Big Day Coming Up!

Well, tomorrow is the education career fair and I am so excited! This is my sixth year in college and I am ready to have a real job. Please say a prayer for me as I will be interviewing with various school districts tomorrow throughout the day. God has been so good to me and I know He will guide me to the right job situation. Thankfully in this terrible economic time, math teachers are still in high demand! Thanks for your prayers and God bless!

What an Incredible Weekend!

I just had an incredible weekend! As many of you know, I am the type of person who likes to be in constant motion. The busier I am, the happier I am. This weekend was a God-send filled with friends and family and fun filled activities. It started out on Friday night with game night at the BCM. We played all kinds of crazy games ranging from Pokemon to Dutch Blitz until about 1 in the morning.




That was followed up with a trip to Joe's Diner until about 3:30 am. Some of the best conversation happens at a restaurant booth at ridiculous hours in the morning!

I slept until about 11:30 and then headed over to the BCM to meet up with my Bible study family. We went hiking to the Cascades and it was beautiful! I have hiked the Cascades many times, but never before in January. Though it was cold, it was well worth it. A lot of the water was frozen over which made for a breathtaking view throughout the hike. Of course I had great company along the way. Other than a few near injuries, it was a great trip.







Almost immediately after getting back from the Cascades, I got ready to head up to Lynchburg for the Radford/Liberty game. Becca and Matt rode up there with me and we were really surprised to see how crowded it was. There were over 7,000 people at the game and the atmosphere was electric. I bet a lot of people were there to see Liberty's stud freshman, Seth Curry. I will admit that I wanted to see him too, though I was rooting against him! He didn't disappoint as he scored 31 points. That wasn't enough for the Flames though as the Highlanders beat them in double overtime! I was really pumped up along with the handful of other Radford fans that made the trip. It was also great to see Rachel, Craig, and Jamie. I don't get up there as much as I should. After the game we went to Sonic for a quick bite and then headed back to Blacksburg.









Today was another action packed day. David and I slept in a little late but made it to Sunday school and church at Cambria Baptist. It was great to see everyone there after being away for over a month. That church is so good to us college students. The Banyai's had us over for lunch which was a treat as always. Then David and I did the unthinkable...we actually decided to get motivated and play basketball at War Memorial Gym. We ended up playing for a few hours and worked up quite a sweat. I am really out of shape but still had a blast. We got back to the house just in time to head over to Kyle's place and watch the Hokies beat Miami in overtime for their fourth ACC win of the season. They are really playing well right now and might I say what a weekend for the Greenburg clan! Seth coaches his team to an overtime victory on the road and his brother Brad one ups him with a double OT win! Finally I headed back to Cambria to practice with the choir for the Easter cantata. I sang with them two years ago and had a great time. I have more time on my hands this semester so I will hopefully be able to attend all the practices.

God is so good! I am having a great semester so far. I have been meeting a lot of new people as well as enjoying old friends. God has truly blessed me with incredible relationships. I look forward to another great week coming up. This Thursday I have the education career fair so I ask for your prayers as I seek a job for the fall. I know God will provide me with the right opportunity. I just continue to praise Him because He knows what is best for me and constantly reveals Himself to me. Praise God!

Back in Blacksburg!

Well, I arrived in Blacksburg last night and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here thus far. It was great to see Tim again last night. I sure do miss the "good old days" when we were living on campus together. We had a great time just hanging out last night and jamming with our respective instruments: Tim on the Mandolin and myself on the guitar. We rocked out to classics such as He's Got the Whole World in His Hands and Hush Little Baby. Yes we are both novices but we had a good time messing around. We even had a short worship session together.

David also got in last night, along with his dad, fresh off a bitter cold ski trip. I was happy to hear that he will still be around Blacksburg for a few weeks while he searched for employment. Selfishly, I would love for him to stay all semester, but I am praying that he will get a job soon. Today Tim and I were treated to lunch at Cracker Barrel on behalf of Mr. Freeman. This was actually my first time eating there and it was quite good.

