Let us reflect on the advent of our eternal king, begotten in the form of a lowly babe, and His holy Sonship made manifest time and again. We have heard it in the voice from heaven,
Luke 3:22 “and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’”
and the confession of disciples,
Matt. 16:15-16, “He said to them, who do you say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God);
and disclosed from the mouths demons
Matt. 8: 28-29 And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
However, it is only in Jesus’ conquering of death that these words of witnesses take physical, undeniable form of His true, eternal, incorruptible Sonship.
Acts 13:29 And when they had carried out all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people. 32 And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, 33 this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm,
“you are my son, today I have begotten you”
Christ is eternally yahid (the Beloved Son, the Only Son of God). This testimony of Paul portrays that it is Jesus’ resurrection that most powerfully and undeniably marks His royal Sonship (Thou art my son, this day I have begotten thee). He is begotten in birth, life and resurrection, gloriously appearing in regal dignity, ascending to the right hand of His Majesty on High, upholding the universe by the word of His power, superior to the angels in the excellence of His name, a name above every name (Heb. 1:3-6; Eph. 1:21). Join me this day in worshipping our Savior, born in the meekness of flesh, the lowliest of birth. Praise Him our King Messiah, in whom the nations are His heritage, and the ends of the earth, His possession. Let us serve our King in fear and rejoice in trembling. “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him” (Ps. 2). Amen.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
no place like home
i'm home.
oh, the sweet goodness of the South. I feel like everything has shifted into slow motion. i'm breathing slower, walking slower, thinking slower. After living for nearly four months in a city that moves like it's got a fire underneath it, it's almost eerie how inert austin seems in comparison; quiet, too. no honking horns, no garbage trucks blocking the roads, and no pedestrians risking their lives to get to their destinations thirty seconds sooner. i remember the driver for the family i work for asking me not long ago what the subway system was like in Austin. he also thought that there was a 5 hour difference in time zones. I think he was under the impression that texas was practically a separate country. it might as well be, i guess.
it's good to be here, but i didn't get here without a price. when I arrived at JFK yesterday and they asked me for my ID, i couldn't find it! i searched frantically through my entire purse and wallet, but it was not to be found. i was sure they wouldn't let me a step further into that airport without a drivers license, especially with all the tightened security right now. but, to my great shock, they did! they thoroughly investigated my carry-ons, patted me down, traced me with a wand and sent me on my way. when i arrived 4 hours later in the austin airport, I was greeted my teary-eyed mom, brother, and best friend, but not my luggage. somehow, even if you are on a non-stop flight, it's still possible for your luggage to get lost in the shuffle and sent off to a completely different city. this all didn't really phase me, though. if I was forced to wear the same clothes for two weeks, I wouldn't care, I'd already reajusted to the torpid drug of the less-poluted texas air. And, I was home.
my luggage arrived this afternoon, so i only had to re-wear my clothes once.
oh, the sweet goodness of the South. I feel like everything has shifted into slow motion. i'm breathing slower, walking slower, thinking slower. After living for nearly four months in a city that moves like it's got a fire underneath it, it's almost eerie how inert austin seems in comparison; quiet, too. no honking horns, no garbage trucks blocking the roads, and no pedestrians risking their lives to get to their destinations thirty seconds sooner. i remember the driver for the family i work for asking me not long ago what the subway system was like in Austin. he also thought that there was a 5 hour difference in time zones. I think he was under the impression that texas was practically a separate country. it might as well be, i guess.
it's good to be here, but i didn't get here without a price. when I arrived at JFK yesterday and they asked me for my ID, i couldn't find it! i searched frantically through my entire purse and wallet, but it was not to be found. i was sure they wouldn't let me a step further into that airport without a drivers license, especially with all the tightened security right now. but, to my great shock, they did! they thoroughly investigated my carry-ons, patted me down, traced me with a wand and sent me on my way. when i arrived 4 hours later in the austin airport, I was greeted my teary-eyed mom, brother, and best friend, but not my luggage. somehow, even if you are on a non-stop flight, it's still possible for your luggage to get lost in the shuffle and sent off to a completely different city. this all didn't really phase me, though. if I was forced to wear the same clothes for two weeks, I wouldn't care, I'd already reajusted to the torpid drug of the less-poluted texas air. And, I was home.
my luggage arrived this afternoon, so i only had to re-wear my clothes once.
