My How Things Can Change

Boy how things change. I realized that I hadn't written since summer and since then Ive been more busy than I had ever thought I would have been after college, some of my best friends have gotten engaged or married, and I have seen some of my closest friends and family go thought some major changes in their lives.

Christmas has just passed us and I can honestly say it was a good one! It was awesome to get together with family, and I realized how precious these relationships are! I was also able to spend some amazing time with some even more amazing friends. Between my friend Jim and his parents so graciously opening their home and cooking for us, our white elephant gift exchange, and just some amazing good laughs, it was a great way to kick off the Christmas season. Then The week before Christmas I had the opportunity to take a trip to Killington, Vermont with some more of my friends for a ski/snowboard trip. Even though our pastor swears Arizona (where he is from) is God's country, after seeing Vermont in December I would have to beg to differ. None the less it was a great way to start the week of Christmas!

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, one because of the family and friends aspect. But the other, and the most important to me, is the real reason for CHRISTmas, JESUS! The fact we are able to celebrate the fact that grace, mercy, and true love is just amazing for me. I think that its funny when I sit back an think about when I realize how blessed and thankful I am is not at Thanksgiving, its Christmas. It's time like these that make me realize how things truly have changed from when I was a kid.

When we are kids, at least here in the States, Christmas is about what toys, video games, board games, clothes, etc. we got for gifts. Yes we went to church with the family, but we were too excited for Santa! But now as I have gotten older and a little more mature I have been able to see what Christmas really means. It means treating people as we should, and that is how Jesus treated people while he was on Earth. I have noticed over the years that Christmas is limited not only to the season, or the gifts, but the kindness and love... some people only keep that around for the day of Christmas. The story of Christmas is the beginning of how Jesus lived his life and loved other, everyday!

That is what I have come to notice about myself this Christmas season, that is love everyone all the time. Love can sometimes be harsh, think about when your parents grounded you or something for some wrong that you did, loves doesn't always have to be embracing everything that someone does, but it is showing them you care. In that sense, do things out of the blue, pick up a persons tab from across the restaurant or behind you in line, even if you don't know them. It could truly change the way the act towards people, seeing that there are still people who care in this world.

But I think what this Christmas season has taught me the most is that through every circumstance, God is with us every step of the way. We sometimes tend to think that God is only with us when we are going through tough times, but i have learned not only from personal experiences, sermons, and watching loved ones go through some tough and demanding times; that God is right there the whole time. We have to remember that our plan as humans, its very short sighted, even when we think were thinking long-term. If you think im crazy, read for yourself these few sets of verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 19:21

²¹ Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Romans 8:28

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]}have been called according to his purpose.

Now I will say that I am not perfect, I am far from it and I will be the first to admit that, but this is something that I am trying my best to get better at. So I encourage you to look past what the surface may look like and realize, as long as you are seeking after the Lord, the situation is for His plan, and he has an amazing future planned for all of us, as long as we die to ourselves and seek after him. So whether it is family issues, relationships, a job, whatever you may be struggling with, have the confidence that God is right there with you. We just need to humble ourselves and remember that God sent his son, Jesus, so that even though were still sinners when he first loved us we can have a opportunity to receive the prize at the end our the road Gos has paved for us!

I know this entry probably jumped around, but I hope what had been put on my heart was able to speak to you in some way!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless!

-Anthony

Fireworks, Lightning Bugs, and Summer Nights

Well here is real life, post graduation life is in full swing here in my life. After a wedding, 4 road trips, and the learning curve at work proving to be steeper than I thought (even though it is very fun) I am realizing that this "real world" life that people told me, and all college students, about is not that much different than college life, well except for the reality of bills. But in all reality there are still the same boring things you do at work instead of sitting in that boring class. There is still the down we had at school, expect for now we try and do "adult" things rather than the things we looked at as "stuff we did in college."

One night I was in my hot tub and realized that this is one of the most exciting times in my life. God has blessed me with an amazing opportunity to do things I've always wanted to do: work and be with my family, see parts of the country that I have never seen before, and all the while be able to keep my friends from school (I think I've been able to grow closer because I saw how much I took my interaction with them for granted), but most of all still grow closer to Him, to God himself while maturing as a "man." Here I am at the ripe age of 22, I still love to be active, am able to be active, and am able to enjoy the things I love with the people I love. I don't know how much more perfect that can be.

On the 4th of July I had the opportunity to be driving I-480 on the South East side of Cleveland. I was not expecting what I saw though...... I was able to see about 5-7 different firework shows at once. This coupled with what had been going through my mind recently on how I had been looking at my life in such a way that made each part of my life seem run-of-the-mill, seeing these beautiful firework shows all at once put into perspective how crazy life looks for our God and how amazing it may seem for him when we trust him and allow him to set his own fireworks off in our lives. Whether it is the size of an entire fireworks show for a big city that turn our lives upside down and we can do nothing but revel in his love, or little flickers of light, like the flashes of light from Lightning Bugs, or ones we take for granted every day, such as the love from the ones around us.

