There's Treasure Everywhere

This is what Jesus gets to hear every day

2012-02-15T08:48:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentines Day!

"Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible."
(Ephesians 6:24 ESV)

We are the Words of His Power

2011-11-18T14:58:00.001-07:00

N.D.Wilson:

"Tree, I say, and you know what I mean. You see one in your mind, or glace out your window and remember the much-needed pruning. Tree, God says, and there is one. But He doesn't say the word tree; He says the tree itself. He needs no shortcut. He's not merely calling one into existence, though His voice creates. His voice is its existence. That thing in your yard, that mangy apple or towering spruce, that thing is not the referent of His word. It is His word and its referent. If He were to stop talking, it wouldn't be there. Or do you think that its molecules and atoms and quarks are made of some mysterious, self-sustaining matter that has always been and will always be, some infinite Play-Doh or hydrogen, holy be its name? Maybe there was an Adam Up Quark and an Eve Lepton? Maybe God found a bit of infinite matter and blew it up like a balloon, and now it sputters and spits while it swirls, sustaining itself?"

—> Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (p. 43)

God, the least you could do is spell it out!

2011-11-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

N.D.Wilson:

"There are Christians in the world who bemoan the absence of God's speech, who cry out for personal communication with God Himself. They want cues for their lines. They want explanations and specific directions from the Artist.

And God, as far as they can tell, is ignoring them. They feel neglected—because they weren't cast as Moses or Elijah or Enoch or Gideon.

Tell me what you want me to do, God. Speak to me (in English, please) and tell me if I should take this job in Des Moines or stay closer to my mother.

Then, because their part in this story does not include cosmic voice-overs in English, they enter into an existential crisis. They begin to 'doubt.'"

—> Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (p. 30)

Poetry for dudes

2011-11-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

N.D.Wilson:

"How many quarks are out there, splashing around in this storm? How many vowels are in a hurricane? This wet strength, so enormous beside our small arms, is itself only a tiny corner of the spoken world, a tiny corner of this poem. Bigger breakers swirl in Jupiter's eye, but who sees them? Stars and worlds twist in solar storms. This storm is nothing, and I am less. But to an infinite artist, a Creator in love with his craft, there is no unimportant corner, there is no thrown-away image, no tattered thread in the novel left untied.

This ocean, tiny in the universe, is here because it's beautiful. This word, these words that keep surging and crashing and grinding against the contrast of the cliffs, they are strong and guttural, like the taste of Anglo-Saxon. This is poetry, but it is not delicate and fragile, a placid ocean beneath a Bible verse on an inspirational poster.

This poetry has testicles. It's rougher than rodeo. Which is why the cliffs are crowded with spectators."

-Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (p. 29)

No answers allowed, I'd be out of a job

2011-11-16T17:01:00.001-07:00

N.D.Wilson:

"What is the world? What kind of place is it? What is it doing? Why is it here? How do we know? The questions are fine. Sophia is the goddess of wisdom. Philosophia—the brotherly love of wisdom—is a perfectly clean pastime for boys and girls alike. But philosophy proper has become a place to hide, a place to pursue immortality (through never going out of print) by being foggy enough that room is always left for discussion—for dissertations.

Huzzah for questions. Nobody reasonable dislikes them in moderation. But does anyone actually want answers? Is the journey the destination? Please, no. Let me out of your Volkswagen bus at the next corner. Would a successful answer constitute failure? If you knew the meaning of life, would you necessarily like it?"

-Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (p. 16)

A philosophy that tabernacles among us

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

N.D.Wilson:

Second, we don't just feel the need to explain and justify existence, we also seem to understand that our explanation needs to be as outlandish as ourselves, as impossible as reality. This is no time for dogs eating homework. This requires some serious imaginative effort. Personable dragons, wind-inflated worlds and carcasses, dying wolves, cosmic blood, divine urine, exploding gas, and an ever-expanding universe—pick your cast of characters and create your own mythology. Explain yourself. Justify your presence here, the presence of the world. Even harder, explain the world's personality. Find a single seed to account for it all. Sit by a campfire, or in a college lab, and spin your tale. Compete with the choir of old stories. Sign up devotees and acolytes. Sculpt yourself something our of clay, add some odd anatomical detail, and convince yourself that it needs a bowl of fruit, or a goat, or maybe the volcano needs a virgin, or Zeus needs a shepherd girl (again). Or get a degree in philosophy, and ride that Ferris wheel. Look down at the Carnival, be safely above our madly spinning world, the mountains, thunderheads, birthing lightning while they roll, the smell of lawn clippings and fresh-cut cedar. Hide behind big words, or listen to a child's first laugh and know that this world is here, that you are in it, and that its flavors are deep and layered and its lights are bright. Know that it's real.

-Notes From the Tilt-A-Whirl (p. 7)

"Rightly Directed Rage"

2011-11-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

Dane Ortlund, on Penn State:

"What Jerry Sandusky did was a horror. If that was my boy who came home with wet hair, and had been brutalized in that way, I am not confident that I would be able to restrain myself from calmly killing Sandusky in the middle of the night. Slowly. I am not trying to be funny. If that were my son--God help him.

Now--brothers and sisters--that horror we feel is right. The thirst for personally executed revenge is not right. But the revulsion, and thirst for justice, is right. We would be wrong not to feel it.

But the horror we feel over this is not only appropriate, it is also a glimpse into the horror of our own sin. I am not leveling out all sins. Some are worse than others. But the revulsion, the rage, that we rightly feel toward that sick man is a picture of the repulsiveness of our own sick rebellion against an infinitely beautiful One, and the rage he would be right to direct toward us.
That desire for an hour, just one hour, with Sandusky in a sealed off room with nowhere for him to run, and the rage that I would like to pour out on him, is a glimmer of the rage that ought to be poured out on me by my Creator. And was poured out on his Son.
I am more like Sandusky than different from him.

God help me.

He did."

And maybe the best kinds of drugs...

2011-11-13T08:47:00.001-07:00

"What excuses can I possibly make for this book?
Alcohol was not directly involved. I do not (to my knowledge) have a diseased brain. I've never used drugs. But that's not entirely true. Spring is a drug to me. So is Christmas. Love, poetry, wind, smells, lightning, children, ants, very small beetles—all drugs in their own way.

- from the first page of N.D. Wilson's Notes From the Tilt-a-Whirl

God's longings are greater than ours

2011-11-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

The one most eager for the Resurrection:

“We look forward to the day of incorruption; but not so earnestly nor so sincerely as God himself. It is on resurrection that his heart is set; and not an hour longer than is absolutely needful shall that glorious consummation be delayed. The Church desires it; this body groans for it; all creation longs for it; but God still more than all.
His object is not to perpetuate—but to terminate the reign of death; through death to destroy him that has the power of death. His purpose is to abolish death, to bind Satan, and to give his saints glorified bodies, and introduce the new heavens and new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.”

— Horatius Bonar
"The Mortal and the Immortal" (via Of First Importance)

"Nobody moved it— it just appeared there!"

2011-11-09T06:14:00.001-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"We are called to the duty of work and not to the duty of predicting results. The Hebrew word for chance here (pega) does not refer to philisophical randomness, but simply means 'occurrence.' The event is not planned by us. As far as we are concerned, anything can happen.

To say that things happen by 'chance,' if we are using anything other than a figure of speech, is to be theologically and philosophically incoherent. Everything that happens is caused by something; the Bible teaches that it is caused by Someone. To say that something happens by chance is simply to confess our ignorance of the cause.

We want to have a measure of control; we want to be setting the odds ourselves. But Solomon knows that the results are not predictable by any of those who live under the sun. "Who would have thought...?" The results of all our endeavors are completely in the hands of God."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 96)

"God Is Too Big for One Religion"

2011-11-08T14:18:00.002-07:00

From the Stand To Reason blog:

"This is purportedly a pluralistic claim. On it's face, it has some appeal to God's vastness and greatness, along with a nice open-mindedness. But it's actually just as much an exclusive truth claim as any other claim by particular religions.
It's a way of telling most religions they're wrong for thinking their view of God is the right view. So most religions are wrong for thinking they're right, and this pluralistic claims is just as much dogma as any other doctrinal claim about God. You really can't avoid it as soon as you say something about God.
It's also not rational. All religions can't be right because of simple logic. The law of excluded middle means God is either personal or impersonal. There aren't any other options, and He can't be both. So the answer to that choice excludes a number of religions, whichever option you choose. Religions make claims that are mutually exclusive - they can't all be true.
What matters about religion isn't whether claims or descriptions of God are too meager or modest, but whether they're true or not. If God exists, then some things we say are true and others are false. We should discover which is the case rather than gloss over the differences.
This is actually a slogan to dismiss discussion, rather than engage different ideas." [emphases added]

Or, as Tim Keller (and probably many others) pointed out, how can you see that we're all touching different parts of the elephant unless you yourself have some sort of exclusive and objective position from which to view the problem?
Also, lest Christians get too puffed up in their knowledge, God is too big for any religion to exhaustively know everything about him. God gave us Jesus in order to communicate Himself in a way that we could know God truly, and he gave us heaven in order that we could know him ever increasingly. But Jesus is the truth, the perfect representation of who God is.

