Election worries & Peace from above

Election day is just right around the corner and I have to admit I've been getting a bit too caught up in it all. I've lied awake at night trying to sort everything out and figure out what's going to happen. But I can't control anything at all really. That's probably one of the hardest things to accept. But here are some verses I found in Ecclesiastes:

"I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted." ~ 1:14-15

"I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." ~ 3:14

"I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king's successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." ~ 4:15-16

God is the only one in control of our lives and our circumstances. The things that come to pass are allowed in His sovereignty. Whenever there is a storm brewing around us, all God wants us to do is to rest in Him and take the peace He offers us that surpasses all understanding. It is wonderful to go to bed at night knowing that I worship and am known by the Creator of all things, that I may die yet will live forever, that all things will one day be made right.

Soli Deo gloria!

For a better recap of these thoughts, here's a link to John Piper talking about the "most important issues" in the 2008 election. He says "America is not my allegiance, God and Heaven are my allegiance." He's got some good stuff to say, check it out!

Inspiration from Anne

DISCLAIMER: if wishy-washy, sentimental, chickflicky stuff turns you off, DON'T READ!

It is 4:30 in the morning, but I must write. I have been "bad" and stayed up in the night watching Anne of Green Gables "The Continuing Story". I just love the story of Anne so much, as if it were real, and truly happened. And I imagine that I am she, and my soul is lifted up far and away. I'm deeply impressed by the author, L.M. Montgomery, who so delicately understood and described the complexity of emotions the heart of a passionate, idealistic young woman can procure.

I'm at a place in my life where loose ends seem to be tying up and my disparities of thought are come to a point. The craziness of my college life is settling down, and a new life is beginning to well up inside. I'm leaving behind my childhood, but not my dreams. I have a vision for how I might spend the rest of my life, and always I shall be writing, if only because it is necessary for my own heart. I don't even know if others will ever care to read my work, but even if what I write lies forever buried beneath a sea of words, articles, books and novels - it will at least carry my voice within it.

It might be weird to say that I have a bit of the spirit of Anne inside me. Indeed it is quite ridiculous. but she has played an important part in who I am now, and yet I feel that I have only been drawn to her because of how deeply her character resonates with my being. It is a treasure to have a better glimpse inside one's own soul, and even more so when it is understood by another. The most significant difference between us both, perhaps, is simply that my innermost desire is for my heavenly Father, my Lord and Savior. I hope that I will always seek my God with the intensity that Anne pursued her ideals and dreams.

Clinic visit and shopping

On Thursday (three days ago), I went shopping with my mom and sister because my sister needed to buy some jeans. Before we got started we first went to a public clinic in a poor little down called Guanta for me to get a blood test. If I saw such a place in the U.S. I would probably not venture near it, but I have learned to not be phased by certain things in Venezuela. It was free, which was our main reason for going there, and a lady from our church worked there as well who helped us get through with our appointment smoothly and without any hitches. We did have to wait a little while, and amused ourselves by watching all the other people there, mostly women and their children. There was a large waiting room and a smaller one that we sat in. In the bigger room a tiny TV transmitted Winnie the Pooh cartoons, but I looked at the people waiting and none seemed to be watching. There were all just staring vaguely in front of them, quite spaced out.

I hadn't had a blood test in years, so we decided it would probably be a good thing to do. I saw them take a sterile, brand new syringe out of its wrapping and so I stopped worrying about things being unsanitary. After they took my blood I had to wait a little bit longer with my mom and sister in the hallway, and while we were sitting there, a man came walking through with a large quantity of incense in long cardboard boxes, which were strapped together and hanging in front of him from his neck. I wasn't expecting someone to randomly try to sell things to people at a clinic, or at least I'd never seen it before. Before he passed, my mom asked him if he had any kiwi flavored ones left! He had one box left, and so she bought it off of him, for about a dollar, and was very pleased with her purchase.

We then took off for the big downtown area of Puerto La Cruz and spent many long hours traipsing around going to just about EVERY clothing store. My sister is quite particular when it comes to jeans, they have to be a certain style, certain length, color, etc. I amused myself by reading the labels on the clothing, as many of them were terrible translations. Most likely Chinese to English. You would think some of the things would be in Spanish! But I hardly saw any. Here's one of the pictures I took: