I have begun this post unsure of what I will write. I have had many ideas over the past months and just haven't taken the time to put them somewhere permanent. This past year was one of the roughest I have ever experienced and I know that it has been the same for many of those that I know...and I know that in some ways, things will not get any easier....
But that is not reason to give up celebrating!

I was thinking a lot one week about the things that were bothering, not an uncommon thought pattern for me, and I began to analyze the depth of the problems rather than the number. I was amazed at how one thing at the beginning of my week that happened in a matter of minutes could affect me so strongly for the following week/ month/ year. Why is it that I allow one small thing to destroy my life when an abundance of love, grace, joy, and kindness surrounds me in much greater measure?

Having just seen "I Am Legend," I feel as though an example from that movie is in order. Throughout the movie, the main character is struggling to find a cure for the large portion of humanity that has been infected with the KV virus...and still lives in a state that causes them to seem very evil. Most of us would likely feel the need to kill these diseased humans (easily confused with zombies by many who saw the movie) in self-defense. Will Smith's character does seek these creatures out, though not to kill them...he has stayed in the city, placing himself in harm's way, to cure them if he can. He has stayed to save these people who basically want to kill him for their own survival...

The love he showed for those most would consider terrible enemies is one of those things in life that is hard to comprehend. He could have hated them (which he did end up doing for a short time) but he mostly remained focused on his purpose of rescuing them (...all of humanity) from total extinction. Another thing that amazed me was that he remained hopeful through much of the movie that he would find a cure and did not despair about the difficulty of what was happening to him. He took the good moments and made those the things he dwelt upon.

Another question (my final one) that this movie brought up was: When could the line be drawn between human and non-human with these creatures? This brought to mind issues like abortion and Terry Schiavo's case from several years back. This same question has been asked and I think this movie answered the question the way it needed to be answered...if people will look that deeply. They are always human...
...I am not sure if any of this makes sense, but those are my thoughts...to be quickly followed by Scripture.

"Seek good, and not evil,
   that you may live;
and so the LORD, the God of hosts, will be with you,
   as you have said.
Hate evil, and love good,
   and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the LORD, the God of hosts,
   will be gracious..."
Amos 5:14-15

"O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;
   save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
   rending it in pieces, with none to deliver. O LORD my God, if I have done this,
   if there is wrong in my hands,
if I have repaid my friend with evil
   or plundered my enemy without cause,
let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
   and let him trample my life to the ground
   and lay my glory in the dust."
Psalm 7:1-5

Blessings to all! I will post again...hopefully soon.

Your brother in Christ!

~Schwa
~~~ ><> ~~~

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

~2 Cor. 4:14-16

This post was inspired by a friend of mine who went through some difficult times at Patrick Henry College last year. God's work is very evident in her life as you read through what she has written. She saw everything as a blessing from God and held on to Him without ceasing. I hope that you are encouraged...

“abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge…”

By Anna Hybert (PHC student)

When weary sigh and heavy soul
accompanied my way
When hopeless hope and groundless trust
my constant stiff and stay
I lost a quasi-grip on life
and stared into despair
But yet there shined a hopeful light
and stayed my wand'rings there
Lord, I know what 'tis to say,
"I know, but don't believe."
O help my fainting heart to faith,
and help my unbelief!
Though many trials and helpless woes
accost the weary lame
I know the good you form from throes
to the glory of Your name!

I hope you are still able to read at this point. I have had to pause every time I read this because I am convicted that I have not felt the same joy and hope. I have been struggling with much anger and discontentment. In reading through scripture I often sinfully hope that there will be a verse to justify my feelings...
...and then I am shown all the verses in which my Father is pleading with me to hear His call to love.

In the deep love of Christ which abounds in richness more than any we can give...
~Schwa
~~~ ><> ~~~

Hey all!
I'm back!!!
Since I know my fan base is so distraught at my lack of posting, I thought it was time to get back on and do something.

News:
For those of you who don't know...most of you probably do...I am now in Air Force ROTC (reserve officer training corps). Pretty much...I am in the Air Force. When I graduate from school in 3 years, I will most likely be a Second Lieutenant. I travel up to Cornell University for my Air and Space classes every Thursday and I am there pretty much all day. I will probably also be heading up on Tuesday nights for Drill Team/ Color Guard practices (and infrequently on Sundays when I am required to be there...such as this past Sunday and the coming Sunday).
Other than that, not much going on...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For my devotions this morning, (immediately after my extremely early workout with the Army) I was reading  the book, "Relationships: a Mess Worth Making" by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp. The book is intended to show you how you live your life to have a godly relationship with all people. Many people probably grab this book off the shelf because it looks like another good book about courting or dating. When I grabbed it, one of the first things that struck me was that it was NOT another book about that. It is for all relationships. With your parents, spouse, brothers, sisters, friends, co-workers, and extended family. From what I have read so far, I would highly recommend this book.

Anyway, from what I was reading this morning, I came up with a few questions to evaluate myself and I thought that they would be appropriate to list for you to consider. They deal with the issue of what you desire and tend to get out of relationships.
So here they are:
In  a relationship...
-Do you want someone to make you happy?
-Do you expect to be served?
-Do you demand/ expect respect and do you think that you are only respected or loved when another person does something you like or desire?
-Do you seek identity from your relationships with others?
-Do you define your life based on the Bible or based on another person you want to like or enjoy you?
-(The opposite of the previous) Are you the kind of  person that only hangs out or likes people who do things that are fun or comfortable?

And these are for the singles and other young adults
-Would you "fall in love" because something about a person makes you happy or comfortable?
~For this last one...
I do not want to imply by this question that if you are happy or comfortable around people that you can't love them. What I mean by this question is to ask whether you would only fall in love because they are good looking, strong, attentive to what you want, etc...
Again, none of these things are bad things, but if they are what you expect out of a relationship...you will be disappointed!
Here is a quote from the book to illustrate better what I am saying here:
"When we live out of a sense of who we are in Christ, we live our lives based on all we have been given by Christ. This keeps us from seeking to get those things from the people and situations around us. This is why there are so many identity statements in the New Testament. (Col. 1:21-23; 1 Pet. 2:9-12; 1 Jn. 3:1-3; Eph. 1-3; Heb. 10:19-25). Much of the disappointment and heartache we experience is the result of our attempts to get something from relationships that we already have in Christ. In almost thirty years of counseling, I have talked with countless women in difficult marriages who said, 'All I ever wanted was for my husband to make me happy.' My first thought is, invariably, Well, then, he's cooked."

Final question:
Are you patient enough to wait on God for strong relationships or do you force it to happen?

Hopefully this is useful for some or all of you. I know for me it helped me see some areas that I need be evaluating myself on more often. Please post your questions and comments... if you feel that the questions are helpful, I want to know. If you feel that some are pointless or not useful, I also want to know. If you think you have another good question, post a comment so others can see it and so that I can add it to my own list.

Your bro in Christ!
~Schwa
~~~ ><> ~~~