Thanksgiving Day

Alright,

its been a while since I've written (to myself). Not much has been going on. i just got back from Louisiana a few days ago. I'll post some pics soon. Have been doing ok, kind of up and down, discouraged with myself mostly...lack of personal discipline, bad decisions, needing God more yet seeking him less, wasting time, etc.

Had a great conversation with Bruce and Carole Winter (elder from church) at their house; i was there something like 5 hours. We talked about a lot of stuff...suffering, belief in God, brokenness and how Midland, MI on the surface seems like such a great place but really there is a lot of broken families, my internship, church life, etc. I learn a lot from them, but mostly I just really appreciate having their love and encouragement. They've made me really feel like part of their family - I guess I need that a lot, personally. Not just formal mentoring or classroom learning but being a part of someone's life, being included in their personal life, and receiving their love, encouragement, and life experience as their 'share and tell.'

Here's a great book I would recommend: Proper Confidence: Faith, Doubt, and Certainty in Christian Discipleship. By Lesslie Newbigin. I really enjoy the book, he's a great writer, a kind of more-scholarly Francis Schaeffer. However, for as much as I read these books on Christian WV (worldview), philosophy, pomo (postmodern) theology, etc... I do not find it really grows my faith. Faith comes from something else, oh that I could 'figure out' faith. Oh that it wasn't just a given thing from God, or something like that. Oh, for more humility and brokenness and not treating life as a game, or a ride. I need more of God...through prayer, through the Word, through experience.

Well, that's not much, but its enough for now. How strange to journal in a public place. But who will really read this? It sure makes you think about what you say, at the least.

Questions of the day: Is the question, "What faith tradition is the true/best tradition?" a legitimate question? If the question is legitimate the second question is, Is there any way of answering that question, realizing that all tradition-judging criteria are rooted themselves in another tradition, subject to other criteria judgement?