Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Well, long time & nothing much new to say. I forgot to take pictures from last week's cycling trip between Georgetown and Great Falls on the C&O Canal - sorry 'bout that. For the last several weeks now I've had this kind of low-grade grumpiness, which isn't helping my loneliness any. I've started up a new study over the past few weeks: "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. It's great stuff, and fits perfectly into my ever-present struggle to trust God more, but I haven't been able to get past the first few chapters.
...Hmm. I'm having a tough time writing this struggle out, so I'll let it be for now. Hopefully, it'll come to me later.
...Hmm. I'm having a tough time writing this struggle out, so I'll let it be for now. Hopefully, it'll come to me later.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Friday, April 04, 2008
Check-In
Well, the good news is that I'm looking forward to taking a few days off next week for vacation. The bad news is... my plans changed this week. I was booted from the Microstation class that I was going to attend in Richmond. Apparently, preference is given to VDOT employees to attend the class, and they were able to fill up the roster, so there you have it. The original plan was to take several days after the class and run around the Virginia countryside on the way home. Now, however... I'll have to take some time this weekend and figure it out. One way or another, more pictures will be forthcoming by the end of next weekend.
I'm trying to fix up Dan's old mountain bike. He mentioned taking the C&O Canal Trail in sections with me, and I'd love to have the excuse to see him a bit more often.
I've been frustrated lately with waiting on God's timing for my life. My job is getting a little shaky with the housing decline, and I don't have the first idea where/who/whom to begin a relationship. I know it'll happen in His timing, but I'm still unconfident and impatient too often.
I'm trying to fix up Dan's old mountain bike. He mentioned taking the C&O Canal Trail in sections with me, and I'd love to have the excuse to see him a bit more often.
I've been frustrated lately with waiting on God's timing for my life. My job is getting a little shaky with the housing decline, and I don't have the first idea where/who/whom to begin a relationship. I know it'll happen in His timing, but I'm still unconfident and impatient too often.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Briefly
I've gotta go to bed, but I posted a few pictures from the church activities on Facebook this afternoon. Check it out.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Summer Scheduling
Wow - things have really come together in the past week regarding my now rapidly filling summer.
1) I've a few friends meeting me at Douthat in early April, now that my schedule for that short trip is pretty set. I'm going to try swinging through Appomattox and Natural Bridge along the way, too.
2) I'm trying to convince Dan to take one last weekend in May off for a bachelors-only trip with Nate and myself before he gets married in late June. My little brother is getting married... wow boy. Quit making me feel old.
3) I got in touch with Dale to ask about another possible big trip this summer to follow up the Montana expedition. The current plan: to bike up the C&O Canal towpath. 185 miles, from DC to Cumberland. I guess I need to fix up my bike. Anybody else interested? I could always fix up Dan's old bike too...
Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty amazed right now. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a rainy, 40-degree weekend to slog through. I mean, Longview gets snow, but I get rain? What is that all about?
1) I've a few friends meeting me at Douthat in early April, now that my schedule for that short trip is pretty set. I'm going to try swinging through Appomattox and Natural Bridge along the way, too.
2) I'm trying to convince Dan to take one last weekend in May off for a bachelors-only trip with Nate and myself before he gets married in late June. My little brother is getting married... wow boy. Quit making me feel old.
3) I got in touch with Dale to ask about another possible big trip this summer to follow up the Montana expedition. The current plan: to bike up the C&O Canal towpath. 185 miles, from DC to Cumberland. I guess I need to fix up my bike. Anybody else interested? I could always fix up Dan's old bike too...
Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty amazed right now. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have a rainy, 40-degree weekend to slog through. I mean, Longview gets snow, but I get rain? What is that all about?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Checkup
I've finally set a few days aside for vacation in early April, right after another drafting seminar down in Richmond. I don't know what to do with my time off just yet - a lot will depend on the weather and if anyone else comes with me. I'd like to spend a day down near Grayson Highlands in the southern part of the state. Maybe I'll head the opposite direction and lookup old friends in Newport News. Maybe I'll just spend 4 days sleeping - who knows!
The last time I tried vacationing by myself didn't work out too well - loneliness set in after about 2 days, and I spent the rest of the week taking day trips close to home. We'll see about it this time.
I spent Saturday afternoon hiking near Signal Knob, just outside Strasburg. There weren't too many spots for pictures, but I'll post what I took later on tonight.
