12 December 2011
05 December 2011
Awake
Oh my.
What a wonder today has been. Praise God for blessing on blessing on blessing.
Alertness.
Wakefulness.
Refreshment.
And these things in abundance, not just a pithy dabbling here and there as I tend to allot myself.
Alertness from a Sabbath day that was truly full of rest. I don't think I've ever slept so much since starting college. O.O twelve hours?! Aiyoo. Must beware of becoming slothful, lazy, covetous (wanting too much of a good thing = not good anymore). But so, so, so glad to have really received rest!
Wakefulness from the coolness of the weather outside. Just enough of a bite to see breath frosting in front of me, to pull a tinge of redness to my cheeks, to warrant a sweater being worn as I trek around campus. God, thank you for reminding me of seasons -- and not just in temperature-changing, but character- and heart-changing as well.
A Time for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8)
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
And refreshment from fellowship with brothers and sisters in the faith. So glad to hear how God's been stretching us, teaching us, guiding us as we move through this third year in college. It's beautiful to see the workings of his faithfulness in us, as we grow in truth and love. And so precious to hold hands closely and pray as a body. Let's do this again! Soon soon soon!
Hehe maybe also a little hyper from my very sugarful dinner, which included: banana, gingerbread, ladyfinger, brownie, sugar cookie, cupcake, and whipped cream. Teehee. =D Happeeee. Mmmm sugarrrrrrrr. I likes very muchly.
What a wonder today has been. Praise God for blessing on blessing on blessing.
Alertness.
Wakefulness.
Refreshment.
And these things in abundance, not just a pithy dabbling here and there as I tend to allot myself.
Alertness from a Sabbath day that was truly full of rest. I don't think I've ever slept so much since starting college. O.O twelve hours?! Aiyoo. Must beware of becoming slothful, lazy, covetous (wanting too much of a good thing = not good anymore). But so, so, so glad to have really received rest!
Wakefulness from the coolness of the weather outside. Just enough of a bite to see breath frosting in front of me, to pull a tinge of redness to my cheeks, to warrant a sweater being worn as I trek around campus. God, thank you for reminding me of seasons -- and not just in temperature-changing, but character- and heart-changing as well.
A Time for Everything (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8)
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
And refreshment from fellowship with brothers and sisters in the faith. So glad to hear how God's been stretching us, teaching us, guiding us as we move through this third year in college. It's beautiful to see the workings of his faithfulness in us, as we grow in truth and love. And so precious to hold hands closely and pray as a body. Let's do this again! Soon soon soon!
Hehe maybe also a little hyper from my very sugarful dinner, which included: banana, gingerbread, ladyfinger, brownie, sugar cookie, cupcake, and whipped cream. Teehee. =D Happeeee. Mmmm sugarrrrrrrr. I likes very muchly.
Beloved
"Friend, all I want to say to you is “You are Beloved,” and all I hope is that you can hear these words spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold. My only desire is to make these words as spoken to you with all the tenderness and force that love can hold. My only desire is to make these words reverberate in every corner of your being— “You are Beloved.”
Yes, there is that voice, the voice that speaks from above and from within and that whispers softly or declares loudly: “You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests.” It certainly is not easy to hear that voice in a world filled with voices that shout: “You are no good, you are ugly; you are worthless; you are despicable, you are nobody—unless you demonstrate the opposite.”
These negative voices are so loud and so persistent that it is easy to believe them. That’s the great trap. It is the trap of self-rejection…
Not seldom, self-rejection is simply seen as the neurotic expression of an insecure person. But neurosis is often the psychic manifestation of a much deeper human darkness: the darkness of not feeling truly welcome in human existence. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved expresses the true core of our existence."
-- Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
Yes, there is that voice, the voice that speaks from above and from within and that whispers softly or declares loudly: “You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests.” It certainly is not easy to hear that voice in a world filled with voices that shout: “You are no good, you are ugly; you are worthless; you are despicable, you are nobody—unless you demonstrate the opposite.”
These negative voices are so loud and so persistent that it is easy to believe them. That’s the great trap. It is the trap of self-rejection…
Not seldom, self-rejection is simply seen as the neurotic expression of an insecure person. But neurosis is often the psychic manifestation of a much deeper human darkness: the darkness of not feeling truly welcome in human existence. Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the “Beloved.” Being the Beloved expresses the true core of our existence."
-- Henri Nouwen, Life of the Beloved
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