A few words about rest

Refuge.  Peace. Calm. Shelter. Protection. Strong Tower. Shade. Relief. Quietness. Confidence. Security. 

My favorites are Relief and Confidence.  What's yours?

9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;10for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

44 The LORD gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the LORD handed all their enemies over to them.

 4 You have been a refuge for the poor, 
       a refuge for the needy in his distress, 
       a shelter from the storm 
       and a shade from the heat. 
       For the breath of the ruthless 
       is like a storm driving against a wall

17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; 
       the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

 18 My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, 
       in secure homes, 
       in undisturbed places of rest.

 19 Though hail flattens the forest 
       and the city is leveled completely,

 20 how blessed you will be, 
       sowing your seed by every stream, 
       and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.

10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; 
       the righteous run to it and are safe.

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: 
       We have a strong city; 
       God makes salvation 
       its walls and ramparts.

 2 Open the gates 
       that the righteous nation may enter, 
       the nation that keeps faith.

 3 You will keep in perfect peace 
       him whose mind is steadfast, 
       because he trusts in you.

 4 Trust in the LORD forever, 
       for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 

Google rocks my world

Two reasons this is a great week for the world.

1. Google released its web browser named Google Chrome.  It's awesome.  Significantly faster and simplier than both Internet Explorer and Firefox.  So innovative you merely need to think it and Google makes it happen.

http://www.google.com/chrome

2. Google also released the third rendition of Picasa, the simplest and most awesomest picture organizer ever.  Now with more photo editing options than ever.

http://www.google.com/picasa/

Yahweh Shalom

We are one week into the school year here at the UofA. Last week was a crazy time of Bible Study recruitment, catching up with friends, and figuring out what on earth my roles are this year. I've never lived off campus before, and always seen the University as my "home," but this year having graduated and living off campus things are a bit different. Instead of me being exhausted trying to balance school and social life and freshman recruitment I watch all of my friends struggle through balancing these priorities and running all over the place. And the current state of their lives is very much like mine consistently was the first week of school: exhausted and drained.

Surely there is a better way to survive freshman recruitment than this.

I was encouraged this week by a sermon from my paster on the name of God Yahweh Shalom, from the call of Gideon in Judges. God says of himself he is peace. The word Shalom doesn't simply mean tranquility but also completeness, wholeness, justice, etc. I feel like my mind has been racing the last couple of nights reviewing all the problems we are up against this year in Navs and in the lives of my friends. It is encouraging to remember that God is my peace and Sovereign over our lives. He works in us even when we fail.