Good news - I'm meeting my both parents for dinner here in town in less than an hour. My mom has spent the last week in Honolulu (lucky bugger...) with Dad, who has been working in Pearl Harbor for the past few weeks. Dad worked all week, and Mom's not too adventurous, so she spent most of her time in Waikiki. They flew back together, and I'm interested to see how it went! (Looking back at the past few paragraphs, you can tell that I've got a bad case of cabin fever...)
Despite all the stuff I did this past week, loneliness and boredom are still my greatest struggles. I wish I knew what God has in store for me in the future. Keep me in prayer.
The last time I tried vacationing by myself didn't work out too well - loneliness set in after about 2 days, and I spent the rest of the week taking day trips close to home. We'll see about it this time.
I spent Saturday afternoon hiking near Signal Knob, just outside Strasburg. There weren't too many spots for pictures, but I'll post what I took later on tonight.
Good news - I'm meeting my both parents for dinner here in town in less than an hour. My mom has spent the last week in Honolulu (lucky bugger...) with Dad, who has been working in Pearl Harbor for the past few weeks. Dad worked all week, and Mom's not too adventurous, so she spent most of her time in Waikiki. They flew back together, and I'm interested to see how it went! (Looking back at the past few paragraphs, you can tell that I've got a bad case of cabin fever...)
Despite all the stuff I did this past week, loneliness and boredom are still my greatest struggles. I wish I knew what God has in store for me in the future. Keep me in prayer.
Monday, February 11, 2008
The Law of Liberty
Obedient hearing springs from the moral and spiritual beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ deeply impacting us. A Christian can rejoice at the realization that such inward beauty is his by new birth. He can be inspired to express this beauty through obedience. But, of course, this "captivation" of the heart by the "beauty of Jesus" is the work of God's Holy Spirit through God's Word.
However, a moment's reflection will show that obedient hearing cannot be the result of guilt or an intolerable load of obligation. If such responsiveness does not arise from our innermost self as a deeply felt desire, it remains a work of the flesh. The spirit of the legalist is far removed from what we are talking about here. That is why James goes on to say this:
"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25)
It is striking that in this statement James now refers to God's Word at "the perfect law of liberty." So far from being a burden, the law of liberty frees us from above (see 1:18). When Christian living becomes a burden which we must "grind out," we have forgotten what we truly are. Life in Christ is true liberty.
~Zane Hodges, "Six Secrets of the Christian Life", pg. 36-37.
I think I'm starting to get it...
However, a moment's reflection will show that obedient hearing cannot be the result of guilt or an intolerable load of obligation. If such responsiveness does not arise from our innermost self as a deeply felt desire, it remains a work of the flesh. The spirit of the legalist is far removed from what we are talking about here. That is why James goes on to say this:
"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25)
It is striking that in this statement James now refers to God's Word at "the perfect law of liberty." So far from being a burden, the law of liberty frees us from above (see 1:18). When Christian living becomes a burden which we must "grind out," we have forgotten what we truly are. Life in Christ is true liberty.
~Zane Hodges, "Six Secrets of the Christian Life", pg. 36-37.
I think I'm starting to get it...
Friday, February 01, 2008
Letting go of the extremes
Thanks you both for the comments from a few weeks ago. While I can't say that I've gotten to be a better Christian in the past few weeks, I feel like I'm a little closer to finally "getting it". What I mean is, finding that balance between (1) always relying on my own willpower to obey God's will, and (2) using zero will power and just hoping that God will nudge slap me with instant, miraculous sanctification. I know that both extremes are wrong - I've tried them both within the past few months and failed horribly. However, I also know that I do need a certain measure of both willpower and faith, working together, to become a better Christian. I guess all that's left is for me to keep trying.
Non Sequitur: I had Indian food for dinner today. That green chicken was awesome. Seriously - green chicken kabobs. Yum.
Also Non Sequitur: I am getting REALLY stir-crazy. Anybody out there going camping sometime in the next month or two?
Non Sequitur: I had Indian food for dinner today. That green chicken was awesome. Seriously - green chicken kabobs. Yum.
Also Non Sequitur: I am getting REALLY stir-crazy. Anybody out there going camping sometime in the next month or two?
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Nuthin' to Report
It's been a quiet week up here. I've spoken with several people about what I posted here last weekend, but I haven't gotten any questions answered, either - except from a book I've been reading for the sunday school class I'm taking this winter.
