A leaf in the Wind Revisited

Dream a dream so impossible; that it's doomed to failure, unless God is in it.

I was walking back from class today and a leaf happened to be in my path and I couldn't help and pick it up. I didn't really know what it was supposed to mean just like the honeybee til I ventured down the path called time.We have no idea what God has planned til we do venture down that path. I think too often we rush things but thinking about these random ways that God chooses to speak to me lately I know that God reveals things in his timing.

On that note we "closed" the week of prayer tonight about 8:30 and the thing is it has only begun. God continues to reveal more and more to us. We know of two guys who found Christ yesterday after the whole scene. We also know that because of this week God has planted thousands of seeds and has watered those seeds. He has also restored a lot of the christians here and has given us a new zeal for his word and especially oneness as a body. We couldn't stop and think of how in acts it talks about the church meeting together each day to break bread together and fellowship with one another encouraging one another. That is what we have been doing for this week and it has been the best of life I have tasted yet. Although my body failed me, when I was surviving on about 30 hours of sleep for the whole seven day week, and I could not rise this morning to fellowship and worship my God I sat in my bed and praised the One who is more wonderful than we could ever know. My body after getting some rest this morning was refreshed and I can't help think that God gives people a desire and a need to sleep for a while to quiet people down and let there be a time when God speaks to their silent thoughts.

Anyways This blog is about the leaf so I will refocus. Tonight we were worshipping "closing" the week of prayer and God showed me the meaning of the leaf. It goes something like this...We are all like the leaf. We have all fallen off the ultimate life source. I pressed that leaf in my bible and the place where I pressed it I opened and read a few minutes ago in Psalm 50 it saysThe mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. As I read over this verse I am reminded of this week and how it was all very random almost as much as God speaking through a deadleaf blowing in the wind. That leaf was supposed to remind me that something can be beautiful even after death . We as christians are beautiful when we sacrifice to God, when we choose to honor Him. God hath shined this week and is the perfection of beauty. As it talks about in Psalm 32: 16 "Make your face to shine upon your servant" that's what we do when we choose to live a holy life we shine as God does best. And this week there were some very shiny things and beautiful things.

God is so good, like beyond so good he is so Good. I will post an email here about the revival that is going on down at UCLA soon I pray you will be encouraged. Beyond that know I love all of you so much and regret I am unable to spend a lot of time talking with all of you but know my place is here God has called each of us to those people around us. God has a world to save and that does keep us christians busy. I look forward to hearing what is going on with all of you. Please shoot me an email or leave a message with what God is doing I will be encouraged greatly by that and God will be glorified.
JG

A honeybee Stumbling

I don't often come to a period of time where I can not seem to come to any words at all to describe events. And trying to describe the events of today I would fail in every attempt cause my words do not take into account everything that is happening because I am not omnipitent. I will only mention the words of Dr. Maclaren "ability involves responsibility."

It is interesting how in all the revivals of church history there is always prayer and then there are leaders normally 1 that gets blessed by God because of his stepping out in faith. I got the chance to lead alongside the man who I suspected from that night would be the one. He got in front of the UU this afternoon and laid out the words that this campus needed to hear a few hundred greek people or so. Whether that was the right approach who knows but the thing is he stepped out. I was reading psalm 18 yesterday slightly before it started thundering big time here. It talks of God's voice booming like the thunder. That was amazing! Cause apparenlty it hasn't been that strong in quite a while in SLO it was sweet!

Back to the quote and the interesting blog title, I began praying an hour or so before the "event" happened and as I began to pray God showed me a bumblebee on the concrete who couldn't fly for some reason. This guy that stepped out something holding him back that people can't see. He has the make of a man of God but there is something keeping him from flying and when that is released and healed as only revival can do, let's just say I am excited!

