a few days to go

"history is really His story"
I love that. I just listened to Welsey's teaching on the Christmas Story. It was really good, and as I was listening to it, I was thinking about my time here in Tacoma, and the ways that Christ's gifts applied to what I've been experiencing. (of course Christ's gifts always apply) But three are brought up in the teaching: great joy, the glory of God, and peace. My time here has not been easy, but I asked the Lord that He would use this time to change me and challenge me. And its amazing how the Lord answers prayers when you ask according to His will.
The other night I was at my dad's cabin in Packwood, WA, reading C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, and he came home and we got in an argument (its hard for any sort of disagreement not to turn into an argument, no matter how rational I try to be) . So while there was this awkward silence, I was having to fight my own flesh that desired to just go into my room for the rest of the night, and all I could think to do was to read out loud to my dad. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I couldn't think of anything to say, and I knew I wouldn't have another time just the two of us. So I read Lewis' explanation of the Trinity to my unbelieving dad. I don't know how much of it he processed. But it started some less-hostile conversation, and therefore served its purpose. We started talking about the Bible and its relation to other religious texts and my dad's problem with all of them and how according to him the Bible is just a history book, and all these "religious texts" do is start wars and make people kill each-other. Our conversation didn't get far, but I had peace anyway. Because I died to myself, the Lord may be able to use part of that conversation. The Bible is the account of God working in our world. It is His story. And I don't care how crazy my dad or anyone else thinks I am, I will stand for the truth of God's word. It breaks my heart that he can't believe in it, because he needs joy, God's glory, and peace in his life more than anything else in the world, he just hasn't figured that out yet.
I can't imagine how someone would try to achieve true joy, glory, and peace without receiving it from Jesus Christ.

Anyway, I'll be back in Eugene on the 30th, and I'm super excited. I'm really looking forward to school this term, and the Ekklesia School of Ministry class on Pastoral and Women's Ministry. When I'm in Tacoma I feel like my life is paused. I'm just visiting. It will be good to press play again.