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It’s official. I’m now on countdown to Spring Break. The only things standing in my way are days of school, two tests, a couple of quizzes, and one engineering project. Speaking of trips, I have been meaning to recap the trip I took last weekend, but I have had some just starting it. Anyway, let me quickly fill you in on all the recent events from the past two weeks. I was turned down from Ozark today, but it didn’t matter because Kanakuk offered me a job for the third term. I don’t remember who strongly encouraged me to apply to Kanakuk in the first place, and also don’t remember the circumstances that made me apply (I believe I wasn’t going to apply until someone talked me into to it). From July 18 to August 15, I will be the counselor for two groups of 7-11.5 year old kids for two different two-week periods. When I get back, I have one day to do laundry, repack and head off to A&M for Impact. Our Impact camp (Judah Omega, aka, Peanut Butter and Judah) is bonding very well. We went to an Aggie baseball game the other day, and I must say that I think there an equal amount of tradition at Aggie baseball games as football games (what other sport could it be? Basketball… we haven’t won a Big 12 game yet and we don’t have anymore games against Baylor). In the interest of space, I’m going to stop and pick up when I find inspiration to write the e-mail that was supposed to go out last week.

Well, the tests are over with and things are back to normal. I met my Impact camp on Friday and they’re awesome. After only a few short hours Friday, the unity is so strong. Our first meeting is this Wednesday and I am so excited to get to know the other counselors’ hearts over the next six months. Still waiting on Kanakuk, and I won’t know for another month. If I’m accepted you guys won’t see me almost all summer except for the first three weeks. Here’s my recommendation: come visit College Station the next few months so I can actually see you guys before the summer. So apparently it snowed everywhere north of College Station. Freezing rain is not an adequate substitute. Thankfully, the sun came out today just in time for our first intramural soccer game tomorrow. In other news, I’m going camping Saturday and Sunday. If there are any good pictures, I’ll send them out. Also, I’m glad to say this is the first e-mail I’ve sent out on Sunday in a long while. So please enjoy…

Imagine for a moment the Trinity to be our blood enriching and supplying life to every corner of our body, prayer the blood vessels carrying the blood, the church the bones keeping us upright and giving our body form, Scripture the mind, and strong Christian fellowship the muscles. Without good Christian fellowship we may be nourished but we are still weak. Only through spending time developing those ‘muscles’ do we ever grow stronger. Sorry, looking in the mirror doesn’t work and wishing you had good friends does no good. In close fellowship, our definition is more apparent to the world around us, even if the inner workings of body remain invisible. Furthermore, our friendships form close bonds with the bones of the Church. At some point we are bound to strain or possibly tear a friendship, breaking bones, spilling blood, and rupturing blood vessels. In time, with the right treatment, these bruises heal. The injuries of our past shouldn’t keep us from developing solid friendships in the present. Also work the whole body, not just a certain part you like best. A close relationship with a significant other is wonderful, but if it’s all you have, then you aren’t going to have a well-built frame. What good are Shwarzenegger sized biceps if you have chicken legs? It just doesn’t look right. So breaking away from the metaphor, I want to ask you some questions. Are you surrounding yourself with people who ‘seek first His kingdom’? Are you in a circle of people who lovingly hold you accountable and stay by your side in tough times? Solomon wrote chapters on the subject of friends namely in Proverbs and in sections of Ecclesiastes, and he constantly urges us to keep a wise counsel and to accept the correction of others. Keep in mind that as vital as these friendships are, they are not what keep us alive. Without the blood of God we are nothing but dried up, empty, lifeless drifters without direction or purpose. Lastly, don’t just pray for one another, pray with one another developing brotherhood (and sisterhood). Lord, search my heart, create in me something clean, dandelions, you see flowers in these weeds. (courtesy of Reese Roper, “Dandelions”)

-the other Reese

Well, the my e-mail hasn’t been sending or receiving for the past day or two, but I wanted to send ya’ll something from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest. This has been a great encouragement to me the past few days since I’ve been feeling a little under the weather. I’m doing a whole lot better, and I’m so thankful that my teachers didn’t need an official note to take some of the missing work. On Monday I found out that I was accept as a counselor to Impact (basically a Christian version of Fish Camp), and on Friday I found out the other counselors in my camp. Anyway, more to tell, but you’ll be hearing from me again in the next couple of days with hopefully an original. Have a great week… -Reese

February 9th
ARE YOU EXHAUSTED SPIRITUALLY?

“The everlasting God . . . fainteth not, neither is weary.” -Isaiah 40:28
Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, and whether or not you are exhausted will depend upon where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter - “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally “sucked,” until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.

Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? From your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say - “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. “All my fresh springs shall be in Thee

I hiss at the internet for being down (Aggies don’t boo, we hiss) when I want to send out an e-mail. Amazingly this is really my only complaint from the entire weekend. It started off Friday watching some local talent at the Baptist Student Center’s Coffeehouse. Saturday I almost watch one of the biggest upsets of the 2004. The Aggies were outscored (again) by t.u. this time in men’s basketball after being up six points with about eight minutes left. Then those t-sips went on a 15-0 run. HISSSSSSSSSSS!! Hearing “Baylor’s better” from that ugly orange section (even though it is true and almost funny) isn’t much of a help. Still the game was great and we played well against a team that should have beat us in the first half. Later that night I went to one of the little treasures of Sommerville, Texas called the Country Inn about 20 minutes’ drive outside of College Station. There I dined on 2.5 lbs of steak (well really my roommate, suitemates and I did over the next two days). Not only was it big, but it was good. Someone took a picture of it and as soon as she e-mails it to me I’ll attach it – it was so big that there were two layers of steak. The best part of all… it was FREE! The married couple sitting next to us decided that to pick up tab and left before we even knew about it. On last note about the weekend… I didn’t watch more than about fifteen minutes of the Super Bowl and couldn’t have been happier. I saw Vinaterii kick the game winner and that was all I needed to see. I had a wonderful time doing Chemistry. Anyway, enough of the weekend that was…

How many times have you wished you could just open up a book and find the Will of God typed out for you? I’d love to know every little step God would wants me to follow before the situation arises. Should I major in this? Should I marry this girl? Should I take that job? Or even should I eat dinner with this person tonight? Or should I go home this weekend? Big or small it’d be nice to know God’s ‘good, pleasing, and perfect will’. This past week I heard something very wise at Breakaway (4,000+ Aggies gathered around for worship) that reminded me of one wonderful truth. Referencing Genesis 2, the speaker (I always forget his name, sorry) mentioned how Adam was commanded not to eat from one tree, the Tree of Knowledge. That’s it. The tree represents sin in the story and the pride of man. So as long what you’re doing isn’t sin or motivated by pride then eat from it. This sounds way too easy and I’m sure some people will disagree (and please let me know if you do). From my experience I can say that when I limit the scope of God’s Will, I miss out on some of the great joys he has for my life. As you’re thinking about summer plans, jobs, majors, children, retirement, and most importantly today consider how did God lead you to this? Also, keep in mind that the Will of God increases worship. I think that is a great litmus test because God would never desire us to do anything that winds up distracting more than causing us to lean more to Him in faith. Focus on today and tomorrow will take care of itself. Far away, but still close.