La confidencia en su favor

So my mom inspired me to write another blog, (being the cheerleader that she is!) And lately I have two thoughts resounding through my head that I can not help but share (stemming from the completion of my Genesis study...whew!):

1. God always accomplishes His purposes despite all human failures.

and

2. Faith can mean believing in the goodness of God.

I was amazed at how these people that you grew up learning about: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all had SO much sin in their lives! It was freeing to see how God just continued to do the plan He had set no matter how much their mistakes got in the way. He was sovereign over everything.

Secondly, the last story was about Joseph and the brothers who brutally betrayed him, mocked him, hated him, and almost killed him. After reconciliation years later the brothers could not believe that Joseph would want to forgive them after how they had treated them.

But it's funny, because as I was reading it, I kept relating so much more to the brothers than to Joseph, who only responded by saying that God used all of their previous, hateful actions for good. I started thinking, I want to believe that God really is going to use everything in my life for good. So many times, though, I find myself doubting God's forgiveness, doubting that His essential, deepest nature is good.

Why else would God say that part of faith was, "believing that he would reward those who earnestly seek him"? (Heb. 11:6) I don't want to doubt God's forgiveness; I want to believe that God is good and for my good. I want to believe that He works everything out in my life for my ultimate wholeness and completion.

How wonderful is my Savior's love for me!
Que maravilloso es el amor de mi salvador para mi!

It is the night of our dear savior's birth...

"Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees and hear the angel voices,

O night divine!  O night when Christ was born.

Sweet hymns of joy, in grateful chorus raise we

that all within us praise his holy name!"

I love this song, because it paints the perfect description of Luke 1-2 that tells of our Savior's coming.  I can't imagine the anticipation they must have experienced in this broken world, stuck for so long in sin and darkness, "waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem" (2:38).  And they had held on to this promise from God from generations and generations before, "the oath that he swore to Abraham and to his offspring forever" (1:55) "to show mercy...that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days" (1:72-75).  I think after that many years of living in a fallen world, just waiting for God to fulfill His promise of salvation, I would be a very weary part of our world.  

But I love how God chooses "a new and glorious morn," dawn, to bring about his mercies that are new every morning.  A thrill of hope!  Christ, the promised savior, was born.  He came as Emmanuel, God with us, offering us a relationship with someone who never holds records of wrongs, who gives purity and innocence, and who presents us to himself as being washed with the word, holy, and radiant.  Of course at that news "a multitude of the heavenly host" would be praising God (2:13).  My heart can't help but respond with, "let all within me praise his holy name!"  

O holy night!  

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity that "Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, something that cannot be had in this world."  I feel as if we spend our whole lives longing.  We long to be grown up, we long to know where we are headed, we long to be in love, we long to experience adventure, success, and excitement in life.  For me personally, I have always longed to live in another country, to somehow "give something of my small self to the entirety of the world" (thank you Mary Oliver), but in truth, all that we grasp at somehow evades us in reality.  Somehow we are left disappointed and off to find fulfillment in the next new thing.  Even in the times I am most fulfilled by God's love, I still can feel a strong sense that there is more.  

It is in times when I look at the world in its shining, wondrous brilliance, like when the sun is at its strongest or when the living world is alive and rejoicing, that I get a glimpse of what it is we were all made for and have been missing out on.  There is a place where myriads of angels get to experience the full measure of the glory of God and creation gets to join with it.  (How generous He is that He lets us experience a bit of His presence when He could just keep to Himself!)  God does promise that He will make His sons perfect.  He has and will redeem this world.  That is why I can sing, "Beholding your beauty is all that I long for.  To worship you, Jesus, is my soul's desire."

Thank you to my intellectual superiors who have been able to put into words this stirring of my spirit, based on an innate knowledge of heaven and the response of pure adoration and praise.  

Hola familia!!

Long time no see.  I wanted to show you all what I have been working on all year in my Instructional Technology 486 class (using technology in the classroom).  

To visit my website visit:

http://web.utk.edu/~lwatson6

or visit my reflective blog at:

http://linzwatson.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think!

Although this is a little bit late, this is my picture for "Tradition."  Last spring break, my sister and I painted canvases for the house that I now live in.  This spring break, my roommate Brittany and I decided to spend one night painting to add some color to our walls.  This is what we came up with!  I painted the yellow and green ones, and the yellow's my favorite...maybe I'm biased!  

(Yes...Levi got all the artistic gene in the family)

Has everyone seen the Holiday when the two characters switch places and Cameron Diaz goes to a little getaway cottage in England?  The past few days I came home to spend some "getaway" in my new room, and I felt just like her!  I woke up the first morning to a house to myself, my favorite cinnamon rolls and coffee already ready for me, and a free morning to coup myself up in my new room with books, my ipod, my bible, the works!  It was incredibly refreshing to spoil myself...some much needed renewing of the spirit.  And my new room just embodies tranquility and gives it so freely!  The rest of my time at home has included McKay's (with a couple of great finds that they didn't have in Knoxville!), a run with my mom, time with Levi, Kelly, Dad, and Lily, and a fresh sunburn that was worth every minute I got to soak up the sun.  

I can't wait to participate in Sheryl's scavenger hunt!  Firstly, I took this picture last summer...but as I was thinking today of what would be my "Can't live without,"  I realized that the most accurate photo would have to be one of the sun, particularly when it was showing off.  I could not live without sunshine and seeing God's glory through its beauty.  I truly do believe I am somewhat more joy-filled in the summer and spring months than the winter.  Hence, photo submission #1

Shermidab

RIP  March 9, 2009

We had an honorable ceremony for him.  Allan wore the snuggie and gave a reading from Ecclesiastes as me and Brittany translated into Spanish, his native tongue.  He lived a long and fulfilling life and there is now a cross monument at his grave.  

Sad day.