We are the fools on the stage

2011-11-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"As we consider what passes before us, we cannot make sense of it. We tend to assume, echoing Shakespeare, that the history of all things is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. But rather, it is a tale told to idiots. Both the righteous and the wicked are in the hand of God. We cannot tell what is occurring through what happens to them as far as we can see(9:1). Does God love me or hate me? The question cannot be answered through an appeal to external 'blessings' or 'curses'. The real test is wisdom—a heart attitude of thankfulness and faith."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 91)

And all too often, we try to answer the question of God's love for us through external occurrences, which is why so many of us vacillate in believing in God's goodness. If God's inclination towards us is no more constant than the weather patterns, than He is no more level-headed and trustworthy than Zeus, and our confidence in him is never assured.

Just like Noah

2011-11-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

David Platt:

"One preacher described it as if you and I were standing a short hundred yards away from a dam of water ten thousand miles and ten thousand miles wide. All of a sudden that dam was breached, and a torrential flood of water came crashing toward us. Right before it reached our feet, the ground in front of us opened up and swallowed it all. At the Cross, Christ drank the full cup of the wrath of God, and when he had downed the last drop, he turned the cup over and cried out, 'It is finished.'"

Radical (p. 36)

You can't climb a mountain with two broken legs and no heartbeat

2011-11-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

David Platt:

"This is the gospel. As long as you and I understand salvation as checking off a box to get to God, we will find ourselves in the meaningless sea of world religions that actually condemn the human race by exalting our supposed ability to get to God. On the other hand, when you and I realize that we are morally evil, dead in sin, and deserving of God's wrath with no way out on our own, we begin to discover our desperate need for Christ."

Radical (p. 34)

Daytime talk show Jesus

2011-11-05T11:21:00.001-07:00

David Platt:

"A nice, middle-class American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to forsake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to be balanced, who wants us to avoid dangerous extremes, and who, for that matter, wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream.

But do you and I realize what we are doing at this point? We are molding Jesus into our own image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church buildings to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshiping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead, we may be worshiping ourselves."

Radical (p. 13)

On Mark 7:13, "and many such things you do"

2011-11-05T06:26:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"But then we, in the grip of what we feel must be right and true, do precisely the opposite of what the Bible says to do. The examples of this religiosity were plentiful in Christ's day, and their tribe does not appear to have diminished in the intervening time. We say that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and so we must abstain from tobacco. Paul said that he was talking about sexual immorality and went on to add that he was not talking about any other sin whatever. But we still feel like smoking must be ungodly, so we stick to our guns. Christ said not to pray in order to be seen by men; we organize prayer meetings on the Capitol steps in the hope that CBS will cover it. We say that alcohol must be sin because some frantic women in the nineteenth century decided it was. The Lord made about one hundred and sixty gallons of the best wine in order to help the festivities along. And wisdom is vindicated by her children."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 77)

The wounds of a friend

2011-11-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"Admonition and rebuke bring another kind of adversity. But it is far better to hear them than to listen to the party songs of fools (vv. 5-6). Pop radio did not exist in Solomon's day, but it is not difficult to surmise what he would have thought of it. If given a choice between hearing a wise man enumerate your faults and hearing the Spice Girls trying to sing something, the choice is an easy one."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 71)

A good cry

2011-11-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"Both mourning and feasting are from the Lord. But mourning is better than empty mirth. The vapid world of sitcoms and stand-up chortlings is a bunch of nothing (vv. 2-4). A man who knows how to mourn will also know the meaning of solid laughter. But if a man does not know the wisdom of mourning, then no amount of tittering will fill up his soul."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 46)

Sound Like Anyone We Know?

2011-11-04T06:00:00.004-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"This really is the flip side of the previous problem: before, we saw the powerful kicking the powerless, but now we see the powerless spitting at those who have exercised a creative dominion. When a man works hard and accomplishes much, his neighbor envies him (4:4-6). The man who envies is often a cannibal, devouring himself (v. 5). But hard work alone can also be unsatisfying.

When a man works hard—and does well—his neighbor carps at him. 'It is all very well for you to talk—you have it easy!' Of course he has it easy, because he has worked hard and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. His neighbor sees it as unfair and vexes himself over the problem considerably.

Unscrupulous demagogues then arise and promise to make the rich pay their 'fair share'. This is a complex and long-standing ritual in which the poor are fleeced in the name of fleecing the rich. The poor allow it to happen because they are blinded by envy. Any man seeking control of the engines of state, the better to accomplish his plundering, always promises to make the great businesses pay taxes—and the envious man cheers. But of course, no business ever paid a tax without passing it on to the consumer, and so the envious man finds himself paying for the pillage he ardently supports."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 55)

God's sovereignty as our foundation for joy

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson, on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

"In all this, in every aspect of our lives, the Lord God is exhaustively sovereign. This is not said in order to quarrel with those unhappy brethren who dispute it. This is said because it is the foundation of Solomon's argument, which in turn means that it is the foundation of all possible intelligent joy."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 46)

God is not a distraught governor

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

Doug Wilson:

A popular notion is about, that God is above all this crooked mess down here, wringing His hands over a world gone bad. Whenever some public calamity befalls us, some soupy minister is bound to get some air time, assuring all that "God's heart was the first to break." This "let's-keep-God-away-from-the-responsibility-for-the-bad-stuff" theology seeks, in a superficial way, to defend the honor of God. If God is not really here, then we cannot blame Him for the problem of evil. And so we reason to ourselves, thinking that man by his free will has made something crooked which God cannot, for various reasons, straighten out. The problem with this idea is that Solomon states it the other way."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 22)

Not absolute meaninglessness

2011-10-29T09:59:00.001-07:00

Doug Wilson:

"And further, if Solomon were arguing the absolute meaninglessness of absolutely everything, then why should we trust his argument? It too is under the sun. How could anything, or any word, mean utter meaninglessness? Whenever anyone announces that there is no such thing as truth, a listener should always wonder if the speaker believes his expression to be true. Solomon is a wiser man than to fall into the idiocy of modern existential relativism."

Joy at the End of the Tether (p. 15)

Hey Mama

2011-08-14T10:33:00.003-07:00

"You're Mississipi and I'm Oregon
You're sun-tanned and I'm porcelain skinned"

—Mat Kearney, "Hey Mama"

"...exercising violent faith against Hell, not people..."

2011-08-13T09:23:00.004-07:00

The Kingdom of God does not advance by physical violence but through violent faith (Matthew 11:12). Burning the Koran, for example, is not the way of Jesus. Kingdom people advance the Name of Christ by humbly exercising violent faith against hell, not against people (Ephesians 6:12). We do this by "turning the other cheek," "overcoming evil with good" and going into the world with the gospel as lambs to slaughter.

Violent faith is beautifully displayed through Daniel and the three young Hebrews as they respectfully submitted to literal furnace flames and hungry lions. They were miraculously delivered and God's sovereignty over the gods of the nations was broadcast throughout the earth through Nebuchadnezzar's own edict!

This is the Kingdom way! Violent faith says — "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king that we will not serve your gods" (Daniel 3:17-18). These men were respectful, polite, humble, cheerful, but spiritually violent in their undistracted faithfulness to God.

--David Sitton, "Violent Faith Glorifies God and Advances the Gospel"

"...so many myriad's of ages hence..."

2011-07-11T07:22:00.002-07:00

"Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriad's of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever."

— Jonathan Edwards, Resolutions

No throne so stately as the gibbet...

2011-07-06T17:28:00.001-07:00

"There is no tribunal so magnificent, no throne so stately, no show of triumph so distinguished, no chariot so elevated, as is the gibbet on which Christ has subdued death and the devil."

— John Calvin, quoted by Michael Horton in
The Christian Faith

after being sick with a cold

2011-04-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

So nobody died. There were no hospitals, no surgeries, no ER visits, no prescriptions, no vomiting, no unsettling rashes or lesions. No migraines or blood or intestinal discomfort. But when your body just gets...grumpy. It decides that it has had enough of this day-to-day healthiness, and so it just shuts down for a couple days.

Your nose starts a slow leak. Where does that water come from, anyway? How is it getting all the way up there. Is it coming from my brain?

