"This is the Christian hope into which we were saved. We know that Jesus has already paid for our adoption, but we wait for the Father to send Him for us to renew our home and dwell among us eternally as we experience our resurrected bodies and the fullness of His glory. This is a salvation about so much more than just 'going to heaven when we die.' This is restoration, redemption, and renewal. This is going from enemies of God to sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ. This is living fully in the image of God the way He intended. Oh what a day that will be[!] Come Lord Jesus, come[!]" -Advent Guide, The Village Church
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Science is Cool!
Being on break has provided a few opportunities to do some things I didn't have time to do during the semester. I've been able to do a couple of science experiments! The first was from Pinterest. Cutting glass with acetone and flame.
Allison making fun of us as we prep our experiment.
Success!
Cutting glass is scary! Basically you wrap yarn around your glass bottle. Soak the yarn in Acetone (nail polish remover). Put the soaked yarn back on the bottle where you want it to cut. Light the yarn on fire. FLAMAS!!! Right before the flame goes out dunk the bottle in cold water. Eye protection--Check! Contemplated wearing lab coats...but I really wish we had flame retardant gloves! The fire was frightening and I didn't want to do it anymore, but Kim pointed out that Allison had already posted pictures on Facebook and we would look lame if we didn't post an "after" picture.
The next experiment is not for the faint of heart. I wanted to see approximately the maximum volume of my bladder. There is this one episode of Grey's Anatomy where Meredith and Karev (I think) drank a ton of water and then did an ultrasound to see who had the bigger bladder. Ever since then I wanted to see how big my bladder was. But I don't have an ultrasound machine! So I did the next best thing.
According to the National Institutes of Health the average bladder can hold 350-550mL of liquid. I drank 3,500mL of water and my output was about 700mL! Yippee! Above average.
Stay tuned for more scientific adventures! Instructables has a "Projects for Pyros: Holiday Edition" that seems interesting.
A song about science.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Girl Crush.
I love Lauren Chandler. SO excited to hear her speak this coming June!
Here's an excerpt from her blog (she hasn't updated in some time, but go through the archives man)
"Sometimes He wrings the worship from our hearts."
If you get the chance, read Psalm 107.
There are times when worship overflows easily and effortlessly from a heart full of gratitude and praise. Yet, there are other times when we feel we have nothing left to offer up. We are tired, or thirsty, or imprisoned in our own chains through our own devices, or caught in the waves of a tumultuous sea. This is when God wraps His eternally powerful, ultimately creative, nail-scarred hands around our hearts and squeezes with appropriate might. Our hearts painfully twist and change shape as He wrings the worship out of it. It is a deep worship. It is an honest worship. It is the worship we sometimes forget. The humble worship of crying out to God in the midst of our pain. No flowery words. No shiny faces. Not in that moment. That will come later. But for now, this is the worship He seeks - an honest plea for Him to save us.
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress (Psalm 107:6,13, 19 & 28)."
Here's an excerpt from her blog (she hasn't updated in some time, but go through the archives man)
"Sometimes He wrings the worship from our hearts."
If you get the chance, read Psalm 107.
There are times when worship overflows easily and effortlessly from a heart full of gratitude and praise. Yet, there are other times when we feel we have nothing left to offer up. We are tired, or thirsty, or imprisoned in our own chains through our own devices, or caught in the waves of a tumultuous sea. This is when God wraps His eternally powerful, ultimately creative, nail-scarred hands around our hearts and squeezes with appropriate might. Our hearts painfully twist and change shape as He wrings the worship out of it. It is a deep worship. It is an honest worship. It is the worship we sometimes forget. The humble worship of crying out to God in the midst of our pain. No flowery words. No shiny faces. Not in that moment. That will come later. But for now, this is the worship He seeks - an honest plea for Him to save us.
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress (Psalm 107:6,13, 19 & 28)."
Saturday, December 3, 2011
O come, O come Emmanuel.
It gets darker earlier. The leaves on the trees are changing colors and falling. It's so cold (and crazy windy!!!). Christmas music is playing on KOST and The WAVE. It's December! Christmas is just around the corner!!!
Since college, I've become more and more excited about holidays (as in all of them, even Halloween which is sort of weird since I don't do anything too exciting). Christmas will always be more special than all the other holidays though. I love everything about it even the commercial, secular, pagan, this-is-not-what-Christmas-is-all-about parts. Christmas trees, egg nog, outrageous Christmas sweaters, Santa, cheesy romantic comedies centered around the holidays, Christmas music (who else loves the Justin Bieber Christmas album? the Michael Buble album?? N'SYNC???) Actually, I think I'm not the only one who loves Christmas and anyone who is not looking forward to the 25th is probably in the minority.
One tradition that we have at our house is the advent calendar. Each year my mother buys each of us a cardboard box with some Christmas scene printed on the front and 25 perforated windows numbered 1-25 (this year she is a little late...). Behind each window is a piece of chocolate! It's great. I remember one year she tried to change it up and use these ornaments with Bible verses on the back...those weren't as popular as the chocolate filled boxes (what can I say, we are sinners who love our chocolate!) Even with our countdown tradition, I don't think I've really understood the kind of eager anticipation I should have around Christmas time or even the kind of appreciation I should have for Christmas as a Christian.
