A Series of Scripture

Chapter 1

"But in the past, when you didn't know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods. But now, since you know God, or rather have BECOME KNOWN BY GOD, how can you turn back agian to the WEAK and BANKRUPT elemental forces?"
Galatians 4:8-9

I love a few things about this passage of scripture. He is speaking to people who worship the law and refuse to leave it behind to embrace its fulfillment, the Christ. He says they are enslaved to things that are not even close to being gods. They are fully worshiping things that are lower in the creation order than they. I love Paul's description of those things, "Weak and Bankrupt." Its like he says, "These things have no power to save and no value whatsoever, in fact if you enslave yourself to them they'll take all you've got and leave you naked and lost.
Do not be overcome by the weak and bankrupt gods of your past and in this I am speaking to myself.

Growth

its been an interesting semester thus far. I have found myself nearly two months in wondering what I am doing here?....if I should be here?....what am I striving for?....Am I wasting my time? I think about Paul when he says that he doesn't beat the air aimlessly, he knew without a doubt what he wanted and what his goal was and all he did was for the purpose of that goal. Sometimes I feel like I'm beating the air, moving without thought or care, moving towards something all the while becoming nothing.
I met with the college pastor I work for this morning and I was voicing some of these things to him about my frustrations with seminary and wanting the degree, but feeling like I might be wasting my time and he said something that resonated with me. He said, "Well my reasons for going to seminary when I went were a little different. I didn't go to learn ministry, I went to grow in my faith and I got what I wanted and am all the better for it. He is a few hours shy of finishing his degree, but he has been doing ministry for a good while and he is changing lives. He is changing lives not because he went to seminary to prepare for ministry, but because he did what it took to grow in his salvation.
what if my mindset for all things in life was that....that no matter what I did it was a chance to grow in my faith. Examples: going places that make me uncomfortable, having challenging conversations. You know, even things you don't like to do. what if I approached my life that way? If I'm not getting something out of my current life its not the fault of my surroundings. Growth is not confined to circumstances, rather it is refined in circumstances.
Just some thoughts on my current place in life. There is more, so much more, but i have too much to do to share them now. Love to each of you!

It is amazing what nice weather can do for one' sense of morale!

So, more Fort Worth Randomness...
I drove by this sign yesterday of this little house that had just been turned into a beauty shop. The sign read,

"WANDO DO WONDERS beauty salon"

I'm thinking about going there to test out the slogan. You just never know!

sorry for the furlow...

I do believe that this is the longest that I have gone without writing. It makes me sad to because I love this outlet. Sorry to any of you who might have thought I fell off the face of the earth, although I sometimes feel as if that is what has happend as well. It is intersting because I feel like the last two months I have spent so much time thinking and yet not thinking at all and having nothing to post on here. Maybe its all just jumbled. I have had a harder time transitioning back into this life than I thought I would. Don't get me wrong, I love my job with the church and I love my middle schoolers (most days) and I love the things I am learning, but it all seems so fragmented, so heavy. I was at the middle school yesterday teaching my class how to cook mini pizzas and while we were waiting on them to cook I listened as they talked about all kinds of things (mostly things they should know nothing of) and I caught my self staring with my mouth open with absolutely nothing to say. I felt burnt out in that moment and kind of hopeless in that job as a ministry.
I read this this morning: Solomon is finishing up Ecclesiastes. This is the summation of all that he has learned from denying himself nothing. He says this:
"But beyond these, my son, be warned: there is no end to the making of many books, and much study wearies the body. When all has been heard,the conclusion of the matter is: fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity." Ecc. 12:12-13

That really is all I want out of life...all else seems sort of like chaff that will blow away, excess baggage to be thrown off.