Friendship and Music
Tuesday, 8. January 2008, 23:07:01
Two things which are very important to me. If I didn't have them, I would certainly be not as good a person as God has made me. But I find I don't talk about either much. I suppose that's really my nature: I don't actually talk about what is important to me. When I have any sort of deep conversations, they're usually deep in a different regard. What makes me who I am doesn't generally come up, and I don't like to talk about it. But it is rather freeing, I think. So here goes.
I have been blessed by many truly meaningful friendships in my life. My best friend ever, even though I'm separated from him by an ocean, still holds a very special place for me. Even though we didn't have too many deep conversations about ourselves and our spiritual walk, he's really been kind of a constant in my life. I could always depend on him to be the same. No matter what happened to me, or how I felt, I knew that he would always act the same way, and I knew that we would always be friends. We still are. I hope some day soon we'll be able to live close again, but until then, I cherish every time we talk.
I have several other good friends in Leavenworth. It's rather comparable to the Duckabush valley. My uncle not too long ago posted his belated Thanksgiving blog, and his thoughts really reflected mine. I almost wish I could have used his ideas first, but I'm glad someone more eloquent than myself said it. Leavenworth has been to me a sort of valley of protection and safety. I felt that nothing bad could really happen to me there. God was clearly present in our church, and we had our circle of friends, and we were under God's goodness. It was the idyllic place to be, with the most idyllic people. It came as quite a shock to me when I found we were leaving, for an extended period of time. Now it's been two and a half years since we've lived there, and I've only recently come to terms with it.
God has given me three such experiences: Leavenworth first, with my friends. During that time we went to Spring Canyon, Colorado, which was the second "valley of heavenly delights", so to speak. There I had all my friends from Leavenworth in one of the most beautiful spots on earth, spending nothing but what I will call near-perfect time with each other. Then, the Duckabush valley, with my fellow CITs at WNW summer camp and my grandparents and uncle's family. Such a godly group of people I would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in all God's creation.
In all these places, I have felt true joy. I was closest to God in those places. But I feel that God has removed His hand of protection from me, and I am out in "the world". Norway seems so far away from anything I've known, it feels like my relationship with God has changed because of geography. It has, but not in that way. God has shown me that life isn't all a walk in the park. He has shown me that I can't always enjoy an ideal situation. It is painful. But it is good. All I can do now is rejoice that God knows what He's doing, since I certainly don't. I know this must be good, even if it hurts. And it does, it hurts greatly. But the pain of separation is nothing compared to how close I have grown to God. I feel His presence, I am gaining purpose in my life, and I have developed spiritually and intellectually.
Not least of my friends, although it is rather unorthodox, are the ones I've met through TPS. About four or five people stand out to me as really good friends. They encourage me, and they give me relief from hardship. They support me theologically, too; I hope some day I can meet them in person, as it were. I feel I know them very well, even though I've only conversed with them over the internet. But they are special to me.
Music. I love music, though you might not be able to tell at first. I don't listen to it constantly. I don't buy it a lot. I don't play it very well, either. But I love it. Lately music by MercyMe and Tree63 has made the most impression on me. Those are two of the best Christian contemporary bands in existence. I am constantly uplifted (physically, I feel tension go away, and spiritually, I worship God) by their songs. Most recently I got MercyMe's album All That is Within Me. Such a God-centered worship experience is evident in their music, I cannot help singing along. It gives me peace to listen to music, not just Christian, but any music I like. God has used music in my life to grant me joy and peace in lieu of my best friends.
So, Timothy's musings for the day/week/month/whatever it turns out to be. Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. But vacation, you know, a whole lot of nothing to be done. No time for telling you about all the nothing I've done.
Give me feedback. I live on the stuff, I tell you. That last unfortunate blog (with no comments) rather left me starving.
May God grant you joy.
I have been blessed by many truly meaningful friendships in my life. My best friend ever, even though I'm separated from him by an ocean, still holds a very special place for me. Even though we didn't have too many deep conversations about ourselves and our spiritual walk, he's really been kind of a constant in my life. I could always depend on him to be the same. No matter what happened to me, or how I felt, I knew that he would always act the same way, and I knew that we would always be friends. We still are. I hope some day soon we'll be able to live close again, but until then, I cherish every time we talk.
I have several other good friends in Leavenworth. It's rather comparable to the Duckabush valley. My uncle not too long ago posted his belated Thanksgiving blog, and his thoughts really reflected mine. I almost wish I could have used his ideas first, but I'm glad someone more eloquent than myself said it. Leavenworth has been to me a sort of valley of protection and safety. I felt that nothing bad could really happen to me there. God was clearly present in our church, and we had our circle of friends, and we were under God's goodness. It was the idyllic place to be, with the most idyllic people. It came as quite a shock to me when I found we were leaving, for an extended period of time. Now it's been two and a half years since we've lived there, and I've only recently come to terms with it.
God has given me three such experiences: Leavenworth first, with my friends. During that time we went to Spring Canyon, Colorado, which was the second "valley of heavenly delights", so to speak. There I had all my friends from Leavenworth in one of the most beautiful spots on earth, spending nothing but what I will call near-perfect time with each other. Then, the Duckabush valley, with my fellow CITs at WNW summer camp and my grandparents and uncle's family. Such a godly group of people I would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere in all God's creation.
In all these places, I have felt true joy. I was closest to God in those places. But I feel that God has removed His hand of protection from me, and I am out in "the world". Norway seems so far away from anything I've known, it feels like my relationship with God has changed because of geography. It has, but not in that way. God has shown me that life isn't all a walk in the park. He has shown me that I can't always enjoy an ideal situation. It is painful. But it is good. All I can do now is rejoice that God knows what He's doing, since I certainly don't. I know this must be good, even if it hurts. And it does, it hurts greatly. But the pain of separation is nothing compared to how close I have grown to God. I feel His presence, I am gaining purpose in my life, and I have developed spiritually and intellectually.
Not least of my friends, although it is rather unorthodox, are the ones I've met through TPS. About four or five people stand out to me as really good friends. They encourage me, and they give me relief from hardship. They support me theologically, too; I hope some day I can meet them in person, as it were. I feel I know them very well, even though I've only conversed with them over the internet. But they are special to me.
Music. I love music, though you might not be able to tell at first. I don't listen to it constantly. I don't buy it a lot. I don't play it very well, either. But I love it. Lately music by MercyMe and Tree63 has made the most impression on me. Those are two of the best Christian contemporary bands in existence. I am constantly uplifted (physically, I feel tension go away, and spiritually, I worship God) by their songs. Most recently I got MercyMe's album All That is Within Me. Such a God-centered worship experience is evident in their music, I cannot help singing along. It gives me peace to listen to music, not just Christian, but any music I like. God has used music in my life to grant me joy and peace in lieu of my best friends.
So, Timothy's musings for the day/week/month/whatever it turns out to be. Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. But vacation, you know, a whole lot of nothing to be done. No time for telling you about all the nothing I've done.
Give me feedback. I live on the stuff, I tell you. That last unfortunate blog (with no comments) rather left me starving.
May God grant you joy.
(100%)
Thank you for sharing that. Can I borrow the MercyMe CD?
By anonymous user, # 9. January 2008, 08:10:06
Wow, that was quite detailed. I'm most impressed by the way you managed to make such a long blog quite interesting. I generally have trouble making it through long blog entries as you know, but this one kept me reading. I suppose it is quite worthy of a comment. Its odd about that last blog entry of yours not getting any comments. It must have been because all of your readers had too much of nothing to finish, like yourself, and couldn't spare a few moments to acknowledge your thoughts. Isn't it odd how we find more time for such things as blogs when we have work to do?
By anonymous user, # 9. January 2008, 15:52:21
By edgren, # 9. January 2008, 21:41:57
I told you I'd get around to commenting on here, eventually. Consider it a lesson in patience.
Uncommonly well said, brother. And I am inclined to agree with just about everything you said.
By anonymous user, # 12. January 2008, 11:26:02
Hmmmm. Leavenworth is idyllic. Well, I'm not going to argue. Hey, if you really like somewhere, well then you like it. And, while I might find it a little hard to relate, as I wouldn't be at all sad to leave Lawrence for a different town, I can definitely see that Kansas-to-Norway is, to say the least, a pretty drastic change.
Oh, yes. I'm one of the unorthodox TPS friends, lol. Just so you know (this is the big confession, so listen carefully) I don't really have any friends IRL, so at least we're in similar boats if not actually in the same one.
By anonymous user, # 12. January 2008, 12:36:50
nastyrumor that you will be extending your stay there even longer--is that true? We think of you all often.By bookwyrm, # 12. January 2008, 23:41:10
By bookwyrm, # 12. January 2008, 23:52:28
By The Timocrat, # 13. January 2008, 16:14:40
By bookwyrm, # 13. January 2008, 19:09:57
wow that has to be the single most deppressing thing I have ever read if you can make it through that without hanging yourself then you are a stronger man than I
By anonymous user, # 31. May 2008, 01:37:22