What of my dross thou findest there be bold
To throw away but yet preserve the gold
What if my gold be wrapt up in ore?
None throw away the apple for the core

-THe Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan

This week I've been wondering what I should do about Night of Decadence (NOD). Its the biggest and worst party on campus. Each year its been a struggle for the Christians to know how they should act towards it. We have all been praying against it since we got here. That's easy. But some Christians believe that we should they should witness to their friends by doing security, drunk sitting, or going to keep their friends out of trouble. Others believe that we should stay as far away from NOD as possible, so as not to support it indirectly or be associated with it. Each year we've had discussions and prayed about it. This year was no different until we got together in the Chapel to pray about it. Jason Cook stood up and said that God had told him that if we met in the Quad every morning and prayed, Satan would have to leave and NOD wouldn't happen. Well we all got excited about it. That was all two weeks ago, but this week I had a hard time in knowing what to do. I knew that I would throw an alternative party, but I didn't know if I should proclaim to my friends that NOD wasn't going to happen. Afterall, I didn't receive the message from God, how do I know that Jason wasn't being deceived (he's a great guy, but even the best can let their guard down and be deceived, or deceive others). I didn't want to put that much weight on another man's word. Afterall, if I told my friends, who are already skeptical, that God told us that NOD wasn't going to happen and then it did, why would they ever listen to talk about God again? That is a huge risk. But I've been praying that if there was any reason not to go along, that God would show me. And He hasn't. So I'll include it in my invitations and conversation this week. NOD will not happen.

Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the house of Jacob their sins.
Isaiah 58:1

The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies
Isaiah 42:13

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 17:20

Gothic Miss Manners' Finishing School

This is another "however did I get here?" type of pages, but its really funny. I used to have a lot of goth friends (before I moved to Texas) and I could imagine a lot of them really getting a kick out of this.

Grow Your Own Horns

I have no idea how I stumbled on this, but I thought the title was kinda funny.

Rock of Ages, cleft for me
Let me hide myself in Thee
Let the water and the blood
From the wounded side which flowed
Be for sin the double cure
Save me from its guilt and power

-Agustus Montague Toplady

Forgive and forget? A friend of mine told me that to him they're the same thing. But he's wrong. Turns out that when someone says something that offends him (happens about once or twice a year) he'll just avoid that person. Then he can say that he's 'forgiven' that person and forgotten about it. Problem is that whenever he remembers that person he remembers all the old hurt and anger. See? He never really forgave them. God didn't pretend we never did anything wrong, He gave his life to correct our mistakes. Are you avoiding things that you need to work to fix?

We want God to forgive us, not to forget us.

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.
32"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even 'sinners' lend to 'sinners,' expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

37"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
39He also told them this parable: "Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? 40A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 42How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Luke 6:27-42

LING 408 - Cherokee

In case you want to see what I do in my Field Techniques class

Que detendra la lluvia en mi?
Se me ha inudado mi corazon
Que detendra la lluviz en mi?
Oh mi amor, solo tu puedues para la

Solo tu, Dios mio,
puedes para la lluvia en mi alma

Es gibt niemand wie du
Mein Gott und mein Freund

You know the depths of the dungeon
You have been there
You walked from the very depths of Death and Hell
To rise and breathe the clean air again


What a fool, quoth he, am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle.
-Pilgrim's Progress 292

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." -John 8:31,32

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

Today on Urbana.org

What are you doing for New Years? This is the place to go if you want to know God's will for your life. Be sure to look at the second video.

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus is in the realm of the dead and is forced to roll a boulder up a steep hill. But just before he reaches the top, he loses control and the boulder rolls back down to the bottom. Then the whole process starts again, lasting all eternity.

This is kinda the way it works for people who look to anything but Jesus to satisfy their life.