Thinking Differently

You may have noticed that from time to time I would post articles, or essays or different assorted literary things. I have now created another blog which will handle only my writings. I will post notices or excerpts here of those writings with links back to the site.

Shatterpoint.com

It is still under a little bit of construction, and nothing is posted yet, but you can go see it nontheless. Perhaps now with a new venue, my creative talents can unleash a little. I hope you can enjoy and be enriched.

Update: The site is now up and running with several posts and a profile on the author.

-the StormRider

Its official. I am now accepting any and all payment forms (checks, large bills, credit cards) to fincance my moving back to the tropics, particularly, Papua New Guinea.

Why? It snowed about a foot and a bit yesterday, and it is cold. Also, the heat in my dorm is broke, so it is really cold. My fingers hurt. I am not wearing gloves because it is next to impossible to type wearing them.

Grr, I do not like winter. Stupid fall. If Adam hadn’t sinned, the whole world would still be tropical.

I know, I know, “be content”.

I am trying. But dusting the snow off of my computer….kinda makes it difficult. I don’t even need to refrigerate my water, its cold enough coming out of the tap.

Ok, enough complaining about the cold. I am doing well, my mom’s eye is much better, and, yeah.

Peace and warmth to you. Amen.

head over to my Flickr account for the latest posted pictures.

enjoy!

“Since when can the weatherman predict the weather, let alone the future?” – Marty McFly, from Back to the Future

It just goes to show that one really has no idea about the weather. It was really warm Friday afternoon. Then the winds picked up and eventually topped out at about 50mph gusts. This blew in a cold front that dropped the air temp 50 degrees in about an hour. All the rain we got was quickly frozen into one sheet of ice that covered everything. The night bottomed out at -10 degrees. Today it warmed up to the teens and has been cold ever since. What a weird winter.

Yesterday, because of the wind and falling branches slash trees, the power went out during class. Our resident professor, Dr. Tom Davis, courageously finished out the last ten minutes of his class in the dark and without a sound system. Pretty interesting day. I worked lunch dishpit, then had the rest of the day off. That evening Nate (my brother) called to have me come work for him, so I got in another 3 hours on the clock.

Today I worked breakfast dishpit, slept, worked tube hill ( a very do-nothing three hours, during which we built a massive fire and stayed warm ), and tonight I worked dishpit again.

More updates as events warrant, but praise to God He is providing for my school bill to payed off, as I am able to work, and the financial aid dept is trying to rustle me up another scholarship, so we will see how it goes.

Peace out.

(Miss you guys)

Hello all. I am going to redo the look of the site. I hope you will bear with me as I try new themes and I hope that you will like the finished result.

If you don’t, there isn’t much I can do about it.

Adios.

well, it did get cold, but then I kicked it in the shins and called it names and it warmed up. It is 53 (F) and all the snow and ice is melting! Hahahahahaha!

so much for winter!

Anyway, i am doing swell, got some candy and home-baked cookies from my Grandmother for Valentine’s! Who needs a girlfriend when you’ve got a grandma, right?

(I was reminded by a friend, St. Valentine died single.)

Peace.

Its finally decided to get cold here, and it appears to be making up its mind whether or not to snow. No more snow would be fine with me, as would a warm up. Either way, I really haven’t any control over the situation.

This weekend is another of work. I am already tired going into it, will be interesting. Monday is a Valentine’s Banquet, and Tuesday is a day off. Both Mon and Tues I will work, putting more money towards the ole school bill.

This week we have been studying in I Corinthians. So much there and God has been challenging me every class. Told a friend “Its like I am chewing all through class” just thinking and praying. I am considering many things concerning the direction in which I want to take my life. Discerning how best to develop talents and use gifts. At every turn I am being confronted by how inadequate I am for the task of simple living. Many times as I think through all the implications of what I would like to do, I often become overwhelmed, and cry out to God. “Take my life, Lord, whatever you want me to do, I will do it. Not my will, but Yours, Lord,” seems to be a constant prayer. I get excited about aspects and my imagination runs, but then I stop, and consider if what I want to do is for me, or for God.

Our guest lecturer for Corinthians is a pastor, and every part of what he teaches is heartfelt and real. Always he calls us to consider ministry in whatever we do, and his strong exhortation is to include the gospel every time we speak publicly. It is a hard call, and a real consideration. Not all of us are to be pastors or evangelists, but in whatever we do we must seek to win others to Christ, to live a witness for Him, and to share the good news of His death and resurrection to save us from the eternal damnation we had chosen. It is extremely thought provoking.

Just today we were discussing Biblical sexuality, marriage, and started on spiritual gifts. Like Peter Parker, we are told as Christian “Spider-Men” “With great blessing comes great responsibilty”. The admonition to wait on God’s timing and will is strong. Last night in devotions we were told to wait on God. Our example was Jacob, who during a famine kept digging wells and losing them to conflict, but God promised to sustain him and eventually brought him to a place where there was no dispute over water. No matter what, God will provide.

A lesson that well I know. It seems so long ago that I sojourned from Norfolk, Virginia, bound for Florida, and Papua New Guinea. Now it is unbelievable that it all lies before me, with college looming ahead. But so many times as I look back, I see God’s hand, that looking ahead, I can catch glimpses of His invisible hand at work.

Take care, everyone who reads.

Peace and grace of God to you.

Israel’s harvest stands ready. Each stalk of wheat, barley, and oat is silhouetted against the setting sun. Breezes come off the mountains, blowing towards the shining Mediterranean Sea. Large ripples move back and forth across the fields. This harvest promises to be a plentiful one. Many an Israelite farmer stands, a look of satisfaction on his face, as he watches the wind play across the farmland. One farmer, near to the foothills of Zion, listens. He hears something unusual. He cocks his head and his smile fades. The quiet whisper is rapidly becoming a loud roar. The sky turns black swiftly, completely blotted out. Racing down the mountains, as far in either direction as he can see, is a massive, darkly swarming cloud. Millions of tiny specks move faster than the eye can watch. Within seconds the mass has encompassed his fields and come close enough for identification. Locusts!

This is the opening paragraph of a literary interpretation of the book of Joel. Joel was a minor prophet, set before the captivity of God’s chosen people. This relatively unknown prophet warns Israel of an impending plague of locusts, calls them to repentance afterward, then gives them hope from God in the wake of the devastation. This interpretation was written for my Bible Survey class here at Word of Life. Read the rest of the article at the link at the top of the page, Joel: Literary Interpretation (Joel).

-the StormRider