The Final Countdown!

Well, the end of the semester is beginning to sink in... only 4 more weeks!  It has hit me more than ever recently due to some events that took place this last week:

1. I turned in my Senior Petition.  I only have (2) classes in the Fall where I actually have to come to class.  The other class is an independent study course with a professor of mine.  Granted, I am taking (12) units this summer, but come on, how hard can online GE at community college be?
2. I spoke at a Parent Panel for Biola Days on Friday.  I talked about my experience of Biola and what it has been like to transition into college life, be involved on campus, and maintain academic rigor.  Being forced to reflect on all of this has made me realize that the end is almost here! Sure, I still have a semester left, but I will only be on campus one night a week and I will be living at home.  So in a sense, this is my last REAL semester at Biola. 
3. We had RA commissioning lat night.  This is a time where the current RA's pass on the torch of leadership to next year's RA's.  I was reminded of how quickly a year has gone by and how close we are to being done this year.  I cannot even fathom that in a year from now, I will have been married for over 3 months! CRAZY!!!

All in all, the Lord is working in my life by allowing me to create space for reflection and anticipation.  It's beautiful that once this space is created, there is a natural inclination towards the Lord: His faithfulness of the past, and a sense of trust in Him for the future.  

The Kingdom in Our Midst

Yesterday was an amazing day of my eyes being opened to the Kingdom of God in our midst! Prayer, words of encouragement, conversations, and beauty slapped me across the face. It was a day of shalom: the way that things ought to be. My heart was blessed by professors, my residents on HOST, and the Holy Spirit. Walking by Biola's coffee shop, I saw people laying their hands on friends in prayer. I saw Bibles open, people laughing, students and professors eating together. Simple things. Powerful things. Signs of the Kingdom. The Spirit is alive and active at Biola and in the world. However, the Enemy is as well. We must be proactive members of the Kingdom. Fight the good fight! Live! Love! WE MUST FOCUS OUT EYES ON THE KINGDOM OF GOD! It is only in the context of the Kingdom that life and discipleship makes sense: It ushers in the floodgates of grace. It drives us forward in obedience. My thoughts are not complete, and I am not sure how to communicate what I'm experiencing. Forgive me for my jumbled words and messy theological exhortations. I know that I am on the brink of SOMETHING. God has something for life, ministry, and the people in our generation. Let us pray, seek, plead the Lord that His Kingdom come in its completion SOON!

Centered and Ready

My RA Staff joked with me and said that "centered" and "ready" are words I use to describe myself a lot when we have to do a one or two word description of our lives, but it's true.  I feel very centered and I have not for a while.  For a while I was off of my axis and unable to function well.  It was a very refreshing long weekend for me.  I am back in the groove of things: RA, school, relationships, prayer, and some sort of joy.  

I am also feeling ready. I am ready for the opportunities in front of me.  I feel ready for what the Lord has.  I am prepared to listen.  I am present.  I have found that that is one of the most important prayers to pray: Lord, I am ready and I am here.  So often I am not present and attentive to God and others in the moment.  I can get so caught up in the future that I forget about the NOW!  

May we all learn to be present and attentive to everything around us, to live in the Fear-of-the-Lord... Live in sacred time, walk on Holy ground! 

These Are a Few of My (Current) Favorite Things!

This post is dedicated to compile all of my current favorite things.  I say current because it all changes so often.  People who have known me for a while (Mark, Kaitlin) know that this is VERY true.  I love exploring new things. So, here they are.  I know I'll miss some things, but oh well.  I also have them categorized.  

Favorite Music:

• Pretty. Odd. (Panic! at the Disco)  I never thought that I would like them, but this new album is really good.  It will make for a great summer album.  It reminds me of The Format's second album.
  
• RIOT (Paramore)  Again, I would have never guessed I would be into them.  Whatever.  I guess I just am just lame like that.  But honestly, that girl has an awesome voice!  
• Spring EP (Jon Foreman)  The lead singer from Switchfoot (also Mark's bff!) has been releasing an EP for every season (Fall, Winter, now Spring, and eventually Summer).  It is filled with amazing Sufjan-esque arrangements and beautiful lyrics reflecting God's transforming power.  It bleeds life.  

Favorite Drinks:

• Starbuck's Pike's Place Blend  This is a Bold blend according to the website, but Mark says it's a medium blend, but either way, it is so good!  It tastes very full and rich.  I also really like the direction that Starbucks is going.  More of the local coffee shop feel.  
• Stove-top Espresso Kaitlin's Mom and Dad (the future In-Law's!) gave me one for my birthday.  It is heavenly!  The Peet's Espresso Blend is great too!  They know me all to well!
• Sparkling Ice  This stuff is so amazing!  You can get them from Costco.  They have only like 10 calories per bottle and taste so good!  I'm pretty much obsessed, along with my Dad, brothers, and Kaitlin. 

Favorite Bible Stuff

• Genesis  I have been working with it a lot for Old Testament Theology with Dr. Talley.  I know I will probably love Exodus just as much once I finish working on it.  The theme of redemption is so amazing!  I noticed a cycle of redemption, too: God as King > Shalom/Rest > Chaos/Disorder > Redemption.  Genesis 3:21 is my favorite verse of the book: "And the LORD God made for Adam and his wife garments of animal skins and clothed them." This shows God's act of covering and redemption right after the Fall.  It is so beautiful. 
• Romans 8  This has given me such great hope in the unfailing love of God, His power, and my identity in Christ Jesus!  

Favorite TV Show

• The Hills  I know, I know.  But if you only understood how lame it is and how much "drama" is wrapped up in every second of it, you can't help it because it is so stupid!  It's really the only thing I watch. Kaitlin and I catch up with Tivo every time we come home from school. 

