Paco's Blog

Day Twenty One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six

2006-03-07T00:12:00.000-08:00

Yeah days twenty-one, two,three, and four all seem like a total blur because all I remeber is that I had worked saturday night, but Sunday night was the best night I've experianced in here in Abilene, it was awesome. All I am left to say is that I am glad I serve a God whom has giving me complete freedom to go before Him anywhere, anytime no matter what problems may weight on my shoulder. God has definately brought me down to my knees that night, I was completely humbled and broke down before my God and right in front of the people I trust the must. I know I have said it before, but I really don't know where and who I would be if God hadn't surround me with such great influences whom I can be authentic with.
Then on Tuesday night we celebrated a close buddies birthday, so it was great I could contribute to encouraging someone by surprising him for a great dinner. I also want to mention that this 30 day faith experiance has been an eye opener to me because I've always have been told that the surprises that God has for will never be revealed when I really look for them, but I've relized that God's surprises are really hard to spot, all I have to do is just stop, look, and listen to what God is telling even when I procrastinate and am feeling lazy. My prayer is that "Surprise Me God" will always be my prayer even as God's surprises are never ending.

Day Eightteen, Nineteen, Twenty

2006-02-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Three days have past so yeah, I'm slacking. This weekend was great, it started with a night out with some friends at an ACU dinner paly, it was pretty interesting to attend. Then my biggest surprise came in the form of family this weekend. Family whom I haven't seen in like since I was five or six years old, my sister, and her three kids whom I meet two years ago, two girls and a boy. It was so nice to be reconized as an uncle because its like they see me as a the cool young hip guy who they can look up to. I definately hope that in the future that maybe I can be a big influence on my nephew's life since he is living with all females and no males to hang with. My prayer is that he grows up to be a man unlike me when I grew up around women.
My weekend ended with an awesome worship concert put on by Stellar Kart, Disiple, Falling Up, and the most inspiriational rock band I've been listening to for the longest time, Kutless. God has surprised me Sunday night by showing me that it doesn't matter where you worship or praise Him, or the type of music you listen to God is still Here, even after all the lawsuits are being filed to try and keep Him out of our everyday activites. All I can say is that I thank God that I am free to go humbly to Him in prayer in anywhere, at anytime of day and not have to worry about what time of day or the direction, or to put it another way the only direction I know I'm going is up. Without Him I don't know where I would be, all praise and honor be towards Him who saved me.

Day Sixteen, &Seventeen

2006-02-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

Yeah, its been a day since my last update, its like the week has just past me bye. Day sixteen was a pretty surprising night for me, it was when I had shared my first devotion with my Fifth and sixth grade upward b-ball team. It was the first step of reaching my goal of becoming a youth leader. Surpriseingly the reaction to what I had put together was really good. I saw some looks on the guys faces after what I had to say about the teams reaction on how to be an example to the other teams in the league and people around them off basketball court. There were a few guys who didn't have any reaction, but thanks to an amonyous comment thanks to a amonyous comment, I relize that even though it didn't look like a few of the boys didn't hear what I had to say that night, I know that somewhere down the road the few little words on that topic Thursday might echo in their minds later in life. To me I felt like I've stepped away from the ordinary and spoke to them about whatever I had on my heart to help them learn from one of life's obstacles.
Day Seventeen was just a long relaxation type of day.

Day Fourteen& Fifteen

2006-02-21T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yeah, yesterday I didn't really do anything but sat at home and pondered on my many thoughts. Sometimes it is nice to just sit back and do that for awhile, but while I was doing that I got to thinking about how I was just wasteing away all day long not doing anything, so that got me down a little . The more I thought, I got to thinking what I should of been doing like having my alone alone time in God's word, or looking for a new part time job, or even getting getting my education out of the way. Ethier way I know that God's surprises aren't going to be easy to reconize if I don't at first get into a deeper relationship with Him, since that has been something I've been slacking on a for awhile now, So from this point on I'm going to start digging deeper with my relationship with my Heavenly father to futher my relationships with the people He surrounds me with here on earth.

Day Twelve& Thirteen

2006-02-19T22:57:00.000-08:00

So yeah I can't count, Saturday was great, it all started with my fifth grade b-ball team whom I coach. The boys are playing so great dispite that some of them have never played the game of basketball, they're doing awesome, but just like any great team theres a problem with the team getting disccouraged about the other teams not playing by the rules and until early Sunday morning all I could tell them was just to stick to what they were doing right. God surprised me when He had laid upon my heart His "talking points" about setting examples for others. So, before starting the fun stuff in this weeks practice we're going to have our first not in the coaches handbook devotion. God had just surprised me real fast on what He wanted me to share with the boys.
Then in worship earlier today He also reaffimed me how I must whole heartedly seek His plan for my life and in doing so I must consider everthing I have or will ever gain a lose( or to put it another way, To live in Christ to die is gain). I am just so thankful that God's surprises are never ending in my life even when this 30 day experiment does end.
God is good, all the time, HOOAH!

