Just..three...more...weeks...breathe.....breathe....you can do it......

Here's something till I can relate the events of my Thanksgiving Break. I wrote this about two years ago....and it still holds true.

Lamentations of a College Student Suffering from Spring Fever

Paling under fluorescent lights,
I sit and wonder if my mind is all right.
I listen to my teacher drone,
And write notes upon notes ‘til I feel like I’m stoned.

I listen for the buzzing of bees;
Their voices I hear calling me!
But alas and alack, the glass bars the sound
Of nature’s concerto on God’s green ground.

I drag my thoughts back to my teacher,
And try to focus on the lesson ‘bout Miss Beecher.
Then to the window my eyes stray aside,
And my thoughts with the wind,
Trees, and flowers
Abide.

....But there is a better way...

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.



Translated....well kinda....from the Norsk Bible. The focus should not be what "great" things we can do. Instead we should be imitators of Christ. Did he ever speak in tongues? Did he go around all puffed up with self-importatnce? No! He simply loved, served, and sacrificed. He showed us a better way and that is the way that Paul is pointing out in 1 Corinthians 13. The better way...they way of Christ. Are we proud and arrogant "tongue speakers" flaunting our gifts and abilitites? Or are we humble, loving, sacrificing servants? There is a better way....follow that way and it will lead to many adventures.....

And forbid not to speak in tongues...

Om jeg taler med menneskers og englers tunger, men ikke har kjærlighet, da er jeg en lydende malm eller en klingende bjelle. Og om jeg eier profetisk gave og kjenner alle hemmeligheter og all kunnskap, og om jeg har all tro, så jeg kan flytte fjell, men ikke har kjærlighet, da er jeg intet. Og om jeg gir til føde for fattige alt det jeg eier, og om jeg gir mitt legeme til å brennes, men ikke har kjærlighet, da gagner det mig intet. Kjærligheten er langmodig, er velvillig; kjærligheten bærer ikke avind, kjærligheten brammer ikke, opblåses ikke, den gjør intet usømmelig, søker ikke sitt eget, blir ikke bitter, gjemmer ikke på det onde; den gleder sig ikke over urettferdighet, men gleder sig ved sannhet; den utholder alt, tror alt, håper alt, tåler alt. Kjærligheten faller aldri bort; men hvad enten det er profetiske gaver, da skal de få ende, eller det er tunger, da skal de ophøre, eller det er kunnskap, da skal den få ende. For vi skjønner stykkevis og taler profetisk stykkevis; men når det fullkomne kommer, da skal det som er stykkevis, få ende. Da jeg var barn, talte jeg som et barn, tenkte jeg som et barn, dømte jeg som et barn; men da jeg blev mann, la jeg av det barnslige. For nu ser vi i et speil, i en gåte; men da skal vi se åsyn til åsyn; nu kjenner jeg stykkevis, men da skal jeg kjenne fullt ut, likesom jeg også fullt ut er kjent. Men nu blir de stående disse tre, tro, håp, kjærlighet, og størst blandt dem er kjærligheten.

I've been researching tongues for a paper...any questions?

Don't worry...the interpretation is coming ...unless someone wants to offer one...I mean lets do this biblically if we're going to do it.

Life is Real...

Sometimes the seeming futility and endlessness of life reminds me of a poem I list among my favorites. It is

A Parody on a Psalm of Life

Life is real, life is earnest,
And the shell is not its pen –
“Egg thou art, and egg remainest”
Was not spoken of the hen.

Art is long and Time is fleeting,
Be our bills then sharpened well,
And not like muffled drums be beating
On the inside of the shell.

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the great barnyard of life,
Be not like those lazy cattle!
Be a rooster in the strife!

Lives of roosters all remind us,
We can make our lives sublime,
And when roasted, leave behind us,
Hen tracks on the sands of time.

Hen tracks that perhaps another
Chicken drooping in the rain,
Some forlorn and henpecked brother,
When he sees, shall crow again.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

The words of this poem often come to me when I am suffering from lack of sleep and major assignments are looming in the very near future. The incident that occasioned the remembrance of this poem today and thus memorializing it in my blog was that wonderful institution commonly referred to as Daylight Savings Time. I can assure you that as I look at the clock and the time of 117 AM registers in my somewhat somniatic (yes I just made up a word) state for the second time in an hour, Daylight Savings Time is a myth as it is certainly not light outside. Furthermore, since that said institution, i.e. Daylight Savings Time, has just moved the clocks back one hour, today my 8 hour overnight shift has just been lengthened to 9 hours....and I have 5 major assingments due next week.....why do I do this??? Well...can you think of something better to do with life than to further probe the recesses of my sleep deprived state?? I like adventure and setting the clocks back is almost like crossing the International Date Line without having to travel! Hey...if we set the clocks back an hour everyday for a year would time slow down? Life is real...Life is ernest.......and the sh......Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz