To Virginia -- AND back to Illinois!

The last few weeks have been a break period for me. It gave me the chance to assess over things seeing how one scenario can differ from that of the existing lifestyle I already have. I had to decide if I wanted to go back to Virginia and continue with life there. It was also the opportunity to catch up on old times with fellow family members and loyal friends. And it all begins with 17 plus hours going out of Illinois. I never knew I could pull such a feat like that after drinking one bottle of Pepsi Throwback. Shockingly enough, I realized I never slept. I just kept driving the Civic all the way to its destination: Virginia Beach. Driving back home caught my dad's attention by surprise. He saw my Civic w/ it's Illinois tags going up the driveway. It was great to receive a wonderful hug from dad. And then from mom when she came home from work. It was also good to chat alongside my wonderful brothers Jay and Jeff. As time stretched along, I was missing out on the great atmosphere of IL, including those that I have already affiliated myself with, including co-workers and my girlfriend, too. I was watching ESPN too seeing the White Sox struggle against their rivals, the Minnesota Twins. And it was disappointing to see 'em go down like that. Inside of me, I felt I wanted to go forth in continuing the life in Illinois. Seems that Virginia is okay, but I think its best to be in Illinois for the time being. It gives me a chance to grow personally, professionally and spiritually as a person. It also gives me the opportunity to be the best boyfriend to my girlfriend because she really deserves nothing but the best out of her man. Plus, I like to develop my friendships to the people out there. Perhaps I'll find ones that are trustworthy and decent such as Jimmy and Ray (my friends for well over 10+ years now). So I had to leave once again and head back. Make that another 17+ hours of driving. Once again, I wasn't tired. One thing changed, however. No Pepsi Throwback here. I had a chicken tenders meal from Hardees, a bottle of Mountain Dew Code Red, a bag of Lays potato chips, a caramel frap from Starbucks and lastly, the big breakfast deluxe in McDonald's. Going back felt like forever and thank God He gave me the strength to make it. The best reward is giving a big hug to my girlfriend. I love her so much. So now begins the next chapter of life in Illinois. It's sure to be better than the previous one :-)

I got this from my friend Caleb

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment..... thank God.

"WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE?"

This was the message spoken in Int'l Christian Church in Virginia Beach today (Sunday).

"WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE?"

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the letter of Paul to the Thessalonians was to encourage the believers to stay faithful, to stay strong, and to hang in there. It talks a lot about problems and the struggles of life; it talks about the blessed hope, the second coming of Christ; and it talks about how to build a life that is pleasing to God, and life that is sturdy and dependable - like a rock.

We will look at principles on how to build a strong character. The first step is choosing the right influences for yourself. It's in deciding on who you're going to be like, whose example you're going to follow.

So we'll talk today about what to look for in a good influence.

Here are three things:

1. Look for those who genuinely care about you. Verse 2; See 2:19., 3:9

2. Look for those who can lead with authenticity. Verse 5

3. Look for those who know how to keep their ego in check. See 2: 3-6; Galatians 1:10

CONCLUSION

The Thessalonicans not only followed the example of Paul, Silas, and Timothy. They also became an example for the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

The whole world was talking about this church in Thessalonica that had turned their back on their idols and their pagan worship and had become devoted followers of Jesus Christ - followers who had endured all kinds of persecution, and had remained faithful to the gospel.

They became an example to believers throughout the world, because they knew whose example to follow. This is step one in developing character.

Who do you listen to?

Who do you follow?

Who do you imitate?