Favorite Movies

• 21  Kaitlin took me to see this on my 21st birthday.  I know, kinda corny, but it ended up being one of my favorite movies!  It is so awesome!  I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.  That is saying a lot, since I don't particularly like watching movies. 
• My Cousin Vinny  This is classic.  You must watch it.  So funny!  

Favorite Book

• Prayer (Richard Foster)  I have read this once before and it thrust me into a lifestyle of intense prayer.  God is using this book in my life right now for many things.  I highly recommend this to everyone! 

Favorite Past Times 

• Blogging  I love reading friends' blogs, random blogs, and writing them.  I also like trying to convince other people to start blogging, too!  It's fun.  I love seeing into people's lives in a new and interesting way.  A lot of people think that it is strange and impersonal, but I think there is a lot more depth!  
• Jacuzzi  Always fun and relaxing!
• Conversations  I have been valuing conversations more and more lately.  I have kind of been out of the loop with a lot of people, and I feel the need to be connected more intentionally.  Also, I have been pursuing more intentional conversations with God through prayer.  
• Reading  Books for school, books for fun, the Bible, old journals, blogs, and magazines.  
• Brainstorming  I have been trying to piece together a lot of things in my life-- Everything I have learned at Biola as a Bible major, my future as a husband, my future career, my ministry as an RA right now, my family, and my relationships.  I know I am on the brink of something new.  I will wait for God to bring me there, but keep dreaming and setting visions until then.  

Thursday Morning Sabbath

Espresso. Bible. Creation. Relevant Magazine. Worship Music. My ideal Sabbath. I began the morning by sleeping in. (Something much needed due to being sick!) While my espresso was brewing, I took a walk around my backyard.

I thanked the Lord for His artistic beauty- the use of color, shape, and texture.

The flowers in bloom are a reminder of Spring's offerings- newness, life, and joy!

Thank you Lord for sharing your beauty with us!

"Flowers appear in the earth; the season of singing has come..." (Song of Sol. 2:12)

After reading an article in Relevant Magazine on "Gorging on Jesus," I sat down to sip on espresso and the Word.  The Lord convicted and encouraged my heart with the following Scripture:

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, 

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 4:4-7)

The "do not be anxious" part is what is the most convicting.  I find myself anxious with floods of thoughts concerning job security and financial future for Kaitlin and I.  The Lord plainly spoke to my heart as I was asking to see His heart: Josh, do you desire job security, even in ministry, more than you desire ME? Wow!  What a wake up call!  

We also have no reason to be anxious over the circumstances, trials, warfare, and suffering in our lives.  I know this is the hardest thing to understand and incline our hearts towards during difficult times, but we MUST TRUST God's promise in His Word: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!

God, give me the peace for all situations. Teach me to incline my heart to Yours.  May my moments be saturated with prayer, ever relying on You!  You give me life to the full, strength for the battle, and words of truth to exhort others.  May I not take lightly life in You! 

Birthday Gift from Kaitlin!

Kaitlin bought me tickets to see Phantom of the Opera!  The first time I saw the show, it was in New York in 5th grade.  Ten years later, it still was an awesome show. It was also nice to get dressed up.  The play is definitely better than the movie.  If you have the opportunity, then go see it!  You won't be sorry.

Yes, I Like Eugene Peterson!

Some may call me a heretic.  Not so fast.  I'm not even talking about The Message, though I think it has its place.  I'm talking about Eugene Peterson's writing and preaching ministry concerning spirituality and spiritual theology.  I was exposed to his amazing, lesser-known-to-The-Message work titled Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Place.  My rating = A!  

He does a beautiful job weaving together theologies that we learn about in classes and congregations into a "big picture" that is saturated in Scripture, but screams for living it out in the daily life.  He uses a poem, As Kingfishers Catch Fire by Gerard Manely Hopkins to set the stage for his conversation:

As king fishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;

As tumbled over rim in roundy wells

Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's

Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;

Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:

Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;

Selves -- goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,

Crying What I do is me: for that I came.

I say more: the just man justices;

Keeps grace: that keeps all his goings graces;

Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is --

Christ. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,

Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his

To the Father through the features of men's faces. 

I have been greatly blessed by this book over the last year.  It has taught me wonderful practical theology (which I believe is the only necessary theology--If it doesn't change us, there's no use studying it.  What a word of truth for myself and peers in Biblical Studies!).  This is the only place that I have found excellent bible exposition, background study, literature, art, and poetic stories of daily life.  

Haven't convinced you yet? Check out these articles or READ THE BOOK!!!

Christianbook.com describes it this way:

Eugene Peterson realizes that within our seminaries, congregations and, most importantly, our lives, spirituality and theology have been estranged. Thus, in Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places Peterson works to ground our spirituality in Trinitarian theology and provides an illuminating discussion of how such theology shapes spiritual lives. After sweeping aside the misunderstandings that hinder our discussions of spiritual theology, Peterson clearly describes how spiritual theology can remain sensitive to ordinary life, effectively present the Christian gospel and find its rooting in the "fear of the Lord." The foundational book in a new series on spiritual theology, Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places serves as an essential resource for those of us who have committed ourselves to incarnating the Christian gospel in a contemporary context.

Read the Christianity Today article on Eugene Peterson and spirituality. 

A Conversation with Eugene Peterson article concerning spiritual theology. 

Daydreams of Genesis

I daydream of Genesis:

The Creation, Destruction

The Promises, and Lies

And people call on the name of the LORD.

I daydream of Grace:

The Provision, Fulness

Purity, then Pollution

And the LORD covers man's nakedness and shame.

I daydream of Beginning:

The Newness, Life

Assurance, but Barrenness

The LORD making his people a Great Nation

The LORD, the LORD:

Creator of all.

Sustainer of all.

All in All:

Even before the Beginning.