His Only Will and Plans

So, life doesn’t always go as planned.

A month ago I was planning on moving to Dayton, Ohio to intern with Athletes in Action.

Now, I’m moving to the Cincinnati area to work a job I haven’t found yet to be closer to the girl I love. Quite a switch.

I’m not going to get into the details and everything behind this change because that would take a whole other post, but I want to talk about something else; God’s will and plan.

This is something I’ve been thinking on lately and it’s interesting how many things affect our view of what God’s plans are. The way we were raised, the experiences we have, the places we live and the people we’re around, it all affects our views of God and what’s happening around us more than we realize or often are willing to acknowledge.

Ask yourself and think about what you believe God’s plans are for you and then ask yourself why. Ask yourself if that’s really God’s plan and will. Ask yourself if that’s what you desire. Ask yourself if you actually, truly, trust God. I say all this not to make you doubt were you’re at but to help you see that God is actively involved in your life and doesn’t have a specific, single plan for you in your life, but actually has many many plans and seasons for you and you get to help choose what those are.

I think the enemy, at least in my experience, can use distorted views of God’s will to distract and mislead us. We can get so focused on making the right choices and seeking God (which is so important!) but we can actually forget to make or fear making a move and instead stay stuck where we’re at instead of stepping into what God has laid out for us.

In my example, as I chewed on whether or not to fully step into a role with AIA or pursue my girl fully by moving closer, my head kept coming up with questions and excuses. “You’re giving up your dream to pursue a girl?!” “What if you miss out on this opportunity or never fully step into all God has for your career?” “Is this what you really want?”

These are valid to an extent but the problem with questions like this is that they’re filled with 90% truth. It’s true you need to hold on to your God-dreams. It’s true that sometimes we make less than ideal choices or miss opportunities, but these questions really ignore what God is truly asking: “Will you follow Me and build Kingdom?”

Where do we get the idea that God has a single plan for your life or that He has a specific will for you in everything? Is He really that small? Why couldn’t I choose to pursue the girl over the career right now? Would He not use me in that just as much? You see, God’s teaching me more than ever right now that I can’t keep Him confined to the size of my own head.

Now, this isn’t to say do whatever you want. No! There are right and wrong decisions. There is a way that seems right to man but its end is death (Proverbs 14:12). And yet, as we walk with God, renew our minds, and seek Him; as He heals and restores our hearts, why can we not wake in the morning, sit with Jesus, and ask ourselves, “what do You want to do Lord” followed by, “what do I want to do”?

For me, the lie is that if I pass up working in ministry, that I’ll miss my calling and might not get another opportunity, but that’s bulls#@t! (swearing is a convo I’ll save for later) Who am I to say that this isn’t ONE of God’s plans for me (He has many). But His plans are not the same as His will. This is an important distinction to make. His will for us is clearly revealed in Matthew 28:17-20:

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (They were with Jesus and His plan was clear and they STILL doubted! His disciples!) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Read that again.

God’s will for our lives is to make disciples, baptize, teach, heal, love. And in that we have freedom in our plans. Freedom to seek God and make decisions with Him; and sometimes, maybe more than we realize, He tells us to choose. His will is clear but it’s not the same as the plans He has for us. This is relationship. Full relationship with our Father.

So ask yourself what partial truths you’re believing. Where do you need to seek God? Where do you need to stop seeking and just act?

It’s a risk. But so is anything really worth doing.

Seek Him and step out. It’s time for change.


But be doers of the word, and not hearers only. James 1:22



Love y’all!

Ben





Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!

News and Encouragment

So July happened, then half of August too…Life is such an odd combination of incredibly fast weeks and agonizingly slow days. But hey, God is still so good!

