New Blog Location!

I've moved my blog here:

http://lovedinexplicably.blogspot.com/

Hopefully it will be an easier address to remember.

The Lord: my strength

I love You, Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock,
my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my mountain
where I seek refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold.
I called to the Lord,
who is worthy of praise,
and I was saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18

Who can live with God?

Lord, who can dwell in Your tent?
Who can live on Your holy mountain?
The one who lives honestly,
practices righteousness,
and acknowledges the truth in hi heart -
who does not slender with is tongue,
who does not harm his friend
or discredit his neighbor,
who despises the one rejected by the Lord,
but honors those who fear the Lord,
who keeps his word whatever the cost,
who does not lend his money at interest
or take a bribe against the innocent -
the one who does these things
will never be moved.

Psalm 15

The Progression of Faith

[They] kept trying to find charges
against Daniel regarding the kingdom.
But they could find no charge or corruption,
for he was trustworthy,
and no negligence or corruption was found in him...

and three times a day he got down on his knees,
prayed, and gave thanks to his God,
just as he had done before...

King Darius wrote:
For He is the living God,
and He endures forever;
His kingdom will never be destroyed,
and His dominion has no end.
He rescues and delivers;
He performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth,
for He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions.

Daniel 6

Magnificent

Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is Your name
throughout the earth!

You have covered the heavens
with Your majesty...

When I observe Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You set in place,
what is man that You remember him,
the son of man that You look after him?
You made him little less than God
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You mad e him lord over the words of Your hands;
You put everything under his feet:
all the sheep and oxen,
as well as animals in the wild,
birds of the sky,
and fish of the sea
passing through the currents of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is Your name
throughout the earth!

Psalm 8

Greece: a graveyard?

I've heard Greece referred to as a missionary's graveyard. Reading this from Michael Lewis, I wonder how much this plays a part into it:

The Greek state was not just corrupt but also corrupting. Once you saw how it worked you could understand a phenomenon which otherwise made no sense at all: the difficulty Greek people have saying a kind word about one another. Individual Greeks are delightful: funny, warm, smart, and good company. I left two dozen interviews saying to myself, “What great people!” They do not share the sentiment about one another: the hardest thing to do in Greece is to get one Greek to compliment another behind his back. No success of any kind is regarded without suspicion. Everyone is pretty sure everyone is cheating on his taxes, or bribing politicians, or taking bribes, or lying about the value of his real estate. And this total absence of faith in one another is self-reinforcing. The epidemic of lying and cheating and stealing makes any sort of civic life impossible; the collapse of civic life only encourages more lying, cheating, and stealing. Lacking faith in one another, they fall back on themselves and their families.

Elvis Intro

Josh and Nikki

Josh and Nikki, two of my teammates from Tokyo came by Decatur (and Big Bob Gibsons) on their "way" from Montana to Philly for law school!

Wow

Listen, Lord, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Protect my life, for I am faithful.
You are my God; save Your servant
who trusts in You.
be gracious to me, Lord,
for I call to You all day long.
Bring joy to Your servant's life,
since I set my hope on You, Lord.

For You, Lord,
are kind and ready to forgive,
abundant in faithful love
to all who call on You.
Lord, hear my prayer;
listen to my call for mercy.
I call on You in the day of my distress,
for You will answer me.

Psalm 86

Leaving because of the gospel

Jesus said:
I assure you there is no one
who has left house, brothers or sisters,
mother or father, children, or fields
because of Me and the gospel,
who will not receive 100 times more,
now at this time -
houses, brothers and sisters,
mothers and children, and fields,
with persecutions -
and eternal life in the age to come.
But many who are first will be last,
and the last first.

Mark 10:29-31