

Am I so confused about Grace that I think I have to keep paying God for it?
Does God need my worship as payment?
Does God need my affection as a gesture of good faith?
Is God a loan shark?

If I somehow don't make a payment on this debt I have, will God come and break my knees? (He won't, by the way.)

Do I push myself to the ends of the very fabric of my being because I think I'm the equivalent of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 dollars in debt to God?

Do I polish myself so I can get more worth from myself so I can put a dent in that debt that I owe?

But the Cross speaks otherwise. The penalty (debt) of sin is death. And the very thing that the Cross tells us is that Jesus died there. He DIED. He paid the very debt that I owed before I was born! He took upon the very pain, punishment, penalty, and the amount of my debt and paid it in full.

Do I owe God my life? Yes.
Am I in debt? No.

And what's so amazing about this payment is that it's available, any time, any place, no credit history required. No matter what happened in your past, payment for the debt that you carry will be paid in full by Jesus.

Do you owe God your life? Absolutely.

Are you in debt? That's for you to decide.

Trying Harder (By Jonathan Acuff)

2010-08-15T23:01:00.000-04:00

This was written by a man named Jonathan Acuff (stuffchristianslike.net). He is a writer that is very humorous and is a man I look up to and always enjoy reading what he has to write.

~~~~~~~~~~~~Trying Harder~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From the book "Stuff Christians Like

I'm not a big fan of exaggeration, which is why I don't casually make the following sentence:
"Chuck E. Cheese is the most terrifying place I've ever taken my oldest daughter."
It wasn't the man-sized rodent character that haunts the floor of this family fun center or the wooden balls they give toddlers to throw for skeeball, or even my fear of people who have single-letter middle names (I've got nothing but love for you, Samuel L Jackson). It was the maze.

For starters, it's attached to the ceiling. So when your three-year-old wants to play in it they have to climb a series of ladders as if they are entering the terrordome. Then, once they're inside, they simply disappear. As a parent you pace the floor nervously, bumping into tables of people enjoying birthday cake, staring up at the ceiling trying to deduce which of the shadows in the thick, brightly colored plastic tubes is your kid. Occasionally you'll see her press her head and hands against a window in the maze similar to how an impassioned inmate would during their phone call with a loved one.

"Is she okay? Is she mouthing, 'Help, these tunnels are infested with eight-year-old boys'? Is she having a good time?" It's impossible to tell and there's no clear plan for her removal. Unless Chuck E. Cheese has some sort of vacuum system suck kids out of the ceiling maze, you just have to hope your kid will eventually find the exit and crawl down to terra firma.

It wasn't always this way. I remember going to Chuck E. Cheese as a child and loving the animatronic music show and the pizza. Best of all though was perhaps the ice cream bar. As a kid, having access to my own supply of jimmies or sprinkles was mind-blowing. Usually your parents were to distracted watching everyone else at your party, so you could pile on sprinkles into your bowl of ice cream until the bowl was 90 percent sprinkles, 10 percent ice cream.

Not everyone was able to handle the pressure though. I remember when I was in the second grade watching a fifth grader fall apart at the ice cream bar. The problem he faced was that the hot dog bar was right next to it. While was waiting in line I watched him take a big bowl of pristine white soft serve vanilla ice cream and approach the first condiment dispenser. He pressed down hard and out came a serving of mustard.

It was all over his ice cream and he looked down at it with complete and utter devastation. I felt bad for him but out of nowhere a Chuck E. Cheese employee jumped in and said, "Here, that's okay. Here's a new bowl of ice cream. That's okay. Here you; have some new ice cream."

I'll never forget that little boy's face as he looked up at the employee and down at his ruined bowl of ice cream. He was so ashamed at what he had done, so embarrassed that he had put on it that he paused and then told the employee, "I'm fine. I'm fine. It's not a big deal. I'm fine." And then he started to stir the mustard into the ice cream.

He tried as hard as he could to mix that bright yellow mustard into the bright white vanilla ice cream. Finally it all became this pale emo-yellow-colored mush. He looked back up and then returned to his table, presumably to choke down his mustard ice cream.

I don't know about your life, but I've put a lot worse than mustard in my bowl of ice cream. I've got motor oil and D-batteries and a dead bird in there. And for most of my adult life, I thought that being a Christian just meant stirring harder. Maybe I had some different tools than people that weren't Christians, like reading my Bible or prayer, but ultimately it was up to me to try harder. To stir harder until I was good enough Christian or a righteous enough Christian or a holy enough Christian.

But when I came to the end of me, when I finally saw how broken my bowl really was and realized that I could not fix me, with me, I learned a secret.
Jesus came for the sick.
Not the holy.
Not the righteous.
Not the perfect.
Not even the average.
He came for the sick.
he didn't come to take just the good people with him on a bus, and say it was okay if the sick folks like me clung to the side or rode on the roof. He came for us, the broken, the beaten, the severely messed up. Like me. Like you.

In Mark 2:17 Jesus says, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
When I bumped into that truth, it changed the way I saw my ruined bowl of ice cream. It was no longer something I needed to stir and try to make perfect. It was no longer something I imagined Jesus and God being disgusted by. My wasted years and broken promises were no longer something I needed to hide.

My bowl was a lighthouse for a doctor that was looking for me, a neon sign that flashed, "Help, I'm over here! I need you! I need you!"

I don't know what's in your bowl, but I know that it's miserable to eat mustard ice crem and stirring as hard as we can is exhausting. So let's quit trying to be enough or make things work. Let's stop trying so hard.

Let's be sick. Let's be Loved.

Which makes no sense. There's nothing else in life that works this way, where can you break something over and over and over again. And when you admit it, when you hold the pieces in your hand, you're met with the last thing you could ever think possible, Love. That's ridiculous, but I think that's the gospel in four words.

Be sick. Be Loved.

Perfection

2010-08-15T00:30:00.000-04:00

Have you ever tried to bake something? And have it come out exactly the way you wanted? Well sure. It's not that hard to follow a recipe. And after it comes out exactly how you wanted it, you let it cool, dish it out to all your friends. They begin to rave about it. "It's so delicious!", "You should be a chef", etc. But during all that, are you making a list of things do differently next time you make the dish?

I know I do. Every single thing I bake, cook, or create, I always make a checklist of things to do differently so in my mind it will be better. It would be perfect.

It's no big surprise to anyone who has known me that I like to cook. I also like to bake. But the two are different for me. Cooking is something that I enjoy doing, when I am enjoying my life at the moment. It gives me freedom to "add a dash of that" or "kick it up a notch". It's like smiling. It's how I express I'm feeling happy.

But baking on the other hand, that's the other side of the coin. I bake when I'm down, miserable, frustrated, or just down right depressed. Why? Because the majority of the time that I feel those ways are because of something I can't control. But what can I control? How my baked good turns out. So let's say that I failed at planning to see the sunset on top of mountain. How would you fail at that? Well, all my plans went down the drain when the lookout is facing the wrong direction to watch the sunset, and there are tall oak trees blocking your view the other way. So how would I cope with that? What I would probably do is go home, make pizza dough, and bake a pizza.

Why specifically a pizza? Well, because every pizza dough I've made has been, well, bad. But it's something I can control. I can get frustrated at myself for doing a poor job rather than get frustrated at nothing because the mountain is facing the same way for thousands of years. So I make pizza dough, knowing it won't be good, and let my frustrations of the mountain float away into the yeast that's supposed to make the dough rise.

But how many times do we set ourselves up for the same thing?

Do I live my life in a way that I can be joyful and do new and exciting things while just the next day I'm constantly making a checklist of things to change in me?

Does God want me to live a life with a checklist full of everything I think I should change in me?

Does God have a checklist?

Or did God create me the way that I am, and saw that it was good?

Or did God fill me with things in my heart that are in no other heart?

Or did God tell me that He Loves me just as I am?

In this world, we strive so much to make ourselves a masterpiece. Make ourselves into something that everyone would enjoy, find no fault in, would captivate every eye that looked at us.

But living a life that is full of checklists and always trying to make ourselves perfect is not a life lived to the fullest that Jesus said He would give us.

I think we are just how God made us.

I think we don't need checklists full of things we need to do to make ourselves presentable.

I think we don't have to be perfect.

We are flawed. We are dirty. We are messed up. Yet Grace still covers us.

So in our imperfection, we are made perfect by God's Love. Let's be imperfect, so we can be perfect.

Necessity

2010-08-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

Necessity. Webster's third definition of this word is as follows: The quality or state of being in need. Life is filled with necessities. But what is necessary in our lives? In my life, I've come to realize that people are necessary. Me, someone who once was so independent that I said to myself I would never ever need anyone. But why do I need people now?

Part of it has to do with my past. Every where I have been, I have been needed in some form. Whether it was at church, in a work environment, or even in a relationship. I knew I was needed, and it filled my need. Funny how that works.

In my head, I feel the need for people to make an effort to get to know me. I feel the need to try my hardest to make people like me. I feel the need to do everything I can, so in turn, people around me will do likewise. Well, life doesn't work like that does it? Everyone is not the same, and not everyone thinks the same. So what happens when I try my hardest, and get nothing in return? Hurt. Uncalled for hurt. Unsupported, unfounded hurt. I set myself up for hurt.

So what necessities, are necessities? Well, for me, emotional necessities is what I'm struggling with. But there's something that I've learned. The more I try to fill my necessities with false necessities. I leave no room for God. I leave no room for Him to actually just fulfill me.

In my head, I need to be needed. I need people to need me. I need people to take the extra mile. But that's in my head. My heart, speaks something different. My heart says that it can only be filled by the One who created it. Not by a friend, not by a wife, not by a car, not by a job, nothing but the creator can fulfill the creation.

With my idea of needs, I leave no room for my Real Need.

I woke up this morning, before the sun was even awake, and had a sudden revelation. "Can God be my all in all, emotionally? I believe He can. But I don't KNOW if He can."

With all this mind opening about needs, it shows my real need even more. The more and more I get rid of my "false" needs, the more and more I realize I need Him more. The more I let go of my expectations, the more and more I need to trust Him.

So my needs are shifting. They haven't shifted. There is still an up hill battle to fight. God wants to fulfill me emotionally. He wants me to be completely sustained emotionally by Him.

Anything in this world, should not be my focal need. My God, my Savior should be my only need.

What is a necessity to you? What are you needing the most?

Let's let God be our only need.

Let's let God fulfill us.

