arin.

2010-10-10T03:16:00.001-05:00

on the road soon.

2010-04-12T10:56:00.006-05:00

Im excited about these next couple weeks. Ill be out on the road with Radiant Worship covering several cities in the Northeast. Philadelphia, Detroit, Harrisburg, PA and many others.

Being involved with this ministry team honestly feels like the birthing of a dream. I have wanted to be involved with music ministry in this capacity pretty much since i became a Christian. I have always had deep desire to see God move on peoples hearts through music, prayer and the prophetic.

Radiant has been together for roughly ten years. I feel very blessed to get to step into ministry with a group who have been laboring and building a ministry and have such a passion for Jesus and seeing the Church walk in fullness. There are about 6-7 of us all about the same age. We meet Monday - Friday to pray from 7:30-8:30 for God to move on his church that there would be an awakening in the church and we would see revival come.

Come April 15th we will embark on a 13 day adventure across the Northeast to spend time in pray and worship with several churches. We are praying for powerful moves of God in these events. We are believing for the power of the spirit to come. We are asking that each of us would be filled with a spirit of prophesy and that we would be able to partner with Jesus in what HE is doing in each of these churches.
I am excited for what i get to be part of.

Id love it if you would pray for God to do through us the things i mentioned above as well as for our safety, our van and our well being (i think this trip will be rather exhausting, but very rewarding)

ill keep you all posted.

thanks for your prayers.

Arin.

happy easter

2010-04-04T15:35:00.005-05:00

Though its not thanksgiving, today i am thankful.
I am thankful for family. Happy to be spending easter with Jenns family in Springfield. I love them.

Thankful for all the blooming trees and pretty things starting to spring up.

Thankful for friends old and new. Happy to be making connections with people in Kansas City and enjoying the comfort of friends Ive had for years.

Im happy to be involved in ministry with a group of people I greatly respect and am challenged by daily. I am excited about Radiant Worship we are going on a 2 week ministry trip to the Northeast in mid April. We will be visiting several churches to minister through music and prayer. We are believing for the power of the spirit to break in through each of these meetings.
Please pray that as we minister April 15th -28th that God would use us in powerful ways. That he would give us words of knowledge for the churches, healings both physiclally and emotionally and that we would see what God is doing in each of these places and do what He is doing.

I Posted a widget on the right side of my blog to show you where we will. Pray for revival in the Northeast.

lost and blogging from a Google phone.

2010-02-03T17:58:00.001-06:00

testing writing my blog from an app called androblogger on my google phone. never done this before.
tonight were watching the lost season premier and we're having friends over for a little lost party.
wooo!

radiant

2010-02-02T22:58:00.005-06:00

Ive had a great week! I joined up with an awesome ministry here in KC, called radiant nation. Radiant is a minstry based in KC that has been going for about ten years now. They area group of full time intercessors and musicians that serve locally and on the road.
I have been meeting with them in the mornings this week, spending time with coffee in prayer. Ive loved making some new friends and feeling like I am at the beginning of something really cool. It makes me excited for this coming year(s).
I look forward to what awesome things ill get to write and blog about.

Also Excited for LOST season premieree this week.

cool testimony

2009-12-03T12:51:00.003-06:00

doin the stuff

2009-11-16T17:23:00.000-06:00

Theres some really amazing stuff going on up here in Kansas City. last wednesday my friend in my internship Isaac shows me a text message from his friend in IHOPU (International House of Prayer University) right around lunch time that says something to the extent of "come to FSM now, incredible move of the spirit."
What started a week ago with an outpouring during a class has turned into nightly meetings of healing, deliverance, renewal and waiting on and watching the Lord and what has been somewhat formally titled IHOPU Student Awakening read more about on that link and see more testimonies and you can even watch full videos from the evenining services both live and archived.
Every night there are testimonies of physical healing and deep inner healing from depression,self hatred etc. this is an awesome example.

Its pretty crazy getting to be part of it all and I love it. I feel so blessed that i get to live here at this time! i love it.

bringin home the bread.

2009-11-07T11:07:00.000-06:00

John 6:27
"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. . ."

I have been studying John 6 for the past month. I've been focusing my attention on Jesus being the bread of life. As i read it Im thinking about what it means to labor for the food of eternal life.

labor:
a. Physical or mental exertion, especially when difficult or exhausting; work.

