I'm a Part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed

I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit

Power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has

been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow

down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,

and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight

walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions,

mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or

popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,

regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by

patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my

way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted,

or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the

pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of

mediocrity.

I won't give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I've preached up, prayed

up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ. I am a

disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until He returns, give until I drop,

preach until all know, and work until He comes.

And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My

colors will be clear for "I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the

power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.." (Romans 1:16)

[so this is summer part deux]

its JULY 20th.....woah baby...this summer has been flying...so much has happened and just like I say each summer....this is the best summer I've ever had--lets hope this upward trend continues forever!

Aside from the fact I've been working at Mad Science and the UD Computing sites, which has been a real treat and doesn't feel like work at all, I took a week off to go to Kutztown with Meghan Morrow and Matt Brianik we worked at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Sports Camp. Oh-Em-Gee is all I gotta say. I was given a group of baseball players to lead, which is a sport I know a LOT about but have absolutely NO skill in. I was petrified of whether my group of 11 high school baseball players would respect me as a leader because I all I could do was play volleyball--also I didn't know how I was going to lead and impact these guys when I was going through a lot of things back at home in Delaware... well God uses moments in which we are weak to showcase His masterwork! 

Over the course of the week I developed really close fellowship with my guys--we would spend all night talking about life, God's work in us, our struggles, our futures, our relationships....it was as if we knew each other so well. God was definitely working in each of their hearts, as only a handful came in knowing they "believed" in Christ, and about 3-4 more left the camp as "new believers". It was amazing seeing each guy seek and grow in their understanding of God, and then each finally let go of the chains of the past that bound them and to seek freedom in Christ. I had never been so moved, and put to tears over a group of teenagers in my life. Even more amazing was that each day, they served one another, broke bread with each other, and expressed LOVE with one other.... reminding me of Acts 2:

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.....All the believers were together and had everything in common....They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-46 (NIV)

Even now that they are away from each other, they continue to seek fellowship with one another, sending one another messages of encouragement and of prayer, inspiration and accountability. Lets remind ourselves that these are 14-17 year old guys we're talking about!

About a week later a bunch of us met up at the beach and we went on an adventure of epic proportions and had the time of our lives! They have really been keeping up with me and I with them, and its amazing to see how much they're growing with God and on their own! Here is a video of our Epic Adventure. YOUTUBE

MORE TO COME!

[So this is summer]

So... Im graduated.... and what a ride that was! Interesting and the weeks before it were... interesting to say the least...definitely eye-opening and realized things I should've realized a long time ago, but better now than never I guess. Having this break is definitely well needed and glad its a change of scenery and a break from the norm from this crazy school year.

Since graduation, which has only been the last 2 weeks, Ive done quite a lot. Spent a couple of days at Spragg Lake in the Poconos with Bri, Kathleen, Lexi, Sean, Ryan, and Kelsey... one of the most relaxing things I've done in a while. Before that I was back and forth in Newark and Hackensack, with which I went to Six Flags with Jemar, Zandra, and James, just like old times(except not with Francis and Jeka :( 

I hung out with my homies from HS and got caught up... its weird how we're all graduated and moving on.. bitter sweet.

But now I've moved in to my new apartment and starting a new chapter in my life. Its beautiful to say the least and I've definitely been blessed with a cheap apartment! I've been hanging with a lot of friends and making dinners, and having movie nights and really enjoying life without school work or worries. 

One thing that God has blessed me with is giving me a number of meaningful accountable relationships with a bunch of close guy friends, something I've needed for a while now. People who can challenge me to keep the faith, and really seek God in my life, relationships, job, school, and living. These guys have come to me with their life issues, good or bad, and I've been able to share about mine in order that we can challenge each other to keep God in the forefront of our lives and not in the back burner as we sometimes fall in the habit of doing. A bunch of us are reading some good books and I love how we can all talk about it and share about what we've learned or how God has shown us something new and practical. I never really liked reading but having others read a long and learning more about God definitely makes me want to read. Currently reading Crazy Love and Wild at Heart, and its definitely been a rewarding read thus far.

So this is fellowship... I love it...

[He gives and takes away]

Now that classes are over for my undergraduate career, I've had lots of time to think and reflect on life, and more importantly how much God has blessed me the last 4 years here at the University of Delaware. Graduation is within a week or so, and pretty soon I'm done with school and off to the real world.......ehhh scratch that.. not quite... if you've been following me, you know I'm back here for grad school in the fall... anyways, it's definitely not going to be the same in the fall and a totally new experience and lifestyle.

But what has been going through my head lately is how throughout my four years here, God has provided. He's provided financially, to be able to afford school as well as my high maintenance lifestyle. He's provided me with the strength to do well in school and to keep up with my grades(I don't know how I did it!). He gave me the chance for graduate school as well as an assistantship to pay for it FULLY and give me a yearly stipend on top of it. He's provided me with hundreds of thousands of amazing relationships and friendships, some that I have kept for all this time, or some that were only meant for a snapshot of my life. He's provided me with people I could just share my life with, in the happiest of moments, the saddest of moments, and the angriest of moments. They've been there for me, thanks to Him. He's provided me comfort the last four years and has helped me feel safe. His peace has allowed me to feel unstressed and at ease in my life.

However, the most beautiful thing that God has done for me(which is beautiful in hindsight, maybe not at the time) is that He's taken all of this away from me at some point. There were times in my life where I struggled financially, times where I was rejected from schools, there were dead ends and it seemed as if there was no tomorrow. There were times when I had no one to look to for strength, no one to talk to, no one who would understand what I was feeling-- times when I was just alone. Times of desperation, depression and sadness, with that painful, achy feeling that just wouldn't go away. There were times when everything that could go wrong, went wrong, times when doors were shut and it felt like the world was against me. It felt like God was against me.....

