Happy New Year!

I was planning on going and playing some tackle football with the Dortignac's (they have 14 kids) this morning, but it sounded like not many people were planning to show up, so I decided to play basketball instead. I think we won about three games and lost one. I had an appointment concerning my coming jaw surgery this afternoon. I must admit, it is a bit crazy. Basically, they will cut my jaw vertically in half, then slide the outer half forward to fix my over-bite. Then they will secure it with two titanium plates screwed into my jaw. If all goes as planned, I'll have my wisdom teeth taken out at the same time. We met this guy that had the surgery done six weeks ago, and he basically said that I would lose a lot of weight. He said he is just starting to chew on soft foods. He gave us all the real information. He said that I wouldn't even feel my wisdom teeth removal afterwards. I guess that means that the jaw surgery is just that much more. The oral surgeon said that I would be on a liquid (or nearly liquid) diet for six weeks. Not my idea of fun. The good news is that they don't like wire my jaw closed or anything. Also, he said that when they do that, the nerve is cut and so I won't feel my jaw for like 3 months. He said that this is actually a really good thing because that means that it doesn't hurt. I'm not sure if I like that or not. As much as I don't want it to hurt, I don't exactly like the thought of drooling for 3 months (haha). I guess it won't be the end of the world... just almost. This will probably take place in June sometime after I am out of school. After the appointment, we went over to the Dortinac's house and played some tackle football. It was a ton of fun! I haven't played tackle football in forever! There were a couple really funny plays. One of the guys was calling for the ball, but the quarterback was looking into the sun. He fired it toward the silhouette of the guy that was calling and hit him in the back of the head. haha There was another play where I was tackling a guy and I tried to strip him (create a fumble). Well, dad decided to help... and tackled both of us. I was expecting dad to grab the fumble... not take me down! I ended up getting out of that pile and running for a touchdown. :) I won't mention that I threw way too many interceptions. I did get quite a few interceptions and touchdowns though, so I guess it balances out to some degree. We visited my grandparents for a couple hours tonight. We watched this young man on TV that was attempting to break the world record for the longest jump on a dirt bike. He did break the record (322 ft and 7.5 in). As the reporter asked him what he thought, He said that He was a bit disappointed that he didn't go further (there was a head wind). Then he told everyone to clear off the landing because he was going to do it again. I couldn't believe it! How could he be so passionate about this, that he would risk his life a second time just because he thought he could go further than he did? Then I was thinking of my life. If this young man was willing to risk his life for this world record, I should be all the more passionate about Christ and what He has done for me. That is infinitely more important than being famous for a world record. He has a discontentment for not meeting up to what he thought his potential was. I want this same attitude toward my relationship with Christ. I don't ever want to get to the point where I am satisfied with my relationship with Christ. I want to grow daily. I was thinking about what I would like to read in the Word as we enter 2008. I had to go back to the theme that I have set for myself in Philippians 3.

Verses 7-14
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Verses 20-21
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

This is my desire for 2008... that I would count worthless things as worthless so that I would see the infinite worth of Christ, that I would remember that my citizenship is in heaven, that my heart would be filled with a passion for pressing on toward the goal for the prize because of these amazing truths.