Thursday, January 18, 2007

Peanut Butter saved my life


So I never realized how versatile peanut butter is. Did you know you can eat it with just about anything? Currently, it is one of my staple foods. I'm not sure what I would do without it. Probably eat shoe leather.


I want to understand that I can't ever truly understand.


lectio divina (spiritual reading). Augustine describes it as having four parts.
1. read
2. meditate
3. rest in the sense of God's nearness
4. resolve to govern one's actions in light of new understanding

Augustine says "spiritual reading is an act of prayer". I would like to practice this form of prayer. It speaks to me in some way I don't quite understand.


"You cannot corrupt God with your sins. Even when you try and hurt him, instead you do horrible damage to your own soul." (paraphrased, Augustine)


I was thinking that it might be nice to leave this world at the same time as a friend. I mean, I can't wait to experience God's presence, but it might be a bit scary, and having a friend there would be comforting. Maybe "scary" is the wrong word. Maybe "overwhelming" is a better fit. I think I'll just be so overwhelmed by God's awesomeness that I'll freeze up and stutter a lot.

Now I need to unpack that thought... What do you mean, Ryan? Don't you experience God's presence now? How can a Christian not be in God's presence every moment of his life? I don't know. It's sort of a strange paradox. People always talk about going to heaven and finally talking with God face-to-face, but in the next breath they say how powerfully their life has changed since meeting Him. There must be something special here I am missing. Something about how blessed are the ones that believe without seeing. This is by no means a closed case. I need to let my mind and heart work on this one a little more.


I wonder... Will Jenna ever read these scribblings of mine?



A wiseman once said, "All my years are contained in God's today." (paraphrased, Augustine)

2 comments:

Father Dane said...

Ryebread!

Please dont eat too much peanut butter...you know what I always said about it, remember. You still are a rock of faith my man. God bless you over there...I hope to see you soon someday.

Coppini

Bethany Bylsma said...

i literally hugged my computer screen when i saw the picture of jenna.
you are blessed my friend.
blessed with a beautiful and wonderful family, blessed with the gift of wisdom and knowledge and WRITING...blessed with friends who love you...

and aparently blessed with dane:-) who has come out of no where...and that might have made my day. :-)

i am sick this weekend. Chapel band is playing in Portland tomorrow. Amanda and I are hooked on Grey's Anatomy and we miss you.
love!