Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea, Creation's revealing Your majesty.

From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring, Every creature unique in the song that it sings.

All exclaiming...Indescribable, Uncontainable,You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.You are amazing God. All powerful, Untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees and we humbly proclaim,You are amazing, God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go,Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow?Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light,Yet conceals it to give us the coolness of night?

None can fathom...Incomparable, Unchangeable, You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same.You are amazing, God.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oaS96KrQcyw

Lyrics by Chris Tomlin

Way of the Master vs Rational Response

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tAKEZhjlkxU&feature=related

Relational Ministry vs. Conscience Ministry

http://youtube.com/watch?v=R2VMbgp-ybc

What do you think?

Won't Good, Moral, Ethical People Go to Heaven?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ssm8ykgZuwk&feature=related


Morals cannot be separated from the Lord's teachings.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=KIdfJR6VLTY&feature=related

Muddy Truth to some...

Where does fiction leave off and truth begin? Because the very Word of God is a literary work – what will separate truth for people now adays? Kids are taught at very young ages literacy skills and that reading is powerful. You can’t just say that some literature is just literature and some are not. Are certain types of literature merely the “musings of [ ] clever and creative imagination" or works of truth – as defined at its core? It is no doubt that the written word has had an effect on people for thousands of years – whether it be from Plato’s first works to C.S. Lewis’ pennings to Dr. Suess’s wacky take on a fictional world. Is it merely a claim to maturity that some scuff off questionable texts such as “His Dark Materials” and “Harry Potter” – or a cop out of the truth? Or – is the church legalistically overreacting in their take on fictional literature? Who is to say?

I am not lacking in opinion as to these literary works. Let it be known that I have an opinion. It is funny to me how people from either side - religious or non-religious - will open their mouth in response before they have fully evaluated each side. Wouldn't you think that part of loving God means to love Him with your mind, thought processes, intellect, and reasoning? The Bible clearly states to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind..." Shouldn't we use the rationale that God gave us to clearly think through and evaluate that which is good and worthy food for our minds? The Bible also says- "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things." (Phil. 4:8) and it also says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

Selah.

pieces from my philos. paper

For true change to occur, I assert that there must be a paradigm shift. As a pre-service teacher, I had always dreamt that all the youth in my classes would grow up to be relentless scholarly thinkers that pursue the tough questions in life, unyielding in their work ethic. While this may be true for a few students that will pass through my doors, it will not always be true for an entire group of learners. As I imagined a classroom full of attentive listeners and producers, excitement accompanied my own studies. However, in the course of my academic growth, I have learned that there is so much more to teaching than simply inspiring students. Reality says that these things are possible, but not without challenge. The paradigm shift that I have undergone throughout my time as a student has grown within me not only an increasing passion for my subject, but a passion for my students. I have learned throughout my training here at Indiana Wesleyan that there is no harm in dreaming about my classroom, my students, and the things I might accomplish. The harm is when I base my dreams on the subject and the ideals of teaching, rather than the students that I will be interacting with. My dreams, now slightly altered, breed new hopes of not only inspiring students, but reaching the unreachable in giving them skills that will benefit their futures, and instilling within them metacognitive tools.

Jesus' living breathing paraphernalia

Tonight I write freely for my mind is numb from the day. Tomorrow I will have to write a speech and practice it, along with study for my test on monday. ERG. I should have finished it tonight. How frustrating it is when I don't keep myself on a schedule. Maybe I will just stay up and write it until I finish it. I want it to be good - and choosing just the right words is something with which to not be hasty. I am writing a persuasive speech about Compassion International and how we have got to get involved. Friday - our chapel speaker was from Compassion - and you must be thinking 'perfect timing' - I know right? Way to steal my fire. Actually - I prefer to look at it as the preparation for them. I hope to inspire them. I hope, I hope, I hope. Biblically, hope is defined as being 'anticipated expectation.' So while my mind is numb, marinating itself in writer's block and half asleep, I will at least attempt to finish my study guide and maybe begin my speech.

A comment that was said in chapel on friday went something like this [I am paraphrasing]: The righteousness you have isn't for you. It isn't something you keep for yourself by writing it in a journal while drinking designer coffee. If all you are giving is religion - you aren't giving much. We write the name of Jesus on everything...except people.

