Thankfulness Enriched by Relief (Another Gospel Primer Selection)

The more absorbed I am in the gospel, the more grateful I become in the midst of my circumstances, whatever they may be.

Viewing life's blessings as water in a drinking cup, I know that I discontentedly focus on the half of the cup that seems empty, or I could gratefully focus on the half that is full. Certainly, the latter approach is the better of the two, yet the gospel cultivates within me a richer gratitude than this.

The gospel reminds me first that what I actually deserve from God is a full cup churning with the torments of His wrath. This is the cup that would be mine to drink if I were given what I deserve each day. With this understanding in mind, I see that to be handed a completely empty cup from God would be cause enough for infinite gratitude. If there were merely the tiniest drop of blessing contained in that otherwise empty cup, I should be blown away by the unbelievable kindness of God toward me. That God, in fact, has given me a cup that is full of "every spiritual blessing in Christ," and this without the slightest admixture of wrath, leaves me truly dumbfounded with inexpressible joy. As for my specific earthly circumstances of plenty or want, I can see them always as infinite improvements on the hell I deserve.

When I look at any circumstance that God apportions me, I am first grateful for the wrath I am not receiving in that moment. (The empty part of the cup never looked so good!)

Secondly, I am grateful for the blessings that are given to me instead of His wrath. (Life's blessings, however small, always appear exceedingly precious when viewed against the backdrop of the wrath I deserve.) This two-layered gratitude disposes my heart to give thanks in all things and it also lends a certain intensity to my giving of thanks. Such a gospel-generated gratitude glorifies God, contributes to peace of mind, and keeps my foot from the path of foolishness and ruin.

The Power of God (From The Gospel Primer)

"Outside of heaven, the power of God in its highest density is found inside the gospel. This must be so, for the Bible twice describes the gospel as 'the power of God.' Nothing else in all of Scripture is ever described in this way, except for the Person of Jesus Christ. Such a description indicates that the gospel is not only powerful, but that it is the ultimate entity in which God's power resides and does its greatest work.

"Indeed, God's power is seen in erupting volcanos, in the unimaginably hot boil of our massive sun, and in the lightning speed of a recently discovered star seen streaking through the heavens at 1.5 million miles per hour. Yet in Scripture such wonders are never labeled 'the power of God.' How powerful, then, must the gospel be that it would merit such a title! And how great is the salvation it could accomplish in my life, if I would only embrace it by faith and give it a central place in my thoughts each day!"

A Musical Instrument

I read something really sweet and encouraging this morning in Matthew 12 that I thought everyone would be blessed by! In Matthew 12:20 Matthew quotes from Isaiah saying in regard to Jesus, "A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench..." I looked at the footnote for this and it said that shepherds would often use reeds out in the field to make a small musical instrument to play on. The thing was that when they became worn or broken they were useless and so the shepherd would throw them away. You probably already see where this is going! We are like broken musical instruments but Jesus wants to come to us and fix us and play music on us again! It says "A bruised reed He will NOT break..." We are all of us bruised reeds. What sort of music does He want to play? The symphony of His grace and His mercy! And what's even more incredible is that the church at large is composed of these broken musical instruments! Millions of them! Every Christian in the world is a musical instrument! What could Jesus possibly intend to do but to fix all of us and make all of us play the sweet, sweet music of His grace? What will heaven be but a grand symphony with many millions of the musical instruments which God created to bring Him glory? How sweet that music will be! Be blessed, friends!

Thoughts on Commitment

I have a few thoughts that God has been laying on my heart lately. Thought I'd type them out here to share a work that He has been pressing on my heart. I threw a party last night and was able to share this with 3 other people. I pray you will be blessed, convicted, and challenged by this posting.

Questions I want to examine:

1. What does it mean to be committed to Christ?
2. How does commitment affect my perception of the world and my personal life?
3. How seriously does God take commitment?
4. How is commitment generated?
5. How is commitment sustained?

The first question is easy to answer. Commitment to Christ is simply an abandonment of all my own attitudes and aspirations in favor of God's. It means I renounce any so called right I have to manage my own life and to move it in the direction that I see fit. It means presenting all of my mental, emotional, intellectual, and physical faculties to be used by God for His purposes rather than my own. A person who has committed themselves to the purposes of Christ asks his Father in every situation what He would have him to do, say, and think about everything that is going on. It means yielding control of everything I am and have to the One who owns me.

The second question is harder to answer. When a man commits himself to the purposes of God it has many and varied effects on the way he perceives the world and has very drastic effects on his life. The man who has completely committed himself to God looks decidedly different from his fellow brothers and sisters who are wavering in their commitments and, to a greater extent, from those who have absolutely no knowledge of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Life takes on a different color for the one who has yielded themselves to divine authority. Their thought processes change. They are consumed by a singular goal in every situation which is to bring glory to their Father in heaven. They no longer perceive "significant" or "insignificant" moments in their lives; all moments are alike to them in that they can work for God's purposes. Whether laboring in prayer when alone or loving people whom God brings into their path. They renounce selfish thinking, actions, or words and instead labor to bring God pleasure in all that they say, think, and do. "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s," says Romans 14:8. This is commitment. We were made for His glory and when we commit to Him we agree with that fact.

