Well, it's 12:09 a.m. Sunday morning, and I'm at the front desk of the Sleep Inn. I have now been at the hotel for roughly 26 hours, and have to say it's been mostly enjoyable. It's kinda nice sleeping in a king sized bed, eating free breakfast, and watching Kentucky basketball.
Around 3:00 p.m. yesterday Jamie and Ronda came over and brought me some snacks. I thought they were crazy for walking in the ice and snow from their house, but truthfully it wasn't far, and they both said they were sweating by the time they made it to the hotel. It was also nice because it meant I got to see my fiance in person, and not just on my jabber webcam chat.
So, I'm not sure exactly what I'll do the rest of the night, but I most likely will read Darwin and/or Berkeley. My laptop tells me it's a chilly 21 degrees Fahrenheit outside. It's supposed to drop to 14 sometime around 6 a.m.
It's funny what you think of at times like this. I just remembered that once-upon-a-time I began writing a short story about monsters that came with a snow storm. The story was largely influenced by Stephen King's short story "The Fog," which was later made into a movie. I never saw it; anyone know if it was any good? At any rate, I never finished the story, but it had a catchy opening: "While James slept, outside the monsters of his dreams ravaged the earth." Pretty creepy, huh? I'm really glad I quit reading Stephen King. His stuff truly goes against the advice of Paul in Phillipians 4:8.
Hope everyone is able to stay warm tonight. Goodnight, and may God bless.
~ Reid
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Let It Snow!
Well, looks like the weather men were right. I found this picture on the web and thought it was appropriate. The only thing is, today is Saturday and, well, it's not really a Snow Day for teachers or students.
In other news, I had to spend the night in the hotel last night because I had to work this morning. When I woke up, I heard rain on the windows. But I knew it was too cold to be raining, so I was a tad perplexed. It didn't take me long to figure out that it was in fact sleeting, so when I got down to the desk @ 7 A.M. I checked the local weather. Looks like the High today is 25 :( That means that the low is 13. I might be here all day... but at least I get free breakfast :)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Meditations on Psalm 118
I began reading Psalm 118 this morning after having read Psalms 28, 58, and 88. Although I read all of the Psalms of the day devotedly, I've found that God usually speaks to me through one in particular on any given day. Today that Psalm was 118.
Because there is so much to say, I'm not sure where I should begin. But in the interest of time (I don't have much to spend here, and I'm sure anyone reading doesn't either), I'm going to share just a few verses that pierced my soul (in a good way :) ).
I say here that the Psalm pierced my soul, so let me briefly explain what I mean. As I was reading, God's word seemed to literally puncture the layers of indifference and self-centeredness that often characterize my life. It went straight to my heart, and as a consequence it came to life before my very eyes. I can attribute this to nothing other than the result of the Spirit opening my eyes to His word upon my faithful submission to His truth. Today it was particularly vivid, and it allowed me to grasp more fully what is meant by the author of Hebrews in his 4th chapter, verse 12: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
I don't believe that it's an accident that Hebrews 4:12 came to my mind, largely because it points to another passage that uses the imagery of a sharp, two-edged sword: Revelation 1:16. There Jesus is described as one who has a sharp, two-edged sword proceeding from His mouth. I take this to mean that out of Jesus' mouth comes the word of God continually, and this makes sense, since He is, well, God.
I say all of this because Psalm 118 is primarily about Messiah, and I believe with all of my being that Jesus is Messiah, the promised Christ. Look at verses 15-18. Verse 15 says that "The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous...", after which verses 17 & 18 say, "I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death." It seems to me that these verses are speaking of the joy that is my salvation because of what Jesus did on the cross. Look at the next group of verses.
Verses 19-21 speak about God opening the gates of righteousness so that "I shall enter through them...This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it." These verses recall for me Psalm 24, in which the King of Glory comes through the everlasting doors. Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Let's look further at what Psalm 118 has to say about this King.
What, you may ask, are the verses that follow 19-21? Their content is what Peter preaches on in Acts 4:11, calling everyone to put their faith in Jesus. That is because He is "The stone which the builders rejected...", who "Has become the chief corner stone." Who did this? Verse 23 tells us that "This is the LORD's doing." I believe this is a reference to God's raising Jesus from the dead, given the context provided by verses 17 & 18.