But it was those times that God had spoken to me and asked me "Marc, where do you find your strength in? Where is your hope in? Where is your faith stored? It is not in money, for money is a gift I provide not a deity to worship. It is not in your reputation or what you've accomplished, for those will come and go and fade away. It is not in friendships and relationships, for just like you, are man-made and are flawed and are subject to failure at some point. Yes it is true I have provided all these for you, and it is I whom you need to find your strength in. It is I who has suffered, endured pain, and died to save you. It is I who still provides when you forget about me. I have never left you. I was always there."

God blesses us and takes it away from us to help us realize where our heart lies. Where do we find our fulfillment? Where do we find our hope? In things on Earth that will die out and decay--or in things that will last forever? Sometimes, the things He provides us become our Hope and Faith, and they become higher than the God who provided it. He wants us to realize that above all things, we need to find our hope in Him....and not to rely fully on the gifts He's provided us, because He can easily take those away. But what will never leave is His eternal love for us.

Job was a sinless and faithful man... and at one point God took away EVERY blessing given to Job. And yet Job says, " The Lord gives, the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." -Job 1:22. I pray that in hard times, times of loneliness, times of depression and financial problems, times of failure and defeat, that you find God as your absolute source of hope.

[things fall apart... and eventually....they come together]

Oh how long has it been since I've blogged. Can't say I've been too busy... more like lazy. But lots of things have happened since I've last written. Long story short:
I have a lovely, beautiful girlfriend-- Lauren Muller <3 as of April 19, 2010.
I got into graduate school as of April 21, 2010.
And I am finally 22, and spent my birthday weekend at Wildwood and in Philadelphia with my best friends to watch the Phillies CRUSH the Mets (what a Glorious Day), and then got Cheesesteaks at Pat's at midnight when I turned 22.... great birthday!

The one thing I've been seeing in my life is how GOD works in miraculous ways, and also how he works in his time, not on ours. I definitely waited a long time to hear about my Grad school acceptance. In all honesty, with my grades, I wasn't too optimistic about my graduate school acceptance. I didn't think I was good enough for grad school, seeing how much I slacked the last 3 years. But even God surpassed my doubts and He made things work. I also had been waiting a long time to ask Lauren; I had been having my doubts as to whether I was ready for a relationship as well as whether Lauren had the same feelings for me. But when I finally mustered up the confidence to as her out(as well as the support from about a number of my close friends heh.. thanks for the encouragement guys), it was well worth the wait! I think God needed me to figure out my life and to learn more about her before I thrusted myself into the relationship, even though I probably could have asked her out a month prior and the answer would've been the same (Hopefully :P)

One thing I've learned to realize is that God has gotten me through some rough times. He has helped me in my storms and dark times and each time, he has taken me to the peak of the mountain to catch a glimmer of sunshine peaking through the clouds, reminding me that there is more to this life. And each journey through the dark forest, he's promised me a way out, and he's never broken that promise. Because of his amazing track record in my life, I am growing stronger and stronger in His trust. I've been able to go into trials and tribulations knowing that He is teaching me to Let Go and to trust and that He will carry me on eagle's wings. Things will never be easy, and each new trial is 10x harder than the last, but it's only building perseverance in my trust and maturity in God.

In James 1:2-4 it says : Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I have learned what it means to fully live this out and I pray that you too can understand what it means to fully surrender and persevere. I have also learned the "secret to be content" in whatever situation I've been placed in, because my faith in God has provided me that secret:

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. - Philippians 4:12-13

I pray that you can understand this verse and truly understand that with God, you can be fully content in life, whether in need or want, whether well fed or Hungry. When you're suffering, depressed, in need , thirsty for something more, as I have been in life, realize the Gift of Love and Grace that God has given you, and your will learn the secret to be content in any and all of these situations.

formspring.me

Yo-it took me two weeks to actually figure this out but Ask me anything http://formspring.me/markymarc53

[Interesting Spring Ahead.... and Snow Day(s)]

It's the second day of the semester and already.... we have had two snow days! On top of that, judging from the two classes I had yesterday out of my total of 3 and a half classes Im taking this semester.... Its going to be an interesting last semester of college.. lets just say that God has an FUNNY sense of humor with the situations he has placed me in. Life is without surprises and Im glad that there's never a dull/boring moment in it. Day one was definitely interesting; I can only imagine what the rest has in store.

I've kept busy since the last time I've written. Winter Semester was really relaxing and enjoyable--hanging out with old friends, getting to know new ones and working on relationships. It was definitely a good time. Class was amazing... I got really into it, and hopefully my grade shows that. I taught color guard every other day and thats been rewarding, seeing the girls really improve and grow into the choreography I wrote. My internship at Castle for Senate is always hustlin' and bustlin' with never a boring day at the office.

I've kept busy with an endeavor I began since the Haiti earthquake.  Two days after the earthquake and after watching the aftermath on CNN,  I knew God was telling me to help out. I knew that I didn't have money on my own, but he's blessed me with good ideas to raise money in the past so I knew that a t-shirt definitely had to come through with this. I made a design, consulted with my partner in crime Daniel Schroeder, and days later we were in the Newspaper, on TV, and working with President Harker on a project to raise money for Haiti. I joined up with 4 other student leaders and we created a large coalition of Student organizations aimed at raising money for Haiti, specifically rebuilding the Vill Hospital in Haiti! With a benefit concert already finalized and many smaller scale events, we've really gone far with our efforts! Hopefully we raise $50,000 by the end of the Spring so we can rebuild the hospital. God is definitely going to provide! I know it

Anyways, off to figure out what I'm going to do with my snow day. Maybe play in it; maybe watch some movies and hang out with friends! 

Enjoy your snow day!