this whole past week starting sunday evening, i've been in Black Mountain, North Carolina.. i went with people from all over TN that serve with me on the Tennessee Christian Youth Fellowship Cabinet. we council at church camps and plan youth events for youth all over the state of TN. we went to a youth leadership retreat in North Carolina that about 95 to 110 youth attended from 7 different states.
so many amazing and wonderful things took place this week that i don't know quite where to begin.
in fact i won't try to write it all down, because i'm afraid that i wouldn't do any of it justice.  i will say  however that i have been moved in a way that i never knew could happen. and i am a better person for it. alot of things make a whole lot more since to me now.


Mathew 4: 18-22

" One day as Jesus was walking along the shore beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers- Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, 'Come, be my disciples, and i will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and went with him.
   A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, mending their nets. And he called them to come, too. they immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind."

This is one of the many verses we took a look at this week. ( i helped plan a worship service around it.)
one of the key things we found is that the disciples droped their nets Immediately and followed Jesus.     the question was posed: "What are the 'nets' in our lives that we need to drop to follow Jesus."   in other words...what's holding us back from completly doing God's will?

Mathew 28: 16-20   The Great Commission

" Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him-but some of them still doubted.
Jesus came and told his disciples, ' I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands i have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

                                                        God bless,
                                                         

got my license today. the guy was really quiet while we were driving, and then when the test was over it was like he was a differrent person. he was talkin and jokin and stuff. apparently a while back some guy was tryin to park his car at the end of the test, and instead of hittin his brake he hit the gas....he drove right through the DOT wall.

just to paint this picture for you.... the parking lot is seperated from the building by a side walk that is severral feet wide, and has a curb on it that is at least 5 or 6 inches tall.
whoever this guy was, he had to hold the gas down long enough to get his front tires over the curb. he then had to continue holding the gas to cross the side walk....he then had to put forth that extra effort to hold the gas down enough to plow his car throug the brick wall and get his back tires over the curb.
the guy giving the test turned and said...."this ain't no drive through"

                                                   God bless,
                                                    Josh

have you ever just thought things were great?

                                    God bless,
                                       Josh