Blogging Machine

So I would not normally say this, but I am a machine... A blogging machine. NOT! I have not touched this blog in what seems like eternity. SOOooo I figured I would stop in and say hello... and let you know that if you really want to follow me and see my Twitter account here ...not saying that anyone reads this, but I would like to show you to a place that I update regularly. #twitter haha :) well until we meet again...

God Bless y'all

-Carter Bob

Reason for what?

Okay this may seem like an odd post...

When I go to enter my Time Alone With God (TAWG) I will take off my shoes. You may ask, "Why would you do such a thing Carter?" Well, when Moses was entering into the presence of the LORD with the Burning Bush, he took off his sandals. So shouldn't I do the same thing when I go to enter the presence of the LORD to have time alone with Him?

Now I am a huge Moses fan! I mean if he had a facebook page I would totally be friends with him! haha all joking aside, I really do admire the life of Moses. The dude was glowing after he came back from being in the presence of God... I mean that is stinking awesome!!! And who else has heard a burning bush talk to them while the bush doesn't get consumed? I don't know of anyone. What I am trying to get at here is that I look at a man like Moses and I see some things that he did and why shouldn't I model myself after areas of his life? I know he wasn't perfect, but who was besides Christ? yeah... no one...

Yes I do model myself after Christ, or at least try to, but there is something about people like Moses, Paul, Peter, Jeremiah, Abraham, Ruth, Timothy... if you just look at their lives and what they did and went through, you can see it was no mistake they were in the Bible for a reason. I am a Christ Follower and I model my life after Christ's life... I also, at the same time, look at other men and women, who follow God, and see how they lived and take away things to implement in my own life.

So yeah I suppose you may think it is weird that I take my shoes off before I go into TAWG... But I don't think it is weird. I will follow Christ until the end of time and I will do it in the best way that I know how! :) Thanks for letting me rant! haha God Bless!!!

-Carter Bob

Life as an Intern .:SOAR CHRONICLES:.

Okay, so here is the deal-e-o people! SOAR started up last week and I can describe it in many words, but I can only do it justice by saying that God has been awesome and SOAR has been crazy intense! I love my fellow SOAR members! They are just absolutely awesome! :) God has blessed our group already and has given us great friendships already!! We all know we are here right now for a purpose and it is no accident that we are in SOAR at the same time!! :) ...I have grown a lot in the past week and learned a lot about myself in Christ along that journey as well!! Ya see, I have been trying to figure out, my entire life, what I am called to do, exactly, and I know that I am exactly where I am supposed to be! God has been breaking down the barriers and has just exploded the box that I have put myself in, but more so the box that I, unconsciously put Him in... God ripped apart the walls of that box and just destroyed the box around me as well!! This has led to me having a more clear vision as to what is going on around me in my life and just helped me to be able to see and hear His will for me, better. God has just rocked my foundation and brought me back to a new place where I can only see Him and His love over flowing!

I am now living by a very simple, yet complicated, "math" statement...

HE > i

This all plays a part in my view of God and how is love is insurmountable!

Here is a list of things that I have noticed since I have started SOAR:

• I love God more than I ever have!!!
• I am a Beautiful Mess! :)
• I have forgiven myself
• I have a greater appreciation for the Word
• I see that my gifts and abilities are being used, COMPLETELY, for HIS good!
• My heart is aligning with His, it isn't there but it is growing closer!!
• I actually like to read!!! haha

I know that this summer has barely started, but I do know this for sure... God is moving in my life, He will continue to move, and He just continues to bless me! There will be much more blogging to come this summer! This is just the beginning!! Until next time friends! :) ByeBye and God Bless!!!

-Carter Bob

Summer of Interesting Things...

So this summer should be interesting... in a week from now I will be moved into the apartment with my other fellow SOAR guys... but also on the same day, my Dad moves to New Zealand. It will be a bittersweet day and I'm feeling that it will be leaning more bitter than sweet...

All of that aside, I am incredibly excited for this summer and my SOAR internship with Nappanee Missionary Church! The group of guys and gals I will be working with are a solid crew of people! Weird thing is that I am the only Bethel-ite apart of it... well actually that excites me! I do know two of the guys, because they are from my old school IWU and I had a class with one of them... I'm super stoked to get to meet new people and do ministry with all of these talented people!!!! It may still only be May... but boy-howdy it feels like summer is in full gear!!!! :-D Well, I know I have said this before, but I am lookin forward to getting to blog more and take time to reflect on my time with SOAR and this summer!!! I will be posting more stuff later, but until then... byebye and God bless!!!

