From "A Grief Observed"

"Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask—half our great theological and metaphysical problems—are like that."

- C.S. Lewis

Westside 101 in a sentense 3: Prayer = ?

Consistent, constant, faithful (Mark 11:22-25) prayer and quiet time =

= Power (John 15:5)
= Freedom (Matthew 11:28-30)
= Intimacy (Luke 10:17)

Who's the better manager?

I got into this little rant at CCF elections 07', as I warned the nominees of the nature of their position, and the required scope of their dedication.

Every year I ask the nominees how they would treat school should they be elected. I for one am very familiar with the stresses of serving and schooling simultaneously; in fact, I pretty much fell flat during my year on committee due to school. And as I see kids come into this fellowship, I feel their pressures of school grow larger year after year, and thus this year I found it of particular importance to press this question as most of the nominees are second years seriously aiming for great marks.

More often than not, the answer I get back for this question involve the words "time management"; that they plan to ask, or have faith that, God will grant them the skill, and patience, and perseverance, and whatever other graceful attribute you'd like use, to properly manage their time and achieve both good school grades and strong CCF leadership.

I think that's a completely wrong perspective on how committee life is supposed to work. What "time management" essentially says is that you believe that God will grant you the ability to do what He and the fellowship wants, AND what you want. What you're saying is that you want to take on this role, but are not prepared to give up anything to do so.

The fact of the matter is, what God calls for isn't a life of balance, it's a life of sacrifice. The faith you place in becoming a committee member isn't cheap. In responding to His calling to CCF leadership, you must put your next school year in His hands. Should He, in his pleasing and perfect will, call on you to surrender your marks for the fellowship's progress, then that's what you have to do. Anything less is simply rebellious.

Being a committee member isn't so glorious now is it? Sorry, I'm just not a big fan of the hug fest that's post-CCF elections. Any ex-committee member would tell you that being on committee isn't particularly fun, nor particularly rewarding, and definitely not easy. Most of the time, the newly-elected's elation is simply an indication of how naive and how unperceptive they are about their future role.

Now I fully believe that God doesn't intend for us to serve and fail school, but until you truly surrender the control you so dearly clench onto in this search for balance, until you give up trying to manage this chunk of academic life you call your own, God cannot work in your studies, or in anything else for that matter.

"Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." Luke 17:33

Until you give up on trying to manage your own life, God won't have a chance to manage it for you.

Third Day - Thief

"I am a thief, I am a murderer
Walking up this lonely hill
What have I done? I don't remember
No one knows just how I feel

and I know that my time is coming soon.

It's been so long. Oh, such a long time
Since I've lived with peace and rest
Now I am here, my destination
guess things work for the best

and I know that my time is coming soon

Who is this man? This man beside me
The one they call the King of the Jews
They don't believe that He's the Messiah
But, somehow I know it's true.

And they laugh at Him in mockery,
and beat Him till he bleeds
They nail Him to the rugged cross,
and raise Him, they raise Him up next to me

My time has come, I'm slowly fading
I deserve what I receive
Jesus when You are in Your kingdom
Could You please remember me

and He looks at me still holding on
the tears fall from His eyes
He says I tell the truth
Today, you'll live with Me in paradise

and I know that my time is coming soon
but I know paradise is coming soon."