What does pursuing God mean?

This question was brought up in our small group tonight about what does pursuing God look like? This is a very common phrase tossed around in Christian communities about how we should always be on the pursuit of God. When I heard this i really thought about it, and i really could not give a direct answer. THis really puzzled me and kept throwing around in my head what is pursuing. In worldly terms the pursuit of anything such as a girl, would be to really get to know someone to seek after them in hopes you can start a relationship with them. I kept picturing in my head brining God flowers, chocolates, and writing little notes to him lol... then it kind of hit me. I think that is exactly how we pursue God with a few minor changes. Instead we spend time with God in prayer and worshipping him with our lives. We come to him to talk and really just bring questions to him and talk with him, trying to learn as much about him as possible, and building a relationship with him. Instead of chocolates and flowers we give him our lives trust in him fully.The little love notes are our prayers, God loves to receive these gifts as any of us would he deserves these gifts and so much more. We go into the world and tell everyone about him. I mean of coarse you will talk about God with everyone you meet when you are in a relationship you always talk about the other person about how great they are to everyone you meet. SO we do the same with God.

God is in a constant pursuit of us and wants to build this relationship. He wants to give us gifts and embrace us and walk with us through the hard times, he is a relational God and meets us all on very personal levels. He is a God of love and he also needs us to pursue him (I don't mean i actually needs us for him to be God). Not sure if any of this actually makes any sense, but it was running through my head and makes sense to me.

January school has Started!

So the January school has officially started and this blog will now become dedicated to that. So today was an amazing day just starting the school, i was able to whip out the camera and just take photos of staff and students and just be able to sit down and talk with the students. We had a special dinner that the people at the castle made and it was awesome the whole community was invited and we just had an amazing time. After Dinner the January school went upstairs and we really just wanted to have a time of sharing and talking about how we got here, both staff and students. There were some amazing stories of just how some people struggled with the decision to come to a DTS and how God had brought them to YWAM Herrnhut. Then it got around to me and i started thinking man how did i get here? Its crazy if you would look where i am now and what kind of person i am, i seem like a completely different person. Two years ago that Chris did not have a future, i was angry and depressed at the world and hurt everyone i loved.... I look back and think how is this even possible? How could anyone in there right mind be like that? I never really even recognized the love that people had for me, or on top of that the love God had for me. I never realized how much God wanted to wrap me up in his arms and just comfort that broken child that i use to be. Then to think now that im here after my DTS staffing and leading teens in discipleship, and showing others what Gods love truly means... its ... its crazy! I would not be here now if God wasn't in my life, whether that be through my friends, my family, my church. You all have started the discipleship process and throughout my life shown me physically, spiritually, and emotionally Gods love. The discipleship you all have given me, I am now able to give to these students. Through me you are also discipling these students. I praise God for you all, thank you so much!

ethiopia update video on youtube

here is our link to our ethiopia update video check it out and spread it


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDQDYwnlreo

Would i be willing?

If there is one thing that i wish i could do with my photography, it would be to take that one photo that would truly start a movement. Just one thing that would change the way people think and how they see the world. I want to take a photo that would truly change everything. But as i look at it if my one photo would bring hope to just one person just one soul, to make him step back from a cliff, to make him put down the gun, to not down a hole bottle of pills, to stop him from taking his life. If that one photo would give someone hope and see that their life is worth living that would be just as good and I would thank God for giving me the opportunity to do such a thing…. but what if i did not see the out come what if God told me to take a photo post it online and i had no idea why? What if I knew i was suppose to do something and i just had to settle for knowing that God is taking care of it all. In the long run it is for the glory of God and not my own. God gave me this gift and passion for photography and if he told me to do something why do i need to know what its for. Yes it would be nice to know that through God using my art i was able to help someone, But when i step back and think about it im fine with not knowing.

God use my art as you please, I give it all to you. Thank you for the chances and opportunities you have given me. Amen.  

Story of Love 146

In 2002, the co-founders of Love146 traveled to Southeast Asia on an exploratory trip to determine how they could serve in the fight against child sex trafficking. In one experience, a couple of our co-founders were taken undercover with investigators to a brothel where they witnessed children being sold for sex. This is the story that sparked our abolition movement.

"We found ourselves standing shoulder to shoulder with predators in a small room, looking at little girls through a pane of glass. All of the girls wore red dresses with a number pinned to their dress for identification.

They sat, blankly watching cartoons on TV. They were vacant, shells of what a child should be. There was no light in their eyes, no life left. Their light had been taken from them.  These children...raped each night... seven, ten, fifteen times every night. They were so young. Thirteen, eleven… it was hard to tell.  Sorrow covered their faces with nothingness. Except one girl. One girl who wouldn’t watch the cartoons.Her number was 146. She was looking beyond the glass. She was staring out at us with a piercing gaze. There was still fight left in her eyes. There was still life left in this girl...

