tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91114873076265319632024-03-05T20:08:03.357-08:00a raid on the inarticulateTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-17741605389948575882012-06-06T19:49:00.000-07:002012-06-06T19:49:10.139-07:00a raid on the inarticulate<a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrin0pdvy31qaoobjo1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrin0pdvy31qaoobjo1_500.jpg" width="256" /></a><br />
So here I am, in the middle way, having had twenty years-<br />Twenty years largely wasted, the years of l'entre deux guerres- <br />Trying to use words, and every attempt<br />Is a wholy new start, and a different kind of failure<br />Because one has only learnt to get the better of words<br />For the thing one no longer has to say, or the way in which<br />One is no longer disposed to say it. And so each venture<br />Is a new beginning, a raid on the inarticulate,<br />With shabby equipment always deteriorating<br />In the general mess of imprecision of feeling,<br />Undisciplined squads of emotion. And what there is to conquer<br />By strength and submission, has already been discovered<br />Once or twice, or several times, by men whom one cannot hope<br />To emulate - but there is no competition -<br />There is only the fight to recover what has been lost<br />And found and lost again and again: and now, under conditions<br />That seem unpropitious. But perhaps neither gain nor loss.<br />For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business. <br /><br />T.S. Eliot, East Coker V<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-84345836321413118292012-05-21T16:36:00.000-07:002012-05-21T16:36:00.567-07:00Psalm 28:7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXpf_T8edAWDUkhl4hTErWSlqhrJr5AdArqw7uWoWCirYDuUzHttNUNce4V7xjAqqjmpdqTl3ssQ0okLdKblOaptvX7rR459r45oAbqVLWZ0mjA_6_M7iX0neHCcEjccOzqJfp2CI1Rs/s1600/scripture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXpf_T8edAWDUkhl4hTErWSlqhrJr5AdArqw7uWoWCirYDuUzHttNUNce4V7xjAqqjmpdqTl3ssQ0okLdKblOaptvX7rR459r45oAbqVLWZ0mjA_6_M7iX0neHCcEjccOzqJfp2CI1Rs/s640/scripture.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-264733836977989992012-04-28T11:54:00.001-07:002012-04-28T11:55:19.030-07:00Review: A Severe Mercy<br />
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No book had ever made me cry. When I
read A Severe Mercy, I wept.</div>
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A Severe Mercy is
Sheldon Vanauken’s autobiography that deals with his relationship with his wife
Davy, their journey from paganism to Christianity, friendship with C.S. Lewis,
and Davy’s death. Many have written about romance, religious conversion and
tragedy, but it is the beauty and authenticity with which Vanauken tells his
story that sets it apart. The joy and pain of Vanauken’s story is played out
through philosophical contemplation, raw emotion, and honest wrestling with
God.</div>
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Although the story
centers around the life of Vanauken and Davy, the themes in the book transcend
their personal story, and even their lives. From the beginning of their
relationship, the Vanaukens deliberately cultivated a very thorough paradigm of
love, beauty, truth, and longing for eternity that underwent a major evolution
after their individual conversions to Christianity. “We saw self as the
ultimate danger to love, which it is; we didn’t see it as the ultimate evil of
hell, which it also is,” Vanauken writes about their pre-conversion worldview.</div>
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Vanauken’s story is
much more philosophical than a typical autobiography, yet his narrative is
anything but dry. The eloquent prose reflects his background as a literature
professor and an amateur poet. Throughout the book he lapses into the third
person to convey his thoughts, abstracting himself from his ideas in a way that
allows the readers to easily follow his reasoning. This detached treatment of
ideas provides contrast to his personal struggle to internalize those ideas,
and ultimately, to surrender himself to God.</div>
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A few years into their
marriage, the Vaunakens moved to Oxford for Sheldon’s studies. Their time close
acquaintance with a group of serious Christians there inspired them to study
the faith they had previously rejected. They greatly admired the work of C.S.
Lewis, and “on an impulse” Sheldon wrote to Lewis about his struggle to accept
Christianity. Their subsequent correspondence was instrumental in Vanauken’s
conversion, after which Lewis became a trusted mentor and lifelong friend, and
they maintained a lively correspondence even after the Vanaukens returned to
America. Many of the letters Sheldon received from C.S. Lewis are interspersed
throughout the latter half of the book, and provide Lewis’s characteristic
depth of wisdom.</div>
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After the Vanaukens
returned to America, Sheldon struggled with the realization that their love
must be subject to Christ. Early in their relationship and prior to their
conversion, the Vanaukens described their love for each other as the Shining
Barrier-- “It was our love itself, made
strong within” that was their ultimate good and would transcend even death.
