Fabulous

that is the word to describe today - FABULOUS! i am so happy that SPRING is here, not summer yet!! the week with high 80 degrees temperature was going to be hard to take, but we're sitting in the 70s (at least when i see daylight that's the temp) and it is awesome! i decided i'd like to go to refuge tonight b/c it may be the last one of the semester (or close) and so i got up early this morning to exercise. my plan was to just walk/run what i could while i listened to a mars hill sermon and it was great. the sermon was SOOOO what i needed to hear.

Mark Driscoll spoke on Ecclesiastes 6 - talking about contentment and enjoyment.. the thing he said was that if we dont enjoy what we've already been given, the likelihood of being given something else and actually enjoying that was very small - ie if we dont enjoy where we live now, getting a bigger house would not automatically mean we'd enjoy where we lived - if we don't enjoy our job, getting a new job wouldnt automatically be more enjoyable, etc. and interestingly, he said we dont innately have the ability to enjoy the things we've been given, but rather that it is not only God that gives us everything in life to enjoy, but it is also God that gives us the ability to enjoy them. and if we're not enjoying what we have been given - reality is probably that there's something wrong with us - not the things we're given.
and so my prayer has become what he suggested "God, please change me before you change my life circumstances."

i'm not sure how to continually be reminded of all that as the day goes on - i'm apparently really good at forgetting key stuff like God is good and He is with me, even here in my little cubicle", but as much as i can remember i'll just keep asking to be reminded and to be given the ability to enjoy what I've been given.

on a side note - scripture to ponder: 1 Samuel 25 - it's got me stumped today so you feel free to share your thoughts!!

for the praise of His glory,
Melissa (or Rau or Raudy...whatever you know me as!)