I know only one thing .....
GOD IS FAITHFUL!!!
Philippians 1:6 .... Listen up! This is a mighty promise from God!!!
"He who began a good work in you WILL carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus!"
Hebrews 13:5 --- "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Words of Jesus, ya'll!)
Because ....
Hebrews 13:8 --- "Jesus Christ is the SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY, and FOREVER!"
Therefore ....
Hebrews 12:1-2a --- "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS and the sin that so easily entangles (I think trials can count here too!), and LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE the race marked out for us. LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the author and perfecter of our faith."
Let's make this our goal this week, friends! No matter how rough the trials ... God is faithful! Keep runnin', Mical! Keep fixin' your eyes on Jesus, Mical! Keep! Keep! Keep!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Getting to Know You ... M&Ms Style! :D
I'm at it once again! Yay for blogging! :) ......... Remember my Patrick the Persimmon posts? Well, in one of those posts I mentioned a "get to know you" activity with M&Ms, and I'm gonna make up my own rules for the same thing right here! Join me! It'll be fun!!!
Getting to know you ... M&Ms style! :D
Okay. So here's the deal .... head to your local gas station or grocery store and pick up a bag of milk chocolate M&Ms. Pour 'em all out, and separate them by color. Now! For each yellow, you're gonna share your favorite meals of all time (if you could eat anything in one meal, what would it be?). For each orange, your favorite Bible verses. For each blue, your favorite places (to travel to, to hang out, whatever). For the red, share your favorite things about winter (activities, scenery, places to go, whatever). Brown - some of your all-time favorite things. Green - some of the greatest blessings in your life over the past 6 months. ... Okay, I think that covers 'em all. .... Now, go! You MUST get a hold of some M&Ms for this task. You can't cheat! Eating the M&Ms as you go is part of the fun!
Alrighty ... here we go! :D
3 Yellow M&Ms:
- Steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, french fries, and sweet tea!
- Cheeseburger, french fries, and sweet tea!
- Baked potato with all the fixin's - meat, cheese, butter, ect., and sweet tea!
(Are ya'll seeing a pattern?) ;)
15 Orange M&Ms:
- Psalm 73:26 -- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
- Psalm 16:11 -- "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forever."
- Psalm 62:7-8 -- "My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."
- Joshua 1:9 -- "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
- James 1:2-4 -- "Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you will be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
- James 1:12 -- "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
- Philippians 1:6 -- "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
- Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
- Psalm 37:4 -- "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of Your heart."
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 -- "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
- Isaiah 26:3 -- "He will keep in perfect peace Him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in Him."
- John 15:5 -- "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 -- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perefecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Psalm 32:8 -- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
- Revelation 21:4 -- "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
15 Blue M&Ms:
- New Zealand! I want to hike through the gorgeous sites!
- Bogalusa, Louisiana .... where I took the best mission trip ever! Wanna go back and help out out with the hurricane relief.
- Mountains of Tennessee ... I wanna take pictures of mountains all day long!
- Every other place with mountains that I've never been to!
- Ireland ... nice sites there too.
- All of the tiny states ... Rhode Island, New Jersey, Vermont, ect.
- Virginia to see my friend, Rachel!
- India ... My pastor talked about orphanages ... I want to help out in the orphanages there.
- China ... I'd like to see all of the underground churches and witness the millions who are coming to Christ.
- Turkey Run .... I REALLY want to go hiking!
- Brown County .... it's where James and the gang go to hike sometimes ... I've never been.
- Mammoth Cave ... I wouldn't mind going on another cave tour with Ben and the gang. :)
- Grace Fellowship (my second church home)
- Calvary ... yes, I'm there every Sunday morning ... but I want to be there right now!
- University of Southern Indiana ... I want to visit my brother, see his apartment, and watch him run track sometime before the school year is over!
7 Red M&Ms:
- Snow angels!
- Breathing really cold air :)
- Drinking hot chocolate with friends
- Sitting next to a warm fire in some remote log cabin (a dream of mine, I guess) ;)
- Christmas!
- Watching snow fall
- Scarves
10 Brown M&Ms:
- Smiley face fruit snacks
- Goldfish crackers
- Music
- My Bible
- Stickers
- Friends
- Church
- Campfires
- The sky
- Photography
6 Green M&Ms:
- Ben Nilsen
- Jesus talks with Alex Ehrhardt
- E-mails from Judy Nilsen
- God's word
- My youth group kids
- Mammoth Cave Trip
Okay ... that was long and yummy! Go get some M&Ms, and join the fun! Love ya'll! :D
Getting to know you ... M&Ms style! :D
Okay. So here's the deal .... head to your local gas station or grocery store and pick up a bag of milk chocolate M&Ms. Pour 'em all out, and separate them by color. Now! For each yellow, you're gonna share your favorite meals of all time (if you could eat anything in one meal, what would it be?). For each orange, your favorite Bible verses. For each blue, your favorite places (to travel to, to hang out, whatever). For the red, share your favorite things about winter (activities, scenery, places to go, whatever). Brown - some of your all-time favorite things. Green - some of the greatest blessings in your life over the past 6 months. ... Okay, I think that covers 'em all. .... Now, go! You MUST get a hold of some M&Ms for this task. You can't cheat! Eating the M&Ms as you go is part of the fun!
Alrighty ... here we go! :D
3 Yellow M&Ms:
- Steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, french fries, and sweet tea!
- Cheeseburger, french fries, and sweet tea!
- Baked potato with all the fixin's - meat, cheese, butter, ect., and sweet tea!