With this post I just wanted to catch you all up on my plans for the future and what’s going on now to get me there; so the big news, even though many of you already know, is that I accepted an intern position with Athletes in Action in Xenia, Ohio starting this winter! This position will be in the basketball department where I will support the planning and operations of different academies, events, and other logistical duties. It will be a way to gain experience in what it takes to run a successful sports ministry in the States, especially the behind the scenes work, and I can’t lie, moving south before the Minnesota winter fully hits is a nice perk too. For now though, my time is spent working at Menards (if you need some flooring or blinds let me know!) and preparing for my AIA commitment; meaning, fundraising!

Now, I’ve done fundraising before but this is a little different. Rather than one-time donations, I’m going to be looking even more for ministry partners. These partners will commit to most importantly praying for me and my ministry consistently, but also supporting me financially. I won’t know what my total yearly goal will be until the end of this month but just the thought of it has honestly been a bit daunting at times.

It’s like, yes, I know God will provide and yes, I trust Him; and yet, doubts still creep in and the task of starting this again can weigh on me a bit if I don’t give it up in prayer. When you think about it, any move towards God and His kingdom will be obviously met with spiritual resistance and yet, how often do we forget about what we can’t see? It’s a war out here guys!

So, in all that, I like to encourage myself by revisiting how God’s come through in the past and I wanted to share part of a blog from almost two years ago (how have I been doing this that long already!). I remember writing this about a month before launching on the World Race and wow does it ever still ring true. My prayer for myself and everyone reading this is that we would hold onto and meditate on these truths throughout our days. These are applicable regardless of what we’re facing in life, and the voice of the Father is so amazingly, even surprisingly, comforting.

Enjoy!

(From December 2018) …What I can easily tend to forget in these tough times is that there is something that matters even more though, and that is:

What my God says.

I think to myself: I don't know if I'll have everything prepared!

God says, "I didn't spare my own Son for you. Will I then not graciously give you all things? (Romans 8:32) I will supply every need you have according to My riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 4:19)

I think: I'm not ready or worthy to go or to represent You, God.

God says, "I don't look at your appearance or stature. I don't see you as men do. I see your heart. (1 Sam. 16:7) I chose you before I created the foundation of this world, have adopted you as my child, and I take pleasure in you." (Ephesians 1:4-5)

I think: my mind is so clouded, and I can't see where I'm going. I feel like I'm losing my way.

God says, "My thoughts and ways are not your thoughts and ways. My thoughts and ways for you are so much higher than yours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) My word, My instructions for your life, will light your way." (Psalm 119:105)

I think: God, I'm so tired. I don't know if I can keep going.

God says, "Come to Me. I am gentle and humble in heart and will give you the rest you are looking for. (Matt 11:28-30) Then you will renew your strength and will rise up. You will run and not grow weary. You will walk in My way and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

I think: God, I'm fearful of what's to come, of leaving things and people behind. Of starting anew.

God says, "Don't be scared or fearful. I am your God and I will help you. I will give you strength. I will hold you up. (Isaiah 41:10) Don't worry about the past. See! I'm doing something new in you. It's coming! Can you see it!! I'm making a way for you through anything that stands in your way. (Isaiah 43:18-19) I will reward you for your faithfulness." (Matt. 19:29)

In the last week, I've been reminded of the importance of speaking life to myself, of listening to what God is saying to me through His word, of how little my problems and worries really are and just how big my God really is. I've been reminded that if I seek His kingdom above all else, that He will provide the rest, the time, the resources, and the opportunities. (Matt. 6:33) I've been reminded that I need to let God have the final say.

So, to close:

God says, "I'm thinking about you. I'm thinking of the future you will have of peace and hope. (Jer. 29:11) Everything will work out if you just love and trust Me. (Romans 8:28) I love you so much that nothing you can possibly imagine could separate you from Me." (Romans 8:38-39) Now go. Love others as I have loved you." (John 13:34)

God bless all!

Ben



P.S. My ministry partner development ramps up quite a bit after this month so if you’re interested in partnering and supporting my ministry, I’d love to talk with you! Even if you’re just curious about what exactly I’ll be doing, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I’d love to know how I can be praying for you specifically too.







Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!

This Present Season

Gosh, how has it been over a month since the last time I updated this page! A lot’s happened recently.  

To start, I moved back to Bemidji, Minnesota in early June and immediately jumped back into community, a job, and just life in general. The community has been incredibly refreshing, the job, not so much, and honestly, life has been tough at times; but I’m really learning to see God in both the good and the bad. Overall though, the past month has been a challenge. 

After spending a month and a half at home, it was time for me to get going again, and I moved in with some friends about a week after my 24th birthday. That following week, I then found a job opportunity, got back into a men’s bible study, played some golf (still slightly rusty after my year-long break) and basically moved at a million miles an hour. This whole time, I fully believed that I was following God in setting myself up to live and work in Bemidji for about six months, and I was, but not like I really should’ve been; and it took a knock to my pride to slow me down enough to truly listen again. That knock came in the form of work. 

I found a job working on a truck, making Pepsi deliveries around the area and honestly, the work itself wasn’t terrible. However, I had been told I’d be working 40 hours a week (I have other responsibilities that make working more than that difficult) and when I actually started working, I found out that it was actually a 60 hour/week job. To add on to that, working those trucks literally takes more energy than any job I’ve ever had before (including on the World Race) and I’d get home at the end of the day, only having time to eat dinner and go to bed, just to wake at 4:50am to get back at it. To say the job just wasn’t a good fit would be an understatement. This is where my pride kicked in though. 

I know it’s not bad to quit something if you need to (and I did) but I’d never quit anything in my life! I’ve worked jobs I hated, played through sports injuries, completed the World Race... my parents raised me to work hard and that’s something I’m proud of, so quitting a job is not something I take lightly. I sat with God for hours, thinking and praying about what to do and eventually it came down to choosing God or choosing my pride. I wish I could say I chose God easily, but pride put up a good fight. Eventually though, I chose God and the next few days blew my doors off. 

I quit on a Friday and had plans for the weekend, but God had something else in mind. I actually ended up spending the next two days almost exclusively with the Father and wow did He lay out a lot. He started showing me wounds that He needed to heal still, how pride was pulling me from Him, how even though I thought I was following Him I wasn’t fully making time to listen. He showed me how I’d started falling back into the “American mindset” of working for the weekends and focusing too much on money and things. To be real, the weekend was a total wake up call and it took me by surprise and shook me. 

Fast forward a couple weeks now and I’m getting back on track. That weekend really left an impact on me. It renewed the dreams, passions, and desires that I’ve had that had started to flicker a bit. It restored my energy and joy in life. It brought me back to living fully in the present instead of always longing for the next season in life. 

So, as I head into this holiday weekend, life feels like it’s realigning with God’s plans. Between this experience and the BlackTribe podcast (I cannot overstate how much I recommend this podcast), God has really been teaching me a lot lately about staying in the moment, in the season you’re walking through and finding joy in it. 

If I’m being honest, I still wake up many mornings craving to go back to Africa, longing to be with my squad again, desiring to go back or forward in life as long as it’s not where I’m at. And yet, there’s a beauty in it all. When we slow down and ask God what He’s doing in our dark or hard seasons, there’s a beauty, light and joy that He’s able to bring into our hearts that changes everything about where you’re at. It’s not easy and it’s definitely not always fun, but there’s purpose where He has us, whether that on the mountaintop or in the valley. 

What’s God trying to do in your present season? Are you listening? 

Guys, He loves each of us so much! It’s ok to hurt or go through rough patches in life. Don’t waste the winter longing for spring though. Find the beauty around you right now! 

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
Who among you fears the Lord
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let the one who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the Lord
and rely on their God.

Isaiah 50:7-10


God Bless And have a great and safe Independence day! 
-Ben 

Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!

