Semester in Review

So this is my third post this week (and my second tonight). I really haven't had time to write this semester. Plus, i've pretty much come to realize I don't really like writing (or talking) unless I'm fired up about something. If you're only getting 6 hours of sleep a night for weeks on end you really don't have the energy to get fired up about much. On top that, even if you do get fired up about an issue, as soon as you sit down to write about it, you fall asleep!

This semester has been surprising. I would have never guessed things would turn out the way they have. Here I am at the end of my second year of college already. Where has the time gone?
So here's what happened to me this semester:

First and foremost, I started getting a lot more involved with the local body (Grace Bible Church of Tampa) I started attending in the fall. I started out just going to the main service last semester. But, this semester I started helping out in the nursery during the Sunday school hour. I also started going to the Sunday evening service, Wednesday bible study and Grace on Campus (The college ministry) on Thursday's. I couldn't get enough of it (still can't really). I really began to love the people there and from the first day I went I felt like they really loved me too. I have never felt so welcome anywhere. They have taught me so much about the Word of God and what it really means to follow Christ for a life time.

On a side note, friends, if you haven't found a local bible-teaching church to be a part of. RUN, DON'T WALK to your nearest one! I cannot stress it enough how important it is. We college kids miss out on so much by avoiding being part of the body. Joining GBCT has been one of the best things I have ever done in my walk with God.

One unintended side effect of all this church going was I started to get to know this guy Kyle really well. I originally met Kyle at a Nav bowling social in the fall (the only reason I know that is cause that's how he said we met, I actually don't recall meeting him there at all). I saw him at GBCT the first time I went and I knew he lived in the dorm adjacent to mine. Putting two and two together, I commandeered him into giving me rides to church, as I didn't have a car! To be honest for the whole fall semester, I didn't think much of him. I thought to myself, he's a freshman, he's probably immature. He honestly didn't cross my mind at all. I actually made a point at the beginning of the spring semester to make sure he knew, in very clear words, that I was absolutely, positively NOT (as in never, ever going to be) interested in him. I felt very good about myself after that conversation actually. Needless to say, things changed very quickly. Within the first couple weeks of the semester I realized how wrong I had been to judge him. I remember walking away from each of our conversations amazed by his Love for God and dedication to scripture. Plus, I noticed how gracious and kind he was to everyone he met, no matter how they acted. I was singularly impressed. I ended up asking for his forgiveness for being so unkind when we first met. My heart towards him began to change very quickly.

About a month after our "let's just be friends" conversation. He asked me if I wanted to go get icecream after church. We had gone before as a group, but this time no one else was available to go. So it would be just me and him. I got MAD. I was thinking "seriously, why are you trying to hang out with me one on one? Do you think I'm some kind of easy girl that will just spend time with anyone?. See Sarah, this is what you get for talking to a guy, you should of just drove your own dang car to church. Gosh darn it, I don't want to be played with, GAHHH"
I didn't say anything the whole ride back to campus. When we got to Andros. Kyle asked me what was wrong. I thought about lying and never talking to him again. But, I figured he deserved the benefit of the doubt for giving me so many rides to church. So I told him the truth. I said "Kyle, I really like talking to you, but I'm really afraid that you're just playing with me and I really don't want that to happen." We got out ice cream in complete silence. Then he finally spoke. "Well Sarah, about what you said. I like you." At this point, I'm still mad, and I'm thinking "oh, so you think you can just tell me you like me and that makes everything cool, yeah right." So I shot back with "well what does that mean?". He then preceded to tell me why and that he had been waiting to tell me, but he decided to tell me now so I wouldn't think he was playing with me. Then I cried. Yea, pretty dramatic.

So we took a week to pray about and to talk with the Godly counsel in our lives. To be honest, I had made up my mind by the next morning, but I did wait to see what different people in my life had to say. So, that how Sarah Jo the ever persistent Navigator Never-dater ended up with a boyfriend. Believe me, it probably surprised me more then it surprised me.

Kyle has been such a blessing from the Lord. He has encouraged me so much to be more diligent in my disciplines, to fight sin with more vigor and to love God more. He is such a great leader. His character is what impresses me the most. I could go on and on about all the ways he has impacted my life.

If there's one thing I have learned from this experience is this: Ladies, don't let your personal preferences cause you to reject a Godly man without consideration for his character. Often times we put so much emphasis on the exterior and personality of a man without taking into account his character. The bible has standards for how a Godly man should live, if a man is doing that and he's interested in you, give him a chance. A Godly man is a rare find, don't forget that.

The other major change that has occurred this semester is I cut off my involvment with The Navs. It was a really difficult choice. I'd rather not go into all the reasons I decided to stop going. But, I am very thankful for my time with them and their impact on my life. I also got a job as a nanny for an agency. I really enjoy my work.

For spring break I went to Jamaica with the Honors College (similar to what I did in Panama last spring break). The trip was incredible. We went to this rural part of the south coast called Treaure Beach, about three hours from Montego Bay. We spent the whole week there doing community service. I spent three days assisting a medical team with a free clinic. I cannot begin to describe how incredible of an experience that was. I loved every minute of it. I got to shadow several different types of doctors. I learned so much.

One that has really developed in my heart this semester is a heart for adoption. Adoption has always been something I've wanted to do. I have met several families at Grace that have adopted children. Also, my pastor and his wife have been going through the process of adopting a little girl. Whenever I think about child not being loved, or being hurt or abandoned, my hurt just brakes. I just want to open my arms and say "I'll love you, I'll take care of you, even if nobody else wants you, I want you." I hope one day I will be able to put my dreams into action.

hmmm, other miscellaneous things. I had an ethics professor who was, shall we say, less then ethical...Uh, don't feel like talking about that now. I'm just glad its over.

