Access and the Cross

I am aware of the fact that blogging gives one the opportunity to relay thoughts. But, sometimes there is simply too much. The "Mortification of Sin" book is going well (if you have ever read you know how tiny it is and are most likely thinking that I should have read it in an hour, but there is just too much to take in for a speed read session). Many truths are being revealed to me with with the turn of each page.

I have too much on my mind to share all, but I really do want to mention a few things that have "stuck out" to me lately. About two weeks ago in small group, access came up. Access comes in many forms and relates to many things. The access we (by we I mean the adults--I listen) were discussing is our access to God. It is really amazing, beyond amazing really, the access we have to the creator of the universe. This also falls in line with adoration of the cross, for me. Recently I found that I had lost an adoration for Christ and His sacrifice. You may be thinking that I am a complete heathen and a wretch, and to that I must reply, "I am". I can honestly say that it was a very distressing time, but I also believe God has used it to teach me to value Christ more than I ever have. Back to "access". My Mom has always read the Bible to my bothers and I in the mornings around or after breakfast, and when reading the Old Testament I find myself getting very . . . well . . . bored. I feel horrible about it. One of the reasons is the descriptions of the many things the people of Israel had to go through to gain access to God. And it wasn't even them personally--it was the Priest, essentially a Levite that was aloud to go before God. To them it was normal. To me, a part of scripture that causes me to nearly fall asleep. I can say that now I really am trying to put forth more of an effort to appreciate it, and, with God's grace, I think I have had at least some success in that area. I have learned to have a greater value for it. It all really does tie together . . . . If you lose an adoration for the cross then you must look at what Christ and the power of His sacrifice has given us . . . access. When you lose adoration for our access to God . . . look to Christ's sacrifice. And, as in my case, when aspects of scripture pertaining to the sacrifices, the priests, the alters, and the critical way and order in which it was performed bores you, then you can first look to the cross, then to the acces. It really sounds simple now as I write it, but merely meditating on these things has made an impact on my life that has been far from simple.

George . . . Not Mueller

Ni hao! Or Nin hao if you are of the more formal population.

I am still reading the Mortification of Sin, hence the inability to write a review. Instead, I thought I would share a "funny" with you. Last Friday (Good Friday) my Dad was off work, and we had no school, so our whole family went to town to eat and do whatever else came into our heads that didn't include murder, and or robbery. We ended up at the mall's pet-shop (dangerous place to be). We looked around, gawked, oohed and ahead at the very expensive puppies, but came to the rabbit display. We held one, but quickly put it back because, quite honestly, he was bizarre and spastic. Then my Dad spots a small, but VERY fat on with floppy ears. We held him for a few minutes, and left the pet-store being his parents. We began the day calling him Clive after C.S. Lewis, but decided it just didn't fit, so now he is none other than George--named after George Mueller of course! Trust me, he looks like a George. All of that is not the funny part. He is also very fond of nibbling--borderline biting--fingers, available toes, and anything else he can fit his mouth on. Yesterday I suggested to Wise, my seven year old brother, that he should see if George would kiss him on the cheek. Surprisingly, he to my suggestion. I forgot about it until he screamed at the top of his lungs. Dear George bit his cheek. He had two little marks on his face (the size of George's teethe) that immediately began to swell and turned a ghastly shade of white . . . then purple. Is that crazy, or what!? Rabbits don't bite cheeks! Okay, Confucius says: don't allow your rabbit the freedom to be that close to your face. Hopefully George is just teething, like all babies must do, and will grow out of it. If not . . . well . . . I'm not sure what we will do.

Too Many Titles

I have been reading an array of books lately. The titles range from Jane Eyre to the Northern and Southern Dynasties of China, and many in between. Normally, I would say that it's a good thing to read many "subjects" but as of right now there are too many under the same subject. I need to finish this "group". The past couple of days I have poured more of my time into the Mortification of Sin, by John Owen--very good book. I believe it has been one of the most "transforming" books I have ever read. Over and over, with the turn of each page, I am challenged. I will write more about it when I'm finished. If you have nothing to read, or even if you're reading a million other things, like myself, than you should check it out.