- God, and everything He has done for me throughout my life. I might not have a whole lot, but I have what is most important!
- An awesome family that I can always count on for support and love.
- The most amazing best friend ever, who's always there for me when I need a buddy
- All of my other great friends that make life worth living
- All of my church family, who pray for me and bring a smile to my face
- Auburn University, and the opportunity to get a great education at a great institution
- My Auburn family, War Eagle!
and lots of other stuff, too =)
I love you guys, Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Some (just a few!) Truths. Hallelujah!
1. Look to Jesus, and you'll find all the joy you could ever possibly want. (Philippians 4:11-13)
2. Love God, trust in Him, praise Him, thank Him, listen to Him, share your defeats with Him, and he just might surprise you when you start feeling like it is all for naught. (Psalm 4:1-8)
3. When you love God, you feel God's immense love for YOU, and you have this sudden urge to love everyone you come in contact with. (1 John 5:1-3)
4. When you love God, you will want to change your life. (Psalm 119:9-16)
5. Friends and family are a direct gift from God and one of the many ways He chooses to express His love to you (and certainly one of the easiest ways for us to feel it!). (John 15:12-15)
6. I have the best friends any guy could ever, ever ask for. I love you guys so much!!!!!! And my closest buddies are such a wonderful support for my weaknesses. (1 Samuel 18:1-4)
Yea, I had a great day! Definitely felt the arms of Daddy reaching down to hold me today!
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen!"
2. Love God, trust in Him, praise Him, thank Him, listen to Him, share your defeats with Him, and he just might surprise you when you start feeling like it is all for naught. (Psalm 4:1-8)
3. When you love God, you feel God's immense love for YOU, and you have this sudden urge to love everyone you come in contact with. (1 John 5:1-3)
4. When you love God, you will want to change your life. (Psalm 119:9-16)
5. Friends and family are a direct gift from God and one of the many ways He chooses to express His love to you (and certainly one of the easiest ways for us to feel it!). (John 15:12-15)
6. I have the best friends any guy could ever, ever ask for. I love you guys so much!!!!!! And my closest buddies are such a wonderful support for my weaknesses. (1 Samuel 18:1-4)
Yea, I had a great day! Definitely felt the arms of Daddy reaching down to hold me today!
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen!"
Sunday, June 14, 2009
An amazing moment
So this happened forever ago, but I thought I would make a post about it to preserve it in case I should forget (though I highly doubt I ever will!)
Back in March, during Spring Break, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Port St. Joe, Florida with my church in Opelika. During the course of the trip, we did a number of different things for the community, including construction, painting, cleaning, community outreach, among others.
One clear night, I decided to go down to the beach to stargaze and hear the calm waves of the ocean flow up onto the sand. I was quite happy to see that the cross we set up at the worship service that evening was still out there! I decided to go sit under it, and there I prayed and gave thanks to my Father and my Savior. The experience was totally overwhelming! I looked up at the sky and saw the millions of bright stars strewn out about the universe, God's own doing. It was as though I was looking upon the face of God Himself! Sitting under the cross, a symbol of my Savior's death that freed my life, while looking up in awe at God's amazing Creation is an experience that cannot be described in words. At that moment, I KNEW that my God whom I pray to and worship and try to follow is REAL, without a speck of doubt in my whole being. None of that is in vain. He is watching and he sees my heart and he knows my struggles and triumphs. He knows what I do for Him and when I forsake Him. He sees this, and although my heart and flesh consistently fail He still chooses to love me and give me more chances than anyone deserves. What a great Father!
It was a chilly night, but I didn't care. I was so overwhelmed with passion that I couldn't help but sing love and praises to my Lord and thank Him for all He does in my life and the life of my loved ones. I may not have a lot, but I have so much love in my life that I need nothing else--I have God, I have Jesus, I have the Holy Spirit. I have my family and my friends. I love the life the Lord has given me!
