heroic lives

Here’s a bit of lameness for you, my cool font doesn’t translate to any other computer but my own. Darn internet, so inconsistent. Oh well, rest assured that it is a beautiful font from this end.

I was thinking today, oh what was it about? Now I’m not remembering. It was good, too.

Well, until it comes to me, here’s a question I asked a friend of mine yesterday, I don’t even know why I asked it of him (it seems now like it was an inspired moment), but after the fact it dawned upon me that it’s a really great question and I want to know my own answer. It must not have been my own question making that did it, because I couldn’t come up with this. It’s simple, but there’s more to it than meets the eye … question:

Whose life do you most want to emulate?

Sounds simple enough, most would first name some high profile figure like Lincoln, Washington, Churchill; a few would name parents, grandparents, or an influential teacher; others might name missionaries or sports figures, or Mother Teresa. But I’m not really talking about life-long accomplishments, because although they are important, the specifics of them depend largely upon individual gifts, callings, and life-background/direction; plus personality. For instance, I could not accomplish in a million years what Churchill did, because my personality is such that I compromise in confrontational situations easily and want to think the best of people, two qualities that would have been incredibly detrimental to the health of England (and the free world) during WWII.

No, I’m speaking more in terms of everyday life, is there a person whose life you look at and say “I would like my days to look like that. I would like to handle those continual situations with the same ease and grace. My finances need to be submitted to the Lord like theirs are. It seems like in their relationship with the Lord they’ve come to a depth of closeness I’ve not yet known; and I would like my life to look like theirs.”

No, I’m speaking more in terms of the mundane, the everyday, the stuff we all go through.

And why not? Why is there not a greater level of detail in the writings of the New Testament authors, to provide us with either comfort or challenge? Were the lives of Paul, Peter, John, and James as mundane and boring as ours and yet they found grace to live in the midst of it, or were their lives filled with one great and amazing thing after another and thus we have missed something as Christians? One thing I know is that less information demands more faith. We have no real idea what it looked like for those guys, for the early Christians. But I keep thinking of groups like the Thessalonians, people to whom it was written to “make every effort to lead a quiet life, and work with your hands.” (1 Thess. 4.11) Christians, working, doing the every day ‘quiet life.’ The first ever ‘simple life’.

So, whose life do I most want to emulate? I don’t know my answer. Now I want to go read some biographies and figure it out. And it would seem that if they were alive, a way could be found to seek their living advice, and if they were dead, a way could be found to still receive inspiration…their legacy of faith…as encouragement. Maybe.

culture shock.

culture shock.

First, let me say that I am very excited about this font. It very closely resembles my own handwriting, except for the f’s, and the k’s. But really, that is beside the point.

This afternoon I partook in a Spanish church service on the other side of town. My Aunt and Uncle’s church lets this Christian Spanish church use their buildings on Sunday afternoons. I met the co-pastors at my Uncle’s birthday party; they are a really cool couple who spent 25 years in Costa Rica as missionaries.

Have you ever been in Spanish culture? It’s amazing. And really weird, all at the same time. Today was so good for me, but hard as well! I tried to only speak Spanish to the Hispanic people, but I was so nervous and scared of messing up that I think it blocked my ears from understanding what people were saying to me. That, and I haven’t been in a full-blooded Spanish situation like that since last year, in Guatemala. So, even though I do read Spanish bi-weekly and hear it spoken bi-weekly in my 250 class, it’s different to be around 40-50 native speakers who are getting together to fellowship. They were so welcoming! But I felt like a doofus. Oh well, what can you do?

I understood far less than I expected, some of which my have been due to my own nervousness that, like I said above, clogged my ears from understanding. All in all, it was really cool.

There’s just something about Spanish, that now when my mind is set upon a degree in it with a possible future in translating, I get excited even when I encounter a very real glimpse of how far I have to go in Spanish skills. Even though it’s hard, I feel settled into the idea that yes, barring a door-closed from the Lord, I will spend a fair portion of the rest of my life speaking Spanish on some level. That’s a fun thought for me.

Well, this week I take the SLRPE, the Spanish Listening and Reading Placement Exam, which I must pass with an 80% or better to get into the 400 level Spanish classes at OSU. I’m a little nervous, but I’m hearing from people’s experience that it’s not all that bad, and I’ll be glad when it’s over at least.

Let’s see, what else….? Well, nothing really of more importance. And, actually, it’s almost bedtime. So I’m off for now. Have a great week!

stop! think. then maybe, just maybe ... speak.

i’m amazed at how smart we humans think we are. just because we have cognitive processes, does that really give us the power to express them at will? here’s what i mean:

- why do i think that i have to say every thought that runs across my head?