Let's run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Let's let Love fulfill all our needs.

Reflection

2010-08-08T14:30:00.000-04:00

Last night I was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, getting ready to go to bed. Brushed my teeth and did all that stuff. Well, I stood in front of the mirror looking at myself. Trying to reckon the reality of what I look like in my mind.

I saw my face, I saw myself. But I didn't believe what I was seeing. I saw someone standing in the mirror that I 100% believed wasn't me. This person I saw in the mirror wasn't the person I know in my heart to be.

One of my housemates walked into the bathroom and asked "What are you doing?" I replied, "Trying to figure out who I'm looking at." Because for me, I don't know who I'm looking at in the mirror any more. It's not someone I thought I'd be. It's not someone I want to be.

For me, the person in the mirror is a lie. The person staring back at my greenish blueish eyes is not the person looking at the mirror. The person that my heart feels I am, was not the person in the mirror. The person in the mirror was just a reflection. He was standing there, looking back at me, judging me, picking out every flaw, defect, and insecurity.

I wonder when the person in my heart will become the person in the mirror.

This is where I usually speak Truth.

Well, the truth is, I don't see God's image in the mirror. Perhaps the mirror lies, and what I see is in fact a lie anyway. But it's hard not to tell the difference when the person with your own eyes are staring back at you.

And so the mirror begs the question "What do you see?".
Our reflection is desperate for the answer. Just as our hearts are.

So I ask:
What do you see when you look at me?

What do you see?

Trying Harder Than You Should

2010-08-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

Today at work I did something I'm not proud of. I made something ugly. On purpose.

Let me explain. We have this display chair that is supposed to convince people to want to buy delivery so that the people who deliver their furniture assemble it for the customer. In this box shows all the packing material, nuts, bolts, etc. The first attempt at this wasn't very good. It was just a box with a hole in it showing the top of the back of the chair. My first attempt, turned out to be "artsy". It looked like the chair was on display in some sort of modern art museum. So my regional manager boss came and told me to do it over, but make it ugly.

For me, making something ugly means no effort. Means doing the least amount possible. Making something ugly means I don't care about it.

I tried so hard to make everything just right in my first attempt. To make sure things were straight and made sense. And what am I told? Take no effort. Do your worst. Don't care about it.

And then it hit me, how much do I try to make my life right? How much do I try so hard to put on a mask that makes me seem perfect? How hard do I try to cover up my insecurities, my faults, doubts, even my desires so that other people won't see them? How hard do I try to keep these from God?

Do I try harder to hide from God than He tries to pursue me? Am I trying harder than I should just so I can make myself presentable to God?

Do I try harder than I should to make my friends like me?

Do I try harder than I should to make God like me?

Do I try harder than I should to be a better Christian?

Do I try harder than I should to get everything in my life right, so much as to leave Grace out of the equation?

Woah. Grace. What does Grace mean in terms of trying? What does Grace mean in my life when all I do is try?

Grace means I don't have to try for God's Love.

Grace means I don't have to earn my friends trust.

Grace means I don't have to try to be a better Christian.

Grace means I don't have to try harder than I should.

Grace means I can just be, and let Grace do the work.

Grace means I can be me. I can be dirty. I can be ugly. I don't have to try harder than I should to be something I not, and just be in the Father's arms.

And the thing about Grace, is it makes not dirty any more. It makes me beautiful. It makes me not try harder than I should.

How much are you trying? How much room is left for Grace, because you are trying harder than you should?

Should Grace be trying harder than you?

Let's let Grace try for us. Let's let Grace take down our masks, insecurities, our fears, and everything that says "We're ugly and not good enough".

Let's not try harder than we should. Let's give Grace a try.

It's a Love Thing

2010-07-27T01:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered why there are red lights at intersections? Have you ever wondered why police carry 9mm pistols? Have you ever wondered why people drive the speed limit? Why does the gas pump pump slowly? Why are TV shows censored to an extent during the day, but not so much during the night? Why in the world do little puppy kisses always make my day better!?

In the normal course of life, some of these might actually frustrate us (except for the puppy kisses, nobody is angry after one of those, not even a demented rabid hellcat). But it would seem that there is something in place that we're not aware of.

What if there was something else? Something behind the things that frustrate us?

What if God said "I'm going to take you through this desert because I Love you."

What if God said "I'm still with you through this divorce because I Love you."

What if God said "I know you have no clue what you want to do in life, but I Love you, and I'll be with you every step of the way."

What if God said "It's time to move on, time to put away dreams, and hear Me. What I have for you is far greater than your dreams."

What if God said "Love them, but they won't Love you back."

What if God said "This is going to hurt, but it's because I Love you."

What if God said "I Love you."

That's saying a lot. But in each one, I see God's Love. In all that this life throws at us, I always lose track of what God is actually trying to do. He's trying to Love me. He's trying to show me that I can depend on Him. That my life is written by Him.

I've been reading Deuteronomy and I'm to the part where Moses has given the Israelites the two stone tablets with the 10 Commandments, and God is telling them more about how to live a Holy life. Not falling to other kinds of worship, not eating certain foods.

But why? Why couldn't they eat pork? I love bacon. If I was in the desert, and couldn't have bacon, let me just say, it would be a worst place than the desert itself. A baconless place let alone a desert, is a dreadful idea. But God had them go without bacon. But Why?

Answer is easy: Love.

Brennan Manning wrote in The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus "We have love, but God is love."

It's impossible for God to Love us.
When we cry out: "God, why have you forsaken me?"
"Why am I not married?"
"Why am I not in the mission field?"
"Why am I working at a furniture store instead of going out into the nations?!"
"Why are You not speaking to me anymore?"

Every single time, God looks back at us in Love and says "I Love you, come to Me, and everything will be okay."

So let's stop looking at ourselves. At our situations. Let's fix our eyes on the One who IS Love. Not simply One who has Love.

Reconciliation

2010-07-21T01:35:00.000-04:00

I was down in Oregon about two months ago. I was there to see some of my good friends from Australia tie the knot and start the Epic Journey into marital bliss. What was so good about this weekend, was I got to drive to a state I never had been to before, by a route I've never taken, with a vehicle I had yet to drive more than 20 miles at one time. So it was a bit of an adventure.

The whole weekend went without a hitch. At least, in my eyes, except for one thing. I got to see even more friends from Australia, and make a few new ones. I stayed in a Best Western hotel. It was decked out. Bed, TV, pool! A pool in the winter cold. It was indoor and heated! And since I was wee little lad, I was made for the water. So needless to say, I took great advantage of the amenities of this locale. Even had a continental breakfast with biscuits and gravy.

So as I wrapped up my stay at this fabulous place, I loaded my truck, double and tripled check my room for any lost or forgotten things, grabbed my key card, and started to walk towards the office to check out. It was only then that I realized one of my greatest fears. I didn't have my wallet. It wasn't in my truck. It wasn't in my suitcase. It wasn't anywhere. I was frantic. I even went to the front office and asked if there was a wallet in the lost and found, even though I had just grabbed it only a few hours prior. Where was it? This is when my heart started to race.

My license, credit cards, pictures, memories, were in that wallet. I started to panic. I started to think "What if I dropped it at the wedding the day before? In a grass field, with 100 other people?!" I then realized that I need to go about this logically. Retrace my steps from the moment I opened my eyes that morning to the point of when I realized I lost it.

So I did. And I found my wallet. Where? In the trash. I had grabbed a bunch of trash off the table along with my wallet, thinking in my mind "I'll put my wallet in my pocket and the trash in the bin.", well, it turned out that everything went in the bin, and nothing in my pocket.

Why was I so panicked? Because something that was once reconciled unto me, something that was my possession, was now gone.

I think this is how God sees us. Not as something that's in the trash, but as something that has been reconciled unto Him, yet, we keep being gone. Jesus has reconciled us unto the Father as an atonement for our sins. So we are made righteous, now what?

Now, we are to be reconciled unto Jesus and the Father. Not just to them, but INTO their arms.

There's so much that takes us away from our Daddy's arms. Jobs, relationships, pursuits, dreams, passions, failures, disappointments, heartaches, health, life. But what if God is actively trying to reconcile you to His arms? What if Jesus is just standing there with His arms saying "Come unto me, and find rest."

Well, it's no fairytale. He is saying just that.
Jesus is continually reconciling us to His arms, His place of rest.
And the thing about it is, we don't have to try to do anything for it. If a Loved one of yours ask for a hug, they're not wanting you to go make your hair perfect, get a promotion, read your Bible more, pray more, or even clean yourself up. If someone says "Come give me a hug", they mean right then and now.

Jesus is always saying "Come to me".
Not "Come to me after you have..."
Not "Come to me when you have made yourself..."
Not "Come to me once you are..."

He just says "Come to me, right now, as you are, with your hurt, with your pain, with your dirt, with your nakedness, with your wearyness, with EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE. COME. TO. ME."
Period.

May you find reconciliation into Jesus' arms, and may you find that who you are, is who Jesus desires to hold.

Make Sure The Door Closes Behind You.

2010-07-07T00:38:00.000-04:00

"You think too much" has been, what seems, my life story. I don't remember when I started thinking, probably around childhood when I finally figured out that if I could lay on my back under the dining table, I could use the underside of the table as a canvas for art! I reckon I was about 4 or 5 years old.

But thinking too much seems to get myself into trouble. Not because I'm drawing on the underside of dining tables (which I'm not!), but because the voice in my head seems to drown out everything else around me. Including the voice that matters. God's.

My head replays everything that is on my heart, and what is bothering me, concerning me, or even just interesting to me. All those thoughts and feelings jumbled into one mind, seems like it would give someone a headache! Well, on some occasions it does, but why do I think too much? Why do I let the outside cram all that is going on into the inside, ultimately blocking and keeping God out of my head?

Because, I have to turn off the lights and close the door.

Let me explain. One night I was having trouble falling asleep. Well, something that helps me fall asleep is thinking about sleep. (Imagine that!) But I was thinking about the process in which I go to sleep. I turn off the lights, close the door, and close my eyes, and try not to think about anything that would keep me awake.

I distance myself from distractions so I may rest.

Imagine yourself in a room, with four walls, three or four lights lighting the room, and one switch that controls all of them. Now imagine there being a door.
In this room are your fears. Or your insecurities. Or the concern of how people see you. In each of these rooms, there is something that distances you from God.

