Party and the fast

Part 1: The Party

This weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to accompany young Andrew, young Roy, and our good friend Lauren Bradley down to Jackson, MS, to join young Lacey Madden in celebrating her 21st birthday party. For those of you who don't know Lacey - she's only five feet tall - and whoa tiny... (forgive me Lacey if I made you even shorter than you are... it's a guess :-) but much taller in the eyes of her friends. I'm not sure what she's like when she's really down - surely, surely it happens even to her sometimes, but I'm almost afraid to imagine what it's like. Maybe that's what's going on when it rains. In any case, she possesses the happy knack of putting a smile on your face and keeping it there as long as you're in her company, and all of her friends benefit from her happy spirit, pure reflection of Christ that it is. I do anyway. Here's looking at you kid.

This concludes my ode to Lacey. May her beard grow like the mighty oak.

So a good time was had by all what with bowling, laughing, singing, listening to lots of music, and just generally enjoying the opportunity to hang out, meet some new people (for me anyway) and make some new friends. (Big shout out to my Jackson homies... apples, local police, power bowl, and big bird....) We partied Friday night like soda and vinegar and we did it without alcohol. (Novel idea folks, try it out sometime - next day you might even get to remember the fun you had.) Before you can say Jack squatter's rights it was 3 in the morning. Check out Roy's blog if you haven't already to see some pictures of the occasion.


Part 2: The Fast

Many of you know, and many more have probably surmised that I've been rather adrift since graduating. Those of you who fit neither category... congratulations, now you fit the first one.
What a fascinating time of life. Fascinating and pretty bewildering. For me anyway. Let me cut to the core of this particular apple. I need God. I need His direction, I need His wisdom. (What a feeble word 'need' turns out to be sometimes... more likely we have made it so...) How shameful that I so often do not seek God with my whole heart until I find myself in a particular trial, or trying time. Guess that's why He lets them happen sometimes.

I just wanted to let everyone know that this coming week I am fasting from my computer, as well as all secular books and music, in an effort to clear my mind and heart and seek God with all of both. I have found that this is the most effective fast for me, because it strikes right at all the things that tend to become my biggest distractions. Each of you my friends I love dearly, and I'm sure you do not realize what a support you have been over the past several months particularly. Even those of you that I haven't been in close touch with. I love you all. But I need to take out all the supports for a little while and show God that I'm serious. He has been graciously faithful to answer similar commitments in the past. Pray... oh please, please pray that He will be gracious to again forgive my delinquency and teach me once more to rest in Him and enjoy the perfect peace of walking one step at a time in true faith. I know how amazing (inexpressibly so) that experience is, but it's been a while, and faith has grown faint as memories of past blessings have grown dim with time. I do desperately need His direction and the balm of His touch on my turbulent, uncertain mind. I don't want to make any such serious decisions as I have before me without a strong sense of His approval, which leaves me feeling a little frozen. Right now that is quite honestly a frightening position to be in.

I didn't intend to be so lengthy. What's new. (Yeah, I know some of you were thinking that before I wrote it.) :-)

Just so you aren't too puzzled when I utterly disappear from all of my usual and oft-frequented online haunts this week. God is good. I know, I know... I do know... that He will answer prayer. He has promised to do so.

Pr. 16:3 "Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established."

PS - Call me if you need me. If I don't answer my cell phone it might be because I don't have it on me... or it might be because I left it at Lacey's. Probably number B. So call me at home.