Mmm, nothing tastes quite as sweet as home. Cliche, but whatev.
After months of being surrounded by college students, coming home to my family was a bit of a culture shock. I never realized how much I missed babies and domesticated animals. I have been practically smothering my nephew ever since I got here and am showing more affection than usual to my poor neglected puppy (that I'm pretty sure only gets loved when I'm around, not really..but I just love her more than my other fam members).
But the much anticipated journey home really has been all I hoped. Today I ate like a pig and it was fantastic. Not only did I get to eat food that wasn't mass-produced in Biola's caf, but it was recepies that have been in my family for years, prepared by the ones I love. Perfect. At lunch we went around the table and each read a verse on thankfulness, sang some songs and expressed what we were most thankful for, while laughing and almost crying the whole time... aka my family at all times.
God is so good, He knew exactly what I needed from this weekend so He gave double. I never thought that just being in the company of my family and friends could be so medicinal. I havn't had a single stress since I got home and THAT is exactly what I needed and hoped for. Tomorrow will be a different story, I'll be working at my family's clothing store for an after Thanksgiving sale, so that will be intense and semi-stressful, but I get in the zone when I'm there and it's actually really fun.
I think, very superficially, besides being home with my family that being able to wear boots, scarves, jeans, and beanies...has been favorite thing. Give me cold weather any day. Seriously, please do. My other favorite thing is being able to be a mindless zombie. I'm sitting on the couch this very moment with my favorite C0-Bro, and the hardest decision we will have to make today is whether we should have one piece of of chocolate pie or two. Yessssss.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Me and Art...and our love/hate relationship.
I LOVE...
That in my three hour classes I never use my hands for taking notes, only for creating things.
That after we finish a project we bring in snacks, put all our work on the wall and talk about them all, for 3 hours. Amazing.
That 20 students can be given the same project and same materials, and 20 completely unique, expressive and thoughtful pieces come out of it.
That in everyday life I wonder how long it would take me to draw the object I'm looking at or where the light hits on something I pass by.
That the creativity I have tapped in to through these classes has flown into every aspect of my life, my clothes, my walls, my thoughts, and my conversations.
That today in my drawing class my prof took us to watch one of the figure painting professors, paint from a model for three hours. It was amazing to watch the transformation from blank canvas to a successful piece and to hear his thoughts along the way.
That we have an entire wall in my dorm room dedicated to all the silly things I create. Affectionately titled "The Art Wall" ...how's that for creative?
That after all my art history classes I will never have to write a paper for the rest of my college career...mmm, delicious.
I HATE...
That no matter what you create, someone will always find at least 10 things you should've done differently.
That I get artist block like people get writer's block...the thinking just stops.
That no matter how many times I try, I canNOT draw an angle without a ruler to save my life.
That I still pale in comparison on the level of artsyness my fellow art majors seem to be on.
That I feel like artists speak gibberish/a different language, but I am slowly learning.
That art is so subjective, and that everyone feels entitled to give their opinion.
All in all, I'm learning everyday that God has created each mind and heart to express its inward workings in its individual manner.
I am still discovering what mine is.
And even though it's gonna be hell to get there, I can't waaaait.
That in my three hour classes I never use my hands for taking notes, only for creating things.
That after we finish a project we bring in snacks, put all our work on the wall and talk about them all, for 3 hours. Amazing.
That 20 students can be given the same project and same materials, and 20 completely unique, expressive and thoughtful pieces come out of it.
That in everyday life I wonder how long it would take me to draw the object I'm looking at or where the light hits on something I pass by.
That the creativity I have tapped in to through these classes has flown into every aspect of my life, my clothes, my walls, my thoughts, and my conversations.
That today in my drawing class my prof took us to watch one of the figure painting professors, paint from a model for three hours. It was amazing to watch the transformation from blank canvas to a successful piece and to hear his thoughts along the way.
That we have an entire wall in my dorm room dedicated to all the silly things I create. Affectionately titled "The Art Wall" ...how's that for creative?
That after all my art history classes I will never have to write a paper for the rest of my college career...mmm, delicious.
I HATE...
That no matter what you create, someone will always find at least 10 things you should've done differently.
That I get artist block like people get writer's block...the thinking just stops.
That no matter how many times I try, I canNOT draw an angle without a ruler to save my life.
That I still pale in comparison on the level of artsyness my fellow art majors seem to be on.
That I feel like artists speak gibberish/a different language, but I am slowly learning.
That art is so subjective, and that everyone feels entitled to give their opinion.
All in all, I'm learning everyday that God has created each mind and heart to express its inward workings in its individual manner.
I am still discovering what mine is.
And even though it's gonna be hell to get there, I can't waaaait.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
If I were a super hero, my super power would be Getting Lost.
I've decided that driving in LA is officially not my cup of tea.
Shocker, right? Really original thought, I bet you've NEVER heard that one before.
Well, I am just making a personal declaration that I already previously felt was true, but was solidified for me this weekend. Details? Why certainly...
I took one of my friends, Kendra (who ironically was the first prospective student who stayed with me last year at Biola Bound. She now attends Biola, and lives in my dorm, on my floor...across the hall. Crazy) and we went to the LA Fashion District to get some merchandise for Go Lucky, which I have done several times before.
When we arrive, I realize neither of us have cash, and we have to pay to park. Hmmm.
So, brilliantly I decided we would just drive around and find an ATM, get cash, and be on our way. The plan was working perfectly, I punched in all the info into my GPS and I was dodging cars and pedistrians like there was no tomorrow. When we get to Washington Mutual ATM aka a tiny kiosk inside a mini-McDonald's (classy, right?) I just tell Kendra to hop out and get the cash and I'll swing back and pick her up because there was no parking on the busy street. Perfect, or so we thought.
It turns out that one-way streets and I are not the best of friends, because I got SO incredibly turned around that I ended up on 16th street when I dropped Kendra off at 7th street...seriously? seriously. So here I am, in my Jeep (which all of the sudden feels like driving a tank with zero turn radius around all these tiny BMW's and crowded streets) with only Gypsy (my GPS, whose satille reception was too weak to do any good) by my side, and I am near tears wanting SO badly to know where I am and how to get back to where I was. Meanwhile, Kendra is calling me every few mintues, by herself, on the street corner getting hit on repeatedly, perfect.
I finally after a good 20 minutes of frantically making right turns, squinting at street signs and suppressing all desires to cry, I make it back to Kendra and we scream and whine the whole way back to the Fash. Dist. And at the end of the day, the man at the parking garage ended up liking me a little more than I preffered or anticipated and let us park for FREE. The $20 from that cursed ATM is still in my wallet.
Moral of the story: Make friends with parking lot attendants with hopes that they will fall in love with you and give you free parking. The end.
Shocker, right? Really original thought, I bet you've NEVER heard that one before.
Well, I am just making a personal declaration that I already previously felt was true, but was solidified for me this weekend. Details? Why certainly...
I took one of my friends, Kendra (who ironically was the first prospective student who stayed with me last year at Biola Bound. She now attends Biola, and lives in my dorm, on my floor...across the hall. Crazy) and we went to the LA Fashion District to get some merchandise for Go Lucky, which I have done several times before.
When we arrive, I realize neither of us have cash, and we have to pay to park. Hmmm.
So, brilliantly I decided we would just drive around and find an ATM, get cash, and be on our way. The plan was working perfectly, I punched in all the info into my GPS and I was dodging cars and pedistrians like there was no tomorrow. When we get to Washington Mutual ATM aka a tiny kiosk inside a mini-McDonald's (classy, right?) I just tell Kendra to hop out and get the cash and I'll swing back and pick her up because there was no parking on the busy street. Perfect, or so we thought.