In one of my rooms, there is so much doubt about whether or not my friends like me. Whether or not they understand that I Love them.
But with this doubt, there comes much distance from the one who Loves me so.

So I purposefully imagine myself turning off the lights to this room, walk out into the Light, and make sure the door, which by the way can only be exited from, never entered through, is shut completely.

Are there rooms that you need to turn the lights off and exit?
May you find yourself walking outside, and being in the light that so extravagantly bathes us in Jesus' Love.

God's Flight Plan.

2010-07-03T11:52:00.000-04:00

So many of you know that I returned to the United States with the understanding and passion of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot. Well, turns out God tweaked a few details.

I'm not joining the Air Force. The more I looked into it, the more I saw my freedom being taken away. Though it's a great career, I think my career will always be in the mission field.

I am still going to become a pilot though. I'm looking into a few flight schools (both just flight school and university), and trying to figure what direction I'll be choosing.

God has confirmed a lot of this in my spirit, and I feel a complete peace about it. Even if I do have to wait until about this time next year to get into a pilot training program.

I know I'm going to become a pilot. That much I know is true, and I'm really excited to take to the air and see God do amazing things.

I'm looking into Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) or possibly going back into YWAM, but with a plane!

So, that's about all the details that have changed since coming back to the States. I'm still working, and working towards to save up for my flight training.

The Ellipsis

2010-06-30T00:37:00.000-04:00

If you've taken an English class, then you might have heard of the "Ellipsis". Sometimes referred to as "dot dot dot". From what I've learned of it, and what Wikipedia says, the ellipsis usually shows an unfinished thought.

So what unfinished thought is there?
The only one that matters:

Love...

For the past 3 years, I've been trying to "figure out" this Love thing. What is Love? How do I Love. What does Love look like? What is the 1, 2, 3 steps to Love? Well, today, or yesterday, I came upon a revelation that totally blew my mind, and why I get so frustrated at trying to understand Love. Let's go back to math class shall we?

The Bible states literally and plainly in 1 John 4:7-8 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

So God is Love. Therefore we can say that God=Love. (Keep that in the back of your head).

The prophet Isaiah tells us rather brashly, and I can just hear the sarcasm from his statement in verse 13 of chapter 40, Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? .

Who has understood the mind of the Lord? From what I can tell, I believe it's no one but Jesus.

Also, Job learns exactly how powerful and mighty God is in Job chapter 40 and on.

So if we are unable to understand God completely, is it far fetched to say that we're unable to understand Love completely? I think the only possible way to understand Love, is to view Love incarnate. The person of Jesus allows us to fully see what Love is, who Love is, and how to Love. The more I draw closer to Jesus, the more I am capable of Love, both giving and receiving.

I'm not trying to say I've got everything figured out. I mean, I still have no idea what Love is. Although, I give, receive, and offer it as much as I can every single day in every single way I can.

So let's look at who God is.

Inifinite
Powerful
Gracious
Holy

The list could really go on forever.

So is it possible that Love itself is all these things too, because God is also them?

The more I learn about Love, the more I know less about it.

I can say confidently, however, that Love can be found, answered, and surrendered to in Jesus.

Because He isn't Love with an unfinished thought.

He just IS Love. Period.

A Wall and a Water Balloon.

2010-06-17T22:41:00.000-04:00

In this time we spend on earth called life, we come to understanding more and more things about it. Right now, I understand that I understand nothing about life.

Have you seen a brick wall standing on it's own? Have you ever gone up and leaned against a brick wall? If you have, then you know how massive it feels. How much it can support. In the second grade, my teacher explained to us about pushing and pulling. When you push, it's like you're trying to move a wall by putting both your hands on it and trying to walk forward.

Me as a second grader, though cute and brilliant at the same time, this was revolutionary for me. "I can push a brick wall? Cool!" I thought. And since then, I've always wanted to push a wall just by putting my hands up to it and walking forward.

But walls don't do that. I was a little sad when I first found that out, but I got over it. Now that I'm older and seemingly wiser, I have found other walls. Other walls that I myself put up. Walls between me and my coworkers. Me and my family. Me and my Jesus.

Did you ever have water balloon fights, or play that game where you toss them back and forth and the two people farthest apart from each other wins? Yeah. So you know how flimsy a water balloon is. How easily it can burst, and it can mold awkwardly as your try to catch it your hands and do a ballet move at the same time, all in the same moment hoping it won't pop and make you look like you peed your pants.

But what about Love water balloons? Does God throw water balloons with Love? I think so. Let's get wet...

The walls we consciously or subconsciously put up between ourselves, friends, family, Jesus, can just as easily be taken down. But we don't. That wall provides safety. Security. Something for us to lean on.

Have you ever thrown a water balloon at a brick wall? Doesn't do much more than make a big wet splotch. But what about Love water balloons? I'm reminded of the walls of Jericho. They marched around the walls. Why? Because they Loved God. If we throw enough balloons long enough, it might just knock down that wall or erode it.

I think God is constantly throwing water balloons at our walls. Waiting for the wall to be eroded, or for us to hear something splashing and see our dear Jesus on the cross and realize it's not water balloons but drops of crimson Love splashing against our walls. Trying to erode away our pain, guilt, disbelief, self-condemnation, self-reliance.

If there is a wall in your life, let me deeply encourage you from place that I am personally going through as I write this. I'm throwing water balloons filled with Love at a wall. I don't know how long it will take for those balloons to break through that wall. I don't care.

I choose Love. And I swear, I'm going to do it.

But if there is a wall in your life. Take a moment. Listen for any splashing. And see who is trying to get through your wall.

Is it a friend that's trying to show you that they care oh so deeply and Love you?

Is it Jesus simply saying, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest"

Is it your passion that is trying to get back to you?

Let your wall come down.

Let the water balloon burst all over you as you try to catch it once your wall comes down.

Let our Beloved Jesus bathe you in His Crimson Love.

Being a Hero: Hang Up My Cape (A multi-part blog)

2010-04-20T19:35:00.000-04:00

Before I begin, here's a quick update on my life. If yo haven't heard, I'm back in the States. Currently residing in Bremerton Washington. It's about an hour and half south of Seattle. I'm staying with a friend I met in Australia and the family has completely welcomed me in.

I've got a job, although I have started yet. I'll be working at Ashely Furniture as a Porter. My job duties are basically moving the furniture from the truck to the show floor and clean the building.

I'm also trying to get all my paperwork and logistics taken care to go into the Air Force. Hopefully this week I'll be able to get everything taken care of and get on the waiting list.

Now back to the topic this post is titled about.

God has been showing me a lot about myself. Not who I am in Him, co-heir, conqueror, but who I actually am in me! Obviously, I am a man. But what does that mean. To put simply in a definition doesn't do justice to the definition of what God wanted men to be.

One of the biggest aspects of myself that I've been learning is my Heroism. What does it take to be a hero? What does mean to actually BE a hero? For me, I've heard that husbands are the heroes in their marriages. But what about me? I'm a single guy. Who am I to be a hero to? Well, that question I'm glad to be left unanswered until the time is right. But the desire to be a hero is still there.

So do I hang up my cape in the closet until I get married. Seems like a waste to me. When I was in Australia I would receive a phone call about a computer problem. After I hung up the phone, I usually went straight to the problem. After fixing the problem, I felt like a hero. Because I fixed something? No, but I'm sure it added to the feeling. I felt like a hero because I knew that when I fixed a computer it gave the person using that computer the ability to get back to work. After all, is that what a hero does?

Superman- Now I'm not a huge comic fan, but I can vaguely remember some of the instances. A villain comes into to ruin the day, global domination and what not. And Clark Kent, a wealthy businessman goes into a phone booth and instantly changes into Superman. This is a greatly imagery. Underneath each man, is a superhero waiting to be unleashed.

But how many of us actually have a villain to fight, let alone super powers to use to save the day. Last time I checked, I couldn't fly, or stop bullets with my chest. So how do I, myself, be a superhero? To be honest, I can't answer that question.

So what is a single man to do? Hang up my cape? Never. To hang up my cape would me it would eventually get shuffled to the back and forgotten. A line I would say when some one showed appreciation towards my talents of an IT guy, I would simply say "I put my cape on one shoulder at a time, just like everybody else". That's not to say that I'm some superhero, but just like every (guy) I am who I am. And every morning I put my cape on one shoulder at a time to face the day, and perhaps to save it.

Homeward bound

2010-03-30T02:39:00.000-04:00

Well, it's come to that time now. Where I say goodbye to YWAM Townsville, and say hello to the Epic Journey that is taking me on.

It's been so amazing the past 370 days in Townsville. The amount of knowledge that I have gain and the people I have met, has astounded me.

I have worked with, played with, prayed with, argued with, and even cried with these wonderful people in Townsville, and I am surely not quick to forget, or lose touch with any one of them. They are my family and my cherished loved ones. Even though there is an ocean between us, there will never be a gap in my heart for everyone here.

There's not much more to say other than, God continues to take me on this Epic Journey.

The Year 2010...

2010-03-07T05:12:00.000-05:00

Is looking pretty exciting, and I've got some big news.

On March 31st I will be returning to the States. This decision has been mulling over in my head for the past 3 months now, and I believe God has given me direction and a peace about stepping out of Australia and coming back to the States. I first left the U.S. on August 21st 2008, stayed until December 7 2009, came back to Australia on January 5. It's been amazing 19 months here in Australia, and I will surely never forget the places I have been and the people I have met.

Here's what I'll be doing upon my arrival in the states. I'll be flying into Seattle, Washington and be getting a job to tie me over for about 6-8 months, and from there I will enlist into the Air Force.

My plan into the Air Force is to get into a track to become an officer and then fly cargo airplanes or refueling planes.

I'm excited to see the great things God will do and how He is going to work in me.

Letting Your Heart Chase After God

2010-02-03T07:24:00.000-05:00

So I know it's a been awhile since I've posted, but this I really felt I should share with you.

A heart's direction and attention to God can greatly affect how you are actually doing in the world. If your heart is set wholly on all that is holy, then the influence from your heart will travel to other aspects of your life. Thus comes in a line from a song I greatly enjoy "Let your heart win".

So many times we can let our heads do so much winning, that we actually forget where our hearts are and who they belong to. If our hearts still belong to ourselves, we can then say that our hearts will follow what we desire. But simply setting our hearts onto something greater than ourselves and giving over the freedom to God, His holiness can then be transferred to other parts of our lives.