Monday, December 18, 2006
cajun flavor
I was introduced last night to a little adventure called Zydeco. One Sunday a month, this bar on the east side hires a Zydeco band to play for the entire evening so that fans can put their Zydeco dancing shoes to good use. Well, seeing as I like to dance, my friend convinced me that this was one dance I shouldn't go through life without experiencing. She was right, my life is forever changed because of Zydeco.
It is somewhat similar to the two-step, except there are three steps,
slow-quick-quick slow-quick-quick
and the movement is horizontal-not bouncy, but the steps give it that illusion.
The music makes the dance. It's impossible to listen to it without smiling and tapping your toes. the combination of the accordion and washboard along with a saxophone, electric guitar and jazzy vocals makes this venture nothing short of exhilarating. The demographics of the crowd was pretty humorous. My friend and I were by far the youngest in the room by at least 20 years. Before long, however, we were fighting over who would get to dance next with the tiny 70 year old man with the long grey pony tail. He was obviously the best dancer on the floor as well as the most popular. It kind of felt like a high school prom, standing on the side wondering who would ask us to dance next, except that most the guys we danced with were wearing toupees.
I am constantly awed by the opportunities available here to affiliate with other cultures and how generously they open their doors to share who they are. I got a little taste of the Cajun flavor in New York City, and I can't wait to have more.
It is somewhat similar to the two-step, except there are three steps,
slow-quick-quick slow-quick-quick
and the movement is horizontal-not bouncy, but the steps give it that illusion.
The music makes the dance. It's impossible to listen to it without smiling and tapping your toes. the combination of the accordion and washboard along with a saxophone, electric guitar and jazzy vocals makes this venture nothing short of exhilarating. The demographics of the crowd was pretty humorous. My friend and I were by far the youngest in the room by at least 20 years. Before long, however, we were fighting over who would get to dance next with the tiny 70 year old man with the long grey pony tail. He was obviously the best dancer on the floor as well as the most popular. It kind of felt like a high school prom, standing on the side wondering who would ask us to dance next, except that most the guys we danced with were wearing toupees.
I am constantly awed by the opportunities available here to affiliate with other cultures and how generously they open their doors to share who they are. I got a little taste of the Cajun flavor in New York City, and I can't wait to have more.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Prologue
Welcome to my blog! I know it's been a long time coming, but if you know me well, you know that I am very computer illiterate, so this kind of thing intimidates me to no end. I'm figuring it all out, though, and really enjoying it. The question is, where do I start?
Life is so different for me than it was just three and a half months ago. You would think after 5 years of college that I would have some kind of idea of where my life was headed, but as I reached the end of August after working at camp, I was still as clueless as my first day at A&M. I struggled through many different options (none of which I could get the least bit excited about) and lost a lot of sleep, but somehow, by some whirlwind act of God's mysterious providence, I ended up on a plane to New York city. I'm here working as a live-in nanny for a wealthy Jewish family in the city. Technically I would say that I am more of a personal assistant to the mom since the two girls are at school and activities all day. So, my days are spent roaming the city, shopping for things I could never afford myself in stores I'd only seen in movies and read about in the Devil Wears Prada. Needless to say, my metro cards are well-used as well as my feet. One of my favorite things is being able to walk anywhere and everywhere. Also, riding the bus and train is ideal time to read, so I never leave the apartment without a book. One of my favorite times of the day is the early morning, before anyone in the apartment is up. I love to sit out on the balcony and watch the sun rise up over the East river (see picture below). I have to soak it all in because I won't see the sun for the rest of the day!
On a slow day, when I do not have much to do, I'll go take a dance class at a studio on Broadway. There are extensive choices of styles and education here, the oportunities are limitless. I have been taking a lot of contemporary jazz since I've been here, which is for the most part new to me and very challenging. The movement is diagonal and awkward, so I'm learning to use muscles I never knew existed! It's so much fun and a wonderful therapeutic break from the stress of my job. I sill feel at home when I am dancing.