(Are ya'll seeing a pattern?) ;)
15 Orange M&Ms:
- Psalm 73:26 -- "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
- Psalm 16:11 -- "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand are pleasures forever."
- Psalm 62:7-8 -- "My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."
- Joshua 1:9 -- "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
- James 1:2-4 -- "Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you will be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
- James 1:12 -- "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."
- Philippians 1:6 -- "Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
- Romans 8:28 - "And we know that God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
- Psalm 37:4 -- "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of Your heart."
- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 -- "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
- Isaiah 26:3 -- "He will keep in perfect peace Him whose mind is steadfast because he trusts in Him."
- John 15:5 -- "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 -- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perefecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Psalm 32:8 -- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
- Revelation 21:4 -- "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
15 Blue M&Ms:
- New Zealand! I want to hike through the gorgeous sites!
- Bogalusa, Louisiana .... where I took the best mission trip ever! Wanna go back and help out out with the hurricane relief.
- Mountains of Tennessee ... I wanna take pictures of mountains all day long!
- Every other place with mountains that I've never been to!
- Ireland ... nice sites there too.
- All of the tiny states ... Rhode Island, New Jersey, Vermont, ect.
- Virginia to see my friend, Rachel!
- India ... My pastor talked about orphanages ... I want to help out in the orphanages there.
- China ... I'd like to see all of the underground churches and witness the millions who are coming to Christ.
- Turkey Run .... I REALLY want to go hiking!
- Brown County .... it's where James and the gang go to hike sometimes ... I've never been.
- Mammoth Cave ... I wouldn't mind going on another cave tour with Ben and the gang. :)
- Grace Fellowship (my second church home)
- Calvary ... yes, I'm there every Sunday morning ... but I want to be there right now!
- University of Southern Indiana ... I want to visit my brother, see his apartment, and watch him run track sometime before the school year is over!
7 Red M&Ms:
- Snow angels!
- Breathing really cold air :)
- Drinking hot chocolate with friends
- Sitting next to a warm fire in some remote log cabin (a dream of mine, I guess) ;)
- Christmas!
- Watching snow fall
- Scarves
10 Brown M&Ms:
- Smiley face fruit snacks
- Goldfish crackers
- Music
- My Bible
- Stickers
- Friends
- Church
- Campfires
- The sky
- Photography
6 Green M&Ms:
- Ben Nilsen
- Jesus talks with Alex Ehrhardt
- E-mails from Judy Nilsen
- God's word
- My youth group kids
- Mammoth Cave Trip
Okay ... that was long and yummy! Go get some M&Ms, and join the fun! Love ya'll! :D
Friday, November 28, 2008
God, Grant Me ....
Just a quick thought for today. :)
I was walking in my hallway upstairs on my way to my bedroom this morning, and I noticed a scroll laying on my mom's big "pirate chest," as I like to call it. She decorated our upstairs with beach/ship kinds of stuff. We have a huge chest (it looks like there's tons of treasure inside ... too bad it's just dust) with a captain's wheel and a tiny ship and fish net set up in our hallway upstairs, and on top of the chest lies a scroll with this written on it .....
"God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
It's a simple saying ... a well-known saying .... and this scroll is gathering dust on that huge pirate chest .... it's been there for years. So why did it grab my attention today? Well ... there are a couple of things in my life that I really want to change. I want to change them so badly that I ache on a regular basis. I am continually surrendering them over to God, but there is still an ache. I'm sure the ache won't be gone until they are completely surrendered. That's usually how God works. ;) ... So yeah ... serenity ... I had to look that word up. It means "calmness of mind; peace." Lord, give me peace to wait on your timing ... not to try and change things ... but simply wait on your timing and live out my calling to the best of my ability while I wait.
Are you waiting on God for some things? Do you want to change some things in your life right now? .... If so ... join the club! ........ But let's keep trusting God for those things instead of worrying about 'em. Let's keep surrendering them. Each and every day.
I was just reading tonight in 1 Peter .... 1 Peter 5:7 says .... "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." ......... Whatever it is you want to change .... give it to Jesus. He cares about you. He cares about the condition your heart is in. Keep trusting Him. Keep giving everything to Him. And just take it one day at a time. That's what I've been doing and will continue to do ... until I get it right! Or until Jesus comes back! Whichever comes first! ;)
I was walking in my hallway upstairs on my way to my bedroom this morning, and I noticed a scroll laying on my mom's big "pirate chest," as I like to call it. She decorated our upstairs with beach/ship kinds of stuff. We have a huge chest (it looks like there's tons of treasure inside ... too bad it's just dust) with a captain's wheel and a tiny ship and fish net set up in our hallway upstairs, and on top of the chest lies a scroll with this written on it .....
"God grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
It's a simple saying ... a well-known saying .... and this scroll is gathering dust on that huge pirate chest .... it's been there for years. So why did it grab my attention today? Well ... there are a couple of things in my life that I really want to change. I want to change them so badly that I ache on a regular basis. I am continually surrendering them over to God, but there is still an ache. I'm sure the ache won't be gone until they are completely surrendered. That's usually how God works. ;) ... So yeah ... serenity ... I had to look that word up. It means "calmness of mind; peace." Lord, give me peace to wait on your timing ... not to try and change things ... but simply wait on your timing and live out my calling to the best of my ability while I wait.
Are you waiting on God for some things? Do you want to change some things in your life right now? .... If so ... join the club! ........ But let's keep trusting God for those things instead of worrying about 'em. Let's keep surrendering them. Each and every day.
