Well, anyone that is looking at this here blog, keep me in your prayers. Also if you’ve got and God-inspired revelations of what I ought to be doing I’d love to hear them. Well, I’m off to that sleepy place.

At times I sort of feel cursed having so many interests and abilities. I feel sort of pulled in every direction, even by my own thoughts. The areas of music, technology, and just the great needs I see that youth have these days, seem to cause me not to know which way to go. Something that compounds this is my continued growth in the area of the Life Shapes seem to pull me in yet another direction. Ultimately wherever God calls me, I sense that I need to be building the kind of relationships that count for eternity, not just for the here and now.

I had an excellent conversation with Andrew, the youth director at my church, last week. This issue of being able to model the kind of life we’re trying to teach young people, that was something we both struggled with. The great commission is to go out into the world and share the Gospel. This is something that I’ve been talking about for myself. The idea that I feel as though I live in a Christian bubble, and I’m not going out into the world. I want to be able to be in this world, modeling the kind of in-world living we as Christians are suppose to have, and sharing that with youth so that they can see that God is there to help us. Don’t misunderstand me in what I’m saying. I fail in my everyday life just like the next guy. I’m NOT some super-Christian that has it all together and can be some great leader. I’m only a man who daily has to lay his life before the Lord, asking for forgiveness for my failings, and the opportunity to be used by God. I just want to be able to share with the youth today that there is hope. That hope however is not found in anything of this world, but in Christ alone.

The attacks of this world on our young people has been growing rapidly and they are searching for something true and something solid that they can put their trust in. This world continues to let our young people down, making them feel like they are lost and alone with no answers. This is the daily spiritual battle that they face. They need people that can show them Christs love, and accept them for who they are, just as Christ accepts us for who we are. It angers me how the church today has gotten to look down on our young people and reject them, offering them salvation only if they conform to them. It is only Christ that can change hearts. It is not our job to change people, it is our job to love them and share Christs love with them.

While I have my own convictions as to what I feel is right in the eyes of the Lord I have no right to push those convictions onto another. However, I do feel that there is a concern when peoples actions do not seem to follow a desire to follow Christ. I do feel it is good as followers of Christ to be genuinely concerned for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We have a responsibility to at least question the motives of their actions, but not to judge. If our asking simply causes them to openly consider the true motivations to their actions, and in turn choose to turn to God for His truth, then we are doing so out of love.

Well, I do believe it is getting late. I didn’t realize all that was stirring in me before I started to write. I still don’t know where God is leading me in all this but I am realizing that I haven’t taken the time to really express my thoughts on my blog for awhile. I used to do that daily, this is something I need to get back into the habit of doing. I’m going to now try to get some rest. I guess I am feeling a bit better now. Perhaps this feeling a bit under the weather was just God’s way of givingme some rest and abiding in Him. Good night all!

Tim: I just feel like the world today is just destroying our youth
Cassie: that and not alot of ppl are covering them in prayer…they just call it “humanity problems” and ignore it
Tim: yes
Tim: this issue of moral relativism (sry for the big words) is getting worse by the day
Cassie: it really is
Cassie: we need to start making just praying for these kids a deal every day instead of just waiting until one kid blows up with problems
Tim: yes
Tim: absolutely
Tim: I’m starting to see also, how it seems moral relativism is creeping into the Christian community also
Cassie: definitely
Tim: don’t get me wrong, I’m not a legalist by any means…
Tim: but God’s truth is firm, it’s not wishy-washy
Cassie: hey i believe that 100%
Tim: His truth is also compassionate…and I think we are not clear on how compassion comes into it…I think we distort compassion with tolerance.

timnolte: I’m getting this sense that there is a big battle raging right now for our youth
timnolte: I’m starting to question where this blog thing is taking people
timnolte: I’ve actually noticed a few concerning things as I’ve browsed through some of the camp staff xanga sites too
timnolte: I’m starting to feel like this battle is taking place on the internet where parents can’t see it
timnolte: I started getting this thought about there being a need for a ministry that focuses on youth who spend a lot of time online….
timnolte: I think the lack of physical interaction and a false sense of anonymity is giving Satan an opening for his lies
timnolte: I don’t know but is has me very concerned…
timnolte: I’m feeling I need to be bringing God’s light into this area, which brings to mind a need for me to be putting God first even in my own blog…
K* N*: interesting.
K* N*: you see, in my day [...] i have written some pretty dark stuff in my diary.
K* N*: you just have days, and you are crying out.
K* N*: and you feel like noone is listeing.
timnolte: that’s what I’d like to think
K* N*: but if other people can read it and be affected by it…
timnolte: one concern I have is that Christians are thinking that too many things are “just part of the culture” when in fact it’s really a lie and we aren’t following what God would have us do
timnolte: we are suppose to live in the world but be different from it
timnolte: too many times I think we get those lines blurred
timnolte: I just have a heart for youth and hate to see all the junk that the world throws at them

That’s is the jist of where my mine id at right now. It’s late and I need to be getting to bed. I was out playing Settler’s of Catan again, which was fun but it got abit later tonight. There are youth and people coming over tomorrow night for games and stuff so I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Well more this weekend I hope. This going to bed early has really been putting a damper on my blogging. I’m going to have to try and do it more throughout the day. Perhaps more in the morning. Chow all!

Oh, one final note, so I’m an official member of eHarmony, why not maybe it’ll work, probably not. I found a discount on the membership. I actually began the first step in communicating with someone in St Cloud, but no response yet. I’ve probably already turned her off. Guess it’s going to be just the single life for me. People can only handle so much weirdness. Ok, off to the sack!