- do i really find my thought so sanctified that they should are exempt from being weighed in a balance according a scale of Philippians 4.8 before they come spitting out of my mouth?

- shouldn’t i have learned as a kid that just because something is in my head doesn’t mean it needs to come out right when it crosses my mind?

- or where is the love: giving other’s the preference even in speech, being considerate not to cut one another off to get my own ideas heard?

still you tell me that words have the power of life and death, to tear down or build up. but no one constrains me from my own selfishness! no one will stand up to me and speak directly to my impoliteness! but it remains: no change will come unless i die the death of slow silence. and it must be done.

it’s because of pride, really, that i find my thoughts more important, more inspired, more logical, more useful, better, than yours. and so that warrants me full right to speak over you. but really, is it the Spirit of God within me prompting me to speak? no, it is the fleshly desire for attention and affirmation. it does not stem from some pure motivation to encourage the brethren, it is a vain and selfish ambition. it is sin. and i am speaking about myself.

the small group’s been in Romans for a few weeks, and last night we wrapped up with 12. there is some awesome stuff in 12. I highly recommend it to you.

12.1 therefore i urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

.2 and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is; that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

so first: because of all that God has done for us in pouring out His extravagant love on the cross and delivering us from the power of sin and death (this is no small potatoes! i get so used to this language that it sometimes loses meaning, but how rich and powerful these truths are!), because of Jesus, we are not our own Remember?

1 Corinthians 6.19-20, ‘or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? for you have been bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.’

there are parts of me that need to die. i am not fully refined. so often i catch myself thinking these prideful thoughts that stem from the belief that i’m doing just great on my own, and that i’m great just as i am. i like to ignore the painful process that God desires to work, the part where He prunes the sin out of my life, where i have to work with Him in self-discipline, self-control, and obedience. the point is, one aspect of my life’s worship to God is coming to Him, messed up as i am, and presenting myself completely to Him as a sacrifice. saying ‘Lord, i’m willing to do whatever you want me to do,’ even if it means holding my tongue and controlling what comes out of my mouth.

12.3 for through the grace given to me i say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

and later,

12.16 be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.

humility.

Philippians 2.5-13 have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

i'm done with bitter winter.

it is bitter cold outside. disappointing.

i long for the days of sun and warmth, the light of the day, the stars of the eve, sweet afternoons of soaking up rays out on the back porch. i miss the flowers, the blue skies with clouds.

actually, i miss laziness, which doesn’t speak too well to my state emotionally. : ) funny enough, i’m back dreaming of last summer (which i got pretty bored with quickly) when i was just working 4 hours a day and then doing whatever else i wanted. and it was warm outside. that was nice.

but i’m here, and it’s February, and life is rolling on. it’s very, very interesting these days, and you will be hearing more in the days to come.

so enjoy the flowers posted here, let them bring you some warm summer cheer!

by the way, it’s warm in Guatemala right now…

lazy saturday?

Wonderful Saturdays., Saturdays are wonderful

in the absence of picky exams. . .

but in the presence of such

it’s a wonder, how much

of one’s time is expended to cram.

J oh happy day. J

It is beautiful outside today, in Ohio, that is. The sun is actually shining, the sky fairly blue, no pesky-cold winds, and a bearable temperature. and I? Where am I? i am inside. studying for midterms!

Health is tomorrow, and it’s going well: did you know that the energy content of carbohydrates is 4kcals per gram? Well, it is. I hope you find that information useful, as I hope that I remember it tomorrow.

on Thursday i happened upon a local (local to C-bus!) Spanish radio station, and i have been toying with it since then, hoping to expand my skills in the realm of listening to Spanish. it’s fun, but i’ve noticed that almost all of the songs played so far in my hearing are of the mariachi-type genre; complete with horns and an accordion. it really just serves to “crack me funny” (an expression i mistakenly created at work this week similar to “crack me up” or “strike me funny”) every time a song starts. good for laughs, i guess, if nothing else.

tonight we’re making General Tso’s chicken, and also Shezuan (sp?) chicken. yay! i hope it’s good.

one more thing, Friday at work i got a voicemail requesting shot records, and when i called the girl back it turns out it was a former co-worker from my days at the bookstore! we got to catch up about life and it was really neat-o.. i like how God does stuff like that to make life more interesting.

well, enjoy your weekends, i have nothing more to say!