Just for Fun

i’m wet

/ Paul Burkhart / 2 Comments

as the title implies, at this very moment, I am soaking wet. It is currently 4:08 in the morning in Richmond, Virginia. I was sitting here all alone in my current apartment (Matt and Dan’s place, for those of you that know) when it started raining like crazy outside. Me being the romantic I am, I grabbed a lawn chair, took my Bible out there and started reading on the front porch. After finishing Proverbs 23, I, to be frank, felt led by God to spend time with Him in the rain. So, not wanting to disappoint Him, I went out. i was probably out there, in the pouring rain, all my clothes on for about 30 to 45 minutes, just pacing around the courtyard talking to God. At points I was on my knees, others I was kneeling, others bowing. He spoke to me about a lot of things, some I’ll share, others I won’t, but He just reaffirmed His prescence and authority in my life.

For those of you who have tuned in maybe to catch the last part on my series on the Godly woman and Godly man in the Bible, I am sorry to disspoint you, but I will not finish it. As I was praying to God, or rather, as God was leading me in prayer (as is generally the case), he laid on my heart a new desire. I told him: “God, I don’t want a godly woman, I don’t want a woman, I don’t want a relationship, I don’t want marriage, I don’t want a wife, I don’t want love. All I want is you.” i was reminded of the prophet Hosea, who was called by God to love and marry an adulturous wife, knowing she would be unfaithful. Now, I don’t think God is calling me to that, but I was just reminded that Hosea’s primary concern was the will of God, not his desires. I could come up with the profile of the perfect woman, but to what end? For me to seek her? No! That is using the printed words of the Bible to comfort my own lack of faith rather than following the Spirit those words were written in. All I need to do is become the man I need to be and God will form my wife into who she needs to be and he will deliver us to eachother Then, and only then, when God leads me to, I will pursue her.

My favorite passage in the Bible on a relationship is between Isaace and Rebekah in Gensis. Long story short, Isaac tells his servants to go to a neighboring town, seek out the woman that is the most self-sacrificing, and bring her back to be his wife. That is where I am. I am Issac, and God is preparing my wife until she is ready to be brought into my life by Him. In that story, when Rebekah is beign brought back to Isaac, what is Isaac doing? Is he writing blog entries about the way she needs to be? Is he getting his bed ready? Is he getting a haircut to get ready for her? No. Genesis 24:63-65 says, “Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel and said to the servant, ‘Who is that man, walking in the field to meet us?’ The servant said, ‘It is my master.’ So she took her veil and convered herself.”

From this passage you can notice a few things: First, the Hebrew word translated here as “meditate” is the word “Suwach.” Most translations have a little footnote next to it in the Bible, saying “the meaning of this word is uncertain.” This is the only place in all of Scripture that this word is used. In other words, this word is special; used only here and is ambiguous in its meaing. I’m not an expert in Hebrew, but most translations make this word mean “meditate,” so I suppose there is a way to be uncertain about a meaning but know what it generally means. In short, Isaac was purely out in the field meditating on God. The Amplified version of the bible translates the word as “bow down,” obviously towards God. Whatever this word means specifically, generally it is definitely a verb of communing, speaking, musing and meditating on the higher power above. This is what Isaac was doing as he waited for his wife. The second thing to notice, is that from whatever Isaac was doing in the field translated as “meditating” the same Hebrew word meaning “to look up” is used to describe the action of both Isaac AND Rebekah upon seeing eachother for the first time. In other words, the exact same action used by Isaac to stop his “meditating” to look towards his future wife was the exact same action taken by Rebekah upon looking towards him. This makes me think she was also meditating in some way as well. Lastly, notice that when she realized this man was to be her husband, she “took her veil and covered herself.” I believe this symbolizes how the girl should guard her heart and not expose to much of herself to her husband. More specifically, I believe there is a part of you that you should only show to your spouse once married. An intimate, spiritual, deep part that should only be shown to and seen y your spouse. I believe this is what Rebekah was doing. This veil stood as a barrier between her and her husband that remained there until the moment they were married. It was only after that, he could see all of her.

In short, I believe the first two posts on the godly woman were in fact led by God to be written, but I believe God has led me to end it where it was for whatever greater purpose He has. There is sufficient enough info for people to take the verses and do with them what they may, without my two cents of interpretation.

