- Deism is a bad thing. Borderline-deism-that-doesn't-realize-it's-borderline-deism is a bad thing, too. I don't know exactly how radically 'interventionist' and involved in everyday life God actually is. But I'm pretty certain it's a lot more than whatever picture I had before.
- God is BIG -- too big to be contorted and smashed into my brain. (Or at least one hopes He would be, being the infinite God and all). :-)
- As much as you can help it, NEVER ask the questions "is Christianity true?" and "what is 'Christianity'?" and "am I really a Christian?" simultaneously. They spiral one another downwards most effectively. :-P
- Thankfully, God's promises are dependent upon Him, and not upon our understanding of them, or our swinging levels of certainty and confidence in them. (Thanks, Laura :))
- Angst is compounded 100-fold by four term papers hanging over one's head. :-)
Once my
- re-learn NT Greek. Or start picking up Hebrew.
- figure out why we have the books in our canon that we have in our canon. (Yes...this is immensely important. If you're going to be meditating on the word of God and shaping your life and thinking around them...you'd better make sure you've got the right words :-)).
- figure out how to not get defensive when I run up against stuff like this
- cry out for wisdom and understanding.
- remember that "wisdom" does not equal "knowledge"
- figure out how on earth to combine an insatiably curious and questioning mind with a quiet and humble and gentle spirit. (For I most certainly have the first, and most certainly lack (most of) the second).
- leave the tomorrows in God's hands. It's harder than it sounds.
- redirect any further entries here to more objective sorts of things. Or at least things I know I'm knowledgeable enough about and wise enough about to be talking about... :)