From Buzzcut to Beautiful Locks!

Tomorrow marks the 8th month since God called me to grow my hair out for Locks of Love. I went from having a shaved head to long flowing locks!! It has been a process and an interesting journey so far and it has been a great conversation starter, especially when people tell me I need to get my hair cut! :) It's also funny to hear people call me Samson because of my hair and the fact I'm a cheerleader! :P haha it's funny to me :) More recently I have been thinking that Locks of Love is not really Love anymore.
Locks of Love now makes people pay for the wigs instead of giving them to the people in need... How does that really demonstrate Love? I have recently decided to donate my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. They give the wigs, for FREE, to the American Cancer Society. Here is a section from the Pantene website,

"As Pantene Beautiful Lengths wigs are created, they are distributed for free through select American Cancer Society wig banks across the country. Women facing cancer can find out about the availability of a Pantene Beautiful Lengths wig by calling the American Cancer Society at 1-877-227-1596. The Society can also help callers with a number of resources providing educational and emotional support."

This is something that I know that God is calling me to do because of some of the people in my life that lost their hair to Cancer and Chemotherapy treatment. I have a few Mentors, Heroines and Amazing kids in my life that have all had this happen and I love them all, this is what I am called to do out of love! My hair is normally short, if I have any at all, and God has blessed me with Beautiful Red hair and I feel like this is just something small that I can do to help someone out there experience Christ's Love and receive confidence with my hair! :)

If you feel like this is something that you would like to or feel is something God is calling you to do, I challenge you to pray about it and you can even talk to me about it! :) Be a blessing to someone and show them the Love of Christ by growing your hair! :) God Bless you and remember that Every Hair has a purpose in life! :)

-Carter Bob

Ok Really Carter?

So I just read my last post and the only thing I can think to say right now is... FAIL! haha I have not posted since that day and trust me, I could have but I just got lazy on the blogging end of things. I will blog later today about whats going on and I will go through a little bit of what God is and has been teaching me :) It will be nice to put it into words and just talk about things! :) But until then, I will be finishing up my cup of coffee and heading off to Chapel to give up some Glory to God! :) God Bless you all! (Especially if you read this ;) haha just kiddin)

-Carter Bob

Blogging?

Ok, so here's the deal. For those of you who don't know, that is if anyone reads this haha, I have transferred to Bethel College. So my view of ministry has taken a shift back to the Missionary style and away from the Wesleyan views. I am excited to fill my head with some very invigorating information about the Word, The Bible, and Ministry. Now on to what I was intending this post to be :)
I have a lot of, well I shouldn't say a lot because that is false, time on Tuesday's and Thursday's... SO, I am going to try to start blogging again and, I know I have said that before BUT, I want to talk about things that I have been learning in my T.A.W.G. (Time Alone With God) and different things I have read or we have talked about in my classes.
I am really hoping to get posts in more often than once in a solar eclipse haha! :) well now off to finish my homework... aka reading haha :) ByeBye and God Bless!!!

-Carter Bob

Revamping of Carter Bob Blogging.

So I have decided it is really silly for me to have a ton of blogging pages when I can barely remember to update my main one. So I decided, about five minutes ago, that I am going to condense my Blog down to one or two pages and then have different sections in my main about movies, music, and sports. I have a feeling that this will be a little better. I also want to start blogging more so I can express my words through this haha. So we'll see what's on my new blogging agenda for the very near future.

I would love to bring back thought provoking Thursdays. I would also like to start doing more posts on world news, which would be hard for me because I don't pay a ton of attention to news in general. And, for the rest of the summer, I would like to put up my Graphic of the week. :) I have high aspirations for myself, let's see if I can follow through with them. Until next time blogging friends! :) ByeBye and God Bless!!!

-Carter Bob

God = Love

-1 Corinthians 13-

LOVE

"¹If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

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For so long I have been living life as if I truly knew what "Love" was... Boy was I wrong! God has recently opened my eyes up to what TRUE Love is! It all started with Cheerleading. Last week I was preparing devotions for the team and I was so confused on what God was wanting me to do them on, but then God gave it to me! 1 Corinthians 13, is what God gave me, the well known passage about Love. We went through the passage before the game that night and little did I know that our team Bible study, after the game, would be about the same passage.

After the game we went through the same passage on a different level than I brought for devotionals. We hit the verses 5-8 hard, with emphasis on the beginning of verse 8.

