Hola!
As of Monday, I am officially, a college miss. Thus I retain the envyable title of "freckle-faced, romantic school-girl." I can't believe that this is my fourth day of classes, and I have not as yet made any mention of this momentous happening! People will begin to wonder about me...
I am adjusting to college life very nicely I think. Although, I can't be certain of seeing anyone I know on any given day, so sometimes its a bit lonely at lunch time. My ever-so-loyal best friends were not able to accompany me in this new phase, therefore I "am a lone reed". (Meg Ryan, You've Got Mail) =)
English 101 challenges me--that's good.
Spanish 101 confuses me--that's bad. (no comprendo)
History 103 ...makes the joints in my right hand hurt very much.
God is being faithful as I knew He would be. His mercies are truly new each morning! I would never have been brave enough for college without Him. So...PTL!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Monday, September 19, 2005
Goodness!
Life is good.
Now, I know how debatable that statement is, but I truly have a firm belief in the goodness of life. Now I realize that there is "none good, no not one", and I also am aware that this world is full of sin and evil. I am made more aware of that tragic fact every day of my life as I struggle against temptation. I don't have to mention the sorts of things you hear every time you turn on the news.
My validation, my proof, my confidence that life is good stems from one unbreakable truth:
God is good. He is the essence of "good". He is the epitome of righteousness, holiness, justice, love. He is the only one who possesses these attributes perfectly.
Because He is good, he created a good world. And it is still good, even after the taint of sin. The rain still falls in torrents, the sun still dazzles with every rise and set, the moon is still romantic as it bathes us in silver light. If that is not sufficient proof, consider this:
The beauty of Christian fellowship as we gather for worship each Sunday, relationships full of love and commitment, the ability of the human mind to study, to learn, to excel, the cry of a new-born child into this world, honest labor, the glory of the seasons, the alarm clock that awakens you insistantly each morning, food, individuality, humor that sends you to the floor gasping for air, the richness of time spent in God's Word, times when we pour out our souls to Him in the closet...I could continue this list all day...
All of these things are good, and beautiful, and we revel in the rich joy of it all every day of our blessed lives. And there is one reason for it all. God gave us these things to show us His goodness. God created man to enjoy Him. And in all these things we ought to be recognising that fact. We ought to be enjoying Him. This is such a glorious thought, could it get any better? But it does.
I heard an illustration taken from Spurgeon this summer, my newest brother used it in a sermon. No doubt I am paraphrasing:
An old, pitiful, pauper of a woman, huddled in a corner with a little crust of bread, and she is saying rapturously, "I have Christ, and all this too!" That is enjoying God. And if we don't say that after surveying all the richness of our lives (see above), we're some poor excuse for Christians. We have Christ, because His love is so great, that He gave Himself up so that He could save this world full of base, cruel-hearted people (us). This is so glorious!
In view of all these things, it needs to be said, that our good lives should be reminding us hourly of the love of Christ, of His goodness, and consequently we can enjoy Him in everything. You know as in, "Hallelujah!". We have Christ, and all this too. Ayyymen!!
This is so exciting, it fuels my life, my motivation, me!
Now, I know how debatable that statement is, but I truly have a firm belief in the goodness of life. Now I realize that there is "none good, no not one", and I also am aware that this world is full of sin and evil. I am made more aware of that tragic fact every day of my life as I struggle against temptation. I don't have to mention the sorts of things you hear every time you turn on the news.
My validation, my proof, my confidence that life is good stems from one unbreakable truth:
God is good. He is the essence of "good". He is the epitome of righteousness, holiness, justice, love. He is the only one who possesses these attributes perfectly.
