Pray Hard and Live Miraculously

That's what I'm learning this year. Pray hard. If we want to see God move miraculously, we need to step out in ways that give God a miraculous avenue to work through in our lives. We don't see miracles very much in American Christianity, because American Christianity is way too comfortable.

In 1st Kings Chapter 18, Elijah opposed the Prophets of Baal. He was God's only servant, and he was up against 450 powerful religious leaders. There hadn't been any rain in a long time, and it was becoming dangerously dry. Basically, the king blamed Elijah for the drought and so Elijah challenged the heathen prophets to a God-off. They'd have a burnt sacrifice, only God had to light it. DAAAAANG. God didn't tell Elijah to do that, he just knew that God would come through. So Baal's boys worked all day moaning and crying and cutting and bowing, but to no avail. At the end of the day, it was Elijah's turn. He told the men to pour a lot of water all over the bull ("But wait!" you say. "Don't you want it to get set on fire?" Yes! Avenues for miracles, get it?) God didn't tell him to drench the sacrifice. He just had faith enough to believe that God would come through.

God did come through. Fire came straight from heaven and set the whole thing ablaze. It was incredible. How often do we waste situations for God to be miraculously glorified in our lives by playing it safe? Probably a lot more often than you'd think.

So pray with faith. Expect God to move, and watch Him do His thing. Remember that His will is better than ours, though, and don't be disheartened if His answer doesn't look the way you thought it would. :)

Thanks for reading! Now I can't put off studying anymore. Got a test in 01:02:05. Whoops

Brooklyn, Brooklyn! Take Me In

I'm back. I love it here in New York.

Whenever I'm here, my heart breaks for the people of my country (and the world). I just sense the lostness of the world in a more poignant, tangible way. I'm really overwhelmed right now with a lot of different thoughts. On one hand, I'm so excited to be here. I got on the subway and knew what I was doing. That was a good feeling. On the other hand, I keep seeing people and looking at their broken empty faces. I almost started crying earlier.

I might just need some sleep. It's been a long day.

Spencer and I woke up at 6:30 this morning and started driving. We hit hard rain all the way up and ended up getting stranded in New Jersey when the Turnpike got shut down (because of flooding and a bridge that was out). Then the engine started smoking and we just prayed. There was a lot of prayer. Long story short, our 8 hour drive took 12.5. Then all but one other person (out of our 7 total) got stuck at RDU. And it is raining so hard. It is like a hurricane but in the winter.

I'm going to Tim Keller's church in the morning. That should be good. We met some cool people from Colorado. I'm excited about that. I'm worried about getting sick of the other 4 students from NCSU. I keep comparing this trip to last year. But it is different. I believe that that's because God planned it differently, because he wants to do different things. Satan obviously didn't want us coming up here. He's been up to no good all day. So God must have some good stuff planned. I'm pumped to see what God does.

I'm praying that I'll let God move in me. I don't want to get in the way. I want to see His Spirit fall on this city that way that the rain did today. Join with us in praying for that, okay? :)

I'll leave you with a poem my friend Tom wrote.

this week, the gothic feeling your insomniac culture gives reminded me that you are

one certain idea like no other showed me that you need and you give us people
and although these people, undead in their mind-body-soul, live around you
they hate you

there are few that call you beautiful
there might be a handful that can appreciate your looks
but they all call you home.

ages ago you were known as "the city of fools"
no one cared to give thought to the frame of your future
they never realized that they were-
the eyes
the nose
the fingertips of industrialization

my beloved
you are that heart

forgive me for once doubting you
i've realized the potential of the place i myself called..
now call
home.

the individual is the kneecaps in you
an intricate articulate syndicate of heart-work
i call myself proud to bolt the body to the ground and declare ownership

GOD
one city

the city that calls you home
and i call you the gorgeous mosaic

keep life old friend.
be safe.

Thanks Tom.

I love you guys!

I miss all my NYC friends from last year. :(

See you soon,

Caleb

Chaucer

So I had to write this paper about Portraiture of Characters in The Canterbury Tales for ENG 451, my Chaucer class.

I'm in there now, actually. Whoops, just got called on.

"Yes ma'am, I can read that...

"This markys wondred evere lenger the moore

Upon hir pacience, and if that he

Ne hadde soothly knowen therbifoore

That parfitly hir children loved she,

He wolde have wend that of som subtiltee,

And of malice, or for crueel corage,

That she hadde suffred this with sad visage."

Whew. Done. I don't really like reading Middle English.

Anyway, back to the task at hand. I could not write that paper!

It was due a week ago. I tried everyday for about 10 days. I didn't finish it until 5:15. TODAY!

There wasn't any kind of problem with getting it in late. She was fine with that. I've just never had that problem before. I'm usually a good worker.

My friend @Gato_Gordo said I should think about trying Adderall XR. I've never thought of myself as a person that needs to be medicated. I don't like that thought at all. But I'm worried! I could not focus. Today, an hour before the paper was due I was doing a crossword puzzle!

What. The. HECK?! Come on Caleb? Oh well. The paper is DONE. And so is class.

I'm so done with class today. ha!