Gone

“Life kept throwing me all these curve balls. Then God handed me a bat and taught me how to swing.” -Becky Doughty

Life hasn’t been easy lately.

COVID, moving back to Minnesota, job search, not seeing my girlfriend for almost two months… I feel like I’ve taken my share of curve balls in this season. Something that’s really hitting me today though is that this would’ve been my leave date. Let me explain.

The beginning of January I was in Gainesville, Georgia, wrapping up my World Race at project searchlight (like a stateside final debrief of the year), when God nudged me. It wasn’t super clear at first but by the time I left Georgia, I knew God was asking me to lead a Semesters trip through Adventures in Missions (the organization that runs the World Race). This would entail leading a squad of college-age students to a couple different countries over the summer. It was the chance I wanted to really explore how to lead this age group (my favorite) while also traveling again and letting God teach and use me. It was something I came to embrace and look forward to as I made my way through spring semester of Lifestyle Christianity University in Texas.

But then COVID-19 hit.

At first I hoped and prayed that the virus would be over quickly, and that it wouldn’t affect anything past the spring semester; but as it developed, I eventually got some bad news: summer Semester trips were canceled.

At first, I was disappointed. But that soon changed more to empathy as I thought of all the young missionaries who were either called off the field or never got a chance to go. I still can’t imagine being pulled off the field and sent home.

Anyway, because of this, I realized recently that I never fully processed the fact that I won’t be able to lead a Semesters group (this has been realized even more lately as today would’ve been the day I would’ve left home again to head to Atlanta for launch). This isn’t saying I won’t ever lead a squad, but I do believe God is currently leading me in a different direction, and because of this, I’ve had to give up the dream of squad leading for right now; and basically, this all didn’t make sense! Why would God call me to lead a squad when He knew all along that the trip would be canceled, and I’d end up going in another direction? This just doesn’t make sense!

The answers I often hear are. “maybe He was protecting you from something else,” or “you wouldn’t be in the great place you are now if He hadn’t given you that call,” or even just “God has a purpose, even if we can’t see it.” Now, these are all great answers and are all very possibly, even probably, true. But what if there’s more too it? What if God has something else in mind?

You see, this was just one of the curveballs life has offered me recently, and God has given me a bat, but am I going to train with it?

I can offer up all these questions about why God would call me to something He knew would be canceled. I can go through every day wondering if I heard Him right or if He really has my best in mind. I can get angry or frustrated with Him for taking away one of my dreams…

Or, I can wake up and ask Him to train me.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where s#*t happens. God intended the world to be perfect, pure, holy, and full of meaty fastballs. Instead, it’s a broken world full of violence, sin, hurt, and curveballs. To be clear, it ain’t always pretty. That’s why we have the bat though.

The bat is how we react to life. It’s the tool God’s given us to right this world through the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we get fastballs (the good) and sometimes we get curveballs (the bad). Sometimes it doesn’t matter and we miss regardless! That said, you can’t just pick up the bat and expect to hit home runs in your life. It takes time and training. That’s why intimacy and spending daily time with the Father is so important!

As an athlete, I’ve learned that the quality of training and opportunities don’t matter if they aren’t accompanied by consistency. If I’m not training every day at my sport, I’m not going to grow much or get better, and I will eventually hit a ceiling that won’t allow me to improve anymore. The same is true with God. If I’m not training every day through prayer, study, and practice, I’m going to stagnate and pretty soon hit a block that I can’t get passed.

In all this (I pray you’re still tracking), I’ve learned to choose joy and be content where I am (Phil. 4:10-13). Will I ever know fully why God called me to lead a squad this summer, knowing full well that it would be canceled? Probably not. But to let that question be the end of it would be a waste! Yes it happened. Yes it hurt. But what if God’s intention all along has been to train me for something greater?

Instead of asking why, let’s turn around and say ok. What if tomorrow, you got out of bed and rather than worrying about the day ahead or dwelling on the effects COVID has had on your life, what if you instead woke up and said, “God, here I am. I don’t understand but I’m here. Train me”?

