Hail to thee, Mercer University

This morning I sat in Jesse Mercer Plaza doing some writing. I watched as college students strolled past, some quietly and methodically, others in a frenzy. Some silent and stone-faced while others were exuberant with the knowledge that they could now enjoy a few days off from school. I was struck not only by the differences in demeanor, but the differences in style, body shape, and self-expression (whatever that means). It reminded me how the church, the body of Christ, is suppose to function-many parts but one whole organism working together to bring about the completion of God's Kingdom. It certainly takes people with many different talents and abilities to accomplish the mission of the church, and for that I am thankful...after all, if everybody were like me I would go crazy!!

Don't Waste Your Life

I finished Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper this morning. If you are familiar with Piper's work, then you will enjoy this book immensely. He revisits some of the key themes in his other books as he pleads with readers to not waste their life, but wholly surrender to the gospel. This was one of the most challenging books I have read in a while. It made me rethink why it is I do what I do. I am still prayerfully asking God am I doing exactly what you have called me to do or just something that is easy and comfortable for me. Piper also encouraged me to see the goodness and mercy of God afresh. The passion and intensity of his writing grips you like few authors because every word is dripping with a holy zeal for the gospel.

Guarding Your Heart

Last night I taught on Proverbs 4:23-27. This passage talks about guarding your heart for it is the center of our lives. I reread this passage a few months ago, and it has gnawed at me. If anything this is a mantra I have for working with students both for their sake and mine. I am always reminding them in all areas of life to guard their hearts. I think this is one of the greatest challenges that believers face when trying to live for Christ. It's so much easier to do our Christian thing and check of our list of dos and don'ts, but to vigilantly protect our hearts from the sin, evil, and pain of life is just plain hard. Nearly ever day I ask myself, "Are you guarding your heart?"

Book Reviews

I just finished two books this week. Like Dew Your Youth by Eugene Peterson is a great resource for parents. Unlike most parenting books that offer lots of advice and how-to steps, Peterson's book is a devotional look at how teenagers and parents change as teenagers grow up. This is a great resource for parents who need to be encouraged in the battlefield of teenagers.

Lifesigns by Henri Nouwen provides a great source of encouragement and a fresh look at the themes of grace, love, and faith.

10 Years Gone

Bill Mallonee has a song that starts out "Ten years gone and a few songs/ I'm drifting in this place/Conclusions drawn in blood are the hardest to erase."

For some reason that lyric has been circling inside my head since my 10 year reunion this weekend. It was bittersweet... I loved seeing old friends and faces, but the state of affairs for some of my classmates has been so dark that I was grieved in my heart. So many people with great potential in life who perhaps haven't realized their full potential yet.

All in all it was a great experience to see people I hadn't seen in 10 years and relive old times. I was also struck by how God was at work in different ways in people's lives. Some of them I don't know if they are even fully aware of that fact, but He is still at work in their lives and the world around them.

This weekend made me think about what I want God to do in and through my life over the next 10 years. My prayer is that it is exceedingly, abundantly more than I could imagine.

The Grapes of Wrath

I have a goal of reading some of the classic American novels over the next couple of years, so I have been plugging away here and there. I recently finished John Steinbeck's classic The Grapes of Wrath. I had started this a few years ago but didn't get past the first hundred pages. This time I resolved to push through to the end. I found it to be a gripping tale of life and family and the hardships that we encounter. Near the end of the book as Tom Joad is talking with his mama about Casy, the preacher, a few lines grabbed my attention.

Says one time he went out in the wilderness to find his own soul, an' he foun' he didn' have no soul that was his'n. Says he foun' he jus' got a little piece of a great big soul. Says a wilderness ain't no good, 'cause his little piece of a soul wasn't no good 'less it was with the rest, an' was whole (535).

It struck me that community and fellowship are a necessary part of what it means to be a Christian, perhaps simply to be human. God has created us as relational beings to live in harmony with Him through the cross of Christ, and to live together with each other as part of the church. The struggle for many of us is that we think we can do it all on our own. For some reason we are convinced that we don't need God in the everyday goings on of life, and we certainly don't think we need the help, support, and encouragement of other people. In the last 18 months I have especially been reminded by different people in my life that we are each part of the larger whole of the body of Christ and that we desperately need a touch from God and each other in order to find our joy and satisfaction in the Christ-centered life that we have been called to live. Thank those people around you who help to make you whole.

Girl # 2

This has been a very exciting week for the Pagliarullo household. We found out Monday that we are going to have another girl. We are so thankful that God has continued to give Cyd a safe and healthy pregnancy. The baby girl look healthy and normal according to the ultrasound pictures. Picking out a name is the next fun part. We have several leading candidates but the final decision hasn't been made quite yet. Claire is very excited to be getting a little sister! The most interesting thing has been that very few of our family and friends can believe that it's a girl and not a boy. We can't wait for you to get here baby girl!