A little gem...

Found this little gem of music by Regina Spektor, as I was perusing some of her music on Youtube. It's pretty fabulous!

No one laughs at God...

Listening provided by Regina Spektor, from her new CD Far:

Reminds me of a verse my friend Phil shared with me, Galatians 6:6 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap" No one laughs when they understand the pain sin has caused us.

Went sunset hunting with my friends, Picture credit to Ian (except the first, which I took of Ian)


Myself & Phil against the sunset
The beauty of the hills, praise God.

Careful, careful the trees are falling down...

Listening provided by Loudermilk

The above picture was taken by my friend Ian--the setting is a favorite bench which overlooks the rolling hills of the Palouse.

For those of you who are interested in photo editing, gimp is a cool place to start--free software is nice and gimp is a fine alternative to photoshop.

That's all for now,
Liam

Summer Storms & The Heart of God

I love the cool summer nights. Tonight of all nights is especially exquisite--on the fringe of a slowly passing thunderstorm, the night sky is interrupted by the lightning and thunder which has grown from silence to growls. The cool still air is stirred by the breeze and rain falls in giant drops, not hard, but gently. This all followed a spectacular sunset which I hope to explain in picture format later!

There is something indescribable about walking in the cool night after a hot day, in a town which now sleeps for lack of college students. These are the empty streets on which I first learned to drive a manual.

Before this year, I had never really understood or enjoyed the Old Testament as much as the New. But through many lessons learned, I am starting to understand the all the Bible is an exploration of the same God through different media. Much of the New Testament(the Epistles) seems to be inspired men writing down things about God, but I have begun to appreciate that God himself on occasion speaks openly in the Old Testament. It is for this reason that the story of Cain and Able has become one of my favorite stories through which to explore the Gospel and Christian life. If you read through chapter four of Genesis you realize that, though both brothers bring offerings to God, Abel gave the best and first of what he had, while Cain gave whatever was at hand without concern. Cain gave out of obligation and with a selfish heart, and Abel gave his very best out of deep love and regard for God. I want to meet Abel some day, he must have been a truly amazing man.

Cain becomes jealous because God looked with favor on Abel's humility and love for what is good(God alone) which was reflected in his offering. God did not look with favor on Cain's offering because it reflected the pride and arrogance which told him he deserved the best of what he had, not God.

And then God speaks:

"Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it "

God is saying the first wrong is the pride of not giving the best and first of what we have to God, and from that wrong, temptation to sin further flows--and this sin seeks to master us. If you read on sin "gives birth to death" as James says; as Cain takes Abel to a field and murders him. It is a grave reminder that sin is not a trifling matter, it is the destruction of everything good and beautiful and right--and we deceive ourselves if we think that sin will end up anywhere but death--the ultimate destruction of life, good, and relationship.

If you look at John 17 as Jesus prays for all those who will come to know him, God's sign to the world that Christians are "it" is their unity. God's heart is for unity as an expression of his divine intervention in the decay of our relationships--with him, and consequently with one another. This sign exists because he has sincerely "longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings". (Matthew 23:37)

This is all a mystery I seek to understand more; that forgiveness isn't the end, it is only the beginning. To truly break free from sin, is to fall into God's arms in absolute surrender.

I'm done sermonetting for now! Work looms on the horizon of tomorrow, the storm has passed, and the night is silent yet again. God bless,

Liam

Daylight...

I'm sitting at a desk with a bowl of summer strawberries and ice cream, Pullman has been washed with a lazy veil of hot weather. Excellent!

Listening:
My Friend Isaac told me I should check out a song by Matt and Kim, daylight(listening link); an excellent summer song. The song can be downloaded for free (legally!) here.

Things I want to do this summer:
:Read and practice writing poetry
:Sharpen up my programming skillz for work
:Swim in lakes
:Spend time getting to know all those awesome folks I never get to see during the school year!

I don't have to much more to say at the moment, as I am about to go spend time with a couple friends, but I will try for some substantive blogging soon enough! Enjoy the summer!

-Liam

The First Ending

We leave for home tomorrow, so as a last farewell we walked along the beach to watch the sunset(the sun is an amazingly beautiful thing, a fact evidenced by NASA's STEREO project[and also the SOHO project!], poke around the website for some awesome pictures). It's a bit strange to walk along the beach here, cars are allowed to drive along the seashore (speaking of which we saw one get stuck, but it ended happily! they got out after a little help and advice from a local) While walking I found another thing to add to the list of things to be done: watch the sunrise on the Atlantic.

We had the grand opportunity to tromp around the forest today and see the abandoned battlements before going to walking out to the lighthouse. I love antiquated things! A personal favorite was the water tower, a few feet off the muddy path.

And of course, there must be a picture of the lighthouse!



To end this blog, I was looking for a Psalm with reference to the Ocean, an amazingly powerful thing; endowed to it by our God.

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths,

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!

They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.

Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?

I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

The Beginning

I discovered Sigur Ros this week. I've never had a great grasp on the European music scene, but I am more and more impressed by the sounds coming out of places like Iceland. I just ordered Sigur Ros' newest album Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust which is worth a listening(esp. while reading!).

I've also been road trippin'--first to see my dear friend John before he flew down to Argentina(for a missions trip & then to study abroad), then with my family to visit my sister at the coast. After a long walk on the beach, I came back with a few pictures! To the left is my sister and I, the waves chased us up the beach right after this picture was taken. Bellow, my sister threw a jelly fish at me, so I ran her into the ocean. We had a lot of fun!




This week as John left, I spent a lot of time thinking about what God's answer is to seeing people go and I was reminded of two verses.

• 1st Corinthians 15:54 "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
• Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away"

God proclaims victory over the ultimate separation, death, and he himself will cure our pains. I'm glad the old order of things is going to pass away. Our separation is temporary.

I hope to keep updating this blog! God bless all who read
-Liam