slow-learner

I walked outside the bookstore following a man I had just met. His wife and I sparked up a conversation inside and he asked if he could steal 4 minutes of my time. The fact he asked if he could steal my time struck me, so after announcing to a few friends we were stepping out, he simply starred me down for an uncomfortably long period of time.

"I came here to Colorado to share my story," he began. "You see, I always thought I had to be like everyone else. learn the same way, read the same amount in the Bible to grow with God. But I couldn't do that!"

He began tossing a pin up into the air repetitively. His catching was not very good. After the pen hit the ground a few times, he continued tossing it up into the air and said, "you see, i figure if i throw this pen like a fool, maybe you'll remember what I'm sharing!" He was right!

Tossing-pen guy wanted to share what he had learned over the past few years. That he didn't have to read chapters or books of the Bible at one time to grow in the Lord, but he could read small portions. Maybe 5 verse chunks and meditate on it for the day. He finally felt free from feeling like he had to read as if in a sprint, and could study at a pace fit for him.


I love that Robert Robinson was 22 when he wrote the words, "Come Thou Fount of every blessing; Tune my heart to sing Thy grace" When I think of tuning I think of a long process. One small tweak and everything is off! When I was a child, we had a piano. My parent's hated having to tune it because it was so expensive to have someone come out to fix it! Every note, every key had to be tuned to perfection. It wasn't good enough to have one note off.

Tuning my heart to God's is a very long process too. God is not pleased with the majority of my heart being ok. He wants and deserves my all. I think I'm a slow learner when it comes to understanding aspects of God's love and grace. I'm a slow learner at times in receiving the things He'd love to give to me. But my heart is being tuned, and I can't wait to hear the beautiful melodies in heaven.

Batting Practice

Sometimes when thinking about funding, I want to turn and ask God, "are we there yet?"

I was at the batting cages the other day with a good friend of mine. Let me be the first to tell you I am not as good as my JV High School Days!

I slid the token into the pitching machine and stepped up to the plate. Feet shoulder-width apart. Bat stretched to kiss the bottom right corner of the plate. Weight on back foot. Bat circling three times before the ball comes flying out of the machine. Focusing on rotating my hips with my practice swing.

The light turned orange and the ball was sent. I starred it down just like I used to and... THUNK. It hit the back drop. Shaking it of I began again. Feet, bat poised, THUNK. The next eight pitches all ended up the same way. My friend coaching me the whole time with an echoing, 'too low... too low" after every swing.

Finally, the sun began to get to me, and I was blinded by my own sweat and the crusted leather from my glove making my left eye stream as if a facet had just been turned on. I closed my eye and the next pitch that came was followed by a CRACK. The ball soared over the pitching machine. It would've been an easy out by the 2nd baseman, but I made contact! The next few I hit as well! A few of them went straight up and I feared they would hit me on the head. (My friend couldn't help but laugh at that sight!) Why in the world was I hitting with one eye closed and not with both open?!?

I realized after the 20 pitches passed, with two eyes, I wasn't focusing on just hitting the ball. I was too absorbed in my stance, and where I wanted the ball to go. I was remember how I used to bat, and expected the same home-run RBI scoring results.

I feel like I'm batting with an eye-patch. I have no idea where the remaining 59% of my funding is going to come from. I know my focus is on God as how with every pitch, He is teaching me so much more. His heart and blessings, through trial and triumph, are evident in every story I am blessed to share with others this summer. I know whether I'm on campus on time or not, I'll get to share even more of what He is doing, even if I don't fully comprehend in the moment. My heart breaks hearing stories of tribulation in others' lives, but I know the Lord wants them to close their eyes and see through His.

So thankful to be under a coach who bats a thousand.

Beautiful Thoughts

The hymn, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus has been serenading in my mind tonight so I couldn't help but share the lyrics in hopes these truths rattle around in your mind as well.


O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O’er us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conqu’rors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Nav T-Shirts!

From now until July 1st, you can order the new CSULB NAV shirt! Ben designed these and they will cost $11/shirt. You can pay me in a check by mail, or I can send you a paypal invoice to send to my bank.

Payment must be to me by July 1st (when I order) or else you will not be getting a shirt!

Let me know if you are interested! We have men and women's sizing S-XL. (I know this is mainly for Long beach students so sorry to my regular readers!)

Distractions

I have so much fun the past two weeks pouring my free time into a little project I've been working on. It's a version of a game called Settlers of Catan that I've been making out of wood with much help from finding the right supplies at Hobby Lobby!


It's given me the excuse to find fun Lord of the Rings fonts online (and a new Calvin and Hobbes one just for grins) as well as bring out my mod podge, sand paper, and paint for a bit. I still need to get out a saw to cut some roads, but I've enjoyed having the distraction from funding this summer to work on and mess around with.

I like doing things with my hands.

Last Saturday, I even got to drive up to my Grandma's and paint her shed. Boy was that rusted roof a bit wobbly to be standing on! But it was fun, even if my back was mad at me the next day!

I wonder sometimes just how much joy God gets from His creation. I know even in this little project I like seeing what I've done; I can't even begin to imagine how much God must cherish us...His creation and seeing us grow into His design.