Your throat closes down for repairs. Or renovation. Suddenly, air and food and everything else is trying to fight to be first through that narrow passage. It's like Black Friday in my esophagus.

And that's how I was. For two stinking days. Well. A day and a half. It's shameful, really. With my youth, and vigor? I would never have made it on the Oregon Trail. I'd have died at that first river fording. They'd have buried me as the first landmark of the Manifest Destiny. Maybe that's not so bad.

Holier men would have 'rejoiced in their weaknesses'. I think I'm usually more at the level of those who 'whine in their weaknesses'. If I could go back and see myself, grunting on the couch like a drugged St. Bernard, I'd probably kick myself and call me a wimp and say 'Snap out of it! You're a positively miserable mess here!". And then I would say, "Hey you're right, future me. Thanks for the perspective!"

Or, more likely, I would think the NyQuil was finally kicking in.

my morning commute

2011-04-13T13:47:00.001-07:00

I walk to work in the Arizona sunrise. It's when the city is at its most silent. I walk past a dead shopping mall, a long street full of construction vehicles, a quiet running track, and a single giant deciduous, that looks like it was lost trying to find its way to Flagstaff. This is one of my favorite parts of the day. The air feels like it was just taken out of the package, clean and without fingerprints. There isn't enough heat yet to remind me of where I live, and still enough green to convince me that this isn't the desert.

I really like these 15 minutes. They're tucked right between the morning kiss for my sleeping wife and the clean boot of idling computers. Here, nature takes precedence over technology. The choir of multitasking is still backstage, allowing a good morning stretch to have its solo. Those 15 minutes move as quickly or as slowly as I determine.

Sometimes I pray. And listen. Sometimes I read a book (and walk at the same time, yes). Sometimes I sing. There's not enough people around to see me acting crazy, though to be honest, I wonder why more people don't sing out loud. It feels like a good laugh, with more notes. Sometimes I repent. Sometimes I plead for a new heart. Sometimes I just need to shake off the drowsy fog, like most everyone else. Sometimes I need those 15 minutes just to quit being a grump. Most of the time, it only takes 14 minutes. I'm really thankful for that last minute.

He Is Good and Does Good.

2010-11-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

Read this story about Matt Chandler, a pastor in Texas, who was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor a year ago in November. It’s amazing.

After a year’s worth of surgeries, sickness and chemo treatments, Matt said this about his suffering:

“I’m not sure how men and women without a strong view of God’s sovereignty and authority over all things handle things like this.”

God will use the sufferings of Matt Chandler, and one day my own suffering, to show people that God is not merely good in giving us all that we have, but to show people that He is truly good even without all the things we have. He is not only the source of all our treasure. He is our treasure.

(source)

Sanctified Hip-Hop Love Song? I Love It.

2010-11-01T18:47:00.001-07:00

How about we shorten the genre and just call it a real love song.

(source)

What Do You See? I See A Need For Prayer.

2010-10-28T07:09:00.001-07:00

The true size of Africa. Pretty mind-blowing.

(source link)

“Red Dawn” Was the Wrong Choice

2010-10-27T11:22:00.001-07:00

(via Reddit)

“Dumb and Dumber” should have been the movie representing Colorado (besides, Red Dawn was filmed mostly in New Mexico.)

Harry: I can't feel my fi-fingers anymore, Lloyd. T-th-they're numb!

Lloyd: Ooh. Maybe you should wear these extra gloves... my hands are starting to get sweaty.

Harry: Extra gloves? You've had...this pair...of extra gloves...this whole time??

Lloyd: Yeah! We're in the Rockies.

Also, Field of Dreams was made to represent all that is good and wholesome about Iowa.

What Is It About This Song?

2010-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Jen and I danced to this song at our wedding (rumor has it we’re floating around somewhere on YouTube also). But this guy definitely schools us in sheer passion.

Thank you, once again, Mr. Bon Jovi, for providing us with THE ballad.

"The Man Who is Utterly Powerless-- is Powerful"

2010-05-18T14:00:00.001-07:00

"Here is the glory, the paradox, the irony; here, once again, there are two levels of irony. The mockers think they are witty and funny as the mock Jesus' pretensions and laugh at his utter weakness after he claimed to destroy the temple and raise it in three days. But the apostles know, and the readers know, and God knows, that there is a deeper irony: it is precisely by staying on the cross in abject powerlessness that Jesus establishes himself as the temple and comes to the resurrection in fullness and power. The only way Jesus will save himself, and his people, is by hanging on that wretched cross, in utter powerlessness. The words the mockers use to hurl insults and condescending sneers actually describe what is bringing about the salvation of the Lord."

"The man who is utterly powerless--is powerful."

D.A. Carson, Scandalous

It is good to remember that when the Christ is ridiculed and scoffed at--even in modern times--that the sovereign and all-wise God is a master of irony, and capable of using mockers to bring the truth and beauty of the cross into sharp focus.

"They are making a living; they might be making a life"

2010-04-28T12:25:00.002-07:00

The unoccupied fields, therefore, are a challenge to all whose lives are unoccupied by that which is highest and best; whose lives are occupied only with the weak things or the base things that do not count. There are eyes that have never been illumined by a great vision, minds that have never been gripped by an unselfish thought, hearts that have never thrilled with passion for another’s wrong, and hands that have never grown weary or strong in lifting a great burden. To such the knowledge of these Christless millions in lands yet unoccupied should come like a new call from Macedonia, and a startling vision of God’s will for them. As Bishop Brent remarks, “We never know what measure of moral capacity is at our disposal until we try to express it in action. An adventure of some proportions is not uncommonly all that a young man needs to determine and fix his manhood’s powers.” Is there a more heroic test for the powers of manhood than pioneer work in the mission field? Here is opportunity for those who at home may never find elbow-room for their latent capacities, who may never find adequate scope elsewhere for all the powers of their minds and their souls. There are hundreds of Christian college men who expect to spend life in practicing law or in some trade for a livelihood, yet who have strength and talent enough to enter these unoccupied fields. There are young doctors who might gather around them in some new mission station thousands of those who “suffer the horrors of heathenism and Islam,” and lift their burden of pain, but who now confine their efforts to some “pent-up Utica” where the healing art is subject to the law of competition and is measured too often merely in terms of a cash-book and ledger. They are making a living; they might be making a life.

Bishop Phillips Brooks once threw down the challenge of a big task in these words: “Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.” He could not have chosen words more applicable if he had spoken of the evangelization of the unoccupied fields of the world with all their baffling difficulties and their glorious impossibilities. God can give us power for the task. He was sufficient for those who went out in the past, and is sufficient for those who go out today.

Samuel, Zwemer, The Glory of the Impossible

Testing

2010-04-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

Really, I should have lots to say. I talk all the time. Recently, however, I have suffered from a severe case of writer’s block. Actually, it’s laziness in regards to writing. Actually, it’s that I suffer from information obesity.

Information obesity is pretty much the same thing as regular obesity. Imagine the Internet as a grocery store. Healthy, thoughtful sites are like your whole grain products. Nutty, wholesome, lots of substance to chew on. They don’t always have to have words on them. Some, like boston.com/thebigpicture are nothing but pictures, but they’re healthy enough.

But then, of course, there are lots of candy aisles. Comic books sites. Cheap tech sites. Expensive tech sites. Lame blogs that would better serve the world if the author was stuffed in a reusable grocery bag (because it’s not worth wasting any actual product to get rid of them). The internet is chock full of delicious, fattening, empty information. And I eat a lot of it.

For All Eternity and Then Some...

2006-08-13T15:40:00.000-07:00

How could you see what you see and not totally
Want to discontinue me for all eternity and then some
It bothers me so that I could be so
Completely unaffected when connected to the holy one
And so I sit here and stare at this page and wonder
At what age it will become clear to me
So for now I am clueless to how you do this
And how you move this spirit in me

I’m going Your way
Even though I cannot see in front of me
I’m going Your way
Even though I feel lost at sea

How could your favor be the flavor I savor
When the fruits of my labor are so unfavorable
And old pages are setting the stages for something outrageous
A man who can save all our souls
And you know and you know

I’m going Your way
Even though I cannot see in front of me
I’m going Your way
Even though I feel lost at sea

Ride the wave, wave goodbye, by the way did I mention today
That I don’t know the way home
So could you take me by the hand and lead me to the dryer land
So I can finally breathe again instead of sinking like a stone
And now I will diligently and not religiously but affectionately come
Before the throne of your grace in this place and seek your face For all eternity and then some

Lost at Sea
Written by: Jimmy Needham & Josef Gordon
© 2005 Jimmy Needham

Opening Your Eyes

2006-08-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

"Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!"

[John 4:35, NKJV]

"He who is not with Me [siding and believing with Me] is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me [engage in My interest], scatters."

