Nakedness and Sovereignty

Emptiness hit IV this weekend. EMPTINESS. It was a near ghost town. There was actually an echo in Isla Vista, an event so strange. It was nice everyone leaving me, giving me time to reconsider all that I have to be thankful for. However, emptiness was not the only thing to hit IV this weekend. Nakedness did as well. As uncanny as that sounds, I did experience two girls at the IV Co-op, DeShane, simply walk around their apartment, naked. That's naked as in no clothing. You may not think that is anything crazy and you may even be asking yourself what I was doing in their house. Let me explain, it was co-ed. There were other guys there and these two collegiate girls simply did not mind as they galabanted around stark naked. I know people who would have killed to be in that situation. I did not find that, but my mind found it very strange that I was seeing naked people. I almost never see naked bodies except my own and more than anything I just experienced shock. It was just such an event that I am not used to, people being so free with their bodies. It was interesting from an aesthetic point for that reason as well. All in all, it was not a typical saturday night to say the least.
Despite all of that there was a bigger, grander lessen that I learned this weekend. While IV was experiencing all of its loneliness and nakedness God was giving me more confidence and reminding me that He is sovereign. The word itself has striking meaning: having supreme rank, power, or authority.
supreme; preeminent; indisputable: a sovereign right.
greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.
being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc. I think that I like the last one best, but all of them speak to God's character. He has perfect control over my life for this reason, because God is so sovereign. He always reminds me how much bigger and more powerful He is than my petty problems are worries. That is all that I live on, that is the gospel. This truth is what keeps me going and what gives me peace in a time when I have none, or at least should have none. He always gives me ample reason to give plenty, even when I have nothing.
IV peep(s) of the week: See above.
Restaurant of the week: Ming's Dynasty. Chinese/Mongolian buffet. Too pricy to be consistent, but cannot deny how good it is. Plus I love buffets.
Treats of the week: Chocolate cupcakes with a peppermint buttercream frosting that actually turned out well!
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Finding Myself Thankful

It is Thanksgiving today, a day designed to inspire thankfulness. I am currently writing this from a beach city, unbelievably beautiful weather, uncontrollable joy. How can I possibly express my gratitude? Thanksgiving is a day of introspection, whether you want it to be or not, Thanksgiving means looking inward and determining what you are thankful for. So, that is what I have done, looked inward, deep down to determine what I am most thankful for. There is much that I am thankful for, especially considering what I deserve: nothing, or less than. But I have been given so much more. God's grace simply reigns down on me, all around me. I Love it. I have so much, not Earthly, in that case I do not actually have much. But in The Kingdom, I have been given much: forgiveness, true life, community, a friend, savior, and King. Unfathomable Love and a spirit who lives inside me. I cannot accurately describe how thankful I am for all of it, how thankful I am for and to my God. Especially for people; He has given me so very many people to be thankful for. I guess what I am trying to get at is that I am overwhelmed by the Love of my King, and by how He has showered me with oh so many good things. Celebration, that is a word I would use to describe my attitude. He has given me even just a weekend with no people, to meditate on all of His good and perfect things. Not material things, understand, "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions", but eternal things, God and people. I am so in Love with God and so thankful to Him. That's what I am feeling today: the gospel working itself out in my heart. I just hope you understand how truly truly blessed you are.
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Understanding What I Teach

For much of this quarter I have been praying to trust in God more. I need it in Isla Vista. It is expensive to live here and classes are not the easiest thing in the world. Plus there is so much pain and sadness that I feel continually weighed down by it all. I think that I have been doing better at trusting God, things previously killing me now bring me peace. Additionally, I have been speaking lately with a friend of mine about how when she teaches on something that is usually what God reminds her throughout the week. Well, this week I taught on faith in discipleship, and I think that now that I have been getting better at trusting God, I need to understand faith more. Faith goes so much deeper than people think it does. There are so many variables in my life right now. Yes, a part of it is trusting in God, but really, I just need faith right now, so much. I need to just put it all in God's hands and have faith that He will take care of it all. I think that a way that we understand things better is when we teach them. Many of my professors get a better understanding of their material when they are able to verbally process it in front of a class. Despite all of the unknowns (future, finances, relationships, bible studies in flux, the future of the movement), I know that Who my faith is in. My identity, in all of its totality, is that I am a child of the living God. Nothing else matters to me anymore, nothing can take that away from me. It costed a lot, but has already been paid for, and I did not have to pay for it. Sometimes it feels like I have to get out of my own life, out of my own skin, away from everything, and then I remember that my savior is always with me, always taking care of me, that it is no longer my shoulders that everything rests on, but His. He brings me peace, He makes my paths straight, it is because of Him that I can even live. Please Father, never leave me. I could never live without You.
Restaurant of the week: Pattaya Thai food. Great tasting food, and not far from IV.
IV peep(s) of the week: This one goes to the two girls strangely doing a fire dance in their front yard this past week. IV never ceases to amaze me.
Treats of the week: Just chocolate, toffee cupcakes with more than a couple frosting mishaps made for someone very special to me.
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Isla Vistan Advice