The highlight of the weekend thus far was the Hokies basketball game today against Boston College. David and I headed over to Cassell Coliseum looking to wait in line to get in. Because it is still officially winter break, they were letting anyone with a Tech ID get in for free, as long as there were seats remaining. While we were walking, we overheard an older couple say something about free tickets. We immediately inquired and were handed two tickets to the game. To top it all off, we got to sit in the front row with Josh Chudy and Meredith Burton because a few of their friends were unable to make it. The game went back and forth but the Hokies prevailed 79-71 to move to 2-1 in the ACC. Jeff Allen had a career high 30 points and Delaney and Vassallo did their fair share. Up next: undefeated Wake Forest in Winston Salem! What an opportunity that will be to knock off an undefeated team and possibly the #1 team in the nation! The game is on ESPN at 7pm so check it out.

David and I

Josh and Meredith

Some random thoughts

I got a call today that had me praising Jesus! I get to substitute the next two days, and hopefully two more after that before heading back to school. Today was another day of sleeping until 2 pm and so it will feel really nice to wake up at 7 am tomorrow and head to earn some money. Wait...did I just say it would feel nice to wake up at 7??? That may be the only time you hear that from me. Anyways, I am so thankful to God for giving me the opportunity to get out of the house and look forward to the rest of the week.

We just finished watching the season premiere of "24" and I have to say I really enjoyed it. My dad thinks it is too crazy and far-fetched but I ask what season hasn't been? All I know is that I was thoroughly entertained for all four hours and am looking forward to next Monday night. I love the foursome of Jack, Tony, Buchanan, and Chloe. They have a great presence together on screen. The level of corruption in the government is a bit ridiculous but sometimes you just have to stop being critical and enjoy what you are watching. There is no way this country will ever experience seven days of the magnitude of the seven seasons of this show anyways, so let's just stop trying to make realistic sense of the plot. It is still compelling television and I will continue to watch. The most interesting thing to think about after the last episode is the morality behind Jack and Tony shooting at government officials in their kidnapping of the Prime Minister. Where do you draw the line between maintaining cover and taking innocent lives?

After "24" I flipped over to MSG to catch the end of the Knicks game and I was pleasantly surprised to find them up by five over the Hornets with three minutes left. They tried to give up a big lead like usual, but pulled it off, gaining a huge road win against a far superior opponent. They are making strides and are at least watchable. They already have fifteen wins and only need eight more to tie their total from last season.

A few more days here in Pleasantville and then it will be back to Blacksburg! I am really excited to get back to school and start a new semester. God is surely going to do some neat things and I am ready to watch Him work.

Worship, Working, and Waiting

This has been a tough week for me. Not tough in regards to anything serious but tough in regards to being bored out of my mind! I have been spoiled over the years during my breaks in regards to earning money. I substitute teach at Pleasantville and Blind Brook and usually always have work waiting for me when I get home. During the Christmas break I was really enjoying the time I had to relax. As many of you know, this is unusual for me. I do not know how to relax! I tend to find something to do, like reading, and then abandon that in a few minutes in search of something else. That is why the Christmas break had been so satisfying because God was just giving me peace about doing nothing and not feeling bad about it! I was still able to live a life of worship for Him even while mostly staying home and being a bum. I guess the best part of it was spending quality time with the family. Everyone was on vacation and we got to do a lot together.

This brings me to this week. Obviously as a substitute, I could not work last week anyways, and therefore I really got to enjoy some rest and relaxation. Today marked the fourth day in a row that I had slept until noon or later. I think I was getting more tired from sleeping so much. My attitude was terrible the last three days. I wanted so bad to be subbing and earning money. I wondered why God was giving me this extended period off and was quite frustrated by it. I started using it as an excuse for why I was being so grumpy around my family. If you ask my parents they will probably tell you I was near impossible to deal with for the last three days. God is so faithful though. I kept asking Him to show me what He wanted me to do with all this time at home. Today He gave me such peace and motivation. Thankfully I had a dentist appointment at 2:30 so that got me out of the house. Afterwords I felt energized and was able to come home and finally start working on my room. I feel like there are so many things in there that I need to throw out but don't want to. My room is not big to begin with so every time I come home it turns into a disaster area. It was refreshing to go in there and clean under my bed, coming across some neat discoveries along the way. I found some old pictures, some old schoolwork, and a few sports programs. I also was able to throw a lot away. When my dad woke up and my mom came home, I was talkative for the first time all week. We had some great dinner conversation and I simply felt like myself again. Praise God because I was really in a terrible routine before today!

