Warm Start

I'm back at school and have successfully completed a whopping 3 days of classes. My schedule this semester is much better than last semester, so those of you who are concerned can be assured that I am at least optimistic that classes will be better this semester. I think coming back to school after Christmas break is always interesting because I get to recognize problems that I had last semester and fix them for this one. It doesn't work so well after the summer break because we live in new places and the previous semester is so far removed. However, this January I feel renewed and refreshed. I'm inspired to work hard in my classes and make the most of my time that is not spent on school work.

Enough of my personal life. The rest of this post is going to be scattered thoughts about various topics. I hope to be writing concentrated posts on particular topics, much like my last blog, but we'll see where God leads this. He's got it all planned out anyway.

I received an email sometime ago which was of great encouragement to me. I kindly thank the writer who knows who she is. The email contained a fantastic verse which I cannot remember ever hearing before. It was Hosea 6:1.

Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces, that he may heal us;
he has injured us, but he will bind up our wounds.

What a great encouragement to everyone who has experienced pain in the last few months, or is currently in its midst. God does not send pain and suffering into our lives so that he may test us or give us a chance to prove our strength. What strength do we have? How will we prevail on our own? On the contrary, God dismantles our little worlds solely that he may reassemble them. He sends pain that we may know the comfort of being healed. As a child, if i never knew the pain of falling down, how would I know the tenderness and compassion shown when my father or mother picked me up and carried me into the house? If I was never sick, I would not know the feeling of lying on the couch while my grandmother stroked my hair as I fell asleep. These are some of the great joys of life. Without pain none of them would have come. In the same way, God brings pain and struggle into our lives so that we may know the joy of being restored and feel the greatness of His love.

I was given 3 books for Christmas this year, all of which I am very excited about. The first is Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream. It is a thought-provoking look at the way we design towns in America (or really a critique of the crappy job we've done). It investigates how the suburbs are killing any sense of community in our cities and towns and what we should do to battle this to restore the vitality of our communities. I highly recommed it for anyone studying architecture, civil engineering, or urban planning as well as for anyone who is disappointed by the lack of meaningful relationships found in the places where they live. It is not a technical book and can be understood by anyone. I think it is very important because it will affect the places you choose to live when you get out of college and who you vote for in your local elections.

I have already finished reading that and moved on to 1776 by David McCullough. I love studying the American Revolution and the men who shaped our country. How great would it be to fight for the cause of freedom in your own land? I particularly love the stories about Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine and others who were the ideological fathers of the Revolution. I'm only about 70 pages into 1776 but I am enjoying it immensely. It is inspiring. Perhaps some of our names will be remembered 250 years from now and be known by everyone in the English speaking world. Maybe some of us will fight for great causes and be at the root of great movements that change the entire world. We are the next Martin Luthers and George Washingtons and Peters and Pauls and Nelson Mandelas. Are we ready for it? Are we preparing for that kind of greatness?

The last book new book I have is How Should We The Live? by Francis Schaeffer. I haven't started it and, therefore, have no comment to make except that it is subtitled "The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture." I am afraid this book is destined to make me more pessimistic than I already am.

This is a fairly long post, but I have had a lot on my mind. My hope is that someone may enjoy it. One thing I really like about Blogger is that everyone can comment, not just registered members so feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions, but remember to love eachother when you do so.

The world is ours if we would only let it be.

Little children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
~1 John 3:18