"The Christian life is lived by the supernatural power of God. According to Romans 8:10-13, as we have just seen, living this life required the resurrection of a spiritually dead body. God's Spirit alone can perform this miracle."
"Six Secrets of the Christian Life" by Zane Hodges
This is where I misunderstood. I took "God's Spirit alone can perform" to an extreme. I thought that God didn't need, or want, my efforts to change. God didn't even want me to try to be a good Christian. I thought that God would simply change me from sinful to sanctified whenever He felt like it. I was in some kind of "Christian holding pattern" until God called me for some work, at which time he would call me out and start making me holy and a good Christian.
In brief, I thought that since I was saved, it doesn't matter what I did anymore - I could not make myself into a good Christian. NOTHING I did was helping; It was ALL God's doing, and I could just sit around and twiddle my thumbs until He called for me personally.
"But how does the Spirit of God do this? Naturally, one answer is "by His power." But how does He bring this power to bear upon a Christian individual?"
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Cor. 3:18
"The Christian life is lived by the supernatural power of God. According to Romans 8:10-13, as we have just seen, living this life required the resurrection of a spiritually dead body. God's Spirit alone can perform this miracle."
"Six Secrets of the Christian Life" by Zane Hodges
This is where I misunderstood. I took "God's Spirit alone can perform" to an extreme. I thought that God didn't need, or want, my efforts to change. God didn't even want me to try to be a good Christian. I thought that God would simply change me from sinful to sanctified whenever He felt like it. I was in some kind of "Christian holding pattern" until God called me for some work, at which time he would call me out and start making me holy and a good Christian.
In brief, I thought that since I was saved, it doesn't matter what I did anymore - I could not make myself into a good Christian. NOTHING I did was helping; It was ALL God's doing, and I could just sit around and twiddle my thumbs until He called for me personally.
"But how does the Spirit of God do this? Naturally, one answer is "by His power." But how does He bring this power to bear upon a Christian individual?"
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Cor. 3:18
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Misunderstandings
Last week, I asked so much about the will to follow God because, in all honesty, I did not want to be the one to choose to follow God; I wanted God to make that choice for me.
A few months ago, I decided that since I was incapable of following God in my own power, I would instead completely quit trying to do so. That's been a big reason why I haven't had a deep, thoughtful blog post since October.
In part, I was afraid of screwing up again, and I was tired of following God "in my own power."
In part, I misunderstood what it meant to follow God.
In part, I was just being lazy.
I did not want to have to struggle with my own shortcomings and battle back every temptation, and since since God said that we must rely on His own power, that's exactly what I thought I was doing until today. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I figured that all I needed to do was pray "God, I want to follow you, so... do your thing!" and then wait around for some kind of holy beam of light to descend from heaven and blast me with instant sanctification. I wanted to be Saul on the road to Damascus - I wanted direct intervention from God. Lately, I've been so frustrated with my lack of progress that I've begun asking God to give me pain - a "thorn in the flash", so to speak - as a trade off for my sanctification. I've been trying to bargain with God, and it's obviously not working.
With this as background, I'll ask my question a bit differently: How does God soften a resisting Christian's heart?
A few months ago, I decided that since I was incapable of following God in my own power, I would instead completely quit trying to do so. That's been a big reason why I haven't had a deep, thoughtful blog post since October.
In part, I was afraid of screwing up again, and I was tired of following God "in my own power."
In part, I misunderstood what it meant to follow God.
In part, I was just being lazy.
I did not want to have to struggle with my own shortcomings and battle back every temptation, and since since God said that we must rely on His own power, that's exactly what I thought I was doing until today. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I figured that all I needed to do was pray "God, I want to follow you, so... do your thing!" and then wait around for some kind of holy beam of light to descend from heaven and blast me with instant sanctification. I wanted to be Saul on the road to Damascus - I wanted direct intervention from God. Lately, I've been so frustrated with my lack of progress that I've begun asking God to give me pain - a "thorn in the flash", so to speak - as a trade off for my sanctification. I've been trying to bargain with God, and it's obviously not working.
With this as background, I'll ask my question a bit differently: How does God soften a resisting Christian's heart?
Griffon Pic
I finally remembered to scan in this one from my trip last summer to Busch Gardens! I love how we all have a different look on our faces. From left to right: Dan, Nathan, myself, and our Dad.
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