One more thing

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow

Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!"

I proofread my last post tonight because I basically wrote it in my sleep last night, and this came to mind.

Enjoy.

Joy

Hello, world of bloggers.

Lately, I've been a combination of exhausted and lazy, due to working and then other crazy stuff going on after work. I now understand what old people mean when they say they're "too tired" to go places after 5 pm or why they go to bed at like 9:30 pm. This is why I've been slackin'.

Anyway, enough whining! Let's talk about JOY!

"Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces."

--Psalm 34:5

Cool, huh? I want to be radiant with joy! I love how God promises to bring joy if we can just look up from the insignificant bustle of our lives to see our Creator at work. (Therein, however, lies the problem.)

Joy, in this case, isn't a constant, inexplicable happiness that makes you want to pirouette down the street with a marching band like the guy in (500) Days of Summer when he first sleeps with Summer. It's just the knowledge that God is in control and that He is where our value/happiness is based. It's knowing that He is supreme and He can use all things for good in our lives ("And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."-- Romans 8:28) When I keep those things in mind, it's a lot harder to bring me down because I have my eyes fixed somewhere higher, something lasting and eternal that will always, always, always satisfy, even when life isn't all sunshine and daisies.

"Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." --Psalm 37:4

Taking delight in Jesus? Love that idea, too. Clearly, we're supposed to find happiness in worshipping God! It's not supposed to be a chore, as it can become, but a fulfilling relationship. Nice.

Pride and Parasites

I am finally on medication for my last physical remembrance of Uganda: the notorious and inglorious intestinal parasite.

Yes, yes, I know that you're revolted. Believe you me, I am too. Actually, I can't even think about it. This is actually worse than the chigger embedded in my toe when I got back. However, this will have passed (literally and figuratively! ...ew, sorry...) within the next few days. What a relief! How did I manage to pick up so many undesirables in just one month, careful as I was? Possibly because I thought I was impervious to worms and brushed my teeth with unboiled water...on multiple occasions. But, hey, what are the chances that THAT was the reason?

One thing I came away with from this ordeal was the knowledge that, while the whole situation was gut-wrenchingly disgusting (haha! a pun!), these things always sound worse than they are. We humans are hardy and can deal with things better than we think we can.

So enough about worms and bugs. I won't attempt an awkward and cheesy transition into the next topic from this unpleasant one, but rather jump right in.

Here are a couple of verses that have struck home for me this week:

"Even before they call, I will answer;

while they are still speaking, I will hear."

- Isaiah 65:24

"Do not be hasty to speak, and do not be impulsive to make a speech before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few."

- Ecclesiastes 5:2

Now, I'm chatty. I like to talk. I like to try to influence what people think of me while I talk. (Getting vulnerable here, oooh!) So I try this on God. I tell Him what I'm learning and throw some Christian-sounding stuff in there (like, "redemption", "You placed [x] on my heart", "blessings", etc.) and figure that should be satisfactory, that maybe I've made Him like me a little more because I'm super-spiritual. I talk so much that I don't listen. (Similar to the "be still and know that I am God" topic.)

What a joke. Just looking at these verses makes it clear that He knows exactly what I'm going to say and exactly how I'm going to prettify it when I phrase it for Him. Takes the wind outta my sails, right?

In a nutshell: I can't deceive God. He sees me as I am, and I have to be humble enough to accept that there's no way that I can impress Him. Danggggg.

"Though the Lord is exalted,

He takes note of the humble;

but He knows the haughty from a distance."

- Psalm 137:7

Humility is my new prayer.

It's pretty awesome that He's still crazy about you and me, even if you (like me) spend more time orating towards the opened heavens than about the relationship you're building with the King. Insane!

But that's a post for another day, I think. Goodnight, moon. Goodnight, friends!

Puppy Parallels

Meet Charlie Boston Asker, my adorable, nine-week-old Golden Retriever puppy. Isn't he presh?

So he's the sweetest little

guy on the whole planet. He does all the cute puppy things, like pouncing on tennis balls, tearing around the house like his tail's on fire, and chewing my flip flops to ribbons. (Maybe not so cute.)

In addition to all these attractions, he does some less than desirable things. I.e. I take him outside at 5 am to do his "business" and he plays in the dirt instead of getting things done. Then, as soon as I take him inside, he empties his bladder on the floor. Again, not cute, but typical puppy. He can also be willful and stubborn, and resists all my attempts to bring him inside. He sometimes fights against being picked up and will struggle to get out of my arms.

So thought for the day: how often am I like that with God? When am I willful and headstrong, fighting to escape His loving arms?

Even though I know what's best for this little puppy and am trying to train him so he can have time out of his crate to play instead of having to be locked away, he rebels. How am I resisting God's "training" so I can do what I want, which is ultimately harmful to me?