Life and such

So there's Amanda, my girlfriend. She may or may not be the reason I let 3 weeks pass before writing in my blog. Sometimes I have lapses in my blog writing. It just happens.

Amanda is great. I've felt during the time I've gotten to know her that I haven't had to change who I am around her. I feel comfortable being myself in all of my goofiness and general randomness. I haven't felt for a moment the need to act any different in order to impress her. She works as an urban missionary and case manager for a local Christian ministry, working with homeless/troubled teeange girls. She's like a parent, or both parents, to these kids. I've known her since mid-January, and we started going on dates in February. And she reads this blog from time to time (Hi Amanda) so I won't embarrass her too much. I'll just put a big photo of her on my page, that's all.

Tonight was great. I had Bible study, and we are going through Proverbs. We have only two more nights in Proverbs, which is sad. It's been a great and practical study. We talked about the tongue tonight, and about how hard it is to tame or bridle. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." What we say reveals what we believe, what we feel, what's inside our heart, what's on our mind. So when we are spreading gossip or hate, or boasting, or whatever we talk about other than what glorifies God, it reveals the wickedness of our own hearts. It's convicting to go through a study on the tongue and righteous speech. We are not to boast, save in Christ crucified. His work on the cross gave us what we have. We don't even have our own righteousness, it's only in God that we are righteous. What we possess we were given. Every breath is given by God. Let's boast in Him. Let's share Him with others.

What do I talk about when with Christian brothers and sisters? How often do I share with others what God has shown me in my quiet time? Am I exhorting or rebuking when the time calls for it? Lately, I have done much better at keeping friends accountable and thanking them for their good deeds and letting them know what I appreciate about them. But too often I'm wrapped up in my own life and own concerns that I fail to lift them up in prayer. I'm quick to pray for my own needs, not as quick to remember to pray for all my friends.

Anyway, it was a good night in the Word. I'm convicted that I need to read through Psalms. It is such an awesome book in seeing David's openness before God. It's good to see his innermost thoughts laid out before God. So tonight I plan to start reading through Psalms. And I hope it increases my passion for God, benefits my prayer life and makes me more frequently lift His name in praise.

I may write more later. Like, about my trip home for Easter. It was short but very good. About 'helping' house-sit at a $750,000 dollar home. Or a get-together at a different house worth about as much as that. Or how it's rained on two of the last three Sundays, canceling flag football games. Or how rough work was a few weeks ago. Or, PRAISE GOD, how I've had no tooth pain since my last blog entry. Or how the Indiana Ice hockey team advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs. And that Amanda and I attended our third hockey game, one of the playoff games. Or how I won 30 free coffee refills. But I don't drink coffee, and I still need to give away the mug and free coffee.

That's all for now. I'm ready for this great weather we'll have over the next 5 to 7 days!! :)