Man, I really did not expect to write that much on relationships, AGAIN. I suppose that is an appropriate ending to the Godly Woman According to Proverbs. Well that’s it. This post is already so long; I had so many other revelations and musings from God from this awesome night, but it woudl seem so out of place with all I’ve written so long. So . . . I guess I will just save it for another night, at another time, or rather, as God inspires me to type.

God Bless all of you always, and remember. He is God. HE is God. He IS God. He is GOD. And we have fellowship and communion with Him. Man, that’s good.

–Paul<

-P.S. in case you’re wondering, it is currently 5:09 AM

Outward thinking

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

As most people know, I am a very dangerous mixture of a person.

First of all, I am an intellectual (this list is not in order of priorities of what I identify with more, it’s just for the sake of rhetorical flow) that feeds off ideas and knowledge; what makes me an intellectual rather than a pure nerd is that the knowledge I seek, discuss, and find I actually apply it to my life and adjust my behaviors accordingly. It’s not quite just simply memorizing useless facts. This gives me the storehouse from which I can pull info to tell people certain things.

Secondly, I am a Christian, which by its very nature gives me the responsibility and burden to tell people certain things.

Thirdly, my primary spiritual gift is as a teacher, which allows me the ability to tell people these things with a certain sense of authority (only from God, of course).

Fourthly and finally, the single adjective that can describe everything about me the best is the word “passionate” which gives me the desire to tell people certain things from that storehouse of knowledge in my head that so affects how I look at the world.

In short, I talk. A lot. I think I assume that others are like me and everything they hear they apply to the “big picture” of their worldview much like someone would apply a puzzle piece to a puzzle. That ‘s how I work. Don’t assume that I’m just constantly changing opinions. No, everyone knows that I have convictions. Rather, as is the case of spiritual truths, I believe the best way to understand God is to try to step back and apply each new truth you learn in your relationship with Him to the big picture of who he is. Most people hear a good sermon on God’s justice and then they proceed to fear Him until they hear a good sermon on His grace, after which they begin to just love Him and thank Him. I think in order to worship all parts of Him, we must be able to apply all truths, and all bits of knowledge to the big picture of who He is, not just as a long list of attributes on paper.

Anyway, my point is this. I have noticed in myself a definite spike in the level of discussions I’ve been having (both in quality and quantity) with Christians on deep theological concepts. a-millenialism vs. pre-millenialism and Charismatic/Pentacostal movements vs. Cessationsts have been the biggest topics. A lot of people don’t understand why I’ve been doing this; they continue to tell me that outside of salvation, this stuff doesn’t matter. That’s true and not true.

Where it is true that saving knowledge does not require a perfectly correct set of doctrinal beliefs, as I said above, each of these things affects our worldview – the filter through we which we see/feel/do all things.

So right now I am laying it all out there for everybody:
Though I spent most my life in a pre-millenialist, cessationist church indoctrination, I have since found those things to be unbiblical and incorrect. The truth, as I see it in God’s Word of a-millenialism and the full workings of the Holy Spirit have changed my walk with God in a way that I wish everyone could experience.

Finally, I come to my point of writing all of this tonight, including the preceeding poem (actually, they’re song lyrics, but I just put some loose structure on them and called it a poem). Those two theological things have for the first time began to give me the proper view of my spiritual walk: IT’S NOT ABOUT ME!! It’s about the Kingdom of God. Used to I was driven to evangelize out of fear for my friends, now I am driven by purpose – because to evangelize the lost is the only reason why I am still here on Earth rather in Heaven with God; it is my reason for living. That’s why I entitled this post “Outward thinking.” Because that is where we must all arrive; to a place of outward thinking where God will use the “foolishness of our preaching” even in spite of being “the chief of sinners.” God’s Will will be done in this Earth, and if I am to live up to my purpose, I must give God the chance for Him to execute that Will through me.

“I just want to be able to look in the mirror again and to see your face instead.”
“I will either fail or conquer, die or live, but either way I’m yours”
God I love you so much and fear you with all my heart. Help me not to get so wrapped up into intellectualism that it substitutes for you, because nothing can adequately do that. Help me be a true Christian that doesn’t obey you to get control or leverage, but rather obeys you to get more of You. Use me and my foolishness for your purposes O God.

Amen.

–Paul<

I have kissed kissing goodbye . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / 2 Comments

Some people may have heard, others may have not, but it is true: I, Paul Burkhart, am abstaining from the act of kissing until further notice from God.

