qualified??

sometiems I feel unworthy...
..maybe you do too...

I feel like there's no way this all powerful God who created the entire universe cares about my needs...or even cares about what i'm doing...

..i don't think i'm the only one who feels this way once in a while...

sometimes I even feel like i'm not good enough...
not qualified enough for ministry...
not good enough for my family...
not smart enough for school...
the list goes on and on sometimes...

I was reading about Zacchaeus today and how he was definitely not the first guy most people thought of when they thought of people who Jesus would hang out with, but yet Jesus picked him over everyone else in the crowd. (Luke 19:1-10)
Zacchaeus was definitely not qualified...
just like me..

but..

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!!!

the wind an earthquake and a fire...

Sometimes life sucks!
Sometimes if feels like there is no hope and there is no way out…
Sometimes it feels like the darkness is all there is and that the light doesn’t exist…
Sometimes it feels like God has forgotten about us and we’re all alone…

Maybe you’ve been feeling like this lately…
Maybe you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be happy…
Maybe bitterness has overtaken you…
Maybe you feel betrayed…

You might be asking,
“why should I continue? why should I keep going? life seems impossible right now and I don’t know where to go…”

I want to encourage to not give up though…

Elijah had come to a very similar point in his life too…
He wanted to die…
He even asked God to take his life…
Evil people were out to kill him and he had no where to turn…
But God heard his prayers…
And this is what happened…

“The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”

I hope you find as much hope in this as I do…
To know that God will work things out…even though it seems like an earthquake and a great fire are tearing us up God will still speak to us in that still small voice…

Don’t quit going my friends…
God has huge plans for you and He loves you so much…


- Joe

the wilderness...

We’ve all been there…
The wilderness..
The place no one wants to be…
It’s a place of brokenness and want, a place that makes us feel dry and incomplete…
A place of unrest…
Our souls yearn for answers and hunger for hope, and it feels like we’ll never find truth…
We seem to wander aimlessly on a road headed to nowhere…
The wilderness seems to never end!!

You all know what I’m talking about…
Maybe this is how you are feeling right now even…

I want to share something with you though…
There is a promise of hope and beauty that God has planned for you!!!
He has a promise land out there for you and it's flowing with contentment and passion..

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

The plan God has for you is not to have you travel through the wilderness your entire life, but…
You’ve got to go through the wilderness to get to the promise land…

I hope you all will continue to push through the wilderness today...


- Joe

let's make a resolution.

it's a new year and we haven't blogged yet!! epic fail. well here is something to think about...

let's not just make resolutions for this new year that we won't keep, or that we will break by the middle of march... how about a plausible one?

let's make a resolution to be honest with people this year.
let's make a resolution to make our frienships and relationships intentional.
let's make a resolution to embrace our own stories and be willing to share them whenever God presents an opportunity.
let's make a resolution to let God use us in any way that he chooses, whether it is comfortable for us or not.
let's make a resolution to move for something important.
let's make a resolution to love.

you are not alone this year, this month, this day, this hour, this minute. do not fear your pain or your past or your brokeness. seize the moment. if you are hurting, let someone know. i want to encourage you today. you are loved. you are cherished. let's make this year a great one.

we are stronger

I felt like i needed to write this...



through the storm and through the fire there is truth that sets me free Jesus Christ who lives in me
You are stronger you are stronger
Sin is broken you have saved me it is written Christ is risen Jesus you are Lord of all
- Hillsong


I think….no! I know sometimes I forget this…
That Jesus Christ, the same Man who conquered the grave, lives in me…
He lives in me!!

and not just that He lives in me, but He is stronger than anything and everything that I am dealing with right now…

I mean…He straight up died for all the sins I’ve ever committed!!
He died for all of the problems that I am facing!!!
And He’s conquered them all…

I don’t know exactly what you are going through today, but I know that whatever it is Jesus Christ has defeated it…

Galatians 1:4
Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.


I hope that you'll remember that whatever it is you are going though "YOU ARE STRONGER BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST LIVES IN YOU"

don't give up :)


- Joe

rest during the storm!!??

Lately I’ve been in a weird mood...

I’ve been short tempered and somewhat cranky. It’s the end of the semester and I’m tired. I’m sick of school. I’m sick of being tired. I keep trying to do thing on my own power...

and it’s not working!!!


I know I’m not the only person who is struggling with this…

I’ve had at least 3 separate conversations with people who are saying the exact thing, they growing weary and life is getting tough…

we’re sick of doing this on our own…

well….I came across two verses today that helped me and thought they would be an encouragement to you all as well.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him” (Psalms 37:7)

to think being STILL is something the Lord wants blows my mind…

lately I’ve been thinking I need to be doing something or praying something in order for God to move in my life…

but I was wrong…

He is simply asking us to be patient and wait for Him…


Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

This verse really spoke to me...

Even with all these burdens that I’m carrying around Jesus is inviting me to bring them to Him…

And not just give them to Him but He’ll also give me the rest I need???

What an amazing God we serve…

He loves us so much and yet we think we can do on our own power…

We don’t need to worry about anything…

There is nothing God can’t handle…

the same God who conquered the grave lives in you and me...


I hope if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by life and broken from the unfairness of life that you'll find rest...
that you'll find hope in the One True Hope
and that you wont give up





- Joe



Dedicated to my friends who are hurting (you know who you are) :)

As I sat and listened to my friends stories of pain and yet life, I was reminded of how beautiful life can be when we give it to God...my freinds stories were so amazing and so inspiring...

If you haven't had a chance to listen to a friends story in a while I would encourage you to take some time and listen to a friend share their life with you...

it might be a stretch for most of us, but i can promise you it is worth it :)