Laboring isn't necessarily fun. God wants us to exert ourselves to go a little further. It requires effort to go deep in the word. I believe God gives alot of grace and wants us to seek him out. Good news is He promises that when we seek Him, we find Him.
What is the food of eternal life?
I think Jesus is talking about himself. His flesh is true food and his blood is true drink(v. 55) He is the word made flesh(Jn 1:14)and the bread of life(Jn 6:35) He says whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood, abides in me and I in him(v.56) and will live forever(v.58)

The bible is full of mysteries and I love it, but sometimes i really don't get it. I am encouraged though, because I'm find that when i put even just a little extra effort towards understanding the bible or a little extra effort in prayer God really meets me in that place. Im beginning to grasp that the Word IS God. As im laboring to know the word I'm actually laboring to know the Lord himself. What I'm learning from John 6:27 is that God wants our diligence in pursuing Him. I love the promises of Psalm 1. It says that the man whose delight is in the law (word) of the Lord and he who meditates on it day and night is like a fruitful tree and in all that he does he prospers.

my prayer is that God would teach me to eat the bread of life, that I would delight in the word and He would fill me with truth. God, give me endurance that I can labor to do your will with diligence that I might not quit pursuing the deep things inside your heart.

how is arin doing in kansas city? what is he up to

2009-10-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Its hard to believe I am already 4 weeks into my 3 month internship at IHOP-KC. thats crazy! Im really enjoying it so far. The saying around here when speaking of the internship, is often compared to drinking from a fire hose. Im finding that to be very true, but Ive also been receiving alot of grace to take it in and really enjoy these weeks. The environment for the internship is very condusive for people to learn and grow no matter what stage of life or maturity. we have class 5 days a week, about 20+ hours in the prayer room, as well as small groups and fri/sat night service and service hours. (i get to usher the prayer room, its cool!)
I am pressing hard into God with 80 others. some grandparents, some young married couples, some wet behind the ear in the Lord, some seasoned intercessors and many in my own stage of life, young people who love the Lord, are in a new season, wondering why they are here and have just made some crazy sacrifices and are searching out their identities in God. We are learning how to push into God and to keep going after the deep things of God with endurance, working out the muscles of our spirit. All the while receiving lots of grace, joy, empowerment, confidence and other great rewards in the spirit.
I have to say that it took me a little bit to settle into learning how to engage with God in the prayer room. After the first week or so I was so spiritually exhausted, i didn't know what to do. It was wierd, I was like Lord, I dont feel like worshipping, I have nothing else to give, my spirit is tired. I think it was the next day that I began to feel the newness of His grace. I literally think i woke up the next morning with joy, strength and excitement. I love my time in the prayer room now and lately am desiring more of it. I started scheduling my time in the prayer room, that has been extremely benficial. I find that i have alot more freedom and get alot more accomplished. amazing, huh?

Its been a crazy journey over the last 5 months. Jenn and I haven't lived in the same place for more than a couple weeks at a time and I miss her. There has been alot of grace for us though and we are both excited for life to settle down a little bit. She moves up to Kc in mid November and that will be good for both of us. Pray for her to have strength and grace in this new season. She has a wicked cool and a pretty demanding job at IHOP-KC, serving as an admin to Kirk Bennett, and taking on the Justice division here (which is doing AWESOME things). She is also raising her budget to live the lifestyle of a prayer missionary, so pray for her and if you are led to do so, she has a link on the right side of her blog where you can donate quickly and securely http://whatintheworldisawinnie.blogspot.com

pray for me that I would make friends here, I would have even more endurance to keep going hard after the deep things of God and that I would see what the Lord wants me to do after the internship. I am hoping to get back into T-Mobile and continue working there, so pray that there would be a door open for me.

write me a note and let me know how you are doing. I miss having friends that know and understand me. I miss springfield and will come see you soon. promise!

arin.

furious longing of God

2009-07-27T17:36:00.001-05:00

I started reading a new book by brennan manning called 'the furious longing of God' which is pairing well with the stirrings that God is already working within me. Many of these are truths I've heard before, but reading Brennan Manning's rich poetical style, makes it fresh.