Okay, so I have been telling people that I am not going to kiss another girl until my wedding day, but every time I’ve said that, I have felt like God was kinda telling me not to phrase it that way. I have realized, rather, that God is wanting me to abstain from kissing maybe until my wedding day, maybe not, but just until further notice.

It really is getting kinda annoying all the people that just don’t believe me, or the people that will actually get IN ARGUMENTS with me over this issue. That in and of itself is kind of strange, I feel. One good friend of mine even said, “Paul, this is just crazy, you’re throwing your life away!”

So, why am I doing this? First and foremost I want to tell everyone that this is not a “right or wrong” issue with me. Jacob in the Bible kissed his wife before they were married. I don’t think it’s wrong to kiss before you’re married; thus I shan’t judge anyone Christian couple that does. I am not abstaining from kissing because I think it is wrong, dirty, or not fun. My most vivid memory from my entire life is my first kiss when I was 15. Not only is it one of the most incredible things to do, but from the feedback I’vce recieved, it is kind of a gift of my own (a little bit ‘o humor there).

There are several reasons why I am doing this; or rather, why God is telling me to do this. Because of my own struggles with lust, I have seen in myself a lack of self-control atleast mentally and in some physical situations. This is a test and exercise in self-control to refine me just that much more to be a worthy husband for my wife, conformed just that much more to the image of Christ.

Secondly, I have definitely put women on a pedestal before God, and I don’t mean “before” as in in front of Him, but rather “before” as in priorities. I think about girls, relationships, my future wife, more than I think about God. It humbles me to relaize that one of the reasons Christ never sinned was because it was simply out of character to do so because it never crossed His mind because His mind was constantly and forever on nothing else but the will of His Father, just as my thoughts should be, but are not.

Next, I really see this as a sort of fasting, except of kissing, not food. This decision has not been made in order to be held above other Christians heads, or to make me look more holy, but rather to take the focus off of worldy desires and focus completely on God, and the woman He has planned for me.

Also, I was just thinking, “if I can save my virginity until my wedding night, what is preventing me from abstaining from kissing?”

This decision also serves another big purpose that I believe God whishes to accomplish in me. If I can successfully abstain from kissing, that will pretty much eliminate the oppurtunity for me to fall into sexual sin with someone else. If you ask a Christian couple if they have kissed, then ask them if they struggle with sexual sin in their relationship, you will see more often that not that people will answer yes to both questions, or no. As Matt Robinett says, “why preheat the oven if you can’t cook the roast?” Because of the way that my life was heading, I can definitely see oppurtunities that in the next couple of months I could have taken to “hook up” with girls that I should be ministering to instead. This commitment helps maintain my witness to them and others, and keep sme from stumbling in those sins.

This will also help to keep my next relationship with a girl in a proper perspective. Inevitably, with physical manifestations of emotions, come increased emotions. The Bible says in Proverbs that “the hearts of men are wicked, and their minds decietful.” Our emotions will always lie to us, be self-serving, pleasure seeking, and not within the will of God, thus, one should not base a relationship or relationship decision on “feeling” and “emotion.” This adresses another issue that a lot of poeple have been telling me. Most people in this day and age can’t comprehend knowing how you feel about someone until you kiss them. They think that it is not until you kiss a person that suddenly your true feelings will be awakened or known to you. This just simply isn’t true.

If you think about it, what is the point of kissing in a relationship? (1)To express your feelings in a tangible physical form? (2)To foster a sense of intimacy with a person? (3)To seperate that person from everyone else because you “do more” with them than other girls? (4)To have fun? (5)To feel that little “warm fuzzy” that comes from the end of an incredible soft, deep, kiss? All of these things are completely real and necessary points of kissing – in a non-christian relationship. I will proceed to discuss each one of the numerated points above.

(1)To express your feelings in a tangible physical form
———————————————
If the head of the relationship is not love itself (God and Christ), then it makes sense you will need a shallow human mode to express your feeling; you will need to kiss to create intimacy; you will need to kiss to make some differentiation between girls; you will need to do physical things to have fun; and you will need to find other ways to evoke the “warm fuzzy.” In a Christian dating relationship, on the other hand, the two people should trust God to provide the proper emotions to the proper person at the proper time, and just have faith that it is real; they don’t need to kiss to prove their feelings, they have faith in God and one another.