^"5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

We talked about how God is Love and how God never fails us, in the team Bible study. And the saying Love never fails kept burning its way into my brain! Love never fails! Love never fails! Love never fails! It made me think of times when I thought that Love failed. This made me think of failure too. So I had two thoughts running through my head. Let's hit the first one when Love failed.

• Love failed... I bet we can all think of a time when we feel like Love has failed us. But what does that even mean? How can Love fail if it is just an emotion? Well let's get down to the root of. There are 14 definitions for Love under the contexts of a noun, and 6 as a verb. For this we will use the second definition of Love, as a noun, " a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend." So how can a "feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection for a 'being'" fail? Think about it... can a feeling fail? No. The actions that are motivated by the feeling can fail, but the actual feeling itself can not fail. So how can we say that Love has failed us? In this we have to look at failure.

• Failure is a noun that is defined in 7 ways. The one we will use is, "an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success." In today if we are afraid of failing because we do not want to be look down upon for messing up or not succeeding. Why are we so afraid of failure? Self-image? Monetary gain?

The way that God hit me with this whole thing first was with 1 John 4:18, one of my favorite verses that applies to this. It says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made in perfect love." Perfect love drives out fear. If God is Perfect Love, then we should have no fear... and if we have no fear of failure all we have is love and that is all we need, love. Because, again, Love = God. God Blew my mind to pieces in how to Love Him. This is just part of the story though; the next part takes place at the Winter Retreat.


When I was going through my Time Alone With God this weekend at The Effect Winter Retreat, I was reading a book called Soul Cravings. In the 3rd entry, it says this, "When you give up on Love, everything else seems to go with it- joy, hope, forgiveness, compassion- they're all interconnected." Joy, hope, forgiveness, and compassion are all characteristics of God. So I took this as, if we don't have Love, we don't God. (Also 1 John 4:8 says that whoever doesn't know God, doesn't know love.) But perfect Love is God, so our love is for the one who created love, God. (Sorry if I confused you with that!) Also in Soul Cravings, it says, "It's as if we've been purposefully designed with a factory defect that keeps us searching... for love." This concept blew my mind!!! God created us with a purposeful defect that has us searching for love, but not any love, God's love. We have been created to seek Him and to seek love in and through Him! It's so simple, but yet so complex! And I couldn't be more happy to have a defect!! :)


So God has shown me what TRUE love is! It is something more than just a feeling, something more than just a word, and something that is conveyed between two people who are married. God is love, and when we love others, we are showing them God. But when God isn't in the picture and the word love is being used, that is a distorted view of love. When it is said between two people and God isn't the focus, it is just infatuation, so it is fake love. When a person says that they are loving their neighbor, but is mean to them and hurts them. That is fake love too. So the true meaning of Love is God. And now that I know this, I can better know how to love those around me and deepen the love for my family and friends.

This was my view of Love before God transformed my view of Love from:
Disillusion of Love


to...

This, my
Clear View of Love.

God has been moving through me and teaching me a new way to love and what TRUE love is and I am excited to see what God has in store for me next in my walk with Him! :) God Bless you all and I will post y'all later! ByeBye!

-Carter Bob

Design Oriented Life [never posted orginally posted 1/26/10]

I have issues...

Okay, *sarcastic* ha ha, I know I have lots of issues, but this seems to be a reoccurring one.

My issue is excessive designs and creative ideas rushing through my Cerebral Cortex like the Nile River. Last semester alone we rearranged our dorm room more than three times... Some were to increase the space, others were just because I had an idea and wanted to see what it actually looked like... it has started this semester as well. We rearranged our room last night/ early this morning from 1 A.M. to 4 A.M. Yeah I know, it took a long time, but the sad part is that we changed it after moving it once to a different way. There are times when I have projects, papers, assignments due or a test the next day but all I can think of are design layouts, architecture, art, sweet logo designs for things, or multiple other things. I know this may be a problem to others or an inconvenience to others, but I welcome the thought of the creativity that God has blessed me with! I think I would be devastated if God did not give me these ideas and designs... I love the way that God works in and through people and I can only hope that someday that my talents that God has given me will help further the Kingdom!

Because of my love for architecture... I may end up, someday, getting a degree in architecture or design because that is something that I am passionate about and I have always thought it would be awesome to design a church!

Start to a Life- Long Ministry

When I first had the Calling to be a Pastor, I was skeptic... I thought that it was just me telling myself that this is what I am supposed to do... but then God confirmed it!