[Luke 11:23, Amplified]

Are you gathering with Him?

Or are you scattering?

"Making Disciples" is not an option if you are following Jesus.
"Preaching the Gospel" is not an option if you are following Jesus.
"World Missions" is not an option if you are following Jesus.

However, the role you play in these three interests of His (which are ultimately one--the creation of worshipers) may look different than the cookie-cutter, clean-cut, business suit brand of Christianity we have become comfortable with in this country.

But even that does not excuse you.

God has worked in you, through the divine power of His Spirit, a role in the body in order to accomplish His work (1 Corinthians 12:7). Can you call the spirtually dead to repentance? Can you admonish the backsliders and the fence-sitters? Can you nourish the newborns? Can you effectively build believers in their doctrine? Can you encourage men and women in their passion for Jesus? Can you provide money or supplies to send missionaries? Can you offer yourself as a presence in the field? Can you pray, brother and sister? Do you?

I have added some resources regarding world missions to this blog, along with the more general resources--though both sets of links have the same heart for the gospel. Investigate some of these sites. Find teachings to listen to, countries to learn about, people-groups to pray for, stories to strengthen. Ask God how you can be a part of his glorious plan of redemption. Ask Him how you can join in the great harvest.

"May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah
May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."

[Psalm 67:4-7]

Treasure is Where You Dig For It

2006-08-03T19:08:00.000-07:00

My apartment made me fall on my face today. It's nothing special. Small kitchen, two bedroom, every light switch in the house located in the hallway. Yet even something as subtle as afternoon light streaming into the living room reminded me how much mercy God shows me.

Phil told me that everything God gives us is mercy. Mercy is a gift we don't deserve--and in the case of God, what we deserved was no mercy at all. However, because of His promise, and because we have become children of the promise, every gift is mercy. My apartment is mercy. The chair I found on the roadside is mercy. My Totino's pizza eaten on the floor is mercy.

Just because every gift is mercy does not mean that the gift is always immediately pleasant or enjoyable. Athlete's foot is mercy. A sunburn is mercy. Awful streaks of diahrrea are mercy. This kind of mercy is not always evident. Sometimes we have to dig to get to it. If this mercy is the treasure, the dirt is our pride, our selfishness. We must uproot our complaining and mean-spirited hearts to unearth the joyful mercy that God has given us. If we have pride, we will not see the mercy, only hard, barren ground. Furthermore, if we have pride, we cannot even get to the mercy. It is distant from us, unattainable. Perhaps that is why Scripture says, God unequips the proud, but gives a shovel to the humble...Or something like that. Only God can bring us to that mercy. He rewards us, and He enables us to gain that reward. Do you want mercy in the wasteland? Cry out to God for a shovel. There is a treaure there. He promised.

The Greatest Adventure

2006-07-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

I'm here in the Campus library wearing a pair of shorts for the somethingth day in a row...I'm not actually sure what day it is, or where I will sleep tonight, but I prayed in faith this morning for God to work things out with the move-out and thus far He has been answering those prayers.

Here is a brief account (both for my sake and the sake of those interested--so maybe two people, total) of my adventures over the last several days.

Tuesday morning, July 25, 3:00 am: Last security shift in New Orleans, with Nick Roseveare. Nick falls asleep at 3:30. Spend the rest of my time reading Luke and eating Oreos.

6:00 am: Leave New Orleans with Trevor and Chris. Missed a turn, shady restaurant for lunch, Vernonburger for dinner, roll into New Mexico at 3:30 am, Mountain Time.

3:35 am: Conversation with my Dad before he decides to go to work.

3:45 am: Sisters friends show up to surprise her for her birthday.

4:30 am: Mom returns from trip to California--she fell asleep on the side of the road in Gallup.

4:31 am: I pass out on a couch, shoes and all.

Wednesday morning, 7:30 am: Sister makes tasty breakfast for her friends and my friends, then we leave for Colorado.

6:00 pm: Arrive in Fort Collins. No roommate, place looks a mess, and there's creepy black plastic inside the shower. Psalm 103 scribbled on the mirror. Terribly unsettling. I pack. Fastly.

12:00 am: Roommate Adam shows up. I breathe a sigh of relief. Then fall asleep on a bare mattress.

Thursday, 8:00 am: Pack (this was the boringest section).

3:00 pm: Nathan picks me up and drives me to his house in Denver, where we listen to the best hits of Weird Al Yankovic, talk to his uncle who plays the drums and just moved here from New York, eat Turkey (that is delicious and makes you sleepy), and then fall asleep at 11:00 pm.

Friday, 1:00 am: We wake up and drive to Alamosa. Listen to two teachings. Pray. Rejoice. Repeat.

5:30 am: Arrive at Kim's house. Try to stay awak, but mosquitoes are like Turkey because they make you sleepy. Both of us pass out on the smallest bed in a camper. Aaron wakes us up at 6:30.

12:30 pm: Drive to Delta and fall in love with Colorado all over again. Aaron and I talk about our foolishness, the future, and the O.C. Supertones.

6:00 pm: Dinner with the Shark and Sam in Delta. Fun, and a little awkward. That night, sleep in a tent between a waterfall and a cornfield.

Saturday, 7:30 am: Go on a fun run with the Bride and Groom (which is awesome). Felt great, and I won some good sleepwear from the Father of the Bride.

10:00 am: Get lost trying to find Grand Mesa. Get lost trying to find a place to have a quiet time. Get lost trying to find a place in the wilderness for natures call. Still get found by Jesus.

5:00 pm: The Shark becomes Mrs. the Shark! Sam and her get married. I really liked the wedding, message and all that. My favorite parts included the candle-lighting ceremony (very intimate), Rae's song for the Shark, Sam's song for the Shark, and when Nathan and John sang "I Will Always Love You" to no one in particular. Slept in room furnished for a baby from Kazakhstan with four other guys.

Sunday, 8:30 am: Pancakes with yogurt from Janet and Abra. A minivan from Chelsea. We leave for Fort Collins.

11:00 am: Liz's car breaks down.

11:25 am: Breaks down again.

11:30 am: God breaks me down.

12:15 pm: Breaks me down again.

12:45 pm: Get caught in weird Sunday evening rush hour. Four extended testimonies and one long line at Subway later, drop the three passengers off at respective locations.

6:00 pm: Arrive at the disshevelled apartment. Feel a little a little disshevelled myself. Eat a hamburger made by Kyle's mom, and talk to Kyle and Phil. Finish loading the van.

Monday, 12:00 am: Talk to Justin about the gospel and fall asleep on the floor at Brian's.

8:00 am: Wake up on the couch. Get to the apartment. Clean like a W Employee with 16 rooms. Beat the buzzer by half an hour. Drink a slush at Sonic to celebrate.

What will happen next? I have no idea. Yet I have longed and sought God to increase my faith, and surely even my basic necessities will be met over the next few days only by His grace. Praise the Lord for...very many things.

Tigers Blood

2006-06-21T21:34:00.000-07:00

That's the flavor of "sno-ball" (though really sno-cone) I had today.

Where The Action Is

2006-06-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should have a lot more to say.

I'm in downtown New Orleans, less than half a mile from the Superdome, and about as much from the French Quarter. We're living in a dilapidated old pink Bed & Breakfast that looks as though it were better suited for stange underground cult activity.

I'm living in a room with three other men about half the size of my bedroom in my parents house in New Mexico. It's hot, sweaty, more humid than I've ever experienced, and the bathrooms are in just-over-porta-potty quality. And I love it.

Must be the adventurer in me. I would live like this all the time...then again, maybe I shouldn't be asking too much...I might just get it.

My heart is more full of life than it has been, though I do miss reading, but my friends and family are here. Not that I don't love my natural family, but there is a quiet and powerful joy that permeates these people. I don't know if I am projecting, but I think non-Christians around notice it also. It shows grace to the downcast, strength to the weary, and love to the unlovely. It is a small myriad of God's glory displayed through his children.

I've spent the past few days job hunting with Chris. He's a very good friend. A very patient friend. We have a few leads, painting, banking, or Office Depoting. May God be glorified by bringing us gainful employment and a diligent mindset.

Losing My Mistakes

2006-06-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

So I thought that my mom was going overboard for this party event, celebrating my graduation from college, my sisters graduation from high school, my brothers 21st and my moms 50th birthday. We rented an extra refrigerator (that word is hard to spell) and a 400 square foot tent. We bought a new grill and enough food to feed 200 people. As it turned out, there was enough food to feed about 70 people, which is how many showed up. They ate pretty much all of it except for a couple buckets of beans (but we got a great deal on those anyway), and some cake, but that served as a treat at church on Sunday. I was impressed that my mom (and my Aunt Valerie) so deftly handled the preparations for this event. I grandly underestimated the attendees, and the wisdom of my elders. I clenched my teeth in submission throughout this past week, thinking I knew more about what we really needed. I was also wrong.