I was just reading tonight in 1 Peter .... 1 Peter 5:7 says .... "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." ......... Whatever it is you want to change .... give it to Jesus. He cares about you. He cares about the condition your heart is in. Keep trusting Him. Keep giving everything to Him. And just take it one day at a time. That's what I've been doing and will continue to do ... until I get it right! Or until Jesus comes back! Whichever comes first! ;)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Family Thanksgiving in Ohio :)
Happy Thanksgiving!!! Thanks Day is coming to an end .... aren't you glad that our thanks is NOT!? :D
I traveled with my mom, dad, and brother to Cincinnati, Ohio today for our annual family Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family. It was a good time! Seeing family is always fun. :) .... Just wanted to share a quick run down of the highlights of my day and ask you to tell me about YOUR Thanksgiving. What did ya'll do???
Some of the highlights ....
- I had a great conversation with my grandma and great aunt about the lessons God's been teaching me over the past year. It is such a blessing to have family members who love Jesus and are diligent in following after the Lord. That was a blessing I ended up thanking God for throughout the day. And it was especially great seeing my great aunt, Peggy. She has been one of the greatest encouragers of my extended family. Every time I see her, she tells me that I am beautiful and that she is proud of me. Those words are powerful! They most certainly empower me!!!
- Hay ride with some of my 2nd (or 3rd or whatever) cousins. They are the kids of my mom's cousins ... so what does that make them in relation to me? They are all in middle school ... MY FAVORITE AGE GROUP! So it was fun to chat with them about fun and middle school things ... bond with them a bit ... and just sit and laugh with them. :)
- Eating waaayyy too much turkey and mashed potatoes with gravy!!!! Because that is what you're supposed to do on Thanksgiving! ... Overeat and NOT feel bad about it! Yes!!!
- And my favorite part .... walking out into a huge cornfield by the house, breathing in the crisp, fall-heading-into-winter air and watching the sun set. :)
The sky is one of my favorite things in the entire world! The ENTIRE world!!!! I got some great pictures, so I'm gonna share 'em with ya'll! :D
And lastly, one thing I confirmed today is that I LOVE being outside! My woody places post .... my posting pictures of trees and clouds and sunsets .... my obsession with bonfires .... that is only the beginning! Once Ben and James help me figure out how to start my own fire, I will be set! I can just grab a tent and head for the woods ... and just LIVE THERE! ..... At the very least, I can be prepared for my 3-day silence and solitude trip that I am taking over my spring break this next semester! Ha ha! ..... Anyway! Here are some great pictures! God really knew what He was doing when He designed the sun to set each night and rise each morning! Aren't you glad He decided to share this masterpiece with us??? I am pretty much stoked about it!!!!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Spiritual Thought Buddy #2
Well, while I'm at it .... I better tell you about another friend God has been using in amazing ways in my life lately. I love bragging about my friends ... can you tell? .... That, along with bragging about Jesus, is the entire goal behind this Fun and Faithful Tales blog!!!!
Alex Ehrhardt. Yep .... she is my #2 spiritual thought buddy, a great inspiration, and becoming one of my most cherished friends. I've only known Alex since July ... and we have only been growing in our friendship over the past couple of months .... but our bond in Christ has strengthened our bond of friendship in extraordinary ways! It is amazing what kinds of friendships come out of a foundation in Christ! Really! .... I really haven't spent much time with Alex if you get right down to it. We've met for a Jesus talk maybe 3 or 4 times .... maybe. But again ... our Christ foundation links us. And in linking me to Alex Ehrhardt, God has drawn me closer to Him. We have been sharing deep God concepts through our "book" e-mails for several weeks. We both know how to write a lot, so our e-mails are so long they could be books! :D .... And like I said in an earlier post about Alex, when she sits down to talk with me at our Jesus talks, it is like Jesus is sitting next to me, pouring Himself into me. She is so full of Jesus! And her Godsong causes my Godsong to sing all the louder! She is an amazing inspiration. She is younger than I am, and yet she grasps the things of God so deeply ... way more deeply than I do! And she's so good at loving. She loves to love other people. .... She's just a spectacular person! And I am excited to be growing in my friendship with her! I think I can stick her next to my bosom buddy, Emily Karas, and say, "I want to be just like you two when I grow up!" :)
Thanks for all your love, encouragement, and spiritual support, Alex! Love ya, friend! :D
Alex Ehrhardt. Yep .... she is my #2 spiritual thought buddy, a great inspiration, and becoming one of my most cherished friends. I've only known Alex since July ... and we have only been growing in our friendship over the past couple of months .... but our bond in Christ has strengthened our bond of friendship in extraordinary ways! It is amazing what kinds of friendships come out of a foundation in Christ! Really! .... I really haven't spent much time with Alex if you get right down to it. We've met for a Jesus talk maybe 3 or 4 times .... maybe. But again ... our Christ foundation links us. And in linking me to Alex Ehrhardt, God has drawn me closer to Him. We have been sharing deep God concepts through our "book" e-mails for several weeks. We both know how to write a lot, so our e-mails are so long they could be books! :D .... And like I said in an earlier post about Alex, when she sits down to talk with me at our Jesus talks, it is like Jesus is sitting next to me, pouring Himself into me. She is so full of Jesus! And her Godsong causes my Godsong to sing all the louder! She is an amazing inspiration. She is younger than I am, and yet she grasps the things of God so deeply ... way more deeply than I do! And she's so good at loving. She loves to love other people. .... She's just a spectacular person! And I am excited to be growing in my friendship with her! I think I can stick her next to my bosom buddy, Emily Karas, and say, "I want to be just like you two when I grow up!" :)
Thanks for all your love, encouragement, and spiritual support, Alex! Love ya, friend! :D
A "Thank You" the day before Thanks Day :)
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!!! Thanks Day is tomorrow. Aren't you excited? ... I am excited to spend time with family I don't get to see but once or twice a year. And we're traveling to Ohio to see them. :) I like traveling! Where are you all going for your Thanks Day??? :)