But the apex of the Good News preached in the Psalm is verse 27. It says, "The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." This verse makes me think of John 1:4, which says, "In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men." We have light, we have hope, because Christ came into our darkness, to bring us life - His life. And the next part of Psalm 118:27 tells us how we may have that life, which is never-ending. We may have life because Jesus was and is and will always be the perfect sacrifice that was offered in our place. Though we deserve to die, He took our death sentence and made it His own. In light of this, what other response should we give than what is found in Psalm 118:29 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
As I close on my meditations of Psalm 118, this last verse brings to mind another Psalm. Psalm 73:28 tells me that "The nearness of God is my good." How much nearer can God come than when He came as a Man to lay down His life for me, His friend? There just can't be a greater love than that, and that is why He, Jesus Christ, will always and forever be my savior, my friend, my Lord, and my God. I could live for other things, and they often do capture my heart for brief periods. But my heart always comes back, seeking the One for whom it was made, and I really don't want it to be any other way. That is no testimony of my goodness; it is an acknowledgment of His.
~ Reid
Because there is so much to say, I'm not sure where I should begin. But in the interest of time (I don't have much to spend here, and I'm sure anyone reading doesn't either), I'm going to share just a few verses that pierced my soul (in a good way :) ).
I say here that the Psalm pierced my soul, so let me briefly explain what I mean. As I was reading, God's word seemed to literally puncture the layers of indifference and self-centeredness that often characterize my life. It went straight to my heart, and as a consequence it came to life before my very eyes. I can attribute this to nothing other than the result of the Spirit opening my eyes to His word upon my faithful submission to His truth. Today it was particularly vivid, and it allowed me to grasp more fully what is meant by the author of Hebrews in his 4th chapter, verse 12: "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
I don't believe that it's an accident that Hebrews 4:12 came to my mind, largely because it points to another passage that uses the imagery of a sharp, two-edged sword: Revelation 1:16. There Jesus is described as one who has a sharp, two-edged sword proceeding from His mouth. I take this to mean that out of Jesus' mouth comes the word of God continually, and this makes sense, since He is, well, God.
I say all of this because Psalm 118 is primarily about Messiah, and I believe with all of my being that Jesus is Messiah, the promised Christ. Look at verses 15-18. Verse 15 says that "The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous...", after which verses 17 & 18 say, "I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. The LORD has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me over to death." It seems to me that these verses are speaking of the joy that is my salvation because of what Jesus did on the cross. Look at the next group of verses.
Verses 19-21 speak about God opening the gates of righteousness so that "I shall enter through them...This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous will enter through it." These verses recall for me Psalm 24, in which the King of Glory comes through the everlasting doors. Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Let's look further at what Psalm 118 has to say about this King.
What, you may ask, are the verses that follow 19-21? Their content is what Peter preaches on in Acts 4:11, calling everyone to put their faith in Jesus. That is because He is "The stone which the builders rejected...", who "Has become the chief corner stone." Who did this? Verse 23 tells us that "This is the LORD's doing." I believe this is a reference to God's raising Jesus from the dead, given the context provided by verses 17 & 18.
But the apex of the Good News preached in the Psalm is verse 27. It says, "The LORD is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar." This verse makes me think of John 1:4, which says, "In Him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men." We have light, we have hope, because Christ came into our darkness, to bring us life - His life. And the next part of Psalm 118:27 tells us how we may have that life, which is never-ending. We may have life because Jesus was and is and will always be the perfect sacrifice that was offered in our place. Though we deserve to die, He took our death sentence and made it His own. In light of this, what other response should we give than what is found in Psalm 118:29 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
As I close on my meditations of Psalm 118, this last verse brings to mind another Psalm. Psalm 73:28 tells me that "The nearness of God is my good." How much nearer can God come than when He came as a Man to lay down His life for me, His friend? There just can't be a greater love than that, and that is why He, Jesus Christ, will always and forever be my savior, my friend, my Lord, and my God. I could live for other things, and they often do capture my heart for brief periods. But my heart always comes back, seeking the One for whom it was made, and I really don't want it to be any other way. That is no testimony of my goodness; it is an acknowledgment of His.
~ Reid
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Psalm 27
I was reading Psalm 27 this morning, and as it often happens, God spoke to me through His word in a powerful way. For those not familiar with this passage of scripture, Psalm 27 holds a veritable treasure trove of wisdom/encouragement/truth. Many will recognize the phrases "The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?" and "One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to meditate in His temple."
