put_your_rain_coat_on's Xanga

Friday, February 23, 2007

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 23:40:44 GMT

Good Memories

It's really snowy and cold up here in the Adirondack Mountains of up-state New Nork. One of the things I loved the most about living in Albuquerque was the way the sun would rise over the Sandia Mountains . . . Did you know that the official state aircraft of New Mexico is the hot air balloon?

Imagine waking up to this just about EVERY DAY of the year . . .

Sunset was pretty nice, too . . .

Monday, February 19, 2007

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 13:16:47 GMT

Update

This semester is going by extremely fast. Xanga has dropped down about one thousand rungs on the priority ladder with all the stuff that's going on. We have 20 class/chapel periods from Tuesday through Friday; then, on Friday afternoon, we start snow camp (400+ teens every weekend - and no sleep), and that goes till early Sunday afternoon; then we have chapel at 3:30 on Sunday, and Sunday night everybody either hangs out or sleeps. We have Mondays off to catch up on school work (and sleep) from the previous week, and then start it over again on Tuesday. When you add in all the time spent reading books, doing homework, working, going to meetings, etc . . . it's pretty crazy.

One of the major things I've been learning this quarter is the fact that Jesus was a man. You say: "You didn't know Jesus was a man!?" Of course I knew He was a man; but I did what probably most other people do . . . I saw Jesus as God who came to earth and looked like a man. But He did not just look like a man . . . He was a man. It's a hard concept to grasp . . . maybe it's impossible to grasp fully. The Bible says that God does not get tired, but Christ got tired and slept; the Bible says God does not experience hunger, but Christ got hungry and ate; the Bible says God is omniscient, but Christ was ignorant of things. You may be wondering if I'm trying to imply that Chist was not fully God . . . I am definitely not, but it would take an extremely long time (time that I don't have) for me to explain all of this in detail. The point is: Christ really is an example for me to follow. I don't just look at Christ in the Scriptures and say, "Wow, I wish I were God so I could do those things;" I can do those things. I can live victoriously over sin.

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in EVERY WAY, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people [Heb 2:17]. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been [tested] in every way, just as we are - yet without sin.

Awesome!

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 16:47:15 GMT

Sweet Sorrow

I have had such a nice break from school. I was able to spend a lot of time with my church family . . . being back in my home church for the past month has really reminded me of how much I love it there. I love the people, I love the atmosphere, I love the leadership . . . I just love it, and I am really going to miss it.

While I am very much going to miss my church family, I am very much looking forward to going back to school (tomorrow) and being with all the people I love up there - Carrie, especially. I love being surrounded by people who love the Lord. I love being at a school where I can get over twenty hours of teaching straight out of the Bible every week . . . and that's not even including the hours of studying, talking, and reading done outside of class.

I hate leaving my church, but I love the fact that I'm going back to school . . . I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad, but I suppose that's irrelevant. I ought to be content.

Annex:
It appears that I have been looking at this situation all wrong. Thanks to those of you who commented.

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Tue, 26 Dec 2006 16:21:56 GMT

Giving

It seems as if people (not all people) give during Christmas, not because they want to give, but because they believe that others will hold something against them if they don't. Hmm.

Can giving be an act of selfishness? I think so. What do you think?

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 16:46:35 GMT

Where Do I Begin?

A lot has happened in my life these last four and a half years. I have gone through and graduated from high school; I moved from Worcester, Massachusetts to Albuquerque, New Mexico and lived in ABQ for two years; I developed quite a bit in the area of instrumental and vocal music; I have met and become friends with some amazing people; I have traveled to some pretty cool places; and God has produced an insane amount of growth in my life. While, for the most part, all of my experiences during the last four years have been amazing, there is one thing . . . One person, rather . . . Echem! . . . One girl, rather, who, second only to the goosebump-giving excitement of seeing and experiencing God working in and through my life, molding my heart, and transforming my mind, outshines them all . . . This girl's name is Carrie Mossop.

I met this fantastic female five summers ago at (on?) the Word of Life Island in Schroon Lake, New York. I don't think I believe in "love at first sight." I would call it something more like "really, really, really . . . really, ridiculously strong attraction at first sight." Carrie and I spent a pretty decent chunk of time that week on The Island hanging out, talking, etc. I was initially attracted to Carrie because she was (and still is) BEAUTIFUL, but as I interacted with her, and saw her passion and love for the Lord . . . wow . . . Speechless? Yeah.

We kept in touch via Email for about a year. It's a little funny . . . but after that year of Email, I really didn't know Carrie much more than I did when we first met. All we really wrote about were things that had to do with what God had been doing in our lives, what we had been learning, how we had been growing, and things of that nature.

