Livin' Part of Life

Today is the last day of winter break before my last term of college.  I can't believe I may only have one last first day of school.  When I graduated high school my mom found all these old pictures of me and compared my first day of 1st Grade with my first day of my Senior Year.  I don't know what I'm going to wear yet but I think I'll take of pose with my bike right before my last first day of school trek into campus tomorrow morning.

This winter break was a fast one.  A lot seemed to happen while I felt like I didn't do a whole lot.  Christmas Eve downtown with my family was a pretty big highlight as was the New Years Eve party.  All day today while painting an Apartment in the morning and going shopping with my family I have been humming Livin' Part of Life by Eric Church. Because as much fun as this winter break was I spent way to much time trying to live the future instead of the life the Lord has blessed me with today.  It led to much wasted time and some relational turmoil in my life.  In Genesis 1 the Lord tells Adam he is free to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, though he must not eat from the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  It's interesting to me that although Adam shouldn't, he still can eat from the tree.  Why didn't God just tell him he can't, heck why not just make it physically impossible.  I wish there were some things that were physically impossible for me to do.  Because I did a few things on the "should not" list even though I was free to do so this winter break.  And as always I now see full well why God is God and Brad is well... Brad, among other possibly discouraging words.

For that reason I'd bet my bottom dollar that I would be writing this same Blog even if it were the middle of June, granted I have to admit that the whole New Years Resolution feel in the air is most likely encouraging the change I want in my life.  The other night I think I toasted a glass of sparkling cider to 2011. A year.  A year that will eventual end with people being excited for the next and having forgotten all the things they wanted to do better when it started.  The way I see it each day is the start of a new year, depending on what day you measure it from.  So, as of January 2nd here is to a few more late nights with the boys, and a lot less awkward conversations with the women folk that by now I have mostly wronged and had awkward conversations with anyway.  Here is to finally reading the Bible in a year, on schedule, and purposely.  Here is too enjoying life as I did the beginning of last term.  Here is to being content in the Lord and being excited to see Him in my day.  Here is to early Bible studies with my brothers and Thursday nights with good friends.  Time to focus back on school and less on if others think I'm cool.  I hope those of you reading this can notice a peace in my life, and I hope you know that it is all from my Father.

This life can sure be a mother, so tomorrow I'm taking me fishin', I'll hang a sign on the door of my life that tells the world my worries have gone missing.  It's time to get a friend back and soak in all the ways the Lord pulls at my heart.  It's time for obedience and service that I was too proud to admit my body needed.  It's time to boast in the Lord.

But first a drive back to Corvallis and two more awkward, but heartfelt conversations.

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Brad