Even though it has only been a few months into this "grown-up life" as society calls is, I can see how it is easy to get lost, or to feel so small that its easy to lose yourself in this crazy, fast-paced society we live in. But all the same I also see why God puts us through the things we have to go through in life. When I look back at some of the toughest times in my life up until this point in my life, and even though during those times I knew it was preparing me for these times, I REALLY know now that I would not change them for the life of me. I know that I am not done with learning either, and I don't know what my future lessons will consist of, but I know that they are preparing me for the amazing things that have been planned for me.

Summer is an amazing time of the year. Its about the only time when people, working or out for summer break, are all in the same state of mind: Its nice out, lets enjoy this and enjoy each other. Whether it is on a vacation or at a wedding, on a beach or just in your backyard, enjoy with gratitude and humbleness the great memories that will carry with you though life. Laugh at the same jokes that you've heard a thousand times, keep up with those friends whom you may have lost touch with, spend that quality time with your family, and most of all be thankful for the time we have been given.

God Bless,

Anthony

Spring time

The first few nice days of spring are amazing anywhere you are, but the first few days of spring in Ohio have to be some of the most special. No more of the gloomy, cold, snowy days but rather we are able to enjoy that thing called the sun, shorts, and flip flops. And talk about people waking up from their winter time hibernation. Over the past week I have seen more smiles and heard more laughs than I think I have all year.

But the greatest part about this time of year is seeing everything else come back to life. Spring is the season of life. No more dreary days, no more boring same old, same old. Rather there is a new pep in your step and there seems to be a drive to go do something, or in other words to go LIVE rather than sit and do nothing except watch the next episode of your favorite TV show on Hulu. But what did we do to deserve such a nice start to spring, or even receive the amazingness that spring brings with it. We don't deserve it, and we know it, so we go about our lives happy, filled with joy and loving those around us.

The funny part of all of this is that this script has already been written (minus classes and watching Hulu) by God when Jesus came to Earth to save us. Listening to two sermons this past week about how we have been given this free gift and that is why Easter is so amazing and so special to all of us that have come to know Jesus, got me thinking. All we are, before Jesus, are people full of sin and no direction in life. I think we can all agree that we see people have a worldly direction all the time, the people with the 30 Million dollar houses, the people that have a different car for everyday of the week. Im not saying all of them don't know Jesus, some do, but for those who don't, what are they doing that is making an impact in eternity?

It hit me on Sunday that I deserve nothing! I don't deserve the love from my friends and family, I do not deserve to be graduating and have a job lined up while there are countless people out there with no job. Heck I didn't deserve the opportunity of attending college, let alone a good one. The list could go on and on for the rest of time of things that I don't/didn't deserve. But the amazing thing is that I have been given these things because of the love that it given to me every day that I wake up by God! But the love that he shows me through all of this doesn't even touch the love that Jesus showed to us by sacrificing himself on the cross, so that we may be able to receive eternal life, the way it should have been, a life with God. But God also knew that unless there was some kind of sacrifice, we would never be right with God, therefore we would never be able to experience him the way he made us to. So he came to Earth, in the form of man, knowing that he would one day take all the punishment from the past, the present, and the future! And at that moment, it was done, the battle had been won and we had been given the best gift of all, LIFE! True life, life that would know no pain, no suffering, no end! I can't imagine the amount of pain that Jesus was feeling walking up that mountain. I think of how badly I feel when I commit one sin, but to take on all the sin, of all time, and take punishment of all sin, after knowing no sin for your entire life had to be some of the worst pain ever. Also to know that he had the power to take himself off of that cross and prove to everyone watching who he really was, but Jesus stayed there and died for us, for you, for me. Thats love.

This past week has really made me think of what I have, what I do, and what I receive that I don't deserve. Realizing that stuff is good, but then using what has been given to us is what really make our lives here on this Earth matter. So what are you going to do? Are you going to realize what you have but continue to live in winter, or are you going to spread the feeling of life to others and make the decision to live in SPRING!

Happy Easter and God Bless,

-Anthony

My first post!

Here we are, six weeks of school left.

I can remember moving into Saylor Hall in August 2006. Through the past four years of my life, I've seen some amazing high points and experienced some excruciatingly painful lows. But through all of this, I have seen God do some amazing things with people in my life during that time. I wonder how different my life would be if I hadn't come to Baldwin-Wallace and been given the privilege to make the friends that I have.

But its not only the people that have been a blessing, its been the time and opportunities that have effected me also. From trips to Florida to getting internships to help me see where my calling was, the time here and the experiences have been amazing.

This blog is going to be more than just my pity party of remembering old times that have gone by, but rather me speaking whats on my heart and my mind. At this point in my life I am seeing how important everything is and I just want to be able to look back at the end of my college career, be happy with what I'm leaving behind and be able to look forward with confidence at what is to come.

-God Bless,

Anthony