|
notetheclaws
|
read my profile
sign my guestbook
Name: Chloe
Gender: Female
Interests: Writing, reading, studying God's Word, doing housework, accomplishing a plethora of required tasks.
Expertise: Screwing up.
Occupation: Student
Message: message me
Member Since:
5/13/2007
|
|
| I feel much better about this blogging business now that I've finally turned the text to a reasonable color. I'm afraid I've no interesting pictures to share this time around as I cannot find my poor wayward camera anywhere. I'm sure it's around, but where to begin my search is beyond me. That's alright though, as I cannot say my life is terribly interesting or photogenic at present. On the bright side, my room is mostly clean. I consider this last a personal victory. :) Must be spring break, when I actually have time to do things.
I've been mostly up to school, as well as catching up with old friends. Managed a six mile walk today in the company of a companion-from-my-wee-years. I've been conversing with a certain someone a good deal, too. Gah! Patience is not my strong point. Sometimes I just want to jump in my car and drive all the way down and make it a wonderful surprise. I will someday, I just have to wait until my parents are alright with it. I suppose every eighteen year old thinks that time drags. Closer to nineteen, really. I like to think of myself as even keeled and responsible, but I think I must be more restless than I ever was before. I want out, I want up, and I want my own. And then, I don't know what I want.
I was rereading a friend's old blog recently about school coming to an end and not knowing what to do or where to start. I understand the sentiment much better now that I've lived in limbo a while. It'll be interesting to live a life that isn't punctuated with school terms. Haha, of course, I'm still toying with the idea of becoming a teacher. That's just what I need; more homework and studying. Though I can say what I need at this exact moment is a bit of sleep.
Trusting the Lord to lead and keep me in this foreign place. Blessings all.
| | |
|
“Hope what you please; but remember that hope without truth at the bottom of it, is an anchor without a holdfast. A groundless hope is a mere delusion.” (C. H. Spurgeon, “Between the Two Appearings”)
To take Mr. Spurgeon’s thought further, we can define faith as hope taken to such a degree that action is required. Faith is an active trust, and to misplace it can be deadly. I entirely reject the idea practiced by those under the delusion of groundless hope that faith in an ambiguous “something” is enough to get by in this world. Truth is absolute, and my hope lies in The Truth.
Hebrews 12:1-2 names the Christian's hope as—Christ—and further explains that maintaining our hope can only be achieved by looking to Him.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Directly preceding this passage is the “hall of faith.” By faith Abel, by faith Enoch, by faith Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David; all men or women of God who knew the price of following Him and remained faithful to the end, trusting His plan.
Capping this wonderful collection of testimonies, the writer of Hebrews speaks of some of the terrible persecution many countless unnamed saints—both Biblical and contemporary—have undergone. This must have struck a deep chord with the original audience of the letter. To a Jew, conversion to Christianity meant abandonment by their family. In some instances, relatives would actually hold a funeral to declare the new Christian dead to them. Even if the convert were a Gentile, he would understand the danger of his faith; this letter was most probably written during Nero’s rule, a time noted for brutal treatment of Christians.
Early Christianity was not a light hobby or passing fancy, as it is in our country today. Discovery meant torture and death, perhaps even seeing the same fate befall loved ones. If their hope was not steadfast and solidly founded, all the suffering would be in vain. The truth behind their faith was essential.
As the verses in Hebrews 12 explain, the key is looking to the truth, the author and finisher of our faith, Christ. I’ve heard it said that if a person has trouble trusting God, that person does not know God very well. If we pause to consider who Jesus is, we cannot help but be strengthened in the knowledge of the nature of the Master we serve. Immense hope lies in the titles by which He is identified.
He is the omnipotent author. Jesus spoke the universe itself into existence. His word was enough to commence time and create all matter and energy in space. Genesis 1:1—presumably a familiar verse to most—reads, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” “Created” implies design, carefully planned in the mind of Almighty God. Elohim, the triune God, is here established as the prime mover of all that is. Christ is here the all-powerful writer of the world.
The New Testament parallel in John 1:1-4 lends to the account something more amazing still.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.
Not only does Christ use words as His building material, but He is the material. He is the life which, instead of springing from nothingness as some would have us believe. sprang from the ultimate eternal life in the Trinity. Earthly authors work with words, but Jesus is the Word. Nothing can exist without Him. Colossians 1:17 says that by Him all things consist.
Jesus, beyond being responsible for the beginning of time, orchestrates each aspect of the continuance of the cosmos. He did not simply form the earth and leave us to fend for ourselves. Christ writes our lives out in accordance with His plan. Psalm 139:16 says, “Thine eyes did see my substance yet being unperfect; and in thy book are all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them.” Every living person has been fashioned before birth by the Lord with the utmost care. There is no part of us that has not been formed in perfect love to bring God glory.