God bless!
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love for among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:7-9
Back in March, during Spring Break, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Port St. Joe, Florida with my church in Opelika. During the course of the trip, we did a number of different things for the community, including construction, painting, cleaning, community outreach, among others.
One clear night, I decided to go down to the beach to stargaze and hear the calm waves of the ocean flow up onto the sand. I was quite happy to see that the cross we set up at the worship service that evening was still out there! I decided to go sit under it, and there I prayed and gave thanks to my Father and my Savior. The experience was totally overwhelming! I looked up at the sky and saw the millions of bright stars strewn out about the universe, God's own doing. It was as though I was looking upon the face of God Himself! Sitting under the cross, a symbol of my Savior's death that freed my life, while looking up in awe at God's amazing Creation is an experience that cannot be described in words. At that moment, I KNEW that my God whom I pray to and worship and try to follow is REAL, without a speck of doubt in my whole being. None of that is in vain. He is watching and he sees my heart and he knows my struggles and triumphs. He knows what I do for Him and when I forsake Him. He sees this, and although my heart and flesh consistently fail He still chooses to love me and give me more chances than anyone deserves. What a great Father!
It was a chilly night, but I didn't care. I was so overwhelmed with passion that I couldn't help but sing love and praises to my Lord and thank Him for all He does in my life and the life of my loved ones. I may not have a lot, but I have so much love in my life that I need nothing else--I have God, I have Jesus, I have the Holy Spirit. I have my family and my friends. I love the life the Lord has given me!
God bless!
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed His love for among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:7-9
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Jesus has overcome, and the grave is overwhelmed!
"They saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen!"
"He became sin, who knew no sin, that we might become His righteousness. He humbled Himself, and carried the cross. Love so amazing, love so amazing!
Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel. The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven; Jesus Messiah, Lord of All!
His body the bread, his blood the wine, broken and poured out all for love. The whole Earth trembled, and the veil was torn! Love so amazing, love so amazing!
Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel. The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven; Jesus Messiah, Lord of All!
All our hope is in You, all our hope is in You. All the glory to you, God, the Light of the world!
Jesus Messiah, name above all names, blessed redeemer, Emmanuel. The rescue for sinners, the ransom from heaven; Jesus Messiah, Lord of All!
May God bless you all! I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter Sunday, and keep in mind the real reason for the holiday--Jesus died for YOU and ME, that we may be righteous and know God! The greatest love story ever told, and the greatest love we will ever know! God sends His very own Son down to us, to love us and set the greatest example for all of humanity.
"We are His portion, and He is our prize, brought to redemption by the grace in His eyes; if grace is an ocean, we're all sinking. So Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss, and my heart beats violently inside of my chest. I don't have time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves us, oh how He LOVES us!"
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Most Beautiful Thing
Wednesday night, I witnessed the most beautiful thing I have probably yet seen in my entire life. It may have been business as usual, ordinary, totally normal to others. But, to me, it was extraordinary, touching, intimate, powerful, and wholly incredible. I cherish every memory I have of church, but this one will surely stay at the forefront for some time to come.
It had been a long, frustrating day of school. Stress over homework, essays, tests, interviews, and labs was abound, and 8 o’clock could not come too quickly. It finally comes, and I am almost giddy. I walk into church, into the love and support of my fellow men and women, and feel relaxed. When the time comes for worship, our college minister Trace speaks to us, and beckons us to “be real”. To worship how we see fit, whether it be through prayer, shouting with our hands raised, crying in the floor, singing praise or just soaking up the atmosphere. And what can I say other than this is the most real worship I have been a part of.
I choose prayer. But naturally I take a moment to look around the room and witness what the others are doing. And what I see is absolutely awesome. I look to my right and see my best friend totally immersed in prayer. I look up and see some standing and singing to the Lord; others are lying down humbling themselves. It is not the usual “stand as we give praise to our Lord,” or a worship band playing while we talk amongst ourselves and text on our phones. No, this is entirely real.
