Thanks to everyone who commented on the last deal. I get a real sense of peace about it. God is sovereign, and God is good, and God wants all to know Him, yet he knows not all will know Him. Thanks Katie for the “God is above our thinking” reminder. Thanks Mike, thanks Kris, thanks Jim, Thanks Allie, Each of you have been an encouragement. God is sovereign, and he loves us, I can’t complain.

Wow… I’ve been writing a lot lately. I’m not sure why either. Praise the Lord ’cause he is sovreign. He controls everything. That’s an encouragement. Honestly, I’m so stressed out. Maybe I’m in denial about being accepted to NYU… I don’t know. The Lord really has done a lot of great things in my life lately, but still I’m confused.

I’m having to come to terms with a part of the Bible I cannot comprehend.The Bible says God predestined all of us. It says that in plain English, well maybe plain Greek ,but all the same, the word predestined is right in the text! That’s pretty hard to swallow.

Romans 9:16-18 “It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.

Romans 8: 28-30, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

So does it not follow that if God predestined some TO BE conformed, then he also predestined some NOT TO BE conformed. I doubt that he just predestined some and just didn’t decide for the rest.

I haven’t been able to down this section of scripture. Any thoughts or encouragements or “Hey Dave you’re taking this out of context”‘s would be welcomed. But “sing one you know.”

Then again, maybe I just shouldn’t trouble myself with the mind of God. Even Martin Luther said that he didn’t have a real good explanation for this scripture. He said, “I myself am still a babe that requires milk and not meat, and so let everyone do [submit to the sufficiency of God's grace on a personal level] who is a babe in Christ, as I am.” (Commentary on Romans 140). So maybe we really are pawns in the hand of God. Oh yeah, pawns with free will (yeah, right). We only make the choices God knew we would make, and how can God foreknow and not choose. I do not believe it. Free will is dead to me and my soul is bitterly confused.

Yet, I submit this to God, confess that I have the intelligence of an ant, comparitively speaking, and thank Him that he is in the business of reconciling souls, and not the mind. For who can worship a God who is not larger than himself?

Alrighty! I’m in a golf tournament for the school team, so if any of you happen to read this before tonight, please pray that I do well and that I get to share the love of Jesus with some of the folk I’m playing with. There’s this really good audio adrenaline song that popped in my head this morning. It’s called “This Day” – “I want to say a prayer/before my feet can hit the ground/Lord I give this day to you.” It’s good to sing in the morning and helps me to take the right attitude toward things, whether they are actual issues or just life in general. “I want to say a prayer/before my feet can hit the ground/Lord I give this day to you.” Word. Love you guys

OH yeah! Man group tonight – 7:00 – DaVinci’s

OH yeah! I had a dream last night that Ben proposed to Katlyn, JT proposed to Chelsea, and as we all know A-Ron and Sam are already on their way, so that made 5 couples (I know it looks like a can’t add) that were engaged by the end of the year. I was freaking out!!!

EDIT:::::: It’s the end of the day, and I believe I’ve decided that if there’s one thing that’s really testing my patience right now, it’s those pesky little worms that like to hang down from the oak trees!!!! I DON”T LIKE YOU WORMS!!!! I really think that those wormy thingies had to have been part of the curse!

I Stepped in three ant piles today!

Yo, so over the last three days I’ve been going nonstop… These are my three bedtimes 5:30AM, 4:15AM, and 2:23 and counting. I’ve been doing a ton and loving every minute of it. However, I’m going to love chillin’ at retreat and maybe getting some wonderful nappy Mcnapperson. I love you guys. God has a plan for my life, and I am glad. You should be too! What’s the plan? THAT… is the question

Thanks to Preston for the wonderful hangout-age at your house tonight! It was rockin’!
Speaking of rockin’, I’m setting up for Praise band practice right now (Hooray!) Get excited for retreat everbody!!! If I may, let me offer a new music recomendation for the week. They are (drumroll please…) The Little Willies! They’re a new country band that Norah Jones is in… so If you wish you could get into country music but just can’t find it in you, let Norah and the Little Willies change your mind. Old school country + a little less twang + Norah Jones = country music heaven!

Today’s been pretty simple but nice all the same, Woke up on the floor at Ben’s house. That was fun. A bunch of us helped the Smiths move and that rocked. After Bliblia study and church, I spent the day in the studio just messing with different sounds. I bought a tin trash can ,thinking it’d be good to hit, but nope! Not filled with blankets, not hit with brushes, However, when all hope seemed lost I tried sticking the speaker of the Orange amp into the mouth of the trash can and it sounded pretty sweet! Kris agreed. We cleaned up the studio (thanks Kris!) and I nerdlily looked up music stuff till now! Well my freinds, much love. See y’all soon!

:EDIT: 5:37 Monday morning. Must be time for bed!

“I am half sick of the shadows.” No artsit can offer insight into life without experiencing it.

And when I’m feeling really crazy… I don’t brush my teeth before I go to bed!

Brothers/Sisters, I know this is a long one, but if you bear with me, you may be very encouraged! Guys, Lost was stinking ridiculous (in an amazing way) tonight! Probably the most suspensful ending to a show ever! “So you guys got any milk?” Wow! I guess you had to be there.Well more has happened in the last three days than in a really long time! It’s kind of cool. Getting back to having only 6 hours of sleep per night has been rough on ye olde mind and body, but nonetheless I’ve learned a lot. 

Three things have inspired me this week; Rediscovering a desire to Worship God in music, My Dad’s commitment to living out the WORD in every nook and cranny of his life including in the workplace, and my parent’s love for eachother. Tonight I’ll talk about my dad and I’ll talk about the other two in the next tow posts.

 Dad’s going through some pretty tough life at the office. Here’s the short version. My dad’s boss retired last year and gave my dad his old position. As a testimony to my dad’s character, his boss offered to give my dad the level of pay he himself had received but my dad felt that he shouldn’t take the pay raise. When my dad was made head honcho of Cal-Tex, he pulled all the executives together and they reshaped the way they would do business. They purposed in their hearts that the age of manipulation within and without the company was over. They reformed their approach with new principles, humility and honesty toward customers.

Now my dad’s business sells things and for anyone that goes to business school, humility and forthrightness with potential customers isn’t exactly what you’re told makes for good marketing. But you know what has happened, BUSINESS HAS BOOMED!!! The executives made a joint decision proposed by my dad to stop playing mind games in business and start acting in love? Yeah they did, and you know what? God has honored it!

Cal-Tex has done really well but my dad has told me that since he’s taken over, things in the business have in the fleshly sense become more unsure than ever before. You see, my dad has relenquished control, trusting in scripture, not only the principles of scripture but proclaiming Jesus Himself in the company. To the Spirit, this is the most freeing thing in the world, but to the flesh this new way of business is really scary. However, because of my dad’s example, he is able to pray with and for people everyday in the office. The Lord has actually used my dad to bring to the Lord one of his coworkers.

Think about this. All that I have just said is not said so that I can take pride in my dad, but just as an example of the true good, the true life that God brings about in the life of someone who has chosen to sell out to God’s will.

:EDIT: Okay welll I had a really good time of worship tonight… but I think I need to spend some good time in the Word tomorrow ’cause emotions can send my head spinning…  they sure did tonight.

IN other news… I GOT ACCEPTED TO NYU!!!

Lot’s of love, goodnight!