Back!

It is great to be back from Belize... Matt, Mike and I flew into San Diego late last night, I love flying into this city, it is most definitely home.

Now it is back to some serious work. Sadly (because of the short Belize trip) I had to miss my first class at Murrieta yesterday afternoon. My good friend Josh stepped in to take care of it for the first day. It was a true blessing that he could teach for me, however it was very difficult to miss the first day of this John class.

With the trip over I feel that I can now really focus on the tasks at hand. I begin teaching a Sunday night service through Matthew this weekend, as well as a home bible study on Monday night and then the Bible College on Tuesday afternoons. I very much appreciate your prayers for these studies, please pray that I can focus on each area of study diligently. That said, I'd better get back to my reading.

Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

- 2 Timothy 2:15

T minus... not to much longer!

In just a few hours one of my best friends (Matt Taft) and I will be flying to see another one of our best friends (Mike Santana) in Belize. We are going down there to pull him out of the jungle where he has been serving for the last 4 years (I think). So please keep us in your prayers, the last time I went to Belize I missed my first flight got rerouted to Miami and then after 6 take offs and landings we made it... :)

let the good times roll.

Ouch...!

I rolled my ankle last night and tore some ligaments... The doc said it isn't broken (which is nice to know), but it sure hurts. So please pray it heals quickly, I've got to fly to belize on Friday morning.

Other than that, things are going alright - here is a picture of my rad puffy ankle.

new semester

I made my way up to Murrieta yesterday for the first time in a long time, the teaching staff had a meeting to go over stuff for the upcoming semester. It is so interesting to me the door that the Lord has opened for me to teach at the Bible College. I am finally a little excited about this next semester and am definitely looking forward to what the Lord may do.

When I went to the college in '98 it was only just beginning to get it's foothold at the Hot Springs Campus, but as I walked around the school yesterday it now very much has the feel of a college campus (and a resort too). After the meeting I met up with one of my students from Germany (Nic) who has come back to Murrieta for this next semester - without a doubt I have missed hanging out with my students over the last couple of months, school starts in less than two weeks... pretty crazy.

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

- Isaiah 43:19

a good dream

I sat in his office pouring out my heart that Sunday morning, he didn't really say a word, only listened to all that I had to say. As I came to the end of my woeful story Rob said to me, "Would you like to go to Germany... I'll pay for your plane ticket." For some reason it was as if those were the clearest words I had heard in months and within 5 hours my mind was made up and I was ready to go.

It didn't actually happen for another 8 months, but a year ago today I left for Germany, it all kind of seems like a good dream I once had... a good dream for sure.

To all my friends in Germany and those that are elsewhere, I miss you guys. I so look forward to a time, no too far from now, when 'goodbye' will not need to be in our vocabulary, that too is a good dream.

What god is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to they works, and according to thy might? - Who in heaven can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee? or to thy faithfulness round about thee? - Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. - For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things, to make thy servant know them. Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. - Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His spirit. - The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children.

Deuteronomy 3:24 - Psalm 89:6, 8 - Psalm 86:8
II Samuel 7:21, 22 - I Corinthians 2:9, 10 - Deuteronomy 29:29

Daily Light ~ Samuel Bagster
August 18th

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honor of kings to search out a matter.

-Proverbs 25:2

Deadlock...

deadlock |ˈdedˌläk| |ˌdɛdˈlɑk| |ˌdɛdlɒk|
noun
1 a situation, typically one involving opposing parties, in which no progress can be made

I would have to say that this is where my brain is at this very moment. I do desire to write something today, however it seems as though there may be opposing parties in my brain at this time and therefore no progress is being made.

I do so hope that this is but a temporary situation.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

- Ecclesiastes 3:1

A long day

Everyday over the last several weeks has turned out to be quite long. I ~try~ to get into the church in the morning before 9:00... but I surely have not been very good at that. At about 2:45 I make my way over to the coffee shop (His Place) to start my evening which typically does not end until after 11:00... As you can see by the time stamp on this post though, it is now after 3am and I am still up. Thankfully I can sleep in tomorrow, being that it is Saturday. The weeks seem to be just flying by because of all the things that I am cramming into each of them. In all honesty I miss the slower pace of Germany, I don't think that God ever intended us to live this kind of life.

It has been tough 're-learning' how to trust the Lord in certain areas. It seems that each day I have at least one 20 minute period where I really struggle through the 'practicalities' of everything. It normal seems to come while I am driving here and there ~ those little secluded times in my truck are interesting.

My friend Matt and I will be leaving for Belize in a couple of weeks, I am sure it will be an exciting trip. As I consider it now it seems that as I return from Central America I will have to do so at about a dead run. As I see it right now my schedule will be pretty packed... At church Sunday morning, teach a service Sunday night, home bible-study Monday night, at the office Tuesday morning, teach at Murrieta Tuesday afternoon, office Wednesday through Friday mornings, His Place Wednesday through Friday nights... off Saturday I think. I thank the Lord that His strength is made perfect in my weakness... lately I have felt fairly weak, I appreciate your prayers.

For some reason I never fully believed the whole 'culture shock' thing for returning missionaries... it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. Sorry I have not written anything on my blog in the last several weeks ~ I hope ya'll haven't given up on me.