life without words

I plan on sleeping in

Merry Christmas peoples! After more travel time than I care to remember, I am finally home in the States again. My family is beautiful as ever...wow...they never cease to amaze me. Here are a couple photos of me and my sis enjoying life this afternoon. Cheers!

"Chimney smoke billowing
Snowflakes on my lashes"



"Last week I had the strangest dream
Where everything was exactly the way it seemed"

tired...

Today, as there are no Christian churches in Granada...I was out the door and heading for the hills just about as fast as you can imagine. Equipped with two meat and cheese sandwiches, my Bible, my pipe and tobacco, and my camera...I spent the whole day in the Mountains. Today was beautiful and............thought provoking. Honestly, I’m really too tired to say much more.

enslaved by grace

"Others apart sat on a hill retired,
In thoughts more elevate, and reasoned high
Of Providence, Foreknowledge, Will, and Fate –
Fixed fate, free will, foreknowledge absolute –
And found no end, in wandering mazes lost..."
--Paradise Lost

Almost five in the morning and I've missed another night's sleep again. Night after night I wander here. I toss and turn with my thoughts; sometimes I flatter myself, and think that I like Jacob am wrestling with God. Other times, I simply surrender to my very own handcrafted mold; lying satiated by the communal belonging I find therein.

Ever since my first theology class, under Professor Doyle, my faith has undergone a long and difficult reforming process. Although I have not completely surrendered to the entirety of a reformed world view, I have been forced, by reason, to accept the overarching philosophies described by this faith. Naturally, I recoil from using fallible (and humanistic) terms like Calvinism to describe my relationship with...God. Still, it is better to stand on the shoulders of those wiser than myself than to misrepresent through my natural inability. Yes, I am speaking of Calvinism.

Aware of my large and very diverse audience, I will attempt a brief description of what I mean by "reformed faith." Although many of you are atheists and at least a few are Muslim, I think you guys will still find this interesting.

The doctrine of election was first rediscovered (after 1200 years of dormancy) and formalized by the reformer John Calvin in the mid-sixteenth century, and was later encompassed in the five points of Calvinism. Wayne Grudem, a modern author, defines election as, "An act of God before creation in which he chooses some people to be saved, not on account of any foreseen merit in them, but only because of his sovereign good pleasure." This argument suggests that God, out of his sovereign good will, chose some people to be recipients of his mercy and grace. There are not any special qualifications – the chosen do not have any sort of exceptional aptitude to faith or worship – yet God chooses them to be saved. Election is a freely bestowed gift of grace placed irresistibly upon those whom God chooses to save.

Paul states in Romans 8:29-30, "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son," continuing, "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified." Although God chooses and irresistibly brings about the salvation of certain individuals, not all are recipients of this grace. For the unelect God has reserved reprobation. As election represents the mercy of God, reprobation represents the justice of God in his allowance of those who are already damned to receive their just rewards.

For those of you who are hearing these things for the first time, you are probably thinking, "wow, that’s a hard pill to swallow!" Let me just say: "hugs all around...I am right with you on that thought." Try to remember your distaste for war, poverty, greed, pain etc... Although you dislike and cannot comprehend these things, they still exist. I would encourage any of you, who naturally dislike this idea, to step outside of your selves and think realistically. I would argue that if you have the ability to do this (specifically, to be open minded in your search) then it is quite possible that you are one of the chosen. Maybe God has chosen to bestow his grace on you.

Over the years, I had become very fond of the idea that I could control my own destiny. I liked to think that I was somehow responsible for my salvation. Even still, I've tried to argue that I could easily deny God and go to hell. Interestingly enough, one of my friends questioned, "but will you?" My natural response was: "of course not!" The point was well made: the reason I do not deny God is (simply) because I cannot. I am so clearly convinced of God's existence, his power, his grace, and his hand in my life, that I have no choice but to fall on my knees in worship and fear. God is irresistibly bringing me to himself.

I would like to curse all of you with the sleepless nights that I've experienced by recommending two books: Romans (from the Bible) and The Doctrines of Grace (by: Boice and Ryken). No; to be honest, if you take life seriously enough to be kept awake at night...then you will be blessed. It seems that, one way or another, God will have his way with you.

*God will be no means refuse you if you desire to come to him...he was behind it all along*

"I am determined to be wise but this was beyond me. Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound – who can discover it? So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly."

~ Ecclesiastes 7:23-25

emotions of excellence

Over the past few years I've discovered hundreds of new bands; artists ranging from indie, to pop, to rock, to oldies, to dance, and many others. My love for music has continued to grow similarly to my passion for travel, literature, business...and other such pleasures. Naturally an expressive person, I derive great happiness through the works and expressions of others. I am intrigued...what are they thinking? Why are they thinking? I want to understand...I want to feel. I am intrigued and often confused. Why is it that the greatest artists are so often the lost artists? It bothers me to no end...and yet I believe I am beginning to understand.

With almost four thousand songs in my play list, I’ve narrowed down my favorites to the following four: Bright Eyes, Coldplay, Ben Folds, and Death Cab for Cutie. All of these bands have stood my test of time. After years of listening...I still find myself returning to their music.

As of today, my newest artistic interest is James Blunt. Who knows if he will last...but for now, I am amazed by his songs (Tears and Rain, High, Fall at Your Feet, You're Beautiful, and Goodbye My Lover). I can't help but be amazed...thank you God for common Grace!

spanish art

Granada

No classes on Saturday! After indulging in a long nights sleep and then jogging three miles, I finally wandered out of my flat at around eleven this morning. As usual, I disdainfully neglected to bring my map...and managed just fine without it! Thus far, Granada is easily my favorite city in Spain. With a combination of Moorish and Arabic influence, the city is happily situated at the base of an opposing line of snow-topped mountains (the Sierra Nevada). It’s been a bit of a culture shock seeing the huge gypsy communities, living in caves in the mountains. Very interesting... The culture here is very relaxed…and the city has an ever-present smell of wood smoke and hashish. Check out my view during coffee this afternoon...