So, this has been a couple of long weeks. Good, just quite long. I think one of the most notable things that happened took place while I was talking with Pirate and another homeless man. We got, somehow, onto the topic of my future, and Pirate asked me what I plan on doing when I graduate. I told him that I am not really sure and he suggested real estate. I told him that I am not really sure about that, and then the other homeless man mentioned just taking life one day at a time. I think this is a good example of how I live my life. Everyday that I wake up is a new day. I mean, it is a pretty obvious statement, but one that generally most people ignore. I generally do not think very far into the future, nearly at all. I would not want to live that way though, but rather I enjoy far too much the notion that if I have a stomach ache, the next day is a new day. If I do well or poorly on a test, the next day is an entirely new day. No matter what happens, no matter how many regrets life throws at me or how poorly I sleep, tomorrow is still a brand new day. This can sometimes not be as good, like in the cases of days I enjoy so much, but ultimately it is a more refreshing concept than anything else. Tomorrow I plan on making cupcakes with a guy in my bible study I'm very excited for it. I have a slight stomach ache tonight, looking forward to that hopefully dissipating.
I will say that the most intriguing and refreshing part of this way of looking at life is God's grace. God's grace is new and refreshing everyday. Never does my sin linger, never does it stay with me. Never does my hurting and shame and guilt prevail, and God has new plans for me everyday. I am so very much more thankful than God's grace than for anything and everything else. It is everything and nothing else means so much to me as God' grace and loving kindness that renews everyday. I honestly cannot believe it because it definitely seems too good to be true. But, it is not. He renews and restores my soul every morning and I cannot properly describe what that means for me. Thank you, my father.
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Learning Difficulty

This has been a tough quarter for me. I guess tough is a relative term, but relative to my last fall quarter, this has been tough. In almost every aspect this quarter is significantly more difficult than the last; academically, financially, spiritually, socially, all of it is much more difficult this quarter. Even trying to deal with people that I used to Love so much is hard. I've been wondering what to make of it all, what to do with the info that this quarter is so much harder. Last year I grew a lot, as a man, as a child of the king, as an individual, as a human being. However, it was not growth through difficulty, as most people understand as the only kind of growth. Life was easier, I had more time and more energy to devote to what I wanted and overall I feel that there were much fewer worries clogging and clawing my head. This year my absurd financial troubles, combined with spiritual attacks and other such things make that type of growth just impossible. Life is just harder. Period. However, there are other types of growth. A man who experiences the death of his spouse grows in that mourning just as he grows on their honeymoon. This quarter I am still growing, but in a different way, in a way that plays off of the struggles and trials of this quarter. I simply keep reminding myself that it is only a ten week quarter and next quarter is an entirely different animal, but I cannot escape the feeling of being trapped and pinned down by all of these hardships, however hard or soft they may be. I am only surviving by reminding myself of two very simple yet profound truths: that God provides for his children, and that He will still grow me, even in the pain and the difficulty. So yeah, I do wish that this quarter was like the last one, not without its own worries, but simpler, less trying worries, instead of being difficult, but just as with anything it comes down to reminding myself of why I do it all, why I even live. Him, it is about Him. Not about my struggles or hardships which are so easy for Him, but about bringing Him the utmost glory. That I can do no matter the circumstance.
Treats of the week: Fried bananas today, brownies last wednesday.
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Haunted Hangover

Halloween was last weekend. Well, actually it was last Monday, but IV always makes it into a weekend. Plenty of out of towners were here, Freebirds made wayy too much money, and my housemate threw up in his bed. It was smaller than last year, by many accounts not much bigger than a normal Friday night, just less clothing. Afterward, specifically on Tuesday, I was walking home with a friend and Isla Vista was strangely silent. I noted to him how uncanny it was and how it could only be because of the massive halloween hangover that IV must be collectively feeling. An epic weekend come, and gone. And what is IV, the people, the business, the physical place, left with that it has before? Regret maybe, perhaps an enjoyable weekend of memories. I guess that the ultimate answer to the question is simply nothing. An entire weekend that this quarter has been building to in IV is passed and IV is no greater than it was. I think understanding this would be to the great benefit of the people here. They go out every weekend, thirsting for something so much deeper than this place can offer them weekend in, weekend out, trying to fill an infinite void with things that are finite instead of eternal. They are empty, and cannot be filled by what they want, but only by what their souls really long for. Or rather, who their souls really long for. I am thirsty, just like they are, probably more so, panting like a dog tired from catching frisbees, unable to find anything that will fill my thirst. Until I find Him. His blood has satisfied me because it traded places with me. He willingly took my place, up on a cross, bleeding, beaten, bruised, bashed, but all the time, donating to me, His pure, righteousness. I guess this post turned more into a digression on what I wish the lovely, and they are nothing else, people of Isla Vista really truly understood, what I wish that they would just give a chance to at least. IV needs to experience true life, to the fullest.
Restaurant of the Week: Cody's Cafe, on hollister. I was able to get an omlet, with extra pork verde sauce, hashbrowns, and biscuits and gravy for 9 dollars. My kind of meal most definitely.
Treats of the Week: Peanut-butter snickers brownies, pumpkin cream cheese chocolate chip muffins, and some strawberry white chocolate chip cookies.
Good Luck and Good Eats
~Cody