It turns out that one-way streets and I are not the best of friends, because I got SO incredibly turned around that I ended up on 16th street when I dropped Kendra off at 7th street...seriously? seriously. So here I am, in my Jeep (which all of the sudden feels like driving a tank with zero turn radius around all these tiny BMW's and crowded streets) with only Gypsy (my GPS, whose satille reception was too weak to do any good) by my side, and I am near tears wanting SO badly to know where I am and how to get back to where I was. Meanwhile, Kendra is calling me every few mintues, by herself, on the street corner getting hit on repeatedly, perfect.
I finally after a good 20 minutes of frantically making right turns, squinting at street signs and suppressing all desires to cry, I make it back to Kendra and we scream and whine the whole way back to the Fash. Dist. And at the end of the day, the man at the parking garage ended up liking me a little more than I preffered or anticipated and let us park for FREE. The $20 from that cursed ATM is still in my wallet.
Moral of the story: Make friends with parking lot attendants with hopes that they will fall in love with you and give you free parking. The end.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
It's Oregon time now, yes? Yes...
Ahhhhh, so ready for this. I know this picture is semi-creepy, but in reality, it looks awesome right now.
I am SO ready to be in Meddy, it's a little ridiculous. It's not even the fact that I'm homesick, even though it will be great to see everyone and be home. I am DYING to be cold, wear boots and scarves, get coffee with my sister, cuddle with Lawson, cook T-Give dinner with the fam, laugh and catch up, see my breath when I'm outside, eat food that wasn't mass produced for 5,000 people, and actually clean a dish or two instead of setting it on a revolving tray and watching it disappear. I can't wait to lie on the couch, and not think or talk or be productive by any means. Mmmm...please tell me that sounds incredible, and if it doesn't you are silly.
I'm pretty sure that I'm just so insanely over schoolwork and being at school that I just need retreat to the 541 ASAP and me a mindless noodle for a few days.
This little lady looks so zen, and relaxed in that cozy chair. Her hair is just blowing in the breeze....she is out cold and has no shame. I can't wait to sleep and not set my alarm, that sounds heavenly.
Clearly, I am ready for a break. To say the least I am burnt out, and need to recharge my batteries in the place I love most with the people I love most. And then come back to good old school and attack the last few weeks of the semester with full force.
I'm comin' Oregon...just hold on a few more days, and then our much anticipated reunion can commence.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Duh, why wouldn't you sign it?
OK! SO, I just found out about this website (www.fightfoca.com) regarding the complete legalization of abortion...WOAH, hold on!
So take a sec and read over this info, GO TO THE WEBSITE, fill out your name and address. It just takes a second and could make a huge difference in our country! So get out there, be informed, and be active.
"The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do." -President-Elect Obama
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
-FOCA will do away with the state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
-FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
-FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.
Barak Obama believes this legislation will "end abortion wars." To him this means eradicating every state and federal law on abortion - laws that the majority of Americans support.
The time to Fight FOCA is now. With Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge of Congress, we can expect a fight over FOCA to begin as soon as the next Congress begins.
Please add your name to the FIGHT FOCA petition and let your friends know about President-Elect Barak Obama's promise is expand abortion throughout the country.
The FightFOCA petition will be sent to key members of congress upon the re-introcduction of the Freedom of Choice Act in the 111th Congress, and to President-Elect Obama. (all information was taken from: www.fightfoca.com)
So....duh, right? That's what I thought too. Get out there and save some babies, sign, sign, sign!!
So take a sec and read over this info, GO TO THE WEBSITE, fill out your name and address. It just takes a second and could make a huge difference in our country! So get out there, be informed, and be active.
"The first thing I’d do as President is sign the Freedom of Choice Act. That’s the first thing I’d do." -President-Elect Obama
The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) would eliminate every restriction on abortion nationwide.
-FOCA will do away with the state laws on parental involvement, on partial birth abortion, and on all other protections.
-FOCA will compel taxpayer funding of abortions.
-FOCA will force faith-based hospitals and healthcare facilities to perform abortions.
