All is vanity

Greetings again and welcome back! Its been a while since I have posted an update on life here in beautiful Virginia. Alot has happened but has happened so quickly that it makes it rather difficult to recall it to memory. It must be because I am getting older. :)

As I wrote on the eve of my birthday, God has blessed me with a wonderful 21st year of life. Feel free to read the post to glimpse what He has done. He has certainly been gracious and loving to me. However, He has not been the only one. This past week was jammed pack full of exams and study sessions for the exams but somehow my roommates and their fiances managed to throw me a surprise birthday party. They had me fooled for a while but a slight slip by Jordan gave me a hint of the upcoming surprise. Regardless, I still was taken aback at their kindness. They made me a chocolate Coke cake, purchased a whole gallon of whole milk, and a sizable container of ice cream. I was in hog heaven. I thoroughly enjoyed every last part of it, particularly their humorous birthday card. In it they wished my next year to contain a "resurgence of Calvinism" and an "A in Spinny's class" (the most difficult history course at the college) amongst other things. What a blessing friends are!

I also received cards, phone calls and presents from my family. We found a good deal so my Grandmother is flying me back to Indianapolis for my Easter break. How grand it will be to fellowship with my extended family once again! In addition to that wonderful present, my father and mother sent me the ESV Study Bible. It is, by far, the best gift I have ever received. The footnotes, articles, maps, and cross references enable me to study the Scriptures in greater depth. Nothing could trump that.

I was also richly blessed this week with the opportunity to be a part of the chapel worship team. As a result, I have a greater appreciation for the work of worship leaders now. There is an extensive amount of time, thought, effort and prayer that must go into any chapel worship. Regardless, it was a joy to join my fellow students in exalting the name of our Savior.

On a different note, I have much to look forward to. After my death-by-papers (Philosophy and US History) this week, I am driving down to Morganton, North Carolina for our spring break. It is only Friday, Saturday and Sunday, but the therapeutic value is not found in the amount of time. Rather, it is found in crossing state line going into NC, hangin out with my "family" in Morganton, and worshipping at Faith PCA. This weekend I am taking a friend of mine with me. He is alot taller than me (6ft 5 or 6ish) and I figure its tall time that I wasn't the tallest one around. Actually the truth of the matter is that he is from California and I figure its higher time he partook of some good ol Southern cooking :)

In addition to the upcoming trip to look forward to, the weather has provided me with much hope. It might seem trivial to some but being able to feel the warmth of the sunshine is a big deal to me. Recently the bitter cold has left Purcellville and has been replaced by a less chilly breeze. Its a slight improvement.... but this African will take what he can get. Actually, today was so warm that I has able to go for my first run in several months, - in shorts and a t-shirt! The trees might be bare, and the grass smushed by the weight of 50 (ish) inches of snow, but the radiant warmth of the sun was too much to resist. I had to run....

I have just begun reading thru the book of Ecclesiastes and have had much to ponder while reading the words of the Preacher (thought to be Solomon). The book begins with the proclamation that "All is vanity!" The phrase at first glance is easy to read. When one reads a passage with the intent to get to the end of it, the deep seated nature of such a statement is missed, and I certainly confess to missing it many times. However, with the help of my new study Bible I was informed that the term "vanity" used by the Preacher is quite difficult to translate. It has been translated "vanity" in most, if not all of the English translations, but it has far reaching definitions. Literally it means "vapor" and gives the implication of something extremely temporary, fleeting and elusive. Such a word is applied to every aspect of life- wisdom, pleasure, toil, accomplishments- and even to life itself. That is profound and convicting.

The nature of the human nature is self centered. If you disagree with that claim I encourage you to go for a drive on the highway, or just get in a really long line at a grocery store or bank and watch people. Some dislike traffic jams so much that they are willing to violate laws and drive on the shoulder of the road to get themselves to the front of the traffic jam, or respectively, become so enraged at the gross inconvenience of waiting their turn that they stomp away in disgust. We become wrapped up in the world of "I" and ascribe the highest value to ourselves. Yet the entire book of Ecclesiastes is telling us the complete opposite.

Fleeting are our bank accounts. Temporal are our occupations. Our lives are as a vapor. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity! For in the sight of our God, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. What we hold in great esteem and value is nothing in the sight of our God- unless of course, that which we esteem the greatest honor is God himself.

How ought that to affect our lives? One thing is certain, when the truths given by the "one Shepherd" (Eccl. 12:11) are completely understood, it becomes increasingly easier to abandon the pressures, trials and temptations of the world. Indeed, this is part of the recognition of the truth of the uncomfortable Gospel that we have proclaimed by Christ. It ties directly back into the calling made by Paul in the New Testament that we as Christians are to "do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant that (our)selves." (Philippians 2: 3 - ESV) For it is only when we count our own lives as vapors and temporal segments in time that we can "count others more significant than (our)selves."

Praise
-That midterm exams are over
-For the changing seasons
-For the faithfulness of God to me, a sinner.
Prayer
-For focus and wisdom, that my papers will be of the best possible quality
-For the work of my parents in Kenya
-For safety in travel
-That my license extension would come before I travel to NC (my license expired on my birthday but I filed for an extension prior to that)

Thanks for reading!

In Christ,
Martyn