student time

Last weekend the English club took an outing to a waterfall about two hours away. I woke up with an awful sinus infection (I thought the allergy war was over when I left the States), so a friend drove my motorcycle, and I got to enjoy the ride. The week before I was, honestly, a little down about the state of some things, and my heart longed (longs) to be with Him. With headphones in, music playing, the sun on my face, the mountains in sight, I was just astounded by how beautiful and good our God is. He has not abandoned us to a world full of corruption and suffering. He has, indeed, given us good gifts and pleasures and beauty to enjoy. Thank you, my Lord, for the grace to see that.

"These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland... They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city." - Heb. 11:13, 14, 16

 

 

Yesterday was the final installment of our discussion groups on divine love. Honestly, I had no idea how the conversation was going to go, but let me just say, it blew any expectation I might have had. Some of the girls opened up about heart-wrenching struggles and pain that left us in tears (truly), and we were able to share our heart's hope and joy: being unconditionally, passionately, relentlessly loved by the Creator of the universe who loved us too much to leave us in our filth. Beauty. Grace. Love.

 

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father... that according to the riches of his glory he may grant to you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith - that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." - Eph. 3:14-21