I Need Thee

My finals are all finished. The papers have all been written. The end of the semester has come at last and Im amazed, as always, at how fast time flies. This week was a struggle, to say the least. More than once it felt like the walls were crumbling around me as I struggled to meet deadlines or balance the time to study for all of my exams. More than once I wanted to shut it all out and give up. I wanted to be home, curled up in my own bed, where the world couldn't find me. I wanted to run far away.
Last night as I sat in my dorm room, buried under books and papers wondering when I was ever going to finish it all I stopped and listened to the silence. Then out of no where I heard the sweet chorus "I need thee, oh I need thee! Every hour I need thee! Oh bless me now my savior I come to thee" What was I doing? Day after day I was preaching to my friends who were overloaded and stressed that "God will never give you more than you can handle." Was I taking my own advice? Was I laying my fears at the feet of my Lord where they belonged?
Earlier yesterday evening a friend inviting me ice skating. I'd never been ice skating in my life but I hesitantly said yes and agreed to give it a try. From the minute my skates touched the ice I was terrified - terrified of falling on my face. However, I wasn't out on the ice for long before it slowly got easier and more natural. While I didn't fall on my face I knew that it was a possibility and I was ok with that because I knew my friend was going to be there to give me a hand back up. I learned a lot about trust in that hour of skating. This week I could have easily fallen down several times and given up. However, we praise a God who would have been there to pick me right back up again. Isn't it a beautiful thing to know that we serve a Lord that we can bow down in front of despite our fears and insecurities? We fall on our knees before him knowing that there isn't anything that cannot be accomplished through and in him.
I have survived another semester here at SDSU and the hard work has all paid off. However, I wouldn't have made it without my trust and my faith in the Father who has rained down his blessings on me. Who are you giving the credit to for your successes today? Picture your life today without the blessings you have received from heaven.

An Advent Blessing

Proverbs 17 tells us "A friend loveth at all times..."
To anyone who is blessed enough to say they have an unbreakable bond with a special group of people they will truly appreciate what this post is all about. Im sitting at my computer still stunned at the amazing work our Father did in my heart tonight. The South Dakota State University Yuletide Concert is over, after months of preparation and hard work, but the warm glow it left on our hearts and the hearts of our audiences will last through the holiday season. To my friends, my family of musicians, I owe so much. Tonight we gathered and brought the true meaning of the Christmas season alive for hundreds of people. We brought the power of the gospel to life tonight through song. To say that you couldn't feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Performing Arts Center right here in Brookings, South Dakota, would be a lie.
As we continue our journey through this advent season we continue praising a God of hope. We wait for the precious and promised messiah - a babe born in a manger. I watched as our listeners closed their eyes and soaked in the beauty of the text. I watched as a single tear trickled down the cheek of an elderly lady deeply moved by our music. I sang with an open heart and voice with my closest friends gathered close around me - a memory I'll cherish forever.
What does the Christmas season mean to you, reading this right now? Are you spending more time making out your Christmas Present Shopping List than in the word? Together we endlessly struggle to find time for our Christ child this time of year, but we come together to celebrate his promised arrival. We praise him with our hymns. We glorify him with our songs. We reach out to him by reaching out to each other.
Praise be to a God of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. A God who was sent to save mankind after being born in a manger. A God who blesses people like me, with people like all of you.

Turning My Eyes

Its the week before finals here at South Dakota State, and students are scrambling to get in those last minute assignments, complete those final papers, or boost their grade up that extra point or two before the final exam. This morning as I was walking in the stillness, yet bitterness of the South Dakota winter, I started thinking about all the time I've wasted this week stressing about grades and papers and all the time I've neglected to take any time in praising a God who promises to see me through the week ahead of me. How often does this happen to you? Do you stress endlessly and constantly about the future and never give credit to your Father in Heaven who promises to be there through it all?
I started thinking about the mountain we are climbing - our faith walk as Christians. I meditated on the hills and valleys to be found on this mountain we're constantly climbing and descending - the times when we are conquering the top of a hill and the times when we are struggling to get up and keep walking in the valleys. One day, when we've walked through all the valleys and stood on all of the hill tops we will conquer that mountain and at the top find our savior welcoming us with open arms. Tired and worn we will fall into his beautiful embrace of peace everlasting. Until then we "keep on keepin' on", as one of my good friends would say, knowing that in everything we do we strive to bring him the glory.
It reminds me of my favorite hymn - "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of this world will grow strangely dim. In the light of his glory and grace."

