Well, it is my last night at school until 2009. I leave tomorrow morning to head home for Christmas break. I'm nearly all packed. It's that place where you've packed everything except what you are going to use later that night (like my laptop) and what you will use the morning of and will pack after you use it (like my toothbrush, which fits in both categories).
God has revealed quite a few things to me this semester. As I have grown, matured, been pruned, I continue to look for the high places that need to be torn down. This was particularly difficult this semester. This is because the high place that has dominated the horizon for so many years is "nearly gone." I believe Christmas break is a major checkpoint, but God has been pruning it away this entire semester. Thus, I asked myself, "Where will Satan attack me now? What high place in my life is giving him a foothold?" It took a whole semester before I realized what it is.
This semester has had some themes to it. They overlap and weave in and out of each other, but there are some themes nonetheless:
-Tensions
-End with prayer.
-Confession without transformation is just vain honesty.
-Why am I filled with so much pride?
-Intellectual ascent to the guidance of the Almighty without heart support isn't much of an ascent at all and only leads to fraction-hearted obedience.
-Trust the Holy Spirit for your memory, and He has gifted me with a good one.
-Listen
-Self-burdening: Christ's yoke is easy and His burden is light, and I often pick up other burdens to carry. His cross is all I need, and yet I pick up other crosses to carry.
-I fear rejection, but I am learning to not live or act in fear.
-I still need to learn better self-motivation. It is a good thing God has surrounded me with such a wonderful community to spur me on.
-I desire to lead from within than from above.
-Some things are worth doing well, other things are worth doing, and some things just need to be thrown in the "to hell with it" basket.
-Discipline means doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, in the manner it needs to be done, regardless of how I feel.
-Relationships do not increase in depth naturally. One must be intentional in going deeper. No one touches the bottom of the deep end of a pool by accident. You have to intentionally dive down and push your way to the bottom.
-Broaden my prayer life.
-How you break a fast often reflects the spirit of the fast itself.
-It's fun to have a big long go-t.
-Donald Miller is an excellent author. Please read Searching for God Knows What and Through Painted Deserts. They are excellent books and have been a blessing to me this semester.
-Hold what you think you have in an open palm.
-In reference to a past post, gains and losses.
-Women's roles in ministry is a ticksy issue.
-Consistently reading blogs (which Google Reader makes very easy) and The Adventures of Dr. McNinja.
Not a bad summation. Not exhaustive, but not trivial. Each of these could be a blog/note post in of itself. Maybe one, or a few, or some of them will be developed further. It is likely they will continue to develop as they already have, in quiet reflection or conversation. Needless to say, I am excited to go home. To take a break. To get recalibrated. To realign myself with God. It's not easy to stay aligned, even though I'm at a Bible school. Life happens here just like anywhere else. This is no Eden, and neither is Texas, but they are home nonetheless. They say, "Home is where the heart is." Well, ultimately my heart is with Christ, thus my home is heaven. Earthly my heart is here and in Texas. They may not be Edens, but they are home nonetheless, and I am at peace in either. Goodbye cold, wintry, dry, slippery Chicago (for now), and hello warm, sunny, humid (The air is like natural moisturizer.) Texas. See you in a few hours.