After their conversion it pained Vanauken to see his wife following Christ
above her love for him.</div>
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“I didn’t want us to be
swallowed up in God,” he wrote, “I wanted holidays from the school of Christ.
We should, somehow, be able to have the Shining Barrier intact and follow the
King of Glory. I didn’t want to be a saint. Almost none of this did I
consciously know– just longings. But for Davy, to live was Christ.”</div>
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Vanauken’s struggle is
the universal struggle of all Christians attempting to live out Matthew 16:24,
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.”</div>
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Vanauken’s frank
disclosure of his idolatry shocked me. But I was not so shocked by his
sentiment, but by the realization that his words resonated with something deep
within me. Convicted, I cried over the unsurrendered loves in my own heart.</div>
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“God in His ample love
embraced our love with, it may be, a sort of tenderness, and we must tread the
Way to Him hand in hand,” Vanauken writes. But God did not intend for Sheldon
and Davy to tread hand in hand for very long. Recalling Davy’s illness and
death, Vanauken writes of himself, “He had had– was having-- all the sorrow
there was. And yet, the joy was worth the pain.” </div>
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I cried again when I
read of the joy in pain, the hope of life everlasting in Christ, and the depths
of Vanauken’s devotion to his wife.</div>
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Lewis was instrumental
in helping Vanauken understand the goodness of God in Davy’s death. The
richness of their correspondence after her death– pondering God’s goodness,
musing about eternity– was refreshing after the emotional intensity of
Vanauken’s loss. The book’s title comes from a letter from Lewis, who described
Davy’s death as a “severe mercy” from God.</div>
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The strength of
Vanauken’s faith is remarkable. He writes, “I cannot escape the impression that
Somebody was being very gentle with us. Perhaps she had to die– for me, for our
dear love, for God.” Elsewhere he reflects, “...it was for me, despite grief
and aloneness, worth it.”</div>
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I wept again, praying
for a faith that could say– no matter the trials it endured– “it was for me,
worth it.”</div>
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<i>Originally published in the Patrick Henry College Herald.</i></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-75080093763196149502012-03-24T22:10:00.000-07:002012-06-06T20:34:39.838-07:00Hijacked Joy<br /><br /><a href="http://media-cache9.pinterest.com/upload/162059286561057982_MGoyxcRN_f.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache9.pinterest.com/upload/162059286561057982_MGoyxcRN_f.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I wanted to prove her wrong. <i><b>Christ is joy</b></i>, she told me, rebuking my foul attitude. I objected. <i>Look it up</i>, she said, Search scripture.<br /><br />Annoyed, I did. I scorned joy because I did not have it, and as such I did not want to be found without Christ.<br /><br />All I could think was, <i><b>the joy set before Him</b></i>.<br /><br />Matthew. Mark. Luke. John.<i> I am winning.</i> Acts. Romans. Google. <br /><br />I found it. Hebrews 12:1-2.<br /><br />I returned to my search, a robot combing through data while streams of living water coursed through my head. In my self-focused pursuit to prove her wrong I forgot a fundamental truth.<br /><br /><i>God’s word does not return void.</i><br /><br />My stubbornly sullen, world-weary, hardened heart tried to resist.<br /><br /><i>Christ endured the cross because of the joy it would bring. </i><br /><br />I sat there, persistent in my pathetic refusal of joy He won for me. <br /><br />I returned to my search results, tried to numb the joint-and-marrow splitting word of God. I glazed over Hebrews only to be jerked to a halt by the results for James.<br /><br /><i>Count it all <b>joy</b>, my brothers, when you meet <b>trials</b> of various kinds...</i><br /><br />The attitude of my heart implied that the joy Christ sets before me is not worth the endurance of (momentary, light) present trials.<br /><br />My heart began to yield to the life-giving word of God. I finished looking at the search results, but I no longer cared about them. <br /><br /><i>... let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and <b>let us run with patience</b> the race that is set before us...</i><br /><b>The sin of my impatience had hijacked the joy set before me</b>. Impatience kept me fixated on an uncertain future and created frustration. But God does not command us to run the race with our eyes fixed on a future beyond our control. We are to<b><i> run looking unto Jesus.</i></b> He alone is <i>the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God...</i><br /><br />My heart relented, and I repented. <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven</i></div>
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<i>and do not return there but water the earth,</i></div>
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<i>making it bring forth and sprout,</i></div>
