journey called life

Hello,
Just as an update, the past few weeks at home have been restful and good, as well as tiresome and left wanting. The search for a job, as ever, continues as of late. Soon my brothers will be home, we will all be again together under one roof for a time, and all too soon afterwards we will be spread out again, one in Florida, two in California and three here in BC. I would like to say that since being home from Kaleo there have been no slip ups into the things which once held me captive, things from which I found reprieve among you all during our time together, unfortunately that is not the case. I have seen and heard that in this I am not alone. I would ask for all your prayers in this as I pray for you as well. It is so good to hear from you all, in any form, be it Skype, blogs, facebook, or otherwise, and I just wanted to let you all know how much I both love and miss you all. Though I have, in a sense, moved on from the Qwanoes aspect of Kaleo, there is not a day in which you are not remembered and appreciated. In agreement with a blog that Tom recently put up on his blogger page, I find that I do not dig in to the word of God like I should be, which is a necessity to be the “reaching torchbearer” that I desire to be for God. As well as this small update and request for prayer I want to leave with a small excerpt which I came across today as I was thinking about everything and it encouraged me.

It is out of Philippians chapter 3:
“Not that I have already obtained this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
…but our citizenship is in heaven.
…therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!”

In regards to falling back into old practices, we are not perfect, going to Kaleo did not make us perfect, we are still human and still prone to sin. But we have been given assurances; we have been shown the things which are right and those which are wrong. What we must do is live one day at a time, for we are only guaranteed the one that we are in right now, and overcome those things that happen in this day. Forgetting those things in our history and choosing instead to cling to those things for which Christ took hold of us, we have to press on. This is how we should live, according to the level of maturity which Christ grew in us during our times together. Not to dwell on the things in which we failed, but to strain ourselves in fighting for the things which God desires for us. Like in the story that Kristie Voth read to us on the mountain, we too need to focus in the living Light, nothing else. Kaleo was a challenge, but like in the story, as hard as that first bit with the running and swinging and jumping might seem, it was only the beginning. This is the journey called life; this is the race for which we have spent the last 8 months in training. Hold fast to it all. (Speaking of which, is there any way that a copy of that could be put on the blog, or emailed out? In anyone knows or is willing that would be super duper.)

“BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. DO NOT BE TERRIFIED; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” – Joshua 1:9