Cracks in our foundation

This semester I have been going through Beth Moore's Bible study called The Patriarchs and it has been such an incredible journey through Genesis. With each chapter, there are more stories of those who were the foundation of our world. They existed at time when God's Word in written form did not exist and Jesus was not walking the earth. Yet they had faith in God.

The passage I read the other day was Genesis 35:1-15 and the theme was about eruptions on the inside. Jacob's sons had killed every male in Shechem over the brutality their sister had experienced in chapter 34. They were angry and upset and did not take control of those emotions. Beth was pointing out how as Christians we can suddenly act out of character and not realize why we would do something like that. We can be going along in our walks with the Lord, feeling close to Him, being involved in our church body and then bam! We do something evil. Where does that come from? It is a crack of compromise in our foundation. Deep underneath the surface we have not let go of something we need to give to God. She says that if we've done something drastically uncharacteristic for a follower of Christ, we need to trace the cracks of compromise.

I personally felt convicted by this because I know I have acted out of character and have been shocked at my actions. Where did that come from, I will ask. That is not me at all! After reading this passage I knew there were parts of me I had not given over to the Lord or prayed about ever. These clefts I had let go unassessed were coming out in horrible ways and it was time to confess.

"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit." Psalm 32:1-2

IFEST 2007

Yesterday I went to the International Festival with my brother and a co-worker. I have been so excited about going this year because I really enjoy cultural events in Houston. I invited several other friends to go but it must have been a busy weekend. Since China was featured this year I knew it was going to be great. We arrived around 3 p.m. and watched the Mariachi group perform. The girl leading the singing was so awesome! Her voice was beautiful and sent chills down my spine. I wish I could sing in Spanish!

The next group were folklorico dancers dancing in couples. It was neat to see the guys get out there and not let self-consciousness keep them from participating. I loved it! After that, we spent the next hour browsing the booths of various hodge podge items that one would only buy at a festival. We walked through the Jamaican area, the Indian area, the Chinese area and then onto the American area.

Since the sun was beating down we had to get some dessert and drinks! My choice: chocolate covered cheesecake. I was in heaven! Everyone close to me knows how much I love dessert, probably stemming from my childhood when my mom would take us to T.C.B.Y. or sonic to get a special treat. I ate the entire thing without a care to how many calories I had just consumed. It was well worth it!

We ended the day with an Asian beer and watched the Kung Fu show on the cultural stage. By that time, I was too tired to think anymore. This festival was fun and worth attending, even though it was a little pricey. I definitely enjoyed seeing the many cultures represented and experiencing what the city has to offer.

Brent and I went home to my apartment and watched The Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. He was hungry and had a craving for a steak so I looked up a recipe for a tasty filet. We picked up our ingredients at HEB and he cooked us dinner. He made bacon wrapped filets, crab cakes, I made a little veggie mix, heated up some bread and then he made gorgonzola portabella mushrooms. The mushrooms with the cheese was the best part of the meal. Delicious! The best part of this day was getting to spend time with my little brother.

Then God said, "I am El Shaddai-'God Almighty.' Be fruitful and multiply. You will become a great nation, even many nations. Kings will be among your decendants! Genesis 35:11

Firsts

This is my very first blog. I got inspired to blog because I read the blogs of some of my close friends and found that I got to know their hearts much better. It was amazing the things that I discovered just by reading their personal reflections. I am always very curious as to what people are really like deep down. I want to know what they are really thinking because it helps me to understand them better. I do not always know how to unlock the mysteries of one's heart but I feel that communicating through written words can be easier than spoken words.

I feel that blogging for me will be a place to express my feelings to my friends and let them know what is going on inside my stirring mind. I hope you all enjoy getting to read what I write.