The third question is a crucial one and I am convicted that I do not take commitment as seriously as the LORD takes it. Matthew 10:37-39 makes God's standard very clear. This is the Word of God. He puts it very clearly in here. Do you agree with Him? If not, you're not headed towards heaven, my friend. There are certain things God requires of His children and this is one of them. He states it very clearly. There is no room for doubt. "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." If that's too vague for you, there's Luke 14:33. "So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple." That is harsh. That is demanding. But that is God's standard for a Christian life. This is war, people. This is not the time to take it easy and go to parties and rent videos and go to concerts and waste an afternoon watching stupid You Tube videos. We have been called to war! Why are we not fighting?! Our eternities are at stake! We have to HATE our lives! We have to HATE this world! Way too many of us are living comfortable lifestyles, eating, drinking, and being merry and very few of us are fighting sin and the Devil tooth and nail! WE ARE AT WAR! There can be no compromise! And when you really start fighting the devil will try and buy you off at any price! "Everyone can be bought!" he thinks and far, far, far too often HE IS RIGHT! There's a scene in the movie Braveheart where the princess is dispatched with a huge trunk of gold. The king is hoping to bribe William Wallace, the Scottish patriot, to stop burning English cities and making war against England. When offered the trunk of gold, Wallace says "Gold? That I should become a Judas?" The princess replies, "Peace is made in such ways." Wallace's reply is very fast and very angry, "Slaves are made in such ways!" Satan makes it look like he wants peace but he wants slaves and he will try and bribe you as hard as he can! WE CANNOT GIVE IN! When we embrace this truth, that slaves are made by accepting his bribes, we will often lose out on EVERYTHING this world says is important and enjoyable! Paul says that "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men to be most pitied." That means your life should be so hard and painful that everyone feels bad for you from homeless men on the street to Wall St. stockbrokers. Is that true of you? If not, maybe you need to rethink just how committed you are to the cause of Christ. I know these words are harsh and hard to hear but I'm preaching as much to myself as I am to you. To not warn you of these things would be a greater disservice to you because Jesus Christ said that if you're not pursuing Him harder than any other thing in this universe, you are not going to have a part in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 11:12 says "...from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." Are you taking the kingdom of heaven by force? Are you selling everything you own to purchase the field where the treasure that is the kingdom of God is hidden? Be relentless! Satan is relentlessly striving to throw every weapon he has at you to keep you from the treasure that is Christ! He is using every resource he has under the sun to seduce you! He will never stop trying but will exhaust all the resources in the heavens and the earth to keep you fast asleep in his kingdom of false pleasures! If you are going to succeed in this battle you must be as relentless as he is! Don't ever let up, back up, slow up, or, God forbid, give up your relentless, passionate, abandoned hunt for holy treasure! God will not tolerate anything less than every ounce of your energy, every drop of your sweat and your blood, and every tear you cry in your pursuit to know Christ!

Overwhelmed? Discouraged? Frustrated with yourself? I surely would be were it not for the grace of God. It's all of grace from beginning to end! Praise God! He does not expect us to whip ourselves up into a frenzy of passionate pursuit. Doubtless you have tried this before as I have. The thing that keeps us trying is that it produces effects for a very short period of time. The flesh loves a good challenge and it delights in finding righteousness in itself. And when we try hard enough we can feel righteous for a short period of time. But it never lasts, just as I was saying. The fact of the matter is that when we whip ourselves up into these spiritual frenzies WE are the ones that get the glory. When, by the grace of God, God draws us to deeper commitment, GOD gets the glory. Commitment is begun under the grace of God and that is how it is sustained. Commitment begins at justification which is the work of God. That is why Paul instructs Timothy to pray that God will grant repentance to unbelievers. For what is commitment but repentance from mediocrity and lukewarmness? It is God who grants repentance and draws us to a deeper, more passionate pursuit of Himself. Do you desire deeper commitment? It is God who has placed this desire in you. When was the last time you were able to force yourself to like something (I mean GENUINELY like something) that you hated? It is God who places desires in our heart if they are in any way, shape, or form Godly desires. And when God places the desire in you, it's so much easier to commit yourself to Him. What is it called when God places Godly desire in you? It's called grace. The Christian life is about grace from the beginning to the end, if there ever could be an end. Grace draws us to deeper commitment and grace sustains that commitment. Grace sustains us on the days where we wake up and every thought in our mind seems to be pleading with us to cave in and accept Satan's latest bribe. Grace sustains us when every muscle in our body feels like it's on fire from the persecution we suffer in countries that are opposed to God. Grace is every beat of our heart and every ounce of blood that flows in our veins and arteries. It is grace that keeps our lungs breathing air. We don't deserve grace but God lavishes it on us. Why? Because when His grace sustains us, He gets ALL the glory; every last ounce of it. And He wouldn't have it any other way. If you are committed to Christ, praise God! If you desire to commit yourself to Christ, praise Him! Dedication to the purposes of God can only ever be about grace. You would never desire the things God desires but for His grace. You would never hate the things God hates but for His grace. Your thoughts would be futile and dark and all your motives would be self-centered and filthy but by God's grace. It's the cross. That's the blazing center of God's grace. God's grace will carry you over every stone until He brings you home to Him. There is NOTHING God's grace cannot overcome. God's grace slams the heck out of everything that rises up in opposition to it. If God's grace rests upon you you will make it home no matter what obstacles may arise in your path. When you're in Christ and drunk on God's grace, Satan can do nothing to you. Martin Luther's famous hymn so beautifully captures that. "And though this world with devils filled / Should threaten to undo us / We will not fear for God hath willed / His truth to triumph through us! / The prince of darkness grim / We tremble not for him! / His wrath we can endure! / For lo his doom is sure! / One little word shall fell him!"

So go encouraged. Dedicate yourself to Christ for His purposes cannot fail. We know the end of the story. "Those who endure to the end shall be saved." If you are Christ's you cannot but endure! And the Holy Spirit testifies in our hearts that we are His! Praise God!

On Deciding to Join the National Guard...

Wow. If that's not your reaction to this news, it most certainly is mine. Last week at this point I was drifting rather aimlessly. Today, I have a very definite purpose. My life has a direction now. If you'd told me even 3 weeks ago that I'd make the decision to join the armed forces I'd have trembled a little bit before laughing in your face. Since last Wednesday, my thought patterns have completely changed. I don't spend my days alternating between searching for a job and wasting time anymore. Now I spend my days getting ready for the task ahead. Basic Training is going to tear the skin off of me if I don't get my body and my mind physically toned. Now I spend my days job searching, making arrangements, getting more information, and talking to the recruiter. Care to eat properly and exercise have become much bigger concerns. Tomorrow night I'll be taking the ASFAB and then next week I'll go to Fort Lee to get my physical done. After my physical, I'll officially be in the Virginia National Guard. Then I have up to 360 days to tell them I'm ready to be shipped to Recruit Sustainment Program (RSP) and then, immediately following that, Basic Combat Training (BCT). I'm shooting for getting ready by December. I have an unbelievably difficult path in front of me but my God has brought me through trials before and I'm convinced that the only difference between what is before me and what lies behind me are intensity, uncomfortability, and physical pain. "The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the LORD." The LORD will remain faithful in this too.

A selection from "Black Boy" by Richard Wright, a black person's recollection of life after the Civil War...

