Currently Reading The Consequences of Ideas: Understanding the Concepts That Shaped Our World By R. C. Sproul see related

Our need for His Divine Grace...

"God created man with a free will, in which he also enjoyed perfect liberty.  Man had the faculty of choosing what he wanted.  He had the ability to sin (posse peccare) and the ability not to sin (posse non peccare).  He freely chose to sin out of his concupiscence (an inclination that leans to sin but is not sin).  As a result of the first sin, man lost his liberty but not his free will.  He was plunged, as a divine punishment, into a corrupt state known as original sin, losing the ability to incline himself to the things of God.  This resulted in man’s absolute dependence on a work of divine grace in his soul if he were ever to move toward God.  Fallen man is in bondage to sin.  He still has the faculty of choosing, a will free from coercion, but he now is free only to sin, because his desiers are inclined only toward sin and away from God.”  [Saint Augustine from Sproul's “The Consequences of Ideas”]

Latly many unexpected things have been happening with everyone...  I have decided to not take summer school and possibly live in LA this summer and so inturn prolong my college career completeing a full 5th year victory lap.  And I am extremly excited about it as well.  I have also had some rather serious talks with my dear friends and God has led them to make some seriously exciteing leaps of faith.  Wow big decisions!!!  Well and God continues to show me, "I (the Lord) will lead the bind by ways they have not known along unfamiliar paths I will guide them, I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth.  These things I will do I will forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge.  I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.  I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fullfills his purposes for me." Psalms 57:1-2  What an amazing picture in the midst of complete destruction, when everything around you fails and hits you in the face (emotions, decisions, strength...) because of God's great mercy we are able to approach him and he covers us with his mighty wings holding us through the time of disaster. 

Man I really love the weather.  I was walking back from the library about 6:30ish and it was absolutly amazing.  And today the Lord has brought us the coolness of the rain.  Oh the Lord is good to us!  I finished one of midterms today and what an awesome relief to be finished.  I leave for Glorietta New Mexico in like about a week and a half and I get to see my beautiful friend Sydney in her wedding!!!  And I pray I get to see my family as well!     

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.  It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.  Let him bury his face in the dust-- there may yet be hope... For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love."Lamentations 3:25-32