So I start my first semester of the college of nursing May 16th. I'll be doing clinicals at University Community Hospital. Wish me luck! I am carrying 13 credits, plus doing clinicals, so I will be a busy bee this summer!

"So whether we are present or absent, we make it our aim to be well pleasing to him" 2 Corinthians 5:9

On Baptism

I am getting baptized tomorrow. I've waited a long time for this moment. These past two years walking with the Lord have been incredible. I'm still in awe of what Christ has done for me. It brings tears to my eyes to meditate on the atonement. This is where words fail me. How can I articulate the overwhelming gratitude in my heart? It is times like these that I wish I had command of a larger vocabulary. I want words to express my feelings, but there are none.
Christ is my Lord and Savior, Reedemer and Friend. He has rescued me from darkness and healed my broken heart. I want to spend forever with him, and he has promised me that one day I will!

Christ died for us. Such a simple, simple statement. But, Oh! The power of the truth behind those words. God the Son became man and lived a perfect life. Then at just the right time, he died for the ungodly. He died so that I, a wrathful rebellious enemy of God, could one day be drawn unto himself. I am justified by faith and have peace with God because he offered himself on the cross at Calvary. He took the full wrath of God for all my sins. In considering this, I loose my breath. I want to weep with gratitude. I was a slave to sin, in bondage to death. Now I am a slave of Christ, whose love brings life ever lasting.

Oh, the unsearchable love of Christ. Oh how I long to look upon his face and sing his praises forever.

^"Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:
“ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom,
And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”
And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:
“ Blessing and honor and glory and power
Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”
Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever. ~ Revelation 5:11-14

Thoughts on Blue Like Jazz

I recently picked up my copy of Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller off my book shelf. I originally read the book in high school, before I came to know Jesus. If I remember correctly, it was a very popular book among the "christian" youth of my town. I recall reading it, liking it and assuming it was truth. It therefore heavily influenced my conception of God. I decided to reread it, because it has to come to my attention that I read a lot of books as an unbeliever and a new believer that may have been just plain heretical. So i've decided to go back and take a look at them to weed out the lies from the truth in my mind.

One a side note, there has been a lot of talk recently on the christian blog 0' sphere (is that a word? If it wasn't before it is now) about the emergent church, particularity Rob Bell. If you haven't been following the controversy surrounding Rob Bell and his new book Love Wins. I would suggest doing a little research. A good place to start would be John MacArthur's blog, he has been doing a series of posts on it. (Here's the link to the first one http://www.gty.org/Blog/B110412). (I will probably one day get around to writing about the emergent church and things like that)

Here are my thought's on Blue Like Jazz.

To put it bluntly, if you want to read a book to learn more about the character and nature of God, this is not the book for you. However, if you want to read a book about the inane quasi-spiritual musings of a man named Donald Miller, by all means be my guest.

If I was Donald Miller, I would have put a disclaimer on the front of Blue Like Jazz stating "it would be better for your spiritual state to read your Bible for 30 seconds then to read this book." In thinking that thought I would also like to add a disclaimer to this blog. "It would be better to read your bible for 1 minute then to spend any amount of time reading what I have to say." If there is one thing I have learned recently about what it means to walk with God it is this: your Bible is everything. Over and over I have been shown the supremacy of scripture.

Blue like jazz does not fall short necessarily for what it says, but for what it doesn't say. Never once in the book does mention the Holiness of God, or the wrath of God against unrepentant sinners. Presenting a gospel without these elements is to pervert the true gospel and to blaspheme the name of Christ.

An essential issue with this book is it's misrepresentation of the work of Christ. Jesus Christ, God-incarnate, did not come to earth to rescue the world from it's social justice issues. Jesus Christ came to rescue sinners from the judgment and wrath of an almighty God. Yes, Jesus cares about poverty. However, poverty isn't the root cause of the world's evils; sin is. The sin in me and the sin in you. Outside of Christ we are enemies with God. We are in rebellion and we cannot please God.

Another huge problem is Miller's rejection of the church. He completely throws the church under the bus. The Church is the Bride of Christ. He's got a thing for her and I wouldn't dis her if I were you (to quote Lecrae). As a new believer I can attest that it is almost impossible to grow without being involved in a Bible teaching Church where you can serve, be discipled and be disciplined. So many college students miss this. The Church and it's structure was designed by Christ. We miss out on so much growth by staying away. (I could right a whole post on this issue itself)

Miller's attitude towards sin in Blue Like Jazz is incredibly flippant. It's almost disgusting. If we could see our sins for what they are we would fall on our faces and weep. Which is what Isaiah did when he saw the Lord: Isaiah 6:1-5

"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. ² Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. ³ And one cried to another and said:

“ Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory!”
⁴ And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
⁵ So I said:

“ Woe is me, for I am undone!
Because I am a man of unclean lips,
And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips;
For my eyes have seen the King,
The LORD of hosts.”

The faith that this book presents is not a saving faith. It is not in line with historic Christianity. It does not support the Bible. To be blunt, the "gospel" this book presents is rather like a vaccine. It's a weakened form of the real thing that will inoculate an individual from ever receving the real thing. It's a useless waste of paper, good only for kindling.

Donald Miller's version of the good news, is really not good news at all. To him Jesus is just one more option, one more pathway to "living your best life now". These kinds of books are so deadly because they present lies wrapped up in truth. They sell half-truths to undiscerning people. Half truths that destroy them spiritually.