New Dawn - New Day

My third semester here at South Dakota State University is quickly drawing to an end and reminding me just how fast time goes. It seems just like yesterday my parents were moving me into my first dorm room. Can you remember back to a time in your life when you wanted to hit the pause button and savor every moment?
I was hit hard with another reminder yesterday as I was sitting at my second home, First Lutheran Church here in Brookings. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, with a gentle light snow falling, bur during the service I found myself doing something I do far to often - going through the motions. I sang the hymns paying no attention to the timeless and powerful text. I proclaimed, weakly, the Creed and Lord's Prayer - cornerstones of my faith. I even found myself daydreaming while standing in line to recieve communion - the Lords Holy Supper.
Is this what being a Christian has become for me? Have I turned into the one hour a week Christian that I have worked so hard not to become? As my bible collects dust on my dorm room desk, and as my prayer time is cut in half as I run from this meeting to the next am I living, and breathing in Christ? An eye opening reminder this was, but not a reminder made in vain and I know it was sent straight from the heavens. In Hebrews 12 Paul calls us to run with endurance the race that is set before us, and to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. We run, not alone, but together to achieve the same prize set aside for our salvation.
Its a scary time in your faith walk when you realize that you have fallen away from the feet of Christ, however, we praise a God who welcomes us back with arms wide open. A God who pays no attention to our faults and failures. A God who welcomes us back into his warm embrace without hesitation.
Run with endurance the race, friends, knowing you are not running alone.

Seeking Him

It was my first surgery. It's been over a week since I had my gallbladder removed - an event I don't think I will ever forget. As my parents and I left the house early that morning I wasn't expecting an encounter with Christ. I was expecting, however, to be more nervous than I'd ever been about anything in my life so far. I've always been the bystander. As my father was wheeled into surgery 2 years ago to have his gallbladder removed, or as my mother was wheeled into major surgery for back problems less than 5 months ago I was always the one watching them go and then whisked away to pace in the waiting room. The shoe was on the other foot, now. The tables had been turned.
It was a beautiful morning - Black Friday to be exact. Mom joked that it was the first time she'd missed Black Friday shopping in years. Needless to say - I didn't feel to bad. I was quickly pushed through all the registration and pre-surgery procedures once we arrived at the hospital. Anyone else may not agree but I thought I looked pretty cute in the pale blue hospital gown. The time came - my parents were taken to the waiting room and I was on the operating table, under the anesthesia in less than 5 minutes.
I woke up, after what seemed like a minute, in the recovery room. I didn't know where I was, let alone who I was when I first opened my eyes.
"Hi - my name is Wanda, the recovery room nurse. You're doing just fine, Aaron."
She was sitting on the edge of my bed and put her soft hand on top of mine. It was reassuring. Since I was the only patient at Prairie Lakes Hospital in Watertown that morning Wanda devoted all of her attention to me. She would ask the typical small talk questions like where I was from and where I went to school and I would give her a one word response. I was distracted - my mind was running with questions: Did the procedure go ok? How long will recovery be? How long will it be before I can sing again?
Wanda, without a doubt a strong woman of Christ, could see right through the mask I was putting on to hide my fear.Then she spoke words that broke through that fear: "Can I pray with you?"
I stared at her - a blank expression on my face. How did she know I was a disciple for Christ? We talked about our faith walks and the trust we shared in our Lord, Jesus Christ the Almighty. She joined her hands with mine and prayed and beautiful prayer - a prayer of praise for our connection through him, of healing for my coming weeks of recovery, and for patience in him. My fears melted away. Nothing else in that moment mattered.
Wanda wheeled me back to the same day surgery room, where my parents were waiting for me, squeezed my hand, gave me a wink, a smile, and a look that said "Put your trust in God. He's going to take care of you now." I am forever blessed for her.
Its' amazing, friends, where we find Christ even when we aren't looking for him. During a time when I should have been seeking him out, I wasn't, but he was still seeking me. Through this amazing woman he reached me and stilled my soul. Today I think back on that encounter with my Father and think of this psalm, one that I hope reminds you of the importance to seek out his face:
Isaiah 55:6 - "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near..."

My First Post

"Here I am, Lord" - We come into this world not knowing what to say when we hear the voice of God. Some of us run at the thought of hearing his voice and reaching back out to him. Some of us embrace it and want to hear more and more.

I never thought I would get into this blog craze. But those of you who know me know that I like to hear myself talk, and even more than that I like to record and read my thoughts - why I have no idea, so bear with me.

This blog is about blessings - not just my blessings but OUR blessings as Christians. Amid crisis - war, oil spills, political corruption, a struggling economy - we praise a God of the Storm. A God who speaks to the storm and our hearts and says "Peace - Be Still." This blog is about us and our journey through an uncertain world. This blog is about our growth - our growth with each other, with ourselves, and with our Father who loves us unconditionally and without hesitation.