Beyond that I have most excellent news to report Revival is springing up at 3 different campuses mostly in LA UCLA and USC also Ohio State University reports are coming in of how people are being healed and 100's are turning to Christ. God is big!!! So huge!!! I wonder when I will get to hear of what God is doing internationally because I know he is working there as well. My heart will be warmed by that news. Beyond that keep this campus in your prayers that God would continue to pour his spirit into the non-believers here and that miracles signs and wonders would be done in God's name. Also that people will turn from sin, that is where it starts repentance. Getting on our knees and crucifing ourselves for the gospel to be proclaimed.

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at: but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead "
-Acts 17:30-31

Also for the parents the calc midterm went good in Calc I should know by monday and I will try and call this weekend.
JG

Revival

God is so awesome and this week has been such an answer to prayer eagerly anticipating expecting nothing but anticipating God's moving. The only thing I will add to the word's spoken by my brother in Christ is this: that it has been incredibly encouraging to see the various worship leaders from all over campus from every denomination group organization and people who do it only for their prayer lives playing together in harmony and making a beautiful sound to the Lord. Of all the things I am learning this week, we are not alone...and I mean we are not alone! Not even close...

Here are Colin's words...

A revival has begun at Cal Poly. A group of guys in Campus Crusade for Christ organized a week of prayer from 7am to 9pm every day this week. Day 1 is done and there were anywhere from 5 to 30 people meeting in the University Union square throughout the day to worship God and pray together for revival, unity in the body of Christ, and repentance, and for our campus to be saved.
There is a beauty in it all. We have been praying for this all year in my dorm room each week, and it is finally here. God's Holy Spirit is in this place and people are turning to Christ. I love the unity of it all. There are Christians from all different clubs and some not even in clubs. The differences in denomination and race and gender and all of those other outward things are being broken down, just as I have been praying for a while now. It's amazing that although I am probably not the only one to have been praying for some of these things to happen, God hears and honors my prayers. Of course, all in His timing, but He is faithful to respond and honor our requests when we just take the time and diligence to lay them before Him.
I cannot explain how the Holy Spirit is moving here, but He is, and its incredible to hear and participate in all the prayer rising up as a sweet offering to our God. I paused for a moment as we gathered in a circle of about 50 people or so and just listened to the sweet sound of everyone crying out to God, and asking Him, petitioning Him, devoting themselves to Him, repenting and turning to Him.
God has sent his spirit to dwell in us, and among us, and He is guiding this movement. I cannot expect anything, but I await what God is going to do with the rest of this week. It doesn't matter whether or not there is some dramatic thing where thousands of people fall down on their faces and accept Christ. God is moving in a big way. I cannot anticipate what God wants to do, but I offer myself up, and sacrifice this week for the purpose of prayer and being open and available to what God would have me do, have all of us do.
I have so much faith in what God is able to do. I don't doubt anything. The important thing is to just trust God and listen to Him and to facilitate a move of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We cannot do the moving, but we can ask God to move and we need to obey God when He moves us to do something. I pray above all else that the hearts of all the believers on campus would be open to what you want, God. Open our hearts that we may be silent before you and hear what you have to say to us indivudual and corporately. We are the body of Christ and yes we do make mistakes. We are the same sinners as everyone else is, but the difference is that we have freedom from Christ by the Cross to live free from sin and come close to God to know Him intimately.
