Archive — April, 2008
28 Apr
Out Of Control!
I hate flying. I have had opportunities to fly overseas several times, and the air travel has always been miserable. At first I thought this resulted from the severe lack of anything to do while in the plane, but I have recently discovered this is not the only reason. The real explanation is that I’m scared. It’s funny, because I participate in much more dangerous activities everyday (such as riding shotgun while my brother drives), but every time a plane hits turbulence I start to panic. I struggle grasping the fact that an unknown pilot is deciding my destiny while thousands of feet in the air!
25 Apr
Daniel Blackaby Story
Twenty-year-old Daniel Blackaby, regular blogger on Josiah Road, was born “sandwiched between an older brother and younger sister” into a strong Christian home. At the young age of four, Daniel came to know Jesus—fully understanding the decision he was making even then.
At the local ice-skating rink one day, Daniel decided it was time to accept Jesus into his life. “I closed my eyes and prayed, and asked [Jesus] to forgive my sins and be my Lord. I opened my eyes just in time to see the end boards before I ran face-first into them. … My dad always told me I started my Christian journey with a bang.”
24 Apr
I’ll Do It! …Later
I don’t have what you’d call a “driven” personality. My motto is: Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off indefinitely? Over the years I have tested my dad’s patience many times with my token phrase: “I’ll do it later….” I thought I was getting by just fine with this approach to life until last year, during my second semester of college. That was a time when my dad would say: Justice is sweet.
23 Apr
Got Milk?
I had two very disturbing experiences the other day. The first happened while I was at band practice… . My other experience came when I returned home that night.
Empty Vessels
“‘Go and borrow empty containers from everyone—from all your neighbors. Do not get just a few. … pour oil into all these containers’. … When they were full, she said to her son, ‘Bring me another container.’ But he replied, ‘There aren’t any more.’ Then the oil stopped.”
2 Kings 4:3-4, 6
Empty is an adjective. Empty jars. Empty hands. Empty hearts. Empty pages. Hollow, aching, empty vessels … waiting to be filled, waiting for rain from heaven, waiting for oil from God’s provision. Yet, isn’t that just what a useful vessel should be? Empty? How can a jar hold oil unless it is empty? If hands and hearts are hanging on to material things, they cannot be held by the love of God. If it is already full, a page cannot be written upon. That is why Elisha told the widow to ask for all the empty jars she could find. He wanted her to be able to receive as much of God’s blessing as she could hold. As soon as she ran out of empty containers, the oil stopped flowing.
17 Apr
Musings of a Newlywed
Ten months ago, after a whirlwind eight month courtship, Andrew and I embarked on the journey of marriage. We marvel now at how much we thought we knew but how little we really did. We’ve been delightfully surprised and duly humbled in our first months of married life. During our engagement, we regularly invited the advice of family, friends, books, and marriage counselors. We were warned that sex, finances, and family relationships could be “hot topics” for newlyweds and advised to handle these issues with care.
16 Apr
BEATLEMANIA!
I love music. I started learning drums about eight years ago and have been privileged to play in numerous bands during this time. I also enjoy playing guitar and currently play in a rock band called Fading Rebel and love it! My interest in music led me to start reading a book I found in my school’s bookstore called The Gospel According to The Beatles by Steve Turner. It is a fascinating book about the spiritual journey of the Beatles and what part religion played in their lives. As I was reading the other day, I came across a controversial comment John Lennon made during the height of their success, where he claimed the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.
In Communion
This past Sunday, my church family celebrated the Lord’s Supper. As is our custom, the “body” of Christ was passed back and forth along the pews on silver trays, and each believer in the sanctuary carefully extracted a single piece to hold until all were served and the pastor had asked God to bless it. As I held the bread between my thumb and index finger, really more of a square, cracker-like substance than bread, I noted the powdery white residue that clung to my fingertips, and a thought began to grow in my mind. Yes, I know I should have been praying or meditating, but sometimes my mind has a mind of its own. (Is such a thing possible?) Anyway, I noted the fine powder on my fingers and began to think of how communion with the Lord should leave just as visible an impression on my life as the “bread” did on my hands.
15 Apr
Friendly Neighborhood Insomniac - Part 3
Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared how I reached a breaking point with my insomnia and how God responded in a miraculous way. However, despite feeling His comfort, I still couldn’t sleep at night. For three months I waited on God to cure my insomnia. I knew God cared about my situation, but I saw no reason why He wouldn’t help me. Then youth camp came along and put everything into perspective!
To cut through the awkward silence of our first nightly church-group sharing time, I spoke up, “Hey not to sound like a broken record, but my insomnia is as bad as ever. Could you keep praying? Maybe God will take it away…”
Why I Hate Malls…
I have a love/hate relationship with malls. When I go to the mall, I’m on a mission: I like to know exactly what I’m looking for so I spend the least amount of time in the mall as possible. I do this because nothing bores me more than the hustle and bustle of a busy shopping center.
