Tuesday, March 9

The lowdown (:

Here are topics, etc. for future blog posts...


My dove promise wrapper: "What would you attempt to do if you knew you would not fail?"

John 4: 34-38

marriage and covenants, book of Hosea

resurrection

Psalm 21:9, Malachi 3:2-4


Great stuff. More will come. Give your feedback and insights, you who read this. (:

I'm writing this partially because I feel...

guilt·y   [gil-tee] Show IPA
–adjective,guilt·i·er, guilt·i·est.
1.
having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, esp. against moral or penal law; justly subject to a certain accusation or penalty; culpable: The jury found her guilty of murder.
2.
characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.
3.
having or showing a sense of guilt, whether real or imagined: a guilty conscience.

I mean that lightly, first of all. This is just my second blog post this month, first of all, and it is already March 9th. New Year's resolution. I better get a move on.
Then again I do not want to write just anything. I want to write something people need to read (those who are actually reading this...). Actually, I've been learning a lot this year, and I have a few blog post topics I've noted places...all I need to do is to jot them down. It's mostly laziness than lack of material.

So now I shall write down another thing I have been dealing with: and that thing is actually guilt.

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:7-8

"Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great..." 1 Timothy 3:16a

"This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." 1 Timothy 4:9-10

I feel as if I put too much stock on myself. What can I do? How can I do this? It doesn't work that way. It can't work that way. I really like these words to a song:

"I'd be a liar if I did not say, you crushed my life and ruined me that day..."

If I am going to follow Christ, I can't have my preferences. It doesn't work that way. I can't have my identity in what I want---why should I look to a career or a relationship, or success---when Christ has paid everything for me, when God's spirit lives in me? It's crazy, crazy unbelievable that a holy, perfect, beautiful God would make his home in me. Really. I wish I could fully understand it. Even as I type this, even as you (if you know Jesus Christ and have accepted his gospel for your own life), in you, resides God's spirit. Why do I need a career? What do I need it for? When I die I do not think I will mutter, "I wish I went to Harvard. I wish I went to Juilliard. I wish I did this thing, or wrote that book, performed this piece." I do not think it will matter at all. I would rather look back on my life and say, "I gave it all." Not some. Not everything by my career---everything but where I go to school, how I use my time. Everything I spend for God's kingdom will be worth it, far far more than I can see right now.
There cannot be any guilt in my life. I have, literally, Jesus interceding for me, my life for his.

I stole this illustration from Faithwalkers. Watch from 1:17 to 4:47.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPHvLtitxug


"I'd be a liar if I did not say...thank you, thank you."

Monday, March 1

A mess for Panera discussion (:

At the Panera Bread in Jordan Creek mall they have something called "Artists on the Rise." For everything almost, visual artist, musicians, writers---I am thinking about applying. As a writer. My theme would be grief and loss, and I would want to give a talk...here is a jumbled mess. I don't even know why I'm posting this! Give me feedback if you make anything from this. (:

Grief and Loss

Literature and Emotions

emotion: an intense feeling. (i.e. concentration of feeling)
feeling: experience.

Classifying loss:
The Christmas Tree (movie, 1969) http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1800047601/info
"After a Great Loss a Formal Feeling Comes" by Emily Dickinson
"Dream Songs" by John Berryman
"A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis
"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

occurs in the conclusive scene---the logical consequence of a reasoning process.
time duration in two senses: one, that time has been spent and attention or affection aimed at a subject cut off; and two, that the loss was inevitable or logical.

Manifestations of loss:
Change
Death
Parting
Questions ("Why" I moan and rave)

Peace: freedom from disturbing thoughts or emotions
Disturb: to interfere, i.e. to change.
Peace: to be disturbed, moved, and settle again.

Love: to see through its enchantments and yet be not disenchanted.
C.S. Lewis AGO: "A masterpice of rediscovered faith which has comforted thousands."

We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. (T.S. Eliot)

Eureka (I have found)

Let it go.

~~
As I said, just a mess now.