One evening my mother told me that thereafter I would have to do the shopping for food. She took me to the corner store to show me the way. I was proud; I felt like a grownup. The next afternoon I looped the basket over my arm and went down the pavement toward the store. When I reached the corner, a gang of boys grabbed me, knocked me down, snatched the basket, took the money, and sent me running home in panic. That evening I told my mother what had happened, but she made no comment; she sat down at once, wrote another note, gave me more money, and sent me out to the grocery again. I crept down the steps and saw the same gang of boys playing down the street. I ran back into the house.

“What’s the matter?” my mother asked.

“It’s those same boys,” I said. “They’ll beat me.”

“You’ve got to get over that,” she said. “Now, go on.”

“I’m scared,” I said.

“Go on and don’t pay any attention to them,” she said.

I went out of the door and walked briskly down the sidewalk, praying that the gang would not molest me. But when I came abreast of them someone shouted.

“There he is!” They came toward me and I broke into a wild run toward home. They overtook me and flung me to the pavement. I yelled, pleaded, kicked, but they wrenched the money out of my hand. They yanked me to my feet, gave me a few slaps, and sent me home sobbing. My mother met me at the door.

“They b-beat m-me,” I gasped. “They t-t-took the m-money.”

I started up the steps, seeking the shelter of the house.

“Don’t you come in here,” my mother warned me.

I froze in my tracks and stared at her.

“But they’re coming after me,” I said.

“You just stay right where you are,” she said in a deadly tone. “I’m going to teach you this night to stand up and fight for yourself.”

She went into the house and I waited, terrified, wondering what she was about. Presently she returned with more money and another note; she also had a long heavy stick.

“Take this money, this note, and this stick,” she said. “Go to the store and buy those groceries. If those boys bother you, then fight.”

I was baffled. My mother was telling me to fight, a thing that she had never done before.

“But I’m scared,” I said.

“Don’t you come into this house until you’ve gotten those groceries,” she said.

“They’ll beat me; they’ll beat me,” I said.

“Then stay in the streets; don’t come back here!”

I ran up the steps and tried to force my way past her into the house. A stinging slap came on my jaw. I stood on the sidewalk, crying.

“Please, let me wait until tomorrow,” I begged.

“No,” she said. “Go now! If you come back into this house without those groceries, I’ll whip you!”

She slammed the door and I heard the key turn in the lock. I shook with fright. I was alone upon the dark, hostile streets and gangs were after me. I had the choice of being beaten at home or away from home. I clutched the stick, crying, trying to reason. If I were beaten at home, there was absolutely nothing that I could do about it; but if I were beaten in the streets, I had a chance to fight and defend myself. I walked slowly down the sidewalk, coming closer to the gang of boys, holding the stick tightly. I was so full of fear that I could scarcely breathe. I was almost upon them now.

“There he is again!” the cry went up.

They surrounded me quickly and began to grab for my hand.

“I’ll kill you!” I threatened.

They closed in. In blind fear I let the stick fly, feeling it crack against a boy’s skull. I swung again, lamming another skull, then another. Realizing that they would retaliate if I let up for but a second, I fought to lay them low, to knock them cold, to kill them so that they could not strike back at me. I flayed with tears in my eyes, teeth clenched, stark fear making me throw every ounce of my strength behind each blow. I hit again and again, dropping the money and the grocery list. The boys scattered, yelling, nursing their heads, staring at me in utter disbelief. They had never seen such frenzy. I stood panting, egging them on, taunting them to come on and fight. When they refused, I ran after them and they tore out for their homes, screaming. The parents of the boys rushed into the streets and threatened me, and for the first time in my life I shouted at grownups, telling them that I would give them the same if they bothered me. I finally found my grocery list and the money and went to the store. On my way back I kept my stick poised for instant use, but there was not a single boy in sight. That night I won the right to the streets of Memphis. . .

I am a Fool

"Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
I neither learned wisdom
Nor have knowledge of the Holy One." --Proverbs 30:2-3

There is wisdom in these words.

Rock of Ages

One of my favorite hymns. These words are the cry of my heart:

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my eyes shall close in death,
When I rise to worlds unknown,
And behold Thee on Thy throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.

Quiz Results

Well, we only had two people attempt the quiz and they both were opposite to each other. The correct answer, of course, is that Abraham DID marry another wife after Sarah died. Genesis 25:1 records her name as Keturah and gives a brief genealogy of the children she bore him.

This is probably the most updated blog on the internet but...

Here's a song I wrote a couple years ago but it's gotten stuck in my head every so often ever since I finished it:

Are you thirsty, friend?
Are you weary and broken again?
Have you fallen so far that all you see is the ground?
Are you lonely, friend?
Do you feel like the world's walked out?
And you're all alone fighting fear in the dark of night?

CHORUS:
Oh, open up your eyes.
There's a Rock in the wilderness
Pouring water for all the world to drink.
It isn't neat or clean
Cause grace just can't be that way.
It has to be messy for the broken ones.
Just come and drink.

The Rock is great, my friend.
You can come here time and again.
He's there for those who can only see the ground.
It means fellowship, my friend.
It means God has not walked out
And He's there with you fighting fear in the dark of night.

CHORUS

BRIDGE:
Like a kid with fingerpaint
His grace gets on everything!
It isn't neat or clean!
Oh it makes me want to sing!

CHORUS

Dead Wood and Consecration

Read something super encouraging today that I want to share with everyone. I found this book by Francis Schaeffer called "No Little People." It addresses and scripturally demolishes the idea that there are big, important people and tiny, insignificant, replaceable people. I only read a couple chapters from it but the first one struck home with me. In it, he goes through the story of Moses from the burning bush to just before his death and the Israelites progression into the land of Canaan. But it takes an angle I had NEVER considered before. Rather than telling the story of Moses, it tells the story of the shepherd's staff he took with him. At the burning bush Moses asks God what he should do if the people deny that God came to him and refuse to believe him. God tells Moses to throw his staff on the ground and it turns into a snake. Even Moses recoils in fear when that happens. How is this miracle possible? How are the 10 plagues which are brought on by use of the staff possible? How was it possible to part the Red Sea and cause the waters to return, drowning Pharaoh's army? How was it possible to use the staff to bring water from the rock? The secret is that at the burning bush, ownership of the rod transferred from Moses to God. The rod became a tool in God's hand to use in performing all these miracles. He used it to prove His power to Pharaoh, to punish the Egyptians, to deliver his people, to provide water when the people were thirsty, and to lead and guide his people. It was an instrument in the hands of Almighty God. The clincher in this chapter came when Schaeffer said that, if God could use a dead piece of wood to demonstrate His glory on this earth, how much more could He use a human being, even when the human being struggled and was weak and had very small amounts of physical, spiritual, and psychological energy? And here is my absolute favorite quote from this chapter:

"Consider the mighty ways in which God used a dead stick of wood. 'God so used a stick of wood' can be a banner cry for each of us. Though we are limited and weak in talent, physical energy, and psychological strength, we are not less than a stick of wood. But as the rod of Moses had to become the rod of God, so that which is me must become the me of God. Then I can become useful in God's hands. The Scripture emphasizes that much can come from little if the little is truly consecrated to God. There are no little people and no big people in the true spiritual sense, but only consecrated and unconsecrated people. The problem for each of us is applying this truth to ourselves: Is Francis Schaeffer the Francis Schaeffer of God?"