Christians and most non-Christians can tell you that Christmas is really about Jesus being born in a manger--or more "theologically", the incarnation. Not to downplay the fact that God became human, but I always kind of thought Christmas was kind of just a big arrow pointing to the less-celebrated-and-slightly-less-commercialized Easter. Obviously, Jesus had to be born so that he could die. Be thankful. Rejoice. The end.
Probably due to my greater love for chocolate than the Word, I've failed to see that Christmas and the incarnation are reminders of the faithfulness of God. God promised the Jews a Messiah and though they might not have recognized Him, He came. God has made a promise to us too, that Jesus will come again.
It's crazy how this slightly delayed epiphany has transformed how view and feel about Christmas. When I'm counting down the days to Christmas (21 more days!) I have to stop and ask myself if I'm as excited about Jesus coming back again. Do I feel that same eager, anxious, anticipation for His return? Do I treasure this world and all that's in it more than I treasure Christ?
This year my favorite Christmas songs are "O come, O come Emmanuel" and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" (On repeat all day, err'day!). Before when we'd sing these songs I'd try to pretend I was an Old Testament Jew. But that didn't really cause me to worship or feel anything because I'm not an Old Testament Jew waiting for the Messiah. This year though, I understand more. This year, I can listen to these songs and in my heart say, "Yes! Please, come!" With the same yearning the Jews had for a Messiah, I can sing and pray and plead, "Come Thou, long expected Jesus...From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in Thee!" This longing for Christ to come again is backed by the reality that he came once before. As if God could not be trusted, we have the incarnation and the cross as proof that He is a keeper of His promises.
"O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory over the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel"
"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 3:8-9
Seriously, download this Advent Guide.
Since college, I've become more and more excited about holidays (as in all of them, even Halloween which is sort of weird since I don't do anything too exciting). Christmas will always be more special than all the other holidays though. I love everything about it even the commercial, secular, pagan, this-is-not-what-Christmas-is-all-about parts. Christmas trees, egg nog, outrageous Christmas sweaters, Santa, cheesy romantic comedies centered around the holidays, Christmas music (who else loves the Justin Bieber Christmas album? the Michael Buble album?? N'SYNC???) Actually, I think I'm not the only one who loves Christmas and anyone who is not looking forward to the 25th is probably in the minority.
One tradition that we have at our house is the advent calendar. Each year my mother buys each of us a cardboard box with some Christmas scene printed on the front and 25 perforated windows numbered 1-25 (this year she is a little late...). Behind each window is a piece of chocolate! It's great. I remember one year she tried to change it up and use these ornaments with Bible verses on the back...those weren't as popular as the chocolate filled boxes (what can I say, we are sinners who love our chocolate!) Even with our countdown tradition, I don't think I've really understood the kind of eager anticipation I should have around Christmas time or even the kind of appreciation I should have for Christmas as a Christian.
Christians and most non-Christians can tell you that Christmas is really about Jesus being born in a manger--or more "theologically", the incarnation. Not to downplay the fact that God became human, but I always kind of thought Christmas was kind of just a big arrow pointing to the less-celebrated-and-slightly-less-commercialized Easter. Obviously, Jesus had to be born so that he could die. Be thankful. Rejoice. The end.
Probably due to my greater love for chocolate than the Word, I've failed to see that Christmas and the incarnation are reminders of the faithfulness of God. God promised the Jews a Messiah and though they might not have recognized Him, He came. God has made a promise to us too, that Jesus will come again.
It's crazy how this slightly delayed epiphany has transformed how view and feel about Christmas. When I'm counting down the days to Christmas (21 more days!) I have to stop and ask myself if I'm as excited about Jesus coming back again. Do I feel that same eager, anxious, anticipation for His return? Do I treasure this world and all that's in it more than I treasure Christ?
This year my favorite Christmas songs are "O come, O come Emmanuel" and "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" (On repeat all day, err'day!). Before when we'd sing these songs I'd try to pretend I was an Old Testament Jew. But that didn't really cause me to worship or feel anything because I'm not an Old Testament Jew waiting for the Messiah. This year though, I understand more. This year, I can listen to these songs and in my heart say, "Yes! Please, come!" With the same yearning the Jews had for a Messiah, I can sing and pray and plead, "Come Thou, long expected Jesus...From our fears and sins release us. Let us find our rest in Thee!" This longing for Christ to come again is backed by the reality that he came once before. As if God could not be trusted, we have the incarnation and the cross as proof that He is a keeper of His promises.
"O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan's tyranny; from depths of hell Thy people save, and give them victory over the grave. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel"
"Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 3:8-9
Seriously, download this Advent Guide.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Grace Upon Grace
-La Cocina. OMG delicious Mexican food, get in my belly!
-Free music. Red Mountain Christmas Songs
- No class on Fridays.
-Free music. Red Mountain Christmas Songs
- No class on Fridays.
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