Barak Obama believes this legislation will "end abortion wars." To him this means eradicating every state and federal law on abortion - laws that the majority of Americans support.
The time to Fight FOCA is now. With Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge of Congress, we can expect a fight over FOCA to begin as soon as the next Congress begins.
Please add your name to the FIGHT FOCA petition and let your friends know about President-Elect Barak Obama's promise is expand abortion throughout the country.
The FightFOCA petition will be sent to key members of congress upon the re-introcduction of the Freedom of Choice Act in the 111th Congress, and to President-Elect Obama. (all information was taken from: www.fightfoca.com)
So....duh, right? That's what I thought too. Get out there and save some babies, sign, sign, sign!!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Get Inspired.
The Lion's Mane - Trevor Hall
Well I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
Kissing silhouettes of mountains dancing in the moonlight
Am I awake or is this a dream?
Or am I awaking into a state of wakefulness
Buried deep in my deepest dreaming sleep?
You can only guess what happened next
I swallowed an apple seed and gave birth to angel’s wings
Which lifted me to the top of this orange grove
Where I saw a man trying to count
All the oranges
All the trees
And all the leaves
Turns out this man was me
Losing count and starting over
Losing count and starting over
Chasing my own tale until I got dizzy
And fell asleep in the clouds
Well I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
On a single lane road deep within God’s Dreadlocks
When I gave my banana to the blind man
Only to realize who was really blind
My eyes couldn’t decide
My eyes couldn’t define
My eyes couldn’t see that this blind man was me
We then continued to a village of meeting rivers
Where Mother Earth washed me down and gave me a new birth
Where my sight was restored
And I could see all the gems hiding on the ocean’s floor
Well I dove in
Actually did a canon ball
And swam deeper and deeper
As things got clearer and clearer
And when I saw all of the sharks
I wasn’t afraid
For this time enshrined in my heart was the Almighty’s Name
I think my sanity has gone insane
I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
Trevor Hall is one of my absolute faves and his new album "This Is Blue" just came out; buy, listen, and love. His lyrics are (clearly) fantastic and his crazy voice makes border line ridiculous. The album's been on repeat in my room for days now. PERFECT.
Well I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
Kissing silhouettes of mountains dancing in the moonlight
Am I awake or is this a dream?
Or am I awaking into a state of wakefulness
Buried deep in my deepest dreaming sleep?
You can only guess what happened next
I swallowed an apple seed and gave birth to angel’s wings
Which lifted me to the top of this orange grove
Where I saw a man trying to count
All the oranges
All the trees
And all the leaves
Turns out this man was me
Losing count and starting over
Losing count and starting over
Chasing my own tale until I got dizzy
And fell asleep in the clouds
Well I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
On a single lane road deep within God’s Dreadlocks
When I gave my banana to the blind man
Only to realize who was really blind
My eyes couldn’t decide
My eyes couldn’t define
My eyes couldn’t see that this blind man was me
We then continued to a village of meeting rivers
Where Mother Earth washed me down and gave me a new birth
Where my sight was restored
And I could see all the gems hiding on the ocean’s floor
Well I dove in
Actually did a canon ball
And swam deeper and deeper
As things got clearer and clearer
And when I saw all of the sharks
I wasn’t afraid
For this time enshrined in my heart was the Almighty’s Name
I think my sanity has gone insane
I woke up in the Lion’s Mane
Trevor Hall is one of my absolute faves and his new album "This Is Blue" just came out; buy, listen, and love. His lyrics are (clearly) fantastic and his crazy voice makes border line ridiculous. The album's been on repeat in my room for days now. PERFECT.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
My brain is runnin' on empty.
