Christmas is Here!

So I am super excited about christmas is coming! Just today I woke up to find snow all over the place. I have so many plans set before Christmas and Hope I get to do it! Maybe some Iceskating, Go to Dollywood to look at the lights, Go shopping with The JENNA PIKE, And maybe Skiing! One of the many gifts I asked for has kind of already been given to me as a early present. A Morgan Monroe Mandolin YAY! 

besides asking for Jelly beans and money, I really have been looking into getting a new camera,  I am thinking of Going non digital and getting a regular film camera. I really want to get the 

Diana Mini. 

Its hard to believe that Christmas is only 20 days away! 

It wasn't Love..

Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record or wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth…

About a year ago I was given the task in Teaching and Preaching to preach on Corinthians Chapter 13. I knew everything I was suppose to know about Corinthians 13, I read many commentaries on it, I read the “Preaching for Dummies” text book, I even followed the methods my teacher taught us in order to “preach correctly”. I was so ready!!!! I knew exactly where to stand, I knew where to keep my hands and I knew the topic to preach that my professor gave to me. I even went as far to know there was a dress code in order to preach… I wore my Gold three-piece suit that was my Grandfathers from the 70′s. I looked so good, I was man of GOD…NOT I was a man of COG. I went up there with my 3 point sermon, some how, I do not know how my sermon on Love is patient got on the topic and mind set of Christmas… ( I guess I was thinking about Black Friday and how no one is patient around christmas) I started to try my best to preach about christmas, and how no one patient and other most pointless stuff ever. If I took the time to read the passage I was given and not trying to preach the way they showed or the way I was told to preach I may have read this passage more closely. I totally read this passage out of Legalism, I did not to take time to read the words of this passage.

How often do we take the word of  God, and beliefs and apply legalism to it… I pay my tithes because the bible tells me too, Oh I don’t lie… because of the 10 commandments and my pastor tells me not too, -OHHHH guess what I got baptized last sunday! why? I was told thats what was “needed” to do in order to go to heaven. I guess I need to read the Bible tonight. ok fifteen minutes then off to the bar!   These are just a few issues we face. Now back to my Legalistic sermon, I did not remember much of what was talked about I can tell it was terrible and it had nothing to do with God. I Talked about God, I may even prayed to God but If I actually preached on what I was supposed too then I would have preached differently. I mean the answer was under my nose the whole semester while I prepared for this sermon. Not once does Corinthians 13 say Legalism is patient, or Legalism is kind, But it say LOVE IS PATIENT, LOVE IS KIND.  God has been dealing with me lately on the issue of Love and the relationship I have with Him, Jesus asked Peter, “do you Love me?” Peter said, “yes” and Jesus replied, “Then Feed my Sheep”. Peter grew in the Lord and became a great man of God not because he had too but because he Loved the almighty God. If we could grasp this truth that everything you do is because of love and not because you are told to over and over again to do it. Then our way of living will drastically change. Once I got a hold of this and truly, prayed and seeked God for his Love in my life, I became a new creation.Old things passed away, I woke up one morning Praising God for the New Day He has blessed me with, not out of habit but because God loved me so much and has given me so many blessings, why would I not praise Him?. A few nights ago I was done with homework, and decided why not play some video games, I started playing this game for about 5 minutes and my soul started to long for the Presence of God. This love that I have for God has changed my way of life! His Love has Consumed me! I long for the presence of God, it is not a a chore but is a way of life for me. This love from God is incomparable to anything else in this world. His love keeps me going, I read the Bible because I love God, I pay my tithes because I love God, I go to church because I love God, and I am even doing this Blog because of the Love I have with Christ. God’s love in my life has changed my lifestyle and brought me to a new understanding, God said He would give you the desires of your heart, well if your looking to God then He will be the desire of your heart. Corinthians 13:3 states if i give all i possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. I would hate to live the Christian lifestyle out of legalism and have nothing show for it in the end. what I waste! As for me I will take the relationship built on love with God over that any day.

The Journey

Hello, I am Ryan Hunter Armstrong. To be honest, I never thought I would be the one to start a blog to talk about my life, but God has really been dealing with my heart to blog the journey that he has taken me on. I really hate writing nor I am really good at it, but I feel that if God has given me something to say then why not share it those who are interested. God has been so good to me over these past few years and I owe him whatever offerings I can offer. (even if it is the simple testimony through Blog) He has placed a purpose in my life and has saved me from the flames from hell. At times, He has been my only true friend. When situations and problem came in my direct it was truly the hand of God that protected me and comforted me.  I right now am twenty-two years old and My journey is just beginning, God promised me that where ever I go, and where ever he takes me, HE WILL BE THERE!. I am so excited for the ministry God has set out before me, My daily prayer is that it be God’s will not mine, I do not want to be in the way of what God has planned in my life. If I could sit back and tell you the one thing that has completely changed my life it would be God. I am who I am because of what He has done.  I plan to update this blog every so often. I know that God will give me the words to put here and when He gives me something to share, it will be shared.

I once went on a Hike to Mount Sterling, and God truly was with me, I embarked on this hike seeking to hear from God. Well this was the hardest hike i have been on, everything that could go wrong went wrong, it rained every day at 3:00 and would not stop till midnight each day. I came to find out my tent had a leak, shoes were soaked and my pack was way to heavy.  I went on this hiking looking to see the beauty of the mountain, all I saw was wet stuff. It was dark, damp, and cold! God started to deal with my heart and he placed the story Abraham and Isaac (on my heart the whole hike) This story about God telling Abraham to sacrifice  Isaac to the Lord. “how awful would that be?” Having to give up your son, and doing so because what Abraham has was given, was given by God. Abraham and Isaac had to walk up the mountain to prepare the sacrifice for the Lord. The Journey they went on was hard, I bet Isaac was thinking about a lot of things -like what is going on? At one point he asked his dad, where is the sacrifice? Abraham stated, the Lord will provide (what great faith!). When Abraham and Isaac reached the destination God has prepared for them, He also provided the sacrifice for the offering unto the Lord. Isaac did not have to be the sacrificed one. But in the end Abraham and Isaac prepared the offering for the Lord.  I hiked that trail for 3 days and It was terrible, wet, cold, and seemed distant from everyone. I was not hiking this mountain to give up my only son! But just for fun… On the third day of the hike  the sun came out and and I reached the destination of where I was going too, it was so pretty, everything was beautiful, i was in awe of God’s Creation. God spoke to me then, “The journey may be hard, the journey may seem to be worth it at times but  you did not take this hike alone and I promise though it may have its problems, it will be worth it in the end.  Now my hike was intended for fun and Abrahams was not, but I hiked that hill in hope of a touch from God, and He did, I know now that where ever He takes me, He is preparing the way. It may be hard at times, it make down right stink, but I am not going on this journey alone, and in the end… wow, that where the beauty is!