(2)To foster a sense of intimacy with a person
———————————————
The very nature of sin seperates man from God and man from other people. Thus, when someone is a Christian and doesn’t have that sin, they have an intimacy with other Christians (and other people in general) that is like no other. It doesn’t need to be created and reinforced by physical or tangible things as it surpasses the comprehension of the world and the flesh. A Christian couple even more can feel this intimacy based on the single fact that they don’t have that seperating sin within them. It doesn’t surprise me that non-Christians would absolutely need this kind of behavior to create intimacy.

(3) To seperate that person from everyone else because you “do more” with them than other girls?
——————————————–
A relationship between Christians, just by very definition should be completely Christ centered and thus be different from everyone else. You won’t need to seperate this person from others because your lifestyle and behaviors will do that by themselves.

(4)To have fun
——————————————–
This has many possible points to talk about. First, from a secular perspective, according to psychologist Dr. William Glasser, “fun” is “the genetic reward for learning.” According to him, it is a natural by-product of learning something. If that is true, what are you learning from kissing? The shape of their mouth? Secondly, from a Christian perspective, “fun” is merely a human construct for the feeling one recieves when something is done for the sole gratification of oneself. This goes against not only the very nature of God, but also the common sense of a successful relationship. A relationship is built on self-sacrifice, not self-gratification. Not that a relationship shouldn’t be fun. I really believe that a relationship needs to be that way to survive; I’m just saying that as Christians, our definition of “fun” should be modified into something deeper than the feeling experienced when one makes out with someone. (See response to #5 below for further expoundation [is that a word?])

(5)To feel that little “warm fuzzy”
——————————————-
Lastly, “warm fuzzies” are just special kinds of emotions that can change with the wind just as much as anything else. (one hearkens back to the Proverbs verse: “the hearts of men are wicked and their minds deceitful”) We should trust God can and will give us God-granted and God-willed emotions. These are the only true, real, pure, and long-lasting emotions worth trusting in and enjoying. Fun also applies to this as well.

Okay, so there you have it. My decision and some of my reasons why. I am so in love with my furture wife, not only do I want to save as much for her that I can give as much to her, but part of that I know entails me become a man completely focused on God in everything I do apart from my wife as well. Bottom line: this is what God has called me to right now. It may change in a week, when a meet a girl, or get engaged, but right now, God has called me to do this, so I shall.

On a side note, it’s really not like I have a bunch of girls to kiss or anything. I really haven’t kissed that many girls (compared to the world’s standards)and I don’t want anyone to think that I have this crazy past that God is delivering me from; it’s not like that at all.

Anyway, I suppose that’s it. Please pray for me, for I know that Satan is going to throw a lot of chances all of a sudden for me to fall. Whoever my future wife is, I love you. God, I love you more.

God Bless,
— Paul<

God is good; all the time. And all the time . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

Last night Mike on my floor got saved!!!!

I have been taking him to a lot of church functions, talking to him, and praying for him for a while now. He has had the desire and belief in God all his life, but had never turly made that real decision to make Jesus his Lord and accepting his salvation. I’m still working with him and discipling him, but he better know that this is only the beginning of a long, awesome, difficult journey.

Last night, God really hit me and showed me his glory in a new way. It was so invigorating!! Part of me thinks I got more out of Mike’s salvation experience than he did (though I know not).

Also last night, my IV Small Group had one of the most incredible testominoy and prayer meetings ever. I mean, there was SO MUCH PRAYER!!! In the words of my fellow Harvest Renewers “It WAS GOOD!” It is so amazing that there are groups of guys that without their parents forcing them are coming out tp prayer for their fellow men of Christ. It gives me hope for the future that this next generation of men will actually be able to please women and treat them the way they are meant to and actually be successful in making them happy and raising Godly men. These guys are so awesome and incredible! I get so lifted up and encouraged by them. It is the way the family of God should actually be. They will rebuke me, praise me (or rather God’s ability to be expressed through me), lift me up, teach me, and allow me to do the same for them.