This is God. He sent Jesus Christ to die for us. That is love - to sacrifice when we were still sinners that we may have the opportunity to enter into God's presence without condemnation or shame. Our God is an awesome God. I heard probably a hundred descriptions of God when we prayed as a bidy tonight. The healer, the first and last, the faithful one, the savior, our father, friend, lover, holy, mighty, good. These are but a few expressions of who God is. Not only is He just, but He is compassionate. He desires what is best for us and knows what is best for us, even died so that He could give us the life that we don't deserve, but that He wants us to live. Not only for God's sake, but for ours. Not to escape hell, but to experience real life in the way that He intended it from the beginning.
God is good. He made us to experience good and created us for good. We are fallen, but He provided a way for us to enter into that original state of being where we can live closely with God, who is good. This is why we worship. Because we don't deserve that grace. Grace is a decision by God to act despite our disobedience. We respond with gratitude. Yet there are so many people in this world that have heard about Christ but reject Him. Like a beggar slapping a man in the face for offering him bread. So are these generations who reject the love so freely and sacrificially offered. We need God, yet we act as if we didn't. Part of this week of prayer is for the purpose of interceding for the lost who need God just as much as we do.
I am excited to see how God is going to move on this campus. It isn't about numbers or quoting how many people were saved. Its about the renewing of our minds that results by choosing to sacrifice this week to God. There is much fruit and for those that choose to sacrifice, God has blessing upon blessing that He is itching to pour out if we just stop our busy lives, stop worrying about all these insignificant things, all these worldly things.
A good point was prayed out today during prayer. We want to go hang out or eat or work out, or go play games or be entertained. We live day after day doing all these things. Are they evil? no, not at all. But are we willing to sacrifice them for one day, one week? We all have schoolwork to do, responsibilities, even other kingdom work. Those are not to be neglected, but are we seeking first the kingdom of heaven? Even the works for the kingdom can become mundane and meaningless if we are doing those things with the wrong heart or the wrong motives. By setting this week aside, we are stating to eachother, and more importantly to God that we place value on God's will over our own. We pray that the world will be changed. We pray that the lost come to know God, we pray that we draw closer to God. But when it comes to taking a step of faith to sacrifice in order to mak eany one of those things happen, we back down and chicken out. It is not in our power to change the world, or change hearts. But God, you desire to use us to do those things, to witness those things. And when you do them, you desire and deserve the credit for doing them, which is worship.
I pray that the Christians on this campus will come to the UU to pray this week throughout the day and in the moring and evening times to worship and show that their faith is real, that they are wiling to act, willing to step out in faith, willing to make the sacrifice. God the sacrifice is simple- one of an open heart, of an available and undistracted mind. Willingness to obey, and a willigness to worship despite our emotions or feelings or other things going on. God, you are worthy to be worshipped without ceasing. Will those who call themselves Christians rise up and dare to offer up to God the praise that He deserves? Or do we limit that to the songs we sing, in the four walls of the church one day a week? God is worthy of infinitely more than all the worship we could offer. So why do we hesitate to sacrifice one week to Him? We sing, "You are worthy of all glory and honor and praise!", but are our lives too important? Are our activities, relationships, desires and emotions and idols worth our time? Only God is worthy. Let us sacrifice even just for a time that we will be changed, that God will shape us to be the people He wants us to be. Let Him lead us as the body of Christ in UNITY. We are an individualistic society. We need each other. We can't change the wolrd individually. Revival starts when people get together and establish community by loving on one another, worshipping together. Not just singing together. Really knowing and supporting and depending on one another, building one another up in the process.
I pray for the community of believers this week. God move in this place.