It's over now, and most everything is returned or cleaned up. I got to see my relatives (especially my grandpa and his brothers) interact with each other, and for once I was paying attention. I can still see old tensions of brothers competing, but I also saw a stronger respect and a camaraderie that perhaps comes only with age. I can only hope that my relationship with my brother and sister changes as we grow older. I so badly want to see them in love with Jesus, and to talk with them about more than video games and pet antics. I have not been faithful in that, but I'm growing.

As an entirely separate thought, but one that came from conversations with old friends and old relatives. Humility is not making yourself out to be worse than you are...you don't need to do that. In the light of the glory and majesty and beauty of God, you don't have to debase yourself more than the presence of God already does. Recognize the truth, and respond. Don't backpedal from God's grace until you have convinced yourself that not even the cross can cleanse you. Maybe this thought is undeveloped, but it has helped me from despairing or being depressed about my weaknesses.

Motivations

2006-06-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

"Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves; therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he shatters, but his hands heal." [Job 5:17-18]

"Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Sanctified afflictions are spiritual promotions." [Matthew Henry]

"Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again." [Proverbs 24:16]

"LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts." [Psalm 15:1-4]

These are some verses and quotes that I've come across in the last few days. I'm not sure exactly what it is that unites them, or causes them to resonate so particularly with me at this moment. They do, though, and want to be affected by them. By Him.

These past few days my imagination has placed a more feverish grip on my thoughts than I have experienced in a few years. The fantasy novels I have been reading are, I expect, partially to blame. However, they have only been a spur in my side when facing these new challenges in my walk with God. For example, I have been impressed by the perseverance and discipline of the characters, and my imagination has suggested to me that there is something in my own life that can strive towards these goals. I am still weak, but once the passion is there, I will be driven to overcome my weaknesses.

I walk hesitantly in this area. The motivation can not be misplaced. If I am filled with a passion for self-glorification or personal pride, I may achieve a flawless faithfulness and forfeit my soul in the process. Even as my lungs burned on a run this morning, I had to ask God to purify my heart, to prevent me from focusing on myself for strength.

Reaching anything in my life resembling the mature Christian, the "Normal Christian" as Watchmen Nee puts it, is still a distant journey. But grace has brought me thus far, and grace will see me safely home.

Failure

2006-06-04T10:50:00.000-07:00

So it may come as no surprise to most of my close friends (as well as brief acquaintances) that I may be a strong willed and stubborn person, but I lack self-discipline and faithfulness. However, these past weeks I've felt more humbled than ever recognizing for myself how deep this weakness penetrates. Every summer God brings me through a new facet of sanctification--well, technically, it happens year-round, but the months of June, July and August are particularly punctuated with a new lesson. A brief review of the past four summers:

Summer 03: Basic Training for the Baby Christian
In Salt Lake City, I spent my time with men who demonstrated courageous and gentle followers of Jesus who read their Bibles and stood up for what was right. This dissipated much of the illusions I had about what a Christian man was like.

Summer 04: Facing Fury and Frustration
Staying in the Fort, I painted roofs with a God-entranced brother, discovering that though I could outwardly be smiles and service, my heart produced anger-filled thoughts and a filthy mouth. God showed me how bad my temper was, and how much work needed to be done.

Summer 05: From the Paradigm of Pretense to the Practice of Pleasure
Another matter of the heart, I could no longer merely act lovingly towards my neighbors and enemies (or God for that matter), my very motivations has to change. I learned about my shallow drives for personal satisfaction and how it should be rather directed towards rejoicing in the glory of God and expressing that joy in love towards others and myself.

Summer 06: The summer is half-way through, and I cannot fully say what God has in store. I only know that thus far I have been wasting much of it, and yet my Father will be ultimately glorified. Furthermore, I know that He is working all things together for good, and there is a purpose even in my failures. He is the worker of true good, and He is the Spirit that draws me into self-discipline. "To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me" (Colossians 1:29). His energy, His good, and His glory.

One practical outworking of my training in faithfulness will be a more consistent (or at the very least persistent) updating of my journal. This is not for the sake of the reader, but for the sake of faithfulness in the small things. As a result, do not expect the entries to be cream of the crop, but rather, whatever random thought ejects itself from my mind at the time. Put simply, my goal is quantity, not quality, and consistency, not coherency.

Brothers and sisters who read this, pray that His power is made perfect in my weakness.

Ready To Beam Up

2006-06-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't say I've watched a lot of Star Trek since I've been home. I know people who watch it perpetually. However, knowing what the average person might say, I probably have watched too much since I've been home. My dad thinks its okay--it's an opportunity to unwind and relax. My mom enjoys the company--we watch it together and talk about the hidden social agendas and moral truths perpetuated by the Star Trek Universe. My sister thinks we're all crazy. What do I think?

While both my mom and my dad may have good reasons to allow or encourage this, I think that there must be a limit to the television I can watch. After a while, I "won't be able to hold much longer...going to explode!" I've taken refuge in books and working outdoors...both considerably better decisions, yet I still feel as if I'm distracting myself from pursuing God fully. My Bible reading has not been as fervent, my prayer not as consistent, my meditations not as serious. Something is dragging me down, and I've figured out that its not a tractor beam of the 24th century kind.

Mostly I've had to seek God for discipline and perseverance. I've never really been apart from other strong Christians who hold me accountable for this long. This is sort of an oasis, a wilderness, a testing ground to see if I will hang on when no one else is around to push me. So far, I've not been doing very well. The realization of this weakness, however, is stronger than ever, and I am taking something from that. I need others, but I also need training for those moments when I'm isolated.

Soon I'll be back with others, and I hope that by then I will have dealt with the kinks in my heart that stifle the flow of the Spirit in my life.

The Time is Short

2006-04-30T23:18:00.000-07:00

"Hey all, right now I'm working on my formal thesis proposal, but there's one small problem. I have yet to select a real thesis, so I'm kinda stranded. Any ideas?"

--My blog, September 7, 2005

Seven months, twenty-three days, and twenty-three minutes. Twenty odd pages into my final thesis, and it doesn't look good for our hero.

I have less than two weeks before I graduate, and all I can think about is not my thesis. I'm pretty sure that procrastination is a result from the fall. In Heaven, everything gets done on time. Or ahead of schedule. I've been told that I carry a spirit of self-discipline. I pray that He starts getting that discipline thing going, because my academic clock is ticking.

Break on through to the other side.

'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee

2006-01-20T11:37:00.000-07:00

"’Twas sov’reign mercy called me
And taught my op’ning mind;
The world had else enthralled me,
To heav’nly glories blind.
My heart owns none before Thee,
For Thy rich grace I thirst;
This knowing, if I love Thee,
Thou must have loved me first. "

[ 'Tis Not That I Did Choose Thee, Josiah Conder]

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you." [John 15:16]

"He chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." [Ephesians 1:4-6]

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are..." [1 Corinthians 1:26-28]

"For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you..." [Deuteronomy 7:6-8]

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." [1 Peter 2:9-10]

"We love because he first loved us. " [1 John 4:19]

Oh the infinite and ceaseless mercy that our loving Father has cascaded over our wandering and unrepentant hearts! If the Authorship of Christ has not found reign over your faith, then today let that be your sustenance and joy. What seed of goodness do we have that we have not recieved from that ever-flowing fount! Oh, what shall we do with this gospel?

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Brothers and sisters, this verse is not about our sacrifice--it is about his mercy. (see Romans 1-11)

Girls, Goals, and the Glory of God

2006-01-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

"Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" [ John 11:40 ]

So I know this guy who likes this girl.

She knows it also, and she reciprocates. Yet they hesitate because of many reasons, foremost God has led neither one of them to begin a relationship of that variety.

Naturally, confusion, anxiety, uncertainty are precipitated. God knows the hearts of his children--Why allow them to even commence this situation?

So I know this guy who has no idea what to do with his life.

He loves God, desires to follow him, and is desperately waiting for an answer to his prayers. In the meantime, he must hover in this limbo, not knowing even what to prepare for.

Again, we find the soul's weary cry, How long, O Lord, how long? God knows the plans He has for his child, but he restrains His revelation--Why let the future linger as a shadow when he could easily pour out knowledge and understanding?

Jesus did not save Lazarus from dying. He did not save Mary and Martha the pain of losing their brother, nor did he prevent his own tears.

Why, we cry, did he wait two days? The answer is this: The glory of God in the love of his children.