Like the apostle Paul wrote, let us push forward in this life.

…I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3:12-14

God has handed each of us a bat; will you let Him teach you how to use it?

God Bless!

-Ben

P.S. If you’re unsure of how to start training, take some time to read and meditate on Philippians chapters three and four. Praying God shines light and blessing on you through it.

Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!

Back to "Normal"

Hearing footsteps and talking on the floor above me, going for a run through the woods, snow on the ground in April, swinging a golf club regularly. These are all memories I have growing up in northern Minnesota, and they also are becoming my day to day life again, right now.

Two weeks ago, I packed up my car, said goodbye to my friends in Texas, and drove the two days and 1,128 miles back home to Coleraine, Minnesota and the area I grew up in. I drove back to what was my normal for roughly 20 years, but it didn’t really feel that way anymore. This time, it felt different. Over the past two and a half years, I’ve actually only been home for just three separate three-week periods, as I graduated college, traveled the U.S. working as an intern, worked as a golf coach, traveled the world, and most recently, attended Lifestyle Christianity University. To say moving around became my norm would be an understatement. In those two and a half years, the longest I lived anywhere was three months (and that was only on two occasions).

So, as I made the 17-hour drive back north and began to think about what was next, I realized I didn’t know what living with my family was like anymore. I have two brothers in college, one about to graduate high school, and my little sister is closer to 17, not to mention my parents and all the people I literally haven’t seen in two to three years! It hit me that this was going to be different not only because I’ve changed immensely, but I fully understood for the first time how much had happened since the last time I was truly home for those who’ve been here the whole time. It honestly shocked me.

Now, two weeks in, I feel like I’m starting to settle in.

It’s been different for sure, but not necessarily in a bad way.

As I’m currently living the American stereotype by being (almost) 24, unemployed, and living in my parent’s basement, God is teaching me a lot. He’s showing me how much I’ve grown in the last couple years, how to put love into action with family, how to truly trust Him (being unemployed and beginning to look for a job during this pandemic isn’t the easiest), what living in His daily provision looks like, and so much more. Every day there’s something new to find and to walk out, and it’s helping me fall so much more in love with God.

I want to encourage and challenge you, as we walk through these very un-normal times, to find God in it all and create a new normal in your life.

The past couple weeks I’ve woken up in such a spirit of worship each day and have started praising God more in my quiet times, and that’s just one sweet way God is connecting with me right now and teaching me new things. Yes, this pandemic may be creating some hardships for you and your family, but God is using this time to create a new normal in us and the world. If we look to Him, He’ll show us so much more during these days than maybe any other season.

We hear about all the sickness and death lately but what about the fact that hundreds of missionaries are back in the states and still living kingdom lives, impacting those around them? What about the thousands of people who are recovering from the virus and returning to their families? What about the special quality time many families are having? We may not be where we envisioned ourselves right now, or our old normal may not be possible anymore, but why is that necessarily a bad thing?

If we allow God to bring us back to Himself and create a new normal where the old was, who’s to say when this is over that we won’t be in the position we always wanted, that maybe families might be healed, that maybe revival won’t break out and sweep the world?

That’s what I’m choosing to believe and work towards… and my God can do it!

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

-Isaiah 43:18-19

God Bless!

Ben

(If you need any prayer please comment below or send me a personal message through social media - I'd love to connect and pray for you!)

Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!

The Father Journey

Who is my Father?

That’s the question I came here, Lifestyle Christianity University, to learn the answer too; even if I may not have realized it three months ago when I moved to Texas.

I got back from the World Race in early December, said hi to my family and friends, and promptly moved from several hours south of Canada to several hours north Mexico three weeks later, all because I believed God had confirmed that I was supposed to start school in January. That faith has led me on quite the ride.

