Shakespeare

"Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever. One foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never. Then sigh not so but let them go and be you blithe and bonny, converting all your sounds of woe into hey nonny nonny. " -Much Ado About Nothing-

I just finished watching the movie of one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies, and now I doth feel that I must speak in such verse. Just kidding, I'll spare you. I do absolutely love the language though! I could read and listen to Shakespeare all night long. The words are so elegant and full of meaning, they just flow off your tongue with grace. In high school I was blessed to participate in 2 Shakespearean plays: Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest. Some of the best fun I've had! So rent it or Netflix it but you must watch Much Ado About Nothing (it has Denzel Washington in it so that definitely helps!!!). You may want to put the subtitles on if you have a hard time audibly following the language, it is dense at points.

On that same (kind of) note, I have a medieval trumpeter that resides in my home. His name is Bo. I know when Aaron is home because I hear Bo's weird trumpet-like howl reverberate through the house. I wish I could record it for your enjoyment but you'll have to do your best to imagine (which I realize is nearly impossible, sorry).

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound

I'm sitting here this wonderful fall morning sipping my Earl Grey tea, getting glorious whiffs of my harvest scented candles and reading "Transforming Grace" by Jerry Bridges. I attend a Bible study on Saturday mornings and we are currently going through this book, and I'm being challenged. Not only am I being challenged by this study but I am also being challenged by the study I'm doing on Wednesday nights at church, "Extreme Spiritual Makeover" by Kris Goertzen. When I say "challenged" I mean that my views of myself and my walk with my creator God are being stretched and changed.

It's funny how I've "known" my whole life that God has forgiven me of my sins and saved me from Hell, but how I've never considered what that really means. I'm realizing now, only with the help of God, just how extensive my sin is. The fact that I am part of the human race that started with Adam who rebelled against God means that I have rebelled against God. It's an innate characteristic of being human. Just looking at that, I deserve Hell; and that's not counting all my other actions that have voiced my high opinion of myself and attempts to survive without God. The amazing part of it is that God has rescued me from all that. HIS GRACE has been extended to me and if I accept it I am His and Hell and sin have no claim over me. The tragic part is that I still live as though I have some part in my being rescued. I think that my good behavior or bad behavior somehow influences my rescued-ness. The TRUTH is that it doesn't. Once I surrender to Christ, I am a new creation. He has already extended His grace over me and loves me. I will still struggle at times to live according to His example but that doesn't at all impact His delight in me. Now, looking at all of this, why am I not the most joyful, exuberant person in the world? I've been rescued into eternal life and am loved by the ONE who created everything and orchestrates every piece of this world and universe. How can I not be telling everyone how AWESOME my GOD is?!?!

So on this beautiful fall day I want to say, "I am the adopted daughter of the most amazing, most perfect, and wonderfully good God. And He chose to rescue me, a worthless sinner, and loves me. And nothing I have done deserved that."

Praise God!