I like quotes :)

“In no way does man reveal his littleness more effectively than when he exhibits surprise over the fact that there are realities in the universe which he cannot understand.”

Lewis S. Chafer

I was recently reminded that I am to "give thanks always for all things."

What does that mean? "All things" means everything. No exceptions. No "if's" or "buts" about it. It is a command, and it is in the Word. It is directed to me!

My conclusion? I am to give thanks for all things. This means it is to happen during times when everything is going along smoothly. It also applies to when life couldn't seem to get more stressful, and then I discover that it is possible! :)

God is good.

On my mind right now...

It is so easy to become apathetic and complacent in the Christian life. We're afraid to be the extreme one in the group so we ignore the symptoms of something being wrong. But God demands a life of holiness, a life separated from the world. He desires His children to be lights in a world of darkness.

Galatians 2:20 says that "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Romans 12:1-2 challenges the believer concerning his everyday walk before the Lord: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Galatians 5:16 declares the key to having victory over living a life in the flesh: "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

I am thankful for my teachers here at school who desire to see us students living the Christian walk the way God intended it to be lived.

Life is so full of things I could write about here on my blog:
homework, the challenge of "what am I doing after Cornerstone" decisions, the incredible truths that God is teaching me through His Word, RA-hood, friends in general and friends in more specific terms, Christmas break, the delightful experience of surprising the rest of the student-body with senior sneak, the multiple opportunities to grow that God has placed in my life recently, my opinion about a variety of things, and on the list could go.

Maybe one of these days I will get around to posting about some of these things...

Bitter-sweet...

I never dreamed that I would be doing this,at this time, in this way...
yet I cling to the truth that God goodness is real, His faithfulness is enduring, His grace is sustaining.

Yes, it is Christmas--the most celebrated time of the year in which Christ's birth should be at the center of the cause for rejoicing--yet is it not the very fact of Christ's birth a part of the very reason we have hope in death? 1 Corinthians 15 makes clear the hope of the believer in Christ.

One person illustrated death as a ship leaving one port to arrive and be welcomed at another. Grandma said goodbye to those of us here on earth, but she was met and greeted by Another.

I love the words to the song "Finally Home" in which the author of it attempts to describe what it will be like to finally arrive in heaven:

"But just think of stepping on shore, and finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand, and finding it God's!
Of breathing new air, and finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory, and finding it home!"

"But as it is written,

eye hath not seen,

nor ear heard,

neither have entered into the heart of man,

the things which God hath prepared fro them that love Him.

But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:

for the Spirit searcheth all things,

yea, the deep things of God.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?

Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world,

but the spirit which is of God;

that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Which things also we speak,

not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;

comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:

for they are foolishness unto him:

neither can he know them,

because they are spiritually discerned.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things,

yet he himself is judged of no man.

For who hath known the mind of the Lord,

that He may instruct him?

But we have the mind of Christ."

1 Corinthians 2:9-16

Stop to ponder that for a little while and rejoice in the great truth upon which is expounds!

Perhaps a new post will help with the appearance of my blog. So many times I will think of something to write about on this blog, but then when I actually sit down to try to do make my incredibly fleeting thoughts into something a bit more concrete, well, such thoughts usually then take wing and fly away, leaving me staring at my computer screen. When this happens, well, my list of drafts only grows longer. However, let me assure you that the lack of posts on this blog does not indicate that my life has been hoo-hum, "give me some variety please!" or void of noteworthy events. Not at all!

Over the past several weeks, theology class has been delving into the deep (and sometimes it seems like almost drowning!) waters of the subject of salvation. One cannot get into such the incredibly amazing subject of the believer's salvation without also facing some of the controversial aspects of it. At times I wish I could just believe like a child, not having to know and understand the reasons for everything. How I wish I didn't always having to think that everything needs to fit logically into a comprehensive picture that makes sense to me. It is hard to resist leaning heavily on my tendency to require everything to be in "Steps 1, 2, 3" fashion and rather to trust God in those areas that don't totally make sense to me and take it by faith. I frequently have to remind myself that God is not trying to play games with His children: He does want us to understand His Word and all that He has done for us! I am incredibly thankful for the guiding and illuminating work of the Spirit in me Who is slowly, but surely, helping me to understand God's Word and the incredible truths that It contains.

Chafer's Systematic Theology, Vol. 3 had an incredible statement about salvation:

"Salvation is more than the continued existence of a good man:

it provides the most radical transformation,

the acquiring of infinite possessions,

and the entering into positions which are in the sphere of heaven and of God.

'And ye are complete in Him!' (Col. 2:10)." (Page 234)