I was in New York City for NYGO, New York Gospel Outreach, and it was the day that we did some street ministry and we set a prayer booth up in front of the New York Public Library. I walked up to a man to ask if I could pray for him and he blew up at me and cursed me out and cursed out God. He was filled with hatred and this broke my heart. I told him that I would pray for him anyways and he told me to "bad words" off.

From that day on my heart was broken for those who have that view of God. Later when we were in the hotel room I felt that God was telling me that He wanted me to do His work. I was going to go to school for Architecture and Interior Design... so this kinda came as a shock to me, but I was ready to do anything that God called me into!

Now it is close to 3 years later and I have never been more passionate about vocational ministry! I have no doubt in my mind that God has called me to be a Pastor!!! I love my ministry classes at IWU and I am learning so much about God, Ministry, the Bible, but most of all myself!! I am excited to learn more and more every day!!! I plan on Blogging more often now that I have entered into a new season of classes, ones that I like and also my ministry classes, so I "HOPE" to blog more! :P we'll see how that goes :P haha but until next time, God Bless!!!!

Carter Bob

Stressed

Ok so it has been a coons age since I've blogged... i apologize for that! :) but i would like to get back into a pattern of blogging again :)

4 weeks of school have passed now and all i can say is... "college is alot harder than high school" and I'm not kidding one bit! God has been messing with my since I've been here on my majors... He threw Youth Min. at me when i talked to Prof. Alcock and he said that it would be easy to add that onto my Christian Min. major... then we had a meeting for all Ministry majors and I felt as if God was calling be to add Bible Literature into there as well and still keeping the Computer Info. Systems as a minor... but I'm not 100% sure about all of this yet... it all still needs prayer and more prayer!

I have since joined the IWU Cheer squad... I know what your thinking... "he played football and normally guy cheerleaders are rather feminine." haha nope! it is honestly harder than any other sport I've done physically! It has pushed my body to the limit a few times! we have been lifting as well so i am losing weight and adding muscle which helps me fight the freshmen 15! haha :P And i really enjoy cheerleading! it is a new way to express my energy by throwing a girl above my head and catching her or throwing a girl 20 feet in the air and catching her with another guy! :D it is intense! :) and the guys and gals on the squad are really cool and are good friends now :)

My class schedule is really nice... even though i have a 7:50 am class on Monday Wednesday and Friday i still enjoy it... I get Tuesdays off and have a night class on Thursdays! :) I am making alot of friends here and I love college! I absolutely love Hodson Hall! and my floor 3 West is awesome! :D the guys are amazing and really cool! :) It is home for me now!

I know why I am supposed to be here on campus... and I'll tell you that in a later post :) well i should be getting ready for my next class! it feels good to blog again! I've missed you blogging world! :) Until next time...

ByeBye and God Bless!!! :)

Carter Bob

Friends Till The End... A Tale of Two Friends

So it was approximately 17 years ago that I met this awesome Red Power Ranger on Halloween named Austin Hostetter. We lived but a block away from each other and our mothers thought it would be nice if their boys would become friends, not aware of what God's Hand had in the picture.

So Austin was only a few months older than I was and he went to pre-school a year early... but went again when I did, to North Main Pre-School! :) Mrs. Yoder #1 and Mrs. Yoder #2 woot! :)

We would call each other up asking if the other would wanna come over and play everyday! :) we were inseparable! Austin played soccer in the summer as well as baseball and for some years Austin and I were on the same baseball teams! Those were the days! :D

Elementary school came along... we didn't really play together at recess but once school was over it was just like summer! We would beak out the Castle Men or Action Figures, Watch Cartoon Network, Play Zombies ate my Neighbours [when Austin's brother Andy wasn't in his room haha] Booger man was always epic, and not to mention the all-time besties Driver 1&2 and Batman and Robin for PlayStation... we could never beat Freeze... he always beat us to this day! ugh oh well :P

Austin went to Nappanee Missionary Church and I attended the First Brethren Church in Nappanee. I lived with my amazing Mother and my very admirable Grandmother. [sorry to back track there but it was necessary] I was a believer and considered myself like most kids a Christian... I memorized the books of the Bible and some Bible verses as well as attended on Sundays and Wednesdays... but it was mostly because my Mom made me...

Once my Grandmother got older, my mom and I couldn't take care of her any more so we put her in a nursing home...

