Back to Work on Main Street

Except the LORD Build the house, they labour in vain that build it...

Psalm 127:1 KJV

We should resume work on Chi Alpha Main (Old Main) within the next couple of weeks and hope to be happily back there for our Main Meetings by October 1st (or sooner if it works out). In the mean while, we will try to make due at the farm and if we get a cool snap we might try to meet at Old Main for a week or two, but work equipment and materials will probably prevent that.

Be praying for the project, that God will give us wisdom to get the best job for the money we have to spend. All our prayers up to now have been appreciated, but from here until the job is done is where prayer is most needed. When the building work is over, I encourage all you students and leaders to get ready because our ministry work will just be getting started! It’s very exciting!

I'll keep you posted.

Mike

CHANGE

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
KJV

There’s this guy on T.V. lately who talks a lot about CHANGE but doesn’t really inspire it. Something about him tells me he’s never had to make the choices necessary to affect substantial change. I guess we’re supposed to just trust that he knows which changes are best for us and then follow him into his obscure vision of wonderful social alteration blindly? As for me, I say no thanks.

See a lot has changed for me in the past few years so I know a little something about this subject. I know enough to tell you that life changes whether you want it to or not; I know that we shouldn’t change just for change sake, and I know that if God isn’t in the changes that are made, don’t bother changing – it won’t work out! The only worthwhile change is to become what is good and what God requires us to be.

One thing that brought change to my life was having a lot of really influential loved ones pass away in a relatively short period of time. Unwelcome change, yes, but it tends to put things in perspective if not in priority.

Also, after being married for more than thirteen years, Ann and I had our first daughter in late 2004. She will soon be four and our baby girl was born at the beginning of this year. Becoming a father after all that time changed me in ways I never expected. Those girls bring me closer to God’s requirements than anything ever has.

And then, I remember that only a few short years ago I harbored a great deal of bitterness and anger that God has recently helped me change. I mean, I’m a pretty straight shooter without being angry so you can only imagine how much I must have hurt some very dear people when I had all that pent up animosity. I have felt very sorry for those things and have deeply repented.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still value truth and I still tell it like it is, but not with the same spirit that once ruled me. Justice means something different to me now. Mercy is still not my strongest spiritual gift, but I’m getting there. Humility continues to be the greatest struggle I have but I can tell you that after being thoroughly humiliated a few times, I know that I might as well choose to be more humble because it will be thrust upon me anyway.

I’ve experienced some health crisis, some ministry struggles, financial blunders and more than a few misunderstandings in my life, all of which brought about change. I’ve made life or death decisions and I’ve had to choose what was right over what was popular and through it all it has ultimately changed me into a better, stronger believer in my LORD.

See, I’m figuring out that I have a choice, do what is good and do all that the LORD requires of me, or continue getting beat up by the world because I don’t. God’s way may not come as natural to us as the world’s way, but it truly is the best way! It’s not just a cliché.

As for my past attitudes and those I’ve hurt along the way – forgive me of mine and the LORD will see that you get forgiveness of yours. In the mean while, I offer only the love that He’s placed in my heart as consolation.

And as for the guy on T.V. - I think the only change he has inspired me toward, is changing the channel.

Simply His,

Mike

Welcome 2008 freshmen and new college students!

If you are unfamiliar with Chi Alpha I’d encourage you to take a look at the National XA web site found at the link on this page. Chi Alpha Multi-Campus fellowship serves the campuses of Batesville, Arkansas and surrounding areas including Lyon College and UACCB.

Chi Alpha is a Christian ministry to college campuses around the world. We are a community of believers in Jesus Christ who come together in various ways to celebrate the One in whom we believe. We believe in keeping church simple and the Christian life as close to the Bible as possible.

We are looking for friends to share the message of Jesus with and fellow believers to help us in our cause – the cause of Christ to seek and save that which is lost.

For information, meeting times and places or to just find out more about Chi Alpha Batesville you can call me. Hope to hear from you soon!