I made it through four years at Northland with no falls on ice. Now I am in Virginia and today, I hit the ground! Thankfully it was right after I crossed the street, and not during. What came down as rain last night hardened into a thick sheet of ice. Although I had to chisel the Trooper this morning, the roads seemed fine. My first encounter with ice was the curb onto which I stepped, or tried to step, but had absolutely no footing! I'm fine. Nothing hurt. My hands stayed clear of the whole thing as one maneuvered the umbrella and the other held the cell phone. My peaceful conversation with Mom was soon interrupted by a "eeaaahhh...(thump)...I just fell...After four years!...I'm fine." Haha. Glad I can laugh about it. Although the only other potential amusers were those driving by. Oh well.
Beside that (or maybe even including it :), it has been a good week. I have missed Northland more, as this week is HEART Conference--something I always looked forward to. But I must say that I didn't miss the -40 degree windchill. The cold, the snow--those bring back good memories. But the wind is not quite as inviting!
I've added an accompanying recital for April, working with a violin/viola player who attends the Sunday night Bible study. He's doing the Copland Sonata and a set of Ralph Vaughan Williams pieces. It is some challenging music with polytonalities and changing meters, so I look forward to working on that. Also, I believe I will be able to participate in the music worship at church on occasion, starting in March. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.
I keep waiting for the busyness of last semester to hit, but so far, I am accomplishing everything I need to, as well as having extra time! Teaching is going well, although I am facing many of the typical challenges of education. This has provided an opportunity for me to stimulate my creativity (or more likely my problem-solving skills!) and try to come up with ways to face them effectively. How thankful I am for the peace of God's continual presence, His active work in my life, and His wisdom. Just this morning, I was refreshed by the simple truths of the gospel.
I did nothing! I deserve nothing. Yet I have been given everything! And I am here to share that with those around me:
"I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers...that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus." Philemon 4,6
Others Have Said It Better
- "Yet the duties God requires of us are not in proportion to the strength we possess in ourselves. Rather, they are proportional to the resources available to us in Christ. We do not have the ability in ourselves to accomplish the least of God's tasks. This is the law of grace. When we recognize it is impossible for us to perform a duty in our own strength, we will discover the secret of its accomplishment. But alas, this is a secret we often fail to discover." -John Owen
- "Forgiveness is the most God-like thing you can do." -J. MacArthur
The Progression of Wisdom
Proverbs 2:1-9 offers a progression of wisdom that gives clarity to the abridged "seek and you shall find" mentality. Solomon instructs his son to receive my words. . . treasure my commands. . . incline your ear to wisdom. . . apply your heart to understanding. . . cry out for discernment. . . lift up your voice for understanding. . . seek her as silver. . . search for her as for hidden treasures. We would expect the next verse to read something to the effect of "Then you will find wisdom." But that's not what follows. He writes, Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. This understanding serves as a necessary prerequisite to obtaining wisdom. Without intimate knowledge of God, the pursuit of "wisdom" is a false and godless effort.
But once the seeker gains knowledge and understanding of God, wisdom inevitably follows. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. These gifts flow from the One we come to know. And the progression concludes with verse 9: Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
I seek--God illumines--God gives--I understand.
But once the seeker gains knowledge and understanding of God, wisdom inevitably follows. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. These gifts flow from the One we come to know. And the progression concludes with verse 9: Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
I seek--God illumines--God gives--I understand.
About Me
- an30na
- I am a college graduate with a bachelors in Piano Pedagogy from Northland Baptist Bible College, and am nearly half way through my MM in Piano Performance at JMU. I love to accompany and to serve and honor the Lord through opportunities to play. I love "awakening the dawn" to see the sunrise, running, especially hills, and am almost always up for a good mental challenge.
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