Week 1

As my laundry is going, I feel the need to write. Week one is over and yes I've survived. I now have a picture of the demands placed upon me. I have yet to start working or preparing to teach next Sunday at the Retirement Home Service for my PCM. Those 2 things will drastically determine my time. I MUST continue to pray. On a temporal level... this seems nearly impossible. Then I remember that many who have come and gone before me here at Moody have accomplished this task and even more I'm sure. I've never taken full time classes before. I wonder if I'll ever have time to build and maintain friendships while I'm here...? Friendships that last, that is. When the time comes, will I have time to devote to getting to know a woman God may place in my life... whomever she may be? That's not something I'm thinking too seriously about at the moment though. I just wanna meet my brothers and sisters and get to know my spiritual family here.

I've spent the majority of the day listening to the Bible on audio and writing chapter titles for one of my classes. I've now finished Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It hits me that soon I won't have the luxury always of spending an entire day doing schoolwork. Hmm... I'm listening to a sermon by Adrian Rogers right now and he's quoting D. L. Moody. That's cool. I've pretty firmly chosen Adrian Rogers to do my report on for my History of Biblical Exposition class. I enjoy his passion and now I'll have the opportunity to look at his life and 5 of his sermons more in-depthly.

I'm also excited to preach in the streets soon. I don't see where I'll find time for that either, but there's too much in me not to let it out. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" I have no wife or family to worry about neglecting and I'm sure I'll find my burnout limit, but I have to keep in mind why I'm here and who I am. I can't stop thanking God for His gracious provision and direction to put me here in Chicago at Bible College! I still can't get over it! I'm in Chicago!! I'm living in a dorm!! I'm away from home!! I just can't believe it... who would've known I'd be here a few years ago? It's funny.. I've found that I'm a few years older than many of those I've met so far. I really wish I didn't take that year off after I graduated High School.

My morning devotions are still going. They're shorter, but they're going. I've been reading the copy of My Utmost For His Highest that I was given before leaving home. It belonged to the father of a woman in our church and she gave it to me. I've visited Moody Church. It's alright... although I think the worship is a bit more rigid than I prefer. The sanctuary is beautiful for sure though. Tomorrow I visit a small church right near school with a friend... they had a Bible study that used a WOTM video last Sunday night. They need to be careful or they might draw me too easily...lol. After this week it will be quite some time though before I visit a local church.

During orientation weekend, the school showed the new Batman movie. I wanted to walk out partly through it. I left near the end. I hoped at least the language would be cleaned up... especially when it took God's name in vain. I toss 1 Cor. 10:23 back and forth in my mind as I did that night. Is this an issue of my conscience? Do I have a point? Am I beginning to compromise or am I becoming the stronger brother mentioned in Romans 14? I'm going to try to just stay from those unanswered situations when it comes to movies until I have a more firm answer on where my conscience stands.

My current prayer agenda:

-Clearing my job transfer and possibly getting some replacement income until then if needed.
-Is it God's will that I work while being here? I want to ask Him to provide so that I don't have to... I could do so much more for the kingdom. Of course, I'll continue to try for a job until God provides if He desires.
-Efficiency in studying and time mgmt.
-That I would continue to settle in with my new campus-sized spiritual family
-That I would be able to encourage my roommate in spiritual growth