Peace like a River

There is since in which your final year of college is anything but peaceful. For the most part it is just plain worrisome. I never go through a day without anxiously thinking about what I will do after college. Social stigma accompany's the statement "I don't know what I will do when I graduate." For some reason the college student is expected to have a well thought out, detailed plan... and he must express this plan with un-waivering confidence. This is a feat that I don't believe I will ever accomplish. I truly don't know what I will do after graduation. I will receive a diploma and life will go on. I find comfort in the words of this choral arrangement of "Peace like a River." I had the opportunity to perform it last semester in the University's Chamber Choir and it's message sticks with me like few other songs. Through faith in Christ I have great joy... this joy is constant. Joy in Christ must not be confused with happiness which is a temporal. Such joy in Jesus exists even in times of worry, suffering, and pain. So... What will I do after college? I will continue in the peace and joy of my Lord and will, in faith, do what ever he asks of me.

Romans 5:1
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."



This really is one of my favorite songs. Its beautiful on so many levels. I think half of our choir was in tears last year during the performance. Turn it up medium to loud for the full effect.

B-ham

My friend Clark and I went downtown last week just to have a reason to play with our cameras. Birmingham really is beautiful! I wish I could get blogger to make the pics bigger, but I am technologically challenged. I'm going to DC at the end of the week so more pics to come soon!

A poem

I wrote this poem a few months ago and found it when I cleaned my room tonight...

Endowed with holy favor
with insufficient essence
driving weary eyes
expecting
hoping for equity

A potent grief causing tears
weeping,
understanding, yet not.
All the while reassurance
faith,
prospects of boundless tranquility...

Hushed, Sweetly-tempered,
the heir of this carefully crafted dirt.
The malnourished soul
craves quenching
honesty...
Instituting lasting fulfillment

Stirring pity,
the fountainhead of grace
flows out
moving away
only to return one day to its source.

Refined sterling blood
pumping
pumping
facilitating magnificent vistas of Yahweh

Fashioning a calm, still heart
He proclaims an immortal adoption

Jealousy and misunderstanding for this new inheritance
brings passing condemnation
leading to absolute
perpetual
sanctified
euphoria

Beach Trip with the Fam

Ich liebe, aber hasse den Morgen.

I often think that the early morning is the most holy time of the day. As the light of the sun is bursting forth over the horizon, God's glory is revealed. The birds sing a song of praise because the darkness is lifting and the night is finally over. While the birds enjoy every single morning as if it were thier first and last, most people tend to hate mornings. They grumble. "another day at work or school!" People (including myself) wish they could sleep through the morning and wake up for lunch rather than breakfast. But there are those few morning people on our planet. While I think they are a rare breed they do exist. They are the ones who wake up with joy to see the sun rise. It is as if they are the only people whom God as chosen to enjoy the blessing of the early hours before most of the world has woken from its slumber. God has hardened the hearts of the rest of us to want to sleep away the morning hours. We would rather hide under our sheets from these holy hours. Even when we are forced to wake up to see the dawn our hardened hearts complain and dream of the prospect of afternoon naps. It is a vicious cycle. I truly want to be a morning person... but my heart though a little softer, remains hard to the morning air.

Into the Woods

As most of you already know I was recently cast as Jack in the musical "Into the Woods" by Steven Sondheim. The all too well known Jack in the beanstalk is proving to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I can sing the music (which music is usually my problem in these type things) but this time its the character that I am having trouble getting into. Jack is a socially awkward teenage peasant who's best friend is the cow "milky white". I see him as having subtle quirks and a very readable face, yet a big very immature personality. This personality is supposed to develop and mature during the duration of the show. Hmmn... I think I had better learn my lines!

My Pride and Joy

The following pictures are from my garden. Seeing as this is my first summer in Alabama in six years, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to have this garden. I took these pictures while it was raining today after work.

summer squash.

.

Sunflower (its about 6ft tall)

asparagus beans growing up sunflowers

asparagus beans

the smallest sunflower EVER (the package said they would grow to 17ft tall! More like 3ft!)

More to come!!