Chelsea Rae, Morning Times was wonderful. Let's do it next time you're home!

Bye!

You Gave us the Most Beautiful of Days

Katharine Weislak wants her name in this post.

So I haven't updated this blog since last year. Weird.

Quick run-through of 2010 so far:

1. January 1st began at Encounter (http://www.midsouthcru.com/encounterblog/). I had been there for a while just loving God and His people. :) I'm so at peace with where God has me and what He has me doing these days. The theme of #CruTru09 was Encounter Christ the Truth. It was really great.
2. After praying in the New Year, we danced the night away. Well most of us did. I danced my 45 minutes of free time away. Then I left for the most epic domestic trip of my life. We titled it "There and Back Again" and it included the following:
   1. 6 Men
   2. A 2001 Pontiac Montana ("The Queen")
   3. 24 states
   4. 8.5 days
   5. 7432 Miles...
   
   
   Them's mah pics:
   • Album 1
   • Album 2
   • Album 3
3. Got back the night of the Carolina Campout. Everyone else was freezing. I was wearing a tee-shirt and hoodie. The -36 (-60 with windchill) degree weather of Montana kind of ruined me towards feeling cold in North Carolina. It was a good night.
4. Classes started. I'm taking Film Production. That's great. Most of my other classes are pretty uninteresting.
5. We started studying James in my Bible Study. That is great.
6. I went to the 20-20 Conference at Southeastern. God is doing really great things. :) So glad I get to join Him in them.
7. LOST returned. That made me so happy. I watch it with Wes and Deepak. That's really good.
8. After LOST, I go to prayer. Tuesdays are so great. Justin Wong has taken over leading it. I'm always so encouraged at seeing God work here.
9. I figured out where I'll be living next year. Michael Orr, Jay Linderman, and I will be living with a few guys in the COOLEST house ever.
10. Collin came over and just wanted to hang out. I was so encouraged because he asked if I was gonna be leading Bible Study again next year. The devil has been trying to convince me that I shouldn't be doing this, or that it isn't affecting people. But it is. God is faithful to use us when we let Him. I'm so encouraged. Patrick is a servant team leader! Collin came to leader's retreat! Matthew continues to show me how much I can learn about Christ. Jesse keeps surprising me with how awesome he is (e.g. Slap Bet Commissioner tee-shirt). I see Will & Bentley all over, and I yell to them. And they always know it's me, haha. Brandon is such a great co-leader. I don't see him as much as I used to, but we're still BFF. :)
11. Wednesday, I found out that I made David Monsees' best friends list. That made my day.
12. Thursday, I saw God. He reminded me that He works everywhere. You don't have to be in Peru to have a God-room experience. That's really cool to me.
13. Friday, I went to visit the Furniture Capitol of the World! Not for that reason, though. Justin, Caleb, Suzanne, and I went to go trade Justin's car for some other ones. That was fun. I really like semi-spontaneous trips where we get to meet friends' parents. They're so great. :)

So that's a quick run-through. A lot more happened, but it's kinda blurring together for me right now. It snowed a lot. I'm not sure how I feel about that (thanks El Niño). But I feel like this was a pretty good summary.

Now I'm sitting in Gordon and Michael's room blogging, while JWong, Caleb, Monsees, Kweezy, Michael, and Gordane (minus Jordane. sad) play halo. We're listening to Hungry Like the Wolf, and I'm just thinking about how lucky I am to have the friends that I do and a relationship with the God of the universe, who loves me for who I am. Dang.

It's always nice to look out the window
And see those very first few flakes of snow
And later on we can go outside
And create the impression of an angel that just fell from the sky

When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes
Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies
And by the fire my heart it heaves a sigh
For the green grass waiting on the other side

It's always winter but never Christmas
It seems this curse just can't be lifted
Yet in the midst of all this ice and snow
Our hearts stay warm cause they are filled with hope

It'd be so nice to look out the window
And see the leaves on the trees begin to show
The birds would congregate and sing
A song of birth a song of newer things

The wind would calm and the sun would shine
I'd go outside and I'd squint my eyes
But for now I will simply just withdraw
Sit here and wish for this world to thaw

And everything it changed overnight
This dying world you brought it back to life
And deep inside I felt things
Shifting everything was melting
Away oh away
And you gave us the most beautiful of days

Cause when it's always winter but never Christmas
Sometimes it feels like you're not with us
But deep inside our hearts we know
That you are here and we will not lose hope

I don't think I can do that. You better bring it!

Thanks for reading, guys.

Flip it, stick it, seeyoulaterbye!

Caleb

Recent music favorites: CONTRA (Vampire Weekend), Black & Gold (Sam Sparro), I Need a Dollar [How to Make it in America Theme] (Aloe Blacc), Jim Avett, Carolina Roadkill, MGMT, Annuals, United States of Pop, Aim and Ignite (Fun.), Gold Motel - EP (Greta Salpeter, of The Hush Sound), First Days of Spring (Noah and the Whale), GLEE, Fall Be Kind (Animal Collective), Pomplamoose♥, The Fame Monster (LadyGAGA), and a renewed love of worship music that only comes from Christ. God is so good. I love seeing that more and more.