I’ve been a Christian my whole life, but only truly walking like one since the beginning of 2017. I’d hit my breaking point the previous fall semester and that led me to rededicating my life to the Lord. Some have an instant, dark to light experience, but that wasn’t and hasn’t ever been my journey. It’s been more, shall we say, methodical, as God tore down the masks and foundations I’d built over years of leading a double life, and then rebuilt those foundations from the dirt. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been worth it and overall, these have been the best years of my life.

When I started this faith journey three years ago, I had all the head knowledge I’d ever need, having been raised in a Christian household (thank you Mom and Dad!), but I didn’t truly know with my heart God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. This isn’t saying I wasn’t saved. Instead, I’m saying I wasn’t living in the eternal life God means for us to live in the moment we place our faith in Him. So, beginning in 2017, God began to teach me about Himself.

He began with Jesus, showing me over the next year and a half who Jesus really is and how real He is to each and every one of us. He showed me what it means to truly be a disciple and follow Him, what it looks like to live with and in Him and what it looks like to live without. This was followed by teaching me who the Holy Spirit is beginning in late 2018 and lasting all throughout the past year when I got myself involved with something crazy, wild, and life-changing in the World Race.

God used the Race to teach me about His Spirit, His power, and how He works in each and every one of us. He showed me how the Spirit can unite groups, cultures, and families, through power, abundance, joy, peace, and life. Spending time with the Holy Spirit and seeking to grow in hearing Him became, and remains, one of the highlights of my life, and that’s actually how He brought LCU to my attention and confirmed He wanted me here to begin 2020.

As I moved to LCU last January, I wasn’t sure what to expect other than God was going to do something big. I knew how much I’d learned over the past three years and was excited to see what was next. Little did I know at the time that what God really wanted to do though, was introduce me fully to the third part of the Trinity: my Father.

Now, I obviously knew God the Father and who He is, but as I’ve realized, I didn’t fully grasp the person and fullness of Papa till these past months.

Through the incredible teaching here at LCU as well as reading (I highly recommend “The Abba Foundation” by Chiqui Wood) and spending a lot of time with God, I’ve come to know my Father and who He is and what He thinks more than I ever thought possible, and that has brought so much peace, joy, freedom, and healing to my life.

You see, each part of the Trinity serves a purpose. Jesus saved me and hears my prayers, the Holy Spirit teaches me and enables me to walk in boldness and power, and the Father loves me. This isn’t a strange or unfamiliar love though. My Papa’s love for me desires the best, gives the best, and doesn’t think about my past, present or future struggles and sin. You see, His love for me and you is so deep and good that nothing disqualifies me. Nothing in my life can alter my standing with Him. Regardless of whether I live a perfect life or if I’m the worst of sinners, because I am His child and I’ve put my faith in Jesus, I am righteous, holy, and my heart is pure and whole, regardless of what I feel or think. It’s just the way He is and there’s nothing I can do to alter that love.

These words I’m writing here can’t even begin to explain the freedom, authority, joy, life and peace I feel inside. The past months have truly taught me who God the Father, my Papa, is. No longer do I allow shame, fear or guilt in my life. I may feel those come on at times, but I know the truth now. My Father, God, is for me. He is with me. He will never leave me or give me anything bad. He doesn’t cause things like this present virus but instead redeems them. He only loves me with all His heart; He always has and always will.

So, who is my Father?

My Father is I AM, YHWH, God Almighty, Lover of my Soul, my Great Defender.

In this chaos around the globe, He has never changed and now, more than ever, desires us to trust in His redeeming power. This virus will end, revival and awakening will come out of it, and that’s why I can wake with incredible joy, peace and love each and every morning; because my Papa loves me and is working on my behalf.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose (which is all of us).” Romans 8:28

Until next time, may the peace of God guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

God Bless!

Ben

Just a small-town Minnesota boy following Jesus in a big world. Make sure to subscribe and follow along with this crazy adventure! God Bless!