Here I sit on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon reading and writing about poetry. Now depending on who you are, that's really good or that's really bad. I happen to enjoy well-written poetry. With an economy of words it captures beauty better than possibly any other written medium.

I've spent about the last hour typing away about poetry, nature, and the response they create when put together. By looking at two poems ("I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" by Wordsworth and "God's Grandeur" by Hopkins for those who are interested), I decided that the poets were aiming for a response of appreciation and responsibility.

I finished the writing with a greater appreciation for poetry and then realized the wonders of nature that I was currently experiencing. I could feel the cool breeze blowing in through my window; I could observe the cloudless sky from my window; I could walk around my dorm and take in the sights of the Santa Clarita Valley. And I decided that just like the poetry I had read about, nature should indeed inspire appreciation and responsibility.

Let's face it: God's creation is AWESOME! Whether it is displayed in the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon or the the lights and loudness of a thunderstorm, "God's Grandeur" is not hard to observe. We should appreciate it. And we should do more than merely say, "It's a beautiful day," but we should be praising God because we know that he made it.

God's creation should also give a sense of responsibility. We should always remember that God is the one who created what we see, and that should remind us that he is the Lord of the World, and we are accountable to him.

So as we go through life and take in the sights and sounds of nature, may we always be mindful that "The heavens declare the glory of God." May we enjoy nature as we enjoy the One who gave it to us.

Coming Back
The Hardest Part

First, I'd like to apologize for the ginormous interval of time that has elapsed since my last post. Hopefully this post will be a step back toward regularity.

Last week, classes at The Master's College were cancelled from Wednesday to Friday for the sake of Outreach Week. During Outreach Week, the college sends out teams to about 50 churches in Southern California for the sake of service and outreach.

I was on Team Corona. We went to Corona Evangelical Free Church and helped mostly with service to the church and community along with assistance to the junior high group. We cleaned out the church's tents, did yard work for ailing church members, volunteered at a local settlement house, attended the junior high group's 80's Skate Night (sorry I don't have a picture of that one), and helped teach the youth groups on Sunday morning.

The week was awesome. Our team bonded well and had tons of fun. I also felt that I learned a many things about service and working with others. But at the end of the week, I felt as though we were all a bit reluctant to return to school.

This made me think that after events like Outreach Week, summer camp, a retreat, or a vacation, returning to the normal routine is hard. And as I thought about this concept, I realized that it was coming back that was the necessary part.

Why is this? Coming back and returning to our routines gives us the chance to apply the things we have learned. I really enjoyed Outreach Week and all the things I learned there, but by returning and immersing myself back into the waters of schoolwork I am now able to apply what I learned. I am now back in the daily trials where I will be strengthened by what I have learned.

So next time you're having trouble returning to normal from a great experience, may you be encouraged and may you use what you learned to turn the normal experiences into great ones.