When we evaluate some of God's servants as being big and important we are thinking in the flesh! We are idolizing the tools God uses rather than worshipping the God who is using them. It's not the person who matters; it's God. He's the only One that matters!

More Poetry (Note to self: remind Dan)

When I feel the need
To write
It's like a storm
Is coming on.
Not much I can do
To stop it.
Words blow
Through my mind
Like the wind
And twinges of
Inspiration flop
Like great raindrops
From above.
Pretty soon I
Get swept away
And I can barely
Keep my fingers up
With the speed
Of my mind. Nothing
Can come between
Me
And the outpouring
Of ideas
On the blank
Computer screen.
__________________________

It's my birthday
Today
But if I said
That everything feels
Great
I'd be lying.
I know I
Should be happier
Than I am
But there's a
Lingering mist
Of disappointment
And depression
In the air today.

26 years
Seems like something
I should have accomplished
More
In.
Yet here I sit
And nothing yet
Can be said
Of my breathtaking
Accomplishments
My daring
Feats of strength
My bold
Acts of faith
And my passionate
Worship of YHWH.
These 26 years
Feel wasted.
And today
I feel that
I've reached
A dead end
A gray street
A decaying tree
A dried out brook.
What can I do
But pray?

The Eternal Security I Believe In

I had a really interesting conversation at the bus stop tonight with a guy who goes to another church here in the burg. It started out and we agreed on pretty much everything but then the conversation took a couple unexpected turns and I discovered a couple things we differed slightly on. One of them was the context of Scripture. He argued that the best way to study the Bible was to do so topically rather than going through a chapter or a book together. His argument was that we often don't get the entire Biblical perspective on something when we read through a chapter on it and that we can come away with a flawed understanding of the ideas presented in the passage. For instance, if we were to study marriage we would study only Paul's writings on wives submitting to their husbands but we would pull in 1 Corinthians 13 to understand God's perspective on the matter. I argued that the best way to study the Bible was to do so exegetically, going through one passage at a time. There is context both in the larger biblical scheme (as he was talking about) but there is also very strong context simply in the book we are reading from. While it may appear to someone just glancing over the passage that the author is skipping around, a closer examination reveals subtle clues linking different passages in the same chapter or book to each other. He conceded to me on that one. :)

The other thing we diverged upon was eternal security. He was pretty opposed to the entire doctrine arguing that it costs many people their eternities who "accept" Christ as their savior and then plunge headlong into sin believing they will never have to pay for anything they do. He used a few passages to defend his position. One of these was the passage in 2 Thessalonians where Paul talks about the great falling away before the man of sin is revealed. He was saying that some passages specifically seem to indicate the presence of saving faith in a person and then a subsequent denial and loss of faith. I argued that if a person dies in a state of unrepentance then they were not saved to begin with and that if a person has genuine saving faith in their hearts they will strive to follow Christ. Eternal security signifies to me that a person cannot choose to deny Christ or fall away into a state of unrepentance. Eternal security is when God plants in us a desire that we cannot smother, choke, or suffocate that will inevitable cause us to pursue Him and a deeper joy in Him.

I do believe, however, that a believer who has genuine saving faith can slip into a cycle of sin that they do not emerge from for a very long time. Let us say, for instance, that a 12-year-old boy is moved by a sermon delivered by the pastor at his parents' church, goes to the altar call and, subsequently, has quiet times on a regular basis, and basically lives the Christian life. Then let's say that when this boy is 15 he discovers alcohol and marijuana and gets addicted to these. He drops out of high school and spends the next 30 years of his life fleeing from Christ, paying no heed to spiritual things, getting drunk and high on a regular basis, getting involved with the law, etc. Then let's say that when he's 45 years old he hears a particularly poignant message being delivered by a prison ministry team and he repents of his sin, renews his convictions and turns his life back over to Christ. Here are a couple of questions to consider:

1. Was the boy genuinely saved at the age of 12?

2. If he had died at the age of 30, would he have gone to heaven?

For the first question, I would say it doesn't really matter. Whether he was saved at age 12 or not is of no consequence as he repented of his sin at 45, turned to Christ, and thereafter followed the Christian faith. It's not any point in the journey that counts. It's where you are spiritually when you are called to give a reckoning. Are you in Christ this very moment? That's all that matters. As CS Lewis wrote, "This moment contains all moments." The past doesn't matter. The future doesn't matter. What matters is if you are in Christ and are repentant right now in this moment.

For the second question, I would say such a question is worthless because it is completely hypothetical and could never come to pass. It's like asking "What if the sky were purple with pink polka dots instead of blue?" The Bible clearly states "And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them" (Ps. 139.16 NKJV). If you believe this verse then there was obviously no chance that he even COULD have died at age 30. God ordained that he live long enough to repent.

We should not be concerned with any of these things, though. If we are eternally secure we will find in ourselves the natural desire to strive for holiness, to repent regularly, and to pursue Christ in all things. If you are unrepentant, you'd best immediately repent because God will not be trifled with. This may be the only chance he offers you to repent. This may be His call to you which, if left unheeded, will bring your own damnation down on your head. Don't fool yourself. While it's true that God must grant repentance, it's also true that we must seize the opportunity when it is presented to us. It'll feel like you're pulling yourself up by the bootstraps in deciding to repent but, I say again, don't fool yourself; the realization that you should repent and the desire to do so were only put there by God. Had He not acted you would never have had your eyes open to behold the necessity of repentance.

The True Eternal Security: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13 NKJV). If you are eternally secure, you will "work out your own salvation..." but you can only do this because "it is God who works in you..." Repent and learn to do good!