Well, in light of this thanks season .... I've been thinking extra hard about the things and the people I am most thankful for. It is not hard to think about ... I am more blessed than I know how to say! God is ALWAYS faithful. He is ALWAYS pouring on blessings ... even when we can't see them quite as well. But He has been pouring more blessings into my life over the past several months than ever before! (Remember all my posts about my pain? Ha! God used that pain to bring the greatest blessings too! Wow! How does He do that!?) .... So ... I wanted to share one of the things I'm the most thankful for right now ... or, I should say, the PERSON I'm most thankful for .... :)
Ben Nilsen. Yep ... have you ever gone through a time in your life in which God knew exactly the kinds of people to stick in your path to encourage and uphold you??? God's been using several people in my life lately, but one friend who has helped me in a way that no one else could is my friend, Ben. :) And since this blog is all about fun and faithful tales about FRIENDS ... about Jesus .... and about lessons learned and learning ..... I thought I'd share some Ben blessings with you all. :)
One thing I really appreciate about Ben is that he is one of my very few guy friends whom I can just sit and chat with and it not go down the awkward road. Guy-girl friendships are often so complicated because ... well, because of just that ... one of the friends is a guy; the other is a girl. I think you know where I'm going with this. ;) .... Anyway! Ben and I don't have to worry about any of that. He's my brother. I'm his sister. We are friends. We build each other up. And I LOVE that about my friendship with Ben. We've both talked time and time again about how thankful we are that we don't have the normal guy-girl friendship drama that others have. .... Guy-girl friendships are important. They are very good and godly when they are done right. And from a girl's point of view .... the friendships I have with my guy friends are so important to me because they make me feel safe. God has given me scads and scads of friends, and several of those friends are godly guy friends. I am so blessed! And Ben is one of those guys who makes me feel safe and loved. :) I can't put into words how thankful I am that Ben and I are friends who can simply be that ... friends ... minus the drama.
Another thing I'm thankful for in my friendship with Ben is something I wrote about waaayy back during the Cookie Cutter Friend posts ...... I'm thankful that he is my #1 spiritual thought buddy. :) I go to him for all of my deep thoughts about God. .... Just yesterday, I called him to ask for some resources about Existentialism because a girl from the writing center asked to get together with me next week to talk about Christianity and Existentialism. Crazy, I know. And Ben was right there to offer support and any help he could give, as well as drop the books off at my house this weekend. What a blessing! He is always offering spiritual support. :) And what's more ... he pushes me to think about things that are over my head. The more time I hang out with him, the more I realize how little I know about God, about the world, and about the human heart (a few things he and I have been talking about and have been trying to understand better). And it's good I realize this! It's an amazing push in the right direction! Thank you, Ben! :) .... In addition to spiritual support, he is also an emotional rock in my life. He is the most emotionally stable person I know. I'm a fairly emotional roller coaster kind of woman at times, so I can't express how much I need an oober stable friend like Ben to keep my head above water. ;) He is constantly reminding me that he's praying for me ... and always asking me how I'm doing, as well as, "is that the official version or the real version?" .... He is genuine. He cares. And his consistency, stability, and support have been one of the greatest blessings and strongholds of my life over the past several months. He's one of those people God knew I needed to help me through several heartaches ... and whom I needed to help me grow further in my current spiritual growth spurt. It is amazing to watch God do great things through the people He places in our lives, isn't it?
.... Well, I could keep going about Ben .... but I better stop here. I'm sure you all have turkeys to put in the oven, potatoes to peel, and thanks to give. ;) Hope your Turkey Day is great tomorrow! Be sure to thank God for all the amazing people He has placed in your life! I only mentioned one person in this post ... but I have a long list of people to thank God for! I know you do too! Happy Thanks Day, all! :)
Well, in light of this thanks season .... I've been thinking extra hard about the things and the people I am most thankful for. It is not hard to think about ... I am more blessed than I know how to say! God is ALWAYS faithful. He is ALWAYS pouring on blessings ... even when we can't see them quite as well. But He has been pouring more blessings into my life over the past several months than ever before! (Remember all my posts about my pain? Ha! God used that pain to bring the greatest blessings too! Wow! How does He do that!?) .... So ... I wanted to share one of the things I'm the most thankful for right now ... or, I should say, the PERSON I'm most thankful for .... :)
Ben Nilsen. Yep ... have you ever gone through a time in your life in which God knew exactly the kinds of people to stick in your path to encourage and uphold you??? God's been using several people in my life lately, but one friend who has helped me in a way that no one else could is my friend, Ben. :) And since this blog is all about fun and faithful tales about FRIENDS ... about Jesus .... and about lessons learned and learning ..... I thought I'd share some Ben blessings with you all. :)
One thing I really appreciate about Ben is that he is one of my very few guy friends whom I can just sit and chat with and it not go down the awkward road. Guy-girl friendships are often so complicated because ... well, because of just that ... one of the friends is a guy; the other is a girl. I think you know where I'm going with this. ;) .... Anyway! Ben and I don't have to worry about any of that. He's my brother. I'm his sister. We are friends. We build each other up. And I LOVE that about my friendship with Ben. We've both talked time and time again about how thankful we are that we don't have the normal guy-girl friendship drama that others have. .... Guy-girl friendships are important. They are very good and godly when they are done right. And from a girl's point of view .... the friendships I have with my guy friends are so important to me because they make me feel safe. God has given me scads and scads of friends, and several of those friends are godly guy friends. I am so blessed! And Ben is one of those guys who makes me feel safe and loved. :) I can't put into words how thankful I am that Ben and I are friends who can simply be that ... friends ... minus the drama.