Christ, as with any author, leaves His distinct mark on everything He invents. Romans 1:19-20 tells us that mankind has no excuse not to recognize God because all of creation points to Him. It is exciting to think that we are covered with His fingerprints. Ephesians 2:10 calls us believers His workmanship, using the Greek word “poiema” from which we get our English word for poem. His beauty is reflected in our lives. Even the life of the unbeliever cannot help but bear testimony to a loving Maker.
God is not far off in the heavens, removed from humanity. Jesus wrote Himself into the “story” to do what created beings could not. Hebrews 5:9 explains, “And being made perfect He became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey Him.” In His perfection, He made a way for His wayward creatures to return to Him.
In Luke 10:20 Jesus commands, “Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Everything Christ has written—the world, ourselves, the way of salvation, and our names in His book of Life—is an encouragement for us. If I cannot find hope in that, I don’t know where I can.
That Christ is the finisher of our faith ties into the remainder of verse two in Hebrews 12. There is no part of His work left undone. When He cried, “It is finished,” He spoke of a plan set in motion before the foundations of the earth were laid. He went before us on His own race course, marking a path for us with His life, looking to the Father and enduring to please Him. Christ then received honor and glory, and was set in His rightful place at the right hand of His Father.
Like our precious Lord, to whom we look as the example and the true hope to which we are anchored, we must cheerfully labor to finish the race set before us for God’s glory. We must, as Christ urges the church of Philadelphia, “…hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Revelation 3:11) Praise God we have such a Savior in which to place our hope.
[Image courtesy of The Historical Marker Database, http://www.hmdb.org/Photos/71/Photo71500.jpg]
| | |
| The air is thick and damp, smelling of flora and slowing water. Already my thoughts revolve around pumpkins and apple cider. Though the sky darkened prematurely today on account of hovering, black clouds, it seemed to fit the atmosphere I enjoyed. I'm beginning to look forward to nippy evenings in a cozy kitchen. If I'm fortunate, I'll have the house all to myself a couple nights out of the week. I can plan strategically and bake on those nights. I look forward to having hot food again.
My room has been arranged so as to represent a condensed version of my world. My textbooks are neatly arranged on my desk adjacent to a number of Bibles and theologically sound material. Above are many smiling faces of friends who I will not be seeing daily this year. In all probability they will come bounding back into my life at the least expected and most desirable times. They will be notes and letters and cookies and emails when they cannot be themselves. I look forward to this as well.
It seems I only write beginnings and endings. I'd like to submit that this is neither. I hope to redecorate here similarly to my room and let this be a space for simple, honest soul warming. Let it be a hearth.
| | |
| Since my last entry, I have been swept up in the whirlwind of my final two semesters at School of Ministry. A mere four weeks stand between me and the open sea. I'll be pushed out to meet whatever shores to which the Lord might guide me. May 7th, graduation, will mark the end of a particularly enjoyable chapter in my life. That's what will make the matter "official." I could make educated guesses on what life will hold afterward, but I think I'd best leave the writing of those passages to time and inform you of the results afterward. I intend to make a long, purposeful post sometime next week once I've had time to arrange my thoughts. My subject shall be that of my recent ten day jaunt overseas. I hope that what readers stumble upon the piece will enjoy it, and I hope that I shall remember to finish it! Meanwhile, may the warmth of spring find you in the coming days-- it's still dratted cold here. | | |
| Today was a good day, I think. A few hours worth of laundry and cleaning cures a myriad of ills, and besides that my dear friend took me out for coffee. There are few pleasures in life that compare. Have I expressed my love for chai tea before this point? Starbucks turns it into a rather tasty latte. I got a sample of their pumpkin spice latte as well, which I may have to return for once or twice in the months to come. It's delightfully spicy in a pumpkin pie sort of way and homey at the same time. Huzzah for comfort foods. Speaking of comfort foods... I hate using that as a link between paragraphs. It really isn't proper in the slightest, though it does give a nice conversational type tone to a piece. I digress. Comfort foods. I find my reading is heavily influenced by food and how well it's described. I've fallen in love with anything by James Herriot mainly because he gives attention to details such as food he eats and how it tastes and what the texture is like. Books seem so much more real when they mention suchlike. I continued to read Redwall-- a rather poorly written children's book revolving around talking rodents-- until I was about thirteen because I loved when Brian Jacques spent pages explaining all the dishes at the feasts. Even Tolkien manages to convey culture through various bits of hobbit food, and then later on in some Elvish treats. I think I must mimic this in my own writing, if I ever take said writing back up. I'm not sure that will happen. School approaches rapidly. Even if I'm not really ready for it I anticipate it eagerly all the same. I feel like a racehorse at the track trying to patiently submit while all my tack is put in order. I want to be at the gate, I want to run. Races are so short though. I can't believe this is my last year at Bible school. Back to the real world come 2010. The real world is so overrated. Hey, Adam, still contemplating that protestant monastery? I'll team up with you if we can form a protestant nunnery from the same organization. Oh, that's right. You don't want to be a monk any more. Any sort of a sanctuary from the world then, to which we can retreat after doing ministry here and there. What do you say? | | |
|