Because He is good, he created a good world. And it is still good, even after the taint of sin. The rain still falls in torrents, the sun still dazzles with every rise and set, the moon is still romantic as it bathes us in silver light. If that is not sufficient proof, consider this:
The beauty of Christian fellowship as we gather for worship each Sunday, relationships full of love and commitment, the ability of the human mind to study, to learn, to excel, the cry of a new-born child into this world, honest labor, the glory of the seasons, the alarm clock that awakens you insistantly each morning, food, individuality, humor that sends you to the floor gasping for air, the richness of time spent in God's Word, times when we pour out our souls to Him in the closet...I could continue this list all day...
All of these things are good, and beautiful, and we revel in the rich joy of it all every day of our blessed lives. And there is one reason for it all. God gave us these things to show us His goodness. God created man to enjoy Him. And in all these things we ought to be recognising that fact. We ought to be enjoying Him. This is such a glorious thought, could it get any better? But it does.
I heard an illustration taken from Spurgeon this summer, my newest brother used it in a sermon. No doubt I am paraphrasing:
An old, pitiful, pauper of a woman, huddled in a corner with a little crust of bread, and she is saying rapturously, "I have Christ, and all this too!" That is enjoying God. And if we don't say that after surveying all the richness of our lives (see above), we're some poor excuse for Christians. We have Christ, because His love is so great, that He gave Himself up so that He could save this world full of base, cruel-hearted people (us). This is so glorious!
In view of all these things, it needs to be said, that our good lives should be reminding us hourly of the love of Christ, of His goodness, and consequently we can enjoy Him in everything. You know as in, "Hallelujah!". We have Christ, and all this too. Ayyymen!!
This is so exciting, it fuels my life, my motivation, me!
Thursday, September 15, 2005
New York Chronicle VI (P.S. as it were)
I have been remiss in relating to you one of the most thrilling, and momentous happenings of my sojourn in New York, and therefore I must beg the forgiveness of the several people from whom I have recieved complaints. Yes, I know that I have surprised you. After all, this blog has been entirely taken over in the past months with the business of relating my New York experiences. How could I possibly have more to say? Brace yourselves.
I began Chronicle number IV with every intention of mentioning this little trifle--but somehow managed to become carried away on the tide of my delight in expressing so many other things. I will now do so:
Manhattan. Yes the very same city the wonders of which so many singers have sung, so many writers have written. It is all that you have heard--and much, much more. In the harbour, a great lady stands, the simble of our liberty, watching in proud silence the thriving business of The City. She seems a guard of sorts--but a defiant one, daring any to try and extinguish the flaming torch in her hand. A massive bronze bull is in the square on Wall Street. Intimidating to say the least. Little Italy is enchanting--there are resturants everywhere, and they almost always spill out onto the sidewalk. China Town is a bit of a shock, suddenly signs are written in Chinese characters, and you feel as if you just stepped into downtown Hong Kong. The Brooklyn Bridge has a special place in my heart. Built at the turn of the last century, its great, slightly pointed arches and sweeping lines are simply exquisite.
Now, let us pause for a moment as I take a deep breath.
There is one thing I wanted to do. There is one thing I wanted to do very, very much. I went to see a Broadway show. No. I went to see a Broadway Musical! Never did I dream that I would be given such a grand opportunity--but there it is, my program sitting demurely on my dresser at this very moment to bear witness that it truly did happen. A dear lady with a fabulous New York accent (one of the elders wives), purchased tickets for Sarah and I when she discovered towards the end of my stay that I enjoyed theatre. We took the train into the city and dissembarked at Penn Station. As we emerged from the semi-dim depot and up into the light of day, my first sight was tall buildings. Everywhere. Very tall buildings. I couldn't keep the smile of delight from stretching my face. We walked to Broadway, the stretch of street that harbors many historic theatres, and made our way to the entrance of the New Amsterdam Theatre. Very historic. Extreemly breathtaking. We walked through the long foyer, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the stunning portraits that lined both walls. Picture after picture of famous stage entertainers of the past greeted my reverent gaze. Wonder piled upon wonder as at last I entered the theatre itself. The sight that greeted my eyes was simply stunning. Everywhere I looked I saw frescos, carvings, paintings--the walls and ceiling were covered with them. When I got over my initial amazement, I was able to notice a large balcony, an even larger pit, and several boxes on each side. Someday I'll get a box seat. As it was, Mrs. Warnock had aquired for us third row seats on the left side. Outragiously wonderful.
The show was the hit musical, "The Lion King". Lets just say, I'm spoiled for life. I'll never be able to appreciate a high school production in quite the same way. *Ahem* It was world class. And brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable of any trivial experience I have ever had. The singing was out of this world, as was the dancing, acting, etc. The actors actually traveled to Africa to study how to move like animals. I thought initially that I might see a guy in a lion suit running around stage roaring idiotically. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was way beyond what I could ever have imagined. I wish somehow I could get inside your minds and show it to you like a slide show. There is really no way to communicate such a phenominon.
I hope that in some way you may have caught a glimmering of the glory of this experience. If you did then perhaps there is hope for me as a writer after all. Loves!
I began Chronicle number IV with every intention of mentioning this little trifle--but somehow managed to become carried away on the tide of my delight in expressing so many other things. I will now do so:
Manhattan. Yes the very same city the wonders of which so many singers have sung, so many writers have written. It is all that you have heard--and much, much more. In the harbour, a great lady stands, the simble of our liberty, watching in proud silence the thriving business of The City. She seems a guard of sorts--but a defiant one, daring any to try and extinguish the flaming torch in her hand. A massive bronze bull is in the square on Wall Street. Intimidating to say the least. Little Italy is enchanting--there are resturants everywhere, and they almost always spill out onto the sidewalk. China Town is a bit of a shock, suddenly signs are written in Chinese characters, and you feel as if you just stepped into downtown Hong Kong. The Brooklyn Bridge has a special place in my heart. Built at the turn of the last century, its great, slightly pointed arches and sweeping lines are simply exquisite.
Now, let us pause for a moment as I take a deep breath.
There is one thing I wanted to do. There is one thing I wanted to do very, very much. I went to see a Broadway show. No. I went to see a Broadway Musical! Never did I dream that I would be given such a grand opportunity--but there it is, my program sitting demurely on my dresser at this very moment to bear witness that it truly did happen. A dear lady with a fabulous New York accent (one of the elders wives), purchased tickets for Sarah and I when she discovered towards the end of my stay that I enjoyed theatre. We took the train into the city and dissembarked at Penn Station. As we emerged from the semi-dim depot and up into the light of day, my first sight was tall buildings. Everywhere. Very tall buildings. I couldn't keep the smile of delight from stretching my face. We walked to Broadway, the stretch of street that harbors many historic theatres, and made our way to the entrance of the New Amsterdam Theatre. Very historic. Extreemly breathtaking. We walked through the long foyer, and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the stunning portraits that lined both walls. Picture after picture of famous stage entertainers of the past greeted my reverent gaze. Wonder piled upon wonder as at last I entered the theatre itself. The sight that greeted my eyes was simply stunning. Everywhere I looked I saw frescos, carvings, paintings--the walls and ceiling were covered with them. When I got over my initial amazement, I was able to notice a large balcony, an even larger pit, and several boxes on each side. Someday I'll get a box seat. As it was, Mrs. Warnock had aquired for us third row seats on the left side. Outragiously wonderful.
The show was the hit musical, "The Lion King". Lets just say, I'm spoiled for life. I'll never be able to appreciate a high school production in quite the same way. *Ahem* It was world class. And brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable of any trivial experience I have ever had. The singing was out of this world, as was the dancing, acting, etc. The actors actually traveled to Africa to study how to move like animals. I thought initially that I might see a guy in a lion suit running around stage roaring idiotically. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was way beyond what I could ever have imagined. I wish somehow I could get inside your minds and show it to you like a slide show. There is really no way to communicate such a phenominon.
I hope that in some way you may have caught a glimmering of the glory of this experience. If you did then perhaps there is hope for me as a writer after all. Loves!
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