Waves of regret, waves of joy

I reached out for the one I tried to destroy.
You, you said you'd wait till the end of the world.
-U2, Until the End of the World

I think I might agree with Spin Magazine on their number one choice. But just like I forgot how amazing this song by U2 is (especially when viewed through the lens of Judas), I forgot how much this book helped me this summer. And continues to. Two quotes for you, the first for background:

"I firmly believe that the Land Between--that space where we feel lost or lonely or deeply hurt--is fertile ground for our spiritual transformation and for God's grace to be revealed in magnificent ways." -Jeff Manion

"The climate of the Land Between can be so harsh that neutrality is not an option. The conditions have a way of either drawing us toward God or driving us away from him. While the desert is the ideal climate for transformational growth, it is also the place where faith can shrivel and die. Refuse to cave in to a pattern of complaint. A spirit of complaint is lethal to the trust that God intends to grow. As you journey through the Land Between, remember that God desires your trust more than anything else. The question he will ask repeatedly is the same question he asked Abraham, Joseph, and Moses: Will you trust me? In the barren landscape of wilderness God desires to forge a relationship of trust.
Remember that God cares deeply for you. Remember that nothing can separate you from his love. He sees, he knows, and he is concerned. In your weary fatigue, pour out your heart to him. His shoulders are strong enough to bear your confusion and frustration. Turn toward God and speak candidly about your pain and disappointment. He really wants to hear from you and can absorb whatever it is you have to say. But turn to him in trust and hope, believing that he is there, that he is wise, and that he is at work. Trust that God will provide. In your season of shortage, open your hands to receive his blessing and provision. He loves to provide. It is a reflection of his generous giving heart." -Jeff Manion

So Long, Study Guilt

This morning marks the first Saturday in the past three or so that I have not woken with 'study guilt.' With graduate school midterms out of the way (for better or for worse), the pressing burden of having to study literally all day has fled and the result is a most joyous exuberance.

In the realm of the blogosphere, my presence has not graced it for over a month. And my presence here now will be brief, only tossing a few gems your way.

First, I had been reading The Jesus Storybook Bible as my nightly devotion reading for the past couple months and I finished it! As I plugged it when I first started reading it, I recommend it even more highly here! Sally Lloyd-Jones does an outstanding job of showing how the entire Bible points to Jesus. So if you have kids, if you work with kids, or if you just want to be refreshed by hearing Bible Stories at a child's level again, please pick up your own copy.

Second, since I tweeted this amongst exams, I reiterate it here. Here are four albums you absolutely have to pick up and are my front runners for the best albums of this year:

Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt
Javiera Mena - Mena
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs