"Formation, transformation, translation. May the Captain of your salvation navigate you through the narrows and every time those mountains seem close and those eddies swirl, remember, He made you, He transformed you, He's waiting to translate you."

- Ravi Zacharias

His Kindness

• His Kindness

  Seen the power of God? I have and just recently in fact. The past three days I have had a combined total of ten hours of sleep. Tuesday and today (Thursday) I had quizzes in math. Now, if you know me, you know that math is definitely not my strong suit. Quite the reverse, actually. On days where I have had adequate amounts of sleep, math makes me nervous enough. You can imagine my apprehension of these quizzes with minimal sleep. This is where God is amazing. Despite my sleep deprivation, He enabled me to get a score of 20 (out of 20) on both quizzes. He is gracious, and I am thankful to Him for His kindness.
  
  Because He reigns I live and serve Him.
  
  Elizabeth Cheryl
  Ellie, Connie,
  Bets, Bubbly,
  Firecracker, Rosie,
  Squeaks, Twitchy,
  Shrimpy, Cheerio,
  Shortcake, Pinkie,
  & E!
  

Not Done in Vain

"Vanities of vanities, says the Preacher, all is vanity."
-Eccl. 9:8

This verse epitomizes a teacher I have in college who extols the amazing achievements of science. She says that one day we will be able to live much longer than we do now through the assistance of machines. This indefinite living is something she would like. Her reasons are not that she is afraid of dying, for she believes we cease to exist after death, but because there is so much to discover and learn in life.

A life lived for Christ is glorious indeed. However, the Bible expresses her motives for living differently. "[T]here is a just man that perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongs his life in his wickedness." (Ecclesiastes 7:15) This is what she is doing. In her depravity, she seeks to extend her life and, ultimately, the time before judgment. One verse later, the author of Ecclesiastes (Solomon?) inquires why we make ourselves overly wise when it only serves to destroy ourselves?

The unregenerate want to explain their existence apart from an all powerful Creator. They do not want to acknowledge that there is a God who will judge them for their thoughts and deeds. One day they will realize (either in this life or after) that the works, toils, and pursuits of their earthly bodies and minds are all worthless; it is all vanity.

As Christians, we have the great privilege of pursuing all we do for God's glory. We do not have to fit non matching puzzle pieces together. Instead, God has revealed His plan and design to us. We can contently rejoice and be overwhelmingly awed at His wise orchestration. It is our responsibility, our commission to share with the lost (as we once were) the magnificent act of God on their sinful behalf. Our lives must be lived as a testimony to His work on the cross that was not done for us in vain.

May God who began a good work in you perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Love in Christ,
Elizabeth Cheryl
Ellie, Connie,
Bubbly, Bets,
Firecracker, Rosie,
Squeaks, Twitchy,
Shrimpy, Cheerio,
Shortcake, Pinkie,
& E!