A bit o' filler

I honestly don't have much to talk about, the last two days have been mainly comprised of work but here's a little bit:

The countertops came out rather nicely and the owners seemed pleased. That is always a good sign. There was another small fire today, started by a truck that had a blown out tire (I assume that the rim causes sparks on the road).

Last night some people from the local Sunday School class got together for a little "end of the year" party. There was lots of finger food such as chips, little hotdogs, some pizza etc. In other words, all great stuff to eat :) Afterwards the women gathered around and played "Cranium" while the men sat in another room playing "Chicken Foot," a variation of dominos. I mingled around and sat in the men's room most of the time, listening and reading from my book (commentary on Hebrews). It rather surprised me that only one person said "hi" to me, I half expected that the people in the Sunday School class my parents go to (and that I went to) would ask me how school went the last semester, they haven't seen me in over three months. But then again I don't feel like I know them very well so perhaps they hadn't noticed I was gone :)

I was thinking about prayer yesterday and remembering my father reading Foxe's book of Martyrs to us children many years ago and the story of James I believe it was, and how his knees were like camel's knees because he knelt in prayer so often (he knelt in prayer immediately before they threw him from the temple if memory serves me correctly). Of course that is just tradition, it may or may not have happened but as I was just thinking about it, the thought crossed my mind, or a question really, why did James pray so much? Why did he have that desire? And I realized that a great part of it would be that he missed Jesus, after being with Him through so much and coming to adore Him, and then being absent from His bodily presence for a time, I can imagine the lonliness there. It was this that made me realize that I have come to miss Jesus too, I do wish to meet Him face to face, to behold His glory and truly worship and love Him. Right now (as I have said before) I feel as though I have a heart of stone, insensitive and hard toward what my Lord did for me, I greatly desire a soft heart, a heart of flesh that I might love Him more, with all of my being! Too often I read the Bible simply for knowledge, that I might impress someone else or not appear ignorant to some others, such pride stifles me, if I am not reading the Bible to learn more of Jesus and try to imitate Him in love, in actions, in humbleness, then I am not profiting from the Scriptures very much. When I pray is it with the realization that I am speaking to Him? Is it that "real" to me? Do I pray because I do want to talk to Him, more and more? Do I miss Him?

The old King mused upon his life,
His rule upon the throne,
He sadly remembered all the strife,
The sins that he had done.

The many houses that he'd burned,
The leader whose death arranged,
The many pleadings that he'd spurned,
The men whose lives estranged.

He sadly shook his old grey head
At pains caused o'er the years.
The cries still heard within his head,
The eyes that brimmed with tears.

A sob burst forth and wracked his frame
Withered by his age,
The bed began to squeak his name
As in accusing rage.

Then in the window slipped a man,
Clothed in naught but rags,
He partly stumbled and partly ran
Amidst great wealth in bags.

"Oh King!" He stammered, and fell to the floor
"I was so afraid to come!
I could not stay me any more,
Or remain asleep at home.

"My Saviour has commanded to:
'Go and preach my name.'
This always will I strive to do
Lest I should bring Him shame.

"My family was roughly torn from me
And I put in a cell,
My wife died in my arms yet she
Still then! Did wish you well.

Oh king, you've done no little thing,
Your heart, no man can heal.
I cannot, myself, forgiveness bring,
Only show you One who will."

Then unto him he folded out
The story of his Lord,
His life and how He went about
As written in His word.

The One, whom though He had no sin,
Died as though He had,
That those who should believe in Him
In eternal life are clad.

Yet in the grave He did not remain,
Kept silent by nails and cord,
For three days after He'd been slain,
He was the risen Lord!

He taught His followers many things
Before He had to leave,
Then left, to prepare, where saints will sing,
A home for they who believe.

The old king's eyes began to brim
But now t'was tears of joy!
The hope of a new chance for him,
Oh dared his soul employ?

"Indeed you may, repent! Believe!
Accept as Lord and Saviour
Him whose life will yours conceive,
In Christ, the great Redeemer."

The king soon died, his lips yet smiling
For he, this Bible-hater,
Had bowed his head to his new King,
A king, whose power was greater.