There's a common Christian saying that usually occurs at altar calls, and it goes something like this, "All you have to do to be saved is accept Jesus into your heart." Theology aside, what does this actually mean? Do I invite some carpenter to come and make a nice cozy nook in my left ventricle? Of course not. Of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer, puts it simply:
raising of the inward eyes to meet the all-seeing eyes of God, then it follows that it is one of the easiest things possible to do. It would be like God to make the most vital thing easy and place it within the range of possibility for the weakest and poorest of us.

The inward eyes being your whole heart. Your very fiber of your being wanting to be devoted and surrendered to God. So to actually let your heart chase after God, you would simply bring it to Him.

Many people, myself included, have been hurt when we let our hearts chase after things. Possessions, people, positions, anything that would seemingly fulfill our heart, it would have ended in painful disappointment if not redeemed. But letting our hearts, our being, our very existence be a chase after God, that's what the Epic Journey is about. It's not about places, or things to see. It's simply about a journey of the heart to chase after God with every fabric of your entire being.

So if you haven't, let your heart go and find God. Let your heart find a worthy pursuit that will not end in a painful disappointment.

And to put it in simple language, "Let your heart win".

A week in.

2010-01-12T04:15:00.000-05:00

Well, I've been back in Australia for a week now, and I've pretty much have settled in where I was. Which is kind of good and bad as I realize as I'm typing this.

I'm back where I was physically, but I'm also back where I was spiritually. I had this half expectance that I would be closer to God or really feel His presence once I got back. But it's as though nothing has changed.

I've been reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer again. If you look here you can find where I left off of posting the book.

But there's so much power in Tozer's words. He brings to the forefront of the mind the realness of God, and the reality of our interaction with him. Coming to God isn't just some theory, it's a reality that we need to face each and every day. It needs to be something that materializes, not just thought about.

I ask that you pray for me for this. That I would make this interaction with God a materialized reality.

Made it to Australia (And in one piece!)

2010-01-04T23:20:00.000-05:00

Well, after about 22 hours of flight, I have made it safely, and actually sound minded to Australia. Thank you for all your prayers.

There is something I need to address. With me coming to the states, I was still paying for accommodation here in Australia (basically keeping a spot open so I have a guaranteed bed for when I came back.). Right now I owe 521 Australian dollars. But with the exchange rates being practically 1:1, I owe About 475 American.

If you'd like to help me out with this, I would greatly appreciate it! It'd be great not have to start this year off in debt!

To donate, go to my blog: The Epic Journey and you will find a donate button on the right.

So you'd like to call me, huh?

2009-12-10T18:45:00.000-05:00

Well, here's how!

My home number is: 863-614-1906
My cell Number is: 863-512-3839

Please call the home number first so I have credit on my cell phone. :)

My Flight Details.

2009-12-05T20:47:00.000-05:00

Well, you want them? Here they are. :)
Leave Townsville Dec 7 @ 9:20AM
Arrive Sydney Dec 7 @ 12:55PM
Leave Sydney Dec 7 @ 3:25PM
Arrive LAX Dec 7 @ 9:50AM
Leave LAX Dec 7 @ 10:15PM
Arrive Orlando Dec 8 @ 5:55AM

Prayer update

2009-11-28T07:29:00.000-05:00

Here are just a few updates that you can pray for!

More staff to come to Reef to Outback.
We're needing a lot of people for the upcoming ship tour!
For me personally, I'm looking to buy a car for next year that will be greatly beneficial.
When I come home, I'm looking to raise $5,000 dollars, and see $500 a month of support, and 50 prayer partners. God can do many great things! And I believe Him for all these and more!
Grace. We as a center here in Townsville need a lot of grace for next year. We're needing God to really take hold of us and guide us through every turn and lead us through every situation
IT Infrastructure. I'm looking to local and global businesses to raise sponsorship and support to give the IT infrastructure here a good overhaul. It'd be great to see what God can do with IT!
Relationships. We're needing some good relationships with businesses, tradesmen, government, and pretty much every major marina and port on the East coast of Australia.

So there are 5 good prayer points for you to pray for me and the ministry here in Townsville Australia.

Breakfast for dinner

2009-11-24T04:20:00.000-05:00

This past Monday night, I was able to make biscuits and gravy for the Reef to Outback family here in Townsville. Now most Americans know what biscuits and gravy are. Especially the southerners. ;)

But what really struck me is that some people didn't even understand that you could have a gravy in a meal that is considered breakfast. Then it struck me, that there is os much diversity here. There is Americans, Canadians, people from Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, other island nations. There are New Zealanders (also called Kiwi's), and one girl is from the Netherlands.

And to think, if I had not followed God to be a missionary in Australia, I would never had the chance to get to know so many people and find such a home in such a place as this.

I guess I'm just very thankful that I'm here, and can experience this.

My Hike through the woods.

2009-11-22T01:42:00.000-05:00

It's been about a week since these pictures were taken, but I guess better late than never!

The images might take some time to load, but when you click on them, you can click the icon in the bottom right to turn it over and see a description.

My Journey to Paluma

And as you may notice, this is hosted at "www.the-epic-journey.com". That's right. There will be an Epic Journey website that will have more photos, videos, and news than you can shake a stick at with a stick shaking machine.

Coming January 2010

November 1st

2009-10-31T20:35:00.002-04:00

Well, it's officially November here in Aussieland, and I'm really excited to see what God will be doing in this month.

So far in our center, we have already begun a new hangout place for the students. (more info) We have also finished up the major functionality and look of the new YWAM Australia website. It's going to be awesome and be able to serve each YWAM Auz location so effectively. Can't reveal any details yet, but just know it'll be a spectacular launch.

With the building project (see "more info" above) there is going to be a new office, and what does an office need? No, not cup holders for each desk, though I might make a design for that. What if the cup holders had warmers on the bottom.... I digress, every office needs a network! So that's where I come in. I hope to have the office mapped out and all the cables pulled before I go home in December.

This is going to be an exciting month.
If you want to know more, my contact info is below. I'd love to hear from you!
email:itdcole@gmail.com
skype name: itdcole
Skype Number:863-614-1906

Prayer Update

2009-10-28T08:03:00.002-04:00

Some quick points for you to pray into!

Wes currently have about 31,000 contacts. Next year, we're looking to increase that by 100,000! Some prayer points for the upcoming ship tour are:
1. The systems that we have in place are capable handling that much info.
2. That people come along side of us to see 100,000 Aussie youth come into missions.
3. The center where I am at is able to accommodate new staff and schools being run here.
4. That God pours out tremendous blessings on the IT area here, and we're able to not be limited by what we see, but be able to have God's grace be our everything.
(ex. Infrastructure gear, more people specialized in the IT field, finances for the IT ministry area)

Some personal prayer requests:
1. That God would provide 1,000 dollars by Friday so I can attend the National Leadership Meeting in Perth Australia.
2. Because I'm staying here through 2010 and beyond, that I'm able to communicate clearly with you and others back in the states of what I'm doing.
3. That God releases huge blessings in terms of monthly support for me.

It's nearly November, and nearly 2010. The ship tour is right upon us!

National Leaders Meeting THIS WEEKEND

2009-10-25T19:21:00.002-04:00

Well the National Leaders meeting is this weekend, and I am still in need of $1000 to attend.
This isn't just a meeting in a board room, it's an encounter with God and His vision for Australia. To connect with other leaders, share ideas, and get plugged in with the braintrust of YWAM Australia.

I'd really like to go.
If you would like to donate, you can click HERE and on the right hand side there is a donate button.

Thank you.

Quick update...

2009-10-20T23:16:00.003-04:00

Just a few things to update you on.

I believe God is calling me here for 2010.
About 86.5% done with the new YWAM Australia site. It looks amazing!

I have learned that if you're in a place, and God has not told you to go anywhere else, that is the place you should be. So I've decided to stay in Australia and help with the ship tour.

Here's a video of the ship tour and a prospectus to explain some more details.
Ship Tour Video
Ship Prospectus

National Leaders Meeting

2009-10-19T04:39:00.002-04:00

There is a meeting in Perth for many leaders to come together, to strategize, hear from God, be renewed, get a broader focus on YWAM & YWAM Australia. I believe God has a lot for me at this meeting, but I haven't the funds to take part.

I need about 700 for flights and 300 for accommodation and food. So about $1000 dollars to attend this leaders meeting. I believe it is important for me to go and believe that God has a lot to say to me during that time.

So I'm asking for your help to send me to this meeting. I just need 40 people to give 25 dollars, 25 people to give 40 dollars. Either way you look at it, it can be done.

Thank you so much for believing in me thus far. I can't wait to see you in December.

A Finished Project...

2009-10-14T20:34:00.002-04:00

So one of the things that I've been working on here at Reef to Outback in Australia, is a new online payment system.

This new payment system does a lot more than the old one, for instance, it can handle recurring donations a lot easier, Send automatic receipts, and the process is a lot cleaner!
Take a look at it.
and give a donation if you feel led. ;)

Another project I am working on is revamping the YWAM Australia website.
If you look at the current one, ywam.org.au, it's a bit crowded.

But the new one that will be put in to place will serve each YWAM Center in Australia better and give more information to people who are trying to find info on YWAM Australia.

The launch date is To Be Determined, but the final draft is the last week of October. I'm really excited to see this new site take off!

Consideration...

2009-10-03T18:31:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to ask you if you would consider something.

For me to be in Australia, I need to raise 20 dollars a month from 25 people. That's not a lot.

So I'm simply asking you if you would consider that.

Here's how you can help!
1. Go HERE. This is automated using Paypal. It'll automatically be sent to me, and you won't have to worry about a thing.
2. Send the support to my mom. My mom is being a great advocate for me with keeping connections back home. Email me at itdcole@gmail.com for details.

Along with finances, comes prayer.
I also need monthly support in prayer. You can ask me any time what my current prayer needs are.

To those who are already supporting me, thank you so much! I honestly wouldn't be able to stay here if it wasn't for you.

Wisdom...

2009-09-28T04:44:00.003-04:00

Ecclesiastes 5:2
Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few.

I find comfort in the words of Solomon. It's not so much just advice, but an honest way to live your life. Being quick doesn't always being right.
