A Man is Only as Strong as his Coffee

Tonight, as I sit on my couch scrolling on social-media, I realize how much I am becoming like one of my heroes. I look down and realize that not only do I act like Him, dream like Him, and even get frantically nervous like him, but I take my coffee black with a small spoonful of sugar,

 JUST. LIKE. HIM.

On a normal occasion, this wouldn't even come to mind, the coffee isn't that big of a deal. But, as I am frantically nervous while I dream about my future, one person comes to mind:

My hero.

When the word hero comes to mind, what do you think about? Honestly, 99% of the time, I think about Captain America. Lame, I know. But, you can't forget about the real heroes. You know, those heroes whose only script is scripture. Those are the real heroes, who don't just save our physical lives, but our spiritual lives too. No matter how far you fall, they never cease to amaze you with their grace and mercy. When all else fails, they don't.

I miss my hero, 2,600 miles away, I can't pour him a cup of coffee or sit under his teachings. But one thing keeps my heart happy. He is living in the will of God and serving his purpose in Ecuador.

 I love you Robert! I can't wait 'til y'all come home!

114 Days

I'm counting down the days, July 15, 2016. 114 days to be exact. As the fear sets in, so does the peace. I realize that nothing is wasted, everything counts, every second, every penny, every prayer. Months and months of hard work is about to pay off. Looking back, every toilet scrubbed, every horse trough cleaned, every screaming child/puppy, every spotless house, it was worth it. All of the work seems small in contrast to the big picture, this is just a piece of my puzzle.

I'm nervous beyond measure, so many things could go wrong. 

I've never been on a plane before, this is my first mission trip. What if I get scared? What if I get sick? What if my spleen explodes? What if this turns into a bad episode of Grey's Anatomy?!?

Anything could happen. 

One of my Pastors, Laura Powell, once told my family something that changed the way we thought (and prayed) about missions forever:

"Nowhere on Earth is safer than in the will of God."

If we're standing in the will of God, He will protect us. We have to trust Him, He has a plan. And no matter how much we worry, His promises are true.

I'm excited beyond measure, so many things could go right.

I've never been on a plane before, this is my first mission trip.

What if I find confidence? What if I find healing?

What if I have the chance to witness to someone on the plane?

What if somebody's life is changed forever?

Anything could happen.