What I saw that night was a group of different people, whose struggles and inner feelings are largely unknown to me, completely engaged in their personal form of worship. These people were truly worshipping, talking to God and thanking Him and just totally submitting themselves. I felt God in that room like I rarely have in any other church service.
Something about seeing these people, whom I love, totally occupied and focused on God alone was truly beautiful, and it caused my heart to just swell with good feelings. Most of these people I have not even met, or have met only recently, but to see them all gather and just worship so wholly real was amazing and brought a warm peace and a complete assurance to my heart that my God is real, and He was definitely with us that night. It was a perfect beginning to an amazingly convicting and heart-wrenching service.
It had been a long, frustrating day of school. Stress over homework, essays, tests, interviews, and labs was abound, and 8 o’clock could not come too quickly. It finally comes, and I am almost giddy. I walk into church, into the love and support of my fellow men and women, and feel relaxed. When the time comes for worship, our college minister Trace speaks to us, and beckons us to “be real”. To worship how we see fit, whether it be through prayer, shouting with our hands raised, crying in the floor, singing praise or just soaking up the atmosphere. And what can I say other than this is the most real worship I have been a part of.
I choose prayer. But naturally I take a moment to look around the room and witness what the others are doing. And what I see is absolutely awesome. I look to my right and see my best friend totally immersed in prayer. I look up and see some standing and singing to the Lord; others are lying down humbling themselves. It is not the usual “stand as we give praise to our Lord,” or a worship band playing while we talk amongst ourselves and text on our phones. No, this is entirely real.
What I saw that night was a group of different people, whose struggles and inner feelings are largely unknown to me, completely engaged in their personal form of worship. These people were truly worshipping, talking to God and thanking Him and just totally submitting themselves. I felt God in that room like I rarely have in any other church service.
Something about seeing these people, whom I love, totally occupied and focused on God alone was truly beautiful, and it caused my heart to just swell with good feelings. Most of these people I have not even met, or have met only recently, but to see them all gather and just worship so wholly real was amazing and brought a warm peace and a complete assurance to my heart that my God is real, and He was definitely with us that night. It was a perfect beginning to an amazingly convicting and heart-wrenching service.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Escaping what the world says a "real" man is
For living in a so-called “male dominated society,” a claim that I don’t necessarily find true and certainly don’t agree with, we men sure do put quite a few intriguing restrictions upon ourselves.
A man is a son, a brother, a friend, a father, a husband, and a servant, among other things. A woman is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a mother, a wife, and a servant. Essentially, both men and women play similar roles during their lifetimes; despite obvious physiological differences, men and women must both be prepared to handle a great number of problems the world will throw at them. Contrary to popular opinion, I believe men and women alike are equally equipped to handle these problems.
That being said, let me state and explain my feelings. Men, although seen as being dominant in society, place restrictions upon themselves in keeping with the popular image and belief of what a man is “supposed” to be. According to today’s world, a real man is tough, rugged, entirely emotionally secure, independent, and rarely subservient to others without material compensation. If these values were upheld entirely, we men would be denying ourselves the very nature God intended for us. Humans are relational beings; take us apart from our friends and family, and we would be lost. We would feel little inspiration to be productive, would find few reasons to fight on, and would generally experience a confusing and painful existence. So why is it that men are often hesitant to open up to their friends, particularly other men? To tell them that they love them, thank them for their support, embrace them, share their fears and hopes and dreams? Take these verses from 1 Samuel: “1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” There is an example of two men whom genuinely love each other and are willing to do anything for the other. In Jonathan’s case, this meant defying his father for David’s safety and the sake of the covenant they had made with each other.