What an honest heart I would long to have than a hasty one! With a God like ours, it's obvious that as we approach the throne of Grace, our hearts are to be surrendered unto Him. What an earth shattering concept! Let's dig down some more.

Surrender brings vulnerability. Vulnerability brings openness. Openness brings about the ability to change.
Surrendering to God brings about vulnerability within the safety of the Righteousness. Vulnerability with safety brings trust along with openness. Trust & openness brings about the the knowledge of why it's good for God to change us, and the ability to do it.

Solomon understood what it meant to be changed by God. Because he understood that his heart was to be prepared as a gift to be surrendered.
And just so I'm clear, the heart isn't just an organ or muscle.
When I say heart, I mean the epicenter. "The heart of the city", the heart, your heart. You're entire life focus.

I pray that your life be filled with surrender, and you come to a point where there can be vulnerability, openness, trust, safety, and change for your heart from God.

Lately....

2009-09-27T08:18:00.000-04:00

I know haven't been updating you as much as I should, but I will be sending out more updates more often.

But I'm still alive. Still serving God in IT. Still in Australia. More details to come...

Before you pick up that phone...

2009-09-12T05:06:00.006-04:00

You can talk to anyone in the job of support. The most familiar is tech support. There's also a bad reputation for people in tech support. That they are unapproachable, obnoxious, edgy, unsociable, and even rude. But let me take a moment to lay this down...

The tech support field is highly specialized. And because it's highly specialized, not many Christians have had the opportunity to pursue that. Some believe that having a specialization means you're not a true Christian. This is not what this is about. But the majority of people in specialized roles, aren't typically Christians. Why? I don't really know. But I know it's an area that needs to change. I believe Christians should have skills that differ them from everyone else. We all can't be pastors. So why not be an electrician, web designer, plumber, IT, accountant, why would these roles exclude Christians? I think Christians have excluded those roles from themselves. Now, enough of that soapbox...

1 John 3:16~ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

One of the things that has been said to me a lot here at Reef To Outback (YWAM Townsville), is that I'm approachable, kind, and willing to help people. Why one earth would they think otherwise? Because I'm IT. Because the reputation that that title carries with it.

Everyday, I get a phone call for support about a computer, website, or anything technical. What makes me different than any other IT guy on the planet? I remember that verse before I pick up that phone.

"...ought to lay down [my life] for our brothers."

So if you are in a role where support is your focus, I ask that you lay down your life before you pick up that phone. It will change the world.

And if you are not in a role where support is your focus, I still ask that you lay down your life.

What difference could it possibly make?
Try, and watch God do miracles

It's coming.

2009-09-04T21:14:00.001-04:00

This is what I will be part of.
YWAM Australia & PNG Ship Tour

Your last cup of water...

2009-08-31T23:09:00.003-04:00

That was the question that God asked me while I was away.

I had so many questions on my mind, about my future, about so many different things. And then He asked me, "Have you ever worried about where your next cup of water would come from?" I said no, because I had never worried about such a thing. I grew up in a Western society where water can be found freely. So within my life I never had to worry about food or drink.

God then posed this to my heart, if I had not worried about such things that are so vital to my life, why must I worry about trivial things that plague my mind?

And so therefore the challenge, to lay down myself before God, to give up my desires, my cares, and my worries. To trust in God and know that He has much more need for me to not worry about trivial things, but He will take care of me.

So there I was, knelt down in a green field, with a round wooden cross before me. Being transparent before my God, and allowing Him to work in my heart that I should no longer carry my burdens, but be able to reach up, and cling to the cross and be surrenderd to Him who cares.

Retreat to the Hidden Place

2009-08-21T18:36:00.002-04:00

In just 3 hours I will be heading up to a place called Hidden Valley along with all the staff of YWAM Townsville. This will be a 5 day retreat to relax, get fresh revelation and have heaps of fun.

I will be out of contact until August 28. Pray that this time for the staff is a grand time and we will be refreshed like never before.

~
Dennis

Such A Grace Given...

2009-08-10T07:22:00.003-04:00

Whenever I look at my life, I can see all the things that God has done. He has given me purpose, motivation, passion, love, compassion, and some awesome roommates. But when it comes down to it, the greatest thing He has given me is His Grace.

So many times I've seen my attitude or my approach about things and I've wanted to walk away from myself. But God never does. He's still there when I go to my room, and shut the door and cry out. He's still the father that Loves me no matter what and brings to me His heart which is strong with compassion.

Such a Grace given to me is beyond my comprehension of reason. Why would God give such a thing? Never will I know, but I know I can say, "God, you know, and I trust in You."

Defining Moments

2009-07-12T05:21:00.003-04:00

What would define a missionary? Would it be someone in the streets, handing out tracks? Would it be someone on a box in the city center open air preaching? Maybe someone who has traveled all the way to another country on the other side of the world? Or perhaps, just perhaps, it's a woman, who wakes up at 7AM every morning, and goes to work, and helps families as a social worker.

There's always a definition to things, but there's not always a boundary by the definition. I want to challenge your thinking of what a missionary is. So many times we recognize a missionary as someone who has gone out of their element, to go live amongst the people they're trying to save, and live without many comforts. Why would that person differ from the woman who has to handle kids' lives because their family is broken?

Before I left, I heard so many people ask me: "So are you going to go be a missionary?"
Well, I don't know if I fit the definition of a missionary. Here is what I'm doing, it may or may not qualify me as a missionary.

Databases
Any large amount of data is stored on a database. For us in YWAM Townsville, that database contains people. We lose our database, we lose every contact we have ever met. That's 30,000 names.
So what do I do?
I make sure this database is up and running and stays that way. Always trying to perfect it, always watching it.
I'm not sure if that qualifies me as a missionary.

Communication
With so many people, and the many more we will be meeting in the future, we have to have great communication. Imagine what would happen if all form of digital communication stopped. This means Internet, cell phones, satellite phones, faxes, pretty much any kind of communication created since 1988. We're back to old telephones, and the postal service.
So what do I do?
I keep our communications equipment functional. Ever tried to send an email without the internet? You should try it. If something doesn't work right, I'm called in to figure out why, and to make sure it won't happen again.
I'm not sure if that qualifies me as a missionary,

IT
Not many people understand this field. It's confusing, and everything is in it's own language. But in YWAM Townsville, we like IT. We use it to not only help the staff, but help people in Papua New Guinea. I was given the opportunity to serve in this area the second I arrived on the YWAM Townsville base.
So what do I do?
I fix/improve computers. I fix/improve servers. I troubleshoot any and everything with an electrical impulse and data flowing through it. God provided me an A.S. Degree in Network Engineering before I left the USA. What an amazing God to bring to a place where I can use the skills I love and learned!
But I'm not sure if that qualifies me as a missionary,

In fact, I'm just a volunteer. I don't get paid. I live on the support of others. And I work Monday-Friday, 8-5.

So what is the definition of a missionary?

Where Your Glory Dwells

2009-06-26T18:27:00.002-04:00

As I was running down that unfamiliar road in the dark, it seemed as if God was lighting my way. My feet were hitting the concrete in a steadied pace and my breathing was a loud and heavy in and out.

But then God revealed that He dwells in His creation. "... and the spirit was hovering over the waters..." was the verse from Genesis that came to my mind. And I looked back at my life and what I had accomplished, and what I had not. And realized all that I had not, did not have God in them. Or was at least not the focus.

So desperately in life I tried to make something out of nothing, and thought so with my own power and will. How obnoxious of me! To think that I could actually do something better by myself than have the Spirit that dwells in my soul?

I can understand why Jesus said that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only God can create a new creation (2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-21) and then dwell within that creation.

Oh my lovely believer, do you struggle with life or anything that it hath brought? Then take heart! For you are the creator's beloved, and He dwells within you. Turn your eyes away from the world, and lean not on your own understanding, but let your eyes gaze upon the Glory and Word of the Lord. And there, in the midst of struggle and temptation, your Salvation will be your hiding place.

If you have not this gift of Salvation, I urge you to seek it. Jesus who ever Seeks shall find. And what more can a person lost in this world seek than Salvation? "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Jesus is not a cure-all for life. He is a hope for the life to come.

Home for the Holidays

2009-06-18T23:41:00.002-04:00

Well, it's not the holidays yet, but I wanted to tell you that I will be coming home for Christmas this year!

I'll be flying in around the 10 of December and flying back to Australia around January 2.

The thing is, I need about $2,000 USD to be able to fly home. I would like to book my tickets as soon as possible to avoid even higher expenses.

Please pray that finances come in, and if you can I'd be most grateful for your support. But I understand if you can't. That's the amazing thing about prayer, you can do it no matter what!

Work Hard, Play Harder

2009-05-29T20:34:00.008-04:00

Ever since coming to Australia in August of 2008, I've been going at it as hard as I could. And up until last weekend, I really never took any time to myself to just relax and spend time not thinking about my ministry or IT within the Townsville base here. Never really took a short vacation.

Well that changed last weekend. I went to a small island called Magnetic island for two days, and all I did was cruise around the island, climb mountains, lay on the beach, and watched the bright stars at night.

Ever since that weekend, I've been feeling so refreshed and rejuvenated. Here are some pictures.

Where I camped one night. The other night I camped right on the beach.

Where I camped

Sunset

Sunrise

30,000 and counting.

2009-05-16T06:48:00.003-04:00

Those are how many names I'm responsible for in the latest part of my Epic Journey. Thirty Thousand People.

So many people have thought in this life-including myself-that because I'm not in a church doing "ministry", I'm not doing anything for the Kingdom. Well, I would just like to clarify that as a lie straight from the pit of hell. I can say that with confidence because the Bible has many examples of people who weren't in the "ministry" doing great work for the kingdom.

1. The Centurion- ..."Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
... Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
"Such great faith", a centurion, a soldier, a Roman Officer. I don't know exactly why the Centurion had the greatest faith Jesus had seen thus far, but what a testimony to the servant that was ill!

2. Paul- A tent maker. I believe that's enough said.

3. The Disciples- Though they didn't stay in their trade, God called them out of their trade to move the world into a new beginning.

So here I am, Townsville Australia, and I'm working on a database with over 30,000 names on it that I'm responsible for. Am I going out day after day evangelizing to people? No. But I'm moving forth His Kingdom in ways I can't even explain.

So be encouraged that God has YOU where you are for a reason. If everyone was a pastor, who would be the businessmen to donate money, or help out be a link to the secular world?