Another thing I'm thankful for in my friendship with Ben is something I wrote about waaayy back during the Cookie Cutter Friend posts ...... I'm thankful that he is my #1 spiritual thought buddy. :) I go to him for all of my deep thoughts about God. .... Just yesterday, I called him to ask for some resources about Existentialism because a girl from the writing center asked to get together with me next week to talk about Christianity and Existentialism. Crazy, I know. And Ben was right there to offer support and any help he could give, as well as drop the books off at my house this weekend. What a blessing! He is always offering spiritual support. :) And what's more ... he pushes me to think about things that are over my head. The more time I hang out with him, the more I realize how little I know about God, about the world, and about the human heart (a few things he and I have been talking about and have been trying to understand better). And it's good I realize this! It's an amazing push in the right direction! Thank you, Ben! :) .... In addition to spiritual support, he is also an emotional rock in my life. He is the most emotionally stable person I know. I'm a fairly emotional roller coaster kind of woman at times, so I can't express how much I need an oober stable friend like Ben to keep my head above water. ;) He is constantly reminding me that he's praying for me ... and always asking me how I'm doing, as well as, "is that the official version or the real version?" .... He is genuine. He cares. And his consistency, stability, and support have been one of the greatest blessings and strongholds of my life over the past several months. He's one of those people God knew I needed to help me through several heartaches ... and whom I needed to help me grow further in my current spiritual growth spurt. It is amazing to watch God do great things through the people He places in our lives, isn't it?
.... Well, I could keep going about Ben .... but I better stop here. I'm sure you all have turkeys to put in the oven, potatoes to peel, and thanks to give. ;) Hope your Turkey Day is great tomorrow! Be sure to thank God for all the amazing people He has placed in your life! I only mentioned one person in this post ... but I have a long list of people to thank God for! I know you do too! Happy Thanks Day, all! :)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Waiting on the Lord ....
I meant to look up this song a while back right after I went to see the movie, Fireproof, with Ben and some of the gang. Amazing movie! Amazing message! For married couples .... for all Christians ... for non-Christians. Go see it if you haven't already!
One of the most powerful parts of the movie, for me, was a song. "While I'm Waiting." It nearly brought me to tears in the theater. And it is one of my new goals. The lyrics say it all, so I won't write some long rambling about it. ;) Just read these lyrics, and if you get a chance .... go to google, type in "while I'm waiting, fireproof" and watch/listen to the music video. This song is amazing! Let's keep waiting on the Lord!!!!
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait
I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait
I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
New Bookstore in Town!
Hey, everybody! Just a quick announcement! :D
My mom's new store is open! All of it! ..... The Porch ... located just a few houses east of Calvary Chapel in Danville, across from Beasley's Orchard! 2411 E. Main St. Check it out sometime!!! She is open Tuesdays from 10am to 7pm, Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm, and Saturdays from 10am to 3pm. And I think she has extended hours the week of December 1st! ..... It's a fairly new place, and it has tons of great books! She has books for all ages and for people of all walks of life! Homeschool curriculum, kids/youth novels/picture books/ect, art books, music books, collectible books, historical books, adult Christian fiction/nonfiction, and books open to the general public - mysteries, westerns, self-help/medical/sports/animals/memoirs/all kinds of stuff! Also! She has games and gifts! She has fantastic teas ... and cookies! Free tea samples and cookies! ... What is better? Stop by her store sometime! Buy some books. Try some of her fine teas. The Ginger Peach is my favorite so far! Actually ... I'm drinking it right now. Yummy!
I'm in the process of writing an article for her store! Look in the paper ... maybe you'll see it someday soon! ..... Stop by! She loves to see familiar faces .... and business is slow .... so she just loves to anyone! Ha ha! It's a great place! Stop by sometime! :D
Woody Places
I'm posting again ... whatta ya know. ;)
Judy recently posted about violin music. She said that hearing the sweet strokes of a violin is one of the gifts God uses to draw her into His presence the best ... violin music takes her to a place where she can simply bask in God. She asked her readers to think about a similar gift in their lives ... so that's what today's posting is all about. :)
What makes me feel and know God's presence the best??? ..... Well, I didn't have to think too long .... I think it's an easy answer for me. .... There are a few places ... a few people ... that help me know God better ... but the place where I can sit and bask in God's presence the best is in the middle of the woods. Any woods. My best times in the presence of God are when I go hiking with friends or when I sit and simply listen to the sounds of nature. In my Mammoth Cave posting, I mentioned the "devo. rock" .... and my devotions were so good that day because I got to sit on this huge boulder and be silent before the Lord. The only sounds were the wind rustling the trees, squirrels running through the leaves, making them crunch, birds chirping, and the soft voices of my friends far off in the distance. I sat on that rock for several minutes ... silent ... trying to hear from the Lord. I love the feeling of cold, fall-heading-into-winter air when I take deep breaths. I love the sound of crunching leaves. I love the sound of the wind blowing the tree branches. And I love to see the beauty of God's creation. He knew what He was doing when He created hills and huge boulders and tall trees and brown and red and yellow and green leaves that crunch when you walk through them. God's creation is one of His greatest gifts to us. Bask in it sometime .... it helps you know Him better! It helps you know His character and His love for us better.
Hiking through woody trails with friends .... or sitting in silence, with nothing by God and His creation ... that is where I know God's presence the best. :) What about you? I'm gonna ask just as Judy did. :) You don't have to post it anywhere (although you should!) ;) .... but think about it. :):):)
Have a great day, everybody! And go drink some hot chocolate! :D
Friday, November 21, 2008
A Yummy Donut and No More Zombie
Alright .... so I was eating a yummy donut on my way to a writing center staff meeting this morning, and I started thinking. It was all because of the yummy donut too. Some "food for thought!" Whatta ya know! ;) ......... This donut was made up of some kind of sugar bread ... AND it had sugarful icing on top ... with sprinkles. (Yes ... sugarful is a word - a Mical word, at least - and yes ... I was loading up on the sugar. Sorry, James.) ;) ...... Like I said earlier ... It was a really good donut ... and its yumminess factor spurred on thoughts about Jesus. Yep. :) The question popped into my head .... "How can I get Jesus to taste this good?" Of course, Jesus DOES taste good, and it's not because I make Him good .... I just meant ... How can I make Him taste good in my life? How can I really savor Him in my life? .... Like I was savoring that yummy donut. I got to thinking about Psalm 34:8, which says, "TASTE and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him."
TASTE the Lord. How do you do that? I was talking to my friend, Ben, last night .... and we got to talking about the crazy stuff God's been allowing into my life over the past several months. He was asking me about how I've grown in the Lord through all of it .... and I brought up the word "communion." I was telling him about how my time with God has NOT be another thing on my "to do" list lately. It's been real communion with God. I knew what I meant by this word when I was talking to Ben about it last night, but I just looked it up in the dictionary, and Webster defines communion as .... "fellowship; interchange of thoughts or interests; a state of giving and receiving." These are all good definitions, but I really like the last one ... "a state of giving and receiving." That's what real communion with God is. So often we get caught up in other things during our "quiet" times, our times for just Jesus and us. (Did you notice that quiet is in quotations? ... It is difficult to really get quiet before the Lord. How often do you do it? I know I have trouble.) I was describing to Ben how my time with the Lord before all of the trials was me saying my two bits ... then God saying His two bits. It wasn't really a conversation ... it was more like an awkward .... hmm ... I can't think of the word I'm trying to get across. My quiet times were kind of zombie-like. Zombies (yes, they are not real ... but work with me here.) can walk around and perform "normal" tasks ... but they are not engaging in any of those actions. They don't even know they're doing them. It's just something they do to get by. ....... Okay ... that was a lame example ... but it was the first thing that popped into my head. I was a zombie quiet time Christian before all of these trials were thrown in my path. I read my Bible every night. I prayed. But I wasn't engaging in those activities that produce growth and joy and ... LIFE! So I wasn't growing in my faith ... I wasn't living in joy ... I wasn't being filled with the life of Christ. I was a zombie ... walking around, maybe performing Christianly tasks (reading my Bible, praying, ect.) ... but completely oblivious to the importance or the depth of those tasks. I wasn't engaging in my prayer and devotions. I wasn't engaging myself in getting to know God better. I wasn't communing with God.
TASTE and see that the Lord is good! We know that God is good. We've been taught that all our lives. We've said it countless times. ....... But to TASTE that He is good ... to SEE that He is good. How do we do that? ........ No more zombie ... that's how. To taste the Lord, we must eat His word. We must spend time with Him. We must LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING OR ANYONE! Yep! I said it! MORE than all things!!!! ....... This is what God's been pressing upon my heart for the past 3 or so months. Our primary calling is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. We can glorify God in tons and tons of ways ..... but the foundation is a right relationship with Him. And we experience a RELATIONSHIP with Him by tasting and seeing that He is good ... by COMMUNING with God. Think about that for a little bit. It's a bit deeper than you think. Or as my pastor says, "That's better preachin' than you think." ;)
Huh. This post took a crazy turn early on ... one I wasn't expecting. I was planning to simply tell you all that I ate a yummy donut today and that it made me think of Psalm 34:8. .... And somehow I got to talking about communion and ..... what? Zombies??? .... Wow. The side note/tangent Queen strikes again! ;) Okay ....... well, I'm done with my ramblings. At least for now. ;) Have a great weekend! Allow God to teach you something new this weekend .... keep growing in Him. :) I'm off to hang out with my youth group kids! Sweeet! :D
TASTE the Lord. How do you do that? I was talking to my friend, Ben, last night .... and we got to talking about the crazy stuff God's been allowing into my life over the past several months. He was asking me about how I've grown in the Lord through all of it .... and I brought up the word "communion." I was telling him about how my time with God has NOT be another thing on my "to do" list lately. It's been real communion with God. I knew what I meant by this word when I was talking to Ben about it last night, but I just looked it up in the dictionary, and Webster defines communion as .... "fellowship; interchange of thoughts or interests; a state of giving and receiving." These are all good definitions, but I really like the last one ... "a state of giving and receiving." That's what real communion with God is. So often we get caught up in other things during our "quiet" times, our times for just Jesus and us. (Did you notice that quiet is in quotations? ... It is difficult to really get quiet before the Lord. How often do you do it? I know I have trouble.) I was describing to Ben how my time with the Lord before all of the trials was me saying my two bits ... then God saying His two bits. It wasn't really a conversation ... it was more like an awkward .... hmm ... I can't think of the word I'm trying to get across. My quiet times were kind of zombie-like. Zombies (yes, they are not real ... but work with me here.) can walk around and perform "normal" tasks ... but they are not engaging in any of those actions. They don't even know they're doing them. It's just something they do to get by. ....... Okay ... that was a lame example ... but it was the first thing that popped into my head. I was a zombie quiet time Christian before all of these trials were thrown in my path. I read my Bible every night. I prayed. But I wasn't engaging in those activities that produce growth and joy and ... LIFE! So I wasn't growing in my faith ... I wasn't living in joy ... I wasn't being filled with the life of Christ. I was a zombie ... walking around, maybe performing Christianly tasks (reading my Bible, praying, ect.) ... but completely oblivious to the importance or the depth of those tasks. I wasn't engaging in my prayer and devotions. I wasn't engaging myself in getting to know God better. I wasn't communing with God.
