Friday's Thoughts

1) There's been some rather large changes in my life. Posts to come - if finals don't make my mind mushier.

2) One week of finals down, one to go. A 20-page paper will be owned. Like a boss.

3) The Uncle is in town from Idaho. I like spending time with him. Scotch and great conversations.

4) The Lord of the Rings is calling my name to be re-read. Well technically it's always calling my name, it's just stronger now.

5) I HAVE MY TICKET TO SEE THE HOBBIT! Opening night, at midnight, be jealous. (Nerd moment)

6) T-Swizzle and I have had some quality musical interchanges this week. We should meet.

7) India in a month!

8) "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

9) Ironic how the Country's finical issues were supposedly great before the election and now we're at the "Fiscal Cliff"-of-doom.

10) I'm glad the end of the world is set for after when The Hobbit comes out. Now I just need to see Coldplay and U2 before the 21st to be golden... BTW is the end of the world at 12 midnight on the 21 or 12 noon, I feel like this will be a drastically important distinction.

(Those are little shrimps wrapped in bacon dipped in BBQ sauce in the picture. Yes, the were heavenly.)

After the Bombs

The song of the month. The one of my heart.

Thoughts

1) "Terrible Tuesday" was given new meaning this week.

2) I'm naturally scared of confrontation. I talk a big game.

3) My grandma has called me every morning to just check on me. I love her.

4) My boss/friend & I can yell at & cry with each other.

5) I plan on running after this'n.

6) Tomorrow is Thanksgiving for the Morris clan

7) That moment when you're praying and you know God is replying to you. Yea, that's true comfort. It's like Scripture in a conversational manner.

8) Started painting my first painting this week. Dark colors.

9) I'm a cynical-mind-speaking mess. If I offend you... Well then... Oops?

10) In the end, no matter what happens I must must must say, my God is in control... Because it's all I've got.

Friday's Thinking Thoughts

1) The glorious moment your professor tells you the 20 page paper that was suppose to be due in five days is now due in two weeks.

2) Was able to interview the franchise holder of Chick-fil-A. I reminded him that my boss and I called four years ago. They're late, but here so it's okay.

3) The next year of grad classes are planned. No more 12-hour semesters. Yes, I learned a valuable lesson - listen to your mom/dad/boss/girlfriend/friend/kat.

4) Leading worship this Sunday at Journey the Way. Kinda nervous and excited.

5) Reading "The Horse and His Boy" it's my favorite Chronicles of Narnia book.

6) Psalm 23

7) "'Pull over!' 'No, it's a cardigan, but thanks for noticing.'"

8) The next three weeks will be filled with fun! And by 'fun' of course I mean papers, projects, presentations, finals and the like...

9) When you laugh so hard you cry with your roommates. Good times.

10) Maybe it's true; that the thing you rail against and hate the most is the thing you're most prone to fall into. For me I hate the idea of a theology centered on man. Where God is forgone for feeling or emotionalism. When God is seen as a vending machine not as the terrifyingly majestic and gracious God he is.
Yet, it is true, I'm prone to fall into feeling and emotionalism when God should be centered on me and my wants. When the beginnings of my thoughts with God are not, "Be my Shepherd," but rather, "This is what I want, so provide it, now."
I hope you see the juxtaposition. While in my mind I serve the law of God, that of who he is as revealed in Scripture and in my heart I serve the law of my flesh. Romans 7 is being written again in my life by the actions and inactions of a heart and mind at war for the supremecy of Jesus in my life. So, like always, this verse must be the reigning peace over my heart, "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord."

The Last Battle

“The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I finished reading The Last Battle on Saturday morning. I’d begun it towards the end of the summer in preparation for a sermon, but had left the last chapter unread. It’s the chapter wrapping the entire Chronicle of Narnia series up; bringing it to a close with one tremendous repeated line, “Further up and further in.”

It’s easy to loose sight of the goal, the aim. Through curves in the road and the tall hedges, mountains or the sea, we don’t always have a clear view of the end. But there are times when we see it, when we know exactly where our aim is and why it should be there, when all of life falls into place and we run further up and further into the plan and glory of God.

But the opposite of this is true too. When we don’t see. When we don’t desire God. When we have tried to replace him with title, lovers, family, events and the like. When our defining point is an unsettled heart. Even still we are traveling further up and further into the plan and the glory of God, though it might feel like a trudge rather than a run.

Yet we aim to be satisfied by God. No. We earnestly hope with a longing expectation to be satisfied by God.

We know this is the dream, and the night is far-gone. We know a new day will come and shine out all the brighter. We know the term is far spent and the freedom of the holidays is upon us. But they are not here yet and thus we fight the good fight of faith. Thus we lean upon our band of brothers, those fellow Christians, to carry us down the road just a little further to see both the beauty of the Savior and what we’ve been saved from.

Friday Thoughts

1) Sorry this is the only post this week.

2) Kat farted Wednesday morning and it was loud. I was in shock. Has anyone else ever had a cat straight up fart?

3) Watched V for Vendetta on Monday. We had eggys in a basket before. #legit

4) The Election happened. Facebook told me. So did Twitter. And all the complaining Christians. Guess the world just fell off God's map there didn't it?

5) Planning international flights is stressful, thank God for help.

6) I want to meet Charles Koch. Just 'cause I think he's neat.

7) Last week I bought all 8 Harry Potter movies for half the normal selling price. Groupon.

8) The Beard is garnering a lot of compliments this year.

9) Budgeting. And sticking to it.

10) Remember all that stress I wrote about 3ish weeks ago? Well it's gone. Still doing all the same things, but something about the greatness and the goodness of God being, or supposing to be satisfying has gotten a hold of my heart. Like my 2-year-old nephew being carefree in everything should a Christian be in life. "Papa, He's got it." (Says the Community Group) I only wish I would've believed in the midst of depression that God is good even still - but He forgave me that too. 

Friday's Thoughts

1) Mumford & Sons "Holland Road" don't overspiritualize it, just listen to it:


2) It's going to be 85 degrees today in Wichita. It's Novemeber 2. Dumb. (Read that as a tiny rant.)

3) The Senior editor for The Wichita Eagle taught my class last night. We got out early.

4) Some of the kids who trick-or-treated at my house had costums that scared me.

5) Kat tried to climb the curtains to catch a moth just after she jumped on someone's stitches. She spent the rest of the evening in the bathroom - you know, in timeout.

6) Hey, creepy old fat guys talking about going to Twin Peaks - you're gross.

7) Taylor Swift's new CD was okay. Wasn't as enchanting as the last one (see what I did there?)

8) Cleaver and clever are dangerously similar in spelling... It's possible I didn't send a text because I couldn't figure out which was what.

9) Boil it all down and away and every Christian ever knows only two things - whether mature or immature, smart or stupid, strong or weak - we all know we are sinners and that Jesus is Savior. That's enough.

10) Name your blessing - count them one-by-one. Stupid cliche, but Oh so necessary.