An update on my schooling and future plans

This past May I finished my first year of schooling at Sunset International Bible Institute. It proved to be a huge blessing for me as  I grew a lot in my knowledge of the Bible and ministry, and was also blessed with the opportunity to be involved in many new ministries. Currently I'm interning with the Sidney Church of Christ until the end of July, as I'll be returning back to classes in Lubbock August 10. Two weeks ago I was blessed to go on a week long mission trip to Nicaragua, through God is Able Ministries, for my third year in a row. Every time I leave the country, my passion for international mission work is renewed, as I look forward to the day that I'll be doing it full time. Following my graduation in May of 2016 from SIBI, I plan to continue an additional semester the school offers for missions. So I'm on track to be finished with school by the end of 2016, with the plan to leave for the international mission field in the first part of 2017.
While we're not allowed to have jobs while attending school, I've been supported financially this past year. Thank you so much to those who have committed to supporting me in that, and thank you to everyone who has been praying for me along this journey. This upcoming year, I'm hoping to raise more support, as I continue participating in short term mission trips throughout the school year. If you're interested in supporting me or a ministry I'm a part of, please give me a call (406-321-2307) or email (ike2307@hotmail.com). Also, there is a simple donation link on the sidebar through paypal. I'm overwhelmed by the constant love and support I've received by friends and family as I continue to follow the path that God has laid out before me.
While raising financial support isn't something I've ever been fond of doing, it's proved to be a blessing for many reasons. Firstly, it's humbling for me and helps me to realize I cannot do what I'm doing on my own. Secondly, I know that not everyone is in a position to be able to travel and serve people in the name of Jesus, as I've been blessed to be able to do, being young and single. It's been a privilege to be an advocate for those who have supported me. Lastly, I've seen many who have invested in me have the opportunity to minister alongside me in the places they'd previously supported. Just this past week, as we travelled to Nicaragua, I got to see my dad, step-mom, aunt, uncle and the McNat family all serve where they had supported me to serve in the past. They'll all tell you, as I've often struggled with myself, that there sometimes aren't words for the experiences you have on the mission field. I'm thankful that God has used myself and others to open a door for more people to see what a privilege it is to serve outside the country, and even simply outside our comfort zone. God has a funny way of working through anyone in any given position as we place ourselves and our resources in his hands. I can't thank him enough for the people he's blessed me with as he leads me on this journey.

The struggle for contentment

Why is it that peace of mind seems so tough to come by? We long for things we don't have, and if somehow we attain them, we manage to remain discontent. Anxiety stirs deep within us as we dwell upon how much greater life was in a different place, at a different time, with different people. Yet if our minds will let us be honest with ourselves, we found no greater contentment in that place, in that time or with those people than we do in the present. We attempt to glorify what never was, as if to attain some sort of hope for the lack of peace in the here and now. Logically it makes no sense, but emotionally we continue to toy with the thoughts and memories of when the grass was greener. Color blind as we are, we remain blind to the opportunities that lay before us. There can be no peace without contentment. I heard of a man who learned to be content in all circumstances. It seems unbelievable. The secret, he said, is to be thankful in all circumstances. Are gratefulness and anxiety as inversely proportional as this man would suggest? I can't say I've run into any genuinely thankful worriers. I'm not exactly apt to be filled with gratefulness when my heart is burdened with anxious thoughts. Nor am I filled with discontentment when expressing genuine thanks. Can it be that simple? And where does a heart of gratitude come from any way? Many have convinced themselves that people are naturally one way or the other. “I'm a worrier”, one says, while you can't seem to punch a smile off of some people's faces. Certainly we are all gifted differently and we face varying levels and types of internal battles, but one cannot always let who they've been known to be define who they are becoming, or who they are all together.

Perhaps the most often quoted scripture was written in regard to this subject of being content, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” While the general truth remains for someone who is in fact strengthened by Christ, this was written to address peace in the midst of the highs and lows of life. Getting along with humble means and living in prosperity. Whether hungry or well fed. Suffering need or having an abundance. The idea is that there has to be something greater to be thankful for amidst those ups and downs. The object of our gratefulness cannot be something that can quickly be taken from us, or else our gratitude remains inconsistent. The object of gratefulness has to be constant. I know no constant, save Christ Jesus. Therefore, I can remain thankful no matter the circumstances, and say with those whose joy you cannot take, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.”