We miss you Matthew Nickle

One day is like a thousand years...

God, do you realize that both last time and this time my time in Eston is less than a week? Why is it that You are taking me through these crazy emotional and spiritual rollercoasters that are usually spread out over a whole semester or a whole year, and yet are compacting them into these few days? The reuniting of old friends, meeting new people, laughing, crying, being ridiculously bored, having fun, finding a variety of ways to spend time with You...it's hard. But it's good. It reminds me of how intricately involved You are in my life, and I in Yours. Thank You for Your constant faithfulness, and thank You for Your love.

I want to soak it in

As I was watching American Idol tonight, they showed the 8 remaining contestants sitting at the feet of Jennifer Lopez who was their mentor for the week. Seeing that stirred in my heart the desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, or at least one of His disciples (from ages past or present), and just glean all I can from the words, character, and heart of the one who is teaching.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to learn from so many people while I was in Eston and I would not trade that experience. But it wasn't the same. There is something about literally sitting at someone's feet...

Eleison (Mercy)

In my recent study on the gift of mercy, I came across a couple quotes from that I would like to share with you because they have spoken much to me.

If ours were a society in which everyone showed other people kindness, then to say, "Blessed are the kind" would seem like too big a blessing for too small a virtue. But in a society like ours, where self-interest, rudeness and insensitivity increasingly govern relationships, simple kindness can seem an awful lot like mercy - grand, rare, even blessed.

To wipe all tears from off all faces is a task too hard for mortals; but to alleviate misfortunes is often within the most limited power: yet the opportunities which every day affords of relieving the most wretched of human beings are overlooked and neglected with equal disregard of policy and goodness.

Perhaps these can move from being good thoughts to being acts of mercy to those we encounter.