Day Ten

2006-02-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Early last night after my upward b-ball practice one of the boys I coach came back to the bench so angry he wanted to punch in a wall, with a little help from my assistant coach we calmed him down and told him how there will people in is life that would be making fun of him, but he's got to be the better person and just brush those insults off his shoulder. So I guess my surprise was that after my second season of upward God used me for the first time last night. It feels like that first spiritual high feeling when you first become a Christian, all praise be to God.

Day Nine

2006-02-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

Last nite was the best nite I've had since being back here in Abilene. Just hanging out with positive people is one thing I love doing (God being the first on the list). It started over a friendly conversation over dinner, and continued over a not so friendly game of racquetball, then eneded with some ice cream with a heroic ending. Yeah, it was the coolest night, it just reminded me how it was with my friends back in the OKC. God definately surprises me when it comes to the people I surround myself with. I may be repeating what a wise young computer tech. might of said earlier this week about how positive friends are so great to be around. YAH GOD!

Day Eight

2006-02-15T05:11:00.001-08:00

This morning was a surprise like no other. It started last nite around eleven fortyish in the parking lot of the new Super Wal- Mart when I hit very large visiable pole. Well, I got home a failed to mention the hit and run accident to my father what I had done or I must of plum forgot. Anyway, supposeably we're surrpose to have a long conversation later today, so my surprises are never ending today. God has showed me today that not all surprises are good, but I will keep ya'll updated before the day ends.

Yeah, so earlier I had mention that I had hit a pole in the new Super Wal-Mart parking lot. Well, the damage was not that bad and the conversation with dad was alright so yeah, all in all it was a great day. I do feel kinda of stupid now after having made fun of a friend who damaged her truck by a pole three times as small as the one I had hit, I'm sorry Holly. So, yeah, my surprise was God turned something I thought would of been bad into somthing that can be fixed , and I do appreciate the comments from those who wanted to reach out in my time of need.

Day seven

2006-02-14T04:36:00.000-08:00

Early Monday evening I had recieved a call from a buddy whom I haven't seen like in a month. Which was such a God thing because I was thinking about that very same person just this past weekend about how he was doing. After that phone call God had given me the thought that maybe instead of thinking about how others are doing I should be the one to lead by example and ethier call, send emails, or leave blog comments of words of encouragement. My prayer is that I lead by example to be that encouragement to others.

Day six (end of week one)

2006-02-12T02:49:00.001-08:00

Well, beyond my surprise early Saturday evening I had recieved a lesson plan for House of Faith, and inside the packet it had a post it note from Miss Denise thanking me for being dedicated to the House of Faith and the kids, and for serving God with a great heart. What can I say other than I owe it to the one who gave me life. If it wasn't for His saving grace that saved me from what I was doing, I probably wouldn't have the servant's heart He has shaped in me. Man isn't our God GREAT!

later this morning in Sunday school God spoke to me though coach straton about the very same topic I had mentioned earlier, I believe God's surprises are never ending even whenI am not paying any attention to how He's working things out in my life.

Week One

2006-02-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Yeah I know it's a little late to start day one of my journaling, but I am what people would call a procrastinater when it comes to things like journaling. Anyway, on Tuesdays I'm involved with a local ministry here in Abilene where a group of us go and teach inner city kids who wouldn't normally attend church about who Jesus and His many miracles. So, we ended group around the same time as always and the adults stuck around and were discussing what the future would hold for House of Faith. Well, while talking about another guys schooling on becoming a youth minister the the women who heads our group points to me and says she wants to try and get me involved in working with the junior high and high school kids since alot of older kids think their too cool for what the younger kids do now in group. So, there I am thinking that I have yet another calling God is wanting me to answer. It has always been in my interest to work with kids, but I never knew where God was calling me to. So, that was my suprise for the week. My prayer is that God continues to speak to me though people I surround myself with even when I become stubborn. I'm just excited for whatever else God has instored for me for these twenty-five days and beyond.

Paco's first entry

2006-02-05T17:10:00.000-08:00

Hey all, This is Paco here finally using today's high tech gadets. I figured I should start journaling, but instead of writing my thoughts on paper I thought it would be interesting to do journal though the world wide web and share my many thoughts with all of you. I really hope this goes great, and my prayer is that this will hopefully help me open up a little more.