The Trip Home and Break So Far

Well a late Merry Christmas to you all and a very Happy New Year!
My trip home was exciting. I got within the last flight which normally takes an hour and then I would have been home but the flight got delayed. When we finally boarded the plane and got situated they decided to cancel the flight. So me and my sister were stranded in Seattle. But we have connections! Our pastor recently took over a church in Seattle so we called him up and asked if we could spend the night. Of course they said yes. The next day we ended up borrowing one of their cars and we drove over the pass to our home. Actually I drove because I tend to drive faster than my sister...I won't say how fast as that is classified info. But suffice it to say we made it over the pass and into the glorious desert of eastern Washington in good time. Wide open spaces, mountains, desert, sagebrush...life don't get no better!

A lot of my time has been spent preparing messages and Sunday School lessons. So far I have preached 2x and taught 1 SS lesson. I have 3 more SS lessons, and 2 more sermons to write. Since we are without a pastor my Dad and the other Deacon have been doing a lot of speaking and I am helping lighten the load some. Not to mention the two very interesting situations my Dad is having deal with right now....So that's been fun and exciting. But God is faithful and good and we must trust and rely on Him.

So that's it for now. I hope all of you are haveing a great break and I'll see you in a few weeks.

What will I do?

Well the semester has ended and I have passed all my classes!! But enough with the past. On with the future. The break is here and I am flying home tomorrow. Already I know what I will be doing alot of during break. That is helping out at church. But that is all visible. What will I do in my off-time? You may never know. But I will and so will God. So that is the challenge. Will God be pleased with my activities over break? Will it be a time of growth? Or will I flounder and fall? What will I do? Will I come back stronger and more on fire for God than when I left? What will I do?

Not only is that my question for myself but that is the question for all of you as well. What will you do? I don't need to know but you know and God knows. Will you come back stronger or weaker? What will you do?

Poems, Mariachi, and Ramblings

Well I am 8 hours and 14 minutes into my 20 hour all night/all day shift. I'm listening to what I believe is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on a polka streaming websight. Don't ask. I'm about to change it. Which I just did. Now I'm listening to a gospel quartet. Friday was the last day of classes. Something happened in Greek class...I have immortalized it in the form of a poem. (first a pause to listen to the bass singer do a solo.) So that music was putting to sleep. I switched to...well it was "In the Mood" played on the accordion...interesting...now it is some mariachi...La Puerta Negra. But the poem...

The fly landed on my paper
I was ready for a caper
Greek class was getting long
I was waiting for the bell to gong

And when that fly had landed
I thought some fun to me was handed
My hand crept up to it
The fly my finger hit

It flew in an arc
My what a lark
It hit Ben in the arm
You can be sure I meant no harm

Ben didn't know what was going on
He covered his mouth with a yawn
The fly was no more
And Greek was soon 'ore.

So that was it...it provided me with some amusement...and all of you with a poem to deride and make fun of...is that redundant? We learned about something called reduplication in Greek...now if that isn't reredundant I don't know what is.....till next time I'll be around and busy....

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.....