Your Jeans Will Wash, Just Like Your Soul

Tonight I had the chance to get edified at C of I's Late Night worship service.

A story about two men crossing the Red Sea in Exodus came up.  The men look down at the ground and all they see is mud, and they had mud in Egypt, so how is this Red Sea thing any different?  What they missed when they were looking at their feet was what was above them.  What is the mud compared to the walls of water God had just moved to create a safe passage?  Instead of finding God in the situation, they ignored Him for their earthly woes.  

They weren't looking up. 

 

I just began a new term at school.  And already, I'm overwhelmed.  I am up to my knees in mud.  Mud makes me grumble.  Mud makes me go through the motions, watching my feet squelch instead of lifting my head and my heart to the glory of all the gifts God has given to me.  He parts my seas EVERY DAY.  I just don't always see it.  I need to look up for God, to see what He has already put before my eyes.  There's a reason Jesus said "Seek and you shall find."  It's because what you need is already in front of you-- God knows you!  He wants you!  Just stop worrying about your mud, look up, and meet Him.

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say
You're beautiful

I see Your power in the moonlit night
Where planets are in motion and galaxies are bright
We are amazed in the light of the stars
It's all proclaiming who You are
You're beautiful, You're beautiful

I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died and then you rose again for me
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You're beautiful, you're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity's shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We'll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we'll sing
You're beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful

Translated with Love and Cheez-Its

Earlier this week I mentioned 1 Corinthians, so I decided to to open up the old Greek New Testament and do a little translation of my own.  Here's 1 Corinthians 1:18-25:

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to the ones being destroyed, but is God's power to us, the ones being saved.

19 For it is written:  "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the understanding of those possessing understanding I will make invalid."

20 Where is the wise one?  Where is the scribe?  Where is the reasoner of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21 For since in God's wisdom the world through wisdom has not known God, Good took delight through the foolishness of what is preached to save the ones who believe.

22 And since the Jews demand signs and the Hellenists seek wisdom,

23 now we preach Christ having been crucified, that which causes sin to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles,

24 But to them, the ones called, Jews as well as Gentiles, Christ- God's power and God's wisdom:

25 Because the foolish of God is wiser than man is and the weak of God is stronger than man is.

As you can see from the handy (and handsome) banner, I'm going to, at least once a week, translate a passage from the Bible from the original Greek, to keep me in practice both in language and regular Bible-learnin'.

Also, in my bible study today we discussed a section of CS Lewis's Mere Christianity.  Because of this, I will be spending my break week from school reading this book, and posting what I think of it here.  There, y'all have something to look forward to now.

Teach Me Lord, To Wait

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." 

 

I'll just say it- This is one of those nights when I wish I had a boy who was a friend who liked me, who may even be "in love" with me.  That the connection I'm craving right now.

I may not have the "love" I want right now, but I know I have so much love already that it's spilling out of my hands.  I have beautiful friends, and Sister, and Soul Mate, and a Savior and God that has made me smart and pretty- He made me exactly how He wanted me to be!  And He's tailored someone to be my exact fit!  And if I get lonely and gnash my teeth sometimes, I can take comfort in knowing whatever petty thing I'm going through now will be more than made up for when I get him.   

1 Corinthians 13:8-10

"Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but  

when completeness comes, what is in part disappears."

Rejoice, be strong.

~Kylie

Beginning of the Tunnel

Lately all I've been wanting to do is take a moon lit drive through the desert while listening to "The Funeral" by Band of Horses and other such sad sounding songs.