These are famous verses that are often recalled by us at different times, and they are like a healing salve to our hurting souls. But as I read Psalm 27 this morning, I was touched by two different verses. In Psalm 27:9-10, the Psalmist says this: "Do not hide Thy face from me, Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up."
I thought about those verses for a minute, and I realized just how profound they are. Most of us know what it is like to have a mother and a father who love us. I know that I certainly do, and Ronda does as well. But as I read that verse, I was able to think about the prospect of not having that kind of parental love, and how devastating it would be for my life. Yet, as I meditated more on what God was saying to me through this passage, I realized that even should I lose that love that I hold dear, there is a greater love than the love that my parents have shown me - it is the love of God. He will always, always sustain me, and care for me. He will lift me high upon the rock; He will protect me. He will provide for me. He is the ultimately loving parent.
I don't think that we really grasp just how deep that truth affects us; I know I don't at least. Our heavenly Father is always there if we need Him. The fact is that we do need Him, and, contrary to the prevailing sentiment today, that is a very good thing. We were made to have a relationship with our Maker that is fundamentally one of a created being worshiping his uncreated, holy Creator.
I sincerely hope that one day, we are all able to say with the Psalmist in verse 8, "When Thou didst say 'Seek My face,' my heart said to Thee, 'Thy face, O LORD, I shall seek.'"
Hope everyone is doing well, and that God would speak to you through his servant(s) and/or His word today.
~ Reid
These are famous verses that are often recalled by us at different times, and they are like a healing salve to our hurting souls. But as I read Psalm 27 this morning, I was touched by two different verses. In Psalm 27:9-10, the Psalmist says this: "Do not hide Thy face from me, Do not turn Thy servant away in anger; Thou hast been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the LORD will take me up."
I thought about those verses for a minute, and I realized just how profound they are. Most of us know what it is like to have a mother and a father who love us. I know that I certainly do, and Ronda does as well. But as I read that verse, I was able to think about the prospect of not having that kind of parental love, and how devastating it would be for my life. Yet, as I meditated more on what God was saying to me through this passage, I realized that even should I lose that love that I hold dear, there is a greater love than the love that my parents have shown me - it is the love of God. He will always, always sustain me, and care for me. He will lift me high upon the rock; He will protect me. He will provide for me. He is the ultimately loving parent.
I don't think that we really grasp just how deep that truth affects us; I know I don't at least. Our heavenly Father is always there if we need Him. The fact is that we do need Him, and, contrary to the prevailing sentiment today, that is a very good thing. We were made to have a relationship with our Maker that is fundamentally one of a created being worshiping his uncreated, holy Creator.
I sincerely hope that one day, we are all able to say with the Psalmist in verse 8, "When Thou didst say 'Seek My face,' my heart said to Thee, 'Thy face, O LORD, I shall seek.'"
Hope everyone is doing well, and that God would speak to you through his servant(s) and/or His word today.
~ Reid
Our first post (sort of)
Ok, so Ronda and I have our own blog now, but we won't be married until March 27th, so this isn't a married couple's blog; in fact, since she's going to be mad busy with wedding planning, school, church, etc., most of the posts in the near future will come from me (me being Reid).
I suppose I'll just begin by telling you all what Ronda and I want this blog to be/become. We want this site to be a place where everyone we know, and some that we don't, can come and partake of a small slice of our lives. We don't think we're that important, but we realize that some people might be interested in keeping up with us as we journey on to wherever God decides we should go :) We hope that the tone is always inviting, and we welcome any and all feedback from all who'd like to throw their two cents in. After all, two cents from a lot of people adds up after awhile ;) At any rate, thanks for checking us out; we hope to hear from you soon!
I suppose I'll just begin by telling you all what Ronda and I want this blog to be/become. We want this site to be a place where everyone we know, and some that we don't, can come and partake of a small slice of our lives. We don't think we're that important, but we realize that some people might be interested in keeping up with us as we journey on to wherever God decides we should go :) We hope that the tone is always inviting, and we welcome any and all feedback from all who'd like to throw their two cents in. After all, two cents from a lot of people adds up after awhile ;) At any rate, thanks for checking us out; we hope to hear from you soon!
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