A Piano

There is something about a piano.

It's beautiful and soft. It's music is soothing to the soul and the sight of it is one which eases all pain and stress.

It is a moment. It is a relief. It is articulate. It is worn. It is comfortable. It is provocative. It is a window. It is a door. It is warmth. It is passion. It is sorrow. It is joy. It is an atmosphere. It is a motif.

A piano is an instrument, opening upon new worlds.

A Martha Striving to be a Mary

I find that stress is something that either inspires creativity or kills it relentlessly.

I, some days, can't find the happy medium. It's like everything happens all at once, and things that you knew were looming, creep up with an overwhelming intensity that you weren't prepared for.

And it almost always happens on a Monday.

So today is a Monday, and today I am overwhelmed to the point of tears (the point, however none have dropped).

I was looking over my schedule, planning out my life for the week on my Post-it calendar (which was a gift from my mother for Christmas; amazing gift), and I read over the verses I had put in the margin. It was from Luke 10. I'll tell you the whole story so you get the context:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister had left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10: 38-42)

I've heard this story before, but last week when I was reading it, and now when I read it again, I am amazed to realize that I am a Martha who should be a Mary. The only thing that matters is the Lord and his Word. I can just imagine Jesus shaking his head, saying "Martha, Martha" or "Kate, Kate" in an exasperated, but loving, way.

My desire for the rest of this semester (and essentially the rest of my life) is to be a Mary who chooses the good portion "which will not be taken away from her."

For All Those Girls Whose Daddies Didn't Love Them the Way He Should've

Today is a Saturday. On any typical Saturday, I don't do much of anything until the afternoon. I get up and watch tv in my pj's till it's time to get ready for church.

But today was different. Today, I got up and drank my tea and read my Bible. Today I worshiped Jesus. Today I spent the morning with my daddy.

And not just with my spiritual Daddy, but my physical one as well.

It made a difference in how I looked at my day.

I have a great relationship with my dad. He's always loving and protecting. Yes, I fight with him sometimes, but that's because I'm his kid. Not like that justifies it, but you know what I mean.

It was interesting that when I came home after spending some really good time with my daddy, I sat down to see what was on tv and got sucked into Georgia Rule. Now I had heard of this movie, and I did want to see it, so I just continued to watch.

It was a pretty good movie; however, it was not one that I would watch in mixed company.

The movie is about three generations of women who all have issues. However the youngest takes it a step further when she admits that her step-father molested her when she was young.

Interesting. I just spent a wonderful, glorious morning with my father who loves and protects me at all costs, and I watch a movie that reminds me that not all little girls have the same relationship. It just about broke my heart.

How can I help?

That's one of the reasons I want to be a teacher, so I can help. I want girls to know that even if their daddies are not loving them the way he should, they can find the love of a father in Jesus. And yes, I want to work in a public school, so I may not be able to explicitly say that, but I want to be able to live my life in such a way that they question. I want to be a witness.

I want to know that forgiveness is real and the love of a father is there for them.

So to all of those girls whose daddies are amazing and love them beyond measure, call him up and tell him how much you appreciate him and what he does for you.

And to all those girls whose daddies did unimaginable things to them, there is a way to find a Father-like love. Jesus can heal that wounded part of you. He can fill that hole and give you hope for a better and brighter future. He is better than any earthly man. Just ask Him. He'll tell you in ways that you probably wouldn't expect. Watch for His love to pour out upon you because He will pour it.

If you grew up with a daddy who didn't love you the way a daddy should, if he neglected you or molested you or beat you, just know that there is help in a holy God who will love you better than any father, good or bad, could here on earth.

A Word of Truth and A Game I'm Bad At

Yes, I agree. Blogging all the time is a pain. That's why I don't do it. I am bad at reading them everyday too. Ha.

So I was reading Abraham Piper's newer blog, Downhill Both Ways, and I came across a blog from a few days ago among the plethora that I have not read yet. This one grabbed my attention right away because of, yes, the title:

"Two Truths and a Lie with a Deaf Guy."

First of all, I really suck at the game two truths and a lie. Don't try and play with me. I might be a writer (sometimes) and love making stuff up, I can't do it quickly or about myself well. Just don't ask me to play.

However, that's not what grabbed my attention immediately. It was the "Deaf Guy" part. If you know anything about me and my aspirations, you already guessed that.

Though this story seems like a difficult situation, it was also kind of inspiring to me. When it neared the end, and Abraham thought of Peter's words in Acts 3:6, I definitely got shivers. Goosebumps irrupted all up and down my arms. What a thing to remember at a time like that.

Anyway, I'm really glad I read Abraham's blog today. It was a blessing to me.

Transformed into Holy Creatures

Today I was reflecting on the fact that I have not blogged in a while. Life took over. Sorry.

The week of February 20th marked the one year anniversary of my kidney stone. To get the whole story, read my blog post. It was a week of remembrance for me. It was also the busiest week of my semester so far. God is good and glorious. He took my mind off my terror and gave me other things to think about.

I was reading my devotional, Taste and See by John Piper, today. The chapter was entitled, "Discernment by Desire: Finding God's Will by the Fragrance of the Holy." Honestly, I had a really hard time concentrating through it, but the last paragraph grabbed my attention:

The assumption here is that our faculty of delighting or desiring is healthy and God-saturated. And that is the great challenge of the Christian life: Be transformed in the renewing of your mind that you may approve [not just prove, but approve, that is test and then delight in] the will of God (Romans 12:2). Our great need is to be people whose delights are the very delights of God. (115)

Pastor Piper's paraphrase of Romans 12:2 really caught my attention. Now, I know that it's a very popular verse. Most everyone who has been to a conference of any sort or spent any time in the church has heard this verse, most of the time in addition to Romans 12:1.

However, do we really stop to think about what Paul is trying to tell us. Here, read it and really think about it:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, ESV)

Now most people focus on the transforming of one's mind, and though that is EXTREMELY important, I want to focus on something else: the adjectives that describe our sacrifice and what the will of God is. The words "holy," "acceptable," "good," and "perfect" are all important to how we should understand these verses.

Our sacrifice should not just be mediocre; it should be HOLY. Like really holy. Like: "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:14-16).

We need to strive for that holiness. And goodness and perfection and acceptability.

So I will encourage you to read over these verses again. Meditate on them and what they mean. You don't need me to point out the truth in the Bible. That's what the Holy Spirit is for. Just keep digging in. It's totally worth every moment you spend reading the words of God.

Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights of the word, holding fast to the word of life.... (Philippians 2:14-16a, ESV)