Gather the Glimpses

How thankful we should be to discover that it is God's desire to lead every willing heart into depths and heights of divine knowledge and communion.
-A.W. Tozer

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
-Psalm 96:9

Concrete beneath me
Cold surrounding me
shivering body of mine

Asking questions
remembering promises
fearing your answers

Am I ready to
Gather the glimpses
singing songs of praise
Finally ready to see
unveiled face, finally free

I am amazed, I stand
arms open, ready to recieve
all you have for me

Here I am, take all
no matter how little or small
I surrender all
JG

Taking a break!

I have officially worked pretty much straight this weekend so far and it actually has been enjoyable because I know that because I am getting things done during the weekend things are going to be rather easy this week and that will be really nice. Anyways the whole christian community on campus is having a revival prayer movement which should be sweet I am pretty excited to know that although I don't know all that is going on I see that we are truly as it talks about one heart and one mind. That is beautiful to see. Anyways if you are at CalPoly join us this week from 7-7 every day this week starting tonight in the UU. Pretty much this should be awesome I am so excited! Anyways the above is my layout that I have devoted most of this weekend to along with other HW so hopefully it looks good and as always I am sure it will change but here I stop for a while.
JG

Railroads and Trains

I haven't really gathered my thoughts in a long while and I guess I have not really had time to organize them at all cause whenever they do come out, my thoughts that is, they are very scattered. My roomate got a concussion Monday night and has since then been rather lazy sitting in His and I's room watching movies skipping out on class and prettymuch doing nothing with his life. Understand it was a mild consussion and the doctor said he could sleep that night meaning it was nothing. He is considering swtiching majors cause architecture is hard and has a whole bunch of other issues going on that he doesn't realize and this room is the dirtiest I have ever seen

However through it all it is cool to have the oppurtunity to serve him as Christ served his people. That previous paragraph may seem like a lot of complaining but I find a beautiful analogy of it all in service to fellow humans beings who can't do stuff. Anyways though I was listening to trains come through the campus the other day and it is amazing with what percision they come. I was thinking of that as a metaphor for the christian walk though that although we may not progress very fast we still are progressing and we make a lot of noise when we go through anywhere and are oftentimes inconvienent to others. We need to stop making noise. One thing I learned last night is that Jesus did not start his ministry until he was filled with the holy spirit. We need to be filled before we do anything.

I see another problem though as in the case of my roomate. Ppeople refuse to let go of their laziness and remember those desires and those things they want out of lives and let that influence them. This generation is lazy. I find though that, that very truth, is very true within me. I keep coming to the first time in my christian walk where I refuse to trust God wholly in things and although a good place to be where I realize my motives are unpure I find myself altogether lacking because I am lazy. That is the horrible thing about christianity today although it seems to be doing so much we are lazy. We are lazy to actually work hard and diligently. We can't find a smile on our face because we refuse to dare to believe the hard stuff. God is good. God is soverign. I am procrastinating as I write because I am so amazed at God and what he is doing here and I am altogether disgusted with myself and the only redeeming quality within me is the holy spirit. That's the way it should be though. God is the only one that is good! He is so good. We are having a campuswide prayer week where we will be praying non stop for seven days next week devoted to revival in the hearts of the belivers here. I am excited for what is to come. I need to get back to my homework and the massive load I have to do this weekend but know God is sovereign and so totally amazing. Sorry this seems jumbled i will try and get things sorted out in my mind before I write again cause seriouslky all this chaos is not good.

JG

The Cross( by Faith)

I have oftentimes stared at the cross looking for some deep meaning to it but unable to grasp that...to say I have some understanding, I do not and fully udnerstand it fully but I am begining to grasp it.

My friend and I decided to hike up to the top of the mountain that has the Cal Poly P on it. We found a cross at the top there and we lifted it up and placed it in its proper place. I would love to say that something whithin me changed big time. I think that happened last night though...I'll get to that later anyways though as we lifted that cross up for all to see on top of that mountian I realized something...some deep meaning. The cross, the reason it exists and the circumstances around it had to be done because of our lack of faith. I keep finding that there is power in the triune God head but even in believing it to be infinite...I have underestimated it. As all those meanings of it circle in my head i am reminded of My friend and I sharing the work in restoring the cross to where it should be...for all to see. You can see it from campus...it is so beautiful.

We as christians are called to have faith as Hebrew 11 talks about to do all things by faith and through faith. If we are not going to believe in those things that seem crazy that is not an echo of the cross at all, we are not remembering how signifigant it is how much powe rthere was in the death of a above all else holy high priest. It is an echo of as romans talks about men worshiping the creature rather than the creator. Do we believe we have so much potential. If only those who boast in themselves would know that God desires a realationship with them. One of power, of peace, of hope, of joy, of mercy, of tears, and of love above all else. I look around me and understand that man is so ignorant, but they cannot be any more things are changing here and things are changing in the world God is ready all we need do is ask.