Speaking of, tomorrow I am sending in my application to join the Intervaristy Leadership staff. I am planning to apply to the positions of Small Group Leader and Praise team member. I am so excited about the Small Group Leader position. I hopefully will be paired up with my awesome brother in Christ Matt Robinett (also a fellow Harvest Renewer). The Praise Team position I am kind of nervous about, though. Admittedly, from singing a lot more in my car, just this past week, that wall that had been before my voice and making it not very powerful or not sounding very good was broken. Now I can sing again; but I’ve always been nervous singing. That’s why I want to play lead guitar in the praise band like I used to do back home, rather than singing. Unfortunately (though I feel God leading me to this), I am being told that all of our male voices will be gone next year, leaving me to have to fill the vocal spot rather than the guitar spot. That’s nerve racking, to say the least, but I keep being reminded that just as God is glorified in the folly of our words (1 Corinthians 1), he will also be glorified through the folly of my pitch and vocal quality. Whatever needs to be done to glorify God and expand His Kingdom. I feel like this is only the first glorious step on my new journey with Christ. It really feels like I am stepping through a door. Kinda like Dorothy stepping out of the black and white and entering the new world of the color. In the past several months I have had my view of God reformed, reshaped, and added upon, so that I have a new image of the God I worship. I really feel like this new world I am stepping into is the one that I am now meant to apply these new truths and perspectives. GOD IS SO INCREDIBLE!!!! He really is. He is a living God. Real, breathing, dynamic and real to every true believer; constantly showing and revealing himself to me NOT so I can just sit there and say “oh, that’s neat” but rather to go out and use the new perspective to glorify God by expanding His Kingdom by bringing as many people as I can to a faith in Christ.

Okay . . . I am just going to put the pulpit away right now. I’ll have plenty of time to do that later.

Anyway, I am going. Sorry for the lack of update to the Bible sites. That is changing. Pray for me and my family always, but things are changing and coming back to the way they are supposed to be.

God be glorified and lifted up.

Last piece of advice to everyone out there: Don’t fight it; just do as you’re told; Go and make disciples of all nations, okay?

— Paul<

singleness revised . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / 1 Comment

My campus minister read my previous post and had some really good thoughts that actually changed a lot of the way I look at this topic.
He said…
——————————————————–
Hmmmm…

Interesting thoughts. You bring up many points worthy of discussion (unfortunately, typing on a computer doesn’t constitute a conversation, so I will simply make some comments… my two cents, if you will).

I would argue that God’s pronouncement that man not having a “helper fit for him” was “not good” does not necessitate that Adam felt any “need” for a companion (or that he was lonely, sad, or any other related emotion). The text is silent as to the emotional state of Adam. I think it safe to assume that Adam had no emotional response for having no helper fit for him (or, at the very least, his emotion response was inconsequential… if it were not, surly mention would have been made of it). From a strictly logical standpoint, how can one miss (or yearn for) what he as never known. In other words, how can Adam desire a woman (wife) when woman didn’t exist? However, if by chance Adam was “feeling alone”, it seems unlikely (and against the nature of a Sovereign God) that He looked at Adam and saw him upset about being alone and this in turn caused God to say, “I guess it is not good what I made… Adam is clearly alone and he needs me to make him a helper.” If God is simply reactionary to our emotions (more specifically, the emotions of the first man) I believe this belittles God supremacy and places man at the center of all things (A place he was not created to occupy – ref. Romans 11.36). I think the safest exposition here is that God’s declaration of man being alone was just that, a declaration.

(ok.. I just had like an hour long interruption, so I have basically lost my train of thought… must go read again)

In paragraph 2 there seems to be a pre-supposition that singleness = pain. While I can easily remember the desire to find “the one” when I was single, I definitely do not think that singleness should be considered painful (Paul… uh, the apostle, obviously thought that being single was pretty great – ref. 1 Corinthians 7.7).

QUOTE: but rather only in looking towards God and seeking Him can we find the person that can fill that void. — While I don’t think there is a void, I do really like this point and believe it applicable to all areas of life (ref – Matthew 6.33).

So, the 20 million dollar question from the third to last paragraph is, “if the next girl you date is not going to be your wife… why date her?” :o) I couldn’t resist. the real question is what is the purpose of dating? In “the church” there are so many opinions and terms in relation to dating and courtship… I consider it most critical that all single men and women examine his or her approach to relationships and truly seek to come to what they believe is God’s plan. Society has really messed things up and I think it is time for our generation to regain a proper approach to relationships and end this culture of divorce that prevails everywhere.

QUOTE: As long as I seek His will, everything else will fall into place.

