Go God :)

This week was amazing! Our speaker was Dan Baumann, and he spoke on loads of practical things—living with passion, decision-making as a Christian, priorities—and he also shared some AMAZING stories. For example… he almost died by falling off the side of a boulder but was saved by three blades of grass, he was imprisoned in Iran, and then a funny story about how he can’t get change in a drive thru the normal way due to a problem with his arm in college… among others. He is hilarious, authentic and a good story teller. Here are a few things I took away from this week:

• Everything you do for God needs to come from intimacy with God.
• The Christian life is about discovering the love of God over and over again.
• I would rather live my life stepping out and leaning into what I think God is saying and trusting in His character than stepping back and waiting until I know that I know that I know.
• God is more committed to fulfill His will for my life than I am to find it.
• God wants to give us His dreams and then wants to walk them out with us.
• How can we give Satan so much attention when God is so huge?
• Instead of making a list of priorities, how about having God in the center of everything you do in life?
• Comparison has killed passion.
• Your passion isn’t based on emotions; it’s based on the cross and on commitment. When you buy milk the morning after a wonderful worship time with God the night before, are you just as passionate about God? Sure; there isn’t a shift of commitment when there is a shift of emotion.
• Concentrate on who God is, not your emotions.
• Be a thermostat (changes & everything around it has to change) not a thermometer (changes depending on the culture around it).
• The preoccupation of our lives shouldn’t be sin; instead, joyfully repent and move on.
• God will fix you as you focus on His priorities.
• You can hear God’s voice better by spending time with Him and including Him in your life.
• Trust God’s character more than your ability to feel peace.
• Trust God’s character over your experiences.
• If something happens and you don’t understand why, put it in the mystery of God box and by God’s grace, move forward in your relationship with Him.
• God’s biggest will for us is to love God and love people (always a good reminder!)
• What God wants to do today is based on how great He is, not based on what happened yesterday or how you feel.

And a piece of advice from him to consider – If analyzing doesn’t bring joy and peace, shut it off.

We had more great lectures on justice! I’m reading Sex, Economy, Freedom & Community by Wendell Berry and it’s totally making me want to live more sustainably by supporting a local food economy.

The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm. – Exodus 14.14

(what Moses said to people freaking out about the Egyptians coming after them before the sea parted)

Also, praise the Lord—due to great generosity I will be able to pay the remainder of my outreach fees this week! God is so good!