I bring this all up because it ties into my devotional this morning. I am giving My Utmost for His Highest another chance this year. I tried it last year, in its original text, and I found it confusing and inconsistent. One of my friends gave me the updated edition recently and I find it much easier to read and am enjoying it thus far. The title of the devotion was Worship and it dealt with giving God our entire lives and not just bits and pieces. Chambers writes, "Worship is giving God the best that He has given you." He talks about how sometimes we try to make up for a lack of discipline in our quiet times by having a whole day set aside for God. Chambers says that this can be a distraction from giving God consistent time each day. Chambers states that too many times Christians separate the time they devote to worship, work, and waiting. He says, "Some of us seem to jump like spiritual frogs from worship to waiting, and from waiting to work. God's idea is that the three should go together as one." This week I was unable to work and so I was waiting on God to provide me an opportunity to leave the house and earn some money. Instead of allowing my waiting time to be a time of worship, I was taking that time to myself and selfishly using it for many pointless pursuits, some of which led me into sin. As I quickly found out, this use of time was not satisfying at all. Today I have been able to give my day to Him and trust that even though I was not working, I was still blessed to be given the day live, period. According to Chambers' definition, the blessing of each day we get should be given back to God. I am learning to take each day one at a time and not look forward, because when one looks forward, he may miss something God is trying to do now!

For anyone that is still with me through this long post, I hope this communicates to you. In other news, I got my new digital camera in today. This is my fourth camera in like five years and hopefully I will hold on to it for a while. I have a bad habit of either breaking or losing expensive items like this. Tomorrow I head up to Connecticut to visit my friend Donny from Virginia Tech. This will be a nice opportunity to have some Christian fellowship and also get out of the house. After that it is time for NFL playoffs baby! I go back to Blacksburg next Friday and I am really excited for a new semester. I really enjoy being excited about my education for once. Engineering always provided me with a terrified feeling before the first day of classes! God bless you all as you continue on in this new year. Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Visiting old friends

This past weekend I had the chance to head up to Barrington, Rhode Island to visit the Olson family! Colby Olson was my youth pastor when I was in high school and played a vital role in my spiritual growth. Shortly after I left for college, Colby and his family moved down to Florida to start a ministry there. Recently they moved back north and Colby is now the student pastor at Barrington Baptist Church. I was very excited to be able to make the short trip up to see him, his wife Stacey, and his two children Kelsey and Troy.

Colby and Stacey gave me a driving tour of the area. They live in a beautiful part of the state that is surrounded by water. There was a lot of snow and ice on the ground which added to its beauty. We were able to catch the sun just as it was setting from a spot in a local park.

I had a blast playing with the kids and catching up with Colby and Stacey. God is doing some amazing things through them and I ask you to keep them in your prayers. I have learned a lot from Colby and enjoyed talking with him about what God has been revealing to him recently. What a blessing it is when we get to unite with friends in Christian fellowship.

On Sunday morning John, Beth, Meg, and Yvonne drove up to attend service at Barrington Baptist Church. Colby gave a message on evangelism, taking passages from Mark and John. The church is beautiful and quite spacious. I can see that God is going to do some great things there. Colby tells me that it is the only Bible believing church in their area.

After church we gathered at the Olsons' house and had a nice lunch before hitting the road. John and I joined with Troy in creating some of the most interesting music you will ever hear! Troy was so cute playing his little guitar. I think John missed his calling as a lyricist!

