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

My birthday thoughts

As I begin to type this, the clock on my computer lists the time as 23:46; I am 14 minutes away from beginning the 22nd year of my life. I find it fitting to step back from my homework for a few minutes and recall this last year of my life.......

March 1st, 2009, my 21st birthday, passed without much of an incident. I had a small celebration with my family and a couple friends from around the Indianapolis area. I didn't go out partying like many of my generation do on their 21st. I had a beer, visited with my friends, and went to sleep- coherent.

Also in March, I received a letter from Patrick Henry College saying that I was accepted on probationary status. The acceptance letter did not flatter me in the slightest; it listed the strengths that they perceived me to have, but it also listed the criteria for my probationary status. Due to rather poor grades in high school, I was told that I was not allowed to be involved in any extra-curricular activities and that I had to enroll in a peer mentoring (tutoring) program. I was not thrilled, but I pursued the option, largely due to my wonderful mother's promptings.

Two things happened that changed my mind. The first was that I received a letter from the Financial Aid director that detailed the amount I needed to come up with in order to attend school. I am firmly against going into debt but the amount needed after all of the generous scholarships and financial assistance made attendance of PHC financially reasonable. The second thing that changed my mind was my visit to Patrick Henry during the final week of classes. I was pleasantly surprised by the campus, students, and faculty that I interacted with. The visit opened my stubborn mind to the idea of attending Patrick Henry College.

As a few of you might know, in addition to all of this, I had applied to be a Fishers (IN) police officer in December of 2008. I progressed through the various physical tests and written examinations. I passed the interview panel and was selected as one of ten candidates for the eight positions that would advance to the final hiring stages. Two more candidates were to be cut from the group.

All that was left was the decision between the two options of becoming a police officer or attend Patrick Henry. I desired both for different reasons but acknowledged that I ultimately was not in control of the situation. I committed the matter to the Lord in prayer and asked that His will would be done, and that I would accept it. Shortly thereafter, I received a phone call from the recruiting Sergeant of the police department. He informed me that because some of my military paperwork was still in Washington DC, the police department could not hire me that year. My application was filed away and the Sergeant asked me to apply for the job again when I got the paperwork sorted out. It was the answer I had been praying for.

Less than 2 weeks later I found myself hauling my goods down to North Carolina for the summer. In a recent conversation with my parents, I had the understanding that they were leaving for Kenya later that same month. I decided that the best thing to do was to vacate my part of the house earlier than all of them, so that everyone wasn't moving out at once.

My destination in North Carolina was Morganton. It is a small town in the foothills of western NC where my Dad pastored a PCA church for six years. I still knew some of the folks from the church but it had been at least eight years since I had been back. The Lord was taking me back to the South for His purpose.

I immediately went to work and worked all summer for a friend and her family, fixing up an old building. I was scraping paint, reconstructing windows, helping to install cabinets, pulling nails, and painting--- laughing, singing, and talking with my friend the entire time. It was for this purpose that God brought me to Morganton. I was challenged daily with hard theological issues, and each time I didn't know the answer. The questions were deep and sometimes irritating to my proud heart, but each time humility came when I turned to the Scriptures. I spent much of the summer laughing, but I spent much more of it beginning to uncover, by the grace of God, the man that He wants me to be. I decided to do what I had never done before, make a public confession of faith and become a member of a church. The pastor and the elders examined me, and later that same morning in July, in front of the congregation that knew me so well, my father (who had made the tiresome drive from Indiana the night before) witnessed my profession of faith. 

The summer ended much too quickly. Once again I found myself in my truck, but this time I was heading north... The calender ordered me to, against my desires. Just kidding. Part of me wanted to go to school, but a part of me was at home in North Carolina. The cool mountain air was clean, the accents were Southern, the cookin was like Moms, and most importantly, the people were wonderful.

God brought me to Patrick Henry College. His hand has been upon my life, guiding me and providing for me. I have never had enough money for my tuition, even with all my scholarships, but for two semesters now God has provided the funds for me to attend this fine school. I did not stay on the probationary status any longer than I absolutely had to. At the end of last semester, my first set of college grades were better than any grades I received in high school. This is no boast, rather it is a proclamation of praise to my Father, and it is to Him that I give the glory!

So at the end of this 21st year, and the beginning of my 22nd.... I find it fitting that I am sitting at my desk with a mountain of homework due in the morning. It serves as a reminder that I have a job to do and a limited amount of time to do it in... Even in my limited amount of time and in the next year of my life may I magnify my Savior. For to Him be all glory, power and honor; May His name be praised.

In Christ,

Martyn