Overwhelmed, Yet Excited

The title of this blog is the best way to describe my first two days of seminary. The amount of work required (primarily reading) is becoming more of a reality. Yes, I knew it would be hard work and a lot of reading, but now I have to actually do it. Although it's intimidating, I am very excited about what God is going to reveal to me in the process. I don't want to just complete assignments to get a grade to get a degree. I want these assignments to be corridors that open my eyes to see God more fully in the face of Jesus Christ. I'm taking Church History, Biblical Hermeneutics (Interpreting Scripture), Elementary Greek, and Old Testament 1 (Genesis-Esther). This gives me a large sampling of areas where I can be open to God's revelation of Himself. I ask for your continuous prayers on my behalf that I may manage my time well between school, work, family, and personal devotions. And for those who just want to see pictures...here's some of our family. :)

Desensitized

British terrorist plots. Chinese typhoons. Middle East wars. Indonesian earthquakes. Man-made or geological, destruction and evil are everywhere. It's easy these days to be unfazed by things outside our personal sphere. When I surf the net, I'm much more likely to just scan the news headlines and only read the ones that involve sports. I haven't taken the time to really read the stories about the typhoon or earthquake. When I'm watching TV and something comes on about the fierce battles in the middle east, I usually turn the channel. I hardly watch the news, except to watch the weather forecast, because I see stories about pregnant pharmacy cashiers trying to fight off burglars or daycare workers arrested for forgetting a child in a van during triple-digit temperatures and then dropping his lifeless body off at a local park to make it look like he died from heat exhaustion. These stories shake up my "perfect world". I like to be happy, and if being oblivious to pain and evil is the way I have to get there, I guess that's what I do. I even get desensitized reading the Bible. I've heard the stories many times, but there was definitely some pain going on. Jesus actually promised his followers suffering if they truly followed him. I've subscribed to a free publication called Voice of the Martyrs that talks about Christians being persecuted around our globe. I pray that God would remove my calloused heart and replace it with one that feels the pain and joins Him in His mission to help them see that He is all they need...Even when the typhoon hits...Even when the planes blow up...Even when the building shakes...Even when a loved one dies...Even when the pressures of life feel like they're going to crush you...Even when you feel "happy".

2 Corinthians 1:5 "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows."