bang! pow! pop! ...no fireworks here.

Yesterday was the 4th and it was really fun although absent of fireworks. we had a BBQ, bonfire, and games of kickball and capture the flag late into the night. It was celebrated sufficiently for my taste though many of the other Americans here were longing to be home.
friday night after lecture my friends Joni and Chris and i all went outside with blankets and tea to look at the stars. I'd been telling both of them that I really wanted us to all exchange life stories to which they both reacted to with laughter- they did not know how serious I was being. We ended ups tayingup out there until around 2 talking. Its been so interesting to see how much my friendships with both of them have grown since then- even in just two days time. It just reaffrims in me the idea that EVERYONE longs to be known and that we are truly created for this.
Saturday for lunch I had an amazing discussion with Ellis Potter about God's love and the frustrations I've had with it. I'd try to walk you all throgh our discussion but it would require several more hours than what I have in front of a computer. I will try to type out some of his comments below as well as some of the material I'm reading in a way that might make sense though. I will say here thoughthat I walked away feeling understood and actually having taken a couple new steps forward in this journey- baby steps but steps all the same.
Joni leaves tomorrow morning so we are going to the pub tonight for a round of drinks in her honor. She will be sorely missed of course especially since I am learning about 3-4 new Scottish words a day right now and they all crack me up. I do ask that you all pray for her and her journey after she leaves here- that Jesus would just smother her in affirmation, love, and peace.
There are many good days ahead here at L'Abri and I anxiously await them each. Today I went running after church and I am running by this MASSIVE field that is growing lavender (perhaps one of the most amazing sights ever) and then I look to my right and there is a herd of sheep trotting down this hill with their little sheperd leading them. I just started smiling so big and realized how I am taking in Jesus everywhere around me here and not just when my nose is in the book.
Go Federer! I'm cheering you on today and loving being so close to you as you hopefully take away yet another victory against Rodick!

His definition of love: A series of responsible choices that one makes in order to promote the other person's life. His feelings of us do change by what we do (when we make good choices or bad choices) but His feelings of us are not a reflection of His love. His love is His blood over us, His atoning sacrifice, His grace ovr us! And that's the foundation of His love. If you forget this element then you go wildly spinning down quickly because then you begin to put His love in a box based on what He feels about you at the time. Even when He is angry with us- He KEEPS us. He never throws us away. you don't do feelings, you do love. There is no amount of delight that we can bring him, nor anger than we can stir up in Him that would draw us closer to Him or take us further away from Him. He always keeps us close no matter what.