Photos of Segovia

Though I plan on writing more about my time in Segovia later, here are some pictures of where I will be living for three months. Enjoy! 

 

This first one is a map of Spain. Although Segovia is not listed, you can imagine it as being 60 miles north/northwest of Madrid, in central Spain. 

The second is a rooftop-view picture of the city.  

The third is the famous Roman aqueduct still standing, hundreds of years after its construction, in Segovia. 

Then is Alcazar Castle. 

The last is the cathedral of Segovia - also an impressive sight. 

Pondering the old year....moving on to a new

So a friend prompted me, via a note on Facebook, to write down some thoughts about this year that is quickly drawing to a close. As I like to call it - "muddling". (What I mean by this is that, while I would like to call it profound meditations, sometimes my thoughts come out somewhat muddled.) 

What events have occurred in my life during 2008, and what are some things God has taught me through them? 

* I became a sophomore, a second-year student at the college I so dearly love. A blessing in and of itself. Seeing as I entered my freshman year not knowing how long I could stay there, I thank God for giving me a third semester there and for allowing me to plan a third year. This college has changed me in more than one way. During my several months there, I have been challenged academically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. To be honest, I was a bit unsure about a non-denominational college. Not that I don't mingle with people of other religious backgrounds - not at all the case - but I was unsure as to how that would play out in classes and relationships. I have found it, however, to be very good. I have had opportunities to discuss, even with my Christian friends, our differences and similarities in belief. I have been challenged to discover why it is that I believe the way I do and to make sure that I am following the Word of God, and not men. 

* I have formed many new friendships, among freshmen, members of my own class, and upperclassmen. I have also better established older friendships. These people - mostly girls - have blessed me in ways beyond count! They have sought to know me for who I am; they have supported me through trials and rejoiced with me during happier times. They have put up with my moments of insanity and loved me in spite of them. Thank you so much! I love you all so much! (Ephesians 1:15ff) 

* I have become closer to my family, these people who have known me my whole life and never given up on me. You mean so much to me! Thank you for your love, your support, and everything you do for me - whether recognized or unseen. And ditto to all that I said in the previous paragraph. :) 

* I have learned in a better way how trustworthy and caring our God is. "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.'" (Lamentations 3:22-24) Even during times when I had no idea what God was doing in that situation, or what I was supposed to do, He brought me through and taught me to trust Him in spite of my fears and blindness. 

I'm sure there are so many more things I could add, but for now, this will have to do. I can always add more later on. 

So what about next year? Well, for starters...

* I have the amazing opportunity to study in Spain for three months. This would probably not be an option, were it not for the minor detail that I am a Spanish major and so am required to take a study-abroad semester. (Bummer, huh?) My feelings would tear me in multiple directions when the random-and-twisted paths of my mind take me to Segovia: 

- I have never liked goodbyes, even temporary ones, and saying goodbye to my friends at school was harder than I had anticipated. I will miss them while I am away, and I am saddened by the fact that their lives will continue on though I am absent. And I'm not yet done with goodbyes...there are still my family members and friends here. 

- I am nervous about living with complete strangers in a foreign country for three months. And about having to rely on a second language, in which I am conversational but not yet fluent by any means. 

- I am psyched about the opportunity to live abroad for a short time - in Europe!! - and experience another culture. 

.........................So, in all, I have very little to complain about. Actually, let me take that back. I have NOTHING that is worthy of complaint because everything that comes my way, whether I see it as "good" or "bad", comes from my heavenly Father, who knows better than anyone else what I need. And yet how often do I grumple and whine as one of the Israelites in the wilderness! If I stop to think about it, I am trying to tell God that I know better than He what I need and how I should live my life. 

Father, teach me to depend upon You for everything and to praise You in everything. 

Fashion and Style

I was recently browsing different websites and came across the blog of a young lady who has her own boutique business. She loves elegant fashions and beautiful styles. The jewelry is lovely and the other items are old-fashioned looking! These two are probably my favorites. Her blog is fashion- and style-themed, and is currently serving as her own commentary on the costumes and other attire in the Olympics. I highly encourage you to go check out her online store - if not to personally support her growing business, then at least to pass on the news to a friend. 

Two Thoughts from "Redeeming Pop Culture"

1) Everyone is familiar with the infamous question "If your friends all jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?" that every mother asks. It has become something to invoke a groan, a sigh, or a rolling-of-the-eyes. Yet there is much truth and wisdom to this question! Why should we blindly do something that we should recognize as harmful - or even evil - just because "everyone else is doing it" (whether family, friend, or stranger; whether Christian or unbeliever). We joke about not being one to "go with the flow", about "standing out from the crowd". Yet how many times are we tempted to do a particular activity, or dress a particular style, or talk a certain way just because it is popular. Now there are many things out there that are perfectly innocent and harmless...but just as many, if not more, that aren't. Christians should live purposefully, as T.M. Moore says, and "think Christianly" as to what we do and why we do it. 

We are to live "in the world but not of it." We can, with a good conscience, enjoy pop culture, but we need to be mindful of what is good and edifying (that which will help us to grow in Christ) and that which is not. 

2) If I may quote from Moore from chapter 4 of his book Redeeming Pop Culture: A Kingdom Approach.... 

"Taste is highly personal. This is both the good news and the bad news. That taste is highly personal is good in that each Christian can be encouraged to identify and develop his or her own tastes to the fullest. I don't have to like the same music as my son Casey, and he doesn't have to like mine. We are free to indulge our individual tastes and to be content in the consumption of our own cultural cuisine. 

