Magnificent Obsession

Only 18 days left in my year at Timberline as I sit here and type this for yall's reading enjoyment.
On Monday we were split into teams and had a Dodge ball tournament in the morning to afternoon. Each team had a dress theme and the team I was on was "Gangsta". The other teams were Nerds, 80's, Rockers, and Hipsters. Team Gangsta won the tournament decisively.    

Chris Thomas was our guest speaker for the week. He is Dan's father, the current director of Torchbearers International. He taught through 2nd Timothy but with his teaching style there was many stories and we bounced around a lot. I'm gonna be honest it was one of the harder weeks for me to follow the teaching. However the one thing that continued to stick out to me this past week that Chris kept making a point of was how this letter to Timothy from Paul was about stepping up and getting ready to take the baton. How Paul is nearing the end of his leg of the race and soon it will be Timothy's leg to run.
This brings 2 thoughts to mind for me. 1 is that the younger generation is more often than not talked about like we are the "next" generation and that we have "can't' or don't really have an impact at this point in time because it isn't out turn to run. However I really feel that that is poor way of thinking of and handling the "next" generation. Because we are all part of "this" generation. Now we (the younger part of the now generation) may not have received the baton yet but we are still part of the team, and when you are part of a team you are expected to train along with the starters even if you are 3rd string. So that when you are called up you are ready to run the race or play the game set before you. Which brings me to my 2nd thought that is more directed to the younger part of the now generation. We need to get in the spiritual weight room so that when a space needs to be filled we can say "put me in coach" with the confidence that we can play the position or run the leg of the race with confidence.
I can't help but feel the last 2 weeks of classes was used by God to help me in the making of decisions I have coming up very soon and maybe some that are farther off.

There has been much on my my mind as of late with my time out here coming to an end, decisions I have to make when I get home and where the Lord is going to lead me. One of my favorite quotes from Chris this past week was "God's will for you, is his command to you". So if I apply that way of thinking to my life and know that I am following the Lord's commands I know that I will be in his will, and when you are in God's will there will always be a way.

In all honesty when I started writing this tonight I really didn't have anything in mind to put down. I guess it is because I have been thinking about so much as of late and in some ways ready to be home and back with family and not being home with them for my birthday. Tonight was the 1st night in only the good Lord knows how long that I missed a Spurs playoff game with my Mimi. It has been a tradition to watch together since I was 6 or 7 with her and my Papa. But on the other side of the coin I am not ready to put a great amount of distance between some of the friendships I have made out here. We had 3 straight days of snow out here this weekend and me and those friends were on the mountain for everyone of them. Powder for days, and some of the most fun days on the mountain so far for the season in my opinion. 



Sorry if tonight's post has not been a very good read, I have just had thoughts all over the place.
One thing I do know is that in these next few weeks I will have to make quite a few big decisions and I want to make them in careful thought and through prayer.
As many things have been going through my head it is easy for me to get down (what is it that I should do once I am done out here, why am I still single, will I be able to present my teaching well, and many others) but I need to remember Jesus is bigger tan all of that and when I focus on those things they get right in front of my face and I can no longer see him. But if I focus on him those things will get smaller and smaller.

So I leave you with these words.

  
Lord, You know how much I wanna know so much
In the way of answers And explanation
I have cried and prayed, And still I seem to stay
In the middle of life's complications

All this pursuing
Leaves me feelin' like I'm chasin' down the wind
But now it's brought me back to You And I can see again

This is everything I want, This is everything I need
I want this to be my one Consuming passion
Everything my heart desires Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus,
Be my magnificent obsession Yeah-yeah, yeah, yeah

So capture my heart again,
Take me to depths I've never been
Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
Return me to the cross,
And let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love
That You've shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down
To so many lesser things,
Let all my dreams fall to the ground
Until this one remains

This is everything I want,
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one
Consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You,
Jesus,
Be my magnificent obsession
My magnificent obsession
Yeah-yeah, yeah, yeah

You are everything I want
And You are everything I need
Lord, You are all my heart desires,
You are everything to me

You are everything I want,
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one
Consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You,
I want it all to be for You
'Cause You are everything I want,
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one
Consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You,
Jesus,
Be my magnificent obsession
Be my magnificent obsession
Yeah-yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh-oh, oh, oh


Till Next Time
Love Jared
Go Spurs Go and Go Bolts