All flesh is like grass

For you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God. For “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls off, but the word of the LORD abides forever.” And this is the word which was preached to you. Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. - 1 Peter 1:23-2:3

Three different people gave me bouquets of flowers for my birthday. I loved them. All were some arrangement of purple and yellow, which happen to be two of my favorite colors.*

Being an overly-practical person, I used to think the giving and receiving of floral bouquets was kind of a waste of money. To some extent, I still think this, but that’s not really what I want to write about. Suffice to say that I’m not as opposed to giving flowers to people as I once was. Yet there still remains some level of silliness to the whole thing because no matter how beautiful the flowers are, they always wilt and die (rather quickly, if under my supervision). When this happens I always feel a twinge of sadness and it’s easy to forget how much joy their gleaming beauty brought me when I first got them.

Well, as I listened to a pastor preach over this passage of 1 Peter yesterday one thing that kept popping into my head was my dying flowers that had so sweetly been given to me for my birthday. They are now about two weeks old (in vase years) and very much in the process of losing their former glory.

It struck me that, even in their rapidly decaying state, there is still beauty to be found. They can serve as a visual reminder of how precious a truth it is that the word of the Lord, the very word which was both written for and preached to us so that we will grow in respect to salvation, is living and imperishable. They can remind me, just as Peter does, to think of the Lord’s kindness towards me and to long for the pure milk of his abiding word, which both spoke my life into existence and declares to me my freedom from sin. What could be more beautiful?

*Any affection for said colors is enhanced by, but not limited to, their affiliation with my favorite basketball team. Go Lakers!

Then there was She......Guitar BATTLE!!!

As Jayme Henry and Jamie Growe (J squared-as we affectionaley call them) glared at eachother from the beginning of worship time, we bystanders didn't really understand why they were so intense. We started with the classic song "All in All" and then Jamie Growe just started shifting her capo and hittin' some crazy notes so hardcore that it literally brought blood to her finger tips (see pic). That quite frankly left Jamie H. twiddling her thumbs. As Jayme H. winded down the first song she teased Jamie. G into thiniking the song was over the real games began....

As Jamie G. strummed that last note carrying us out of the song, Jamye H. got a second wind and went onto the mysterious 3rd verse of "all in all" (yah most don't know it). As she ripped through it Jamie G. sat stunned as Jayme H. joyously and passionately finished out the chorus after said mystery verse 3. Hitting the last chord Jayme H. was basically was gloating in her guitar dual victory.

Strangely Jamie G. just got up and smashed her guitar on the chair ( you know the kitchen one that is broken) and said "terrace is over." So, I'm hoping there will be dualing guitars this week, but just not quite as intense. J squared are just so intense. Hopefully they can just get along this week. Come and find out.....

The Wonderful World of James...

It has been two weeks too long since there has been a post, and I apologize for that. I know there are so many avid readers of this blog and they are just so ancy to check it every day. So to those fans, I am sorry.

We have been in James for two weeks not and it has been a really great study of challenges for believers in our walk, accountability, and what it means to have a strong faith in the Lord. As usual come and enjoy time toghether. The Terrace has been great with worship (even dualing guitars last time) , fellowship and good study. Bring yourselves, bring a friend, and just come to be encouraged and escape the grind of the week.

We look forward to seeing you at the Terrace this week at 7:30pm. email if you need directions christopher-corbin@ouhsc.edu