I think this picture speaks for itself.

Some random thoughts on patience

In preparation for my Sunday school class next year I have started to meditate on different aspects of love. Here are some thoughts on patience.

Patience is not merely waiting—it is waiting in surrender. Why do they call hospitalized individuals patients? Because they must wait on the doctor with faith, trusting and believing that he knows what he is doing. Doctors may be fallible, but our God is not. We can trust that God (and only God) has everything under control which gives us the ability to endure every situation and moment that confronts us with quiet forbearance. We cannot come to a place of absolute trust that allows perfect patience in any other place than in our relationship with God, as everything in this world is fallible. If we want to learn to be patient, we must first learn to trust in God. When our trust is founded on the Rock of Ages, we can endure every test, trial, and disappointment in life. If someone lets us down yet again, let us remember that our trust lies in God and that we can trust Him in the lives of others as well as our own.

Likewise, our hope must also be founded in God, whether dealing with ourselves or others. When our hope is founded on the God who has the power to build us up, we are given the strength to endure our own failings and our own seemingly slow progress as well as the failings and slow progress of others. Patience involves contentment in every situation—contentment and peace.

It means that we must accept whatever trial or test comes our way—it also means that we must accept each other and ourselves in spite of (and including) our shortcomings. This does not mean that we are enabling others to remain the way they are, nor does it mean that we are growing stagnant and complacent with where we are in our own walk. Acceptance is an acknowledgement of unconditional love—it is saying that I accept you for who you are at this moment, and it is also saying that I accept myself for who I am at this moment. (Who am I to reject something that God himself has accepted and loves unconditionally?) It is an acceptance of where God has us in our walks at this time, but it is also an acknowledgement of our ability to grow. Without a patient acceptance from both others and ourselves, our perception of God’s acceptance and unconditional, patient love is hindered and our maturation is stinted.

Love bears with others, meaning we are meant to come alongside others and share their load, but it does not involve control in any way—love involves instead the patient surrender to the will, timing, and methods of God. Only in God can we truly love those around us.

!

[zZzZz]

-.-

-.o ... 6:00

-.-

-.o ... 6:05

=/

rustlerustlerustle

=)

scribblescribblescribble

=D

*silence*

=D!!!

*nomnomnomnom*smack*nomnomnom*

o.0... 7:30

and then I worked till now. Going back out soon, have a nice one folks!

=)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life. A longing fulfilled is sweet to the souls, but fools detest turning from evil. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my savior and my God. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. (Proverbs 13:12, 19 & Psalm 42:5, 62:5)

God is faithful... so faithful, in fact, that he will always do what is best for us, no matter how much we pout and mope. Thank Goodness.

Recently it seems that everything that I had put my hope in has been removed from my grasp, so that at times I felt akin to Tantalus. I sank into a state of apathy and depression, making a Jonaesque show out of being frustrated with God. I knew I was being silly, but even though I know God has a plan to prosper me, I wanted to dwell on negative feelings. Enough of that.

I decided today to stir from the state of complete torpor I have been in for the last week. As a result, I decided to have a birthday party this Saturday... if you read this, you are invited.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135331696487361&index=1

Hope that works...

443-617-3011

followerdvidb@yahoo.com

Hello!

• Stopped at a thrift store and a library booksale today and got 37 (I think) books for $5, plus the Encyclopedia of World Literature for another $5, which re-initiates the trouble I have been having finding shelf space for all my books. It takes a lot of shelf to hold 510 books... It is fun.

• We've been working on run-in sheds for our horses for the last few weeks... That has consumed most of my time 6 days a week. They are looking great. Well, the one that we have been working on does, anyway.

• Tomorrow is my last week teaching Sunday School. =/. It has been fun and challenging--I am looking forward to doing it again sometime in the future.

• I cannot find my book, The Idiot, or my water bottle. I suspect that they have conspired together to deprive me and have concealed themselves. I hope to find them soon.

• God is awesome! He's been doing great things--always has been faithful, always will be!

Summa Cum Laude

So I just graduated from Towson University with a GPA of 3.858, which was enough to get the honor of Summa Cum Laude and enough to surpass my HCC GPA of 3.79. I did this in spite of the plus/minus grading system in which you usually need above a 93 in a class to get an A. A=4.0, A-=3.67, B+ =3.33, B=3.0 and so on, making it almost impossible to maintain a perfect 4.0. My tally was 13 As, 7 A-s, and one B+, which means that had I been at Harford still, the overall GPA would have been about 3.95. Bummer--BUT, I am happy that I was able to do as well as I did given the circumstances. God has been working in me and growing me every semester, helping me all along the way... I could not have done it without Him. It is neat seeing how much I have grown since I transferred. Now, I am in a celebratory mood...I am so glad it is over!!!

Now what...

Yay!

I am done with school! I now have time to clean everything! So that is what I am doing today--cleaning like crazy. I will probably clean until I go to Tango class, and then come home and go to sleep. W0ot for getting to bed early! Have a great day peoples!