Whether "secular" or "ministerial", do it for the Kingdom.

His Love Displayed II

2009-04-27T04:44:00.005-04:00

Today, as me and some friends were discussing things about a fish tank. During this I was reading a book about the bridegroom and Christ. And during this discussion/reading, I was given a revelation from God.

In the book, it talks about Unity. Functional Unity and Organic Unity. The book describes it in this way:
"To illustrate: the members of a board of directors of a corporation have only functional relationship to one another. But an arm or hand or foot has an organic relationship to the body. Just so, the born-again believer has an organic relationship to Christ because His source of life is in Him. The Church is not merely an institution ruled over by Christ as President, a kingdom in which He is the supreme authority, but an organism which is in vital connection with Him, having the source of its life in Him."~Destined For The Throne- Paul E. Billheimer

So back to the fish tank. Now imagine the ocean. Where the fish don't rely on food being given by their owner. Nevertheless, it is a functional relationship where food is dropped into the tank. But what about the water and the fish? As a child, did you ever go fishing and leave the fish on the bank? It does eventually die, but not before it makes every effort to gasp for its life source.

So the water, in a fish tank, is the absolute life-giving organic relationship that the fish desperately hangs on to every second of its life.

As I pondered this, I realized that the same with the organic relationship of myself and my creator. What would I do if I was taken up out of His presence which surrounds me daily giving me my life and will to live? Would I die gasping for the most vital thing in my life? Or would I accept it, and let it be?

Let me say, I've never seen a fish give up until it could try no more.

Updated Address

2009-04-17T19:54:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! Here are my new address details for Townsiville!

Postal Address
PO Box 6221
Townsville QLD 4810, Australia

Physical Address
127 Ingham Road
Townsville QLD 4810, Australia

Phone + 61 7 4771 2123

His Love Displayed

2009-04-13T08:20:00.002-04:00

Through out the whole existence of man, it appears that we are always striving. Striving to get to God, to get to a new point of revelation.

Our longing to be with Him is in fact Him urging us to be with Him. We long, because we want to long for more. If we were to not long for more, that would mean we had accomplished the climax of our desperate desire, necessity, or even the fulfillment of our Love. To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul’s paradox of love. ~A.W Tozer

But that's not just it. Our lives are not meant to be pursuing an unapproachable God. That's our life if we are not redeemed by the blood of Jesus and the work of the Cross. No, our life is meant to Glorify God, and Enjoy Him forever.

Glorify~
# laud: praise, glorify, or honor;
# bestow glory upon;
# transfigure: elevate or idealize,
# cause to seem more splendid;

Enjoy~
# derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in;
# have benefit from;
# love: get pleasure from;
# have for one's benefit;
# delight: take delight in;

To Be Continued...

Staff Leadership Internship

2009-04-08T23:53:00.002-04:00

Hello!

Next Tuesday I'll be going through a Staff Leadership Internship (SLI), and through this I'll be learning leadership skills, first aid, fire safety, as well as other exciting things!

I hope to get a new camera really soon so I can update you with more pictures!

Things here in Townsville are moving wonderfully. Myself and one other person are overseeing a database migration from local servers to servers on the internet. It's very exciting to get to use my IT skills.

I'm planning on sending out an Epic Journey Newsletter sometime this month, so keep an eye out for a letter in the mail!

My Testimony (Link)

2009-04-03T22:37:00.001-04:00

Here's the link for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbKYQMZAWT8

My Testimony

2009-04-03T22:36:00.002-04:00

This is my testimony that I recorded when I did an outreach in Mt. Isa.

I've arrived in Townsville

2009-03-25T23:29:00.002-04:00

I've made it to Townsville safely! And it's beautiful here! I hope to get some videos taken and upload them so you can see what the base is like here.

Currently I'm learning about the base and how some of the IT stuff works. It's awesome being here. I can't wait to see what God is going to reveal in the next six months!

My journey in life...

2009-03-24T01:49:00.002-04:00

-no matter how long or short the physical journey may be- is the greatest thing for me to accomplish.

Dennis Cole

Tonight I leave Darwin, not for good, but for about 6 months. This warm tropical place has become my home in Australia. I will certainly miss everything about it, and will want my time away to come to pass. But I am leaving because it is God's Will. Not a choice of mine, but it's His.

I will be heading to Townsville to take some time to rest, reflect, and grow even closer with the One who knows me best. My journey is far from over, and it's this life that I live that is the journey I long to see to the end.

The people here in Darwin are my family, and I will deeply miss them.

This is not a sad message, but a rejoiceful one. For God has called me onto greater heights, challenges, and longs for me to grow so He may be glorified.

My journey in life may have begun a long time ago, but each day is a new adventure.

Thinking of buying a new camera

2009-03-21T01:48:00.002-04:00

Hey! About a month or two ago, I got my camera wet and I've just now tried it out again and the image sensor is damaged, meaning it won't take any pictures at all.

And I was just wanted to ask you about me buying a new camera. Particularly because it would be with the money that you have supported me with.

The camera I'm currently looking at is THIS ONE. It's a Canon camera and I've done all my research on it. It is a bit more expensive than just a little pocket camera, but it's closer to a professional grade than actually going professional.

So I just wanted your input on whether I should get it or go with a cheaper one.

Oh, and with the exchange rate, it'd be about $345 USD.

Australia Dialect III

2009-03-13T00:34:00.002-04:00

This is a weekly look at the Australian Dialect and how it compares to US Dialect. Using this you will be able to understand Aussies and survive in the outback.

_{This service in any way is not responsible for your actual survival in the outback.}

Today we will be looking at the phrase: She'll be right.
Dr. Word and Definition man decided to take a vacation, so I asked a very special guess to come and decipher this saying for us. His name is Prof. Explanation.
"As you can see, the phrase 'she'll be right' is only accurately understood with the Australian accent. But, an equivalent to this in an American sense would be 'It's all good.'

Now as always, the phrase and words are best used in context. Please refer to your travel booklet or guide for more details on how to accurately use these terms and phrases.

Also just some little forewarning, if you have an American accent, and you try these terms or phrases, there is a probable 85% chance you'll get laughed at the first time, or just an awkward stare. Especially if you're just talking to some strangers."

Thank you Professor.

Well, until next time, keep those words turning, and those accents rolling!

_{This service in any way is not responsible for your actual survival in the outback.}

Back In The Air!

2009-03-12T21:57:00.002-04:00

Well, I have booked my flight to Townsville. I will be leaving March 25th at 1AM Darwin time, and arrive in Townsville at around 9AM Townsville time.

This is really exciting. I've been waiting to go to Townsville for about 2 months now. And I'm so excited that God got me a good airline price. Glory!

It's still about 12 says off, but this is really exciting.

^{The Next Step}

Love you, can't wait to tell you more about my Epic Journey with God.

Australian Dialect II

2009-03-05T23:26:00.002-05:00

This is a weekly look at the Australian Dialect and how it compares to US Dialect. Using this you will be able to understand Aussies and survive in the outback.

_{This service in any way is not responsible for your actual survival in the outback.}

Today we will be looking at the word: Mate.
Dr. Word is out for the week, so we will have Definition Man tell us what it's about.
"Hello fellow citizens of Internetopia! I am Definition Man, saving you from misconceptions of words all around the internet! Today I want to clear up a word, though has many definitions can be mistaken quite often.

This word "mate" is sometimes mistaken for the definition that National Geographic uses to depict an animal's relationship. Now, I've never seen National Geographic, but I hear they have interesting articles about dung beetles. But I've flown to Australia and have noticed a much rather softer definition of "mate".

In Australia, "mate" actually refers to something that most people know as a "friend". You can have good mates (friends), best mates(friends), or horrible mates(friends). So you see, there's shouldn't be any more confusion when someone call's their friend a "mate".

...Unless that person is your spouse. Then it's just weird. Not even the Aussie's do that!"

That's it for this week in Australian Dialect! Stay tuned for some exciting updates coming your way in the near future!

Australian Dialect

2009-02-26T23:45:00.003-05:00

Welcome to a new service brought to you completely free! This is a weekly look at the Australian Dialect and how it compares to US Dialect. Using this you will be able to understand Aussies and survive in the outback.

_{This service in any way is not responsible for your actual survival in the outback.}

Let's look at an example, shall we?

Receptionist- Hello, are those the forms for the Doctor?
Patient- Yes they are, here you go.
Receptionist- Ta, you can have a seat.

Did you spot it? Take another look.

The word we will be looking at is "Ta".

Now not every Aussie uses this word, but it is accepted through all of Australia land. What does this word mean? Well, let's let Dr. Word

explain it to us.

Ta
A word to express appreciation.

Paralleled to American Dialect-
Thank you.
Thanks.

Well, I hope that this short lesson has educated you more about Australian Dialect. Until next time! Be safe, and use the right words!

_{This service in any way is not responsible for your actual survival in the outback.}

Australian Visa

2009-02-25T20:14:00.002-05:00

So I'm currently in the process of obtaining my 416 Special Programs Visa which lasts for 1 year.

I stuffed up on some paperwork so that'll need to be sorted (again) and I just went for a medical examination and tomorrow I go for a chest xray.

That's pretty much what I've been up to. I can't go to Townsville until I obtain my visa. Well, I can, but I'll be unable to serve in any ministries there because their base is accredited.

That's about it for now, I'll report back with exciting news!.... if it anything exciting happens that is.

Love you,
Dennis

The Outback

2009-02-24T07:52:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm still here in Darwin (Surprise!) and everything is going pretty smoothly. I'm finalizing all my paperwork to head to Townsville for an internship for leadership training and to serve in the IT ministry there as well.

I just want to extend my appreciation to each you for your respect and Love. You have given me much potential and much needed prayer. I want to know if there is anything I can pray for you this week, please don't be hesitant to send me an email @ itdcole@gmail.com.

There's not much to report here. Just holding down the fort here at Darwin and taking care of the base. I'll report anything new as soon as it happens!

Love you, oh so much!
Dennis

Heading on over to Townsville

2009-02-09T03:01:00.001-05:00

I will be headed over to Townsville within the next month to help and serve them in any way possible. I don't know when I'll leave or when I'll return to Darwin Specifically, but I'll keep you posted as soon as I know!

Thank you for all your prayers!