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<i>giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,</i></div>
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<i>so shall <b>my word</b> be that goes out from my mouth;</i></div>
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<i><b>it shall not return to me empty,</b></i></div>
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<i>but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,</i></div>
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<i>and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.</i></div>
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<i><b>For you shall go out in joy</b></i></div>
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<i><b>and be led forth in peace...</b></i></div>
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<i>Isaiah 55:10-12</i></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-36530477884785009442012-03-04T20:03:00.000-08:002012-03-04T20:03:42.480-08:00Shakespeare<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59xL_Q0oMx0CWRMDZAzGyHPEIGtZhAMkRRaj4gE4y07YK5BIa3iPbVhFMoxBbIAzosDXz2ZkyFWQHiAdnEqY6AMGYwzvF57luyVqpvCro40Iqr-OA8oaCCj9LvPFCVEdGKkXxYYrDytE/s1600/tempest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59xL_Q0oMx0CWRMDZAzGyHPEIGtZhAMkRRaj4gE4y07YK5BIa3iPbVhFMoxBbIAzosDXz2ZkyFWQHiAdnEqY6AMGYwzvF57luyVqpvCro40Iqr-OA8oaCCj9LvPFCVEdGKkXxYYrDytE/s1600/tempest.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-43372715899697139202012-01-28T23:49:00.000-08:002012-01-28T23:49:27.504-08:00Perspective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>The household of those who do not live by faith chases an earthly peace consisting of the affairs and advantages of this temporal life. - Augustine, City of God.</i></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">It is so easy to become obsessed with the pursuit of an earthly peace. I try to micromanage my earthly affairs in an attempt to fulfill the dreams God has placed on my heart. But in vain I have struggled to secure temporal peace for my eternal soul.</span></div>
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It is painful to chase the ever-elusive earthly peace. Success is infrequent, fleeting, and uncertain. I am left weary, longing, unfulfilled. </div>
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Augustine was a wise man. He understood that the Christian life is not constrained to achievement here on earth.</div>
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<i>The household of human being living by faith, on the other hand, looks forward to the future, to those things which are promised as eternal, and makes use of temporal and earthly things like a traveler.</i></div>
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">I must remind myself that the achievement of <i>temporal and earthly things </i>is not the end. Such things are merely a mean. They are tools to be used for God's glory. As such, a perspective limited to the temporal only robs me of the hope found in "</span>an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading." (1 Peter 1:4)</div>
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<i>Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth ~ Colossians 3:2</i></div>
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<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-88824604687375371732012-01-13T23:00:00.000-08:002012-01-13T23:00:17.836-08:00Brown Paper Packages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>Brown paper packages, tied up with string</i></div>
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<i>These are a few of my favorite things...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEffsr6srtZZf-iT5DlosUzjUaiahi_eA2e65JX0F4T8Ag67qcmFWtPDTTrbTJw4SsUn8QyUgVvuvN1Inlrbkme77QlbGLRC-ZdpjmvIIU-0IoiFxbsLERf4geXyriGZHfQYiHjEeEkU/s1600/IMGP8028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilEffsr6srtZZf-iT5DlosUzjUaiahi_eA2e65JX0F4T8Ag67qcmFWtPDTTrbTJw4SsUn8QyUgVvuvN1Inlrbkme77QlbGLRC-ZdpjmvIIU-0IoiFxbsLERf4geXyriGZHfQYiHjEeEkU/s400/IMGP8028.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love the contrast of the red plaid and the fresh greens.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9ZHI_HS0CYAQyWl7m8JvhDsclemWDWGUD8UCnNTJSvf1cQw2evEYFLVQMDaBRZNtbs3PqnZ9nuUEHS1fUt0jI-2Gj1_kNoAwe1tzPfnG7mckqSSaYrjiFJttvo55e5-QFOyuE9ZcZKE/s1600/IMGP8027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9ZHI_HS0CYAQyWl7m8JvhDsclemWDWGUD8UCnNTJSvf1cQw2evEYFLVQMDaBRZNtbs3PqnZ9nuUEHS1fUt0jI-2Gj1_kNoAwe1tzPfnG7mckqSSaYrjiFJttvo55e5-QFOyuE9ZcZKE/s400/IMGP8027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I loved the simplicity of this little wreath but making it was a bit tricky.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n4Q9ZBmsH6UKtlwSwQGpZ3JDKcyEVizQJ7x_lrohAb56wWv3BVf5ZtbIqzmmLd-_zQnfj7b-GgKkxLOqRugRgvUKkShV91LgGpJFFBubwwMN8laHX9CuXE_O87CDM3ZeKt6571hy1iA/s1600/IMGP8029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0n4Q9ZBmsH6UKtlwSwQGpZ3JDKcyEVizQJ7x_lrohAb56wWv3BVf5ZtbIqzmmLd-_zQnfj7b-GgKkxLOqRugRgvUKkShV91LgGpJFFBubwwMN8laHX9CuXE_O87CDM3ZeKt6571hy1iA/s400/IMGP8029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Close-up of the wreath. One of my favorite pictures.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMztfOmRGa_G96K2qfjSy_X5AuXAotG6FZAxWh5Ln1bOSJYRJrEDXopxBfVf1kNxiLyskb1NdskSanHIvNJUUe2EICeM7aVANljqriCmIkEVh0yXxBnyyk3g2_rJ9GgpKIQtpyznsz6AM/s1600/IMGP8085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMztfOmRGa_G96K2qfjSy_X5AuXAotG6FZAxWh5Ln1bOSJYRJrEDXopxBfVf1kNxiLyskb1NdskSanHIvNJUUe2EICeM7aVANljqriCmIkEVh0yXxBnyyk3g2_rJ9GgpKIQtpyznsz6AM/s400/IMGP8085.