Faith Like Joseph

Hey Everyone,

So I don't know about you all, but the beginning of November is one of the most annoying times of the year for me. Beginning November 1, everyone thinks it's Christmas. You can call my a scrooge, but I am a firm believer that the Christmas season doesn't begin until November 25th. One month of constant Christmas music, feeling guilty every time you pass a salvation army bell ringer, and the constant reminder that you have to go shopping is plenty for me. I mean shoot, HyVee had a band come in and play carols all day on November 1st....bah humbug. So I figured if the rest of society can begin their Christmas season on November 1st, I could write a blog on November 16th dealing with the Christmas story.

One of the things I have been fortunate enough to do this semester, is to meet with a mentor on Wednesday mornings where we get together and dive deeper into our faith. A fun thing we decided to do was to choose a book in the New Testament and a book in the Old Testament, and read a chapter from them for each week. A few weeks ago the chapter we chose happened to be Matthew, chapter 1. As many of you know this chapter deals with Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit, and the angel of the Lord revealing himself to Joseph in a dream.

I feel fairly certain that about 90 percent, if not more of the American society knows the Christmas story. You know, the whole Mary being impregnated by the Holy Spirit, traveling to Bethlehem, and Jesus being born in a manger story where he is then visited by the three wise men. I left out a lot of important details, but you all get the gist of what I'm saying. One part of the story I feel that is often overlooked is Joseph's side of the story, especially his part of the story told in Matthew, chapter 1.

Now I want you all to think about this. Joseph was just a good ole boy living life the best he could, and was pledged to be married to Mary. Out of nowhere Mary suddenly becomes pregnant, and Joseph sure as heck knows it isn't his. I don't know about you all, but I would have been PISSED if I found out my bride to be was pregnant with someone else's baby. Yet Joseph, being the upstanding man that he was, had in mind to divorce her quietly so that she would not be publicly disgraced. However, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife for what had been conceived in her was from the Holy Spirit, and that someday that baby boy would someday save mankind.

Okay, if I were Joseph I would have woken up from that dream, had a great laugh (probably would have gone and told my buddies in the Union), and kicked Mary's butt to the curb. Now this is where the good stuff starts. Instead, in verse 24 it states, "When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary home as his wife." I want to emphasize, "When Joseph woke up." Talk about faith. I feel like every single one of us would have at least needed a few days to think this over, but no, Joseph straight up wakes up and does as he was commanded. I don't know about you, but that is a huge smack in the face to me! I can count numerous times in my life where I have felt called to do something, but I have let my fear take  a hold of me and make me doubt what I am supposed to do. Granted, Joseph did have an angel of the Lord appear to him in his dream, but still! Joseph was willing to sacrifice his pride and his reputation to marry a women that very well could have been killed for what had happened to her. Not only did Joseph have faith to do this, but he did it IMMEDIATELY upon waking up. What an act of faith.

After reading that verse I have been challenged to have faith like Joseph. What if when I felt God calling me to do something I just got up and did it? For that matter, what if we all had the faith of Joseph? I can tell you a lot of the decisions of my past would have been different. The little things that I worry about in my life are far inferior to the struggles that Joseph willingly accepted by stepping up to fulfill his calling. The road wasn't easy, but it was worth it. I hope this has been as encouraging to you all as it has been to me over the past few weeks. I know recently I have been dealing with a lot of faith issues in my life, but the constant reminder of Joseph and his story has really put things into perspective for me. Hope you all have a great rest of your week, and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Preston Sereg

Thankful

Hey Everyone,

Sometimes life gets a little crazy. In the midst of the craziness it is easy to forget about the things that we are thankful for in life. I have always been a huge fan of November because of Thanksgiving. It is the time of year that we are forced to think about the things in life that bring us joy and happiness. Don't get me wrong, I love the whole eat until you literally vow to never eat again, but I am also one of those saps that loves to remember what life is all about. So, in my post today, I decided to create a list of things I am happy for. The items listed are in no particular order, and it wouldn't be a blog written by me if there wasn't a little bit of ridiculousness. Hopefully this inspires you to sit down and think about the blessings in your life that bring you joy as well. Hope you all enjoy!

1) My Family- There is no way I could possibly explain how important my family is to me. Every member of my family holds a special place in my heart, and I would do anything I could to help them out. I am so blessed to have a family that will stand behind me in every decision I make in life.

2) My Jobs- Yeah, I work a crap ton, but I absolutely love my jobs. There are a lot of people out there that don't have a job, and I feel completely blessed to be able to support myself.

3) Taylor Swift/ Nikki Minaj- No comments necessary.

4) My Education- I have been extremely blessed to have been able to get a top notch education. I owe where I am at to a lot of good help from wonderful teachers along the way.

5) Oskaloosa, IA- The only town where being a hipster and a Beiber fan is banned. Praise the Lord!

6) My Faith- I suck at it, but I am growing every day. God is constantly challenging me to step outside my comfort zone, and to rely on him.

7) Prairie Lakes Church- One of the few churches I have ever been to that is not afraid to step on toes. They practice what they preach, and there are no hidden agendas. I love going to church on Sundays knowing I am going to be challenged, and not simply told what I want to hear.

8) My Friends- Oh boy.....where do I begin. These are the people that put up with me day in and day out. They are there for me through thick and thin. I truly have the best friends in the world. I tend to be a bit of a turd, and they continue to spend time with me anyways.

9) My Parents- They get their own section outside of family. My parents are the best parents in the world. If you don't agree.....I'll fight you. I have never seen two people work harder for the happiness and overall well-being of their family. They push me to be the best that I can be, and they never accept anything but my best. They made me work hard at everything I did, and didn't let me cut corners in life. I owe them the world, and only hope that they know how much I love them.

10) The USA- We have our problems, but what country doesn't. The freedoms and opportunities that I have been given by living here are more than I could ever ask for. Go Amurrica!

The list could go on forever, but I figured I would stop at 10. Hope you all are having a great week!

Preston Sereg