I just have to put it out there... if anyone really knew me... the real me... they would not be my friend. One of my very best friends just got back from going overseas for a few weeks doing missions work and his attitude on returning has thrown the coldness and self-centeredness of my own heart into sharp relief. I am SOOOOO far from being the man God wants me to be. I don't pray nearly enough. My quiet times have been dull and burdensome to me for most of this summer and although I pray for strength, I can't quite bring myself to really strive to abide in Christ. If most of the Christians I know were like this guy I would seriously, seriously question my salvation. I sometimes struggle with depression. Not to the degree that my mom struggled with it but it often yanks me back from the heated pursuit which God asks me to make for Him. It's a burden and a pain and I no longer know what to do about it. Prayer just doesn't seem to work in this case.

Anyway, I know drawing comparisons is wrong and it only leads either to discouragment or pride but I'm so accustomed to thinking of my faith in terms of how other people will react to me and what impression I will leave with those who meet me. I'm tired of all this shallow BS though. I wish more than anything that I could get my pharasaical tendencies uprooted from their position in my life. I freaking hate constantly worrying about my public image and how other people will conceive of me and wanting to let them know how "holy" or "intellectual" or "reflective" I am. I need so much help from God.

I'd forgotten about poetry...

I'm sure that
If we wrote poems
About everything
We would be
Happier people.

__________________________

It is so delightful
To write a poem
And know it doesn't have to
Rhyme.

__________________________

Sometimes God
Makes us forget
Wonderful things
When we are happy
So He can remind us
Of them
When we
Are
Sad.

__________________________

Sometimes
I just want to
Write
But I have nothing
To
Write about
And so I
End up writing things
Like this
Because even
Nothingness
Is made more beautiful
In verse.

__________________________

Something about
High school
Still calls out to me.
The long
Stone
Echoing
Hallways and
The mindset
Of a
Teenager
And the simplicity
Of life
Even when
It was painful
And barbaric
Appeals to me
Now
That I've
Finished college
And wander
Through long
Echoing
Streets and
Possess the
Mindset
Of a man
Who's lost
The climax of
His life
Without realizing
That that was
What it was.

__________________________

There's a girl
That I work with
Who always looks
As though her life
Is caving in
On top of her.
I sometimes want
To just look her
In the eye
And tell her
That someone really cares.
But I don't
And I justify it
To myself
By saying that
I'm on the clock
And should be
Doing work.
The real reason
That I don't
Is because I'm
Afraid
She'd think
I am a weirdo.

Don't Forget Christ

Read all the books you want
But don't forget Christ.
Listen to all the sermons you want
But don't forget Christ.
Sing all the hymns you want
But don't forget Christ.
Pray all the prayers you can
But don't forget Christ.
Study as much Scripture as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Meditate as much as you desire
But don't forget Christ.
Fellowship with as many believers as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Memorize as many verses as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Witness to as many sinners as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Preach as much truth as you can
But don't forget Christ.
Fast as much as you want
But don't forget Christ.

Eat as much cereal as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Spend as much time as you want on Facebook
But don't forget Christ.
Listen to as much music as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Clock as many hours as you can at work
But don't forget Christ.
Spend as much time with your family as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Go swimming as often as you want
But don't forget Christ.
Travel as much as you want
But don't forget Christ.

For without a strong foundation
The building will inevitably collapse.

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock." --Matthew 7:24-25

A Literary Dining Experience

So I've had this incredible idea bouncing around in my head for a while and I thought I'd finally document it on here. If I was any good at cooking or publicity I would totally make this brainchild a reality. Everyone loves food, right? And everyone loves entertainment too, right? And I'm pretty sure there are a LOT of people out there who like books too. So my idea combines all three. Imagine being able to go to a place where you are served a delicious, steaming hot meal by an actor portraying a famous literary character. For instance, I would personally find it delightful if I could order something called a "Bag End Burger" by none other than a sweet, little old hobbit named Bilbo. Or if my bus-boy was 15 years old, went by the name of Neville and he made sure I got my flagon of pumpkin juice just the way I want it. Or if I got an appetizer of Darcy's Deviled-Eggs and it was delivered by none other than a Ms. Elizabeth Bennett who proceeded to berate her future husband after I placed my order. Or how about a freshly made batch of Pip's Pancakes delivered by an eccentric old woman who went by the handle of Ms. Havisham? Well, I don't know about you but I would be unable to resist going to dine in such a fine establishment! Perhaps it's just that the scope of all literature would be too great to be handled by one restaurant and, inevitably, someone would be disappointed that we didn't have Raskolnikov's Ribs or Shakespeare's Shoulder Roast. Or perhaps it's because it would cost an arm and a leg to eat there (It's a highly innovative, personalized experience after all.) but I have a feeling this idea would not be a smashing success, especially with the economy the way it is. Nevertheless, I think someone should take it on. Perhaps we could shave it down from being themed around all of literature and choose a specific genre such as 18th century English or 19th century American or perhaps even shave it down to a single author. For instance, I'm sure it would be entirely possible to form a restaurant around Pride and Prejudice or The Lord of the Rings. Anyway, just thought I'd share this idea! :-) Any culinary arts or Coms majors feel like taking it on?

Anger!

A church down the road from where I'm living has had 2 grammatical/ orthographic errors in their marquee the past month. I need to share them here or I will go out of my head.

1. "We are proud to be an American!"
Makes it sound as though the entire congregation, when you take it together, forms one American. If they would have just gotten rid of the "an" they'd be fine! I'd half a mind to go and remove the "an" for them! But I managed to contain myself!

2. "Don't take freedom for grant it!"
>:-( Makes me angry to see the English language butchered so! It should be "granted" with an E and a D! It makes absolutely no sense the way they have it!

I guess this is what English teachers/ professors do with their retirement years. Go around changing signs for ignorant business owners. lol I promise I'm not losing my mind! :-)

Books I Have Read This Summer (Warning! Harry Potter spoilers for those who are unfamiliar with the series!)

