Day 39 - Kuwait
I rolled out of bed at 5:15am this morning, only to realize I was 15 minutes late for the conference call for The Grapevine Project. I Skyped onto the call and was welcomed by Walid, Ash and Maya. I am exceedingly blessed to be counted as a co-worker with these beautiful servants of the Lord. Their devotion to God and their dedication to service is an enormous blessing and encouragement to me. As refreshing as it was to hear them and fellowship with them I didn't want the call to end, but it did at 6:45am. So I zipped through the rest of the morning routine and headed off to the office.
This is week 3 with the second group. It is a short week, as the class will end tomorrow. It's been a good journey with this group. When I was asked to describe the difference between the two classes to this point I characterized them this way: The first group felt like family, brothers and sisters looking out for each other. The second group felt like a high-school youth group, with energy and a desire for fun and adventure. Normally I spend at most 5 days with a group of students. This extended time has been a treat, and I hope that they have enjoyed the time as well.
After class Chris and I went over to the gym and worked out. Today's InnerFight workout blew my arms up in an incredible way. Halfway through the workout my arms felt like they were going to explode. As much as I liked the workout, I didn't finish it as the feeling in my arms was too uncomfortable. I'll circle this one ("2 No Shows") and come back to it on an off day just for the challenge of pushing through all four sets.
After the weights we went for some cool-down cardio, but we couldn't turn down the siren call of the racquetball court. We spent over an hour playing racquetball, after which time I was done. One smoothie later and I was on my way back to the hotel for a shower, dinner and reading.
I re-read the sermon notes from yesterday. And I still feel like I'm not quite right. But instead of dwelling on the shortcomings of the past I need to press forward and continue to grow in my relationship with God. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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."
It's about pressing on.
As somebody once pointed out, "You can't change anything about the past, and there's no sense worrying about the future. Just enjoy the present - it is, after all, God's gift to you."
Thanks to those who sent me e-mails. They really mean a lot to me. Take care!
Blessings,
Khalaf.
This is week 3 with the second group. It is a short week, as the class will end tomorrow. It's been a good journey with this group. When I was asked to describe the difference between the two classes to this point I characterized them this way: The first group felt like family, brothers and sisters looking out for each other. The second group felt like a high-school youth group, with energy and a desire for fun and adventure. Normally I spend at most 5 days with a group of students. This extended time has been a treat, and I hope that they have enjoyed the time as well.
After class Chris and I went over to the gym and worked out. Today's InnerFight workout blew my arms up in an incredible way. Halfway through the workout my arms felt like they were going to explode. As much as I liked the workout, I didn't finish it as the feeling in my arms was too uncomfortable. I'll circle this one ("2 No Shows") and come back to it on an off day just for the challenge of pushing through all four sets.
After the weights we went for some cool-down cardio, but we couldn't turn down the siren call of the racquetball court. We spent over an hour playing racquetball, after which time I was done. One smoothie later and I was on my way back to the hotel for a shower, dinner and reading.
I re-read the sermon notes from yesterday. And I still feel like I'm not quite right. But instead of dwelling on the shortcomings of the past I need to press forward and continue to grow in my relationship with God. Paul wrote in Philippians 3:12-14, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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."
It's about pressing on.
As somebody once pointed out, "You can't change anything about the past, and there's no sense worrying about the future. Just enjoy the present - it is, after all, God's gift to you."
Thanks to those who sent me e-mails. They really mean a lot to me. Take care!
Blessings,
Khalaf.