I have come to the sad realization that my mind does in fact have a very small capacity these days...hmff. The more I try to cram into it, the more it just sits there with it's arms folded, giggling at me and my attempts to fill it with glorious knowledge. And THEN when I try to extract thoughts, facts, or energey from it, it clamps a giant padlock on itself and slaps a combination on there that I will NEVER be able to figure out. Oh, mind...what do you want from me? haha
Ok, I'll admit that was a litttttle dramatic, but still. I'm pretty sure my mind is on tunnel vision for T-give in Meddy with the fam. CanNOT wait. And unfortunately this is the point in the semester that EVERY prof realizes they had better hurry up and cover everything that was on the syllabus that they gleefully skipped over during the first 6 weeks. So every class is gushing with projects, papers, tests, quizzes and about a bizillion pages of reading, no big deal.
But thankfully I serve a God who will never dish out more than I can take in, so here we gooooo!
P.s... it was COLD in SoCal today! Very exciting....
Ok, I'll admit that was a litttttle dramatic, but still. I'm pretty sure my mind is on tunnel vision for T-give in Meddy with the fam. CanNOT wait. And unfortunately this is the point in the semester that EVERY prof realizes they had better hurry up and cover everything that was on the syllabus that they gleefully skipped over during the first 6 weeks. So every class is gushing with projects, papers, tests, quizzes and about a bizillion pages of reading, no big deal.
But thankfully I serve a God who will never dish out more than I can take in, so here we gooooo!
P.s... it was COLD in SoCal today! Very exciting....
Thursday, November 6, 2008
While we're at it...
I already posted my personal creed on God, and just yesterday had to turn in this paper concerning God and humanity. This one is a little more scattered, my prof was pretty vague on the guidelines this time, so we shall see what grade he decides to grant me :) But here it is...
I believe:
God created the universe in its entirety (Gen, 1:1; Col. 1:16; Acts 14:15). Before the universe and all humanity were created, God existed (Ps. 90:2; Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16). God created man in his own image in order to represent himself in the purest form (Acts 17:28; 2:7). God created man to be unique individuals with the ability to govern their own lives and decisions (Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 2:10). Humanity was created in God’s image and was specifically appointed to rule all other aspects of creation (Gen 5:1-2; Gen. 1:26-28). Even though man was created in the Image of God, man is not identical to God, but is instead a representation of him (Gen 5:1; Gen. 1:26-27). Because humanity was created in the Image of God, man belongs to God and has great significance. Therefore, human life is deeply valued, worthy of respect and should be modeled after that of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:16; Mark 12:13-17).
God is on an infinitely higher level in relation to humanity, but is still completely active and present in the midst of creation at all times (Eph. 4:6; Job 12:10; John. 8:23). God is extremely prevalent in the lives of humanity, and he provides all things needed in order for man to exist and guides him in the direction he should go (Ps. 145:15; James 4:13-15). Humanity was not created because God was lacking anything within himself, rather man was created in order to be in a relationship with God (Acts 17:24-25; John 17:3). Man, and the relationship between God and man, was created as a fulfillment of God’s purpose to bring glory to himself (1 Cor. 10:31; Ps. 19:1; Isa 43:7; Rev. 4:11).
Humanity has been defined on two levels, ontological and functional. Ultimately, humanity was modeled after God’s image and is now tainted by the fall of man but not destroyed and still holds as the biblical platform for humanity (1 John 4:21-21; Matt. 22:37-40; James 3:8) Human beings are comprised of two parts: the spiritual and physical (Ecc. 12:7; Matt. 10:28). The spiritual part consists of the soul or spirit, and the physical part consists of the body; both of which are vital components that together create the essence of humanity (Mark 12:30; Heb 4:12).
Men and women, as equal parts of humanity, are also equally created in the Image of God. Therefore, they are both equally fallen in their sinful nature and need to be redeemed (Gen 1:27; Gen 2:28). In his sovereignty, God allows evil to occur amongst his creation, but is not responsible for the evil actions done by humanity (Job 1:21; Deut. 32:39). As a result of the allowance of sin, humanity apart from God is totally incapable of receiving salvation from sin and death. Therefore, man is not able to know, see, surrender, and understand God and because of this is not equipped to live for and glorify Him (John 3:3; 6:44). Although humanity was considered “very good” at the point of creation, all humans are inherently sinful, but are brought out of sin and into life as a result of the redemption of Christ (Gen 1:31; Gal. 3:28; Rom. 3:23).