In the first chapter he talks about God's intense desire for us and describes it as a furious longing. I love even in this first chapter I'm already connecting with what He is talking about. He refers to a section in the song of songs (SOS 7:10) that he has prayed for many years 'I am my beloved's and his desire is for me' he says about this verse when you take it very personally that

"a number of beautiful things come to pass:
-The drumbeats of doom in your head will be replaced by a song in your heart, which could lead to a twinkle in your eye.
-You will not be dependent on the company of others to ease your loneliness, for He is Emmannuel--God with us.
-The praise of others will not send your spirit soaring, nor will their criticism plunge you into the pit. Their rejection may make you sick, but it will not be a sickness unto death.
-In a significant interior development you will move from I 'should' pray to I 'must' pray.
-You will live with an awareness that the Father not only loves you, but likes you.
-You will stop comparing yourself to others. In the same way, you will not trumpet your own importance, boast about your victories in the vineyard, or feel superior to anyone.
-You will read Zephaniah 3:17-18 and see God dancing for joy because of you.
-Off and on throughout the day, you will just know that you are being seen by Jesus with a gaze of infinite tenderness."

I think brennan manning is dead on!
I desire to walk with The lord in this way.
Lord, change me.

moving.

2009-06-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

hi friends,

This is not an easy note to write. I would even put up there on the level of difficulty with my moms eulogy i wrote a week or two ago. I'm sure you know I've had a lot go on in the recent past. I haven't had the time or energy to put into words what exactly is going on in my life. So i thought id leave you a note and fill you in.

After ten years, springfield and I are parting ways. I cant imagine even beginning to count the number of people that have had an impact on my life here and facebook wont even let me tag enough friends to allow even the most important ones. i made so many connectons through Missouri State, Chi Alpha, vineyard, downtown springfield, Belmonte, pretty/ugly, et al.

You probably know that i spent a month in Charlotte, NC at ZHOP back in October. I went for a one month internship to devote myself to prayer because I felt Gods leadership drawing me there. I had a great time and i really believe in the ministry there. While i was there i felt a longing in my heart to spend more time there. I have been praying about this since then and sometime in February made the decision to just do it. Just move to Charlotte and at least give it a shot. This move feels like a four letter word for faith: R-I-S-K. I had to throw that one in there. i think more than anything what i will miss about springfield will be my family of friends at the vineyard. i love you. you are irreplaceable, i know this.

The days to come will find me in Charlotte, NC. I am going to live in a community of people who are all part of a ministry called zhop (zadok house of prayer) a 24/7 worship and prayer house. I look forward to getting involved with the house of prayer on a part time basis while continuing to work for T-mobile at a nearby store. As i have been praying i have heard the word "preparation." So, i really feel the Lord is getting me ready for some things, which i think is exciting.

the certainties:
i am moving june 25th.
i will miss all of you.
you can find my address on my facebook profile
i will be back, i promise

uncertainties:
how long?
I don't think this is permanent, i'm quite certain of this. Just for now, it is something i feel I need to do.
what i will do with myself.
after ten years in a city, if your name is arin, you meet lots people, make lots of friends, find an amazing church, you run a music venue you start a band and you become quite comfortable. . .none of these of which are in charlotte. :( So, I am looking forward to being a little uncomfortable, though i am sure there will be more challenges than i hope for. :)

not sure what else to say. i know alot of you have been wondering and asking. so i hope this answers some or all of your questions. if you have questions you can comment here or email me.

with all my heart, i will miss you.

arin.

I <3 the muppets

2008-12-21T00:26:00.000-06:00

my prayer.

2008-12-16T12:46:00.000-06:00

psalm 119:33-40 teach me o lord the way of your statutes and i shall keep it to the end. give me understanding and i shall keep your law. indeed i shall observe it with my whole heart. make me walk in the path of your commandments, for i delight in it. incline my heart to your testimonies and not to covetousness. turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in your way. establish your word to your servant, who is devoted to fearing you. turn away my reproach which i dread, for your judgements are good. behold i long for your precepts; revive me in your righteousness.

the begining of wisdom.

2008-11-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

hi everybody!
im home and currently at the Coffee Ethic, my new favorite place.
its good to be back. the transition has been harder than i expected. i am beginning to see clearly the fruit of last month. I have alot different perspective, am extra sensitive (not in a cute"aww, how sensitive" way, but more of the way things hit me) and am spending alot more time alone in prayer and worship. I am finding alot of freedom and focus in my prayers.

i want to share about some things that God is keeping my heart set on.

one thing that i began to desire over the last month was wisdom. the Bible talks so, so much of wisdom and its importance. i can point to several scriptures that talk about wisdom and this post could probably use to be alot longer than its going to be. but i dont want to wait until i have time to spend hours (thats an understatement) to write out all that is required of wisdom.

So, what does arin have to say on wisdom? i dont really know. I do know that its huge and God has not allowed me to stray from it in the last 2 weeks. I started thinking about wisdom, or rather i started being curious about wisdom and in my prayers i began asking God, "Give me wisdom!" then that turned to "what is Wisdom? and other trails.

