Hello, friends!
It has been a LONG time since I've posted, hasn't it? Sorry about that. I am still getting used to this whole marriage thing and the time to post isn't coming as easily as it once did.
What probably won't make things better is the Thanksgiving post coming the week after the turkey has been carved, the football has been played, and the belts have been loosened. But, hey, better late than never, right? Here, in no particular order, are some of things things I am most thankful for this year.
- New Life! In 2012, I have had the pleasure of witnessing 6 students and 1 very good friend make decisions to follow Jesus. Words cannot express the joy and gratitude in my heart when I think of these 7 new brothers and sisters. What an awesome God we serve that He lets us participate in the good work that He is doing and that we get to walk alongside those who we love as they make steps toward Jesus.
- New Work! This year, I have helped younger staff start work on the campuses of Columbia College, Florissant Valley Community College, Maryville University. On top of that, I was able to spend the first part of my year working with Black students at Mizzou. I am so thankful that God has given me the opportunity and the ability to move His work to other parts of Missouri, beyond ACF. It hasn't all been easy but it has been a lot of fun.
- New Wife! You knew this had to be coming, right? I have posted about this before but it is still true. I am the luckiest guy in the world. I am married to a woman who is not only smart, a great cook, compassionate, hospitable, loving, and kind, but I also married a woman who gets along great with my family, is super sacrificial in how she loves me, and is also drop dead gorgeous. =0). If I'm not thanking God every day for her, then there must be something wrong with me.
Friends, I am also thankful for each of you. The fact that you are reading this blog shows me that you care about me as well as the work that I am doing with InterVarsity. Thank you for your love, for your support, and for your prayers. I am honored and so thankful that I get to call you family, friends, and fellow co-laborers with Christ.
Prayer points:
- These are the last few weeks of the semester. Please pray for students as they prepare for finals and for some, the end of the college careers. Pray for peace and that they will not succumb to stress.
- Urbana is just a month away! Please pray for the final preparations and that God will begin to work now in the hearts of those who are going to be attending.
- December will be a crazy month for Meg and me. We have staff meetings, Christmas in South Dakota, and Urbana all stacked up in December. Please pray for journey's mercies as well as quality time together.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Monday, November 26, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
Update Time!!!
Hello, friends!
Here is the latest update that Meg and I have sent to our support team. Thanks so much for all of your partnership!
Here is the latest update that Meg and I have sent to our support team. Thanks so much for all of your partnership!
 | ||||||||
|
| |||||||
| ||||||||
God has definitely been doing good work at Mizzou ACF, FloValley, Columbia College, and Columbia College! 
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Happy Election Day!
Hello, friends!
In high school, I was president of JSA for 2 years, or the Junior Statesmen of America, where we spent one lunch a week debating politics. When I went to WashU (Go Bears!) I studied Political Science and Economics. When I was deciding if I should join staff with InterVarsity, the other option for me was to be a congressional aid for William Lacy Clay, in Missouri's First District. It is pretty safe to say that I really like politics. =0).
Election day is one of my favorite days of the year (or every 4 years) for a number of reasons. One is because I love politics. Another is because I really love strategy and game theory. It is so interesting to me to look at all the projections and see how victory is still possible for some candidates. The entire election season is super interesting to me because I love seeing how candidates move throughout the country and try to play the games. The gamesmanship and the makes me really happy.
One could say that I should probably not have as much fun with this because the fate of the country hangs in the balance and this is a serious matter. Honestly, I think one of the reasons why I have so much fun with this is because I don't exactly see it that way.
The selection of our president (and of congress) is an important issue but it doesn't exactly change who I am or what I do in my day to day life. If Obama is re-elected, I will still be a follower of Jesus. If Romney claims the presidency, I will still live my life trying to be like Jesus. If Ron Paul wins a massive write-in upset, I will still work my hardest to love God and love my neighbor. My tax rates may change and I may be given more of fewer liberties but that should not change my goal of following Jesus.
Something that bothers me immensely about the state of politics is how many people on both extremes are convinced that if the "other guy" wins, the country will be doomed and that our best bet is to move to Canada. While I love Canada, I think that's a bit silly. If we as people commit to following Jesus and letting Him rule us as opposed to any political figure, I promise that things will not be as bad (or good) as we think they will be.
Prayer Points:
- Honestly, please pray for our nation. Pray for our president, no matter who he is. Pray for Congress and pray for all of our elected officials.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
In high school, I was president of JSA for 2 years, or the Junior Statesmen of America, where we spent one lunch a week debating politics. When I went to WashU (Go Bears!) I studied Political Science and Economics. When I was deciding if I should join staff with InterVarsity, the other option for me was to be a congressional aid for William Lacy Clay, in Missouri's First District. It is pretty safe to say that I really like politics. =0).
Election day is one of my favorite days of the year (or every 4 years) for a number of reasons. One is because I love politics. Another is because I really love strategy and game theory. It is so interesting to me to look at all the projections and see how victory is still possible for some candidates. The entire election season is super interesting to me because I love seeing how candidates move throughout the country and try to play the games. The gamesmanship and the makes me really happy.
One could say that I should probably not have as much fun with this because the fate of the country hangs in the balance and this is a serious matter. Honestly, I think one of the reasons why I have so much fun with this is because I don't exactly see it that way.
The selection of our president (and of congress) is an important issue but it doesn't exactly change who I am or what I do in my day to day life. If Obama is re-elected, I will still be a follower of Jesus. If Romney claims the presidency, I will still live my life trying to be like Jesus. If Ron Paul wins a massive write-in upset, I will still work my hardest to love God and love my neighbor. My tax rates may change and I may be given more of fewer liberties but that should not change my goal of following Jesus.