Weekly Update 1-6-08

2009-02-05T22:52:00.002-05:00

So here's the scoop:

I'm currently in Darwin and I have received the title as Co-Kitchen Manager. I told the base leader that I truly felt I was to staff Discipleship Training Schools, but there isn't one starting soon. So I have been blessed with managing the kitchen. While I was on my school, I never knew how much work went into managing the kitchen. But I love it! It keeps me busy and I always have the opportunity to let my OCD run rampant.

Right now, I have been talking with my base leader and he has been talking with a base in Townsville, about 1550 miles East of Darwin. I don't know yet if I am to stay in Darwin or head to Townsville. I could really use your prayer for that situation.

God has really been humbling me lately. Showing me that I don't know always what to do and to ask for help. God is so good and I will ever praise Him!

This weekend, you might get a little surprise. :)

Until next time, Stay strong, stay faithful, and stay Loving.
Dennis

Then the Journey ended

2009-02-01T04:52:00.002-05:00

It's now time that I say goodbye to my men on DTS. Two have left two nights ago, and the final two leave tonight. I'm gonna miss them. Everyday most likely.

I Love you
Josh
Jeremy
Bryan
Mark
Phill.

My men of DTS. God speed. I will see you again.

Update on Operation: Darwin

2009-01-27T08:40:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to send out a quick update on what's happening around here.
Nothing too extravagant. This week is just a reflection week of our DTS and also getting logistical stuff done.

Here is a MAJOR update, however.

For me to join staff in Darwin, I need to apply for a new Visa. Well, the visa cost 575 Australian dollars, and we really need to do the visa application right away. So I need to see 575 dollars come in by next Friday basically.

Please pray for God's provision, and if God leads you to give, may His blessings be 10 fold! But please don't feel urged or pressure to give. God will provide. I trust in Him, and not my own ways.

Prov. 3:5 " Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding"

East Timor Pics!

2009-01-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

East Timor Pics!

DTS Graduation

2009-01-23T21:00:00.001-05:00

IS THIS FRIDAY!

WOO!!

Back in Darwin (Again)

2009-01-22T21:34:00.002-05:00

Hey! I'm back in Darwin, and I think for a while, maybe. East Timor was so amazing, and I'm going to show A LOT of photos and videos. They should be viewable in 24 hours.

I'll also be sending out letters, so expect to see a letter from me! =D

~Never tired of running to see God's Will~

Dennis

God Is Moving In East Timor

2009-01-13T02:50:00.002-05:00

I've only been in East Timor for about 4 days now. And I have spent most of that time in a village called Suratula. God wants to save these people, and these people want to be saved.

Every single man, woman, and child were eager to know God. We brought them the Gospel, prayed over them, blessed them with gifts, and most of all, we loved them.

I don't have any pictures right now, and won't any after this trip due to having my camera being submerged in water by a waterfall. =| But God is faithful, and it's just a camera. He'll bring the news of His work to all those who want to know.

I'm headed off to another town tomorrow called Weberrek, which is 150Km away, but takes 7 hours to drive because of the rought terrain. So please pray for our travels tomorrow.

God is so awesome!

Next stop: East Timor

2009-01-06T22:38:00.001-05:00

This Friday at 4AM I'll be in the Darwin airport on my way to East Timor. It's an hour and a half flight to a small country with big history.

I won't have much communication but I'll try to get as many photos and stories as possible!

I'm back in Darwin!

2008-12-27T00:19:00.002-05:00

Back home in Aussieland! All fingers and toes accounted for.

I'll be posting updates and pictures soon....ish.

Love you!
Dennis

Merry Christmas from Thailand!

2008-12-25T03:43:00.002-05:00

Hello! It's Christmas here! Although you wouldn't know it by the look of all the decorations here...not. (The team has been having a a stream of NOT jokes recently.)

But rest assured, we had an awesome Christmas, and Christ was definitely the center.

But this update is about Christmas, it's about my plans.
(Take a deep breath, and let it out.)

I'm staying in Australia for at least one more year. God has called me to apply for staff in Darwin, and although I haven't gotten my application in yet, I know God has called me to Australia.

That means I won't be coming home any time soon. I know this news isn't the best news for some, but I have to follow hard after God if I'm going to glorify Him the most.

When I get back to Australia I'll be sending out support letters to let you know how you can help, and how you can pray.

I love you very much, and I know God is Everlasting, and so will His praise throughout all the nations.
Glory to Him, Yahweh.

Love,
Dennis.

Last Night In Chian Rai

2008-12-21T06:21:00.002-05:00

Tonight is my last night in Chiang Rai. We have accomplished a lot here at Home Of The Open Heart, as well as teach English classes at a coffee shop. Chiang Rai is a nice place with nice people. I'm going to miss it.

But tomorrow evening, we take a 12 hour bus ride to Bangkok to spend Christmas in the Avana Hotel. (I'm really excited about the breakfast buffet!).

Be praying for the seeds we planted here in Chiang Rai. Pray that the lives we ministered to with the Gospel is harvested and is fruitful. Pray for Home Of The Open Heart, that they find finances, hearts dedicated to them, as well as protection for the entire property.

Pray for Oct and Nok. They work at the coffee shop, pray for their salvation. Pray for Ann, she came every day to the English class, and I believe God has great things in store for her. Pray for Nee, and Cha, that they find the Living God, and they serve Him with their whole being.

And pray for us, as we travel, not yet done, ever, ministering to people.

In Thailand, for Christ,
Dennis.

God's Faithfulness

2008-12-15T07:03:00.002-05:00

So within this heart of mine that is eager to see the Living God, I tend to find myself at the point of looking up at the cross, seeing where I should be. A place to be in the presence of the Lord God Almighty is the only place I can freely say that my heart is safe. In a time where dreams, hopes, and desires are whisked around like the mist of a wave, I believe it's more critical to keep the passion and and dreams of your heart dedicated to God. I myself am guilty of this disgrace shown to God by keeping my dreams and desires and not letting Him have them because they were my desires, and I knew what to do with MY desires. But oh how wrong it is shown in my life that I was lost to a point where I couldn't even differentiate between my conjured imagination and God's Will for my life.

I was running to the hill, but yet stopping immediately at the cross, for it is at the cross that I know what must be done. Before something is overcome, it has to be overtaken. And as I try to overtake this selfishness of mine, I gaze at this monstrous symbol of freedom, the freedom that was paid oh so severly and repaid so insufficiently. And I try to bring to Him the debt that I owe, but yet He wipes it away, and brings His touch into my life.

My heart trembles as I look upon the beam running across the stiffened post that is buried deep into the earth to hold up the massive weight. Oh how my Saviour has waited so long to meet me here, and yet I take my time to meet Him there.

But His Faithfulness is what stops my trembling. My Saviour, He's not there, spread full on the cross, He's next to me, helping me. He's willing to bring me up to a place of where I am able to die, so I might be resurrected by Him.

Listen to this song, and take to heart the words.
Touch by Dan Smith morerain.com

His touch, brings life, brings Love, brings everything. And I stand here, on the cross, awaiting His resurrecting Touch.

Something BIG!

2008-12-13T06:50:00.002-05:00

Today I experienced something new. Never before in my life have I ever had the opportunity to even experience this!

WE RODE ELEPHANTS!

More pictures can be found HERE

God has been doing a lot in me. Most specifically is showing me what I need to do about my-self.
A.W. Tozer puts it beautifully in his book The Pursuit Of God:
(Chapter 3, p. 46-48)

To be specific, the self-sins are these: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them. The grosser manifestations of these sins, egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion, are strangely tolerated in Christian leaders even in circles of impeccable orthodoxy. They are so much in evidence as actually, for many people, to become identified with the gospel. I trust it is not a cynical observation to say that they appear these days to be a requisite for popularity in some sections of the Church visible. Promoting self under the guise of promoting Christ is currently so common as to excite little notice.

One should suppose that proper instruction in the doctrines of man's depravity and the necessity for justification through the righteousness of Christ alone would deliver us from the power of the self-sins; but it does not work out that way. Self can live unrebuked[Pg 46] at the very altar. It can watch the bleeding Victim die and not be in the least affected by what it sees. It can fight for the faith of the Reformers and preach eloquently the creed of salvation by grace, and gain strength by its efforts. To tell all the truth, it seems actually to feed upon orthodoxy and is more at home in a Bible Conference than in a tavern. Our very state of longing after God may afford it an excellent condition under which to thrive and grow.

Self is the opaque veil that hides the Face of God from us. It can be removed only in spiritual experience, never by mere instruction. As well try to instruct leprosy out of our system. There must be a work of God in destruction before we are free. We must invite the cross to do its deadly work within us. We must bring our self-sins to the cross for judgment. We must prepare ourselves for an ordeal of suffering in some measure like that through which our Saviour passed when He suffered under Pontius Pilate.

Let us remember: when we talk of the rending of the veil we are speaking in a figure, and the thought of it is poetical, almost pleasant; but in actuality there is nothing pleasant about it. In human experience that veil is made of living spiritual tissue; it is composed of the sentient, quivering stuff of which our whole beings consist, and to touch it is to touch us where we feel pain. To tear it away is to injure us, to hurt us and make us bleed. To say otherwise is to make the cross no cross[Pg 47] and death no death at all. It is never fun to die. To rip through the dear and tender stuff of which life is made can never be anything but deeply painful. Yet that is what the cross did to Jesus and it is what the cross would do to every man to set him free.

Let us beware of tinkering with our inner life in hope ourselves to rend the veil. God must do everything for us. Our part is to yield and trust. We must confess, forsake, repudiate the self-life, and then reckon it crucified. But we must be careful to distinguish lazy "acceptance" from the real work of God. We must insist upon the work being done. We dare not rest content with a neat doctrine of self-crucifixion. That is to imitate Saul and spare the best of the sheep and the oxen.

Insist that the work be done in very truth and it will be done. The cross is rough, and it is deadly, but it is effective. It does not keep its victim hanging there forever. There comes a moment when its work is finished and the suffering victim dies. After that is resurrection glory and power, and the pain is forgotten for joy that the veil is taken away and we have entered in actual spiritual experience the Presence of the living God.

Lord, how excellent are Thy ways, and how devious and dark are the ways of man. Show us how to die, that we may rise again to newness of life. Rend the veil of our self-life from the top down as Thou[Pg 48] didst rend the veil of the Temple. We would draw near in full assurance of faith. We would dwell with Thee in daily experience here on this earth so that we may be accustomed to the glory when we enter Thy heaven to dwell with Thee there. In Jesus' name, Amen.

