I've been known to fall in love

My friend told me the other day he wanted me to be careful playing volleyball because I oftentimes get hurt when I do, however, today walking up the stairs I fell and square the center of my knee cap with the edge of one marble step. Excellent. I now have a giant bump on my knee that is a strange shade of early sunrise blue. Even more excellent.

Conclusion, walking up stairs is more dangerous than playing volleyball.

This week our speaker is from the mid-west of the states and enjoys talking about judgment and sowing good or bad seeds, then reaping what you sow. She talked of how a lone man thought Hurricane Katrina was God's judgment coming down on New Orleans for its past of debauchery, slaves, and pirates. She said that he was like the voice crying out in the wilderness, that it was sad no other Christians came and spoke with him and supported him! She spoke of how her ex-husband had cheated on her and lived with another woman while they were married and God defended her by giving the other woman 2 miscarriages and cervical cancer. Now, I have not fully grasped God's character so far in studying the Bible, but these things do not sit right with me. These things make me angry in fact. I know God judged nations and people before Christ came. I know God also sent prophets and judges to those nations and people to warn them or save them even of what was coming and to hopefully turn their hearts to God and repentance. However, when Christ came he was the final prophet like that maybe. Calling not just one single people group or nation to repent, but the entire world. Throughout all time! So now, we are with our grace all the time. We have this new covenant. This new grace. We have the blood of Jesus, and I don't know if God pours his wrath on unrepentant cities anymore because Jesus came and took that old covenant curse upon himself for everyone. Needless to say, this week has been quite a rough one spiritually. I feel as if I'm wrestling with too many things and to top it all off we have this speaker, who really is a wonderful woman, but I just do not agree with her view on things.

Conclusion, I am not a republican, and I never will be. Also, FOX news is off the menu for the rest of my life.

Next week begins Isaiah. This is it. A major prophet. A major time-consuming prophet. I do not even know what I will do with myself next week. I mean, I know what I'll be doing, but is it possible? Will I complete Isaiah? Will I force myself into using my time wisely? Will I die of sheer exhaustion? This book might drain the life out of my bones! My heart may or may not stop beating next week, and if it does, I just want you all to know it was worth it, and I would do it all over again if I had the chance. Not really. SBS is tough. If I had known before coming here what I was getting myself into I would not have come. It's good to be ignorant sometimes. If I had known what India was like I would not have come either. Now that I've been somewhat held captive here for the past 7.5 months, I have fallen in love with India, and I can say that I'm glad SBS is almost over and I certainly am glad I've done it! I wouldn't do it over again, but sure am glad to almost be done. That was just like a synonymous parallelism. Excellent. Making use of my figure of speech terms for the prophets.

Conclusion, SBS is hard, but worth it.

Thanks to my Soul-mate I think I have discovered the best new musician in my life for a while. He is known as City and Colour. His real name is Dallas (city) Green (color). Dallas Green. Apparently he used to be in a punk rock band, and now he's solo and acoustic/folk! He is wonderful and his voice is quite haunting. His songs are catchy. His heart is real. Plus, who can resist a tattooed man playing banjo and guitar? No one. Not even one.

Conclusion, you should all check out City and Colour. Especially the song "The Girl" and "Constant Knot". Although, all others are good as well.

Pray that I get $353 dollars by next Friday to pay for the final half of my quarter. Then that's it! I'm halfway done with the third and final quarter of SBS! I'll be home in no time!

Pray that my heart and body and soul starts getting prepared right now to go home. The United States of America seems less appealing and more complicated the more I think about going home. I love my country, however, it's going to be very different when I get home. I will be different, whereas the country has not changed so much. Except that we have a new president.

Pray that I get enough rest the next month and a half and that I do not burn out. I'm almost there! I'd hate to burn out this close to the end of SBS.

Thank you for all your prayers and support and encouragement. Please don't cease from leaving comments or shooting off short e-mails. I like to hear what you're up to as well.