What Grace Did for Me Today

1. Got me through an 11 hour shift
2. Saved me from a heat stroke in the 90 degree weather
3. Allowed me to gamble with my Mexican coworkers

(and any "fundy" even thinking about making the obvious comment, (whether in jest or not) will be blogged about with righteous vigor.)

Word of the Day

Fescue

Definition: any of a genus (Festuca) of tufted perennial grasses with panicled spikelets

Example sentence: The other day, I was hit in the chest with a golf ball whilst working amidst the fescue.

Crumbcake for This Morning

For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Psalm 84:11-12

I'm going to claim it.

Junior High, Dryads, and Other Digressions *sigh*

I'm sitting here eating my Lucky Charms realizing for the first time that I suffered a minor trauma as a child. In elementary school I would often stay with my grandma when my parents were out of time. Contrary to popular opinion, I usually enjoyed myself there even though there was nothing to do. I'd usually wind up getting out of bed early and eating breakfast with my grandma. She didn't have much--typically just Raisin Bran and Fiber One with some cut up bananas to top it off. It was good enough though. Except for when I started pouring the cereal. She didn't like it when I poured it with my spoon in the bowl. I really don't know why. All I know is that whenever I pour cereal with my spoon in the bowl I feel very uncomfortable. I guess I've developed some sort of complex. So Grams, if you're reading, thanks a lot. :-)


This is the dryad I met on Wednesday. He was starting to take a liking to me--that is until they cut him down in his prime. But his memory still lives on in this picture (Look at the way the leaves glisten as though under some sort of enchantment. Oh yeah, it's magic.)

Today I stumbled across a note just lying on the side of the road. Nothing special. Just written on a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 college rule paper. Here's what I could make out: (for it had been there for a while and the rain and made most of it illegible)

"Hey, I kinda sorta like you to [sic]... (the rest had been washed away, save the last two lines)

PS write back soon
PSS what will your ---- think?"

The second to last word was washed away as well. I chose the word "mom" to fill in the blank. It made me laugh.

I really miss the days when I could get away with sending notes like this. Now you actually have to open yourself up to embarrassment and talk to the girl face to face. Oh how I long for simplicity again!

Chorus of Faith

May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we'll be a choir--not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus!

Romans 15:5-6

Tell it to others.

Forest Ranger (reprise)

No, I haven't fulfilled my high school destiny just yet. But I am spending a lot of time by myself (9 to 10 hours a day) in the beautiful, green outdoors. God and I have been having some pretty good talks during those times. The best of these was on
Wednesday. The night before I didn't get to spend the time with HIM that I wanted--that I needed. Now you have to understand that I've been told all my life that if you forget to read your Bible it's going to ruin your day. So I was really upset with myself the next morning. I just assumed that I had fallen out of grace for the day. For about two or three hours I avoided God. I tried to block Him out with thoughts of my own--idle thoughts, they were. Then finally God broke through the noise. But the funny thing is, He didn't yell at me. He simply said, "It's ok, you can still walk with Me today." So I did. And it was good fellowship. I love grace. And I love how it abounds in my weakness. Makes me love Him more.

Fearful Symmetry

And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do this thing also that you have spoken, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." And he said, "Show me your glory." And he said, "I will make all my goodness pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy."

Exodus 33:17-19

God has been forcing me into some very uncomfortable situations over the past couple weeks. And I've been having a hard time believing that He's right here in this with me. So I find myself doing the same thing that Mo did in this passage. Saying to God, "Alright You say I'm special, now prove it to me. I've got some privileged position, now show me that You're right here with me." And He does, He shows me His goodness. He does it by closing one adventure the same way He started it. But that wasn't enough for me. So I asked for another sign. And in the most erie way He came through by starting this new journey the same way He started the last one. (and believe me, it's erie) I can't help but think of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea and then finishing off their trip by crossing the Jordan. There's no doubt in my mind that God loves symmetry. The prophets are full of it. I think it works well with humans. There's no way to escape it. I love how God appeals to our weaknesses like that. It makes me laugh. Now if only this dang Michigan sun would come out.

Republican National Convention

We shelled out a lot of money to get into this thing which is ironic because we wound up voting Libertarian.

Place of Holy Mystery #2

Oh God, where are you now?
Oh Lord save somehow.
The Devil is hard on my face again.
The world is a hundred to one again.

Oh God hold me now.
Oh God touch me now.
There's no other man
who could save the dead.
There's no other garden
To place our head.

-Sufjan Stevens

Ahh-mused

I learned something the other day. As a Christian, I never get to relax my mind. On Friday I found myself sitting in front of my computer, playing spider solitaire, thinking about absolutely nothing. It was really a beautiful thing at the time. No impending deadlines, no required activities, no more packing, nothing. Ah but the old adage is apparently true because the devil started having a field day with my blank slate. He told me God was a liar. He showed me all the ways God went back on His promises in the recent past. And what's worse is I didn't even notice it until I was completely overcome with fear. Then that little Light surprised. HE told me to gird up the loins of my mind. HE told me to think on things that are honest. And they weren't just blank commands. They were comforting words, backed with promises, promises that He has always kept as long as I believe them (and even when I didn't). So God and I had a nice little talk. I straightened some things out with Him. Told Him what I was dreading. And you know what He told me? "Justin, you've been called out of that bondage of fear. Cry out to ME. I'm listening." And, when HE speaks, I listen--and obey.

And thus began my ascent from the underworld. Sorry it took so long, friends. But it was necessary.

Joy Spiting

There are no words to describe the pain I experienced this afternoon.

There are no words...

to describe what I experienced tonight.

The Brothers Karamazov

Ok I'm gonna pull an Oprah Winfrey here and pretend like I just invented
a book that's been around for years...

Yes, so you all must read this book. Very philosophical. Very intense.
I've only read a quarter of it so far so I really can't speak too
knowledgeably on it yet. But I'm going to make this observation:
Smerdyakov is an INTJ thus making him my favorite character. Although I
have a feeling he's going to do something despicable and I'm going to
regret saying that...