Living the Questions

I'm not sure I'm very good at this thing (at least when I don't have something going on). There are many posts I've started and then stopped. And many posts I've thought about writing. Or posting pictures. They've obviously never made it to the publishing phase. Here are some random thoughts, until such a time when I can actually post something of substance. 1. College Football season is here! And September starts tomorrow. School is in. There's a distinctly different feel and smell in the air. It must mean only one thing: It. Is. FALL. Finally. I gave up on summer about a month ago. Which is a dangerous thing to do here in New Orleans, where we only really have two seasons: summer and about two days of winter (at least, that's all we got last year. It was quite depressing). 2. I'm taking Hebrew this semester. It's been interesting to actually learn how to read Hebrew, in addition to knowing some random words from when I taught at the Jew...

1. Having only two classes as opposed to 3 or 4 is no guarantee that work will be easier to complete or you will have more time for it. As I'm currently experiencing. 2. Taking classes in the summer = really bad idea. Looking forward to July 19 when they will officially be over and all the work turned in. 3. My family comes to NOLA in about 2.5 weeks for a vacation. I'm excited to see them! 4. It's been a super long time since I've had a hair cut, and my appointment is not for 2 weeks. My hair is driving me crazy. 5. There are a lot of books on my reading list for the summer. I don't think I'm going to get through them all :)

Yep, it's that time of the semester.  When papers, books to read, tests, quizzes, and projects threaten to overwhelm and drown us all.  When we look longingly at the date of our last class or final, and take great pleasure in placing big, fat, solid black lines through completed items on our ever-growing to do lists.  When everything not related to school seems infinitely more appealing...because it is not related to school.  When we know that finishing is simply going to take getting started and getting it done.  But knowing that and doing that are two completely different things. And since I have a (rather long) paper on a (very large and complicated) people group due in 2.5 days plus an astonishing lack of motivation and ability to concentrate, I decided to blog instead. Here's what my next four weeks look like: 3 papers 2 class presentations 5 tests 7 quizzes 1000+ pages to read plus some other stuff that isn't directly related t...

I'm prone to worry. And when I'm worried, stressed, anxious, scared, or depressed, I'm thankful for reminders such as this one:  They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings -- and  with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers .   Revelation 17:14 In other news, have you seen this video from Dove? It's been making the rounds on the internet, so you most likely have, but here you go. It is amazing. Such a great reminder of the beauty others can see in us that we miss because we're too critical and don't see ourselves the way God made us.  The first one is the shorter version; the second one the longer (I recommend the longer one). 

I have a lot of posting to do, friends, what with some catching up and some Rome posting, but until then, enjoy these quotes I found sitting in an old draft of a post! “But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through.”  Francis Chan, Crazy Love Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. Corrie Ten Boom Remember He is the artist and you are only the picture. You can't see it. So quietly submit to be painted---i.e., keep fulfilling all the obvious duties of your station (you really know quite well enough what they are!), asking forgiveness for each failure and then leaving it alone.You are in the right way. Walk---don't keep on looking at it.”  C.S. Lewis, The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Vol.3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950-1963 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own unde...

We need to come out of ourselves and head for the periphery. We need to avoid the spiritual sickness of a Church that is wrapped up in its own world: when a Church becomes like this, it grows sick. It is true that going out onto the street implies the risk of accidents happening, as they would to any ordinary man or woman. But is the Church stays wrapped up in itself, it will age. And if I had to choose between a wounded Church that goes out onto the streets and a sick withdrawn Church, I would definitely choose the first one. - Pope Francis (said as Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio) http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/inquiries-and-interviews/detail/articolo/america-latina-latin-america-america-latina-12945/

Fear was the topic of the previous post -- the consuming fear I have lived with for much of my life. I ended it by saying that God had been working on fear and faith in my life. And today, we'll (I'll?) see a couple of ways God has been addressing that in my life lately. You may have noticed that I changed the title to the blog. Live Courageously. Love Ferociously. A couple months ago, I was praying and that's what I asked God for. To live courageously and love ferociously. And though I don't really know what that looks like, I prayed for it. I was tired of living in fear of everything. And I longed to live a life of courage, a life of following after Christ. A life I knew I could not live mired in fear everywhere I went. Because a life of courage requires faith. I think, now that I'm writing this, that God has been answering that prayer. Evidence #1. I've been going to the women's Bible study at First Baptist for several months now. I've enj...

I know what you must be thinking...two posts so soon together?? I think I waited so long between the last ones that I feel the need to blog more to make up for it....but also, there are things I feel the need to share. And really, I should be doing work for my classes, since you know, there's A LOT of it and it's Mardi Gras week, which means there are events other than school occurring. But it's cold in my room and I like being wrapped in blankets for the moment. And I just finished re-reading a really wonderful book called Harvest of Rubies by Tessa Afshar (quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, even though she only has two books out...and I have to wait until JULY for the third). Also, bear with me. This may be long. Moving on.... The last post was about how God has answered my prayers and provided for me in seemingly miraculous ways. I think that God is leading me to a place of deeper faith in Him. Faith that He is who He says He is. That He will do what ...

Y'all. I have been starting and stopping, erasing and re-writing, thinking and planning, and starting and stopping again for this post. I haven't posted since the beginning of December, and that was only a list of things I had to do for finals. Hardly note-worthy. Before that, I hadn't posted since September. Which, upon reflection, was also only a "here's what has happened in the last several weeks" post....since I hadn't updated since MAY. Clearly I'm very good at keeping up with this little blog. Probably because I'm fairly certain the only people who read this are also those that I actually update on the phone... Also, I think I've been avoiding writing anything serious for awhile because I didn't really want to think about it in such a way that would lead to a post. "It" being any number of things I've been thinking about for the last 6 months or so. Likely, another reason for this is because there are so many things ...