Enjoying surviving a quiet day

Today I'm enjoying a day to myself here in Dayton Ohio. Normally on days off I am the 'keep to myself type', but on this particular day I was ready to talk to anything that moved. My team however was feeling the quality alone time vibe, which was fine, so I was mostly left on my own. We are staying at a church here in town, as apposed to our usual staying at a host home. It's nice to have time and space to yourself, but when your a compulsive extrovert, it can be frightful. And I'm pretty sure this church is haunted, so I escaped to the great outside. Remember that guy that went 'into the wild' and wandered his way all the way up to Alaska? I would lose my mind after the first day alone.

            An hour long run, and some bible and book time turned it into a good day though, and I think I'm at the point where I am realizing just how good it was for me to get away. I remember way back to our ministry team training in September and how I felt God telling me that my daily time with Him was also daily time away from this world. Away from the hecticness, that which wears on me, and away from the evilness of this world that the Bible so frequently warns us from getting entangled in. It is good to take a break and sink into God's word and thoughts, just so I can remember what is actually true, and be better prepared to combat thinking that easily gets in my head and leads me astray from God's truth. I ended up taking a break also from music as well, just for a little more peace. 

            Its been a really great week. Stayed with an awesome family in Mifflinburg PA, got to see Amanda and Brice Dieter and Jason Wood in Bemus Point NY (they are cool people, you should be their friends). While we were at that church, I really felt God moving. It was great, often I feel like we arrive in a church, do our little song and dance, and leave. And while I don't doubt the work that we do does have purpose we don't see, in this place I could really feel the Holy Spirit move. We did 2 interactive worship programs and a chapel at a school. Through all of this I really felt God tugging on me. At the time I didn't know what He was trying to tell me, so I just prayed that He would move. He did. All though these 3 programs I really felt the Holy Spirit at work. Our personal faith sharings just seemed to have more 'umph'. The kids were really getting into the worship, and after the program I have half a dozen people come up to me and tell me that what I shared that night really moved them and spoke into their lives. It was awesome. I was like a shot of adrenaline to my spirit. Aside from that, the kids were awesome to just hang out with, one of them knew the band Philmont and I almost lost my mind (they are awesome, I want to be their real life friend, you should buy all there music).

            Other fun stories from the week include my team-mate Benjy showering upstairs in the cabin we were staying in, which backed up and flooded the kitchen below, receiving the tablet computer I ordered (woo) which came without a charger (butts), and playing laser tag with a high school youth group.

            Currently I am chillin in a coffee shop. Its a happy mix of both solitude and socialization. I am also people watching, which can be a really greta time in a college town. A bunch of girls just rand by screaming and fist pumping. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I am sure it was 'Go my favourite sports team!". I am Looking forward to traveling to Tennessee tomorrow and then swinging through Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey this week. I also hopefully get my tablet charger via the US postal service tomorrow. Tomorrow also brings hopes of being overly social with my teamates in the van. :)