Roommates

4 years.
13 roommates.

Forced out of one room, left one, invited into two others, lost one to marriage, and 3 to graduation.

1 month:
4 different housing discussions.
4 housing arrangements falling through.

friends who are no help - some because they can't be.

No place to live is not exciting - it's annoying, sad, and a little worrisome...  I guess I'm just not one of those people that one lives with - I don't know completely why...  But y'all didn't come here to read sappy nonsense...  I you have a place to live for about 9 months in Jackson, please let me know - I need it come the end of August.  Comment or something, I guess...

Because Julie posted...

This is my last day off from work.
I took it because I had to finish cleaning the room/house from where the Canine Agent of Destruction had visited her wrath (and her poo) upon all of my things while I was gone to Memphis on a mission trip.
Bleah.
Tomorrow, I will go back to AFLAC mode, thinking about insurance, etc., but today, this afternoon, and tonight, I will be going to church, reading a bit, blogging, and writing music.
I'm setting the texts of old hymns to new tunes for a set for my voice teacher to sing (hopefully) on required faculty recital in September.  I REALLY hope that I can finish them!!

        Anyway, I'm kinda feeling a little left out lately with weddings 'n' stuff...
          Everyone always asks me to play, and no one asks me to be in the actual wedding.  I guess I'm just not friends with folks that way, but it annoys me that I can't seem to be anyone's close friend - although, I might be already, and just not know it...  hmmm...  Is there a particular way close friendship looks?  Or am I just asking for the moon?


In other news,
On this mission trip to Memphis, I was reminded about why I had stayed here in Jackson rather than trying to go direct to grad school or anything:  It was for the folks in the youth group.  I particularly enjoy being around them (even though they often drive me absolutely crazy), and I really want to help the guys grow into men of God.  They have amazing potential, and it's a great privilege to work with and be around them.  The time with them in Memphis helped me remember that.
Lord, bless the youth of Northbrook.  Let them grow in love and passion for You so that the rest of their lives are lived for Your Glory.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

I know it's weird to pray in the middle of a blog, but hey, I'm weird, too...

If any church member (of ANY church) reads this, PLEASE do me a favor:  Pray for the youth of your church.  The young men in particular.  They have the potential to grow up into husbands and fathers that can change our world for the better by living for Jesus.  Pray that they will learn how to live as men of God, that they will be faithful to their wives, even when they are being emotionally destroyed, and that they will love Jesus and their families first.
I ask it as a personal favor that you pray this.
-Arron

El mar

God never makes the same thing twice.

Yet time and again, He makes the same thing.

Each time, it is different, and each time it is the same.

At the island of Cozumel on Tuesday May 29, the sea, el mar, was like nothing I had ever seen before.

The water was a thousand shades of unnamable blue, and el mar itself was almost like glass.  The waves were small - so small that the ocean looked like a pond.  It was a reviving sight.  El mar, the Spanish, sounds more majestic to me than "the sea" or "the ocean", but what it is called does not matter terribly much; it reminded me of the length, width, breadth, and mystery that is the Love of God for me, the sinner.  And that was more than enough.

So, I’ve realized how much easier it is to talk on a blog than in person… There is a guy that told me to call him rather than asking for details online about infant baptism from the Presbyterian point of view. I find myself actually intimidated by the prospect of actually talking to him on the telephone. It’s really weird to me that I feel so strange about calling someone I previously had no problem hassling online. I suppose it’s because it’s more of a reminder that bloggers are people, too… It’s much easier to be catty, or even downright snide when talking in the blogosphere than it is when there is actually a real person on the other end of a phone...

Habitual.....

You know, I hear a lot about habitual sin. Sin that is besetting, sin that just doesn't seem to let go, that slowly eats you from the inside out like a parasite.

And that's not exactly what I want to talk about here.

I was just listening to an old podcast by Mark Driscoll (I hope someday to catch up to the new ones...), and he said something interesting - just a passing comment on how leadership should act: He said of the leadership of his church "If you want to see flaws, they're there. But there is a love of God, and there is an ongoing and habitual repentance of sin."

Which brings me to my point: Maybe as Christians, we think about sin, habitual or otherwise, that we forget to repent of the sins of our life. Through a side note on a sermon on Church leadership (1 Cor. 4:14-21), Driscoll reminded me that part of being a Christian is constantly recurring confession and repentance.

So here I am reminding whoever is reading this thing: It's good to confess and repent. Keep a short account with God. Once you start to do it, it gets easier to remember to do.

Blessings on whoever reads this. Thanks...

Enjoy the Superbowl.

And also remember Who is the source of all enjoyment.

Goodnight.

Nothing too profound here...

There was snow here today... It's really a blast to see folks from Florida be in their first "real" snowfall up here in the Great White North of Tennessee.

Maybe there will be more later (both posting and snow)... I hope...

