This is the Day that the Lord Has Made

And so another week begins. And what a bittersweet week it is, being that this is the last week of summer break and all. Sad day. Let us take a moment to mourn the passing of such a dear friend. Actually, I am quite ready to get on with this school thing. I have orientation for nursing school this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. They call it orientation, but I really think that is just a fancy way of saying "you're going to start school 3 days before everyone else but we don't want to come out and say it to your face." Let's consider the facts, shall we?

1) I am required to attend said "orientation"
2) This is no 2 hour orientation session. I must be there all 3 days from 8:30 till 4 or 5
3) Books are required by the second day
4) There will be tests administered

This sounds an awful lot like school to me. Maybe it's just me.

On a completely different note...I'd like to take a moment to reflect on my experience at University Church this morning. For the first time in quite a while I felt deeply moved by what the preacher was saying. Usually I have a tendency to sit quietly and listen politely, but by Sunday night I've all but forgotten what was said. Today was different. Eddie Sharp spoke about giving the firstfruits of our lives to God. I've heard this phrase numerous times before, but I never took the time to realize what a huge concept that is. He talked about how in Old Testament times the people of Israel were required to take the BEST fruits of their fields and the BEST animals from their flocks and give them to God. They were to sacrifice something that would guarantee their well-being and security in the near future and trust that God would reward their selflessness with a greater prosperity than they could provide for themselves. The faith these people had to do such things blows my mind!! It made me realize how weak my own faith is in such matters. I convince myself that I can't spare that extra few dollars each week for the collection plate because I "need" it for dinner that night, or whatever else may come up. And it's not just the firstfruits of our material blessings that God wants. He wants the firstfruits of our time. This is where I struggle the most. I "try" to find quiet time to read my Bible and pray, but usually I end up just fitting it in right before I go to bed. Are these really the best hours of my day? It makes spending time with my Lord seem like something I'm obligated to do instead of something I'm priveleged and blessed to do. I began thinking of my relationship with God like a relationship with one of my good friends. If I only spared the last 15 minutes or so of my day to catch up on my friend's life and fill them in on what's going on in mine, that friend probably wouldn't feel like they mattered a whole lot to me. Especially if I was struggling to stay awake long enough to finish the conversation. If I can schedule in time to spend with my earthly friends, why do I find it so hard to set aside time to spend with my Heavenly Father, who blessed me with the friends in the first place? Today it was as if my eyes were opened in a way I've never experienced before. I know I need to work on my priorities. I would welcome your prayers with mine as I seek to live my life more fully for my God.