Rediscover: Day #11 – Ducklings and Didgeridoos

WOW, I can’t believe it’s already day #11! This is flying by! I don’t have any wonderful words of wisdom to share today, unfortunately I do not think amazing thoughts every day, I try to take a few days off every couple weeks just so I don’t become too awesome! =P Just some awesome things that I’ve been blessed with over the last couple days! Thought I’d share them with you.

• This Saturday I had a great day! I went to a friend’s house and we made cinnamon rolls from scratch (took about 3-4 hours from beginning to end, ahh what a wait! But they were definitely worth it!! ). While the cinnamon rolls were rising, then rising again, then baking, we worked on studying for finals. Yes, we actually did. Stayed focused and got a lot done! Then that evening my family played games with our neighbors.
• Sunday I got to listen to a talk from a guy who’s been serving at a youth group in Idaho, he had amazing stories about how he’s seen the power of God, and miracles that have happened. Really amazing.
• Then today I took a final for Astronomy, and feel really good about how I did. I know I got at least one question wrong – looked it up, and Copernicus created the heliocentric model, not the geocentric model. Phooey. But overall it went well.

Oh! The weirdest thing happened while driving to school today. I was on the freeway with a friend in the passenger seat, and thought I saw some birds up ahead in our lane. Birds fly, I figured they’d fly away. But as we got closer I leaned forward and realized it was a momma duck and her duckling, waddling behind! Okay, “Make Way for Ducklings” does not apply to the freeway – there’s no jolly policeman to stop traffic! I didn’t have time to do anything but slow down some. (I would have loved to see my face when I realized they were ducks and my friend’s face as she was shrieking and freaking out…) The momma duck flew into the air but I don’t know about the little duckling. Hopefully they’re both okay. I just couldn’t believe it, ducks crossing the freeway!! It was very bizarre.

Back to the list!

• Annnd tomorrow I have a job interview! The rides will be slightly hectic as it seems everyone in my family is going somewhere tomorrow… but it’ll work out. I’m excited. Plus…
• I found my black dress up pants. Dun-dun-dun-daaaaah!!! Ok maybe that doesn’t seem like a big deal but I’m excited because I despise dressing up for interviews, especially if I’ve lost my favorite pair of black pants… so I’m happy.

Just one more final on Wednesday, then I’m finished!!!!! La la la la la la la la!

Well, that’s all folks. I’m sure my brain will be back to thinking deep and ponderous things tomorrow, that I can share with y’all. Thank you for bearing patiently with my prattling til then.

God bless!

 

Here’s the didgeridoos, in case you were wondering.

Rediscover Day #4: Mediator

Today started the last week of winter quarter, besides finals – it’s finally “the end of the beginning”!

My day started out really great, as I got to the church parking lot (where we meet to carpool) early, so flipped open my Bible (since Rediscover I’ve been carrying a copy in my car. Makes me look so much more religious ) and started reading. I opened to Job chapter 9, and WOW is that a good chapter. I don’t know if many people would say that, as it’s not very happy…

If you’re near a Bible, you should stop and go read it. Takes a few minutes. Then come back and keep reading this blog post. I’m serious! Don’t keep reading – ah ah – no – go. Get the Bible. That’s right. Shoo shoo, come back when you’re done reading the chapter.

 

 

So this chapter talks about how even if we’re blameless, we’re guilty before the Lord. If we asked our Judge for a hearing, “He would crush me with a storm and multiply my wounds for no reason.  He would not let me catch my breath but would overwhelm me with misery.”

 

If we washed ourselves with soap and cleansing powder, “You would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me.” Not very joyful, eh? Not a very merciful picture of this great and holy God, who is so high above us we can’t fathom his movings, and who doesn’t seem interested in listening to our small talk or desperate pleas for why we don’t deserve punishment.

 

But the last two verses are what makes this chapter amazing. Job says about God,

“He is not a mere mortal like me that I might answer him,
that we might confront each other in court.
If only there were someone to mediate between us,
someone to bring us together,
someone to remove God’s rod from me,
so that his terror would frighten me no more.
Then I would speak up without fear of him,
but as it now stands with me, I cannot.”

Do you see? For us, there is a Mediator! There is Someone who brings us and God together, and Who is the reason why we no longer need to fear God’s mighty wrath! Jesus! *Insert Hallelujah chorus here!*

So yes, that chapter made my morning. Then after school I went out and did what I’ve decided is my least favorite activity in the world – job hunting. I hate feeling inadequate, like I won’t match what anyone’s looking for, and always walking away feeling like I didn’t say the right things and didn’t leave the right impression… Yeah, definitely not my favorite thing in the world.

But it’s necessary, and it’s good that I’ve finally set aside excuses and got going, as winter quarter ends so soon… I’ve left it in God’s hands, and asked Him to give me peace about whatever happens. It’ll be by His grace if I get a job, and I’m looking forward to seeing how He’ll bless me or guide me on to something better He’s got.

Yes, I’m missing books and movies – it’s hard getting used to not having them. But I’m enjoying spending more time with God…. I’m thankful for His goodness and faithfulness to me.

A Smattering of Poetry – Donne & Hopkins

I took poetry last quarter, and read a great variety. Some poems were interesting, some were boring, some I will avoid for the rest of my life, and some – I care not what the teacher said – made no sense. When things do not make sense I do not want to try to extract a hidden meaning or write an in-class essay about it, thank you very much.

But some poems I really liked. These are two of my favorites – Christian poems. The first one my teacher really did not understand, which makes sense as he was not a believer and the concept of asking God to “take you captive” would make no sense if you did not follow Christ.

Without further ado, here they are -

John Donne, Holy Sonnet #14

Batter my heart, three-person’d God ; for you
As yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurp’d town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but O, to no end.
Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy ;
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I,
Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.

Gerard Manley Hopkins, God’s Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil
Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;
There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
And though the last lights off the black West went
Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—
Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Nanowrimo: Day Three

My word count is currently 5,050, which is right on schedule! Actually it’s right on schedule for the 50,000 word count, which I had decided would be too high with school and work, but which I really, really secretly want to reach. As this month draws to a close, however, that means the school year will also draw to a close – which means more papers and assignments due. Plus Thanksgiving, birthdays, parents heading off to retreats… this month is just crazy.

And when facing the choice of working on my novel or school – guess which sounds more interesting? Yeah. But so far all the balls are still in  the air, none have been dropped yet.

Good verse for today? How about from Luke 10:

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

 Ahh.. doesn’t that just refresh your soul? The reminder that all of this running around and stressing out isn’t the meaning to life. It’s greater than any of that, and given to us if we will stop. And be still.

Psalms 131

LORD, my heart is not haughty,
         Nor my eyes lofty.
         Neither do I concern myself with great matters,
         Nor with things too profound for me. 
         
 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
         Like a weaned child with his mother;
         Like a weaned child is my soul within me. 
         
 O Israel, hope in the LORD
         From this time forth and forever. 

Remember to take a quiet moment today, and just tell your Father, “Hi. I love you.”