Thought I would do a brief piece giving a very short review of the books I've read the past few months and what I thought of them. Warning! There are Harry Potter spoilers in this note!:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J. K. Rowling)
A gift from a very dear friend of mine, I went into this series not expecting too much. After all, if everyone everywhere is so wild about this series it must be pretty full of fluff without too much to think about. And it's written for 10 year olds so how deep could the series go? Getting into it, I felt rather silly because the language is very simple and I could tell it very much was written for 10 year olds. I did find the ending to be interesting though as I was honestly NOT expecting Quirrell to be the villain. This set up the tone and basic style for the first three books or so. Overall, I wasn't thoroughly taken aback with it but I was intrigued enough to get into the second book.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J. K. Rowling)
The story picked up, more or less, where the first one had left off and the tone was very similar. I was surprised when the chamber opened up and initially thought that Rowling had killed off the cat, Mrs. Norris. Struck even more when the same thing happened to Hermione. I didn't think Rowling would let that happen to a principle character. I was, of course, surprised again by the ending; couldn't believe it was Ginny. After this, I began noticing the pattern that Rowling loves to set up someone to look evil and then prove they're not and set someone else up to look good and then pull the rug out from under your proverbial feet. Fortunately, this did NOT spoil future books because, even when you knew Rowling was setting someone good up to look bad, you couldn't figure out HOW they could NOT be bad and you simply had to wait and see how she would vindicate their apparently heinous actions. On finishing this one, I was eager to get into the third!

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (J. K. Rowling)
A great read. By this time, I had developed an attachment to the characters and, starting out, I hadn't even been introduced to some of the big names in the later books such as Sirius or Lupin. Thought the dementors were a great idea even if they had a distinct likeness to Ringwraiths from Tolkien's work. Lupin's full moon transformations came as a surprise but I had grown used to surprises from Rowling by this point and wasn't as taken aback as I might have been. Thought the Scabbers/Pettigrew link was astounding. This was the first time a revelation was made that shook up my understanding of the previous books in the series. Couldn't believe it. Thought the transformation of Sirius from mass murderer to godfather was brilliant. I could understand a transformation from a bad guy to a decent guy but a transformation from bad guy to a new father figure for Harry was unexpected to say the least. I could feel Harry's hope at being able to go and live with Sirius and the crushing disappointment at how things turned out acutely.

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J. K. Rowling)
Cedric's death came as an absolute shock to me. As did Voldemort's return. First time I got genuinely upset at something that happened in the book. And I wasn't even aware that I'd developed an appreciation or connection with Cedric's character until he was struck down. I was even more astonished at how Fudge reacted to the news. I could understand panic or fear from him but absolute denial of what had happened came as a blow to me. Rowling managed to slip under my nose with "Moody" so I was extremely shocked when he was revealed as an imposter. Crouch's son's escape baffled me and I was left shaken up after that revelation. If I couldn't trust the Moody which Rowling developed I couldn't trust anyone in the series save the 3 main leads. Who would be exposed next? This book was the point at which I began to notice Neville Longbottom as being more than met the eye and he eventually turned into one of the 2 favorite characters I came away from the series with.

5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J. K. Rowling)
Four things that are extremely memorable from this volume:

• Luna Lovegood. Reading this one again right now. Luna is one of the most humorous, honest characters in the series. She is my other favorite next to Neville. She honestly doesn't really care what other people think of her which I absolutely love. Rowling's introduction, where she's reading the magazine upside down on the train is a brilliant intro to her character. You get a sense of who she is right from the very beginning.
• Harry's hearing at the Ministry of Magic was a source of apprehension for me. I could feel the churning of his stomach as he sat before the entire Wizengamut and the confidence he felt as Dumbledore came and sat down next to him.
• Umbridge was a source of extreme hatred to me in this novel. But I loved hating her. My blood would boil as I read her various "Educational Decrees" and the scenes where Harry was in detention with her made me want to throw the book across the room. I hated her more than I had ever hated Snape, Rita Skeeter, Malfoy or any of the slytherins. I wanted to see her suffer. I was happier than you can imagine at every attempt made by the students to enrage her or cause her any trouble at all. Fred and George became heroes to me in this book. I was unspeakably delighted when they flew off, passing the baton to Peeves who also garnered a great deal of respect from me. I was disappointed to find she had not died after her encounter with the centaurs in the forest.
• The battle at the ministry was very memorable but Sirius' death was quite a blow. The way he died just seemed so anticlimactic. His absence was acutely felt for the rest of the series and it made me hate Bellatrix LeStrange more than any of the other outright villains for the rest of the series.

6. Harry Potter and the Halfblood Prince (J. K. Rowling)
Have to read this one again as I've forgotten some of the specifics that made it great. I thought Slughorn's character was interesting and the idea of retrieving a memory from him was really quite original. Broke my heart when Harry had to keep ladling the potion to Gandalf out on the island. Some part of me was expecting him to die right then and there, leaving Harry to get back to Hogwarts by himself. After they left I thought to myself that there's no way Rowling's going to kill off Dumbledore now. Not so soon after putting both characters within an inch of it. The climax back at the school was mind blowing but I had come to expect it from 6 full volumes of Snape being portrayed as scummy and up to no good. Rowling used Dumbledore's death to absolutely convince me once and for all beyond a shadow of a doubt that Snape was evil through and through. In my mind there was no way of redeeming him after that scene. Truly brilliant.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J. K. Rowling)
I'd heard the Harry Potter series described as epic but I couldn't quite catch the full view of it until this novel. It's true that it's not epic in the sense of Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit but it is epic literature in its own right. Harry not returning to Hogwarts tipped me off that this book would be like none of the other 6. It moved from the stone hallways and rules of Hogwarts to the wide world where you genuinely didn't know what to expect. Whether it was because of an extremely blue mood I was in or just the attachment I'd developed to Dobby the elf, his death was the hardest thing for me to take. I was by myself in my room and I was so glad I wasn't reading that section in a public place because I could not hold back the floodgates. If my roommate had walked in he would've thought my dad had died or something.

I knew Rowling would have to kill off some big characters if she wanted to make this book epic and that the twins were a prime target yet Fred's death was still a great pain to me. I did not expect Tonks or Lupin to die and was pretty taken aback by that. After finding out that the Moody from the fourth book was an imposter I felt like I never really got to know his character so his death didn't hit me quite as hard as Rowling was, perhaps, intending.

Nothing, however, not Dobby's death nor Sirius' nor Fred's nor the hatred I harbored for Dolores Umbridge nor anything else in the entire series was as absolutely jaw dropping as Rowling's vindication of Severus Snape. When I came to that section I put the book down and sat open mouthed for perhaps a minute or two. I didn't let any expletives fly but I was tempted to. I simply could not believe it. After almost 7 full books portraying Snape as questionable at best I could not stomach that he had been so completely loyal to Dumbledore's cause as to obey EVERY command that came out of the aged wizard's mouth. Just remembering this scene makes me want so very much to start that book again! After finishing this volume I had an immediate desire to start the series over again as the later books bring so much color and significance to the earlier ones. Overall, an absolutely brilliant masterpiece.

