"All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" - Daniel 4:35
"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." - Colossians 3:2
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10
"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness." - 1 Timothy 6:11
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." - Philippians 4:8
"Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." - C.S. Lewis
"We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He's great and deserves to be the center of our lives." - Francis Chan
"The Moral Law does not give us any ground for thinking that God is 'good' in the sense of being indulgent, or soft, or sympathetic." - C.S. Lewis
"Don't tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on broken glass." - Anton Chekhov
"My most important piece of advice to all you would-be writers: when you write, try to leave out all the parts readers skip." - Elmore Leonard.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart...
By all accounts, today should have been a very dull day. Not a terrible day, but certainly not a good day.
Instead, it was a fantastic day.
I got out of bed this morning to the sweet tones of the dog puking on the carpet outside my bedroom door. I got into the car to find a nice splash of bird-poo on the windshield, and no wiper fluid left. I got to work, and the air-conditioning was taking a vacation (on an 80-degree day too!).
I should have been bored and tired and irritated, but I couldn't be. I was a little sweaty, yes, but I couldn't stop smiling. I've just had such a great day. I slept so well last night, and my shoulders don't hurt so bad, and I'm not that tired. I spent five and a half hours out today, and afterwards I was well enough to chat with dad, fold towels, play clarinet, read a book... It's the first time, after all my false starts and second-guessing, that I can actually see myself well enough to attend college, to have a social life, to live outside of books and my house.
A tiny part of me isn't expecting this to last. I've spent the past two years hoping for nothing, so that I might not be disappointed. Sunday was a really good day, and yesterday was mighty fine. I'm just... animated. I can't remember the last time I felt this way.
I wrote yesterday about the ridiculously cool things God is doing in my life. This morning, I spent more time contemplating my small-ness... and as I was praying, it occurred to me - that oft-quoted "Who am I?" - I'm so small, so insignificant - and yet God pays attention to me! Loves me even; He has a purpose for my life! There's something freeing in seeing your own smallness; you begin to see the forest, despite the trees.
I'm excited. I want this joy to continue to fill my life. I want to keep learning things when I read the Bible, keep finding answers to my prayers in the most unexpected of ways. Even on my bad days, I don't want to fall into my old habit of ignoring the Bible until bed time, when I'm not really coherent enough to make the time worth anything.
The coolest thing; tomorrow looks like another great day.
Instead, it was a fantastic day.
I got out of bed this morning to the sweet tones of the dog puking on the carpet outside my bedroom door. I got into the car to find a nice splash of bird-poo on the windshield, and no wiper fluid left. I got to work, and the air-conditioning was taking a vacation (on an 80-degree day too!).
I should have been bored and tired and irritated, but I couldn't be. I was a little sweaty, yes, but I couldn't stop smiling. I've just had such a great day. I slept so well last night, and my shoulders don't hurt so bad, and I'm not that tired. I spent five and a half hours out today, and afterwards I was well enough to chat with dad, fold towels, play clarinet, read a book... It's the first time, after all my false starts and second-guessing, that I can actually see myself well enough to attend college, to have a social life, to live outside of books and my house.
A tiny part of me isn't expecting this to last. I've spent the past two years hoping for nothing, so that I might not be disappointed. Sunday was a really good day, and yesterday was mighty fine. I'm just... animated. I can't remember the last time I felt this way.
I wrote yesterday about the ridiculously cool things God is doing in my life. This morning, I spent more time contemplating my small-ness... and as I was praying, it occurred to me - that oft-quoted "Who am I?" - I'm so small, so insignificant - and yet God pays attention to me! Loves me even; He has a purpose for my life! There's something freeing in seeing your own smallness; you begin to see the forest, despite the trees.
I'm excited. I want this joy to continue to fill my life. I want to keep learning things when I read the Bible, keep finding answers to my prayers in the most unexpected of ways. Even on my bad days, I don't want to fall into my old habit of ignoring the Bible until bed time, when I'm not really coherent enough to make the time worth anything.
The coolest thing; tomorrow looks like another great day.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sight
My dear blog...
Things have been changing in my life lately. I asked God to show me who He is; I began trying to look for him, because I needed to see him at work. And I've been reading Exodus; the picture of a God fearsome and powerful, wrathful and massive. But then it occurred to me - all of this majesty and magnificence was contained in one person, no bigger or more beautiful than you or I - what a sight it must have been to look upon Jesus, to those who recognized who he was! Then onward, to think that we tiny, silly, selfish things tore that perfect man apart - God! - I began crying.
It seems that I begin to understand one thing - and suddenly I understand two or three more. How inexplicable is God - he never does things by halves! The Bible has been coming alive for me; no longer just stories, like cartoons and badly-made movies. I'm seeing it in my head; seeing how I would have reacted, how these people must have felt.
I, who once led such a purposeless life, am beginning to see my place in the world. I'm beginning to hear what I am called to do. I was so spiritually blah for a while; I don't want to go back there. I don't ever want to become so complacent again.
Here's to change!
Things have been changing in my life lately. I asked God to show me who He is; I began trying to look for him, because I needed to see him at work. And I've been reading Exodus; the picture of a God fearsome and powerful, wrathful and massive. But then it occurred to me - all of this majesty and magnificence was contained in one person, no bigger or more beautiful than you or I - what a sight it must have been to look upon Jesus, to those who recognized who he was! Then onward, to think that we tiny, silly, selfish things tore that perfect man apart - God! - I began crying.
It seems that I begin to understand one thing - and suddenly I understand two or three more. How inexplicable is God - he never does things by halves! The Bible has been coming alive for me; no longer just stories, like cartoons and badly-made movies. I'm seeing it in my head; seeing how I would have reacted, how these people must have felt.
I, who once led such a purposeless life, am beginning to see my place in the world. I'm beginning to hear what I am called to do. I was so spiritually blah for a while; I don't want to go back there. I don't ever want to become so complacent again.
Here's to change!
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