Ben's Blessing Blog

Today my blessing is that I have a job...well sort of a job :). I am still doing projects through Elance and it has been pretty nice, just not very consistent. I'm working on a particular project which this guy from Arizona mailed to me a box load of different products he is selling and he wants better pictures. I've pretty much spent the whole afternoon taking pictures. I've been experimenting with so many places and different lightings. My body is quite tired from having contorted it in so many different directions. I've read in a book something to the effect of, 'if you never had any problems you would never learn'. That phrase is defintely true, problems create excitment in life because you have to learn to overcome them. Once you get victory it becomes an exciting event which you wouldn't have experienced without the problem :). I'm just thankful my problems haven't been as difficult as I've seen some others have to go through. This is one of the reasons for the blessing blog, when I get discouraged and it seems that nothing is working right for me and the problem is more than I can bear. I want to look back at this blog and rejoice in how greatly God has taken care of me and blessed me. I Love the Lord and I want to do my best to keep my eyes focused upon Him. Abide in Him!

BenH

I had the most unusual blessing today, it was really cool. As most of you know I've been leading the singing for the little munchkins in Sunday School(1-6 grade). Well, today I got to lead the singing for the Big Munchkins for church(ages 5-99). My brain didn't consider them little because as soon as I got to church it was telling me that I needed to be nervous. I have no problem leading the little kids, but for some reason I got nervous. It was still a awesome blessing to be asked to serve in this area. Maybe I will get some similar opportunities in the future to break me in :) Okay, there are list of other blessings which I can identify and share, but for this time I will keep the blog brief. Have a Good Day my blogeaders (blog+reader+s(plural)) :)

BenH

Blessing: My Salvation

Today on my way back from Pottsville visiting my relatives I was thinking that the biggest blessing to post on a day such as Easter would be my salvation. I was contemplating this morning the verse which says that we are made a "new creature" and that all things are become new. Sometimes the thought comes in my mind that I do not have a dramatic story like others which makes it extremely evident on the outside of having become a "new creature" and at times I think my story isn't that exciting. But, then as I thought about it I became excited because I know how strong the flesh is inside of me and I know the times which I fall into sin, I began to image in my mind...If I had absolutely no resistance to sin in my life, if the Holy Spirit was not living in me, where would I be. I thought about the many teens I've seen who have grown up with me, those that were older than me, those that are younger than me who grew up hearing the same messages and they "went out from us". That stuck out to me...LOOK HOW GOD HAS WORKED IN ME. If it were not for God saving me and directing me I would living a life with no regard to holiness. I would be living to fulfill my fleshly desires storing up wrath for the day of judgment. I am a testimony of what God can do with a person inspite of the wicked flesh which daily fights.

Now to the story of the Cat and Mouse....As my Dad was winding his way around the backroads of Macungie tonight, a cat darted out not far in front of us. It was still a little distance so my Dad didn't hit the break immediately because we wouldn't have hit it. But, the cat all of sudden started running back, then in a circle. The cat was trying to catch a mouse, my dad hit the breaks and once the cat saw the danger it seemed to look at the mouse, think about it, then run off the road, the mouse ran the opposite way. Both were safe.... Please take a look at this in a spiritual aspect. We are as the cat chasing the mouse (the world) the danger is quickly approaching and for some of us we see the danger, look at the mouse/danger , decide its not worthwhile and jump out of the way of the approaching destruction. For some they see the danger, and pursue the mouse and get maimed... These are those that get saved after having been with the world, they carry the bruises with them for the rest of their life. Some pursue the world and die in their pursuit. These are those that never get right with God. PLEASE LISTEN ... when you see the headlights of God's law bearing down at you; Take it seriously...leave sin and its consequences behind and choose life. Though it is said that a cat has nine lives....You don't...if you pursue and get hit, the consequences can't be altered.

I want to use this illustration in a message sometime :) I hope it was a challenge to you all.....

HAPPY EASTER,
BenH

Hey there, got a blessing to share with you all, or rather ya'll for those in Florida :). I was really wanting to get my hair(s) cut today and I didn't think I was going to be able to make it to Dave Smiths and then to the basketball game with Titus in time. I had just enough time to leave for Dave's and if there was one person there I would have to go on and then get my haircut next week since I will be leaving for Pottsville tomorrow to be with my relatives. So, when Titus and I left I prayed that there would not be a single person at the place so I could get in and out....To be honest I had a hard time asking that because I thought surely being the Friday before Easter this place will be swamped with guys getting a haircut before the weekend. But, would you believe it, not a person was there and when I talked to Mr. Smith he said that it had been that way almost the whole evening. I was really excited not only did I get my haircut, but I got a blessing to share with ya'll too!

The other blessing is that the alumni won the basketball game :) hehe . Even though I'm definitely no expert at basketball I still love to play the game.

Have a Great Easter Everyone! The Lord's Resurrections is one of the Greatest Blessings which I can share with everyone!

BenH

The blessing I want to share with you is that God cares for us enough to not leave us as we are, but work on us to conform us into his image. I am reading a book called, "God tells the Man who Cares". I have just started it, but already God has been speaking to me through it. There is a quote I got from the book which I would like to share with you. It goes, "God has NOTHING to say to frivolous men". God has been working on me recently that I need to take more action in my spiritual life. It is so easy to find little things that waste time on or settle for standard. But I do seriously want to be used of God. However just like any other project. I/YOU MUST CARRY THE CROSS. Action is required..... dont settle for a so-called "standard" Christian life. Invest all your talents for God so that you will be greatly rewarded by him. Take Action. Just like starting a business you won't succeed if you settle for the standard you need to be better than your competition. They that run in a race all run, but one recieveth the prize. So run that ye may obtain.

