Ignorant Historian

Looking back, summer has always  been an important time in my life. I imagine I’m not the only one. There’s just something different and special about this season that sets it apart from the colder months.

I’ve had some summers of excessive downtime–Summer 2005 I completely caught myself up on Law and Order SVU–and some of intense spiritual growth–Phoenix 2003 and Turkey 2004 both come to mind.

I want summer 2011 to be numbered among the latter.

To that purpose, I’ve recommitted myself to my goals. I’m not stopping there, though. I’ve also decided to use John Piper’s “A Challenge to Women,” something I’ve read several times, as a jumping off point for meditation and–with your help–discussion. In short, I seek to challenge myself and perhaps you too, reader.

So each week, I’ll be talking about one point of this challenge.

Now, on to the first point of the challenge:

“That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God.”

Well, that’s a doozy! Everything else Piper mentions can be summarized in this one.

When I read this point, the word that stands out to me is “devoted.” Devotion is a beautiful concept in theory, but a hard concept to pull off. Am I truly devoted to God, or are my loyalties mixed?

What do my actions reveal when I more often seek my own pleasure than to spend time with the Lord or helping others?

This goes well with the verse that I memorized last week:

“Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” – 2 Corinthians 5:9, NASU

I want to be a woman marked by devotion to God. I want God to be my sole love and desire. May this be my prayer and song this week.

Photo by doug8888

“Because a man without a sense of purpose, even one whose bank accounts are stuffed with money, is always a small man.” – Under the Dome by Stephen King, p. 404

“…If you live your life trying to please a man by how you look and being concerned over what he things about you, you’ll never please God.” – Lakita Garth’s father, quoted in Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 62

“Most spurned lovers would not pursue the unfaithful spouse, but God pursues you.” – How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul Tripp, p. 142

“Whatever your views on the sexual revolution, surely we can all agree that it’s sad when male teachers instruct 14-year-old girls that romance is ‘hopeless,’ or when it’s conventional wisdom that sexually inactive girls are ‘ugly.’  Where are these messages coming from?  Where aren’t they coming from would be an easier answer.” – Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 22

“Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint.” – Mansfield Park

“The prevailing view is that if you think sexuality should be private or special, then you must be ashamed of it.  You’re a prude.” – Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 26

Emile: “Wait a minute… you read?”
Remy: “Well… not excessively.”
Emile: “Aw, man! Does Dad know?”
Remy: “You could fill a book — a lot of books — with things Dad doesn’t know. And they have, which is why I read.” – Ratatouille

A week before her wedding: “…I look forward to next week, and I am really excited that I can look my husband in the face and say, You know what, I loved you before I even knew you.  I saved myself just for you.” – Lakita Garth, quoted in Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 63

“English’s drive to exploit the new and the alien, its zeal in robbing words from other languages, its incapacity to feel qualms over the matter, its museum-size over-abundance of vocabulary, its shoulder-shrug approach to spelling, its don’t-worry-be-happy concern for grammar–the result was a language whose colour and wealth Henry loved.” – Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel, p. 23

Retelling a discussion about itemizing for taxation: ” ‘Is that all?  How about your wife?’ he says.  ’By mighty,’ I says to him, ‘she says I don’t own her and I don’t aim to pay no taxes on her,’ and I didn’t.” – Mr. Edwards in The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder

“If doing away with ‘repression’ was supposed to be liberating, why are things now so bad?  It is bad enough that we cannot seem to protect children, but the attractive, intelligent women surfing for tadpoles and grown men trading intimacy for inflated megapixels do not exactly seem to be thriving, either.” - Girls Gone Mild by Wendy Shalit, p. 16-17

As a woman who tends towards the side of being overly emotional, I spend a lot of time monitoring my emotions and their causes (when they can be discovered).  One thing that I feel often, but can’t quite name, is the feeling of being on the verge.

Like I’m only moments away from discovering or being a part of something huge.

While I don’t know quite what to call this, it seems like a common human feeling.  I feel it when I listen to great music or see a movie with beautiful cinematography.  Even more, I sense it when I walk out into a wonderful spring day or admire one of the great physical wonders of our world.

I can’t help but think I have this feeling–that we have this feeling–as a reminder that we are a part of something bigger than ourselves.  That’s is not all about me, and that God has created me for a purpose.

A purpose that I’m only beginning to find out.

And once again, I feel like I’m on the verge.

Photo by Stuck in Customs

It’s been a while since I’ve shared with you some quotes…I haven’t done as much reading as I used to!  Chalk it up to summer laziness, I guess.  As evidenced by the two 24 quotes.

“With what we’ve been through in the last 18 hours, I’m sure he’s pulled in 10 different directions.” – Mike Novak
“We were and in some ways still are on the brink of war. I’m the commander in chief. When I call, there is only one direction.” – President David Palmer, 24, Day 2, 3:00 AM

“If you believe not me, read here in this book, and for the truth of what is expressed therein, behold, all is confimred by the blood of Him that made it.” John Bunyan, Pilgrim Progress, p. 5

“I wish people–including me–had a more visceral reaction to reading.” – A. J. Jacobs, The Know-It-All, p. 211

“Li only needed the simplicity of routine to keep her spirit satisfied.” – Gail Tsukiyama, The Women of the Silk, p. 229

“Don’t play dead before you have to.” – Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, p. 75

“Now that I’m sitting in that chair…I’m starting to wonder if I’m the right person to lead this country.” – President Wayne Palmer
“That’s an irrelevant question, sir.” – Tom Lennox
“Excuse me?”
“You will lead this country whether you want to or not. You are the president.” – 24, Day 6, 6:00 AM

“I want to leave a lasting impression on the world.” – Eric Harris’s journal (one of the Columbine shooters)