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsGAcBC9tMTdIJszxvo5rSzOn5545hDhu66xVS5gu45-sJenMjISd4-sl99FhQHsvkRs4V71pTsUHKgKFHygl2_v5om5cX3GBVJ6tHQOOTdFqA5O88yux-AlClXQWVxZX0DNrjm-SzEg/s1600/IMGP8087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsGAcBC9tMTdIJszxvo5rSzOn5545hDhu66xVS5gu45-sJenMjISd4-sl99FhQHsvkRs4V71pTsUHKgKFHygl2_v5om5cX3GBVJ6tHQOOTdFqA5O88yux-AlClXQWVxZX0DNrjm-SzEg/s400/IMGP8087.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_unx1JCREibJxXm9kE1jYLosrhSVgm7Lh4ybt2aHhvGO-hxbVowu9-LxjN0lKYNBlBKKWF_L9Z9bx4OAGxJP84y_EayivfMQ_eKnAfn-JCYOCAo57FBBTPopy28qwhcy3X9olS7B4Fo/s1600/IMGP8101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU_unx1JCREibJxXm9kE1jYLosrhSVgm7Lh4ybt2aHhvGO-hxbVowu9-LxjN0lKYNBlBKKWF_L9Z9bx4OAGxJP84y_EayivfMQ_eKnAfn-JCYOCAo57FBBTPopy28qwhcy3X9olS7B4Fo/s400/IMGP8101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-39669546876950224892011-12-28T20:09:00.000-08:002011-12-28T20:09:38.129-08:00Christmas Presents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo0kr5qHs0yiti4yWpVr0620Glq3T1Ck4kr0QqrjKcMZK65LCZO5JFOA7VNspwPIpaFddxuZTSAwVjgpVr0Rqt79RhCGNxNCnnirW6xXZutNSDZ5DBrF05ZHZLzmVxeGpfHH6yCGtsGc/s1600/IMGP8103e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJo0kr5qHs0yiti4yWpVr0620Glq3T1Ck4kr0QqrjKcMZK65LCZO5JFOA7VNspwPIpaFddxuZTSAwVjgpVr0Rqt79RhCGNxNCnnirW6xXZutNSDZ5DBrF05ZHZLzmVxeGpfHH6yCGtsGc/s400/IMGP8103e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
For all of the fruitless time I've spent on <a href="http://pinterest.com/taybecca3">Pinterest</a>, I finally have something to show for it. I was inspired by all the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/203647214369840101/">cute</a> <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/203647214369800899/">pictures</a> I saw of brown paper packages and decided to make my own. More pictures to follow!Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-9532103243611808792011-12-12T21:01:00.000-08:002011-12-12T21:01:37.206-08:00Your Steadfast Love...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">...is great above the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies."</span></i> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large; text-align: -webkit-auto;">- Psalm 108:4</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/77687162291781260_C3c62m2E_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cdn.pinterest.com/upload/77687162291781260_C3c62m2E_c.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-66400557443725757342011-11-23T08:50:00.001-08:002012-06-06T20:36:05.189-07:00Free to Love<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"><br /></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://data.whicdn.com/images/15755683/tumblr_lso79udcvZ1qfulv7o1_1280_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://data.whicdn.com/images/15755683/tumblr_lso79udcvZ1qfulv7o1_1280_large.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;"></span><br />
<br /><br />A discussion has been brewing on campus. A discussion of broken hearts, healed hearts, and redeemed hearts. Hearts that are not afraid to love. The wise words of C.S. Lewis have often been quoted, one of my favorite quotes of all time.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<i>To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.</i></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-8376148011423084042011-11-07T22:37:00.000-08:002011-11-08T12:38:12.093-08:00If You Love Me...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUd_9JqdV-2WIw4rThx8kwZLQnosn2-SyGtplcPfqy85St9dEyloiFtqOd-dncWn34HVis9uWwoQqCu1_IbAypDBrMjkJ26tFWEFM4MefAkoU9vSI-JE7sLbXE91jjYC5VXHhRFwkh6Y/s1600/burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyUd_9JqdV-2WIw4rThx8kwZLQnosn2-SyGtplcPfqy85St9dEyloiFtqOd-dncWn34HVis9uWwoQqCu1_IbAypDBrMjkJ26tFWEFM4MefAkoU9vSI-JE7sLbXE91jjYC5VXHhRFwkh6Y/s320/burger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I watched the documentary <a href="http://www.forksoverknives.com/">Forks Over Knives</a> this past weekend. The basic conclusion of the documentary is that animal foods are detrimental to the human body. My family is mostly vegetarian and I have read <a href="http://www.thechinastudy.com/" style="font-style: italic;">The China Study</a>, so a lot of the information was familiar.<br />
<br />
The data is solid and compelling. I believe it. So why did I enjoy chicken and sour cream along with my beans, salsa, rice and lettuce tonight? Why did I just eat a mini Hershey's bar?<br />
<br />
Because I like the way chicken and sour cream taste. And yes, I even like milk chocolate.<br />
<br />
You see, the crux of this issue isn't really about what I eat. It's about <i>why</i> I eat what I eat. And it's about my sin.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLaT9V-z33s9zDuE8TrlJSsUiiSAKWO3d-rVGLpwvNBzn4MshFiMhY5N7B8pxsY3bNKX3Ojc5HdpvrsBFuP4uTY17Xv8q9unTxqPyCU1nJzkcONwwzKwjC3awvhtc-n5PNDySc1bzfzY/s1600/veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLaT9V-z33s9zDuE8TrlJSsUiiSAKWO3d-rVGLpwvNBzn4MshFiMhY5N7B8pxsY3bNKX3Ojc5HdpvrsBFuP4uTY17Xv8q9unTxqPyCU1nJzkcONwwzKwjC3awvhtc-n5PNDySc1bzfzY/s320/veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yes, my sin.<br />
<br />
