better than showbiz

Yes, I am old enough to have had a birthday party at ShowBiz Pizza Place. (“But you look so young!”) You young'uns may know it as Chuck E. Cheese’s, but whatever you call it, it’s always been the place where a kid can be a kid. Pizza, Whack-a-Mole, and freakish animatronic entertainment. What more could a girl ask for?



I was going to post something rather melancholy and beautiful about turning 27 years old today, but I have had too good of a birthday to be wistful. My celebration actually started last night when I checked my email and saw that my dear friend June had tagged me in a note entitled “Happy Birthday Shannon!” I couldn’t resist reading it a bit early. Dear June makes me cry. Today I had lunch with my mom, sister, and niece…I spent a few hours catching up with my friend Jeanna and her new son…I had dinner with my dad…I worshipped with my REAL brothers and sisters…and I ate a chocolate cupcake.

I also opened some really great gifts given in really great polka dot bags. Two books that made me squeal (not that charming of a sound!) when I saw them, a supremely appropriate book in its original language (that I don’t speak), a sketch by a young Miss Audrey, and an extra-special tee-shirt that reminds me to breathe. Oh, and some chocolate, of course.

What more could a girl ask for? To dam the wave of sentiment that threatens to flood us all, I will withhold any further details of how I feel about those who helped me celebrate this day…except to say “I love you. So much.” It is good to be 27.

May you feel the kisses of God today, and be completely swept off your feet.

the knowledge of the holy....or, a second post?!

Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising and art acquainted with all my ways. I can inform Thee of nothing and it is vain to try to hide anything from Thee. In the light of Thy perfect knowledge I would be as artless as a little child. Help me to put away all care, for Thou knowest the way that I take and when Thou hast tried me I shall come forth as gold. Amen.

This is the prayer that opens chapter 10 (entitled The Divine Omniscience) of Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy. I’ve been reading this classic for awhile now, one divine attribute at a time. It has been immeasurably helpful to me in the past few weeks, encouraging more contemplation on the character of God and less contemplation on myself. And in the midst of my own swirling confusions and restless questions, how fortifying it is to be reminded of the absolute knowledge of my Lord.

“God knows instantly and effortlessly all matter and all matters, all mind and every mind, all spirit and all spirits, all being and every being, all creaturehood and all creatures, every plurality and all pluralities, all law and every law, all relations, all causes, all thoughts, all mysteries, all enigmas, all feeling, all desires, every unuttered secret, all thrones and dominions, all personalities, all things visible and invisible in heaven and in earth, motion, space, time, life, death, good, evil, heaven, and hell.” (pg.56)

Now read that again. Out loud.

“…how unutterably sweet is the knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows us completely…no unsuspected weakness in our characters can come to light to turn God away from us, since He knew us utterly before we knew Him and called us to Himself in the full knowledge of everything that was against us.” (pg.57)

It’s one of those bulldozing kinds of truths for me, something that can knock me right over. It can be overwhelming, terrifying, and most certainly humbling. But it is comforting as well, because I know His work doesn’t end with demolition…He is also an Architect, and He has plans to build me anew. And the foundation is formed with the very truths that devastated me. Truths like these…(Tozer’s list, kind of)… God is Self-existent… He is Self-sufficient… Eternal… Infinite… Immutable… Omniscient… Wise… Omnipotent… Transcendent… Omnipresent… Faithful… Good… Just… Merciful… Abounding in Grace… Loving… Holy… and Sovereign. If you’ve never done a study solely on the attributes of God, I urge you to do so. It will surely be profitable, to put it rather mildly. [I’m nearly positive that I’m preaching to the choir on this, Faithful Readers. But if not, I can recommend the Precepts study as well as Tozer. ;-)]

May you, too, be forged by the awesome truths of God, and come forth as gold.

reading, writing, and 'rithmetic

Well, two out of three ain't bad...



After having been asked several times this past week what I am currently reading, I decided to try blogging about it. Then, just this morning in small church, it was suggested that we journal about what we read. So, here we are. The benefits of this should be at least threefold:

Benefit #1. It will hold me more accountable to actually finishing the books I start…and starting the books I’m holding. (Hence the riveting new sidebar selection “Off the Bookshelf.”) Dear Reader, you (and the other three girls that view this blog) are encouraged to ask me about any and all of these listed items.

Benefit #2. It will nudge me to be more reflective on what I’m taking in. Too often I’ll read something with the potential to inspire me beyond the moment, I’ll finish with a sigh of satisfaction and then move on to the next book…and the moment is lost.

Benefit #3. It will give me something to post about.


On a side-note, many thanks to those that have been my faithful friends, remembering me in your prayers these past weeks. I just re-read my last post and am praising the Lord for pulling me from off the floor. Surely your prayers have contributed to the lifting up.