The world’s standards today keep us from being the men we should be. We often aren’t the fathers, brothers, sons, friends, husbands, and servants we should be because society’s image of men doesn’t match the Bible’s description. Men in the Bible were indeed tough, but they were also very caring and emotional. For the best proof, look no further than the greatest man to ever walk the Earth, Jesus himself. Jesus loved and served like no other; of course, being God on Earth, He made no mistakes and we humans are not deserving of such a standard. However, men (me included) could certainly use a good long look at the life and acts of Jesus. He lowered himself below the men around him, washing the feet of his disciples in an act of service. We think “why would He lower himself?” as if His actions are surprising. Simply, He gave us a standard to live by, and an example to follow. He helped those the world condemned, and loved those people who needed love most. He didn’t deny love for any reason, and gave His love to anyone who was willing to receive it.
If men would forget about what the world wants us to be and focus on what Jesus demonstrated for us, I believe we would experience a much more fulfilling life and drastically improve the world around us. Why should we feel pressured to conform to the world’s standards? Men don’t always need to be the fastest, the strongest, the best, the most independent, get the “hottest” girl, beat their friends in everything. It isn’t about the competition. Tell your friends you love them, regardless of whether they are male or female. Who cares what the world tells you? I was browsing a group on Facebook about Tim Tebow (yea, I’m a fan). One group was very negative saying he was a “faggot” due to his open displays of emotion. What is wrong with showing your emotions? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a man crying or making an emotional speech or sharing his feelings with his friends. We’re relational beings, and that is what we do, so there is no need to keep things bottled up just because society points and laughs. Ignore the laughter, and be who you truly are. Don’t be afraid to admit your weaknesses and love your friends and family just because the majority of society is too insecure to handle it.
Love your parents, love your friends, love your siblings, love your sons and daughters, love your spouse, love your fellow men and women. Love them as Jesus did; serve them, embrace them, cherish them, help them, be honest with them. Don’t be who the world says you should be, but strive to be who God wishes you to be. So don’t be afraid to show and tell your loved ones just how much you love them; you never know when they’ll be gone, and not sharing your feelings with them is a regret you don’t want to feel. Don’t be concerned with the strange looks the world may give you, but be secure in your relationships and share your love with those you love.
Of course, I am not saying that I am perfect. I just felt like getting my feelings out about this. Having a few really close friends, some on a spiritual level as well, I just have a lot of love to express, and sometimes get discouraged that the world often looks down on and laughs at love of all kinds. I'm trying to just ignore what society says and trying to figure out what God is saying, and learning slowly but surely how to follow Him and do His will. I hope this little essay is consistent with what God wants men to be. I dunno =) At any rate, I love all of my friends very much, and I'm always here for you, for anything at all =) You guys are always in my prayers!
Jared Miller
PS: Always leave your loved ones with well wishes, because it just may be the last time you’ll see them.
A man is a son, a brother, a friend, a father, a husband, and a servant, among other things. A woman is a daughter, a sister, a friend, a mother, a wife, and a servant. Essentially, both men and women play similar roles during their lifetimes; despite obvious physiological differences, men and women must both be prepared to handle a great number of problems the world will throw at them. Contrary to popular opinion, I believe men and women alike are equally equipped to handle these problems.
That being said, let me state and explain my feelings. Men, although seen as being dominant in society, place restrictions upon themselves in keeping with the popular image and belief of what a man is “supposed” to be. According to today’s world, a real man is tough, rugged, entirely emotionally secure, independent, and rarely subservient to others without material compensation. If these values were upheld entirely, we men would be denying ourselves the very nature God intended for us. Humans are relational beings; take us apart from our friends and family, and we would be lost. We would feel little inspiration to be productive, would find few reasons to fight on, and would generally experience a confusing and painful existence. So why is it that men are often hesitant to open up to their friends, particularly other men? To tell them that they love them, thank them for their support, embrace them, share their fears and hopes and dreams? Take these verses from 1 Samuel: “1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.” There is an example of two men whom genuinely love each other and are willing to do anything for the other. In Jonathan’s case, this meant defying his father for David’s safety and the sake of the covenant they had made with each other.