So, then sure enough i found myself in Proverbs, and I was absolutely struck when i began reading i found a nugget,
Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

then i began asking, "Ok God, I have no clue what the fear of the Lord is, how can i EVER begin to understand that?" and i love how faithful He is. So in my prayers that week i was led to begin reading and praying the proverbs everyday. I really like that there are 31 of them, so i am spending some time every day praying the wisdom of scripture whatever day of the month it is. That happened around the 24th of October so i read Proverbs 24. Of course, almost every proverb talks about wisdom, but i kept it up (and maybe i got ahead, oops!) and found an answer, which i feel like is a little hidden secret.

(side note) I love it when in scripture there are statements that are so direct that you cannot miss it. like the fear of the Lord IS the beginning f wisdom. i love finding IS statements, you cannot escape the truth, its spelled out for you.

So the thing that popped out like a secret that opened my heart was Proverbs 2 right at the beginning of Proverbs Solomon begins to unpack words his Dad gave him about Wisdom and how to obtain it.

Proverbs 2

The Value of Wisdom

1 My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding

I love it! right here it spells it out for us.

I dont want to cheapen it to a formula, but there are specifics here that i have been led to pray for every day.
1. receive my words
2. treasure up my commandments
3. make your ear attentive to wisdom
4. incline your heart to understanding
5. call out for discernment
6. raise your voice for understanding
7. seek wisdom and understanding like silver
8. search for her as for hidden treasures

and here it is. If we do these things, our promise is that we "will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God."
I badly want to behold wisdom and the fear of the Lord and my spirit feels the importance of these things. SO im praying this every day, every chance i get im asking God to give me grace to understand/receive these things. As of yet, i have no deep insight on it, but im hanging out in it, praying every day that i might receive, and i really believe in the Faithfulness of the Lord. While i am praying Proverbs 2, i am leaning heavily on Luke 11:9
"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." and Luke 18:7 the parable of the persistent widow and I am believing that He is faithful to answer.

I will probably post a few more times on wisdom, because there is a whole bunch more and i dont feel God letting up anytime soon. As i get insight on this i will share, i promise. But for now, im just meditating on this.

if any of you has deep insight on wisdom, i urge you please share. love to hear others thoughts on wisdom.

OFF TOPIC

Jenn gets back tomorrow, i get to go pick her up from KC. Shes been in Iceland with ZHOP, having an amazing time. That place is breathtaking, and you know how pictures Hardly do any justice to show beauty, im not kidding these pictures ive seen on Jenns facebook are absolutely phenomenal and i can only imagine the beauty of being surrounded by it. I love seeing the beauty of the Lord through the Earth.

I've missed Jenn and im really looking forward to seeing her. Almost as soon as i got back home, i was driving her to the airport. Tomorrow i have the day off and i am gonna go pick her up so Im excited!

i think thats it for now, sorry if this is long but im hoping people read this.

arin.

coming home.

2008-11-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

I'm halfway home. I am in the chicago airport and eating lunch. I have a couple hour layover. Jenn is picking me up at the Kc airport around 430,and I'm really excited to see her.

Nothing else at least for now.

real quick

2008-10-25T16:32:00.000-05:00

camping was great.
i come home soon.
felt lonely lately.
better now, though.
learning lots.
growing lots.
how are you all doing?

love,
a.

nature and the boys.

2008-10-22T00:14:00.000-05:00

Im going camping with a few guys from ZHOP. I'm really excited about this, i think were really gonna get to rough it. I am looking forward to being inconvenienced.
We're getting up early, taking a 2 hour drive up to linville, NC gonna grab some breakfast backpack and hike a couple miles up the grandfather mountain, eat some lunch and hang out on the top of this beautiful peak, hike back down and set up camp, I am way excited about this.
I think this shall be an excursion my soul has been needing. If any body knows me, im really not an outdoors-y person. I mean I'm just not experienced in it. I love being out in it, I've just never really prepared for it. So Im giving it all I've got tomorrow. Taking my pack, alotta water, some Hummus and chips, granola, my adidas samba hiking shoes(ha!), my bible and a joyful spirit. gonna spend some time with nature and the boys.

realization: I am weak and I dont Know much.

