Summer

School is OUT.

I get to spend quality time with those I love. :)

Lately, I have been thinking of the gifts He has blessed us with. I have spoken with the junior highers about the body of Christ, and told them that we are designed to be different parts (hands, feet, mouth, heart) in order to effectively reach others. However, it didn't dawn on me that I should apply these concepts to my life as well. This ministry has taught me humility, when to be serious and when to let go, and that if something can go wrong it will, so do not stress out about it.

Draw near to the Lord and remember His words; it has strengthened me when I was weakest, and verses memorized months back may not seem applicable then, but may be now.

"What does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord, to walk in His ways, to love Him, to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, and to obey his commandments." Deut 10:12

A Season to Read

Spring Quarter started yesterday, but I am not taking any classes. I finally have a butt load of time on my hands to do whatever I please, which is mainly to stuff my mind with books that I actually want to read.

SY gave me the book The Complete Human Body over Christmas. The basal or bottommost layer of skin has the Melanocyte skin cells. These cells produce Melanin: the pigment that absorbs UV and determines skin/hair color. Melanin gets packaged into structures called Melanosomes which travel to the epithelial or uppermost layer (visible to the naked eye) and settle in comfortably. The more Melanosomes & Melanin you have, the darker your skin.

However, if you're fair skinned, you may, evolutionarily speaking have adapted to protect yourself from repeated sun exposure by FRECKLING!

Severely burned patients are threatened by dehydration -> kidney failure, I believe because the lack of skin allows water to evaporate? Scientists take 3cm or less of a patient's healthy tissue and grow it on a sheet of fabric, that'll dissolve when placed over the wound. In T minus 3o days, enough "new" skin is grown to cover the whole body. This is a Cultured epithelial autograft (CEA).

In HCC, PJ brought up a profound point. Evolution is a purposeless set of actions over a long period of time. It has no sense of good or evil. It has selected species based on their genetic predisposition. But where does our sense of purpose...our conscience come from? These things cannot have come from nothing. These things come from our Creator.

PJ is also pushing the limits of our philosophical thinking by engaging us in The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis. I found my copy in the used book-store Magus, on the Ave...almost had a sneezing fit from the musty smells. Climbed on a small stool to reach the uppermost bookshelf, and did not see it. Said a brief prayer, and saw, hidden from direct view, stacked on top of the other books the one I coveted. God is good. :)

Missing the Point

Were the Pharisee's "bad guys," "good guys" or "us guys"?

The Pharisee's held the scripture in the highest regard, neglecting the purpose of Biblical principles. God told us to not work, but to seek rest on the Sabbath, for our own good. He is a merciful provider, and understands that even us meek humans need a break once in a blue moon. However, the Pharisees misinterpreted this to mean no work could be done. They were so bound to their own laws and self-righteousness that they didn't see helping others was not work.

PM asked the congregation what group we'd put the Pharisee's in. "Us guys," I think. Sometimes I do judge people for not following the "unwritten" rules, forgetting it is God's graciousness that has provided me with a safe & loving community, and kept me from floating away. As PM puts it: a relationship with Jesus Christ, not religion is what brings salvation.

In other news, school has been coming along like choppy waters. I feel like a little sailboat that's just survived a storm, only to have to brace some more. But in the calm times, it has been quite nice. HCC took a long hike to Lake Serene, celebrated 4 consecutive birthdays, and braved the scary haunted corn maze. The corn fields were lovely during daylight! Also, I learned to make nutella (http://www.sugoodsweets.com/blog/2005/12/nutella/), to function on 4 hours of sleep, and to appreciate the greatness of super glue.