In dealing with my self it takes death. And not just a simple bring it to the altar death. It takes radical obedience to do what the flesh is so unwilling. It takes giving up rights, or what are seemingly rights in human eyes but are more of an arrogant display of self in God's eyes. The self believes it deserves many things because it might be justified by Faith, but it still unwilling to bow at the feet of the cross and willingly take upon the painful and wretched process of dying. Though there is Grace for the hesitant heart, a willing and running to the cross is needed in hopes of taking upon the fire of God and bring in the Holy Spirit's work upon a troubled heart.

With such a process of taking my-self up onto the cross-climbing up the pillar of wood, using the foothold to which the feet are nailed to to help with the climb, and eventually bringing myself to the point where I spread out and take upon the full pain and death-is the only way possible for a deeper relationship with the Fiery God Almighty.

And so I begin this Epic Journey of the high climb of the cross. And when I shall stand there, fully bare, and fully open, is when I shall be released into the Holy Spirit's hands and be put to death.

I end with this, a cry of my heart:

Unceasing Lord God,
Take upon this feeble self,
And leave me empty of me.
Thine Glory should shine down upon me,
Would be too hot for a heart not ready to taste thee.

Holy Father,
Look upon your child here,
And find Mercy in your path.
Let your hand cover me in Thine protection,
But do not hold your rod against me,
So that I might disgrace thee.

Righteous Saviour,
I follow thine footsteps.
The path that thou hast taken before me,
I long to breathe Your Love.
Show me the Way, to which I must take,
To have the Cross have it's way with me.

Comforting Holy Spirit,
Take upon no hesitance in seizing my-self.
Thine work in me is much needed,
As well as long awaited.
Come quickly, and do not hold back.
For my-self is longing to be silenced,
Even though it might cry in disagreeance.

Come. Come and do the painful work that MUST be done in me.

The Concrete Is Poured And Set!

2008-12-12T07:31:00.002-05:00

Here are the pictures of the cement truck pouring the kids' new basketball court!

AND AFTER 5 DAYS OF WORK & SWEAT, HERE IT IS!

But wait! There's more!

The Phabulous Phill also built this for the kids!

Tomorrow is a big day with a BIG surprise! And I mean, it is BIG!

More construction pictures

2008-12-11T09:46:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow we pour concrete!

I also have to ask for yall's support. Mission Adventures is a program dedicated to giving high school age kids a taste of what a DTS is for 10 days. Well, unfortunately the teams that were signed up pulled out because of finances, but not to worry, the DTS & staff are still doing the outreaches! People WILL be reached with the Gospel. I feel God is calling me to East Timor, but I am short on money. I need roughly $700 dollars to go, and I have about $600. It's not a big jump, but I am asking you to partner with me in extending the Gospel.

The best way to donate money is to use the Paypal link located on the right Here

I Love you very much, and miss you!

Construction at My Home

2008-12-09T07:07:00.006-05:00

(Tuesday)
So I've finally uploaded a bunch of pictures, not just from the construction today, but also from my time in Singapore, bangkok, and Uttaradit.

(Wednesday)
Work is going awesome! The guys have gotten the hole dug almost completely for the basketball court, and the girls have done some landscaping and touched up some rusty fences!

Here's my album so far, just take a look through everything. On the left hand side are the places I've been.

Thailand Photo Album

Here's a picture from yesterday (Tuesday Dec. 9), so much has gotten done since then!

And just a note to all my readers on Facebook, I won't be on Facebook until I get back to Darwin. So I'm not ignorning you, I'm just staying off Facebook for a while.

Chiang Rai

2008-12-07T09:15:00.003-05:00

I have arrived in Chiang Rai Thailand! I'm still all together, and so is the rest of my team. We rode a bus from Uttaradit to Chiang Rai this morning and got here around 4PM.

Tomorrow (Monday), we hit the ground running with getting our next two weeks planned out, as well as start construction on a basketball court at an orphanage. I'm so excited about Chiang Rai. Our accomadations are fantastic. We're staying in a "guess house" which is basically a hotel. I'm back with my old roommate Jeremy which is nice. Him and I get along pretty sweet.

I miss my friends back in Florida, as well as Darwin. I miss a lot of people. But I Love you all and I know this is where I am to be. I don't know how long, but I do believe God is calling me onward from DTS into full-time YWAM (Youth With A Mission) DTS (Discipleship Training School) Staff. YWAM likes acronyms. ;)

Chiang Rai is a pretty big city and has quite a few internet cafe's, so I'll try to post pictures and updates as soon as I can.

Pray for the church in Uttaradit. The backsliding church members. The new building they're trying to build (along with the finances for that; construction has begun, but needs to be completed and has come to a halt). Keep the pastor and his family in his prayers. His wife lives about half an hour away while the pastor shepherds his flock at the church and stays at a house near the church. His wife is a loving and wonderful woman of God, and His Spirit is clearly seen in her life. Keep Uttaradit in your prayers that the kids we ministered to are able to start making a difference.

Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the vow shall be performed.
O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.

Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.

By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
They also who dwell in the farthest parts
are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening
rejoice.

You visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.

Psalm 65

Dennis

Uttaradit

2008-12-04T02:12:00.002-05:00

It's 3 days before I leave for Chang Rai and God has been moving here so amazingly! We have an English class every night and about 12-20 kids come every night! And every single night we teach them some English and God.

The past two days have been awesome! Last night we told them the Christmas Story and who Jesus was. And tonight, we're going to tell them what He did for us. As well, the pastor of the church here took about 6 boys with him looking at pictures in the church and explaining what the pictures meant. They went from Creation all the way to Moses, to Jesus, then to Revelations. It was the entire Bible in about 15 pictures, and the boys were all soaking it in! How awesome!

So please pray for the kids here and for the team. Also for the church members that will help grow the kids here.

As well, keep me in your prayers. God has been showing many things about my purpose and relationship with Him, and how I get a lot of things between Him and me. And so I also need direction on what I'm to do come January 31st, when I graduate my DTS.

Love you,
Dennis

Annointed by the Holy Spirit

2008-11-21T03:52:00.002-05:00

Today, God revealed to me His view on sin and how He wants me to view it. He also revealed to me many different revelations of love, passivity, relationships and many different things.

But during worship, the Holy Spirit came down upon me and I uncontrollably started speaking in tongues. I was able to resist moving the shaking of my jaw, but I didn't want to. Why would you want to resist the Holy Spirit?

The speaker this week is named Caleb. He brought so many things through the topic of The Fear Of The Lord. He gave great teaching, and the Holy Spirit brough His work and began a work in my heart.

I can't wait to show you all my pictures of everything. I'll be out of contact until January, so I just wanted to let you know what is going on in my life.

Love you

Currently in Singapore Flying to Thailand

2008-11-15T03:57:00.002-05:00

Hello! I'm in the Singapore airport where they have a computer and internet. And you know me, I can't pass that up, especially if it's free!

So here's the deal. God has been putting on my heart for a while to stay in Australia after my DTS. After that I started thinking about what I should do whilst in Australia. My initial frame of thinking was to get a job and start that life. But frankly, that's a normal way of life and of thinking. And I'm in no way a normal thinker or a normal life liver. So that kind of became out of the question the moment I realized that going to work wasn't appealing to me.

So, with the conviction of staying in Australia, God has also laid it on my heart to staff the next DTS. I have not confirmed this with God, it's just a feeling and direction I can go.

What does staffing the next DTS mean? It means I won't work in a common sense of the word, but I'll be supported by others. The details aren't pinned down and I don't need to worry about finances and until it's time.

But I just wanted to update you on where I'm at and what God is laying on my heart. I'm meant to live an above and beyond life, and I believe that YWAM is part of that life. Maybe not indefintely, but for right now it's an option. I'm called to a life pursuing Him, and to go and live a life of security in the world and have a sense of accomplishment in myself is not what a life of pursuit is.

A life of pursuit is me ever chasing God into the infinite and finding Him. But still longing after God. His Love will provide for me, even if my entire being says to support myself through means of a conditional way.

Summary:
1. I believe God has caleld me to stay in Australia
2. To live a non-conditional life with Him
3. To pursue Him for my entire life, and find Him wherever I seek Him.
4. Staff the upcoming DTS to live a life fulfilling in Him.

I Love you very much, and God is changing my heart to understand what it actually means to live out a life of Love for you.

I'll end with this before I'm unable to contact you when I'm in Thailand.

God has taught me that my intensity should be used to pursue Him, and everything, EVERYTHING in life will follow. Finances, relationships, marriage, food. Everything will follow my pursuit of Him, because He IS Faithful.

A quote from A.W. Tozer:
"To have found God and still pursue Him is the soul's paradox of Love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart.

My heart burns to pursue God. I hope you can catch the flame as well.

I Love you very much.
I'll talk to when I can.

A servant longing to pursue,
Dennis

Pray for Andrew

2008-11-13T06:17:00.002-05:00

Each Thursday night, the DTS goes out into Darwin and does evangelism night. This is when we try to talk to people about God. Up to last week, I hadn't talked to a single person about God. But last week I met a security guard at a bar called Wisdom. The security guard's name is Andrew. He has researched many theories and myths about God, an only found information on a god that doesn't exist.

But Andrew has become my number one guy to go after for God. He's open to hearing about God, and I'm leaving for Thailand in 20 hours so I won't be able to come back each week to him and minister to him.

So would you please pray for him and his salvation.

Pictures from The Isa!

2008-11-09T22:21:00.001-05:00

Here is the album with pictures from Mt. Isa!
Mt. Isa Pictures

Thailand bound!

2008-11-09T08:10:00.002-05:00

Can you believe it I'm already half way through my DTS?

God has revealed Himself so much to me and I can't wait to see what he's going to do in Thailand. Sorry I haven't put up many pictures, I've just been super busy. I've got some time off tomorrow evening, I WILL post pictures.

It is 4 days, 19 hours or 115 hours until I leave for Thailand! Please keep me and my team and our leaders in your prayers. I won't have my laptop in Thailand, so I'll update when I can. I'll be there for 6 weeks, and spend Christmas there as well. I'll be back around December 28th.

Take care my Loved ones. God Bless.

Dennis