You see, every time I've tried to change to a healthier diet, it's been for vain, selfish reasons. That's why it's never stuck. I've been trying to deny my flesh for fleshly motives, and a house divided cannot stand.<br />
<br />
But the real reason I should eat healthy foods has to do with me. The real reason is that if I want to serve Jesus with my body, I need to take care of it. And if I really believe that a vegan diet is the healthiest diet, then I should be vegan.<br />
<br />
Simple, right? Uh, no. I kinda drool at the thought of bacon, chicken tenders dipped in ranch dressing, and moose tracks ice cream. So I give in to the temptation on a regular basis.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b><br />
<b><i>"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him that is sin." </i>~ James 4:17</b><br />
<br />
Ouch. How long have I known the right thing to do but not done it? How incredibly pitiful is my self-control! But it gets worse.<br />
<br />
<b><i>"If you love me, you will keep my commandments."</i></b> <b>~ John 14:15</b><br />
<br />
I say I want to serve Christ wholeheartedly. But how can I expect to do great things for Him if I can't deny myself the ice cream cone, or the chicken tenders with ranch? How horribly selfish and shallow of me to place my own temporal pleasure over the importance of serving the One who ransomed me from the very pits of Hell. <br />
<br />
<i>[Edit] I am not trying to say it is sinful to eat an animal-based diet. Look at the last five words of James 4:17- "For him that is sin." If the Lord has not convicted </i>you<i> about your diet, then by all means exercise your sanctified common sense and Christian liberty. </i>:)<br />
<br />
Now I know Jesus never said, "Thou shalt not eat animals." In fact, Jesus Himself ate animals.<br />
<br />
But that's not the point. The point is that in this day and age, the healthiest possible diet is animal-free, and very low in sugar, refined flours, and oil.<br />
<br />
As a Christ-follower and as an athlete, don't I have a responsibility to eat healthy? Yes. But I now realize I can't do this on my own.<br />
<br />
My friend Sarah has agreed to be my accountability partner. Starting this Sunday she and I will eat completely vegan until Thanksgiving- that's 10 days. It's not yet set in stone that I'll stay vegan, but I think the best way to see if it is reasonable is to give it a try. By God's grace, we will not fail!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-9029514109796433932011-10-30T19:50:00.000-07:002011-10-30T20:30:47.483-07:00Shortcomings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTvKpuwWFWF8InyZ6y1AncFrOOFnANa7pW85jK0CCCBseM0gD-T92as5wDsJeI__PZ7IxLaRJzQn7_JQvq8CdhJiDAIY4VOphfB5nMrzQV7DSvC_EWFgRrUaCPK8CaLkC8d0CGrv_ZQI/s1600/book+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTvKpuwWFWF8InyZ6y1AncFrOOFnANa7pW85jK0CCCBseM0gD-T92as5wDsJeI__PZ7IxLaRJzQn7_JQvq8CdhJiDAIY4VOphfB5nMrzQV7DSvC_EWFgRrUaCPK8CaLkC8d0CGrv_ZQI/s400/book+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Have you
ever read something that perfectly expresses the jumbled thoughts and feelings that
you haven’t been able to articulate? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I read
a prayer in <i>The Valley of Vision</i> a
few days ago that resonated so deeply it left me speechless, even thought-less for a few
moments. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB">Even as I read it now I am convicted and humbled. It exposes the sin in my heart that I hadn't seen. It reminds me of the beauty of grace and the solid hope of the Gospel.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I pray that God will use these mere human words to stir your soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Shortcomings</i><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">O Living
God,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I bless
Thee</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> that
I see the worst of my heart as well as </span>the
best of it,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> that
I can sorrow for those sins that carry me </span>from
Thee,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> that
it is Thy deep and dear mercy to threaten </span>punishment </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
so that I may return, pray, live.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">My sin is
to look on my faults and be discouraged,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> or
to look on my good and be puffed up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I fall
short of thy glory every day by spending</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> hours
unprofitably,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> by
thinking that the things I do are good,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> when
they are not done to Thy end,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> nor
spring from the rules of Thy Word.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">My sin is
to fear what never will be;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I forget to
submit to Thy will, and fail to be q</span>uiet
there.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">But
Scripture teaches me that Thy active will</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> reveals
a steadfast purpose on my behalf,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> and