2008-10-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of days God has been working on my heart. When i say working, its more like breaking. The closer I get to the Lord the more He begins to shift my mindset. Then I begin to realize how many thoughts I have that are not rooted in Him, but rooted in fear, worry or insecurity. Believe it or not God is still working on me in the same passage that He spoke to me when i got here which is Luke 10 and being like Mary. He keeps exposing areas in my heart and He shows me a new part of that Scripture or gives me a new perspective on it.

For instance, Jesus calls out Martha and says that she is "anxious and troubled about many things. . ." I must say that I am guilty of this. As I read Psalm 27 that says "Be still and know that I am God" I feel like God is saying to me, if i KNOW Him, and i mean, really, understand His ways, that i would not live in a spirit of fear/worry. And, If I understand the nature of God, that He is Good (and these are all phrases that have been good phrases to hear but have been empty to me or at least have not gotten beyond my head in the past), But if i really believe that He IS who He says He is, I would live differently.

I love looking up words at dictionary.com and I have been doing that alot with words in the Bible to gain a deeper understanding upon what they mean. And as i think about the word "Know" Knowing God really changes a person.
look it up!
Know:
http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=know&ia=luna

1.to perceive or understand as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly and with certainty
2.to be able to distinguish, as one from another: to know right from wrong.

These are a couple of the, oh, 12 meanings of the word. I like the one that says "to be able to distinguish as one from another", and if we Know God, we would live differently because we would know when something opposes Him, like lies that we are fed from the enemy or whatever it is that is NOT God. If we know Him, know Him, then His truth penetrates our hearts and minds (especially our heart though) and we live lives worthy of His calling.

Learning alot about myself this week. Learning how God sees me and just wants to be with me. The more time I spend in the prayer room the more I see Pauls comparison to running the race. So, I find myself going from working out spiritually about maybe an hour a week to 6 HOURS a day! believe me it is NOT EASY! To be honest i find myself searching for anything else to do (like eat or check my phone or email or call winnie.), but the more I'm in Gods presence waiting for Him and searching out His heart, the more I want to be with Him and want nothing else. The reward is great!

I actually ran this week once and realized how weak i am, but it felt really good afterwards. I know that my prayer muscles are incredibly weak, and i am strengthening muscles i didnt know i had. Trying to press through even when i am empty and have nothing else to pray. This happens often, but whats great is that He doesnt care. And am realizing that i dont even care if I gain any understanding but i just want to be before Him, I dont care any more if i feel anything, because its not how much blessing I can recieve, but how much i can love on Him and bless Him. So i quite often am finding myself exhausted at the end of my days.

I hope that some sense can be made of my thoughts, i write in a somewhat stream of conscious style. I dont know whats gonna come next until im there, but i think this helped me even see what God has been doing in me.

SO i pray that God uses what little revelation I have gotten on who He is, to encourage people to pray and really seek Him.

One last thing that Jenn shared with me tonight that put some things in perspective for me, is Matthew 6:33 that says "seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you" God calls us to seek Him, and what does it mean to "seek" Him? not that we seek answers to our problems or even seek some sort of encounter or revelation, just that we look for Him and wait for Him even when we get absolutely nothing. He loves that we seek Him. He promises in Matthew 7 that When we seek, we shall find. so thats good!

i miss my family
i miss my friends
i miss winnie

i shall return soon, the month is halfway over.

arin.

stillness.

2008-10-06T17:01:00.000-05:00

So last night was a goodnight. I have spent the past 5 days in Luke 10:38 - 42 asking God to make me like Mary. And every time I have thought He was finished and I could move on from it He says "nope, not through yet." so im learning about stillness and how to sit at his feet undistracted and listen to his teaching. Listen to His spirit teach me that only one thing is necessary. Also paired with the Luke verse has been psalm 27:4.

Had a picture last night during worship that I have been satisfied with a puddle and God told me that He is a ocean. oops! so, God's taking me into some deeper waters. Im trying to stay afloat. doing well so far. I'll let you know if i begin to drown.

ZHOP staff meeting beginning soon.
thats all for now.

arin.

overwhelmed.

2008-10-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

overwhelm

c.1330, "to turn upside down, to overthrow," from over + M.E. whelmen "to turn upside down" (see whelm). Meaning "to submerge completely" is c.1450. Perhaps the connecting notion is a boat, etc., washed over, and overset, by a big wave. Fig. sense of "to bring to ruin" is attested from 1529.

of all the definitions i found for this word, this seems to say most of what i mean.

It is the only word that comes to mind to sum up all that is going on.
Not in the negative sense of the word, but in a great fulfilling sense, my spirit is overwhelmed.
Im learning lots. Im actually (or at least i hope) soaking it all in, there's alot to process and alot to chew on in the things that I am taking in. More than i can regurgitate, at least this soon, of what God is doing inside me.

Of the things that I am beginning to see, I am learning about meditation and breaking through what they call a veil (not a wall, but a curtain that we get to push past) in the spirit. There are some really practical teachings that have really helped me engage with God.
One of the reasons I am here is to cultivate deeper intimacy with God and as I'm beginning that, I am realizing that becase i want to know Him, what He is showing me is much different than what i expected. Its less and i might even say not at all about me feeling closer to God, but more that God wants to share with me what HE cares about. It's interesting and i dont quite understand it all of course, but 3 days in and i can feel God stirring me, and planting seeds, humbling me, and teaching me things that i never knew about Him and my relationship with Him. It almost feels like i just began my life as a christian and Im realizing that i dont know a THING! its pretty darn cool, and not discouraging.

so i believe the definition i quoted up there says" to turn upside down, to overthrow. . .submerge completely and bring to ruin" yep thats pretty true and i love it.

I am really glad i get to be here, it feels right.

On top of all of this, im just so happy and excited about my relationship with Jenn. I told facebook, so some of you know, but Jenn and I are now official after spending a number of months praying about our relationship. I think she is the best thing ever and feel completely undeserving of such a righteous woman of God and I look forward to growing in our relationship. I miss her, alot.

im gonna find some dinner and then im looking forward to getting to spend the entire evening 8-12 in the prayer room.

leave me comments, i love reading them.

arin.

sleepy.

2008-10-01T02:14:00.001-05:00

made it to charlotte, after only one minor complication. had an hour delay, but i'm here and im very tired.

Had a grea time tonight meeting lots of people. and i promise as soon as i can gather my thoughts i will write them for you.

arin.

departing part 2

2008-09-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

We made it to KC safely and timely. It was a very nice drive though it took Jenn a while to wake up. :) we listened to some radiohead and matt pond PA and a great winnie 2005 mix cd. boarding flight to chicago in 10 minutes, then chicago to charlotte (i believe on the very same plane)
bye for now!

expect an update when i get to charlotte.

arin.

departing.

2008-09-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

So, this morning i am packing up enough belongings for a month in Charlotte. Ready for the unexpected and anxious for what God has in store for me, but how can i really prepare myself for the unexpected? I have prepared my shoes and socks as well as some clean shirts, and my suitcase has my name on it and is probably even a little too heavy. But how does one prepare themselves to be completely removed from their pattern of work and busy-ness and moved into a lifestyle of undistracted devotion, spending 6 + hours a day praying, worshiping and pressing into God and searching His heart?
But i must tell you, by no means am I the least bit concerned. I will glady step into the doors of ZHOP and happily embrace what God wants to do in me ad through me. I cant wait to experience the spirit of God with these people who spend all their time searching out his heart.

I want to write a little bit more, but Jenn is gonna be here soon to pick me up, and i wanna be ready when she gets here, so ill finish later.

arin.

enjoying my day off

2008-09-14T19:49:00.000-05:00

Had a work day today at the church. We're trying to finish up the inside of our new building downtown. Its pretty exciting that after 6+years of church on teh wayyyy southside we get to finally have church downtown.

Afterwards, I had a beer with wayne and phil today at brew co. I like those guys. Wayne is gone too much for my liking. Hes out again for the week with work stuff. After that, we walked around downtown enjoying the coolness of the day. I think we're getting an early tease of fall weather, but i dont mind.

I was really honoured to get to lead part of the worship set this morning at the vineyard. Our first morning there and it was really meaningful for me.

I am doing all i can to get ready for next month at ZHOP. I am excited about going but i dont quite know what im getting myself into. Though I'm pretty sure I'm going to enjoy my time there, but can't quite prepare myself for it. I also failed to plan enough money in my budget for travel expenses. So I am trying to find a cheap flight to charlotte at the end of the month and trying not to worry about finances.
I spent the day at home and I wrote a note on facebook to let people know the goings on in my life. I dont often get days off in springfield, so being home today has been very relaxing.

Today i am thankful for Jesus, His grace and for friends who love Jesus.

still reading 1 John

fearless.

2008-09-14T01:36:00.000-05:00

1 John 4:18 (New American Standard Bible)

18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

I spent the evening molling over this scripture.
I want to be fearless,
to not worry.
I desire to be transformed
to live fearlessly in the love of Christ.

Oh Lord, help me.