"The bad news is that, besides possibly leading us into cultural activities and enjoyments that do not further our kingdom interests, our individualized tastes can tend to make us cultural snobs, denouncing or at least ignoring every form of popular culture that fails to suit our taste. The problem with this is that, in so doing, we can seem to condemn those for whom such forms are a source of meaning and pleasure. Unless Casey and I can learn to revel in our personal tastes and, at the same time, to respect, take an interest in, and try to understand one another's tastes, we shall have difficulty fulfilling the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. Moreover, unless we can manage to get beyond our own tastes to develop new ones--or, at least, to appreciate why others might--we shall have difficulty gaining an entrée for our kingdom mission among those whose tastes range far afield from the eternal purposes that occupy us." 

What Moore says even later is that judging something's worth should not come just from personal preference. That question should be answered by questions such as "Is this pleasing to God?", "Does it lead one to a better view of God?", and "Is this something that presents truth and goodness?" 

A question of pleasure

I have made a great discovery today - and I owe it all to John Piper. I was reading the chapter on worship in his book Desiring God. Piper was renouncing the idea that we should not seek pleasure in our worship of God, the idea that if we find personal benefits in worship of the Divine, we dishonor God. He says, rather than this, God is more honored if we find abounding pleasure in worshipping Him. 

With these words, a memory came into my head of a time when I was visited a very close friend. Being the animal-lover that I am, I enjoyed spending some time with the family pets - two dogs and a cat. The cat, I was told, does not often "take to people" very quickly; however, she let me pet her a lot and even purred at this attention. My friend did not believe me when I told her that the purring indicated that the cat liked me. She said, "She only lets you pet her because it pleases her and she likes it." But now I see that this statement is wrong (to some degree, at the very least). No animal - especially a cat - would let someone come near her whom she did not trust or like. If she did not like me, she would not have found pleasure in me giving her attention! Her fear or dislike would cause her to run away. 

How much more true is this when related to worship of our Creator, Savior, and Lord! If we were brought into His sanctuary dragging our heels or with a mere sense of human duty, the act of worship does not glorify God. Rather, the mere fact that one can find great pleasure, even happiness, in singing songs of praise to Him or learning more of Him, or conversing with Him in prayer honors Him as One worth our worship. 

Lord, may we enjoy worshipping You more and more every day of our lives! 

Learning from Spurgeon

"Behold the man!" - John 19:5 

If there be one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of His people, it is where He plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come hither, gracious souls, and behold the man in the garden of Gethsemane; behold His heart so brimming with love that He cannot hold it in -- so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the bloody sweat as it distils from every pore of His body, and falls upon the ground. Behold the man as they drive the nails into His hands and feet. Look up, repenting sinners, and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Mark Him, as the ruby drops stand on the thorn-crown, and adorn with priceless gems the diadem of the King of Misery. Behold the man when all His bones are out of joint, and He is poured out like water and brought into the dust of death; God hath forsaken Him, and hell compasseth Him about. Behold and see, was there ever sorrow like unto His sorrow that is done unto Him? All ye that pass by draw near and look upon this spectacle of grief, unique, unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels, a prodigy unmatched. Behold the Emperor of Woe who had no equal or rival in His agonies! Gaze upon Him, ye mourners, for if there be not consolation in a crucified Christ there is no joy in earth or heaven. If in the ransom price of His blood there be not hope, ye harps of heaven, there is no joy in you, and the right hand of God shall know no pleasures for evermore. We have only to sit more continually at the cross foot to be less troubled with our doubts and woes. We have but to see His sorrows, and our sorrows we shall be ashamed to mention. We have but to gaze into His wounds and heal our own. If we would live aright it must be by the contemplation of His death; if we would rise to dignity, it must be by considering His humiliation and His sorrow. 

[italics mine] 

***************************************** 

This really hit me tonight, as I had just been thinking on my own sorrows and troubles. And now I have only to be ashamed of my pathetic, self-centered thoughts. Does He not already know my thoughts and fears and problems? How can I give in to these earthly meditations when neither my mind nor my soul is edified by such? This is a lesson I am learning very slowly: that I think of myself far too much and of others far too little. As forefront to my mind as these things may be, many others have far greater issues to bear than I do. 

...I am still amazed sometimes by the realization that my heavenly Father really does know exactly what I need to hear! 

Let us learn from the wise

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have." 

-Thomas Jefferson 

Regarding attitude

"Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life..." 

- Philippians 2: 14-16 

"...obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their faovr when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from you heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does..." 

- Ephesians 6: 5-8

By the by

I found the phrase that I am using for the name of my blog in a song performed by Hayley Westenra, named "You Are Water." Besides being a neat expression, I considered it appropriate for the blog of a music-lover who hopes to use this blog to bring expression to many facets of her life. 

The idea was also inspired by the Casting Crowns song "Lifesong": 

Empty hands held high 

Such small sacrifice 

If not joined with my life 

I sing in vain tonight 

May the words I say 

And the things I do 

Make my lifesong sing 

Bring a smile to You 

Let my lifesong sing to You 

Let my lifesong sing to You 

I want to sign Your name to the end of this day 

Knowing that my heart was true 

Let my lifesong sing to You 

Lord, I give my life 

A living sacrifice 

To reach a world in need 

To be Your hands and feet 

So may the words I say 

And the things I do

Make my lifesong sing 

Bring a smile to You 

Hallelujah 

Hallelujah 

Let my lifesong sing to You

Of the beginning of...what?

Well, here I am again. We will have to wait and see if this blog does any better than the previous attempts I have made. I may only post once a week, but I will try to do that much. 

So why am I starting up this blog? Well, the answer to that is somewhat complicated. All of a sudden, I had an urge to start one again. And I'm not sure exactly what the contents of this blog will look like; it may very well be a random and varied conglomeration of deep meditations, quotes or poems that I like, personal thoughts, new words I find, and the like. My life is a mixture of a lot of different things, so I sorta want this blog to reflect that.