Something that bothers me immensely about the state of politics is how many people on both extremes are convinced that if the "other guy" wins, the country will be doomed and that our best bet is to move to Canada. While I love Canada, I think that's a bit silly. If we as people commit to following Jesus and letting Him rule us as opposed to any political figure, I promise that things will not be as bad (or good) as we think they will be.
Prayer Points:
- Honestly, please pray for our nation. Pray for our president, no matter who he is. Pray for Congress and pray for all of our elected officials.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, November 1, 2012
One Month In!!!
Hello, friends!
Normally, I would take this time to talk about Large Group last night and how awesome it was. BUT, since we didn't have Large Group last night on account of Halloween, I guess I'll just have to find something else about which to write. A popular subject appears to be my wife, so now seems like as good a time as any to write about our first month of marriage. Our first month of marriage was actually celebrated on Monday but you'll give me a few days grace, right? =0).
Now that I've been married for a few weeks, there are a few things that I've noticed about me, about Meg, and about being married. Here are a few highlights:
- Meg and I share a lot of things in common but we are also REALLY different. This one may seem like a bit of a no-brainer but as we spend more and more time together, I have noticed more and more things. She likes to get up early while I prefer to sleep in a bit. She is super active and gets a little antsy if she doesn't think that she's moved much all day. I am perfectly content on the couch with a book. Her idea of quality time is actually doing stuff together. For me, if we are in the same room and can see each other, it totally counts. This has led to a number of miscommunications and such but it has also given me a greater appreciation for the gal I call my wife.
- I am eating a lot better... a LOT better. If you know two things about Meg and me, it is that Meg likes to cook and I like to eat. Meg also likes to cook healthy, which is fine by me. What this means is that instead of eating out a lot, which I did a fair amount, now I am eating lots of delicious home cooked meals. (For the record, I cook too, but it never tastes as good as what Meg cooks) There are pros and cons to this. I (actually, "we") are spending more on groceries but less on fast food. I am eating better so I am not as inclined to execise as much. You see, this right here is a double edged sword.
- For better or worse, I my father's son. It is the craziest thing. Apparently I hung around Papa a bit too much because now as a married man, I am doing things very similarly to him. Meg has noticed it too. The sibs and I used to joke that I was absolutely the most like Papa. It appears as though the transformation continues. Meg finds it funny everytime I catch myself doing something Papa would do and then yelling, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" I don't see quite the humor. =0).
- A little service goes a long way. I think that Meg and I have done a good job of trying to serve one another best we can. She'll cook and I'll do the dishes. We'll watch her shows but if she knows a game is on then she doesn't mind switching. Whoever gets up last (usually me) is sure to make the bed. Honestly, these things are kind of fun. I like making my wife happy.
- Jesus requires even MORE intentionality. In 1Corinthians 7, Paul talks about how the married man has more concerns than that of the single man. I am absolutely seeing that now. I would do anything for Meg, which is a good thing, but not when my efforts to serve her mean that I am not being intentional with Jesus. I think I have been doing a good job of making sure that I stay disciplined but it is definitely different from a month ago.
So, there you have it. Being married is awesome. Here's to many more months of learning like this!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Normally, I would take this time to talk about Large Group last night and how awesome it was. BUT, since we didn't have Large Group last night on account of Halloween, I guess I'll just have to find something else about which to write. A popular subject appears to be my wife, so now seems like as good a time as any to write about our first month of marriage. Our first month of marriage was actually celebrated on Monday but you'll give me a few days grace, right? =0).
Now that I've been married for a few weeks, there are a few things that I've noticed about me, about Meg, and about being married. Here are a few highlights:
- Meg and I share a lot of things in common but we are also REALLY different. This one may seem like a bit of a no-brainer but as we spend more and more time together, I have noticed more and more things. She likes to get up early while I prefer to sleep in a bit. She is super active and gets a little antsy if she doesn't think that she's moved much all day. I am perfectly content on the couch with a book. Her idea of quality time is actually doing stuff together. For me, if we are in the same room and can see each other, it totally counts. This has led to a number of miscommunications and such but it has also given me a greater appreciation for the gal I call my wife.
- I am eating a lot better... a LOT better. If you know two things about Meg and me, it is that Meg likes to cook and I like to eat. Meg also likes to cook healthy, which is fine by me. What this means is that instead of eating out a lot, which I did a fair amount, now I am eating lots of delicious home cooked meals. (For the record, I cook too, but it never tastes as good as what Meg cooks) There are pros and cons to this. I (actually, "we") are spending more on groceries but less on fast food. I am eating better so I am not as inclined to execise as much. You see, this right here is a double edged sword.
- For better or worse, I my father's son. It is the craziest thing. Apparently I hung around Papa a bit too much because now as a married man, I am doing things very similarly to him. Meg has noticed it too. The sibs and I used to joke that I was absolutely the most like Papa. It appears as though the transformation continues. Meg finds it funny everytime I catch myself doing something Papa would do and then yelling, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!" I don't see quite the humor. =0).
- A little service goes a long way. I think that Meg and I have done a good job of trying to serve one another best we can. She'll cook and I'll do the dishes. We'll watch her shows but if she knows a game is on then she doesn't mind switching. Whoever gets up last (usually me) is sure to make the bed. Honestly, these things are kind of fun. I like making my wife happy.
- Jesus requires even MORE intentionality. In 1Corinthians 7, Paul talks about how the married man has more concerns than that of the single man. I am absolutely seeing that now. I would do anything for Meg, which is a good thing, but not when my efforts to serve her mean that I am not being intentional with Jesus. I think I have been doing a good job of making sure that I stay disciplined but it is definitely different from a month ago.
So, there you have it. Being married is awesome. Here's to many more months of learning like this!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)