International Dinner & 1 John

I promised a blog after dinner: here it is! : )

I had a great time. I love the international dinner. I love experiencing different cultures, foods, accents, and traditions. Last year was a success and so was this year.

We were able to sample some unique cuisine (some of it better than others), and some of it was really quite good! We also got to see some traditional cultural dances, hear some traditional songs, and see some cultural clothing. I think this has become a yearly tradition for me. I plan on going next year.

So, I just got done reading my Bible for the night. I am so excited because I am starting 1 John. I remember as a child listening to a someone preach out of 1 John. He said something to the affect of God saving the best for last. He said that God didn't end with Peter who tends to be harsh, but He ends with three books that talk about love (of course then there is Jude and Revelation, but I knew what he meant). I have always loved these books. When I first became a Christian (at age 12), I often doubted my faith—was it real? If so, why didn't I feel different. I often read 1 John as a source of comfort and as a way to take captive those thoughts.

1 John chapter 2 says, "Here's how we can be sure that we know God in the right way: keep his commandments...But the one who keeps God's word is the person in whom we see God's mature love...Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of life Jesus lived."

I love this passage of scripture. It both reaffirms my faith and challenges me to live like Jesus.

On that note, I must be off to study, but here is a thought from Oswald Chambers for the day, "The true test of a saint's life is not successfulness but faithfulness on the human level of life...our purpose should be to display the glory of God in human life, to live a life "hidden with Christ in God" in our everyday human conditions."