Some Thoughts In Passing

This week has been a whirlwind of non-stop going, studying, cramming, etc., and if ever I needed to practice the disciplines of silence and solitude, 'tis now. The hurried, unsettled life is one I do not want to live, nor do I want to so conduct myself as though God has not ordered my steps. If one were to try to trace them, one would have to wonder how I even got here. There are few things I would like to mention in passing: 1. If you have not read John Owen's treatise Of the Mortification of Sin in the Believers, please do yourself a favor and read it. It is hard, not just because of Owen's style, but moreso because this book will literally beat the *hell* out of you. This week I have been racked over the coals of guilt and a heightened awareness of my sin, of which I am most thankful. A corresponding joy has been found, and I hope to share some of my reflections in upcoming posts. One of the reasons of my exhaustion is due to laboring in this work, meditating on its piercing truths, and applying the powerful directives to my life. It hurts, but it is also healing. Does the Scriptures not say that "without holiness no one will see the Lord" and it is the "pure in heart" that are blessed because they can "see God?" O that I may have light in my eyes and sincerity in my heart to behold the excellencies of my great Savior! 2. Due to the recent events of the IMB meeting in Tampa, several posts have been made by bloggers. I have spend considerable time adding the links to the blog compilation, so if you are wanting to see what has recently be said, the compilation should be up to date. 3. Also, I have tweaked my blogroll a bit, adding some, deleting others, and cleaning it up a bit. I still have a lot of work to do with my crazy side-bar, which I hope to be more readable. Recently, I was made aware of the ability to make categories in Blogger, but like with all other HTML stuff, I am too lazy and ignorant to do it. Maybe later. 4. The Together for the Gospel Conference is about a month of away. Many of you (I presume) are planning to attend. One of the things I really would like to see take place is some sort of blogger fellowship during the time of the conference. Anyone interested? If there is anything already planned, could you please fill me in? Thanks. That's all for this passing moment. Surely our lives is but a vapor that appears for a moment and then vanishes away! O that I may not waste it! As Owen said, "Get thy heart into a *panting* and breathing frame; long, sigh, cry out."