I believe:
God created the universe in its entirety (Gen, 1:1; Col. 1:16; Acts 14:15). Before the universe and all humanity were created, God existed (Ps. 90:2; Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16). God created man in his own image in order to represent himself in the purest form (Acts 17:28; 2:7). God created man to be unique individuals with the ability to govern their own lives and decisions (Gal. 6:7-8; Eph. 2:10). Humanity was created in God’s image and was specifically appointed to rule all other aspects of creation (Gen 5:1-2; Gen. 1:26-28). Even though man was created in the Image of God, man is not identical to God, but is instead a representation of him (Gen 5:1; Gen. 1:26-27). Because humanity was created in the Image of God, man belongs to God and has great significance. Therefore, human life is deeply valued, worthy of respect and should be modeled after that of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:16; Mark 12:13-17).
God is on an infinitely higher level in relation to humanity, but is still completely active and present in the midst of creation at all times (Eph. 4:6; Job 12:10; John. 8:23). God is extremely prevalent in the lives of humanity, and he provides all things needed in order for man to exist and guides him in the direction he should go (Ps. 145:15; James 4:13-15). Humanity was not created because God was lacking anything within himself, rather man was created in order to be in a relationship with God (Acts 17:24-25; John 17:3). Man, and the relationship between God and man, was created as a fulfillment of God’s purpose to bring glory to himself (1 Cor. 10:31; Ps. 19:1; Isa 43:7; Rev. 4:11).
Humanity has been defined on two levels, ontological and functional. Ultimately, humanity was modeled after God’s image and is now tainted by the fall of man but not destroyed and still holds as the biblical platform for humanity (1 John 4:21-21; Matt. 22:37-40; James 3:8) Human beings are comprised of two parts: the spiritual and physical (Ecc. 12:7; Matt. 10:28). The spiritual part consists of the soul or spirit, and the physical part consists of the body; both of which are vital components that together create the essence of humanity (Mark 12:30; Heb 4:12).
Men and women, as equal parts of humanity, are also equally created in the Image of God. Therefore, they are both equally fallen in their sinful nature and need to be redeemed (Gen 1:27; Gen 2:28). In his sovereignty, God allows evil to occur amongst his creation, but is not responsible for the evil actions done by humanity (Job 1:21; Deut. 32:39). As a result of the allowance of sin, humanity apart from God is totally incapable of receiving salvation from sin and death. Therefore, man is not able to know, see, surrender, and understand God and because of this is not equipped to live for and glorify Him (John 3:3; 6:44). Although humanity was considered “very good” at the point of creation, all humans are inherently sinful, but are brought out of sin and into life as a result of the redemption of Christ (Gen 1:31; Gal. 3:28; Rom. 3:23).
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Yep, definitely just jinxed myself....
Well head cold, you win yet again! I thought I was being so clever, but I now know better than to threaten my health, touche immune system...touche.
The other day while at work, one of my co-workers was coughing and hacking away and thought to myself, man...poor guy, good thing I'm not gonna get sick this fall! Yeah, I've been taking my vitamins and washing my hands and all that jazz, surely I won't get sick. FALSE. My new friend paralyzing sickness decided to drop by yesterday and set up permanent residence last night and this morning in my head, nose and throat.
As an act of rebellion or rather... defeat, instead of attending my drawing class today, I'm in my dorm room, wallowing in my infirmity, drinking tea, wandering around in a daze, eating breakfast, and attempting to do homework.
You won the battle sickness, but I'll win the war, get ready for some hard core vitamin c and sleep comin' your way...