8. Truth for All Time (John Calvin)
A gift from a friend of mine, I found that it went over a lot of stuff I already knew but Calvin did bring a couple of insights to the 10 commandments that I hadn't considered before. It's a pretty brief book but I would recommend it for anyone who's interested in reformed theology.

9. Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Another gift from the same friend, I found this one quite illuminating. The author explains two large pitfalls in the Christian life, one being a feverish pursuit of good works as the believer strives to "work out his own salvation with fear and trembling" and the other acknowledging that it is "God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." Those of us who are reformed tend to lean much more closely to the latter view while Arminians lean toward the former. Both, however, are unhealthy, argues Foster. The pathway between these 2 pitfalls is to walk in the 12 disciplines detailed by Foster. These are the avenue by which God chooses to reveal Himself to our hearts. And by beholding the glory of God, as my life verse says, we are transformed to His likeness. I found this book very helpful as it detailed practical exercises the believer could do to begin placing these disciplines in his or her life. Being thoroughly impractical and theoretical in my thinking, this is something that comes as a great aid to my spiritual walk.

10. Carrie (Stephen King)
I started this novel just cause I'd heard of it before. I knew it was a story about some misfit girl who had telekinetic powers and used them at her prom to gain vengeance on her classmates but I knew no other details. This was the first full book I'd read by Stephen King. It was considerably darker and had a great deal more disturbing material in it than I was expecting but I found the writing style and content fascinating. That's the only reason I finished it. Do I regret having read it? In some ways, yes; in other ways, no. On one hand, there were a lot of images in that book that I did not need to be putting into my mind. Much more sexual content and violent images than I was thinking would be in there. On the other hand, this book exposed me to a writing style I had never read before and enabled me to come away with a greater understanding of the craft and art of writing in the secular arena.

11. Christine (Stephen King)
Started this second novel figuring there might be enough Stephen King composition left to redeem itself by bringing some deeper insight than Carrie had brought. I was wrong. This was the book that showed me I needed to stop reading Stephen King. It's not because this one had a great deal of sexuality, vulgar language, and violence in it that turned me off; it's that it had all these things but nothing positive to say that might make it a beneficial read. Nothing to redeem it. It just made me feel filthy and sick. Like I had indwelt something that was unclean. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Stephen Chbosky)
This one had some vulgar language in it and a few instances of inappropriate sexuality. Two of the characters are practicing homosexuals and I would put it under the same category as Stephen King's works above but it said something that was very worthwhile. And it did not glorify sinfulness as Carrie or Christine did. It showed the brokenness and pain that sin brings into people's lives. And it had some very poignant, profound moments of clarity in its thinking. It caught my eye by the description on its back. It is the story of a person who I fancy is very much like me in some ways. Ultimately, it introduces the question of whether it's better to be active, going out and making life what we want it to be, or to be passive, allowing life to come to us and seeing what hands we will be dealt. I would recommend it for mature readers.

13. The Knowledge of the Holy (A. W. Tozer)
Wow! Amazing book! Probably the best one I've read for a while! Have a small view of God? Read this one! Tozer goes through the attributes that we've always been taught (God is everywhere, God knows everything, God can do anything, etc.) and fleshes them out so the believer can see just how monstrously HUGE and fearful God is! He explains what each of these attributes mean in the life of the believer and how a proper view of God increases our worship. And you will worship when you read this book. I mean... you... will... worship! Highly recommend for anyone because you can never have a view of God that's quite big enough!

14. Sundays at Tiffany's (James Patterson)
This was pure fluff. Didn't really say anything worthwhile but didn't make me feel as filthy or grungy as the Stephen Kings did. It was like a good, old fashioned chick flick. Like the Notebook. It had a couple quite objectionable things in it that I would not recommend for children to read (or adults for that matter) but these were not quite as pronounced or fleshed out as Carrie or Christine. I'd recommend this to someone who has nothing better to do with their time. A bit like going to a chick flick on a Friday night.

15. Life After God (Douglas Coupland)
Didn't get all the way through this one. I enjoyed the perspective it brought to the pain and heartache which atheism introduces to a culture. Like the modern poets, the point of this book isn't to slam religion or God but to show how much people need to believe in something greater than they are. It's not a scientific book. It shows the loneliness and extreme pain that comes into a person's life when they face life without a belief in God. It's a series of (sometimes interconnected) vignettes that describe various people's responses to just the normal day to day life of a group of people in California. Very poignant.

O church, arise and put your armor on;
Hear the call of Christ our captain;
For now the weak can say that they are strong
In the strength that God has given.
With shield of faith and belt of truth
We'll stand against the devil's lies;
An army bold whose battle cry is "Love!"
Reaching out to those in darkness.

Our call to war, to love the captive soul,
But to rage against the captor;
And with the sword that makes the wounded whole
We will fight with faith and valor.
When faced with trials on ev'ry side,
We know the outcome is secure,
And Christ will have the prize for which He died—
An inheritance of nations.

Come, see the cross where love and mercy meet,
As the Son of God is stricken;
Then see His foes lie crushed beneath His feet,
For the Conqueror has risen!
And as the stone is rolled away,
And Christ emerges from the grave,
This vict'ry march continues till the day
Ev'ry eye and heart shall see Him.

So Spirit, come, put strength in ev'ry stride,
Give grace for ev'ry hurdle,
That we may run with faith to win the prize
Of a servant good and faithful.
As saints of old still line the way,
Retelling triumphs of His grace,
We hear their calls and hunger for the day
When, with Christ, we stand in glory.

--O Church Arise! / Keith & Kristyn Getty

Today I Choose...

