Tuesday
Jan022007
A New Year and a New Bowl of Oatmeal
Bernie Anderson
The sun is rising on Januarly 2nd here, and I sit in my kitchen eating a bowl imported Russian oatmeal. I usually eat imported German oatmeal. However, the Russian stuff is chunkier. I am enjoying a cup of American Imported Starbucks. That's quite nice. It's a new year and time to do new things. I would like to say that I have reslved to "Blog more" this year - but I don't want to commit myself. Maybe I should resolve to drink more coffee? Too easy...
The New Year was celebrated in Ulaanbaatar with quite a fury of activity. The square (Suhkbaatar Square at the City Center) was fully decorated with lights and concert stages and food booths. There were fireworks at midnight (and all night long, really. Our dog was freaking out), as well as endless repetition of "The Happy New Year Song" by ABBA. (note: neither of us had heard of this song prior to moving to Mongolia. It is officially the most overplayed song in the country during the month of December.) We didn't join the festivities at the square, but we did have an enjoyable New Year's Eve with some new friends from several different organizations working in the city. We played games and ate pizza. We also spent a large chunk of New Year's Day with team members. We had a prolonged breakfast, good conversation and sweet time of prayer. All in all, a good day.
This morning, I am breaking open my new ESV Journaling Bible, with a freshly printed Discipleship Journal Yearly Bible Reading Guide. In perusing other blog's, I came across a link to this site: 10 questions for the New Year. I am finding this a really healthy excercise. There are actually 31 questions (if you read the entire page). I am taking one question per day and meditating on the possible answers, then logging in my journal the outcome of my thinking. The first question on the list is a pivotal one, I believe: What's one thing I can do this year to increase my enjoyment of God?
This morning I read Psalm 1. I think it's a key to the answer.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalms 1:1-2 ESV)
I think a key to delight is meditation; to let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. 2007 will be a full year of learning Mongolian for us. However, it is my desire to enjoy God more in the process. A key, as I understand it, is allowing God's word to so permeate the mind and the heart that there is genuine and utter delight in it. Other delights taste less sweet. God becomes all. My goal for this year is to delight in the Law of the Lord. It is perfect. It satisifes the soul. It is definitely better than Russian oatmeal.
The New Year was celebrated in Ulaanbaatar with quite a fury of activity. The square (Suhkbaatar Square at the City Center) was fully decorated with lights and concert stages and food booths. There were fireworks at midnight (and all night long, really. Our dog was freaking out), as well as endless repetition of "The Happy New Year Song" by ABBA. (note: neither of us had heard of this song prior to moving to Mongolia. It is officially the most overplayed song in the country during the month of December.) We didn't join the festivities at the square, but we did have an enjoyable New Year's Eve with some new friends from several different organizations working in the city. We played games and ate pizza. We also spent a large chunk of New Year's Day with team members. We had a prolonged breakfast, good conversation and sweet time of prayer. All in all, a good day.
This morning, I am breaking open my new ESV Journaling Bible, with a freshly printed Discipleship Journal Yearly Bible Reading Guide. In perusing other blog's, I came across a link to this site: 10 questions for the New Year. I am finding this a really healthy excercise. There are actually 31 questions (if you read the entire page). I am taking one question per day and meditating on the possible answers, then logging in my journal the outcome of my thinking. The first question on the list is a pivotal one, I believe: What's one thing I can do this year to increase my enjoyment of God?
This morning I read Psalm 1. I think it's a key to the answer.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalms 1:1-2 ESV)
I think a key to delight is meditation; to let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. 2007 will be a full year of learning Mongolian for us. However, it is my desire to enjoy God more in the process. A key, as I understand it, is allowing God's word to so permeate the mind and the heart that there is genuine and utter delight in it. Other delights taste less sweet. God becomes all. My goal for this year is to delight in the Law of the Lord. It is perfect. It satisifes the soul. It is definitely better than Russian oatmeal.
Reader Comments (1)
I can vouch for those last two sentences Bernie. Enjoy God man! D