Wow...

Every once in a while you I think God smacks us upside our head and seriously asks us what we were thinking. Lately I have been thinking that I deserve a new truck. If any of you have seen my current truck then you may see why I may want a new one. But I have been telling myself that I deserve a new truck and that I should start getting the funds together to buy one. So I have talked to a couple of people and even gone to some dealerships to test drive a new truck and then this morning I met with a student for some breakfast and a talk about life. I don't know what it was about that meeting but it left me thinking about how stupid I have been acting lately. I sometimes get this feeling where I have actually accomplished something. I kinda think to myself "Wow, I am an intern for a youth group and I help kids in their daily walk with God. God should really bless me for that." I sometimes get in that mindset and start thinking that I deserve things that I dont really deserve at all. So after I realized what an idiot I had been acting like I have decided to put together a list of things that I have that I don't really deserve....and here it is.....

1. I have an incredible family that helps me out no matter what I am going through. My mom has worked harder than anyone I have ever known so that she could provide for me and my brothers and I thank God that He blessed me with such a wonderful family that I am so close to
2. I have awesome friends that I don't even come close to deserving. I am probably the biggest jerk that anyone has ever met and these people choose to put up with me and all of my crap. At least with my family they are kind of forced to but with my friends they make the choice to put up with it. I'm not gonna name all of them here but you people know who you are.
3. I have tons of THINGS that I dont deserve at all (truck, phone, computer, apartment, etc.). I sometimes look at these things and think about how I could use a better "fill in the blank". The truth is that I should consider myself lucky that God has seen fit to provide me with these things and not take them away from me.
4. I have a good job that I don't hate at all. The office part gets tedious but it has to be done. I am lucky to have Nic, JMob, and Dusty to work alongside with for the summer to make the office part manageable. When I am not in the office I am hanging out with students and doing my very best to mentor them in a Christlike lifestyle and there is nothing else in this world that I would rather be doing. It is my passion and I thank God for giving me the opportunity to do it for the summer.
5. I have an incredible girlfriend that puts up with me more than anyone. There isn't anyone that has to put up with more crap than her. She is there through it all and even though she gets upset sometimes she never gets tired of it. She is the one that keeps me in line and keeps me from doing some of the stupid stuff that most are used to seeing from me. Thank you Jenna.
   
6. Finally, and this is the most important one, I have an amazing God that loves me despite all of my screw-ups. Even though I deliberately defy him he still takes me back every time I need him. He is a God of compassion and a God of love and there is nothing that I could ever be more thankful for.

These are just a couple of things that I don't deserve but I have decided to recognize but certainly not all that I have.