Something happened somewhere along the line with the Email service or something . . . I don't even know, really . . . but we lost contact for a span of time (maybe a few months?). Life went on, of course, and my room got really messy. I was in the process of cleaning my room and I happened upon a small piece of paper that had Carrie's name/address on it. I didn't even know I had it! I was pretty excited because I really missed being able to communicate with her. I sat down that day and wrote her a letter . . . and she wrote back! The content of our letters was pretty much along the same lines as our E-mails, but we shared a lot more about ourselves that we had not previously shared. Our letters were never "feelings-driven" - we never talked about any kind of "feelings" we may have had toward each other . . . We were just friends. So we wrote, and we saw each other once a year (for periods of time ranging from ten minutes to a week).

Carrie is three weeks younger than I, but she was homeschooled, so she finished school a year before I did. She was a first year student at the Word of Life Bible Institute while I was a senior in high school. I had gone back and forth throughout my high school career as to whether or not I wanted to spend a year at the BI or not. I eventually did decide on attending the BI, but it was not because Carrie was going to be there for the second year program. She had decided that she was going to attend Davis College in Binghampton, NY. By this time, I had pretty strong feelings for Carrie, but I was relieved (in a way) that we wouldn't be at the same school because that meant that I wouldn't be distracted . . . I was going to focus on my studies - focus on the Word. Flash forward to this SUMMER. I was visiting "home" and went up to Word of Life for a day to see Carrie, Jen, and some other folks. We were sitting around - talking, playing games, whatever - and Jen makes a comment about how she is the only one of "the girls" who wouldn't be "coming back for second year." This is where my keen, manly sense of logic kicked in . . . Carrie is one of "the girls;" and Jen is the only one of "the girls" not returning for second year; THEREFORE, Carrie was going to be at the BI for second year while I was there for first year . . . IN CONCLUSION: Carrie Mossop and Kevin McGinn would be existing on the Word of Life Bible Institute campus for an entire year at the SAME TIME. I think the first words that came out of my mouth were: "Uh . . . What?"

On September 5th I arrived at the BI for Student Leadership Training Week (RA training for me). I was standing around with a group of people I had just met and I happened to look over my shoulder . . . There she was (cue the music), walking towards me. There were so many things I wanted to say, but it wasn't the right time, so I had to wait. I waited for about seven/eight weeks (not counting the four years). Actually, if you go back a few posts, there is a post about "waiting." For those of you who didn't know what that was all about - now you know.

I obtained some wise counsel, and I prayed for discernment, trusting that God would enable me to make the right decision. It's probably impossible to say that I was objective or impartial, but I do solidly believe that (after praying for discernment for quite a while) if pursing the relationship was not the right thing to do, God would have made that clear to me. All the doors that I saw were wide open . . . but I couldn't see anything past the door. It was black. I really had no idea how she felt because we had never talked about our feelings. I had some ideas . . . some assumptions of what she may have felt about me, but I had no idea if she saw me in the same light that I saw her. I wrote a letter to her father. He drove five hours from Buffalo to Pottersville, NY to meet with her, and then with me. Carrie and I talked, prayed, I almost cried (yeah yeah) and BAM. How do YOU spell relief? Carrie and I are now courting, and, in the words of Carrie's younger sister, "It's about time!"

Who can find a virtuous woman? *Kevin raises his hand* Her worth is far above jewels. *Kevin nods in agreement* The heart of her [boyfriend] trusts in her. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight (She made me a scarf!). She brings her food from afar (for personal, immediate consumption of course . . . gotta be a BI student to get that one). Her light does not go out at night (until night-watch pounds on her door). She is not afraid of the snow for her household (She's from Buffalo!). Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her [dorm], and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her [girls] rise up and bless her; her [boyfriend] also, and he praises her, saying: Many daughters have done nobly, but

You Excel Them All
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you . . .

Monday, November 27, 2006

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:39:44 GMT

Wisdom Teeth

My wisdom teeth started poking through today . . . How depressing. Let's use this as a learning opportunity, shall we?

Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars that most people get in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes these teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth when healthy and properly aligned, but more often, they are misaligned and require removal.

Wisdom teeth present potential problems when they are misaligned – they can position themselves horizontally, be angled toward or away from the second molars or be angled inward or outward. Poor alignment of wisdom teeth can crowd or damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone, or nerves. Wisdom teeth that lean toward the second molars make those teeth more vulnerable to decay by entrapping plaque and debris. In addition, wisdom teeth can be entrapped completely within the soft tissue and/or the jawbone or only partially break through or erupt through the gum. Teeth that remain partially or completely entrapped within the soft tissue and /or the jawbone are termed "impacted." Wisdom teeth that only partially erupt allows for an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection, which results in pain, swelling, jaw stiffness, and general illness. Partially erupted teeth are also more prone to tooth decay and gum disease because their hard-to-reach location and awkward positioning makes brushing and flossing difficult.

[WebMD]

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:54:08 GMT

Advice

Every piece of advice conceals a veiled criticism, unless it has been asked for.
[Paul Tournier]

That is more true than I want it to be.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Mon, 06 Nov 2006 22:11:12 GMT

Too Proud to Pray

One of Satan's wiliest tricks is to destroy the best by the good. Business and other duties are good, but we are so filled with these that they crowd out and destroy the best. Prayer holds the citadel for God, and if Satan can by any means weaken prayer he is a gainer so far, and when prayer is dead the citadel is taken. We must keep prayer as the faithful sentinel keeps guard, with sleepless vigilance. We must not keep it half-starved and feeble as a baby, but we must keep it in giant strength. Our prayer-chamber should have our freshest strength, our calmest time, its hours unfettered, without obtrusion, without haste. Private place and plenty of time are the life of prayer.
[Purpose in Prayer - E.M. Bounds]

The Dean of Men here at the Bible Institute said a couple weeks ago that one of the ways that pride manifests itself in the life of a believer is through a lack of prayer. As I thought about that statement, I realized more and more the truth of it. I do not pray the way I ought to because I am proud. I believe that I can do things on my own, even though I am clearly told in John 15 that without Him . . . I can do nothing! I used to think that it was my prayer life that needed work, but the root of the issue is my pride. How often do we do that? We look at external characteristics that we believe need to be better and we go about with our own resolutions and regulations to attempt to "fix" ourselves so we can be better used of God. We come up with a bunch of "touch nots, taste nots, and handle nots (Col 2:21)" instead of looking to the root issue and asking God to work out the impurities from the inside out. Instead of praying, "Lord, please help ME to . . ." we ought to say, "Lord, I can't, I need YOU to . . ."

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 15:34:54 GMT

Principles of Spiritual Growth
Miles J. Sanford

Some have been betrayed into professing perfection or full deliverance, because at the time they speak they are happy and confident in the Lord. They forget that it is not a present experience that ensures fruit unto maturity, but a patient continuance in well doing. To taste of the grace of God is one thing; to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit, and regular life, is another. Experiences and blessing, though real gracious visitations from the Lord, are not sufficient to rest upon, nor should they lead us to glory in ourselves, as if we had a store of grace for time to come, or were yet at the end of the conflict. No. Fruit ripens slowly; days of sunshine and days of storm each add their share. Blessing will succeed blessing, and storm follow storm before the fruit is full grown or comes to maturity. George Goodman

Forget about trying to be like Him. Instead of letting that fill our mind and heart, let Him fill it. Just behold Him, look upon Him through the Word. Come to the Word for one purpose and that is to meet the Lord. Not to get your mind crammed full of things about the sacred Word, but come to it to meet the Lord. Make it to be a medium, not of Biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. Behold the Lord.

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:34:47 GMT

John

Last week, Dr. Ben Gutierrez brought us through the Gospel of John here at the Bible Institute. There is no way for me to go over everything we looked at in the class, but here are a couple of the many highlights of the class . . .

Isaiah 55:9-11 talks about how the Word of God is sent out by God, it accomplishes the goal that God intended for it to accomplish, and it returns to God. John 1:1-3 talk about the Word (as Christ). Jesus was sent, He accomplished, and He returned (John 4:34; 17:4; and many more).

A commonly misunderstood passage is John 2:13 where Jesus goes into the Temple and overthrows the tabls of the money changers and leads out the animals. The problem was not that there were money changers at the temple (Deuteronomy says to have them there so that foreigners (Gentiles) can exchange their currency to buy animals and make their own sacrifices). The problem is that they were ripping off the Gentiles. Annas (a former High Priest who lost his office; He was also father-in-law to Caiaphas) was the man in charge of the money changers. The Jews called it "the Bazaar of Annas" and Jewish writings say that it is okay to deceive Annas because of all the evil he had done. He set up his Bazaar right in the middle of the Gentile court of the temple. Jesus walks in and tears up Annas's opperation to say that He is not only the Savior of the Jews, but for Gentiles as well. Do you remember who the Jews took Jesus to see first after he was arrested? Annas.

Acts 1:8 says to take the Gospel to Jerusalm, Judea/Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus practiced this before he preached it. In John 3, Jesus encounters Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews in the Sanhedrin - a Pharisee. In Chapter 4, Jesus goes to the Samaritan woman. Later in chapter four, Jesus encounters the nobleman - a Roman Gentile. Jews, Samaritans, and the uttermost - the Gentiles.

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus has all the remander of the bread to be collected and put in baskets so that nothing be LOST. They collected twelve baskets. Jesus was saying that he is the bread of life for the Jews. In Joshua 3:10, the seven major nations that God was going to lead Israel against are named. In Mark 7:31-8:8, after the feeding of the four thousand, Jesus has his disciples collect the food left over and there are seven baskets remaining. Jesus is the bread of life for the Gentiles. When Jesus appears to his disciples in John 21:1-14, they are fishing and catching nothing. He tells them to throw their nets over the other side, they pull up the net and find that they have caught 153 fish. So, what? At this time in history, the number of the known nations of the world was one hundred fifty three. Jesus came for the world.

There is so much more that I could talk about, but I really don't have the time to write it all down. If anybody would be interested in seeing my notes, just leave me your e-mail and I'll send them to you.