Custard, Yuck!!

This is the second post of today.

I am on the train once again, this time on the way back to Edinburgh, which is curious enough because when I got to Adam's place in Bathgate, we had to turn around and drive to Edinburgh to drop off Caroline Collie at here new home. I met Caroline today who is from Washington, NC. Her husband, Mark, is from South Africa and they are here on staff with the church. Caroline ia also pregnant and she will soon give birth to an African-American. Yup. The burrito of joy is due on August the 18th, which I think would be a fine day for a birth. Don't you, Mom and Dad?

So the reason for the second blog today is because I have just been floored, humbled beyond belief, and scared within inches of my life. Oh, the fear of the Lord descended on me today. And it still lingers. It's a fear that will make a county fair funnel cake eater turn away from food. it's a fear that would drive mothers to forsake their young. It's a fear that lights can't chase away. It wraps up my stomach as if it were the advent season. Churning over like cement, scared to let it lie incase it hardens and become a thing of shame.

Perseverance of the Saints

Let man be damned and the Lord glorified for he is truly a righteous God.

The perseverance of the saints deals with the doctrine that only those who preserver in Christ until the end will be saved. How sobering a thought. I will leave it to you to think of the consequences of such a doctrine.

Forgive me if I'm speaking in an extreme manner here. Just the thought of it is resting very strongly on me at the moment. What does that mean? Especially in conjunction with the doctrine of Election.

What do you think?

Ian

Breathe In, Breathe Out

Isn't it funny how musicians seem to re-release music as their next new album. In the case of Switchfoot, I could understand them re-releasing songs when they went from Christian music to being actual musicians. I was a little dissappointed though when Mat Kearney's "Nothing Left To Lose" album was released to find that 7 or 8 of the tracks had been on a previous album. I saw that to say that he has since re-released that exact same album and tacked two songs on the end. One that I knew of "Chicago (acoustic)" and "Breathe In, Breathe Out" which I heard for the first time live. I say all that to say that I purchased that one song to finally make up his ever expanding album last night, I'm in very happy I did. I get happy/nostalgic/sad bubbles in my innards when I listen to Mat. Here is a little known fact for you. At the same conference that I heard about EveryNationEdinburgh, when it was just a baby idea. (that's who I'm on internship with). I saw him play live. Not only that, but the guitar that he was using to play actually belonged to the guy I'm about to go be mentored by, Adam Mabry. www.adammabry.co.uk

Enough of all that. I'm floating through the countryside on what I can only imagine as the hard work on many great men. How about that work ethic of old? Just a question. No discussion.

So, I'm too short to think of what to type next. Attempting to make this a meaningful exchange as I learn from you by actually writing. And hopefully, a few like to read it out there. I'm having trouble being terribly clever. So there is no clever bit.


The weather here is starting to be really nice. I must say, this place is probably quite nice in summertime. The people here already think that it's summertime. it's only a little over 50 degrees. Lovely little immigrants (because you're hard pressed to find any Scottish) are setting up tables outside to eat lunch at. Which on a side note: it boggles my mind that anyone says, "hey, lets go to Starbucks for lunch. Yeah, that'll be great. We can spend £8 ($16) on semi-meals that are clearly pre-packed by a machine." Also, it's the people on vacation. Every American I see come in that is on holiday, I feel like shaking them. "You travel 5,000+ miles to eat at a place that is right around the corner."

So anyway, the weather is getting nice.

The flowers are in a strong bold bloom against the ever present chill. If you saw that picture of the Scottish Flag made of flowers in a few blogs previous, good for you because it's gone. They done gone and churned it up. But there are the prettiest flowers here. actually prettier than Florida because the flowers are very thick and stiff (to keep out the cold I imagine). But they are all put there by the governmental tourist board. I still must say that the Bird of Paradise is still the sweetest flower on God's green earth. Listen to that phrase. I used to get threatened by it.

Do you think God is green?

Ian