The other day while at work, one of my co-workers was coughing and hacking away and thought to myself, man...poor guy, good thing I'm not gonna get sick this fall! Yeah, I've been taking my vitamins and washing my hands and all that jazz, surely I won't get sick. FALSE. My new friend paralyzing sickness decided to drop by yesterday and set up permanent residence last night and this morning in my head, nose and throat.
As an act of rebellion or rather... defeat, instead of attending my drawing class today, I'm in my dorm room, wallowing in my infirmity, drinking tea, wandering around in a daze, eating breakfast, and attempting to do homework.
You won the battle sickness, but I'll win the war, get ready for some hard core vitamin c and sleep comin' your way...
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Hmmm...God, eh?
This is a personal creed on God I was required to write for my theology class a few weeks ago. We were instructed to communicate our beliefs on God and incorporate the reading and class lectures. AND it had to be only one page, INSANE I know...haha. I wasn't very happy with the grade, but that doesn't make any of it less true! Hope you enjoy :)
I believe:
In one God (Deut 4:35, Isa 45:5) who displays himself in three distinct but unified persons, who are each fully God, represented within the Trinity as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:26, John 1:1-4). God exists, is eternal and self-sufficient (Isa 45:5, 46:9). God reveals Himself to us in an intimate setting through His incommunicable attributes. God is so other than myself that it is impossible to know God, His thoughts, and characteristics in their entirety (Ps. 147:5, 1 Cor. 2:10-11). God allows me to gain knowledge of His character and attributes at a finite level, although He is infinite (Deut 29:29, 2 Peter 1:2-3). He is self-sufficient and does not need creation to survive. He does not need any other being or form to amplify His tremendous glory (Ex 3:14, Acts 17:24-25).
God is constant; He never changes or portrays Himself as anything conflicting with His character. He never makes the wrong decision, goes back on His word or acts unjustly; He is steadfast in all His ways (Malachi 3:6). God does not exist within time constraints even though He willingly places Himself within the realm of time in order to have relationships with us. He was present since before there was time and therefore is not bound by it (Rev. 1:8, Psalm 90:2). Just as God is not restricted by time, He is also free from the constraints of size, space and location. He is at all places at all times. God is not at all compromising Himself by being omnipresent, but instead His greatness is magnified (Psalm 139:7-10). In all these things God is unified. He does not compartmentalize His nature into separate areas or circumstances. He is not contradictory or lacking in any area (2 Cor. 1:19-20).
God relates to us on a human level through His communicable attributes which we have in common with Him. God is without sin and is therefore pure and holy, and worthy of all praise (Isa 6:3). Not only is God holy, but He is sovereign and has the ability and power to complete His perfect will. God’s sovereignty is a core attribute that ties all His other attributes together (Job 42:1, Eph 1:11). The knowledge of God is the perfect and driving force behind His holiness and sovereignty. God’s wisdom is consistently true and unwavering. In no stretch of the imagination could we even begin to describe or determine God infinite intellect (Heb 4:13, Dan 2:20). God encompasses everything that is beautiful. He is perfection and a reflection of everything beauty should exude (Psalm 27:4).
The heart of God seems conflicted because it is loving, just and full of wrath. However, His divine love covers us and that love was beautifully expressed when God sent Christ, His son, to become love incarnate for us (1 John 4:9-10). The contradiction of love and wrath is never a dilemma with God. He is flawless in His ability to possess great love and great fury for His people (Ex 34:5-7). In the midst of anger and wrath, God is also merciful and gracious. He is complete in faithfulness and forgiveness to the point of brimming over. He never makes a mistake about when to extend mercy or forgiveness (Num 23:19). God’s grace is limitless and properly distributed and He bestows grace on those who both do and do not deserve it (Rom 11:6). God’s thirst for righteousness and justice is unquenchable. He is the standard to which all humanity must measure up and He will not rest until that goal is met (Rom 3:25-26). The one attribute of God that ties them all together is jealousy. God is jealous for glory to be shown to Him and for our full attention to be on Him as we respond in obedience to His will (Ex 34:14). God’s attributes are all encompassing of His character and cannot operate without one another
I believe:
In one God (Deut 4:35, Isa 45:5) who displays himself in three distinct but unified persons, who are each fully God, represented within the Trinity as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:26, John 1:1-4). God exists, is eternal and self-sufficient (Isa 45:5, 46:9). God reveals Himself to us in an intimate setting through His incommunicable attributes. God is so other than myself that it is impossible to know God, His thoughts, and characteristics in their entirety (Ps. 147:5, 1 Cor. 2:10-11). God allows me to gain knowledge of His character and attributes at a finite level, although He is infinite (Deut 29:29, 2 Peter 1:2-3). He is self-sufficient and does not need creation to survive. He does not need any other being or form to amplify His tremendous glory (Ex 3:14, Acts 17:24-25).