"This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." [ John 11:4 ]
"Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe." [ John 11:15 ]
"I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me." [ John 11:42 ]

Blessed revelation! Our cries turn from "how long O Lord" to "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God"! Death shall not deter divine purposes--on the contrary, it is interwoven into the very purpose. If his grace works through the death of a friend, then surely it can work and sustain in difficult relationships and unforeseeable futures. Amen!

Not grace to bar what is not bliss
Nor flight from all distress, but this:
Grace to order our trouble and pain
and then, in the darkness, is there to sustain.

An Overflow of Thanksgiving (and not our stomachs!): 2 Corinthians 4:15

2005-12-04T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is the Thanksgiving list John Larsen and I compiled Thanksgiving day. Please enjoy and rejoice with us in the innumerable blessings we have recieved.

God our Father
Jesus
The Holy Spirit too
Answered Prayer
Calvin and Hobbes
Leonard (our Thanksgiving Turkey)
A great cook, aka mom, aka John's mom
Running
Saying Happy Thanksgiving to others
Seeing strangers smile
Waking up to a day with a name
Buffaloes
Family!
"No One Like You", by the DCB
Romans 8:28
The Bible
D.Teams
God providing Kashmir
Cell phones- communication with Friends and family
Lessons from Hezekiah
Situp-pushup relays
Timeshares in Winter Park
The James Principle
Free food
Trains
Grace
Digital Camera screens
When Gandalf comes back at the end of the Two Towers
The Chronicles of Narnia
Matthew 6:33
Palindromes
Brushing your teeth
Wisdom from our elders
Ecclesiastes 3:11
Acts 17
Romans 11:33
There's Treasure Everywhere, pg. 111
The mountains
Musical instruments
Walking
Chocolate
Statues of animals
That our bodies heal
Baby Smiles
Sunsets
Holding-your-breath contests
Post-holding-your-breath-contest breathing
The sovereignty of God
Hot showers
Praying with brothers
Fire!
Forgiveness
Leaders passionate for the Great Commission
Braveheart
Trusting God for tomorrow
Wisdom of kids
The Abdo Men
Serving
Writing letters
Recieving letters and packages
People who volunteer
Kids quoting Scripture
Sleeping extra
Elk bugles
Icicles
Laughter
Imagination
Heart-to-heart talks
Playing Frisbee (esp. Ultimate)
Coffee breaks
When your car starts unexpectedly
Spontaneous trips anywhere
"Beautiful Day" by Sanctus Real
Surprise notes and cards
Worship nights at the Rock
"Silent Night" at a Candlelit service
Acing a test you studied for
Finding money
Jobs
Stories of the gospel in other nations
Meeting random people who are zealous for Christ
Seeing someone accept Christ
Recieving a paycheck
Mashing potatoes
Warm chocolate chip cookies
Testimonies
Nathan T. Hrouda
Adventure running
Grandparents
Fresh fruit
Having to decide between two favorites
Artwork and paintings
Connecting something in class to God
Praying for the world
Watching storms
Boat rides on lunch breaks
Sound of the ocean waves
Jesus resurrection (and other miracles)
Missionaries who endure persecution
The cross!
The sound of M&M's being poured into a dish
Stealy

A Prayer to the God of My Life

2005-09-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God."

--Psalm 42: 5-6

Perplexed, but not in despair. Struck down but not destroyed. Lamentations have been bittersweet companions as I grow weak reaching out for the light. Slowly, methodically, and with merciful precision, my Great Surgeon is tearing away the cancerous idols that have infected my heart. "Tears have been my food day and night", and yet Your steadfast love, Your unshakable hand remains closer than ever. Oh, the unsearchable mysteries of knowing Christ! that in my weaknesses I should know your power! That in my brokenness I should feel your fullness! What shall I pray? Father, save me from this hour? No, it is for this very hour that I have come! Father, glorify your name! When I am poor and destitute in spirit, I shall strain fixedly towards Heaven, and your Name will fill my whole thought. I have come face to face with humility and creatureliness, and have discovered that the glory of Jesus is now all that much sweeter.

I shall again praise him, with my face on the floor.

I shall again praise him, from every classroom on campus.

I shall again praise him, the wellspring of unfathomable joy!

I shall again praise him, for the conquering love of the cross!

I shall again praise him, for the efficacious grace that takes hold of me!

I shall again praise him, the heart of my own heart!

I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

He is not Silent...

2005-09-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

The first words when I opened the Bible this morning...

"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. "
-Psalm 37:3-5 (ESV)

Now if only I could figure out what the desires of my heart are...

To Whom It May Concern...

2005-08-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

1. If you ever read this, know that, despite my inability to communicate over long distances and my peculiar manner of interactions, I care for you deeply. I am praying for you, dear friend. I don't want you to walk down a road where you will hurt yourself, and I want you to feel the power of grace on a broken heart. Though your decisions are made with passion, they are also sometimes careless. You permeate my thoughts often and aggresively, and you always will.

2. If you ever read this, you should know that I will never understand where your love for me comes from. I have ignored and rebelled against you, I have distanced my emotions from you, and I never show you the gratitude you deserve. I will never agree with the choices you have made about your life, and yet you still have merited so much respect in my eyes. I love you despite my desperate attempts not to, and I will do my best to honor you with my future decisions.

3. If you ever read this, you already know that you make my joy complete. We have wept, belly-laughed, and cried out to God together, and whether I am rebuking you or being rebuked, your words always return me to the praises of my Savior. Though there is no way that either of us know what the future holds, I am glad that we will hold on to that future together, as long as the Lord binds brother to brother.

4. If you ever read this, then I am first of all completely bewildered that you found this page in the first place. And yet, delighted also. You stayed up past your bedtime to talk to me, you waited patiently during all of my onsets of pain and rage, and you gave me the kind of strength that comes from grasping unswervingly to Scripture. You will always be one of my heroes and of my mentors, and my prayer is that, whether we are together or apart when either one of us dies, the first words off the other's lips might be, "Halleluah, he has finished his race".

5. If you ever read this, know that I have spent countless hours thinking of the words that I could say about my love and admiration for you, and yet every time you are near, the words pale in comparison to the reality and the wonder that the Lord has created. Just as every sunset and every crashing whaite-capped wave is a manifestation of God's sovereign and perfect glory, so every Spirit-filled word and every Spirit-led action from you leaves me with nothing less than unutterable joy.

6. If you ever read this, my friend, I hope that I have loved you with as much compassion that my King has accredited me with, and if I have not, than may it be remedied in the future.

Are We Debating Just to Win the Argument?

2005-07-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all, right now I'm working on my formal thesis proposal, but there's one small problem. I have yet to select a real thesis, so I'm kinda stranded. Any ideas?

Oh yeah, and John Reuben's new song "Nuisance" is addictively good.

Put Some InYour Pocket For Secret Eating!

2005-06-11T22:52:00.000-07:00

The title of the post, for those who are unfamiliar with one of the greatest cartoons of all time, may be found at www.homestarrunner.com .More specifically, it is from the cartoon about Marshie and Fluffy-Puff marshmallows. I use it because right now, I feel approximately like a marshmallow. Allow me to draw the parallels.

1. Both marshmallows and Eddie are very white.
2. Both marshmallows and Eddie get stale and crusty when left out for too many days.
3. Marshmallows can be set on fire and Eddie has red hair.
4. Eddie tastes like marshmallows (but don't ask me to prove it).
5. And finally, they both toast very well.

And thus, it came to pass that after almost eight hours in the sun without sunscreen Eddie was toasted, and his skin could not be distinguished from his hair. Oh well, at least I got to operate a radio, help out a worthy cause, and praise my God. Possible cancerous side effects seem in the light of that a small price to pay. On the other hand, if anybody wants to airmail me some aloe vera, I could probably bathe in the stuff right now.

Ah, the suffering that builds character, and a better memory, so that next time, I'll remember the SPF 400.

Sorry the posts have been few and far between...I'm about to end that right now. The internet rocks.

Shameless List Mimicry

2005-05-19T20:23:00.000-07:00

I saw Chelsea's post and I was like, sweet, I want to do that! Then I actually started writing it....Well, here's the end result. Enjoy it for whatever its worth.

TEN random things about me:
1. I once saw ten minutes of "You've Got Mail" with Nick and nearly barfed.
2. I think that my right ear is slightly lower than my left ear.
3. Sometimes, when no one is around, I listen to Enya and country.
4. I fell 25 feet out of a tree and didn't get hurt...bad.
5. Number one dislike: When you get a stuffed up nose, but only on one side, and the other is painfully dry.
6. Three words: Urban. Free. Flow.
7. I started college wanting to be a spy.
8. My first pet was a guinea pig named Sparky.
9. My three favorite animals are tigers, otters, and capybaras.
10. When I get really stressed out, I rearrange furniture.