It was great to get out of the house for a few days and enjoy a weekend among friends. Thanks for allowing me to stay over Colby and Stacey. I hope to see you soon!

Starting off 2009 with a bang

As I have said before I am very excited about this new year, and what a way to start it off last night with a 20-7 victory for the Hokies in the Orange Bowl! Although I was not able to attend the game this time around, I had the privilege of hosting a bunch of friends for a rocking Orange Bowl party. Here is a picture of most of the crew:

It was such a blessing to have all the Profts over. Kevin flew in from San Francisco for Christmas and Kristin is back from Australia. Even Mrs. Proft came by to enjoy the game. They have always been a second family to me and I am blessed to have them as friends.

There will never be another KP! He is a wonderful friend and also looks quite good in maroon and orange!

I am so proud of the Hokies. They overcame a lot this year to finally win a BCS game. Congrats to all the seniors and to Frank Beamer for guiding a very young team to another ten win season. A special shout out to Orion Martin for a wonderful career as a Hokie! His interception was the turning point of the game. I have had the privelege of knowing Orion for three years and am always impressed by his humility and dedication to the Lord. Good luck at the next level my friend! I am sure his brother Cam will be one of our team leaders next year as he caps off a nice career of his own.

Joe Farrant also came over last night. KP, Joe, and I used to have some amazing times back in middle school and high school. To this day we remain good friends. We would always have sleep overs filled with all kinds of wacky escapades including playing Who Wants to be a Millionaire, watching the Knicks, eating pop-tarts, and playing various video games. Thanks for all the memories guys and I look forward to our times together this year!

Finally it has been amazing being home with my family. As many of you know, my twin sisters are both engaged! I am so proud of them. My parents are still up here in Pleasantville working hard in order to support their children. I am so thankful for them. Though Becca is down in Florida, I was so happy to have Rachel and my parents decked out in Hokie gear to watch the game with me last night. What a wonderful night of football, friends, and family and a great way to start off the new year!

Some thoughts as we head into 2009!

Wow, God is so good! I am so overwhelmed by his amazing grace and peace at this very moment. 2008 was a great year but a trying one for me at times. I went through a lot of transition and sometimes had no idea where God was leading me. Now it is 2009 and God is guiding me each day! I am so pumped for this year. I want to grow so hungry and thirsty for God's Word that I can't get enough! I know this won't happen overnight but that is my goal. It is my hope that I will be able to share the love of Christ with others wherever I go. I am sick of being so selfish. I so often think about what is best for me. I realized that in 2008 when I lost sight of the interests of my friends and family and instead worried only about pleasing myself. God calls us to carry each others burdens and lay down our lives for our friends. I am so thankful to God that he forgives us each day even though we don't deserve it. I am a sinner, God is perfect, and yet through Jesus Christ I can still have a relationship with Him! Amazing! This is going to be an amazing year folks. If you are struggling with anything at all right now, why not give it to God? Better yet, why not give your life to God? He will do so many amazing things through you and the peace of Jesus Christ will reign in your life. Some people ask me in these difficult times why they should believe in God. I say why not? He is the only one who can provide peace during these trying days. I don't know exactly what God has in store for me over this next year but that is what makes it so exciting! I am just walking daily in His ways and watching as He leads me. I can't wait to start teaching next fall and have the chance to impact so many young students. I am so thankful for the responsibility that I will be blessed with. Always know that your problems are never to great for God! For God tells us in His Word, "My power is made perfect in your weakness." Let us all come before the throne of God in 2009 and praise Him for all the amazing things He has done for us! AMEN!

Stories of a Stranger

Well I was in the shower this morning and decided that this was as good a day as any to start a blog. I have always liked the idea of keeping a journal but really dislike writing by hand. This will give me an opportunity to keep track of my thoughts as well as share with you what is going on in my life. The title of my blog stems from the Bible verse found in 2 Corinthians 12:9. I want to live my life that way; relying on God's strength in all I do. Please join along with me this year as I reflect on what God is doing in my life. I also ask that you join with me in prayer as I continue on my walk with Christ!