So this last week has been extremely busy for me. I haven't had much of a chance to write in here. Saturday I spent all day up at church. Spent time being trained on some new sound equipment that we will now be using and afterwards ended up helping rig one of the speakers. Then proceeded to start setting up for Sunday morning worship for about an hour and then we had soak time with the highschool group. many of you may ask, what is soak time? Soak time is something we started doing last summer at beach camp. It started out as a time in the afternoon to relax for an hour and soak in God. We did it every day at beach camp and then 2 days a week during the rest of the summer. We continued it this year during beach camp and changed it up just a little bit. Because of construction on campus this summer, we held it on Saturday nights. The cool thing about that was we would either a) play music in the background and soaked or b) our worship leader from beach camp came and sang over us while we soaked. This Saturday, I had a lot of things going on in my head. Would just continue to get worse throughout this week. However, while I was soaking, I was looking at James. I have read James several times. However this time was different. James 1:2-18 talks about our trials and the temptations that we face.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the LORD; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. 9 The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. 10 But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heatand withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business. 12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. 16 Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

The first verse is really hard for me. It says we are to consider it pure joy when we face trials. IVe had a trial going on in my life for 3 months now and find it extremely hard to consider it joy. I find it continuing to bring me down. But verse 3 and 4 turn around and tell you that testing your faith creates perseverance. And then it tells us if we lack wisdom we should ask God for that wisdom. And that we have to truly believe that He will answer our prayers. If we are just praying and not believing that He will answer them, then we are just a wave in the ocean being tossed around in the wind.

For this last week, I keep coming back to this verse. It reminds me that in the toughest of times, we are to consider it joy because through our pain we will gain perseverance and that perseverance will make us more mature in the end.

Anyways, Sunday night we back up to church and we hung the other speaker unit and the screen. Monday night I helped wire the subs and a few other things. Computers were down all day on Tuesday. Ended up just going out with Bryan and Kristina to Applebee's, came home and went to bed. Wednesday after work I helped run the drum mics and monitors. I can't wait until Saturday night when we get the worship team on stage and plugged in for practice. Which is where the second part of the scripture has come full realm to me this week. Northwest had a giving campaign for the future generations fun. God brought us the donations and money needed to remodel the Jh and Hs rooms and theater. James also reads further down that all good and perfect gifts are from God and the chance to renovate these rooms would not have been possible if it was not for God and the gracious giving of His church. Having been able to help in setting up the new rooms for use this next week has been my building block. I have reminded myself during the day of the first half, and during the afternoon and evenings while working at church the later part.

I encourage everyone to Read James and though I have just started. I look forward to digging in deeper to James in my personal study.