NINE places I've visited:
1. Vedauwoo (Vee-da-voo)
2. A demon-possesed grove in Mariposa, CA.
3. Uncompahgre Mt.
4. The Abandoned Fortress W of Fort Collins
5. The Jefferson Memorial
6. Dana Point, CA
7. The goods store in Ault, CO
8. Edgewood, NM
9. A sweet cave outside Golden, CO

EIGHT things I want to do before I die:
1. Get thrown through a window in a bar fight
2. Plant a church in Africa
3. Plant a church anywhere.
4. Build a floor to ceiling bookcase.
5. Micah 6:8
6. Play Ultimate Fugitive
7. Tango with my wife
8. Have a vegetable garden

SEVEN ways to win my heart:
1. Recklessly pursue Christ
2. Be attentive to the little things
3. Enable your imagination
4. Cultivate a love for Scripture
5. Proverbs 31:25
6. 1 Pet 3:4
7. Say yes

SIX things I believe in:
1. The Holiness of God
2. The Depravity of man
3. The Sufficiency of Jesus
4. The Perseverance of the saints
5. The Unity of the Brotherhood
6. The Return of my King

FIVE things I'm afraid of:
1. Really high ceilings
2. Forgetting people's names
3. Sharing the gospel
4. Misrepresenting Christ
5. Clowns

FOUR of my favorite items in my bedroom:
1. My Bible
2. My toothbrush
3. My china dish
4. My window

THREE things I do everyday:
1. Sin
2. Repent
3. Rejoice

TWO things I am trying to do right now:
1. Trust God
2. Finish this post

ONE person I want to see right now:
Christopher Michael Reynolds

I Hate Video Games and Being Alone

2005-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

First things first, Abra was right. Some people might be disciplined with video games, but I am not one of them. Well, at least it started out alright.

Played Baldur's Gate II for half an hour. Set an alarm, in fact. I had a half-elf multiclassed ranger/cleric. After my half hour, I went downstairs, washed some clothes and tried to small talk with my little sister. When that failed, I looked around for something to do. Hey, there's a Bible sitting on the windowsill! So what did I do? That's right. I went back up the stairs and played for another couple hours. The only thing worse than getting sucked back in is feeling that post- video game stupor after you've wasted little pieces of your life trying to kill a level 26 shadow dragon when your party is only level 8, max. Do people find purpose in these games? My conclusive answer after field testing games for more hours than I can imagine is a veritable NO. It's an addiction. One that is harder to break than I thought.

I miss my friends.

All The Things I'll Never Say

2005-05-12T23:05:00.000-07:00

Trapped up in the back of my throat
Held back by an unwritten note

Words fail for the things I would say
Perhaps it's better this way

chorus--
One thousand silent conversations
Always avoiding these situations
To be content with my frustrations
For all the things I'll never say

Fight hard to tell you how it feels
Drop my mask and make it real

Give up on attempts to share my heart
I'll fall before I even start

--chorus--

I'll never say
(stop me)
I'll never say
(break me)
I'll never say
(tell me)
I'll never say
(take me away)

--chorus--

If our words are the sparks that burn down the trees
I'll extinguish this flame and let my hope freeze
And I'll wait for the day for the chance to say something
And I'll pray for that day and for fresh water springs

Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory...Glory.

2005-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

I know,
I know,
I'm supposed to be writing papers like a crazy man...

But I finished one, and I've got four pages done on another, and I needed a breather from this essay marathon.

God is faithful, but He is also a comedian. I have 14 hours working at the front desk of Parmalee Hall...but they're all early morning shifts. I've got a 4-8 on Wednesday, a 4-8 on Friday, and a 4-10 on Saturday. I would complain, but for three reasons.

Phillipians 2:14 keeps eating my face off.
I've found that I don't get real work done on late night shifts, but I do early in the morning...
I was graciously offered these hours to make up for my tardiness to turn in forms at the Newsom front desk.

A blessing in disguise? No doubt, but that is not a very good looking disguise. I was supposed to get up at 4:00 this morning, and I walked across the room 3 times to turn off the snooze. It's a blessing that I can fall asleep instantly, but it's also a curse. I think that I shall start praying for disciplined sleep hours, punctuality, and a good humor for the wee hours of the morn. Who knows? This may be just what I need to conquer my sluggardness.

At least quiet times won't be a problem.

coram deo

Though He Wounds...

2005-05-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

...Have you ever woken up one morning after an abysmal breakup, or a jubilant holiday, and it feels like it must have been at least a week ago, even though it was only a smattering of hours?

That's kind of how I felt this morning.

Let me begin by apologizing to all those I pridefully ignored over the last two or three days. You are all encouraging hearts, and I rejoice because of you. Thank you.

I used to use writing as an escape, and I would only write while grappling with passionate emotions. I found out recently that I am sometimes that way with God. I was waiting for Him to come in the shattering of the mountains and the storms of fire, and I wasn't listening to those whispers that come in ordinary activity. God has imprinted the seal of the Spirit on my heart, and the strength will always be available. I shall no more believe that the flow of tears or the volume of my cries will bring God any nearer. Seeking Him with all my heart has no grounding in emotion, though what follows may be emotional. And yes, Christ should be my escape, my only escape, but He should also be my base and my rock as well. All good things are from Him, for Him, and to Him. I find rest in the shadow of His wings, but I also find power in the light of His glory.

Therefore I will write even when I don't feel "artistically inspired" and I will follow my Savior even when I don't feel that "burning in the bosom" (the LDS salvation marker). I praise God for being there in the boring parts, because there are a lot more of those than the suspenseful parts.

So I woke up.

It took me a while to realize that I was in the study lounge, with a blanket over me (thank you, whoever you are). I did morning stuff for the first time in some time, and I even ate breakfast...though soggy frosted flakes leave something to be desired. I even watched the news. John Bolton looks like Colonel Sanders.

I know that the sun doesn't always shine, and my heart won't always be this content. Far be it from me to assume that every day will be chipper and light. I am a foolish, brooding man sometimes, and I know myself too well. However, Beloved, that is for another time, another day...Who knows what will happen today? He knows. And He loves me. Therefore, what have I to be worried about? As my good associate T. Will says, "all good things".

Cheers.

"Because I Don't Like Eating With People"...

2005-04-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

The Smith & Reynolds Compilation of the Best Animals in the World (Alphabetically):

A- Aardvark
B- Beaver
C- Capybara
D- Dingo
E- Elephant
F- Flamingo
G- Gorilla
H- Hippopotamus
I- Ibex
J- Jackal
K- Kangaroo Rat
L- Lemming
M- Marmot
N- Narwhal
O- Ocelot
P- Panda
Q- Quail
R- Rabbit
S- Squirrel
T- Tyrannosaurus Rex
U- Unicorn
V- Velociraptor
W- Werewolf
X- X-Ray Fish
Y- Yak
Z- Zebra

Christian Axiom #21: Whatever Goes Down, Must Come Up Again.

2005-04-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

I was about to write something from a heavy heart and a burdened spirit, but glory be to God! Chris came in the room when the last person I wanted to see was a Christian brother, and we sought the face of God together, in sadness of circumstance, and by the end I was praising God for His unfathomable grace and incomparable majesty. There are times when I realize, in my departure from the throne of Christ, that I am truly deserving of the pit of Hell, for not only do I sin, but I do it in the presence of the King, mocking and ignoring Him. Yet he always calls me back from the mire and the swine with open arms and a ring of love.

Father, I am coming home. I am running. I am breathless. I am joyful. I am sorry. I love You.

For all those who pray with me, you (and perhaps I) will never understand the bond of the Spirit that is created through those times. God is glorified by our unity, and our pursuit of Him, and he delights to answer prayer of those who sap the Vine. Let us pray together more often.

And now, I will write a paper, take a shower, wash my clothes, and eat lunch. Simultaneously.

These are the Voyages

2005-04-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

re×cu×per×ate: a definition (as understood by Eddie and Austin)

To recuperate is to heal and gain back strength after destroying hordes of vicious aliens in order that one may go back into the battle and destroy even more heavily-armed aliens.

Last Wedenesday, after donning our shrapnel helmets and arming ourselves with the appropriate weapons (battle sabers and plasma lassoes) my youthful comrade and I ventured into the unknown depths of the alien realm. He went by the alias Captain Pickles; I went by Kyle. Courageously, we sought to quarantine explosive alien eggs before they hatched and to rid the planet from the infestation of alien slime that abounded. Through the trials were many--saving his sister from alien poison, rescuing me from the tentacles of an alien giant and repairing the command center--we found time to take a respite beneath the shadow of our rocket ship and recuperate, reflecting on the great battle that we had just taken part in.