1. Today I choose to abandon all attempts to find pure joy outside of Christ.
2. Today I choose to stand in opposition to the current world system and embrace Christ’s.
3. Today I choose to deny Satan a foothold in my life by doing only those things which please God.
4. Today I choose to place my joy on the fact that Christ will reign as king victorious on this earth.
5. Today I choose to live life in a manner that I would live it were it my last to live on earth.
6. Today I choose to believe what God’s Word says about me and live in the knowledge of the truth.
7. Today I choose to use my body to further the physical reality of Christ’s kingdom on earth.
8. Today I choose to trust that God will work all things together for good in my life.
9. Today I choose not to be stressed or worried about the outcome of decisions that I make.
10. Today I choose to believe that Christ’s dominion over nature is both real and physical.
11. Today I choose to live my life for the pleasure of Christ rather than for my own pleasure.
12. Today I choose to disregard my own reputation and focus on increasing Christ’s.
13. Today I choose to not let other people decide how my day goes but to decide for myself.
14. Today I choose to live with an eternal mindset and to both think and act with death in mind.
15. Today I choose to not simply act as the world expects me to act in any given situation.
    
16. Today I choose to die to self and to live for Christ.

Miniscule Monotony

I just started thinking about this about 20 minutes ago or thereabouts. The way we walk with Christ is so small. Part of what I often am tempted to find attractive about Christianity are these huge, important, moving speeches recorded in scripture. Like where Paul talks about being transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12) or where he says he forgets those things behind him and presses on for the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3). The idea of doing something really powerful and dramatic to demonstrate my obedience to God is delightful. And don't mistake my purpose in writing this note! Such sacrifices are both delightful to God and worthy of much praise as they show God to be worth a great deal more than the secular world says He is! But so often I get bogged down when there ARE no valiant deeds of faith for me to do. Normal days include me getting up, doing some reading, checking my emails, and going to work at a societally insignificant job in the fast food industry. There is no bold, passionate defense of my faith needed, no national leader to share the gospel with, no opportunity to suffer any worse persecution for my faith than perhaps to be laughed at or made to feel stupid. What is there on these days? There is quiet, deliberate meditation. There is prayer. There is fasting. There is worship. The transformation that comes from the renewing of our minds is a simple thought process whereby God's word is digested into our hearts. Sometimes the pressing on for the prize of the upward calling simply means continuing in prayer day by day and conversing with our Maker in a sweet, intimate silence that only we are aware of. I am tempted to place many well renowned pastors and Christian authors on a pedestal because they seem great in my eyes. I'm seeing them through the eyes of my flesh and they look very important and influential to my flesh. God, however, may be even more pleased with an old, gray haired woman who lives alone but has prayed for their ministry day by day, asking God to strengthen them to speak the truth. You never hear about people like that though. Their job seems so insignificant compared to the one who is benefited by their quiet, ongoing communion with the Almighty. I have a feeling that when we get to heaven, at the top of the pack, the ones who get the greatest, most lavish rewards bestowed on them by our King will be people which we have never heard of or seen in all our lives. Perhaps Martin Luther would have been nothing more than a tiny, insignificant monk had a small, quiet, timid old woman not been praying for him. I'm convinced that Jerry Falwell would never have even become a Christian had it not been for his mother's daily, faithful prayer for him.

What do I glean from this? That, ultimately, our daring, brave, spectacular acts of faith don't have as great a chance of getting noticed by God as our tiny, little, insignificant acts of daily discipline, daily reading, daily meditation, daily service, daily mercy, and daily worship in the quiet places of our heart. "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much..." (Luke 16:10). Faithfulness is a characteristic that we either have or we do not have. It's nonsense to say, "Well, I'm not really responsible for that much right now. I just work at Captain D's. It's fast food. I'll be much more responsible when I get my first real job in my field or when God gives me something to be very faithful with." Faithfulness is faithfulness. Either you have it or you don't. God looks to those who are faithful and if you are faithful in little things, that prompts God to promote you to a more important role.

Be faithful, therefore, as it is a great pleasure to our King and is definitive evidence that we are becoming like Him. "But the fruit of the Spirit is... faithfulness..." (Galatians 5:22). Don't be faithful to get noticed. Be faithful to be faithful. Be faithful to please your Father. Walk quietly beside Him in the loud, obvious swell of the day. Seek Him by the quiet waters and your soul will not be disappointed. The cultivation of the inner life is something I greatly need. I feel strongly that it is something we all need. For the inner life is what God is most interested in.

These have been a long time in coming and I have more that I wish I could share but they're, for the time being, stuck on my cell phone. Hope you enjoy!

Picture Time!

The Happy Couple prepares to cut the cake!

Some high spirited antics between the new bride and groom! haha

They are so perfect together!

It's Tye with his new, much longer hair! Took me a while to get used to it!

Mikey takes a sip of the delicious wedding punch!Peaks of Otter on July 4th

Lovely view, isn't it?

You're the Word of God the Father
From before the world began!
Every star and every planet has been fashioned by your hand!
All creation holds together
By the power of your voice!
Let the skies declare your glory!
Let the land and seas rejoice!

Chorus:
You're the author of creation!
You're the Lord of every man!
And your cry of love rings out across the lands!

Yet you left the gaze of angels,
Came to sake and save the lost,
And exchanged the joy of heaven
For the anguish of a cross!
With a prayer you fed the hungry!
With a word you calmed the sea!
Yet how silently you suffered
That the guilty may go free!

Chorus

With a shout You rose victorious,
Wresting vict'ry from the grave,
And ascended into heaven,
Leading captives in Your way.
Now You stand before the Father,
Interceding for Your own!
From each tribe and tongue and nation,
You are leading sinners home!

--Keith and Kristyn Getty

Craziest Captain D's moment to date:

Just a normal, slow day and I was refilling stuff around the register when my boss (a blonde girl a couple years younger than I) pulls me into a conversation that I was unaware was going on between her and one of the cooks in the back. "If I ask you a question would you take it in the wrong way?" she asks. I pause. This sounds like a Taco Bell moment in the making.

"Probably not."

And then she proceeds to ask me a question which I will not relate here as I'm trying to make this blog G rated rather than PG or PG-13. It had to do with what I look for in a potential spouse's physical form. This most definitely is a Taco Bell moment so I take a second to answer.

"Actually, I'd have to say neither," I reply as it was a "Do you like this or this?" sort of question.

"So you're more of a face person?" she asks.

"Yeah. Their face is pretty significant." I pause again. "Also brainy. I don't want a dumb blonde."

And of course I hadn't thought about my boss's hair color before responding in this fashion and so both of my coworkers are like "Oooooohhhhhh!" and they're both smiling knowing I probably didn't mean it like that but I'm like "Crap! I totally didn't mean it like that!" haha It was interesting to say the least. Sorry if I offended anyone by relating this story. Can't wait to get a new job where such things are not discussed in forums like that one. :) Pray for my job search, everyone!