God is constant; He never changes or portrays Himself as anything conflicting with His character. He never makes the wrong decision, goes back on His word or acts unjustly; He is steadfast in all His ways (Malachi 3:6). God does not exist within time constraints even though He willingly places Himself within the realm of time in order to have relationships with us. He was present since before there was time and therefore is not bound by it (Rev. 1:8, Psalm 90:2). Just as God is not restricted by time, He is also free from the constraints of size, space and location. He is at all places at all times. God is not at all compromising Himself by being omnipresent, but instead His greatness is magnified (Psalm 139:7-10). In all these things God is unified. He does not compartmentalize His nature into separate areas or circumstances. He is not contradictory or lacking in any area (2 Cor. 1:19-20).
God relates to us on a human level through His communicable attributes which we have in common with Him. God is without sin and is therefore pure and holy, and worthy of all praise (Isa 6:3). Not only is God holy, but He is sovereign and has the ability and power to complete His perfect will. God’s sovereignty is a core attribute that ties all His other attributes together (Job 42:1, Eph 1:11). The knowledge of God is the perfect and driving force behind His holiness and sovereignty. God’s wisdom is consistently true and unwavering. In no stretch of the imagination could we even begin to describe or determine God infinite intellect (Heb 4:13, Dan 2:20). God encompasses everything that is beautiful. He is perfection and a reflection of everything beauty should exude (Psalm 27:4).
The heart of God seems conflicted because it is loving, just and full of wrath. However, His divine love covers us and that love was beautifully expressed when God sent Christ, His son, to become love incarnate for us (1 John 4:9-10). The contradiction of love and wrath is never a dilemma with God. He is flawless in His ability to possess great love and great fury for His people (Ex 34:5-7). In the midst of anger and wrath, God is also merciful and gracious. He is complete in faithfulness and forgiveness to the point of brimming over. He never makes a mistake about when to extend mercy or forgiveness (Num 23:19). God’s grace is limitless and properly distributed and He bestows grace on those who both do and do not deserve it (Rom 11:6). God’s thirst for righteousness and justice is unquenchable. He is the standard to which all humanity must measure up and He will not rest until that goal is met (Rom 3:25-26). The one attribute of God that ties them all together is jealousy. God is jealous for glory to be shown to Him and for our full attention to be on Him as we respond in obedience to His will (Ex 34:14). God’s attributes are all encompassing of His character and cannot operate without one another
Saturday, November 1, 2008
"Hey you, always on the run...
...Gotta slow it down baby, gotta have some fun."
Which is exactly what my girls and I did on Halloween, never turn down solid advice given through Spice Girls lyrics.
There was a dance last night that happens every Halloween called Dance Dance Spooktacular and it was at a dance studio with two rooms. One had a DJ and the other room was supposed to have an iPod hook up, but ended up being random CDs lying around the studio. Trying to avoid the intensely dirty dancing situation at all costs, we would make cameos in the DJ room but mostly held down the fort in the more spacious and slightly less sweaty room. I managed to scrounge up some Footloose and Spice Girls in a cubbord, which is all you need really for a good time.
Well, no more time to play, time to hit the books.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)