My prayers are moving pointing towards something quite different than anything I have experienced before and it is quite different and quite amazing all at the same time. I don't pray for things to be done I pray for things to get done. Praying and depending upon the spirit which resides within me to begin to pour out. At first to three or four people and beyond that it will grow but for now I am going to pour out into three men in particular in my close knit friends. I model my actions only after the man who boar that cross. May that cross as long as it stands on that mountain remind this school of that radical cross which Jesus bore for us and no one else. As I asked for last night that my faith would be whole. May it be.
JG

Cities on Water's Blue and Residences on Hill's Green

I don't have much time tonight in fact I probably do but I need to devote it to other things. But for those of you who were wondering yes I am still designing stuff it just is slow and I've only been at it for three weeks so a city and a house will do I guess for that amount of time. Anyways though I wanted to note and tell everyone that I think I am understanding physics and calc for the first time not because of me but because of my teachers. I was thinking though that Jesus is our teacher and it is not because of ourselves that we do good but rather because he is teaching us how to be like him and do good. I thought that was cool anyways I am off hope to write soon, but its good to know my words don't do God justice at all. He's so amazing.
JG

Photoshoped

Well Let's just say for the first time in a long while I don't feel overwhelmed. That's a good feeling! Anyways though I learned something about work and mentality that I thought I should probably post here. I learned do your work after you have the class make it your first priority and then when you have other things to do you can focus on those things wholly. The thing about that word is that we as christians should be devoted to things wholly as revelation talks about let your yes be yes and your no be no. We should devote ourselves wholly to things do everything with excellence. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me for the next four years but the thing is I honestly don't think it is going to be too much of a challenge. I have God by my side what else would I need? The thing is if I be diligent and don't procrastinate and do every little thing I do to get this degree with excellence it will be enjoyable! I like feeling on top of things, it's such a good feeling!
Anyways I was thinking though about photoshop and since I have had some extra time on my hands this quarter I have learned that when we have that time we have time to make things excellent and beautiful. Needless to say I'm realizing I am more of a graphic artist than anything and I really like that. I like what God's doing within me, he is definately the best artist of all and all my reativity comes from him. That's all I got let me just say though that God is moving in extraordinary ways here and he's only begining! If I were to even begin describing it here I could not do God justice at all cause he is so amazing and these mere words I write are pathtic at best. Til we chat at a later time.
JG

Meddling in Spiritual Things

I got the oppurtunity to buy Narnia today and I watched it for the second time and once again just like the first time I saw it, Mr C. S. Lewis spoke to me so incredibly, it was God speaking through his writing but it was incredible.

My sister stated a long time ago that C.S. Lewis knew more about God than hardly anyone else in history. I think she is probably right! He knew more about prophecy than many men knew, or he either just alllowed God to control him unaware. I won't go into all of it here, but the thing is that God is quite amazing and especially the plan that he allows us to participate in. I wonder a lot of times like Peter in the story how am I supposed to lead this army on my own. Everyone trusts me around me, but I don't trust myself, it's true. I know myself well enough to know that everyday God continues to get larger in my mind as the awarnesss of my sin grows exponentially.


I will not be attending church in the morning and on that subject I am not going to join a church! Or the common sense of church. I am going to get involved with a church on campus known as Campus Crusade for Christ. And then I have my Sunday Celebration for my worshiping through song.

Tonight I also got the chance to talk to one of the guys in my bible study who wants so passionately to follow Christ but the fact that he has only been a christian for a year dissapoints him because he wants so much more. Don't limit God he isn't, he is earnestly seeking God. My prayer for him tonight is that he would find that more that he is looking for...I think that is what all of us are looking for. We are looking for a life that will be as captivating as the story of Narnia. One full of prophecy, full of weapons, battles, sacrifice, love, passion, healing, redemption, and power. I want this world to know Christ and I am looking forward to all the stuff because I know God is going to give it to me if I ask. I desire to be a fully surrendered being. Nothing is going to stop me!

On Starbucks, Friendships, and Self Sacrifice

As I continue to develop relationships with all these guys in the hall and my future roomates I am amazed to find how little people actually know how to develop realationships with other men on a deeper level. I was having a talk with a guy last week about what has been going on in regards towards his feelings toward his roomate. The things was I was having the same problem, these two guys had trouble with wanting everything so nice that they were missing out on life. They were too busy planning things that they missed out on building deep realtionships. They were too busy wanting things for themeselves that they didn't spend time just doing nothing, enjoying life. I was thinking though that this issue is very common in our society we are so afraid to self sacrifice. So afraid to develop these deep realatioships.

