Pascal

bmat11288 — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:50:11 +0000

“Wisdom leads us back to childhood. Except ye become as little children.“

Shelby Farms

bmat11288 — Fri, 11 May 2007 03:57:14 +0000

UTK

bmat11288 — Sun, 06 May 2007 05:18:51 +0000

I’ve not only survived my freshman year at UT but thoroughly enjoyed it. Farewell Knoxville:: see you in the fall.

The Serve Hymn- A. Peterson

bmat11288 — Sun, 06 May 2007 04:45:51 +0000

High this mountain, broad this sea
Still, my sin ran deeper
Grave offense my soul did wreak
Against creation’s keeper
But see what power so fell and fair
Has stayed His holy justice
God Himself all Hell did bear
How great His love for us is

So serve Him, O serve Him
He who brings the morning
O serve Him, Only serve Him
He who brings the morning

Ev’ry hour is a precious boon
Ev’ry breath is a mercy
Ev’ry glimpse of yonder moon
A balm upon this journey
How vast the heavens above this place
So small beneath His glory
Still He stooped and showed His face
And poured His mercy o’er me

Jesus, our Messiah King
For those who don’t deserve Him
Conquered death all life to bring
So seek His face and serve Him
O serve Him

Sing, O sing
Praise His name forever

loving as he does

bmat11288 — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 22:41:00 +0000

While I was sitting in psychology class today, I had a thought– I have a hard time loving people. But it’s more than that. I’ve noticed that when I’m struggling to love people, imagining them as their potential self has helped me treat them better. There’s something very wrong in that though. God loves me just as I am. He does want me to grow and change and mature, but He loves me unconditionally, all the time. And I am called to love my neighbor in the same way that He loves. I must learn to love others exactly as they are, not as who they could be…and for no other reason than Christ’s beautiful, irrational love for me.

relevant::

bmat11288 — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 05:10:00 +0000

My fellow introverts, you may enjoy this article::
http://www.relevantmagazine.com/life_article.php?id=7308

grace

bmat11288 — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 02:56:00 +0000

The Lutheran guy who spoke last night said something funny. The reason it’s so funny is because it’s so true, and yet the fact that it’s true is very sad. He sarcastically advised that all Christians should go to college, surround themselves with people who think the exact same way they do, find one to marry, breed, and then die.

I’ve been re-reading Blue Like Jazz. I had forgotten how good it is. I just read through one of my favorite parts where he talks about how he used to have a lot of trouble accepting God’s grace. It seemed wrong to me not to have to pay for my sin, not to feel guilty about it or kick myself around. He describes a time when he was at the grocery store, and goes into detail about the woman in front of him pulling out food stamps to pay for her groceries. He desribes how awkward and uncomfortable the interaction is. The woman never lifted her head as she organized her bags of groceries and set them into her cart. She walked away from the checkout stand in the sort of stiff movements a person uses when they know they are being watched.
I realized that it was not the woman who should be pitied, it was me. It was not that I wanted to buy her groceries, the government was already doing that. I wanted to buy her dignity. And yet, by judging her, I was the one taking her dignity away.
I wonder what it would feel like to use food stamps for a month. I wonder how that would feel, standing in line at the grocery store, pulling from my wallet the bright currency of poverty, feeling the probing eyes of the customers as they studied my clothes and the items in my cart. I would want to explain to them that I have a good job and make good money.
I love to give charity, but I don’t want to be charity. This is why I have so much trouble with grace.

judging

bmat11288 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:04:00 +0000

“Jesus’ instructions with regards to judging other people is very simply put; He says, ‘Don’t.’ The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and the flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly be aware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.
There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself. Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.” -My Utmost for His Highest

beautiful collision

bmat11288 — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 00:11:00 +0000

Written from Brandon to me::
“I know what you mean, all too well, by wishing you had someone’s advice, wisdom, and spiritual guidance this past year. It seems, so many times in life, right when we need someone or something the most it’s taken away from us. Almost as if to make things worse on purpose, like God’s punishing us, or the enemy’s just kicking our butt. The funny thing is, it’s quite the contrary. It could not be a better blessing. Remember Hebrews 12:16 (Proverbs 3:11, 12)- ‘the Lord disciplines those he loves.’ Bethany, consider it a blessing. The Lord is with you every step of the way. He took away from you that which you thought you might need the most. Why? Because it produces humility and brokenness (Psalm 51:16, 17). And these in return produce reliance on Him and Him alone. Jesus need be your source, no other. Jesus need be your advice, your wisdom, your spiritual guidance, your source of joy. If he’s not, then dare I say it, may he take even more away from you! For ‘where our depravity meets His divinity is a beautiful collision.’ You know where that’s from.”

loving the lowly

bmat11288 — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 05:30:00 +0000

I’ve struggled to love. All people– friends especially. One thing that Donald Miller points out in Searching For God Knows What is that sinners felt comfortable in Jesus’ presense. That interests me a lot. Though he hated sin so much, he never showed contempt towards anyone. And therefore the lowly were attracted to him. He loved everyone, always. I’d really like to be able to say the same of myself. I’d like for the “the lowly” to feel comfortable around me because I’m loving them in the same way that Jesus loves me, in the same way that we’re called to love each other as in Romans 15:17. Accept one another, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Everything comes back to giving praise and glory to God, because that is why we’re here. I think the biggest thing that gets in the way of my loving others is pride. If I can humble myself I will find it easier to love people, to be obedient, and to glorify God in the things that I do, big or small.

“Jesus had friendships with people who were struggling. His love and acceptance was so fulfilling, that most people left the lifestyles they were living and found greater fulfillment in life with Him.”