— “Amen”

Well, I’m going home. Thanks for making me think.

_ryan

“The unexamined life is not worth living.”

~socrates

—————————————————-
I think he is absolutely right, actually. Usually I’m not so easily swayed in these kind of things, but after reading his response, I couldn’t help but rethink things. I guess that’s why he’s the discipler and I’m the disciplee. Though I would argue the purpose of dating to be to get to know people, learn the dynamics of relationships, help you learn how to relate to others of the opposite sex, and so on; I totally think that modern society has distorted its function and form. Personally, I’m more of a fan of the courting method, but seeing as it’s hard to find others that agree, I think the same goals can be served through dating if done correctly with God as the center of the relationship. I know there are exceptions to every rule, and my campus minister is an example of that. The story of how him and his wife got together is amazing, and I am persoanlly aiming for that kind of relationship with someone, completely grounded and founded in friendship, selfless love, and Christ as the head. Other than the dating point, I totally agree with Ryan. Having someone romantically in your life should not be necessary to effectively serve God. In fact, many times (as Ryan points out about Paul, the apostle) being single is exactly what God calls people to be because you can better serve God in that capacity. Ryan told me one of the most amazing things the other day as we left lunch at Chipotle (yeah baby!). I told him about the loneliness I was feeling and that I was such a hopeless romantic I had all this “romanticism” built up inside of me (not sexual tension, mind you) and I really wanted someone I cared about so I could just shower them with this. He asked me to consider what that meant. What did it mean to “shower someone” with that? Inevitably, I realized, the outworking of those feelings would eventually become a physical manifestation of them, which would cause the inevitable physical complications found in most relationsips that I, admittedly, thought I was above by now. This made me praise God that He has in fact kept me from a relationship in the past few years that would become prey to the same complications that evey “normal” and secualr relationship falls to. Even as I write this, dating, or rather, serious relationships, or seeming more and more useless and in fact harmful to my Christian walk. I want to thank Ryan for saying that and making realize that even that romance I should be saving for my future wife, not just the physical manifestations thereof, and want to thank God that he has kept me pure thus far, and will continue to do so for my future wife, whoever she may be. So, whoever she will be, I love you, and just know that all this is being done, said, and worked out in me so that I can give you the most of me that I can.

God Bless, everyone,

— Paul <

here I go . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

I’m sitting in my office chair after my shower and preparing to go to my very first class of my second semester in college. Wish me luck.

Anyway, last night I set up two new blogs of mine. They are both God-inspired, independent Bible studies I am doing on my own with the help of some historical info and the Holy Spirit. It’s going to be good. I am going to use them to post daily bible studies in. Right now, I am working on posting a study on the book of 1 John, and there is a site on the book of Hebrews I am about to start. Also I’m tossing around the idea of posting the daily devotional by Oswald Chambers, “My Utmost For His Highest” in another blog. That would be awesome. In fact, that may be up before day’s end. Well, anyway, check out the Bible studies, mainly the one on 1 John. Here are the sites:

1 John Bible study:

http://www.BookOf1John.wordpress.com

Hebrews Bible study:

http://www.BookOfHebrews.wordpress.com

God Bless and have a wonderful day . . .

— Paul <

Semester numero dos . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / 1 Comment

Well, I’m back at school now. I couldn’t access the blog during the entire break, which really annoyed me, especially because I needed to remove that last post (don’t ask!). My first night was perfect. Church and then Phantom of the Opera. Talk about heavenly. Everyone must see that movie, it is amazing! As of tonight, I’ve seen it five times. That’s more than I’ve ever seen a single movie in theaters before. Enough talk of that.

For all the Christians out there: Really pray for my academics this year. I’m taking 17.5 hours of classes and they’re are all so random, they are so going to screw up my head. Let’s see . . . I’m taking a religious studies class, psychology class, criminal justice class, latin class, english class, and an honors module. The hardest thing is that these are all upperclassman classes. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into! I always seem to get in over my head a lot.

Well, it’s 3:30 in the morning right now, and I wanted to go to pray at Harvest Renewal church at 7:30, so I should probably go . . . . yeah, it was great talking to you . . . oh, thanks, but really, you were the better listener . . . no, really . . . well, okay, if you insist . . . thank you . . . okay, bye bye . . . you too . . . sweet dreams . . . bye.