My architecture class had a two hour debate on coffee yesterday and how starbucks has commercialized this beautiful italian idea of sitting and enjoying life and doing nothing. The thing is though we have made this beutiful thing stressful. You have to wait in line in the morning and deal with not being happy. On those same lines though people need people we can't be all alone all the time, we need to be with people. I got the oppurtunity last quarter to just sit and be with a friend of mine, not many words were spoken but just knowing someone is there is such a welcome relief, how many of us would really drop everything to just sit and be with a friend. I think that is real friendship where you sacrifice what you have for others laying down your life in the model of Christ for others.

I don't have many other thoughts than that but this. What would a christian community look like if we all would stop being so dang selfish and sacrifice ourselves for others behalf because Christ loved us first? I wait to see...
JG

Things are beginning to Crack

Broken earth, parched landscape
dusty wilderness, hopeless shape

The ground is for the first time being drenched
his people begin to pray, the land is fed

And it was all so cleverly orchestrated
and so beautifully executed
The plan laid out before the dawn of time
This generation, this rhythm and rhyme

a flower begins to grow reaching higher
till the fullness of beauty, from the skilled gardener

green growth, drenching rains, sadness and passing of time
clouds break, heaven sings, angels dance, tis the time

Beauty unspeakable, truth undeniable
amazing splendor, majesty indescribable

JG

Rain

I was sitting in my friend friend's room and I couldn't help having my mind drift off with the soft trickle of rain drops falling outside. I guess I have always associated rain with healing being from the dessert of Colorado.However I had never associated it with sadness but in a place where everything is supposed to be so sunny it is so sad how the past can all of the sudden bring sadness and how rain can bring back those thoughts. I'm fine but certain people around me especially that friend whose room I was in I am powerless to help him. The fault is mine.

I got the chance to lead worship in the manner that I did while I was in highschool for an evening of prayer. And I realized one thing I had never realized I am very selfish. I am very lazy. I am afraid of what God has for me. I am in sin in so many areas. The night being defvoted to prayer was an interesting thing especially having me lead worship slash set the "mood for it" because I myself had been restling with the idea of prayer since last quarter. If God knows then why pray I asked? The thing is though that is selfish because we are saying in essence we are not going to sit and listen( we put our will above Gods), and we arn't saying those things that God knows we will. I said to my mom over break prayer is for us, and perhaps God has a bigger plan than even our prayers." If only I listened to myself more often. I so often put up this facade of being hey I can talk the talk but the walk is not there. That is pride. Prayer is for us, because we are so rotten at the core,the problem is we don't give God our time. I was giving God my time last quarter but the right motivation was not there. And although that F is still going to have repercutions in the future and although I hate that I got it God has used it in weird extraordinary ways. Once again I am simply oustounded how God continues to make everything fit together so wonderfully and so not our way it's awesome!

Yet back to the rain, this sadness that seems to be stuck here with, these clouds still looms in my mind. I said that night I lead worship in one of my prayers thank you for the rain God, cause it was such a blessing to play with the trickle of rain drops and worship God through prayer. Yet how now I am so unwilling to do those things that God asks, Fri NIght I was so thankful but now I am not, because it hurts a little for me this rain cloud that seems to have positioned itself over SLO, how retarded am I. I feel like Paul gaining so much ground for God but having so much more to go. I really don't know. All I can do is trust that God is working through everything around me, he has always, I have no reason to doubt he would change his character all of the sudden. All I need do is take the time and pray and be still before God . I must listen to what he wants me to do. I must. This sadness surrounds me and it is our responsibility as christians to be so in touch with the will of God that we are acurate representations of who he was. I am ashamed how there is nothing radical anymore about the cross. It was the most radical thing in human history!

JG

Project #1 of the quarter