September Begins...

Wow. So...the rollercoaster of my life continues with so many emotions and thoughts this weekend!
Good conversations, good ponderings, some things done, many things left undone, frustration, questioning, feeling connected to my faith, feeling to connected in my relationship, in my friendships. Ah...the rollercoaster!!!

But a few thoughts to put down on paper, so to speak.

First of all, Prof. Wangerin's sermon was amazing today. So challenging. So needed. He preached on Mark 7:1-8; 14-15; 21-23 and talked about how we as humans must not follow human inventions but God's commandments. That even if we're doing things that seem right in human terms, that if they are not on God's terms then we have to change it. He wove these stories in and around this central message in that wonderful way of his so that it just spoke his message in words that made you want to align your life with God then and there. Just re-evaluate priorities, put God first, attempt to act right in every situation.

I struggled a lot in the service, becuase my problem is not accepting this idea it's figuring out HOW to do that. In leadership, in friendships, in prioritizing projects. God gets pretty specfic in Mark..."It is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." And yet, it is within these sins that things get tricky. God didn't write a book with specific advice for each situation...we're left to struggle with how to serve him and obey him within each context. And it certainly isn't easy. Come on God? I mean...really!?!

Other things from this weekend....Fellowship House Dinner & Meeting was full of blessings. God is working certainly. Bible Study...God was working indeed. It's been a very God-intensive weekend, which was interesting because I've been feeling very out of the faith loop in some ways. Habitat for Humanity build...interesting. Migraines, lack of sleep, tiredness, late-night conversations, evening goofiness. Happy roommate moments. Unhappy homework moments. Wierd future-thinkng moments. Interesting reading moments...feminist theory on international realtions, what?!?! Talking to others who feel the Valpo Culture shock after being away. Watching the Merchant of Venice (boo!). Thinking about how my response to "Of course you can't save the world" is different than it was a year ago. Realizing that I am a different person than I was two years ago and beginning to be okay with that.

Changes, changes...could the roller coaster just slow down a little so I can take it in please?