whirlwind

wow! i have been learning so much lately that i don't even know where to begin. i'll make it easier on you and put it into easy little bullet points:

• it's snowing! it's been a LONG time since it has snowed in my life. little mexico just doesn't have much snow.
• i got to spend the afternoon yesterday with my teammate jen from mexico. it was so refreshing to be with someone who gets it when i talk about mexico, culture shock, memories and such. not to mention i just love her and being with her! i nearly cried when she left.
• i feel like the Lord has been moving in my heart in huge ways. (well, i do think he is always moving in my life, i just am a bit more aware of it right now. but anyway...) He has been stirring in me a passion for the lost. i feel like there are moments every day that i get a taste of things that are eternal and i am graciously reminded that i wouldn't want to do anything else with my life than serve the Lord. when i think about the way the Lord has changed my life and made me new i get so excited about the ways he wants to do that in other peoples lives as well. i could ramble on and on, but i won't. i'm just really excited about what i do!
• i have to (shamefully) admit that i never really think about what i read. i read a lot, and if someone i love recommends a book and read it with no hesitation. i am taking a sunday school class at my church on the book of colossians and this past sunday had a huge revelation in my life regarding books. towards the end of the class the teacher started talking about the movement of the emergent church. somehow we got on the subject of books and he talked rather negatively about an author that i really like. after more discussion, i found out that my teacher was very well educated in theology and that he had a website on which he reviews books and music and about a thousand other things. so after church i read through his website http://www.randybrandt.net/contend/. it was interesting to read his perspective, and i didn't necessarily agree with everything, but i realized that is good. since sunday i have been reading a few books and i find myself testing what i read against scripture and checking out the people authors quote. essentially checking to make sure what i read is quality, and learning to weed out things authors say that don't stand against scripture. it's been a fun process! i still love my favorite authors, but i'm learning to see things in their theology that i don't necessarily agree with.