My mom and I stopped going to Church after that because we spent almost all of our time at the nursing home... Austin and I still hung out... he would either come to the nursing home with us or I'd stay with him and his family... :)

A few years later my Grandma died... this hit me harder than a 20 ton Mac Truck!!! I totally gave up on God... questioned who I was, why we have to be here, why He had to take my Grandma, and what my purpose was... so I started to fade away from the good kid-ness... I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and listening to not so good music and I also picked up a bad habit... swearing...

Although my Grandma died and I chose to be rebellious during that time my Best friend stood by me! As I look back on it I am eternally grateful that he did!!!! This was all happening before Middle School!

Austin and I were different than each other... but yet alot alike! I played football and basketball, and was in band... where as Austin played tennis and made movies... in those activities we had made other friends besides each other... but we always put aside our differences to hang out with each other!

{ haha ok so this was in elementary school but this was something that I remember and will never for get and I wanna tell you guys... so Austin and I were walking home from school with our drum kits from band, thats right band haha :) , and this kid was kicking Austin's drum kit and I told the kid to stop and he didn't... so, in front of my house a block away from school, the kid gets off his bike, and acts as if he wanted to fight... me being a huge kid just pushed him and he fell over his bike and began to cry, I was like I told you to stop kicking it! and we went home told his mom and then I got into trouble at SCHOOL, even though this was in front of my house, and they told me that they put that on my permanent record. haha I just thought that it was a funny story :P I can still envision the whole thing :P }

Alot went on in those next few years that shaped who I became and who I now have change from... Then in 7th grade Austin asked me and Dan if we wanted to go with him to Church on Wednesday nights... I figured eh... why not lots of people from school go there and I might be considered cool if I go there... Boy did something happen!

Austin asked me and Dan to come over after school... we would play kick the can, greatest game, or play games and other stuff... as well as eat supper... like Austin said in his blog Pizza Burgers were one of the meals and I remember exactly how they taste! :D

It all started at the "Hey, Hey, Hey! It's a Hay Ride!" They talked about something that I had heard preached and talked about literally hundreds of times but something was different this time... something clicked... The speaker was talking about how God, sent His ONLY SON into the world to save it, not to condemn it! And that He Loves us no matter what has happened to you in your life and that He will always love us! I was like Woh...

I went home that night different, changed... not a born again Christian... but different non the less...

Over the next few months I started to go to small groups... and then one Wednesday night our small group leader James Ellis asked if anyone wanted to ask Jesus into our lives and me and another guy did... so we went into the airlock in the YMC lower level and prayed... I gave my life back to God that night in 7th grade! :)

Fast forward to High School, Austin and I were going to church and small groups together and even working together! We were still the Best of friends!!!! Of course we would fight and argue alot but that never truly changed how we felt towards each other... Brotherly love... seeing how I didn't have any brothers or sisters at home he was the closest thing I had to a brother...

We would be each others accountability partners and we would bounce ideas off each other for tons of things... one day when we were setting up in the Aux Gym for a Wednesday night... Derry Prenkert came up to us and asked if we wanted to go on a trip called NYGO... Austin and I were interested to go! but I was the one who went... Austin had something that proceeded NYGO so I went... and that, is where my life path was forever changed!!!!

I type this now and you know I am going to be a Pastor after college... but that wasn't my first intention... before NYGO I was going to be an Architect and I wanted to move to Chicago and start a firm designing large and small buildings... but God had some plans of His own... :)

So God really really grabbed a hold of my life on NYGO... from doing many things like witnessing to the people, praying for random people, and just the difference in the Culture from small town Nappanee... That rocked my world!!! I was hit by a Spiritual Train as I like to call it when I was Cussed out and God was cussed out by a guy... this changed my perspective and my views... God also instilled in me what HIS plans for me were... to be a Pastor...

So when I came back from that it wasn't long before Summer Camp! And boy oh boy God moved in a HUGE WAY!!!!!! :D so summer camp came along... it was ONE summer camp, that's what the series was called... ONE
We talked alot and there was an image that I can remember vividly... that is me, 6'2" 225lb guy sobbing with tons of tears thanking Austin for what he had done for me! because if it wasn't for him... I most likely would not be sitting here typing this now!!! but then he started crying saying that I had been challenging him by the way I was living... with no fear and in extreme ways for God... so here are two best friends... 17 years old crying in each others arms as we embraced and talked about how we were sorry about how we were jerks at some points and times...

We had set up times together to go to the prayer room, back home, late at night... there were like 4 times we signed up for together... and the coolest thing was we heard about baptisms...

