Living, now...

Dear folks,

Some day, I will begin to update this site regularly...

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...