Wow, how much simpler of a title could I get. I can't really say that I'm thankful for the craziness which school brings, but I am thankful for what learn from it :). The more I study in school the more I find out how little I know :). Also, the more projects I take on the more I realize I don't know. At least I have a relationship with the One who knows all things and is able to help me through everything. I am working on finishing one or hopefully two classes by the end of this week. Also, I just finished another video this past Saturday. I won't post it on here till it is shown at church so ya'll from LVBC don't cheat :D lol. Its actually not really that exciting, but it was fun and challenging to work on as always. I also am working on updating themusichalls.com website and boy is it hard. I used a simple cheapo web design program and it encoded the website into XML. Now come on, I was just starting to feel I had a little bit of a handle on HTML with PHP. Hopefully I can get the page updated soon. There has been so many projects as of recent, I don't know how they are all getting done, I'm quite worn out. Thankfully God is helping me through them all. Praising the Lord and running for the bed, again. :) I probably wont write on here till the week is over because it is so busy. Until then....Press on!

BenH

What a wonderous phrase that God himself said that inspite of our sinful wickedness He would be our God.

I am having an horrible time going to bed, my body is acting like its two in the afternoon. I'm not sure what its thinking; its not giving me any good answers. However, the possible answer was that I needed to do some reading. I think that was the solution, but the only problem now is that I'm so excited about what I read I doubt I will be able to go to sleep quickly if at all. :) I just finished the book called
"Grace" by Spurgeon.... IT WAS AWESOME. There's is no way I can summarize the enormous amounts of truths and lessons which can be picked just from what I read. I will just tell you one tiny part of a verse to meditate on for a time. I think it will pump ya up... Ok are you reading... Are your ready... God is the spokesman ... Ok hold on .... Come on smile... Smile... Get ready to rejoice... Ready.... Ready ... "They Shall Be My People"

Wow, now wasn't that worth the wait. Ponder that phrase now. Do you realize how many times you offend God and he still says that YOU are one of his people. The love of God has been poured out on you so exceedingly. Even inspite of your previous nature of being an enemy of God, He still forgives you and says you are his people. Though you often need to cry to God for forgiveness He still never throws you out from being one of His people. Think of who is claiming you! The God that created all things, the only God. He promises never to leave you or forsake you. He claims you and says that you are mine and I am yours.

My thoughts are running rampant with this glorious thought. I hope my mind still revives this thought in the morning when I will have to drag my groggy body out of bed in a couple hours!!!

Blessing #2 for today :) Apple just released their SDK for the iPhone
and is simply Awesome!

I know I need to watch it, the apple is what caused the first sin right :p

BenH

This morning I was pleasantly surprised that no loud obnoxious buzzing
sounds woke me up this morning. The power went off during the
night..... However, I still had to leave my comfortable bed and get
started with the day inspite of the power outage. It rained a lot last
night. Though the rain did put a damper on the morning it still was so
beautiful to hear, its quite realxing. Thankfully the Lord allowed the
power to be on the morning so the coffee was ready like usual :) hehe

I wanted to write this blog to thank the Lord for the ability which He
has given me to play the piano. God is so kind to us. He has given us
all different abilities to serve him in many ways. Tonight I was able
to play the really cool grand piano at church for the offering. I
absolutely love the sound of the new piano. The sound is quite rich.
Oh, btw I also had a great talk with some of my friends at church
afterward and it was a great spiritual encouragment as we talked about
the spiritual books we've been reading. Charlie Tremendous Jones had a
great impact on me when I visited him a little while back. Since then
books mean so much more to me and I've been enjoying reading so many.

Okay to wrap it all up, todays blessing is the ability to serve God
with music. I hope to encourage you all to thank the Lord for the many
talents He has given you.

BenH

What an Awesome night!!! and day and week..... :) I'm sorry about not posting any blessings the last week, it has been soo busy, but thats not to say it has been without its blessings!
Tonight we had our church 'Visitation'. This is where we go around to peoples houses to visit and talk about the Bible, their relationship with Jesus and see if they would like to go to church. I prayed that I would come across somebody that would be interested, because visitation is soooooooooo much more exciting when God works. :) I'm glad to report to you a blessing from visitation :D John Nadaskay and I were at our last apartment door and we were considering leaving a flyer, but then I hear some footsteps and instead of leaving the flyer and darting out the opposite door I decided we should wait and see if it was this persons door. SURE ENOUGH, it was his. Needless to say, he seemed quite surprised to see two guys standing by his door, staring bewildered in his direction. I spoke up and asked the obvious, "Do you live here?" He told us that he did and so I handed him the CD, "Can a Scientist Believe the Bible" and also the tract about our church and salvation. He started looking at it and then told us he had just finished listening to that CD which he had got from a CD stand he saw at the South Mall. John offered him the story of Andrew Meadowcroft's story of salvation on CD and the guy gratefully took it and checked out the times of our church and said he may stop by soon. Exciting hu! Okay, at least I feel that way...there was also one older guy who seemed like he may have very well been saved when he was about fifty years old, he was currently ninety something. I praise the Lord for this great opportunity to meet up with this guy, his name is Chris. If you go to LVBC don't forget to say hi to him, you can't miss him, he is quite a tall guy. (Everybody seems tall to me) :)
Right now my neck my neck is kind of sore, I didn't shave till right before visitation and then I just used this face wash which is making my face feel like I rubbed it down with sandpaper :) I'll have to remember that for next time :)

Okay, one more blessing to top it off... I'M FINISHED MINOR PROPHETS 2 :) It was a great class. I'm so blessed to have a Bible Institute right at my church.


Have a Great Night Everyone!!!