So Austin and I talked to Derry about getting Baptised... and Derry mentioned us getting Baptised together... and we thought it would only be fitting considering the impacts we have and had left on each other... so we signed up for that!

When we got back from camp Hoss and I were closer than ever! and when we went to the prayer room one night... GOD grew us even closer... we both were feeling convictions to talk to the other one about our struggles... and when we finally did... we found out they were the same and that we both wanted to talk to the other about them... we washed our hands of them and then kept each other accountable... and we grew closer than friends, closer than brothers, we were brothers in Christ! :)

We got Baptised on August 26, 2007 together and we can both remember that day for the rest of our lives! :) Because that marks our story and our faith Publicly! :)

Our Junior Year was Great!! God was moving and Moving and helping us Challenge each other and we were basically inseparable! :) Senior year summer camp was amazing! we were playing big roles in the camp in one way shape or form...

I had the opportunity to go on IMPACT Mexico since I went on NYGO but things were not the way that God had it all planned for me that summer so I did Children's summer camp counselor for the second year... while Austin went on DCGO... which was awesome!!!

Two words to sum up our Junior year/ Senior year summer camp... God Moved


So we go to our Senior year of High school... we are leaders on and off the athletic, academic and not to mention in the youth group... we were apart of a bible study/ prayer meeting on Monday mornings with some other Seniors and Derry... and Austin and I came behind alot of projects like making movies for messages and not to mention Rwanda Night, which if you read my blog, captured my heart. Austin and I did alot together our Senior year at school, home, church and at other locations! :)

The summer after our Senior year is the season we are in now...

Austin and I got the opportunity to Go on IMPACT Dominican Republic and boy did we See God MOVE!!!!! :D He moved in us by our selves, together, in the country, our team, and in the people! and I couldn't have imagined a more awesome way to cap off our High School Career together than to go on a missions trip together not to mention stay in the same room and, whether he admits it or not, enjoyed the closeness of the nights haha and the gas :P MARCO!

Austin and I went to Preteen Summer Camp this last week... for two different reasons... He for tech and me as a leader... but we were united one night when Jason talked about our story and its significance...

now that I think about it... our story is amazing... how one shy boy named Austin Hostetter, asked his Spiritually Struggling friend to come to church with him... not to get me saved... but just so that we could enjoy God together... and over the next 3 years God moves in me and Austin see that and wants to have the growth too... and then the next 2 years of pure joy and happiness that we have in each other and most of all GOD!!!

God Truly moves in His own ways... in His own timing... with His own LOVE! and I can honestly say that if it wasn't for our mothers almost 17 years ago to say lets get our boys together to play... and if it wasn't for God's AWESOME timing moving Austin in to ask me at the right time... I wouldn't be here, and if it wasn't for God our friendship wouldn't be what it is! Because I have found more than a friend in Austin Blake Hostetter, I have found an accountability partner, a person to look up to, a buddy to challenge me and for me to challenge, but most of all a Brother, truly like no other! One where the Blood line starts with A man named Jesus Christ!! A Brother that I know, will always be there for me... Through Thick and Thin, through the good and bad, the happy and sad, easy and tough... and some one who will always be there to say... I Love you Bro! :)

Austin has been by best friend, is my best friend, and will always be my best friend!!! Although we are the Odd Couple, and could be compared to the Grumpy Old Men, our friendship will never be broken because of where our bonds start... with God! Although Austin is going to Ball State this fall and I will be at Indiana Wesleyan we will still hang out, we will still be friends and we will still be there for each other! I'm nearly Crying typing this because of what all we have gone through together and just how awesome it is to have Hoss as a friend! :)

I want to thank Austin for being there for me, but most of all... I want to thank God. For Blessing me with an amazing Best friend like him who doesn't care what I look like or how weird I am! Thanks God for being Awesome! :)

Thanks Austin !

Thought Provoking Thursday: Church

Ok I'd like to start off by saying the Thursday's Thoughts are all just my opinions... So this is just how I see things and how things are acting out from my view... Ok now that that is out of the way, let us begin...


So in regards to Church these days, it kinda makes me mad... there is so much hurt and pain in the Church because some people think that they are better than others... but aren't we all sinners in God's eyes?

"for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God" -Romans 3:23

So doesn't this mean that no one should be judge by others for any reason! For there is only ONE who Judges and ONE Judgement Day! This is one thing that really bothers me about the Church today.

