The why of the blog and the what-does-it- mean of the title.

I'm not going to lie. I am super nervous about writing this first entry. I'm not sure why. It was pretty stressful getting the courage to make this blog and even more stressful thinking of a title/url address. This is way more serious than Xanga.

 

So, why start a blog now? Part of the reason i started this, particularly this afternoon, was because I did not want to do O.Chem practice problems nor did I want to read for Asian American Studies. Another reason I started this was because it was time for a new one. I've been on Xanga since I was in jr. high school. I feel way older than I did in jr. high. I might not act any older, but I feel it. And so, the new era of a legitimate blog begins.

 

Mostly, I just want to use this as a means of keeping myself accountable in my reading of the Word and growth in grace. I feel like i am cheating on my journal(s) by writing here-- whoring myself to the blogsphere. I am a huge lover of good old pen and paper, but lately my hand has been getting sore from writing (Why am I so lame???) and this is an easy way to compile all my journal entries into one nice summary thing.

 

Tiffany and I read "The Sinfulness of Sin" by Ralph Venning over break. Aside from Scripture itself, this is probably the craziest book on sin one will ever read. It defines what sin is, the results of sin, how terrible those things are (ie. Hell, Satan, etc.), and then explains how and why sin is even worse than those things. It was a scary yet wonderful read. The 'sinfulness' of sin and its damning affects are clearly presented while at the same time the Gospel is magnified. How amazing it is that God would love such a sinner as I!

 

As for the title of this blog, it came from the story of the prodigal son and the book. When speaking of the contrariety of sin to the attributes of God, namely His supreme sufficiency, Venning writes, "Every prodigal who leaves the Father's house says in effect, 'It is better to be elsewhere.'" Though i am that prodigal, who daily abuses God's grace, who spits upon the face of the crucified Saviour each time I sin; I know that because of Christ's death on the cross, my sins are atoned for and I can stand righteous before a holy, wrathful, almighty God. I pray that as i continue to grow in my love for God and my knowledge of Him, that the Gospel would saturate every aspect of my life and cause me to always marvel at Christ's glorious grace.

Thank you God, for being merciful to me, the sinner.

T.