The world’s standards today keep us from being the men we should be. We often aren’t the fathers, brothers, sons, friends, husbands, and servants we should be because society’s image of men doesn’t match the Bible’s description. Men in the Bible were indeed tough, but they were also very caring and emotional. For the best proof, look no further than the greatest man to ever walk the Earth, Jesus himself. Jesus loved and served like no other; of course, being God on Earth, He made no mistakes and we humans are not deserving of such a standard. However, men (me included) could certainly use a good long look at the life and acts of Jesus. He lowered himself below the men around him, washing the feet of his disciples in an act of service. We think “why would He lower himself?” as if His actions are surprising. Simply, He gave us a standard to live by, and an example to follow. He helped those the world condemned, and loved those people who needed love most. He didn’t deny love for any reason, and gave His love to anyone who was willing to receive it.
If men would forget about what the world wants us to be and focus on what Jesus demonstrated for us, I believe we would experience a much more fulfilling life and drastically improve the world around us. Why should we feel pressured to conform to the world’s standards? Men don’t always need to be the fastest, the strongest, the best, the most independent, get the “hottest” girl, beat their friends in everything. It isn’t about the competition. Tell your friends you love them, regardless of whether they are male or female. Who cares what the world tells you? I was browsing a group on Facebook about Tim Tebow (yea, I’m a fan). One group was very negative saying he was a “faggot” due to his open displays of emotion. What is wrong with showing your emotions? There is absolutely nothing wrong with a man crying or making an emotional speech or sharing his feelings with his friends. We’re relational beings, and that is what we do, so there is no need to keep things bottled up just because society points and laughs. Ignore the laughter, and be who you truly are. Don’t be afraid to admit your weaknesses and love your friends and family just because the majority of society is too insecure to handle it.
Love your parents, love your friends, love your siblings, love your sons and daughters, love your spouse, love your fellow men and women. Love them as Jesus did; serve them, embrace them, cherish them, help them, be honest with them. Don’t be who the world says you should be, but strive to be who God wishes you to be. So don’t be afraid to show and tell your loved ones just how much you love them; you never know when they’ll be gone, and not sharing your feelings with them is a regret you don’t want to feel. Don’t be concerned with the strange looks the world may give you, but be secure in your relationships and share your love with those you love.
Of course, I am not saying that I am perfect. I just felt like getting my feelings out about this. Having a few really close friends, some on a spiritual level as well, I just have a lot of love to express, and sometimes get discouraged that the world often looks down on and laughs at love of all kinds. I'm trying to just ignore what society says and trying to figure out what God is saying, and learning slowly but surely how to follow Him and do His will. I hope this little essay is consistent with what God wants men to be. I dunno =) At any rate, I love all of my friends very much, and I'm always here for you, for anything at all =) You guys are always in my prayers!
Jared Miller
PS: Always leave your loved ones with well wishes, because it just may be the last time you’ll see them.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The greatest inspiration I've ever felt
Monday night, before coming to Auburn the next morning, I had an amazing night. Between hanging out with Michael and talking, reading about a hundred pages of Do Hard Things, and listening to Casting Crowns, I just felt incredibly inspired! I felt as though God Himself was there in the room with me, hugging me tightly and saying "I love you, and I'll always be with you." After that moment, I felt all of my fears and worries leave me and I felt the strength and will to change my life and be a better person. There is no other feeling like it in the world. I could describe it forever and still never quite capture it adequately in words! It was so exciting, and I was up for hours praying and praising, asking for forgiveness and feeling strengths I had never felt before.
Anyway, it was simply the most amazing feeling that I have ever felt, and I am really excited to follow the new ideas and strengths I was given Monday night!
Anyway, it was simply the most amazing feeling that I have ever felt, and I am really excited to follow the new ideas and strengths I was given Monday night!
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