TASTE and see that the Lord is good! We know that God is good. We've been taught that all our lives. We've said it countless times. ....... But to TASTE that He is good ... to SEE that He is good. How do we do that? ........ No more zombie ... that's how. To taste the Lord, we must eat His word. We must spend time with Him. We must LOVE HIM MORE THAN ANYTHING OR ANYONE! Yep! I said it! MORE than all things!!!! ....... This is what God's been pressing upon my heart for the past 3 or so months. Our primary calling is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. We can glorify God in tons and tons of ways ..... but the foundation is a right relationship with Him. And we experience a RELATIONSHIP with Him by tasting and seeing that He is good ... by COMMUNING with God. Think about that for a little bit. It's a bit deeper than you think. Or as my pastor says, "That's better preachin' than you think." ;)
Huh. This post took a crazy turn early on ... one I wasn't expecting. I was planning to simply tell you all that I ate a yummy donut today and that it made me think of Psalm 34:8. .... And somehow I got to talking about communion and ..... what? Zombies??? .... Wow. The side note/tangent Queen strikes again! ;) Okay ....... well, I'm done with my ramblings. At least for now. ;) Have a great weekend! Allow God to teach you something new this weekend .... keep growing in Him. :) I'm off to hang out with my youth group kids! Sweeet! :D
Outdoors ... ah, yes!
Hey, all! :) Short and swweeet post .... I love pictures. I'm a photographer ... not a very good one. But I really like taking pictures. Pictures of friends ... pictures of outdoorsy stuff. Yep ... that's what I like. So .... I have tons of pictures of my friends all over my blog ..... but not many outdoorsies. Here are some shots I took today ... I really like clouds and trees ... and even leaves. Ha ha! I love pictures ... and those who like the outdoors will probably enjoy these almost as much as I do. ;)
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
"L" in T.U.L.I.P.
Wow! My brain is getting a workout! Don't you love that feeling?! Especially when it is a result of grappling with the things of God! Swweeet!!! Alright! Well ... that said ... just warning you that I'm about to spill some thoughts about a controversial issue within our faith. You can agree. You can disagree. But think about what GOD'S WORD says rather than whether or not YOU think it is in or not in God's character. This is deep stuff! The deepest stuff I've ever thought about! ......... But when some of your best friends are Ben and James Nilsen - it is inevitable that this will come up in conversation. :) I love those guys!
A couple weeks ago, I went to Mammoth Cave with the Nilsens and some other fun folks. I rode down with James, Kim, Elise, and Elise's friend, Drew, and we got to talking about Calvinism. Yep ... I know you're afraid! A crazyily controversial issue! .... You just mention Calvinism or something with one of the points in it (... I think James and I like to talk about predestination the most ... ha ha!) to Ben or James ... and you better be ready to get deep! ;) .... I forget how we got talking about it, but I started asking what the 5 points are (because I always forget) ... and after James told me a little about each one, I started asking about limited atonement. James said this is the toughest point of the 5 to grasp. ........ Well, I've been thinking about it a bit since then ... trying to wrap my mind around this crazy concept. I didn't get too far ... but I'm a bit farther than I was, so that's fun! .... I've been trying to e-mail my thoughts to James this week ... but he's an oober busy guy. I'm gonna post my last e-mail to James here .... to get some thoughts out about some of this mind-boggling Calvinist stuff. It should be fun ... and only a little scary. ;) I hope ... if some of you don't believe anything about Calvinism .... you will still be my friend after this post. ;) ..... Here it is!
Alright, James .... I'm still grappling with this. Ha! Ha!
I googled TULIP this morning, and here's what I found about limited atonement. Here are the scriptures this site gave me (the site is www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip ... in case you were wondering). ;) .... Matthew 26:28, John 10:11&15, Matthew 25:32-33, John 17:9, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 5:25-27, and Isaiah 53:12. I was also given 1 John 2:2 on another site, which threw my mind into a tailspin! Sheesh!
The site talked about how Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (His shed blood) is sufficient for everyone but how it's not efficacious for everyone. Efficacious. Big word, I know. I looked it up ... and it means: "capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy, etc." Some synonyms for it are: effectual, efficient, productive, active, capable, effective, forcible, potent, powerful, prevalent, useful, valid. Yeah ... I gave you the whole list ... don't you love copy and paste? ;) .... Anyway ... I was glad I looked it up. ... Jesus' sacrifice was more than able to take care of everyone's sins, but it was not effective in taking care of everyone's sins. Does that sound right? .... I can't fully wrap my head around this concept ... but I think I am getting there (a little). Going back to unconditional election .... since God chose the people who would come to know Him, it sort of makes sense to me that Christ's sacrifice was not effective for those who were not chosen. 'Cause if Christ's sacrifice was effective for everyone, then everyone would have been chosen ... right? Does that make sense? .... So I think I can grasp that part of it. But then there's the question of ... why did God only choose certain people? ... That goes back to the second point, unconditional election. Ha! Wow! This is crazy! And another thing ... backing up a bit .... the verses this site gave me don't really prove anything about limited atonement. They are pretty vague. In Matthew 26:28 and Isaiah 53:12 --- these verses talk about Christ's blood being shed for "many." Vague. And the sheep and the goats talked about in John 10:11&15 and Matthew 25:32-33 ... how do we know the goats are those who were not chosen? Couldn't they just be people who are not saved? Granted, the whole limited atonement thing says the unsaved are the ones who were not chosen (those whom Christ's sacrifice was not effective for) ... but these verses in and of themselves don't prove that the goats are those whom God did not choose. ....... Wow! Crazy stuff.