They are what we will call "fake Christians" because they judge people on things that aren't righteous or immoral... but alot of them are ones who put on a mask and do things that are similar or worse... the "fake Christians" can turn alot of people off from church because they make it seem like following Christ is like following a ton of rules, by judging and being hypocritical, and if you slip you wont go to Heaven... but in reality EVERYONE has failed and EVERYONE will fail again! BUT, Christ has and will forgive you from your sins, and is more fixed on wanting a RELATIONSHIP with us than for us to follow the rules...

don't get me wrong! we must follow the rules but if we slip on one... we may ask for forgiveness and God's love for us is so immense!




Another thing that bothers me is during worship... when people are like "I don't like that song" or "The music is too loud for me to worship." TIME OUT!
Those statements right there, just made worship about the person and not about GOD!

Worshiping Christ doesn't just have to be on Sunday mornings at church or Wednesday Nights at church... Worship can occur at anytime, anywhere, and in any form...

Any form? you may ask.

What I mean by that is that Worshiping God, the ONE who sacrificed so much for us, the ONE who loves us, gives freely to us, provides for us, and watches over us, doesn't just have to be singing... you can worship God through art, reading/praying Scripture, writing about how Glorious He is! There are so many ways to truly WORSHIP God that you can make your own unique way of Worship.
The definition of Worship in verb tense is "To honor and love as a deity." or, "To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion."

Nowhere in that definition does it say, "to sing my favorite worship song at the right volume with the right amount of guitar and drums." NO! Worship IS NOT about us! IT IS ALL ABOUT GOD! This is something that I think that we as a Church need to fix... how we Worship God, and make it completely about Him and get it all out of our heads that it is about us.

WORSHIP = GOD

not us...




The last thing that I will talk about today in regards to Church is how we often misuse the word Church...

In today's world we say Church and most everyone will say something similar to "a religious place where Christians go on Sundays." is that really what a true Church is?

in Ephesians 4:15-16 it says "Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of the body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love."

That scripture makes me stop and say wow! So it says that the body is the Church... and the body are those who are following after Christ and striving to be more like Him... so that means that Church is not a building but rather a body of believers who are wanting and urning to be more and more like Christ!! That right there is enough to get you thinking...

In Hebrews 10:25 it says "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

This also gets me thinking as well... this verse is about fellowship and talks about how important it is to be around the Church, the body of believers. We are told to not neglect, cherish, our meetings together. This would be like meeting at a House of Worship, church, and learning and joining in fellowship... and this verse also goes back to the first thing that bothers me the fake people. We are to encourage one another! Who couldn't use a little encouragement every once in awhile? right? everyone could! so next time you see someone... encourage them! :) it makes God happy to see things like this occur! :)

so lets look at this in a condensed version:

• Fake Christians
• Selfish worship
• Church

These are just three things that I feel strongly about... if you would like to hear more you can either leave me a comment and I will add another with more things... or you can email me and that is found on my contact me page...

thank you very much for taking time to read this! I really hope this made you think about what is going on in today's Church...

until next time! ByeBye and God Bless!!!

-Carter Bob

College!

So I found out today I am going to be Staying in HODSON this fall! :D it was my first Choice! I'm so happy I got into Hodson because I have heard the community is amazing! with a great group of guys in there! :) i have a feeling God is going to work this fall through the winter, spring, and through the summer! i just have this itchy feeling that it is going to happen! :D GOD is going to be moving :) lets see it :D

Tomorrow is Thursday! That means it is the first Thought Provoking Thursday! :) I am excited! :D i really hope it gets you guys thinking! :) ok well im off to bed! good night and God Bless!!!

Carter Bob

The Church

Thursdays around my blog are going to change... I am going to start calling them "Thought Provoking Thursday's"

This is where I take a look at something in a Biblical sense or in a Religious view... This coming Thought Provoking Thursday will be about the Church and my views about it... not NMC in general but the Church as a Whole... I'm getting pretty excited about this idea... it might fail but I hope it gets some people thinking at least! :) well until later ByeBye and God Bless!!!!

Carter Bob

Fair... and so much more!

So my views of the fair are... well... i am not a big fan... but it was fun when you get a group of guys that love to laugh and just have fun! :) God is great in the ways that he just shows up in good and bad! :) HE IS AWESOME! :D now is my time to live it out! life is going to be different... and im not going to be stagnent anymore... forever and ever! God will be magnified! that is my new motto in life... Christ be Magnified... and i will ask myself... "is Christ being magnified now?" so friends, family, and people if you see me... keep me accountable to this!

