Dog Days of Summer
I never really got why they called these last few weeks in late July/early August the "Dog Days" of Summer. I mean, why "dog" days? Why not Cat Days or Bird Days or maybe even Hermit Crab Days? You just know I'm up too late when my humor gets this bad...:)
Anyway, I'm back safely home from my mission trip to Johns Island. I've already spent the last several entries describing the trip in detail, so I won't bludgeon you to death with it again here. I will mention one thing, though. Our final worship service yesterday morning, Alvin Sell was the speaker. He and his wife are the ones who put this entire trip together, and I'm honored to have known them during my time at SFC. We had just sang along with the praise band a collection of moving songs ending with "Amazing Grace," after which Mr. Sell came up. You have to understand, Mr. Sell is known for being very reserved about his feelings. Rarely does he ever get worked up or emotional about most things; one person joked that he makes for a good mugshot with his facial expressions that are always the same. But as he came up to the podium and looked out at us, something just got to him, and he started crying. He'd go silent for nearly a minute, then try to talk as his voice cracked, then he'd take out a hankerchief and wipe his tears, after which he'd start crying again. Oh gosh, the sight of Mr. Sell, the iceman, crying almost made me want to cry. It made a few others in the audience cry, most of them still raw in the news about Katie's grandmother. I wanted to go up there and comfort him, but I just stayed in my seat and waited for him to regain his composure. Which he did in a few minutes. But still, wow. That was really moving.
His message, our last one, was a great one, based from Ephesians 4, but also bouncing all throughout the Bible. It gave a powerful summary of what we should take from our trip, and also helped to prepare the students who are returning to SFC in the fall with some spiritual truths. I really loved his emphasis on forgiveness, as he pointed out that forgiveness is not deserved by anyone. He cited himself as the number one example. One thing that I just love about Mr. Sell is that he pulls no punches. He always shoots straight with us, and he's not afraid to open up about his flaws as a human being, saying the fact that he's difficult to forgive others is a major one. I know I have struggled with that same flaw myself many times. Another thing he emphasized is that because forgiveness is not deserved, it should be seen as an act of grace. He asked for a show of hands of how many students had seen "The Passion of the Christ," which I saw on Ash Wednesday, the day it premiered. He said that "everything you saw happen to Jesus...that was my fault. All those whippings, beatings, spitting, and nailing to the cross...that was all me. All my fault. And you know something? It's your fault, too." This was a great point he made about what forgiveness is. None of us deserve it, and we shouldn't claim to deserve it on grounds of being fair. If we were treated fairly by God, we would be bound for Hell and separation from Him. But God forgave our sins by His grace, and Jesus paid the price so we wouldn't have to. He challenged us to remember that we all stand guilty before God. We are all guilty of killing Jesus Christ. Yet it was by Christ's death and resurrection that we are set free from that guilt and bondage to sin. When we have Jesus living and changing our hearts, we know that our salvation has been sealed. Nothing we or anyone else does can take it away. God has called us back to Himself.
So anyway, I'm home now, and regular life has once again taken hold. This weekend is Tax Free Weekend, so I know Chick-Fil-A is going to be crushed with rabid mall shoppers. I'll be taking the PRAXIS I exam in a couple of days as part of my requirement for an English major, so I'd appreciate some prayer on that end. I've never in my life been the best test-taker, so knowing people are praying for that will go a long way to building confidence. Please continue to pray for Katie and her family. I have no idea what her state of mind is right now, but I hope she is home safe and that she is being comforted. That's about all for now. God bless.
Song of the Day: Michael W. Smith - "Healing Rain"
Verse of the Day: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against them." - Psalm 32:1-2
Anyway, I'm back safely home from my mission trip to Johns Island. I've already spent the last several entries describing the trip in detail, so I won't bludgeon you to death with it again here. I will mention one thing, though. Our final worship service yesterday morning, Alvin Sell was the speaker. He and his wife are the ones who put this entire trip together, and I'm honored to have known them during my time at SFC. We had just sang along with the praise band a collection of moving songs ending with "Amazing Grace," after which Mr. Sell came up. You have to understand, Mr. Sell is known for being very reserved about his feelings. Rarely does he ever get worked up or emotional about most things; one person joked that he makes for a good mugshot with his facial expressions that are always the same. But as he came up to the podium and looked out at us, something just got to him, and he started crying. He'd go silent for nearly a minute, then try to talk as his voice cracked, then he'd take out a hankerchief and wipe his tears, after which he'd start crying again. Oh gosh, the sight of Mr. Sell, the iceman, crying almost made me want to cry. It made a few others in the audience cry, most of them still raw in the news about Katie's grandmother. I wanted to go up there and comfort him, but I just stayed in my seat and waited for him to regain his composure. Which he did in a few minutes. But still, wow. That was really moving.
His message, our last one, was a great one, based from Ephesians 4, but also bouncing all throughout the Bible. It gave a powerful summary of what we should take from our trip, and also helped to prepare the students who are returning to SFC in the fall with some spiritual truths. I really loved his emphasis on forgiveness, as he pointed out that forgiveness is not deserved by anyone. He cited himself as the number one example. One thing that I just love about Mr. Sell is that he pulls no punches. He always shoots straight with us, and he's not afraid to open up about his flaws as a human being, saying the fact that he's difficult to forgive others is a major one. I know I have struggled with that same flaw myself many times. Another thing he emphasized is that because forgiveness is not deserved, it should be seen as an act of grace. He asked for a show of hands of how many students had seen "The Passion of the Christ," which I saw on Ash Wednesday, the day it premiered. He said that "everything you saw happen to Jesus...that was my fault. All those whippings, beatings, spitting, and nailing to the cross...that was all me. All my fault. And you know something? It's your fault, too." This was a great point he made about what forgiveness is. None of us deserve it, and we shouldn't claim to deserve it on grounds of being fair. If we were treated fairly by God, we would be bound for Hell and separation from Him. But God forgave our sins by His grace, and Jesus paid the price so we wouldn't have to. He challenged us to remember that we all stand guilty before God. We are all guilty of killing Jesus Christ. Yet it was by Christ's death and resurrection that we are set free from that guilt and bondage to sin. When we have Jesus living and changing our hearts, we know that our salvation has been sealed. Nothing we or anyone else does can take it away. God has called us back to Himself.
So anyway, I'm home now, and regular life has once again taken hold. This weekend is Tax Free Weekend, so I know Chick-Fil-A is going to be crushed with rabid mall shoppers. I'll be taking the PRAXIS I exam in a couple of days as part of my requirement for an English major, so I'd appreciate some prayer on that end. I've never in my life been the best test-taker, so knowing people are praying for that will go a long way to building confidence. Please continue to pray for Katie and her family. I have no idea what her state of mind is right now, but I hope she is home safe and that she is being comforted. That's about all for now. God bless.
Song of the Day: Michael W. Smith - "Healing Rain"
Verse of the Day: "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against them." - Psalm 32:1-2
posted by david @ 9:25 PM
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