Updates and Such

So it's been a few weeks (oops), I was at another Youth Camp, this time at Whispering Pines just outside of Medicine Hat, AB.  It was a great week and I saw the kids grow so much over that week and even saw the redemptive work of Jesus Christ in their lives (Mad props to God).

So I get back from camp and find my life in a slight uproar, while I was gone my Employment Inusrance Benefits ran out, thus leaving me with absolutely no income.  Want a stressful situation? Go through that while having the bank, etc. calling you for money.  STREEESSSSS!!!

But anyways, I sit down with my pastor/good friend, to mull over things, plan, and so on.  We end up scoring me a car for $1.00 (yes, One dollar, you read that right).  Thus I score a job as a delivery driver (for no less my favourite pizza place).  Now, what would life be without a curve ball (or two?), for my job I require commerical insurance, an extra $500 a year (ouch, I know), I know people that pay not much more than that for their insurance, and that's how much extra I have to pay.  On top of that, for it to be road worthy it needed a decent chunk of work.  Now for those wondering what car it is, it was a 1996 Geo Metro , now if it looked like this I would be COMPLETELY fine with it, however it looks like this

The story does not end here!! I drop it off at my church, I get a call asking what all the issues are and get told to drop off the list.  (Excuse that fragmented, messed up sentence thing).  So after dropping off that list of needed repairs, I get another call, everything is fixed!  For a grand total cost of, ZERO DOLLARS!  Why? Because we sat, prayed, planned, and followed God.  


Moral of this story: Trust in God, He has a plan, and it's better than any silly little idea we may have.  It may not be the prettiest car, or the fastest car, but God will used a rusty old lemon easier than a pimped out Mercedez (not knocking on you Mercedez owners).  


Do I car that my car isn't super awesome? Not really.
Do I plan on upgrading some day? Yeah, when I can actually afford it.
Am I content with how things worked out in a period of like two days? Definitely.


Don't be afraid to email prayer requests to amarks@live.ca

Tranquility

It's been a few weeks since I last wrote something, I tend to get busy running around at different Youth Camps. Single, unemployed guys are great for minstry in the sense of nothing tying them down (haha), but besides the point. 

I'm sitting outside at 5am, what am I doing up at the hour?  I've barely slept all night, and I recalled my friend Melissa deciding to watch a sunrise today.  Seeing as I was up at 4;30am still, I decided to proceed outdoors.  So I'm sitting outside listening to the birds chirp, various small animals wake up for the day (not excluding my four year old Bijon Schitzu), as I watch the moon fade and the sun rise, the dew on the grass gently rolling of the blades; and enjoy the crisp, clean, cool air.

As I'm taking all this in I had a thought, we get very busy in our lives, and we seem to forget of an enjoyable thing, known as tranquility.  I found it so peaceful this morning sitting outside in sweats and a tee, my dog pouncing about the yard like a puppy, just taking in all the sounds, the sight of night slowly fading to day.  It brought to mind a piece from scripture;
Psalm 46:8-11

⁸ Come, behold the works of the LORD,
         Who has made desolations in the earth.
 ⁹ He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
         He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; 
         He burns the chariot in the fire. 
 ¹⁰ Be still, and know that I am God;
         I will be exalted among the nations, 
         I will be exalted in the earth! 
 ¹¹ The LORD of hosts is with us;
         The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah


We can praise God easily in the good times, in our spare time.  Do we praise Him always?  He made the Earth, everything in the earth.  There is so secret formula to talking to God, it says very clearly here, BE STILL and KNOW, I AM GOD.  In everything going on in your life, it's not hard to find even five minutes, go into your prayer closet, a quiet room, free of distraction, and just bless His name for starters.
A simple way to understand the Lord's Prayer, and I'll finish with this.


Father God,
You are good, may Your name be blessed and holy.
It's Your will, not ours.  We want to see you glorified,
On earth and in heaven
God, you know my needs, even before I ask, and you are the provider.
I mess up, but you forgive me, grant me grace to forgives as well.
Keep me safe from attacks, clothe me in Your heavenly armour (Eph6)
All glory to You, it's all for Your name.
Forever and ever
Amen

Circumstances

Two posts in one day, look at me go!

This writing is a result of a conversation I had with a really awesome lady.

We always seem to spend so much time and thought on our circumstances.  The who, what, how's of things.  And we let it draw us away from God.  We put our hope into our finances, instead of God.  We even put our hope in prayer and answered prayer and not God Himself.  A strange concept, but nonetheless true.  Here are a few verses to encourage;

"Cast your anxieties upon the Lord for He cares for you" 1Peter5:7
"Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" Matthew6:33
"Pray without ceasing"1Thesselonians5:17

When I'm Found In The Desert Place

I haven't written in a while, but believe me there is reason behind this. I wish to write nothing, if it does not have God in it. May any words I put forth, be only what God wishes for me to say.

I've been going through a bit of a spiritual desert of late. Specifically, the last two months or so. The purpose behind a desert is usually for growth and maturing, or else preparation. For instance Elijah went into the desert before God sent him to do great things, Jesus went into the desert where he was tempted and then grew more spiritually with His heavenly father. John the Baptist grew spiritually in the desert. And so I consider myself priveleged to experience any form of desert these men of God faced. It's a sign of bigger things to come, and gets me excited as to what God has in store ministry wise.

I decided I would write a little bit of deserts just for any going through a similar thing, so that you would not feel hopeless, nor become discouraged. As I stated previously, God uses the desert experience to prepare you, grow you, mature you, or even break you. Perhaps you rely on people too much, and so you're being pushed into a position you must fully rely on Him instead of those people. Perhaps you have to some extent, taken for granted the power of the cross, or just haven't been in His presence like you should, and so He's pushing you into a position where you spend more time with Him. Whatever it is, remember, God has a plan for you, and He loves you, and will not abandon nor forsake. Don't let the lies of the enemy pull you into believing things that are not true. It may feel like God has turned His back on you, but the bible promises He will not leave nor forsake. He loves us so much, He gave His only son so we could have a relationship with Him.

What to do with your desert:
I'm not a fan of pragmatics and lists, but here some ideas a friend of mine gave.
-Thank God for everything, every little thing, but only if you're actually thankful for it, He judges the motives of man's heart, remember that.
-Let Him know how awesome He is, spending time in praise and worship and prayer, even when you don't feel like it, is perseverance. And character is built through perseverance, God wants men of character.
-Don't stop, while your relationship with God may appear to be on a standstill, it isn't, He's still there, He still wants you, but He may be wanting you to put more forward. Perhaps there is an area in your life you're not giving up, not denying yourself daily in some way.

And remember above all else, Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. The greatest calling in life, is to have a relationship with the God of the universe.