All of you with the heart of an intergalactic warrior need only remind yourself that in the thick of conflict, when the sabers are held up only by the desperation of survival, that we have been given a recuperation in Jesus Christ. "Come to me", He says, "and I will give you rest." On a scorched and desolate planet, Jesus remains the one in whose shadow we find cool comfort. Though unseen perils encamp about us, we shall sleep safe knowing that there is a Watcher whose eye is always affixed on His children. Take a breath, lighten your hearts, "for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did his" (Heb. 4:10).

Though sleepy-eyed and physically exhausted, I am well-rested and my spirit is refreshed. I pray for you, my brothers and sisters, that any seared heart or wounded spirit within you might have be soon recuperated by the blissful rest found in Jesus.

A New Kind of Gratitude

2005-04-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

"You just took a breath. Thank God." --Mitch Majeski

"I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." --Psalm 9:1

This morning I sat at breakfast and ate half of a breakfast burrito and half a spoonful of hashbrowns and complained about a paper that I had to finish before 9:30.

Oh wretched, pitiable man that I am, did I not see the blessings that God, in his steadfast love, poured out before me? I had food and drink in abundance, a warm room, and the paper that needed to be written had been assigned for at least three weeks. I am whining for gaudy amenities when I did not deserve the basest of provisions. Do you think that I am overstating myself?

For surely, Eddie, we all have basic human rights! We must have some piece of this universe due our superior intellects and complex adaptive skills! Let me ask you, where does it say that? In what stone was the universal declaration of human rights carved? Was not the first appeal to the Israelites, "No other Gods before Me"? How dare we place the rights of mankind above the rights of a holy, sovereign Deity. Let me remind my compatriots that our people committed high treason to the throne of God, abhorring His love for the sake of our trivial "rights". We merited no right to life or liberty, only enslavement to our own selfish pursuits...our happiness, rather than His.

So be thankful. Even for trials. Even for B-class hash browns.

And, dear brothers and sisters, do no think to dwell on darkness. For that old man, that rebel, is what you were, but thanks be to God, who restored our souls and separated us from our sins as far as the east is from the west! We are "a people for his possession, that we may proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light"! We are adopted sons and daughters of the special love of Christ! we carry within us the fullness of Christ, in whom the fullness of God dwells! There is no need to be merely thankful, but rather joyful, vivacious, and jubilant! Dance before the Lord with all your might, thou beloved! Sing with every strain thou hast been given! There is so many reasons to be thankful that, even given an eternity, I cannot think of anything else but to begin such a task immediately.

Thank you, my Jesus, for your steadfast love.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2005-04-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true"

Oh, how my heart yearns for home! How intensely does every fiber of my spirit burn with sweet anticipation for the day in which the sea will vanish and darkness will melt away before the glory of God. My Lord Jesus, I haste the day when you return and blow away the ashes of this fallen world. I persevere towards that finish line, because the reward is nothing less than your infinite love for a reborn child.

In these thoughts, I know what it means to rejoice with an inexpressible joy and to have a peace that transcends understanding. How delightful and exciting it is to imagine what Heaven will be like! I know how intimate my Lord knows me, and whatever He has planned for my distraction, be it offering "melodious sonnets" forever or exploring the uncharted and mysterious crevices of heaven, I know that the joy there is greater than my most extravagant dreams. I shake, I shudder, I quiver at the mere idea of such distant shores!

Be quick in your return, Lover of my Soul. Delay not your promised salvation much longer. Our time here is so short, but I confess my impatience for that day when I see You face to face. Imperishable, unfading Day, burn my heart, burn this temporal beauty, let me draw on the strength of the hope of home.

I resign myself to the task to which my King has commissioned me. I pray earnestly for that letter telling me that I am being called home from the battlefield. I pray that my strength will not give out before that point. Keep your Shield up, soldier, keep your blade hot.

Haste the day.

Sober Minded and Light Hearted

2005-04-01T01:16:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of this semester I have become aware that more often than not, Christian leaders, and Christians in general, can have this understanding that the weight of the cross, that the duty of Christ, is intended to be this crushing burden, tangling heartstrings and dwelling near despair. We recognize that there is joy in suffering, but as a result of misunderstanding of the purpose of the cross, we focus on the suffering rather than the joy. However, it is our flesh which dwells in suffering, but we rejoice with Spirit and truth. Do we understand that Christ scorned the shame of the cross and endured the pain with love? Had he focused on the pain, would he have said "Father, forgive them"? Would he have said, "Into your hands I commend my Spirit"?

We were given two commands from Jesus that seem to conflict with one another, but in reality, they build into one another into a beauty that is understood only in light of the Spirit of God. The first is to take up our cross. If we want to follow Jesus, than there will be suffering, there will be sacrifice, and there will be surrender. "No servant is greater than his master" meant that we would receive as much or more difficulty as he received. In our lives we will experience persecution and hardship. The Christian should never gloss this over. To do so would be to cheapen the price of the cross. Therefore, in light of our duty and our desire, we must be sober-minded in this world, knowing that we are in the middle of a war, and we must maintain a focus on Jesus and the hope that will be brought through his return. 1 Peter 1 says that our hope should be in his grace alone. There is no room for idleness and foolishness. Though we do falter, by the strength of his Spirit we will persevere.

The second commands carries within it the only means through which the first command may successfully be carried out in the Christian life. "Come to me", he says, take the yoke that Christ has to offer. Bring your cross and every burden that is nailed to it and cast it onto the one who cares for you. Exchange the heavy heart for a light heart, a joyful heart, a peculiar nature that rejoices in the depths of pain. Every situation that we will walk into while on this earth will be hostile and dangerous, so we must have a clear head. But do we understand? Do we comprehend? Does it register to the Christian that we are the victors? We are the champions! We are the chosen race, the royal priesthood, the people for his own possession! Jesus Christ has bought us with his precious and incomparable blood! Every weight shall be lifted from our shoulders, and all anxieties will vanish in the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.

Abandon the morose, brooding heart, and embrace the joyful, prismatic heart! This world will have troubles indeed, but take heart for He has overcome the world!

Here are some verses that reflect and support this theme:

A Sober Mind

A Light Heart

Mark 8:34-35
And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."

1 Peter 1:13
Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Psalm 4:6-8
There are many who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD!" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.
In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 34:10-11
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Bedtime: Friend or Foe?

2005-03-31T00:37:00.000-07:00

If I really am going swimming tomorrow morning, I should have been in bed two hours ago, then an hour ago, and then fifteen minutes ago. I should have taken a nap today. It's no surprise to anyone that knows me that I now write with a blessed type of exhaustion. God grants sleep to those He loves, but I think that He also grants strength to those He wants to stay awake. Perseverance comes in many forms...Emotional, spiritual, and physical. Fortunately for those who dwell in the ever-present stronghold of Christ, a spiritual perseverance filters down into emotional, which (medically and psychologically speaking) affects physical ability to keep on truckin' into the wee hours of the morning.

This entry actually began with a more relevant purpose than it ended with. Somewhere in between the first sentence and Chris and Phil's question game and this sentence, my train of thought ran out of coal on the tracks of profundity. Tomorrow, perhaps, I will remember these things that I have dwelt on. Until that point, I hope that I wake up on time, and that I don't drown. Drowning doesn't sound like very good way to go. More specifically, drowning in chlorinated water doesn't sound like a good way to go. Drowning in the ocean might be kind of cool. Though not as cool as being dismembered by sharks.

Yeah, sharks.

Why Should I Be So Happy?

2005-03-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

I've got a cold. I finished a major project for my seminar literally seconds before it was supposed to be turned in. I have to go to a three hour class that I have no motivation for tonight. Yet somehow, there is a degree of anticipation right now that is sending shivers up my spine. I think that I am in love with God. My heart is caught up with Him, and there seems to be no coming down. I know that the genuineness of my faith will undergo certain sufferings so that it may be found to result in praise and honor for my King, but as it now stands, He has me sheltered in the shadow of His wing. There has been nothing particularly special about today. In fact, I know that my weaknesses have been more evident today than they typically are. So what is going on?

Praise be to the King, who guides me into His strength! Although I skipped a class this morning to create this confounded journal thingie, although I procrastinated with my project, my day has still been beautiful. Even eating a stale bagel, there was cause to rejoice. I only hope that this will persevere throughout the remainder of the day, that I can come to the meeting tonight with a light heart and love overflowing.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of the darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Once you had not received mercy, now you have received mercy."
--1 Peter 2:9-10

Greeting

2005-03-29T10:08:00.000-07:00

"May grace and peace be multiplied to you."
-1 Pet 1:2

More letters written today should start out this way.