Symptoms and Disease

I apologize once again that it has been so long since I've blogged. Right now I do not seem to have time, especially considering I'm working as a typist now so all of my free typing time goes to typing those or school papers. This quarter has been crazy already. To start with, I cannot believe that this is week 5 already. My word. I have a nice groove for days mon-thurs, but that does seem to make weeks stream by, and the funny thing is, it's only going to pick up faster, it's only going to get busier as this quarter goes along. I'm excited though-there are plenty of things for me to be excited for: I turn 21 in two days, the NBA playoffs have already started to plenty of action and drama, BotA will start to be a doozy, a movie I'm really very excited for I will be seeing thursday night (friday morning technically), and most of all, living another 5 weeks growing in the knowledge and living in the grace of my Lord. Speaking of, I have been learning a lot more about symptoms and disease lately, specifically of sin. I have been learning that most of our outward sins are not just sins, they are indications of deeper mindsets. For instance, lust is not just lust, it is an indication that we are not fully satisfied in God. Selfishness is not just selfishness, it is a lack of trust that God can and will provide for our needs. These outward sins are symptoms, which, as with physical diseases, suck, but are not the true heart of the problem. People with cancer do not just wish that their symptoms go away, but that their cancer itself goes away, otherwise the symptoms will inevitably return. Likewise, when we notice sins in our lives, outward sins like lusting a lot, or being very jealous, we should not only pray for those symptoms themselves, but also for the disease that is inevitably the cause of our sins. As the pastor at my church reminded us on Sunday, "Sin is not the pursuit of a bad thing, it is the pursuit of a good thing too much." Symptoms and disease. Something else I've realized is the power of not being anxious. Philippians says to not be anxious about anything but pray about everything, to just bring everything to God so that it is not all on our own shoulders. I have been trying to actively do this recently, trying to rely and trust in God so much, and when anxiousness does arise, I just take it right to God. Let me tell you, it is incredible. My heart and mind feel so guarded, in the best way, and there is a peace and a joy that erupt from this practice. It is not just the practice though, just saying words is nothing, but it is God who provides the peace, provides the joy, as a result of supremely trusting Him as a father. Man, I'm excited. IV Conversation Snippet of the week: There are always so many to choose from but this one probably goes to the girl driving the car who I heard say "Yeah, but my nipples are always hard." ~Good Luck and Good Eats

Easter Weekend

It's crazy here in IV right now. It would be difficult to find a more beautiful day, and at the same time so many out of towners are here for DelTopia, what remains of the once great FloatTopia. People are getting drunk in the afternoon, music is loud, girls are dressed highly inappropriately. In world news, it's Easter this weekend. I was going to write an Easter or Good Friday Post, but instead I will just re-post a poem written by a blogger that I am a big fan of that very well captures how I feel today:
Coming In Glory


Any god can be
strong
when strength is
what you have

Any can be
mighty
when might is
in your hand

gods in
our image
just
stronger
mighter

“Grant that we may sit –
one, right
one, left
in your glory.”

The request of us all
who want a god
in our image.

Only slightly embarrassed
to hear it has been
prepared for
others.

What God can be
weak
when weakness is
all we have?

What can be
broken
shamed
shunned
when that is
our story?

There He is
Our God
In His pain-full glory.
And there
one, right
one, left
those for whom
it was prepared.
~Good Luck and Good Eats

Pressing In

It's time to press in. For many of the residents of the no longer sleepy town of IV, it is time to press in, to school, to parties, to the business of crashing classes, biking to work, and trying to find time to eat. The first week of the new quarter always promises to be a hectic one for sure. This is no less true for me than for any. In the midst of a Monday, I crashed a class, had two other classes, baked O'Henry Bars, planned and lead a bible study, stopped by a surprise party for a friend, helped a friend find someone to move his bed, and went to talk to another person about logistics. All of that in a day, and do not misunderstand me, I am not complaining, I am celebrating, celebrating that people are back again, that a community is intact, and most of all, that a Savior Loves me.
For me, it is a different kind of pressing in. It is not pressing in to parties, to classes, to new majors, to prospective futures, to a girlfriend, none of that. It is pressing into God. I recently watched a sermon that I was introduced to by my dear friend Frisco. In it Dominic Balli, a popular Christian Reggae artist, talks of his story and where God is leading him. I resonated with the message of it overall, which was to press into God. God is analytically faithful; He cannot not be faithful or it would undo himself. His name is Faithful. Therefore if we press into Him, chase after Him vigorously with reckless, reckless abandon, never losing sight, then we will see new things and discover true life. It will not always be easy; it will not always mean having nice, modern amenities or clean clothes or new shoes or even meat. But it will mean purpose, something we all inherently seek and long for. Pressing into and trusting in God with all we have means purpose and true life. That is what I want. So I am purporting to press into God this quarter, not just to lean on Him, but to clutch Him, and not fall, to trust in His unfailing faithfulness. It won't be easy, but it is Life.
Treats of the week: The aforementioned O'Henry Bars, Crepe Cupcakes, Peanut butter hotfudge cupcakes, and caramelized pineapple cupcakes. I suppose you can say that I've been on a cupcake kick lately.
~Good Luck and Good Eats