I am such a dork

*click*

God . . . again . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

ha-ha! I am back in the work force!

My previous job (that I still lost) was selling tickets to school groups that wanted to see the plays that my company (Theatre IV) was putting on in various parts of the east side of the country. These plays are put on by our groups of touring actors at various theatre venues that we rent out. Okay, so anyway, I lost that job.

Theatre IV is connected to those touring shows, shows that happen here in Richmond just down Broad Street in the beautiful, historic, Empire Theatre, and shows that happen down in Willow Lawn Shopping Center at Barksdale Theatre. In other words, all those things are connected under the same company.

The founders of the company, Phil Whiteway and Bruce Miller, work in my office building so I see them a lot.

Needless to say, I have come out very much on their good side, and that’s a good thing, for both of them were voted two of the 100 most influential people in Richmond. I had one talk with Phil, and he set me up with an interview and praise with Sarah who works with Barksdale Theatre. Because of his praise, she said when I walked in the interview: “This isn’t going to be a normal interview. If Phil says you’re good, then you’re good, so I’m just going to ask you for your availibility.” So I have a job to come back to after break. Actually, two jobs.

My biggest job is my new position as the “House Manager” of Barksdale Theatre, one of, it not the most high brow professional theatre here in Richmond. Also, I am going to be working the box office for Empire Theatre.

I’m telling you, when God puts a peace in your heart where you feel like everything is going to be okay, he means it. I had that peace from the beginning as my post only two days ago showed. And look at all he’s done. This is a huge step fpr me professionally. The House Manager job itself has so much responsibility, it’s crazy they’re letting a Freshman college student do it.

Anyway, to anyone that prayed for me, thank you so much. It helped.

God Bless,

— Paul<

life . . . again . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / Leave a comment

well, today I lost my job. I work a work study job here off campus. When the initial paperwork went thrugh, VCU told my employer I was availible for it. Now it says I never was. Thus, I have no job starting next semester. Sure it’s a bummer, but this does a lot for me:

1- It clears my day time schedule so I can take better classes I need.

2- Doing the first thing will clear my nights so I can do some plays around town and actually go to rehearsals.

3- It gives me the oppurtinity to find another job that could further my career.

4- It will help my life slow down and be less stressful.

5- It gives me the possibility to do things around the theatre on weekends that will actually give me something to do.

6- It gives me the chance to start actually utilizing great connections I have made here

7- Most importantly, though, it gives me a situation where I can do nothing else but surrender to God, and see him work. Though I’ve spent the first few months of school kind of distant to God, as I get close to Him again, I welcome this chance to see him work completely and fully in my life to do as he wishes. I pray that God be seen through this situation, and I pray that I don’t get discouraged as my search for a job may yield few fruits.

If my understanding of, and faith in, Christ is to increase, these situations must be necessary in my life, to help me grow stronger and closer to God. They’re the only way. If life was perfect all the time, what little faith we would need of God! What little chance would we get to delight in Him! To glorify Him!

Even though I seem cheery, it’s only because deep inside my soul I feel a sense of comfort andsecurity that everything will be okay. That’s not to imply that the very human side of me doesn’t want to just sit around and depress. It does. It really does. This post, though, is more for me than anyone who reads it. It’s my therapy- my way of trying to see the possibilities of God, because sometimes life gets so crazy it’s hard to. I’m not a completely unfeeling human being who has there head in the clouds and thinks he never goes through tribulation, because I do, and this is that; but just as God commands me to do, I will “Take heart” and see God’s hand in it. Just as Pastor Robert said last night. “God is so much bigger than us. He moves entire empires and rulers for his purposes. Why do we worry about the small things of life. God is most glorified, when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Amen.

God my I glorify you, by becoming saisfied in you.

— Paul <

some great quotes . . .

/ Paul Burkhart / 1 Comment

I’m reading this book right now called “Desiring God” by John Piper. I just really started today and it has some incredible things to say. It’s basic thesis is that the pleasure we receive when we glorify God, is glorifying God. In other words, it is our duty and responsibility to take as much delight and pleasure in God, because that is what truly glorifies him in the end. It’s a concept called Christian Hedonism. It is full of amazing quotes and I’m just going to insert those quotes into this blog whenever I reach one to share them with the world!!

Quote from C.S. Lewis’ sermon “The Weight of Glory”:

“Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering anture of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”