The structure and content of my job in this new culture is so foreign to me, it's taken some time and tears to get used to. It also can be very lonely at times. Even though there are people all around me all the time and there's always something going on, the city can still be very lonely. By God's sweet grace, though, I found a church home and family right away. I love the church and thrive on it more than I ever have before. I became a member of Apostles Church about a month ago and am anxious to see the Lord's vision for it prosper in such a needy area of the city. I could go on forever about my excitement for the church and all the Lord's revealing to me, but I'll save that for another time.
Slowly, but surely, I'm getting used to living my life here and learning to love it. One thing is for sure, this place ain't nothing like Texas...
Life is so different for me than it was just three and a half months ago. You would think after 5 years of college that I would have some kind of idea of where my life was headed, but as I reached the end of August after working at camp, I was still as clueless as my first day at A&M. I struggled through many different options (none of which I could get the least bit excited about) and lost a lot of sleep, but somehow, by some whirlwind act of God's mysterious providence, I ended up on a plane to New York city. I'm here working as a live-in nanny for a wealthy Jewish family in the city. Technically I would say that I am more of a personal assistant to the mom since the two girls are at school and activities all day. So, my days are spent roaming the city, shopping for things I could never afford myself in stores I'd only seen in movies and read about in the Devil Wears Prada. Needless to say, my metro cards are well-used as well as my feet. One of my favorite things is being able to walk anywhere and everywhere. Also, riding the bus and train is ideal time to read, so I never leave the apartment without a book. One of my favorite times of the day is the early morning, before anyone in the apartment is up. I love to sit out on the balcony and watch the sun rise up over the East river (see picture below). I have to soak it all in because I won't see the sun for the rest of the day!
On a slow day, when I do not have much to do, I'll go take a dance class at a studio on Broadway. There are extensive choices of styles and education here, the oportunities are limitless. I have been taking a lot of contemporary jazz since I've been here, which is for the most part new to me and very challenging. The movement is diagonal and awkward, so I'm learning to use muscles I never knew existed! It's so much fun and a wonderful therapeutic break from the stress of my job. I sill feel at home when I am dancing.
The structure and content of my job in this new culture is so foreign to me, it's taken some time and tears to get used to. It also can be very lonely at times. Even though there are people all around me all the time and there's always something going on, the city can still be very lonely. By God's sweet grace, though, I found a church home and family right away. I love the church and thrive on it more than I ever have before. I became a member of Apostles Church about a month ago and am anxious to see the Lord's vision for it prosper in such a needy area of the city. I could go on forever about my excitement for the church and all the Lord's revealing to me, but I'll save that for another time.
Slowly, but surely, I'm getting used to living my life here and learning to love it. One thing is for sure, this place ain't nothing like Texas...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
the color black
a sea of dark
dark coats
dark hats
dark scarves
the red hand turns into the white man
and we all begin to walk
no
race across the black asphalt
I, in my white sweater,
melt through the thick black mass
like a marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate
this color seems to say
“I’m new here”
I live in The City now
where no one is a native “New Yorker”
but they all pretend to be
when they put on their black
it is a melting pot
as they say
it’s true
I can hear three different languages
from York to Lexington
but they all fuse together in the sea of dark
when the red hand turns into the white man
I could pretend to be a New Yorker
but I like to wear color
dark coats
dark hats
dark scarves
the red hand turns into the white man
and we all begin to walk
no
race across the black asphalt
I, in my white sweater,
melt through the thick black mass
like a marshmallow in a cup of hot chocolate
this color seems to say
“I’m new here”
I live in The City now
where no one is a native “New Yorker”
but they all pretend to be
when they put on their black
it is a melting pot
as they say
it’s true
I can hear three different languages
from York to Lexington
but they all fuse together in the sea of dark
when the red hand turns into the white man
I could pretend to be a New Yorker
but I like to wear color
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