...All of these emotions begin to wreck you. Break you. It is agony. It is aching. It is grief. It is sorrow. The reaction is intuitive, instinctive. It is visceral. It releases a wailing cry inside of you. It elicits gut-level indignation. It is unbearable. I remember wanting to break through the glass. To take her away from that place. To scoop up as many of them as I could into my arms. To take all of them away. I wanted to break through the glass to tell her to keep fighting. To not give up. To tell her that we were coming for her…"

Because we went in as part of an ongoing, undercover investigation on this particular brothel, we were unable to immediately respond. Evidence had to be collected in order to bring about a raid and eventually justice on those running the brothel.  It is an immensely difficult problem when an immediate response cannot address an emergency.  Some time later, there was a raid on this brothel and children were rescued.  But the girl who wore #146 was no longer there.  We do not know what happened to her, but we will never forget her.  She changed the course of all of our lives."

-Rob Morris

President and Co-founder

God's knowledge and wisdom

The subject of God's knowledge must be linked to His wisdom, and it is this aspect of the divine nature that we consider now. What does the Bible mean when it describes God as wise? Wisdom is the ability to use knowledge to the best possible ends. This ability is found in its fullness only in God. God is never other than wise in everything He does.

Knowledge without wisdom would be pathetic, a broken reed. Wisdom without knowledge would be inoperative and quite frightening. God's boundless knowledge and wisdom are perfect in every way, and it is this that makes Him utterly worthy of our trust.

One of the great difficulties we have in the Christian life is trusting the divine wisdom. We can recognize wisdom only when we see the end to which it is moving. Yet God often calls us to trust Him when we can't see the end that He is pursuing. And then in such times we have to ask ourselves: "How much do I trust Him?"

To ethiopia in October For a month

So Small Update!

So hear is the plan as of right now, In October me and mike plan to go to ethiopia to help out with the projects, and do what we can. We will live in Addis Ababa for a month then return while Ulla, Melody, Cory, and the leaders pray about if we are right for the long term team. If so we will head home do more fundraising then return to ethiopia for a Six month period of time

http://vimeo.com/13632870

Why do a Justice Conference?vimeo.comKen Wytsma talks to Antioch in Bend, Oregon about why they’d be involved in The Justice Conference (http://thejusticeconference.co​m/) that will be held in Bend on February 11+12, 2011. Paul Crouse paints a Justice piece during the message

My thoughts and feelings exploding

When i First came here...

When i First decided to come back to Germany i really didnt know what people meant by coming back and staffing would mean that i would have to sacrifice so much to do what God was telling me to do. Now though i finally realize what everyone was talking about, Don’t get me wrong its great to be back and doing everything God has been calling me to do and there is such pleasure in knowing that, I have a purpose and that my life has a meaning. But this past week everything I have sacrificed is just all coming to my mind and it is really making things hard. The sacrifice of my family, friends, security, and a normal college experiance. This all is either delayed or gone. Satan is taking advantage of all of this and using it against me, making every decision i make here waited, and every thought that comes to my mind cloudy. I feel as though my life is out of focus, and i am just waiting for this to pass and for God to clear up everything… I know though I have to step up and do it, this is God’s plan and i can’t just be moping around about everything that i wont be able to do, but i should be excited about everything God is going to do through me. I do have direction i do have a purpose, yes the path im taking isnt normal and i know people think this is just the lazy way of going through life, but thats ok i guess… Im living in poverty for the sake of helping others and fighting injustice. Maybe i wont be able to eat tomorrow, maybe i wont have clean clothes everyday… Maybe i cant pay my rent, But God is giving me something new, a new perspective, a purpose, and friends. This post might not make since to anyone but me, but i feel like this is what my mind is saying, this is what has been building up in my mind, and this is my mind throwing up on paper.

Love you all keep me in your prayers, God is taking me on an adventure.

So update once again

Hello new update!

SO im now officially apart of pick a pocket!

http://pickapocketart.webs.com/

And also have been starting my duties at the base, while continuing to enter the community in herrnhut Germany. Its so coll how already God is taking me out of my comfort zone and growing me getting me ready for the next chapter of my life and taking me places further than i expected. Also living here has been pretty eye opening seeing just how much God is really doing through everyone, what he´s teaching each individual person as the go on there own adventure with God. How God continues to trump any idea that we have for ourselves and replaces it with an even better one. God you are so awesome!

Prayer request:

Prayer for strength, wisdom, guidance, and continued financial support. Right now i have choices laid before me and i know i will need strength that only God can give to accomplish any of it, Along with that faith in finances that God will continue to bring supporters for me to partner up with so i Can continue to follow him on this Journey.

Thank you all for your prayers and support, and remember if you would like to partner up with me and like to donate money I have paypal my email is cgreene_17@yahoo.com or you can mail a check to 11450 N. Hummingbird Way Mooresville, IN 46158