I'm not presenting this to you or asking you about it because I am trying to disprove the "L" in TULIP. If point #2 is valid (unconditional election) ... and I believe it is (even though I think it's nuts!) ... then point #3 (limited atonement) makes more sense to me. But I don't think the verses that this website provides help support this point. I think it comes down to if you don't believe unconditional election is valid, then you can't believe limited atonement is valid. Unconditional election is what affects/brings about limited atonement.
Ahh! It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me ... but I'm gonna trust that God knows what He's doing. ... I know this is long .... and I know you're busy ... but I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on this if you get some time .... even if your reply is a month down the road. Reply when you can ... if you can. :) I hope your week is going well! Praying for you, friend --- everyday! :D
Bye for now,Mical :)
So what do you all think?? Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts! And let's keep grapplin' with the things of God!!!!
A couple weeks ago, I went to Mammoth Cave with the Nilsens and some other fun folks. I rode down with James, Kim, Elise, and Elise's friend, Drew, and we got to talking about Calvinism. Yep ... I know you're afraid! A crazyily controversial issue! .... You just mention Calvinism or something with one of the points in it (... I think James and I like to talk about predestination the most ... ha ha!) to Ben or James ... and you better be ready to get deep! ;) .... I forget how we got talking about it, but I started asking what the 5 points are (because I always forget) ... and after James told me a little about each one, I started asking about limited atonement. James said this is the toughest point of the 5 to grasp. ........ Well, I've been thinking about it a bit since then ... trying to wrap my mind around this crazy concept. I didn't get too far ... but I'm a bit farther than I was, so that's fun! .... I've been trying to e-mail my thoughts to James this week ... but he's an oober busy guy. I'm gonna post my last e-mail to James here .... to get some thoughts out about some of this mind-boggling Calvinist stuff. It should be fun ... and only a little scary. ;) I hope ... if some of you don't believe anything about Calvinism .... you will still be my friend after this post. ;) ..... Here it is!
Alright, James .... I'm still grappling with this. Ha! Ha!
I googled TULIP this morning, and here's what I found about limited atonement. Here are the scriptures this site gave me (the site is www.calvinistcorner.com/tulip ... in case you were wondering). ;) .... Matthew 26:28, John 10:11&15, Matthew 25:32-33, John 17:9, Acts 20:28, Ephesians 5:25-27, and Isaiah 53:12. I was also given 1 John 2:2 on another site, which threw my mind into a tailspin! Sheesh!
The site talked about how Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross (His shed blood) is sufficient for everyone but how it's not efficacious for everyone. Efficacious. Big word, I know. I looked it up ... and it means: "capable of having the desired result or effect; effective as a means, measure, remedy, etc." Some synonyms for it are: effectual, efficient, productive, active, capable, effective, forcible, potent, powerful, prevalent, useful, valid. Yeah ... I gave you the whole list ... don't you love copy and paste? ;) .... Anyway ... I was glad I looked it up. ... Jesus' sacrifice was more than able to take care of everyone's sins, but it was not effective in taking care of everyone's sins. Does that sound right? .... I can't fully wrap my head around this concept ... but I think I am getting there (a little). Going back to unconditional election .... since God chose the people who would come to know Him, it sort of makes sense to me that Christ's sacrifice was not effective for those who were not chosen. 'Cause if Christ's sacrifice was effective for everyone, then everyone would have been chosen ... right? Does that make sense? .... So I think I can grasp that part of it. But then there's the question of ... why did God only choose certain people? ... That goes back to the second point, unconditional election. Ha! Wow! This is crazy! And another thing ... backing up a bit .... the verses this site gave me don't really prove anything about limited atonement. They are pretty vague. In Matthew 26:28 and Isaiah 53:12 --- these verses talk about Christ's blood being shed for "many." Vague. And the sheep and the goats talked about in John 10:11&15 and Matthew 25:32-33 ... how do we know the goats are those who were not chosen? Couldn't they just be people who are not saved? Granted, the whole limited atonement thing says the unsaved are the ones who were not chosen (those whom Christ's sacrifice was not effective for) ... but these verses in and of themselves don't prove that the goats are those whom God did not choose. ....... Wow! Crazy stuff.
I'm not presenting this to you or asking you about it because I am trying to disprove the "L" in TULIP. If point #2 is valid (unconditional election) ... and I believe it is (even though I think it's nuts!) ... then point #3 (limited atonement) makes more sense to me. But I don't think the verses that this website provides help support this point. I think it comes down to if you don't believe unconditional election is valid, then you can't believe limited atonement is valid. Unconditional election is what affects/brings about limited atonement.
Ahh! It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me ... but I'm gonna trust that God knows what He's doing. ... I know this is long .... and I know you're busy ... but I'd love to hear some of your thoughts on this if you get some time .... even if your reply is a month down the road. Reply when you can ... if you can. :) I hope your week is going well! Praying for you, friend --- everyday! :D
Bye for now,Mical :)
So what do you all think?? Don't hesitate to leave your thoughts! And let's keep grapplin' with the things of God!!!!
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