And I thought about that. I thought about how half of the time my problems come from my eyes being fixed on other things - other than Jesus. Sometimes - no the MAJORITY of the time - geesh - I just need to be honest! - the majority of the time - I am so selfish with my Jesus. I worry about my life and my dreams and my plans and my needs and my wants and my friends and my family and my significant other and my classes and my homework and my, my, my, my! It never stops! Will I ever be free of me? Will I ever finally get "out there" and do it? Do what I was born to do? Yes. By God's grace and protective hand, I will get out and do it.

“The rate at which a person can mature is directly

proportional to the embarrassment he can tolerate.” ~ Douglas Engelbart

“Maturity begins to grow when you can sense your

concern for others outweighing your concern for yourself.” ~ John MacNaughton

“To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace;

to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.” ~William Arthur

Three Quotes

You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. ~Mark Twain

Perhaps imagination is only intelligence having fun. ~George ScialabbaHarvard magazine

To think creatively, we must be able to look afresh at what we normally take for granted. ~George Kneller

So tonight...or this morning...however one expresses it...I retire my pen and place my fingers on the keys - pressing each necessary one gently with my gray sweater covering the wrist and almost half of each of my hands. I write to try to understand things - to think through my thoughts - to lay everything out - like Hezekiah did - when his enemies were so close and he recieved word of their plans. He laid them out before the Lord and said, "Thy will be done." I wish I could say that more and with sincerity. Sometimes I question if God really cares that faith is hard or that this walk is hard. I question His humanity at times. Does He really understand the struggles I feel inside of not understanding or knowing what is going on? Does He understand the valley that comes when we don't put him first? How I hate being human sometimes. There are so many emotions, so many twists and turns - so many different contexts and mindsets that you are in. It is hard sometimes to separate the thoughts and experiences - by what is real and genuine and worthy to be logged away for future reference - and those that you would like to tie an anvil to and drop in the deepest sea - to remember them no longer. I have discovered this week that I am in bondage to what people think of me and/or my perception of others perceptions - if that makes any sense. I hate being where I am at - which that is usually the case when I find a weakness - I don't want to be seen with a mistake and I don't want to have the mistake. I feel like I bear such shame and there is no freedom for me to mess up or be human. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understandings, but in all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths." I know this is what I need to do. AHH - I am so weak! Have I come this far to place myself above the temptations of life - that I forgot they were there and when tempted - feel like such a rat? I am so weak and so uncapable of succeeding on my own. I have forgotten what this is all about - and it isn't me! Maybe this really is a necessary struggle that everyone must go through. We are such self-centered beings that we take in command that which we don't hear results from God on - at least - I do. If His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses - and there are a lot - and He took enough time to inspire that author of that concept - WITH that concept - than I should probably believe it. Lord - please be my rock - be my fortress.

Taming the Tongue is like Wrestling a Python sometimes...

Have you ever wrestled a fierce animal before? Me neither. I wonder how the animals feel when geeky guys from the discovery show come and fish around in the water trying to find them. They end up waking them up only to be blinded by camera lights, and then they take them out of their comfortable homes. I'd be a little aggressive as well! In a round about way, wrestling with an exotic animal is like wrestling with our tongues. Can it be done? Can we tame them?

Have you ever wanted to talk about someone indirectly? Of course, not in a gossipy way, but you just felt the urge to share your angst with someone else or your curiosity as to someone else's behavior? Me, I have been feeling this way on and off lately. If you aren't careful - geesh! Gossip can sneak in and flog you for all you are worth - you leave a conversation feeling beaten down and worthless. Plus - think about the other side too! Gossip isn't like a back massage! When I have overheard gossip about me in the past, I've wanted to karate chop their face or something! I dunno. My thoughts are this: gossip is a far too dangerous coil to get wrapped up in - satan is too sneaky - it is too dangerous to even scratch the surface. So, until I learn to confide all my feelings totally and utterly unto His ears, my heart with possess this angst. I pray that God will help me to -completely- place my trust in his compantionship. I may not be able to wrestle my bad habits in controlling my tongue, but I know the One who can.

Night, friends.

