Autumn in Chattanooga

Can I drive you to Chattanooga
Where the city in October looks like fire
Changing lanes on this restless highway
Between this living and desire



These lyrics are from Sandra McCracken's new album Gravity Love. Every time I hop in the car I turn up that song and marvel at the autumnal beauty this year. The leaves on the trees have been especially vibrant hues of yellow, orange, and red. Now that the colors have reached their peak, the mountains really do appear to be on fire. In a matter of days it will be over, but for now I soak in the beauty and think about the creativity of the creator. He must love all these colors he chose to splash our city this time of year. It is all so majestic and grandeur. And to think that He loves me even more.

Books I'm Reading

Current Reading:
To Own a Dragon: Reflections of Growing Up Without a Father, by Donald Miller
Words in a French Life: Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France, by Kristen Espinasse
Real Sex, by Lauren Winner
Confessions of a Shopaholic, by Sophie Kinsella

Recently purchased but still on the shelf:
Seeing Through Cynicism, by Dick Keyes
Instruments in the Hands of the Redeemer, by Paul Tripp
Salvation Belongs to the Lord, by John Frame

Chapel Nerd Lives

When I was a Covenant student I was a secret chapel nerd. I say secret because it really wasn't cool to love chapel. We were required to attend chapel everyday and were allotted a certain number of skips each semester. I usually had a few leftover each semester. Now that I work at Covenant I get to go to chapel whenever I want! (And I even get paid to do it now!)

Today and tomorrow D.A. Carson is speaking in chapel for the Reformation Day lectures. This morning I was telling my work study student how excited I was about hearing him speak. I actually got giddy about it and then embarrassed. But it really was awesome! He taught from Psalm 1. I was surprised at what a smooth speaker he is - easy to listen and process what he is teaching as he digs deeply in the scripture. I've been blessed to hear some great teaching from great minds, but most of the time I feel like I have to work very hard when listening to their teaching. Carson was intellectually stimulating and spiritually encouraging. My soul felt refreshed "like a tree planted in streams of water."

Fireside family time

Anna called me a little while ago to invite me to join the family outside. They had made a fire and were roasting S'mores! Yum! It was the perfect fall, err winter, evening. (It feels as though winter arrived last night and it was only 37F when I left for work this morning.) So I bundled up in layers and a scarf to join the family. We roasted marshmallows and squished them in between chocolate squares and graham crackers. We laughed at Anna's ghost stories and relished the warmth of the fire and tilted our heads back to stare at a sky filled with bright stars. It was all very lovely.

Ramblings after Philly

Last weekend I visited my friend Monica in Philadelphia. It was an awesome weekend filled with sweet fellowship with new and old friends, visiting churches, and walking around the city. Monica works for World Harvest Missions and it was great to talk with her about missionary work in Europe.

A conference at Westminster Seminary was the main reason for my visit. The Women in the Word conference is a take off from the Proclamation Trust Conference in England that I have attended. Both conferences are designed to sharpen Bible teasching skills. This time I prepared a 5 minute talk on Joel 3 - yikes - prophecy! It was hard to get my head into it but I think I got it. With only 5 minutes I decided to forgo the illustrations in order to give more careful attention to the thrust of the text. In our first meeting I found out that my group leader puts great emphasis on using illustrations and even teaches pastors how to develop illustrations in their preaching! Oops! Through these conferences I sharpened my skills in studying/teaching an epistle, O.T. Narrative, and now prophecy. So I wonder what will be next - poetry or gospels? After prophecy I'm more confident to dable in a new genre.