founder's week-
i walk down to moody church, arriving 45 minutes early each time. instead of sitting in the balcony or in the seats on the floor, i walk to a room that is next to backstage. the room i enter reminds me of those NASA scenes from apollo 13. people are buzzing around, checking mics, checking iris (light exposure) levels, headsets, a ready supply of chocolate (caramel, milk, crispy), peanuts, water and soda, breakfast pastries in the a.m., pizza in the p.m., computer monitors, tv monitors, powerpoint, cameras, tripods, fun, technical...yet strangely relaxed. mon night a friend and i were in charge of iris levels...and that segment will eventually be put on satellite tv, which we will appear in the credits...(which really isn't that big of a deal...but it is our first credited thing, so it makes me smile...) tonight i was able to work camera 3 from the balcony (which i previously had touched like one time for less than five minutes...) you learn as you go...and i guess spontaneouty (how do you spell that word???) is a big part.
i had so much fun, learned so much, and i guess it just adds affirmation that i am studying the right things, doing the right major...

i am currently reading genesis 22 where abraham is told to sacrifice isaac...as i was reading, i noticed how many times (13 times) the phrase, "his son," or "his only son" is used in the passage. throughout the journey to the mountain where the sacrifice will take place those words constantly remind

his son
his only son

and abraham had amazing faith

God had promised abraham a son...and he believed God...and it was credited to him as righteousness
then God tells him to take that son (that promise) and sacrifice him
so abraham took the three day journey...each step probably heavier than the first...his son carrying the wood on which he would be sacrificed
yet as they set out, abraham tells his servants who will remain behind
"WE will worship and then WE will return..."
isaac asks his father where the offering will come from
and abraham replies confidently that God would Himself provide the sacrifice

faith

knowing and believing the promises of God

being willing
trusting
surrendering

walking forward...sometimes crawling,
unfaltering
despite the unknown

to sacrifice those promises before God
knowing that HE WOULD PROVIDE

YAHWEH YIREH (the Lord will provide)

abraham binds isaac to the alter

he has the knife, poised to slaughter his son...his only son

But God intervened, he provided the sacrifice...a ram in the thicket...

the Lord will provide
His Son...His only Son

every gift that God gives...it is so we may give Him the glory...laying it before Him as an act of worship
surrender
faith

and it is only an act of His grace through which we accomplish this