Memories with Coffee...
I have quite a few memories tied in with the smell of coffee. Not a plethura - oo, I love that word - but some pretty amusing ones. For example, when I smell coffee, I think of mornings in our kitchen at home when I would come out in my socks and pajamas - into our sun streaked kitchen where my parents were. Or, the smell of coffee makes me think back to my high school biology teacher. He smoked cigars and to conceal the truth, would cover the smell with a thick coffee cologne. Or...upon entering our church foyer, the smell of coffee hangs in the air - invading my nostrils ever so wonderfully...ahhh...I love coffee.

Have you ever been sitting in an auditorium or classroom and someone begins to sing - the melody is so smooth - their voice so sultry - that it simply lifts you as if you were no heavier than a feather? In the midst of chords and beautiful tones, you find yourself floating above the earth - with nothing but your heart and its wings. Haha...what a dreamer I am.

Just something to chew on today...

(as fall has arrived and winter is quickly pursuing us)

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society.

The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute. ~Gil Stern

A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them.

~Leonard Louis Levinson

A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities

and an optimist is one who makes opportunities of his difficulties. ~Harry Truman

This is a bit from a paper I wrote - an introduction that didn't work for the paper. I have a lot of little bits like this - things that I have written for papers that never worked. I have a hard time scrapping something that I wrote that I like, but can't use for any particular piece.

Imagine yourself on a day like this: the sky hovers lowly about the earth. It brings a heaviness that dulls the senses. A languid breeze endeavors to reach the edges of the lace woven into your mother’s curtains. In the distance, you hear the rumbling of a storm that is to come. It is a fate that you know is approaching and cannot stop. With one quick movement, you are off your toes, headed for the inn table. You search for it, grasping for its pages. Once in the deep jungles of the adventure, it’s like you glance up and see the sun about its business once again, not feeling the raindrops on your skin or seeing the lightning shred the ebony wallpaper of the sky. You then glance at the antique clock on the mantel, and realize that you have not sat there for minutes, but hours. Deep within the pages of a novel, you can have any adventure that suits your fancy, and remain protected by an invisible cloak of reality. Your mind can take you places you want to go, but are too afraid to go; it can take you on journeys that would weaken your legs, but strengthen the character of your heart. In the pages of a novel, you can finally stand up to the bully, find your voice, or take the first step. In the pages of a novel, you can find yourself - who you really are – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and you can change. Reading a novel can motivate your reality – your feet – to walk on the path less traveled. It sounds great, right? But in reality – these types of adventures are grasped only by those that are able to see, to understand, to know. For them, reading is behind the eyes – it is alive – it is of worth. Shouldn’t these adventures be for everyone?
Teaching ESL without reading is like trying to ride a bicycle without wheels. You cannot even sit on the bicycle. In fact, trying to learn any language without the four foundational disciplines, reading, writing, speaking, and listening, you will be of little success.

I am learning that there is much to be celebrated in the single life. For such a long time, I felt that there was nothing else to life - go to school, get married, and thats life. Over the past few years, the Lord has manifested in me something new and freeing. There are definitely times in between where my heart has longed for that attachment to someone. However, what a life one could live if its master was only God! How I wish to be content all the time - a simple rest. I want a restful heart. It makes me feel bad for I know that I can be as a tossed wave at times - not giving God enough time to be intimate with me - so that I can hear His voice in regards to relationships. He wants fruitfull relationships for me - not ones that are hurtful.

thoughts for now...

Without a pen I feel naked, but it's writing that is my exhibitionism. ~Carrie Latet

Writing is a way of talking without being interrupted. ~Jules Renard, Journal, 10 April 1895

Writing is both mask and unveiling. ~E.B. White

Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head. ~From the movie Finding Forrester

If I'm trying to sleep, the ideas won't stop. If I'm trying to write, there appears a barren nothingness. ~Carrie Latet

You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke. ~Arthur Polotnik

Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake. ~E.L. Doctorow

Ink on paper is as beautiful to me as flowers on the mountains; God composes, why shouldn't we? ~Audra Foveo-Alba

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable. ~Francis Bacon

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth

There is definitley one thing you should know about me. I love to write. If I had all the free time in the world and there were thesauruses at my disposal 24/7, I would be writing. I love ideas and word pictures, metaphors, analogies, and similies. I love connecting with the world in different ways. Above are some of the quotes that I have found that simply delighted my little literary heart.

Things that get me excited: well-written pieces of work, new words that I discover, and coffee.