your mercy waited patiently

The ephipanies continue.

I listened to a sermon last night that blew my mind. I tried to explain it to Nathan after I listened, and I couldn't quite put it into words. I've thought all day today about how I would explain it here. I still don't know if I can do it, but I'll try. Here goes. Jesus came to earth and performed miracles. We tend to read about the miracles and only comprehend the physical aspects - the bread and the fishes, the dead now alive, the sight, the walking. I had never stopped and thought that what He has done for me is a miracle in the same way or sought to understand how His miracles apply to me. The old testament is about sin, exile, redemption, and returning home. When Jesus healed the paralyzed man, his story was a parallel. The paralyzed man was stuck in sin, was forgiven, and told to return home. In the same way, at times I have been stuck or paralyzed in sin. Just as Jesus performed a miracle when the man walked, Jesus performed a miracle when I stepped out of my cycle of bad choices and returned home. I think it is fascinating to examine Jesus' miracles and teachings as not only literal but also symbolic. And that concept is not something I have thought of applying to my life. My head is still spinning. And I know it is going to add a whole new dimension to my study of the Bible.

I've been reading a lot of blogs today...people trying to get healthy and forming communities in cyberspace to help each other. I'm really excited to see what other people are doing. I think I am going to join a group. I'll let you know how that goes...if they want me.

Where I was going with that...one of the challenges on one of the blogs is posting, in photographs, everything you eat in a day. So that's my plan for tomorrow. I'm going to photograph everything I eat and drink tomorrow and post it for all the world to see. I've been looking for a website to share my food choices with everyone (unsuccessfully so far), and I think this will be very interesting.

I didn't go to the gym today 'cause it was so nice outside and Nathan and I walked around the neighborhood. It was foggy and misty and just really beautiful. I felt like we were in a scary movie. But not really.

I'm going to listen to the next part of the sermon series (Mars Hill Bible Church - Jesus Wants to Save Christians II, for anyone who podcasts). Good night!