Hillary

I was able to take a few pictures for Hillary today before we were rained out. Here’s a few I liked.

I’m venting.

One of the things I struggle with is ministering to other believers. What is it about other believers who think you are trying to “judge” them when you have noticed they are struggling in their walk with the Lord? Why is there a need to hurry and point the finger back at the other person? I am not one to try to say I am better then the other. I also never want people to assume that.

I guess what I’m getting at is one question. How do you react to people who come back at you like that? How do you do that in humility without getting angry that someone is coming back at you in anger? What is your opinion?

Renovation

Super excited to start working on the garage this week! We’re going to renovate the garage into a new room for me to stay in. It will be somewhere for me to stay until I move in the spring. It’s going to be a cool deal. Will be sure to post pictures of before and after once we get everything going.

Also, I am still taking donations to help get Brazilian missionaries to the States for a couple weeks! Let me know if you can help out!

Encouragement

Encouragement. One word, yet so many meanings. I think encouragement is something our world is lacking.

When you look back at your walk with Christ, what are the times you feel so pumped for the cause of Christ? I know if it’s anything like mine it’s the times when you are submersed in people believing in you. Why is it that people only believe they can change the world when someone at a camp or revival says they can? What would the Christian society look like to the lost world if we lived every day believing that we can make change?

Encouragement. Love. Faith.

Combine these actions. Christians, if God is doing a work in your life tell others. Let other people know how God is working in your life. Tell others the things that God is showing you. If you have seen God do something amazing, tell others. If you know God is making change in your community tell others. People need to hear the things that Christ is doing. When we hear that Christ is at work everyone else wants to join in. Everyone wants to be a part of it. It’s a contagious feeling.

I encourage you to encourage. Let people know how much you love them. Let people know that God is still moving and can move through them. Because YOU are the way the world can change. But you have to open up your life to letting God do it through you.

Doesn’t make sense.

Something that I have never understood is how someone who has claimed to know the Lord at one point in their life can run so far away from him. I know so many people that I have seen chase after God in an intimate way at certain points of life but then today see them not caring at all. It is something I can’t wrap my mind around. Does it make any sense to you?
I know everyone sins and can mess up. But what I don’t understand is people who sin and don’t care to repent. People who know what is right and know what the word says yet deliberately ignore it to do what they seek. This is one reason I think we are to fear the Lord. I am so scared to run away from following Gods plan in my life because I know without him I am lost. I am worth absolutely nothing without the Father.
What do you say to these people? What do you say to a person who knows scripture and knows they are in a life of sin yet continues to live that life without repent?

Donate!

Alright everyone we need your help! Meet Daniel and Anderson! These are two guys I worked with in Brazil that are serving full time along side with the missionaries. These guys have given more out of their lives every day then most people do in a lifetime. They will be coming to visit the United States this March and we need a way to fund it! Due to them serving full time on the mission field and working in poverty everyday they do not have a source of income for themselves. We are going to do everything we can to make sure we get them here! I will begin taking donations to get these guys down here for several weeks!

If you would like to donate please feel free to e-mail me and we will get things started. More info. in the future on events we will do to get these guys here. Please Donate! Every dollar is worth it!

Jaredshingleton@gmail.com

Read

I want to encourage all of you who haven’t read the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan to go ahead and do so. It’s a book that is amazing in the fact the it expands what you already know in new ways. I am loving every chapter I read. Be aure to check it out.

Also, haven’t had a lot of time to write lately. Hopefully will be able to get some stuff written soon.

Things that don’t matter.

Tonight I listened to David Mccaman bring the word! Before I go on to what I would like to write about I want to tell you all what an amazing speaker this guy is! He speaks out of the heart and has a passion for bringing the word in a way I rarely see. Be sure to check his blog. I wouldn’t say he is an avid blogger but occasionally he’ll post something. ha.
Anyways, tonight he quoted something that really stopped me and made me question a lot of things. He said this, “The church should stop fearing failure, and start fearing success that doesn’t matter.” As I thought about this I related it back to life. Why so often do we look at the things we are scared of failing at. There are so many things we don’t do in life because we are scared of failure. And while being scared of failure is something everyone should overcome, why do we not think of the pointless things we succeed at? There are so many days I set out to do things that do not matter in any way. So many things I get done that have no worth. Why do I go out everyday with the desire of doing something big, but in turn setting it aside for something easier? I believe as a Christian if we could stand up like we are called we could all change our world. We all need to quit doing things that have no purpose. Quit spending so much time doing nothing. Start making change in your community. Start making change globally. Start going out and preaching the word with the same passion that Paul had. Our world needs the salvation of Jesus Christ. Our world also needs you to go out and tell them about it.

So hard.

It’s so hard adjusting back to the American way of life. It’s so hard from seeing God work every single day, to just going with the flow. It’s tough. I miss my families in Brazil. I miss it so incredibly much. I didn’t expect to go through culture shock on returning to my own country. But it’s happening.

One day.

This is just a short post. Just sharing my current thoughts. As a believer in Christ the Messiah I can’t wait for the day I die. In a totally non morbid kind of way. Paul wrote in Philippians “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.” –1:21 he also wrote “I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far” –1:23. These are things that shine so bright in my heart. I can’t wait for the one day where I am surrounded by nothing but the majesty of Christ. For the day that I am so consumed with joy that I can’t hold it in. This is the day I long for.