Well, here's a hard prayer to live up to... But good.

from The Valley of Vision

Evening Renewal
My Father, if Thy mercy had bounds, where would be my refuge from just wrath? But thy love in Christ is without measure. Thus, I present myself to Thee with sins of comission and omission, against Thee, my Father, against Thee, adorable redeemer, against Thee and Thy strivings, O Holy Spirit, against the dictates of my conscience, against the precepts of Thy Word, against my neighbours and myself. Enter not into judgment with me, for I plead no righteousness of my own, and have no cloak for iniquity. Pardon my day dark with evil. This night I renew my penitence. Every morning I vow to love Thee more fervently, to serve Thee more sincerely, to be more devoted in my life, to be wholly Thine; Yet I soon stumble, backslide, and have to confess my weakness, misery and sin. But I bless Thee that the finished work of Jesus needs no addition from my doings, that His oblation is sufficient satisfaction for my sins.

If future days be mine, help me to amend my life, to hate and abhor evil, to flee the sins I confess. Make me more resolute, more watchful, more prayerful. Let no evil fruit spring from evil seeds my hands have sown; Let no neighbour be hardened in vanity and folly by my want of circumspection. If this day I have been ashamed of Christ and His Word, or have shown unkindness, malice, envy, lack of love, unadvised speech, hasty temper, let it be no stumbling block to others, or dishonour to Thy name. O help me to set an upright
example that will ever rebuke vice, allure to goodness, and evidence that lovely are the ways of Christ.

I know NOTHING...

.... with respect to making this blog look or feel more interesting. I would like to learn, but in the meantime (before graduation in May), is there anything I can do to pimp this blog? comments/suggestions appreciated...

blasphemy... uh... huh?

There is a new website which challenges young people to deny the Holy Spirit. It specifically targets young people. I really find this a little bit (read "really freakin") disturbing. According to an NBC report from an affiliate in Roanoke on youtube, they're targeting kid because "Christians are, too.".............

Well, I know that the rationalists say that faith is illogical. But on the other hand, I would bet that a great majority have never experienced faith, nor a relationship with Jesus Christ. So.... um..... Rational to refuse something one doesn't understand? That's kinda hard for me to see...

But of course the Wisdom of the Cross is foolishness to those who are perishing; you can't understand what you can't see...

Anyway,

I felt I should respond. So here it is:
"...people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment," (Heb. 9:27b)

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."
"Blessing and honor and glory and Power be unto Him that sits upon the throne and unto the Lamb."

Which is to say, I guess you know whose side I'm on....

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world because he is the son of God, and through His blood alone comes the forgiveness of sins and the righteousness it takes to enter Heaven.

I've never said this anywhere to anyone before and really meant it. But there it is. And what's more, He is the greatest Lover of my soul. Without hearing "beloved" from Him every so often, I would simply wither up and die.

Now.

Am I delusional? Maybe... But consider if I am not... Then what? That's a big risk...

So I guess it's official - I really am a Jesus Freak. It's taken 21 years. But here I am. It's a strange feeling...

Something I've had reason to think about...

I've disappointed myself a lot lately... I've been concerned with things that don't matter. My new friend Josh has posted about this, too. I find myself losing passion for the things of God, screwing up, repenting, and repeating. I, like many others, am sick of messing up and of other folks messing up. And sometimes my heart breaks as it should for sin, but many times, I find myself slipping into apathy. That's what really kills - not the sin itself, but the apathy to do anything about it, although that itself is a sin as well. And it scares me.

How do I get to the place where I just don't care to spend time with God, to be with Him, to read the Bible, to live a life that I know is full, rich, and free?
Why do I constantly lose heart in my running the Race for Christ?
How do I come to drop my guard against sin to the point where it not only invades my body, but also anesthetizes me against its further invasion and destruction?

"Oh wretched man that I am, who will free me from..." the apathy I have for God and His work? I see a firey desire for Jesus in those around me that I don't have most of the time... That's what I'm waiting for now - the Passion to continue - to live as a man of God and not as a child of this world - to run the Race. Hard.


Declared, Bannered
Anathallo

"I could not look Him in the face,
so I stood revarnishing the floor with my eyes.
He stared into them with this love so offended and profound.
He tore the center of my shirt
and red was bleeding through
from underneath the white clothes that I wore.
The fire of devotion was only an ember.
Alarmed at this sign of decay,
my legs gave out
because there was no self left to stand on.
Thus, my heart was grieved, vexed in my mind,
still Your banner over me was love.
My walls are ever before You,
still Your banner over me is love.
But it was Your kind arms cradling me, a criminal.
But it was Your kind arms cradling me, a criminal....
Oh wretched worm of a man that I am,
on Thy kind arms I fall.
I'm just a man.
I'm just a criminal."

---
Jesus, thank you for showing Your Love to me, even when I have no passion for You. Thank you for calling me Your beloved. Grant me a Zeal for You - for Your words, for Your people, and for those who are without You.

Goodnight.

testing, 1,2,3...

I think I'm finally migrating from Xanga... Does anyone have good,
REALLY quick ideas of how to set up a great-looking blog on Blogger?
-AP