this quietens my soul,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> and
makes me love Thee.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Keep me
always in the understanding</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> that
saints mourn more for sin than other men,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> for
when they see how great is Thy wrath </span>against
sin,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> and
how Christ’s death alone pacifies that wrath,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> that
makes them mourn the more.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Help me to
see that although I am in the wilderness</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> it
is not all briars and barrenness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I have
bread from heaven, streams from the rock,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> light
by day, fire by night,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> Thy
dwelling place and Thy mercy seat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I am
sometimes discouraged by the way,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> but
though winding and trying it is safe </span>and
short;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Death
dismays me, but my great high priest</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> stands
in its waters,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> and
will open me a passage,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"> and
beyond is a better country.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">While I
live let my life be exemplary,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">When I die
may my end be peace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-26436791384440453252011-09-25T20:12:00.000-07:002011-09-25T20:54:04.789-07:00Vain Idols<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"></span><br />
<div class="line" id="p32002008_01-1" style="clear: both; color: #363030; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5.5em; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: -3.5em;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 14px;"></span></i></div>
<i>Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. -</i>Jonah 2:8<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This verse practically jumped off the page at me when I read it in church this morning.<br />
<div>
<i>This is me,</i> I thought. Convicted, I made a list of the things in my life that I have set up as vain idols. I am ashamed by how many things cause me to forsake my hope of God's steadfast love.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I pondered how to best attack the vain idols and realized that the answer lies in the following verse of Jonah's prayer.</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<i>But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to You;<br />What I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the Lord!”</i></div>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
I pray that the Lord will give me the resolve to deny myself, to sacrifice my selfishness for His glory, and I pray for strength to depose the vain idols that keep me from His steadfast love. </div>
Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-91790370055433276832011-09-23T17:17:00.000-07:002011-10-08T21:34:30.891-07:00Holy, Holy, Holy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrgynxhxPOBKHeX_pOxJTW_faUbfhMWgoaJtH2OcVscq28aObWGFQi9Tgo050imVONmuWzSllQdypYLnfwPRYFxtj5SWAXDITnyTeSIh3QdudmaSKsJZmJw667F9BN6HAZPJ6yx6eN9I/s1600/holy+holy+holy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrgynxhxPOBKHeX_pOxJTW_faUbfhMWgoaJtH2OcVscq28aObWGFQi9Tgo050imVONmuWzSllQdypYLnfwPRYFxtj5SWAXDITnyTeSIh3QdudmaSKsJZmJw667F9BN6HAZPJ6yx6eN9I/s400/holy+holy+holy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-34732209257725185102011-09-16T22:41:00.000-07:002011-09-16T22:41:57.323-07:00Guilty of... gtalking?<i>If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.</i> - Matthew 5:29 ESV<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>If your computer causes you to sin, don't bring it to class...</i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wait...what?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We all know the routine. On the first day of class,
professors who allow laptops in class give their “don’t use the Internet”
speech, and within five minutes half of the class is online. What motivates
this gross disrespect of a professor’s request?</div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Last Spring I always sat in the back of Dr. Cox’s Theology
class. Like many of the professors who allow laptops in class, Dr. Cox asks
students to disable the wireless receivers on their laptops during his class. On
any given day, six of the eight laptop users g-talked incessantly and surfed
the web. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I once privately confronted Jacob (name changed), who surfed
and g-talked during every class. He accepted my admonition with a polite smile and
didn’t say much. The next class he was g-talking and surfing just as much as
ever.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I recently gtalked Jacob to ask him about his disregard for
professors’ no-Internet policies. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“Hang on one sec,” he said, “I have to run to class actually.
Can we pick this up in 5 minutes?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Jacob told me he feels that his violation of his professors’
Internet policies is justified because he mostly uses the Internet for
class-related pursuits, such as collaborating with a friend via gtalk to
assemble their dream Hollywood cast for an adaptation of “The Odyssey.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
He said he believes that a no-Internet policy is only <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">intended to curb behavior
such as watching movies on Netflix during class, so he feels comfortable
checking his email and Facebook during class. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
“<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">If I was specifically asked to not do so, I'd stop in a heartbeat</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">,</span></span>” he said.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Wait. There is little room for ambiguity in a professor’s “turn
off your wireless in class” directive. <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Melissa agrees that there is nothing ambiguous about a no
internet policy.<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“</span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">There's really no good rationale for it, other
than not wanting to have to pay attention for the whole class,” she said.</span></span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Melissa said
she realizes that her Internet use is directly defiant of her professor’s
policy, but she doesn’t feel a need to reform her ways.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“I guess I kind
of view it as driving over the speed limit. Technically it's wrong, but not bad
enough to outweigh the benefits,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I too, have been among the ranks of guilty g-talkers and
selfish surfers. Even after the Lord convicted me of my sinful disrespect, I
often lost my resolve, so I stopped bringing my computer to class.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
When I discussed this with my friend Catherine, she agreed
that the Internet can be a “huge temptation” during class, especially for
instant messaging.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“Regardless
of how incredible your professor is, there are always times when the class will
feel boring, you will be tired, distracted, or otherwise disinterested,” she
said.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Catherine
said she finds it easy to rationalize her use of gtalk as a means of investing
in her fellow believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“This
is one reason I do not bring my computer to class,” she said. “I am a genius at
rationalizing selfish, lazy, disrespectful, and altogether foolish behaviors.
When I am in class, it is my duty to honor my professor, especially when it is difficult, because
that is when my heart is really tested.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Let’s face it. Whatever your excuse, whatever my excuse,
deliberately disobeying your professor is wrong. Although students like Melissa
dismiss their disregard of Internet use policies as minor infractions, the
little things do matter. Christ told His disciples, “<span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">One who is</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">faithful in a very little
is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also
dishonest in much,</span></span>” (Luke 16:10-11) On a very basic level,
failure to comply with a professor’s Internet-use policy is purely selfish.
Even when a student uses the Internet is used for academic purposes during
class, his disregard for professor’s policy implies that he considers his own
desires superior to the professor’s wishes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
One student explained, “Surfing in class is the moral
equivalent of looking at porn in your dorm room. Perhaps one is in fact more
heinous than the other, but it’s not that one is a sin and one is a bad idea.
They’re both sins. They’re both heinous in the sight of God.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
If we cannot be faithful to respect our professors, how can
we be faithful to revere the Word of the Lord? How can we change the nation and
shape the culture if we cannot submit to our professors? We must begin with our
own hearts, with our attitudes towards our professors. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I think Catherine said it best, <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">“When we are in the
classroom, what we do on the computer shouldn't be about us.”</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-8697568016630666732011-07-29T22:24:00.000-07:002011-07-29T22:27:23.562-07:00Post-Internship DinnerI never intended for this to be a food blog, but I only have 10 more days of kitchen access. My family wasn't home when I got home from the internship [the last day- yippee!], so I went ahead and fixed myself a mini-meal.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF2p3LZiU0vv5-gJuRKkijIW2dXAkxCLT9hwgAblDAwBAR8F1GIibnKMxYm0btOOB7l-_aUttMlQtdCKNW68f361vCbHZeneYLx-jn-yfoY0ow66cG7MmDICTpNpDBC6I-XQ8P9Racrc/s1600/IMGP7931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaF2p3LZiU0vv5-gJuRKkijIW2dXAkxCLT9hwgAblDAwBAR8F1GIibnKMxYm0btOOB7l-_aUttMlQtdCKNW68f361vCbHZeneYLx-jn-yfoY0ow66cG7MmDICTpNpDBC6I-XQ8P9Racrc/s400/IMGP7931.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I started out with about 1/4 cup of whole-wheat flour, and sprinkled in a little bit of baking powder. I then added some Italian herbs, water, and a teensy bit of minced garlic. I don't know the ratio of water to flour, but you're looking for a consistency similar to pancake batter.<br />
<br />
