The Maxima will dew fine(I hope)

So, tomorrow is the big Student Life Conference... or more currently accepted, Student Life 'Tour'. not sure how i feel about the name change yet.. its been like 3-4 years, and im still mulling it over.. hrmmm... I am very excited about what God will teach me, as well as all the youth and other adult leaders that are going.. However, because my last class does not get out until 3:10, I shall be driving myself to Birmingham Al. in order to attend the conference.. the rest of the youth group is leaving the church at like 1:00.. I will not be able to skip that class either, because it is an accelerated term class.. meanign it will be done in the end of Feb... so each lecture is 1 hour and 45 mins long... and so much stuff is covers in one class that i can't afford to el skipo..... but anyways.. I will do the 5+ hour drivew all alone... '-( *weep*
Ok onto other matters... Im not sure how many of you thatg are going will see this post, but there is somehting that i want to show you that God has been teaching me... and since I know that God likes to show us stuff, and then reinforce it by teaching us the same thing on a youth trip shortly after, I am gonna keep an eye out so that God can amuse me.. :) I think he likes to do that.. hehe
Ok but anyway.. so as I've been spending my alone time with God, he has started to impress upon me this:
When Christ paid the price for our sins, it cost him His life... duh... However, we know that He did not fear men nor what men could to to him... yet he was so distressed that he sweated blood. and asked God to make a way for him to not have to do this... ok so what God has been showing me is that Christ was not afraid of death, nor the pain involved...Granted I'm sure he did not look forward to it or anything... The only thing that He was afraid of, was being separated from God... breaking that connection with His father. For all of eternity they had been in constant communion with each other, but now that was about to be broken for the first time... it was this that broke the heart of God, not only the Father but the Son as well.. it was this that caused our Savior so much pain... So often We tend to belittle that fact, and focus more on the fact that Christ DIED. Which is not small thing, mind you.. but i think that the bigger thing, is that he, for our sake was willing to have the Father turn his back on him... to be disowned by his own flesh and blood, if you will.. to lose a part of his very self. that was the ultimate sacrifice... for he knew that when he died, that he would be raised up three days later.. he knew that the physical pain would only be temporary.. yet when he the face of the Lord was turned from him, he cried out, "my God, my God, why have your forsaken me?" and it was then that he gave up his spirit and died. it was not the physical pain that was too unbearable.. it was the separation from the Father...
How I pray that God would make that our heart! Imagine it! To be so connected and in love with God, that the act of being separated from him would be enough for us to just die! An awesome thought that is!
Well that is my prayer for us all. For the Lord to give us that kind of desire for Him. That kind of yearning to be one with Him!
I love you guys and can't wait to see just what God has planned for each one of you... let me know what is happening with you in your own walks.. and keep me accountable.. you guys are such an encouragement to me! I would prolly not be where I am now without having you all there to keep me going, to keep me from messing up too bad.. to be like, 'James, what the heck are you thinking!?!?' ;-) and then ill be like, uhhh yeah your right.. (or atleast i Hope and pray that i will be! hehe)
Ok this has been way too long, and I will be very proud of you all if you made it through!! but as a reward fo those of you who did make it to the end.. come to me sometime, and i'll take you out and buy ya lunch.. :) but please don't tell anyone about that...they HAVE to have read the whole post to find out.. I can't be going broke and all... "I aint' finna have that!" Hehe!!!! ok bye for real my droogy droogs! Loves