Just Catching Up with Things...

Wow.  It has been a long time since I've written.  Things have been kind of crazy the past few weeks with studying for semester tests, basketball, jazz band, etc.  But, my semester tests went great, praise God!

In case any of you didn't notice, I redesigned my blog :D.  Hope you like it!  I plan on writing a lot more about the different books I read and music I listen to, so I decided to redesign it, just for something different.

I've really been enjoying Christmas break, and am reluctant to go to to school.  Spending time with family at home is great.  We traveled for Christmas for like the first time.  We went to Ames and Des Moines.  Most of the time we just go to grandparents' houses.  We had lefse, my favorite spritz cookies, Ostakaka, and potato bologna.  Nothing like good Swedish food :).  Oh and I got a Kindle for Christmas :D.  I'm pretty excited about that.  It's a true reader's dream....

Speaking of reading....I'm reading a book right now called "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin.  It is pretty good so far.  The author of the book turns his skin black, and acts as a negro in the south, to fully experience the segregation issues.  He then writes a book of his whole experience.  It really is a sad thing to read though... realizing just how bad the African Americans were treated.  It makes me thankful that I didn't grow up in that time period.  So if you would like to have a better understanding of how African Americans were treated, I encourage you to read this book.  There also is a movie made of it.  I plan on watching it after I finish the book.

So for devotions today I read Job 32-33.  I thought that verses 18-22 in chapter 32 were interesting.

¹⁸ For I am full of words,
   and the spirit within me compels me; ¹⁹ inside I am like bottled-up wine,
   like new wineskins ready to burst. ²⁰ I must speak and find relief;
   I must open my lips and reply. ²¹ I will show no partiality,
   nor will I flatter anyone; ²² for if I were skilled in flattery,
   my Maker would soon take me away.

That was Elihu, son of Barakel the Buzite talking.  I kind of interpreted these verses as if he was saying he was so excited and passionate about God, that he is "ready to burst" to talk about it.  I don't know if that is what he means, but that is just how I think of it.  I think that we should "be ready to burst" to talk about God as well.  We should be so passionate about Him, that we just can't hold ourselves back from speaking.  Sadly, this is not how many of us are, especially me.  

Lord, 

I want to be so excited about you that I just can't stop talking.  Help me to be so passionate about you that I am like new wineskins ready to burst, just like Elihu.

- Mallory