Heat up the pan and lightly butter it before you pour in the flatbread batter. After you've flipped it, cover the top with fresh basil leaves.<br />
<br />
I raided the fridge for some leftover grilled zucchini, and covered it with Trader Joe's spaghetti sauce and a touch of Parmesan. It was so good that I ended up making a second one :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dUq0sWb86dxOg0tsSUCG9OvRhN4STfzkAE1DeQgKS0B6QCQAikqXdOlK6zv9-BznkmiY0eBP_Z0Euh77MnXg5RLcCh0gHuNjflwOfPmQLkEUhc0pk0cXsZ6FFKRYFgOPIqR1U7rW1GI/s1600/IMGP7926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7dUq0sWb86dxOg0tsSUCG9OvRhN4STfzkAE1DeQgKS0B6QCQAikqXdOlK6zv9-BznkmiY0eBP_Z0Euh77MnXg5RLcCh0gHuNjflwOfPmQLkEUhc0pk0cXsZ6FFKRYFgOPIqR1U7rW1GI/s400/IMGP7926.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hungry yet?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-18659521546837283042011-07-26T21:07:00.001-07:002011-07-26T21:12:19.565-07:00The Run Of Your Life<div style="background-color: transparent;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8645028604660183" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was miserable. Absolutely miserable. My head was pounding, my stomach was protesting a run too soon after eating, my eyes stung from my mascara and and the 93 degree heat was pressing in on all sides. Running is definitely not a glamorous endeavor. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes my runs are delightful. I talk to the Lord, pray for family and friends, or meditate on Scripture. But tonight the pain swamped my brain and I couldn’t even think. On my post-run cool-down, I was struck by the similarities between running and the Christian life. Sometimes sanctification is absolutely delightful. We can soak in the truth of God’s word, intercede boldly before the throne, and revel in the sweet presence of Jesus. There are other times when we are so overwhelmed by sin, the attacks of the Enemy, and the crushing weight of the world that we struggle to breathe, to pray, or to stay on course.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Four years ago, I would have given up on the run. Two years ago, I would have slid into the sloppy habits- hunched shoulders, flailing elbows, and feet kicking like a frog. But tonight all the hard work paid off. I ran tall. I kept my elbows in. My feet did not stray to the right or to the left. When I could not think, my body did what it had been trained to do.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is why Paul exhorted Timothy, “train yourself for godliness.” When we are overwhelmed, we will default to our training. Are you training yourself in godliness or in worldliness? When you are overwhelmed do you default to despair, anger, and fear, or do you instinctively trust in the Lord’s promises and act on them? </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the run of life seems easy, push yourself to greater godliness. Pursue the fruits of the Spirit. Seek first the Kingdom and its righteousness, and hydrate yourself with the Living Water. Then, when the run becomes difficult, you will be prepared. Train yourself for godliness. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even in the most difficult trials, there is victory through Christ. This is why Paul proclaimed, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the trials come, do not lose heart! Your inner self is being renewed day by day, and the end result is so worth it. (2 Corinthians 4:16)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I looked at my watch at the end of my run, the pain and misery were suddenly worth it. The hours of practicing good form over the past few years were worth it. Tonight I beat my previous 5-mile time by three and a half minutes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As incredible as that felt, the result of training in godliness far surpasses the satisfaction of the best run here on earth. Paul told Timothy, “While bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:8). </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember the trials Paul described in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11? Just a few sentences later he encouraged the Corinthian church, saying, “this light 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 Corinthians 4:17-18)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prepare yourself for the eternal weight of glory, and fix your eyes on the unseen as you run the race!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111487307626531963.post-213097436009109632011-06-29T15:43:00.001-07:002011-06-29T15:43:23.360-07:00The Cluttered Mind<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">My brain is cluttered</i>. The thought struck me on my way home from work, and I think it is alarmingly true. Facts, ideas, and concepts sit helter-skelter on the shelves of my mind, and I when I think, it is more an avalanche of clutter, unconnected information than a systematic operation. (The exception would be if I am thinking about spreadsheets, math, science, soccer or some combination thereof). I generally do not think in an orderly fashion. In fact, I rarely actually think, because thinking requires my mind to “sit still,” something that is a great difficulty for me, both physically and mentally. But stillness is a spiritual discipline worth cultivating, so I have decided to pursue it with all of the energy that… prevents me from sitting still.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, this blog is my attempt to de-clutter my mind. Instead of allowing my mind to bounce down yet another rabbit trail to nowhere, I will attempt to pause and focus on a single idea, concept, or thought and develop it. I desire to glorify God with my thoughts, and it is my prayer that learning to think in an orderly way will do that!</div>Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04055164095079345068noreply@blogger.com0