I am a young man, Striving after Christ's Heart, wanting to live for a KING who is/will do GREATER things!

I am a young man, who would give everything for people to come to know Christ... and i mean my life as well!

I am a young man, wanting more of God, the Word, His Love, and my heart shattered for HIS will!

I am a young man, that has a purpose in life, a calling from God... to help others along in their troubles, their goods and bads, and thier walks with Christ. I am HIS worker and HE is my employer!

I am a young man, who will not be gripped by fear, and will step out and obey HIS EVERY command/Calling.

I am a young man, who will never take anything for granted... because things come and things go and we never know how long they last!

I am a young man, who wants to be more like Jesus!

I am Carter Ammerman, and I am a Radical Warrior For Christ!

Mere Glimpses at Mowing

So I mow at Nappanee Missionary Church and I was mowing yesterday, and there was this strip of grass I was mowing and i spotted something... it was a baby robin. it didn't move... it didn't budge... it just sat there. it appeared if it had no fear... so I left for a moment to see if it would leave. I came back and it was still there... but this time when I came, it ran away...

it was interesting... I was just thinking about it, how one moment it could be fearless and then the next moment it was so afraid it had to turn and run.

but it is understandable... the baby bird was smaller than the palm of my hand and the mower is the size of a small car... haha I'd be afraid as well. Well I suppose I should go finish the mowing out there. Till next time. ByeBye and God Bless!!

-Carter Bob

Attitude and Perspective

"Attitudes are self-created. You are free to choose to be victimized by circumstances or people, or you can choose to look at life with an open mind and be victorious. No one else can choose your attitude for you. Your perspective and choice of attitude gives you the power to be in control. That is the essence of true freedom."

-Ireane Dunlap


I was randomly looking at my "blogs" on myspace and I ran across this quote... it started to make me think. I wrote this one down in 2007. That was the year that God really grabbed my life! That was a year that I will not forget... And as I read this quote some things truly resonate:

• Attitudes are self-created... in a sense, on the other had it can be an attitude that someone instills in you... ex. a coach
• NO ONE can choose your attitude. Your attitude is depicted through the way you react.
• Technically you can be in control if you take control of your attitude... but it isn't control over others it is control over yourself.
• True Freedom is not defined by how you choose your attitude, the essence of True Freedom is given by only one Being and that is God.

This quote was taken from a Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul book...

The quote can help some kids with the way that they approach their own attitude and how they approach others attitudes but if examined more... that isn't truly how attitudes should be analyzed and treated.

My views on this whole situation are that...

Attitudes are a reflection of how your heart is feeling. If you heart is in a good mood, meaning if you feel all is well, then your attitude will reflect that and your attitude will be good. But if you are depressed or sad or angry your attitude will be not so good or may down right stink. Attitudes are also contagious... if you have a good attitude and are treating others will that will instill a positive attitude in the others.

So if attitudes are reflective... and they reflect how your heart is feeling... if Jesus Christ is the main focus of your heart and has total control over it... doesn't that mean you will reflect Christ?

Another point of our attitudes being contagious... if your attitude is that of a Christ like one, which would be beyond a great attitude, that is a contagious attitude... so if our attitude reflects Christ and our attitude is contagious... doesn't that mean that we should be spreading Christ without knowing it?

Think about it for awhile...

So our attitude is reflective and it's influential... And if we are living the life of a Radical Christ Follower... That means that God would be glorified in everything we do... whether it is breathing, eating, hanging out with friends, or sharing His love... he will be magnified!

If we let Satan get that little grasp on our attitude... to bring us down just a tiny bit... that means that God isn't being glorified in our everyday walk... so let Christ be magnified... turn the cheek when life gets hard... and turn it all over to Christ! because He will help us out of the storms! Our attitudes reflect our heart... our HEART OF CHRIST! We will stumble and fall... but that is the awesome thing about God... HE FORGIVES!! God is Love! God is all we need! God is our attitude! Let Him be Magnified!

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
-1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV


Like I said these are just my opinions on this situation and quotation... criticize me if you like but that is how i look at things... thanks for taking the time to read this!

God Bless!!

Carter Bob

Howdy!

Lots of stuff!

• Graduation was June 5
• Impact leaves June 22
• Getting ready for college
• Mowing at the Church
• The Effect
• Pc parts are coming :D (yippy)
• IWU in the fall Sept. 5 :) yay college!!

More to come later! :) time to go mow at home haha

ByeBye and God Bless!!

Carter Bob