And the weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200499,00.html

A person's purpose lies in the present not something in the expectation of tomorrow." - Robb Thompson http://www.winninginlife.org/archives/previous06/apr06.htm (Reasons why people don't fulfill their purpose).

So he just put to words what I was trying to put my finger on. I know a question I liked to ask people was, "what do you want to accomplish in your life and how are you living it out today?"

Other good points from the message... Don't expect to know God's will for your life that doesn't include the Bible if you are not applying what is in the Bible. If the devil can stop your focus he can stop your energy. Intermitent purpose is not what we are after.

Update

So camp went really well. Preaching seemed to go fine too. Apparently I was quite nervous when I was preaching because some guy commented that my hands were shaking and he could see it. Oh well. It seemed like God used me so whatever good goes to His glory and I'm just thankful that He gives me the opportunity.

Anyway, I got back from camp on Saturday. I started feeling sick a bit later and by Sunday afternoon felt lousy. Then I slept 19 out of 20 hours and had a fever of 102.6. At least now I'm closer to normal. Pray for that to all get taken care of and my health to be back in optimal condition. Then pray for wisdom for me for what to do with the rest of my summer as I still need to find what God has for me there. Thanks!

I saw this quote on a guy's account on facebook...

and I thought it was good!
"To be shaped we must be shattered, to be shattered we must be broken, to be broken we must be still"

Camp

I'll be going to work at a camp for the next two weeks so if you could pray for me that would be great. Pray that a) God uses me as I preach on Sunday (in 9 days), b) food isn't an issue as I try to eat healthy, c) unity and passion for God amongst all of the team members of my group. Thanks a ton! Oh, and I'll probably do a PET scan sometime too soon so you can pray for that as well. Oh, and I'll also need to figure out what would be wise for me to do for the rest of the summer after I get back from camp so pray for that too (wisdom on finances & working vs. doing college classes vs. whatever else God would have for me). Thanks a lot! God bless!

I guess this should be obvious...

but I am further realizing the importance of submitting to God. Ok. So James 4:7 says, "Submit yourself to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer yourselves as a pleasing sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, this is your spiritual act of worship." Then it tells us how to do this... "do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will." So it seems that submitting myself to God is the precursor to a) victory in spiritual warfare, b) knowing God's will, c) having a renewed mind, and d)transformation. This is where submission to God seems to coexist with the principle of stewardship. I get to decide if I am the owner of a) my mind, b) my body, etc. or if God is and I am just a steward of it. If I choose to reject this "reasonable act of worship" as being unreasonable, I should not expect God's hand of blessing to flow into what I have not given Him to take charge of. However, if I have given control to him, then the best I have to be is a employee, not the owner. Obviously, I need to use what He has given me towards whatever tasks are there, but God is in charge.

Now then, whatever fruit comes out of my life, whether positive or negative, is not me. My identity is wrapped up in what God's Word says about me (I am God's child - John 1:12, God's friend - John 15:15, etc.). Whatever positive fruit comes out of my life, just is my attempt at bringing honor and glory to the owner, to Him be the glory for working through me. On the flip side, whatever bad happens, while I may be responsible for the action and have probably reaped what I have sowed, is not me, either. I am not the fruit of my life, positive or negative. That said, I should expect pruning in my life to produce more fruit and I should cut off the things in my life that are not producing fruit (John 15), but ultimately I am not the things that I have done. Hopefully, this makes sense...