Easter vacation has begun! However, guess what needs to be completed before the fun begins? REPORT CARDS. *argh* At least they're due at the beginning of the week. I can tell my Easter break will pass quickly. My week is pretty full already. There's so much that I want to do. Am looking forward to my 2 Tahoe trips. Hope the snow will be better.

I think I mentioned in previous posts that I've found a new favorite author-- Ted Dekker. I recently finished reading the second book of his Martyr series entitled, "When Heaven Weeps." The theme of the book was God's love. While reading I was reminded of some spiritual truths. One was that God's love is so awesome. And yet as Christians, we sometimes seek alternatives. Sometimes we reach out to worldly loves even though God's love is so much greater. Heaven weeps when a soul is wayward, when a person has strayed, when we reject the love of One who can fulfill all needs completely. How can other loves even compare?

I was also reminded how we need to love as God loves. I referred to this book when I gave the devotion at staff meeting last week. Every year there's at least one student who is hard to love. I also think of people that I've come across. Sometimes it seems impossible. Some people are just so hard to love. Have to keep reminding myself that-- to love as God loves. Knowing though that God loves them, does help make it easier to love them.

The last thing I was reminded of from that book was to forgive. One of the characters in the story was advising another, saying that forgiveness was a matter of the will and that to forgive meant yielding your will to God and allowing Him to work and heal. That's something that I need to work on.

I love how Ted Dekker books run so deep. Reading them, I encounter many "aha" moments. My friend defines "aha" moments as the moment in time when God reveals Himself/His plan through His word, other readings, experiences, messages, encounters, or some sort of medium. It's like in those cartoons where suddenly a light bulb appears in someone's head. And then God speaks. Wow. When's the last time you had an "aha" moment?

 
I posted Monday night but for some reason, that blog entry disappeared. =( Oh well.

So let's see...
Took a day off on Monday (played hooky). Hee hee hee. =) Went up to Reno Sunday afternoon, hung out, then spent Monday boarding at Northstar. Pretty slushy... more than last Saturday's Sugar Bowl trip. A bit yucky towards the bottom of the run. Not as hot though. Still wore my fleece.

For this trip, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I had a good time though and had many interesting conversations. On some levels, it was a bit weird going on this trip, but at the same time, it felt comfortable. Don't know what to make of it just yet.

To get Bible units for my ACSI certificate, I've been listening to sermons on tape. Wow, Dr. David Jeremiah is a wonderful speaker. I would love to visit his church in El Cajon again. I just finished tape 6 last night on James 3:1-15. I was pretty convicted. One question that struck me most was "how could you use your tongue as an instrument of praise and worship to God, then turn right around and curse or criticize the ones God created?" Dr. Jeremiah said that Christians often say that they aren't gossipping, just "sharing prayer requests." Today, I was tempted to say some things, but remembered to hold my tongue. "Whatever is in the well of the heart, comes up as bucketfuls out of the mouth." Is my tongue an instrument of praise or an instrument of destruction? Something to ponder...