who killed mr. body?

My name was Mercedes Accelleratti. I was clad in a black evening gown, hair piled high and jewels hanging from my neck, lobes, and wrists. After all I was a rich roman with a passion for interior design. A cast of eight close friends dressed for times during the Roman Empire surrounded the modern dining table of my friend's house. The roles, four females and four males and one dead mr. body, who didn't arrive, but we heard about from an 'imperial guard' who entered after a short time. Come to find out that the missing dead Mr. Body was my "husband,"... Flabbius Corpus, a writer, a poet by trade -- a wielder of unveiling secrets and best friend to Licentius Caesar . So who killed him? Not even the murder him/herself knew. Eight suspected killers dressed in their best roman evening wear... a sheet/toga and tinfoil bands, and loads of makeup -- sat leisurely around the dining table casually dining on the delicacies set before them. It was an evening not soon to be forgotten. As the plot unfolded we dove deeper into conversation, each assuming the role laid out for them in their game booklet. Austin (aka Harangus Adnauseum) had an affair with Simone (aka Rotunda Immaculata, the Vestal Virgin) and wanted to run away with his sister, Lisa (aka Cleptopatra) who was in love with her sister Grace (who had to play a man's role, aka Licentius Caesar), and I was appearantly in love with Johanna (who also had to play a man's role as Maximus Testosterus). And don't forget Bogus Fortunatus, played by the lovely Suzanna (another woman in a man's role) and Flotilla Submergia played by Anne.

Well, I wish I could do this evening justice in this blog-piece. Let's just say, everyone should enjoy a great round of a Murder Mystery Dinner. This one was particularly called, How to Host a Murder: Roman Ruins. They are way fun! When I get photos emailed to me, you may have the opportunity of seeing this with your own eyes.

why don't you just go fish-off

I don't know what possessed me, but I rose at 5am Saturday morning before the crack of dawn to be up and out in time to catch some fish on the lake at the cabin this spring break. Tearing the sleep out of my eyes I dressed in warm clothes and threw on my pink UT beanie and headed out the door to the big pick up truck. six of us plus the driver piled in and took off down the dirt road to the other side of the lake where the "good-spot-to-fish" was. The ride was pretty silent 'cept the low roar of the ol' jalopy. Ben, our driver and the only male on the trip, had planned to take some el natural photos while he was out this fine early morning. He was sipping on a much envied cup of java as he kept his gaze on the narrow dirt road. The aroma filled the interior of the truck. Mmm. Mmm. Good. My mouth salivated. I quickly swallowed. Bass and catfish. That's what we were out to get. For the bass we had funky luers and for the catfish all we had were chunks of Double K Hotdogs. No joke. When we got to the lake side we grabbed our poles and begun our two hour fishing expedition. I returned to the cabin with not even a bite. I enjoyed the calm cool morning at the lake none-the-less. Atleast Chit-Chat hadn't risen with us and it was perhaps my one quiet two hours without the incessent clatter that entire day. Rising early did have it's benefits. It did indeed.

don't cry for me, o medina

Cool clear water running down stream deep enough to swim in and glide over -- the Medina River, the best place to be for this spring break. I had oodles of fun innertubing and then kayaking through the currents and over the 4-ft (honest-to-God) water fall. It was so relaxing on the hot March afternoon. Even got to wear my new strawberry bikini... yeah! hello tan lines... (ok, ok, so I'm still not dark, but HEY, I got some sun and that's what counts. I did! I did!) Once in a while I would easily get ahead of the pack and would turn my kayak aboutface and paddle upstream... talk about a workout. Sweet. A tan and and workout. How lucky was I over spring break!?

no more monkeys jumping on the bed!

(shaking pointer finger and shaking head)

On sharing a room, but not sharing a bed.

I refuse to sleep in a bunkbed anymore. For the last five years I have had to sleep on a bunk, and I think it is about time for me to give it up. Heck, I'm too old for that. I want to be able to sit up in bed and not worry about bonking my head into the top bunk or the ceiling should I get the top (considering my new room mate is older than me). One thing is for sure, the next time I share a bed with some one it will be a queen-size with my husband. My new roommate arrives tomorrow evening. So I can kiss lazy-evenings-of-milling-around-listening-to-music, and late-night-calls-while-laying-in-bed, along with running-into-my-room-with-only-a-towel-around-my-body-after-a-shower, and sleeping-in-the-nude(or nearly nude) officially "goodbye." Oops! did I admit to that?! Well, it gets HOT here people! I mean, it probably wouldn't bother me, but I can only imagine what a fright it would be for my roommate. Let's see, all I know about her is that she's 30-something; originally from Malaysia via London, England; and supposedly acts younger than her age. Oh whee! (this is me trying to be excited). I'm sorry I was just enjoying having some space to myself. Having been surrounded by over ten girls for the last two years could cause that reaction in anyone. Anyways, I'll write more when I get the full 4-1-1 on her in the nearer future.

waiting

Wait on the Lord
Be of good courage
And He will strengthen thine heart.
Wait I say on the Lord.

They that wait on Jehovah will renew their strength,
They will mount up with wings as eagles,
They will run and not grow weary,
They will walk and not faint,
Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait.

To wait on the Lord is just to love Him.

My intention is to wait. My intention is to wait on the Lord. Yet that which I intend to do I do not do. But that which I will not to do, that I do. Wretched woman that I am. Who will deliever me from this body of my flesh? I need a Hero. I need another life to live by. Another life to love by. Oh how I need to see Him. With just one look I am able to wait, to love Him with my best love. His gaze melts me. Subdues me. Draws me closer to Him. Lord, just look at me.

Search me o God and know my heart.
Try me and know my thoughts.
See if there be any wicked way in me.
Lead me in the way everlasting.

The heart is deciteful above all things
And desperately wicked,
Who can know it?

Lord, You know the depths of my heart. So search it out and burn all that does not match You away. Then infuse me with Your very self. May Your life in me overcome all the death in me. May you have a way to recover all the parts of my heart that are not possessed by You.

mystery: the same as He is

From the previous entry it is no surprise that God's Will in His economy is altogether wrapped up in these two great mysteries Christ and the church. The church is not a physical building on a street corner. The church is the Body of Christ. So the church is just Christ. Christ plus nothing else. Actually it is only the Christ in you that is the church. Just as Eve was built out of Adam's rib and is altogether a duplication/extension of him, the church was built out of Christ and is a duplication/extension of Himself. On the cross when Christ was pierced out flowed blood and water. The blood was for redeeming us from our fallen state and the water was for regenerating us with His divine life. This divine life imparted into his believers at their regeneration has the full capacity to work out God's eternal desire to bring us unto full maturity to be His counterpart, the Church, His Body and Bride, His eternal expression. Afterall, our God cannot marry something not of His species, His kind. Just as man does not marry monkey or dog, God could never marry man if He had not become a man Himself (a Godman, fully God and fully man at the same time) and if He had not as a Godman redeemed man through His death and became the life-giving Spirit in His resurrection to impart His divine life into man. This is a deep mystery, that sinners could be begotten of God and become the same as He is in life and nature but never in the Godhead. It's no wonder that the infinite God of this universe became a finite man. He Himself became a man so that this finite man could receive Him as his life to live by Him and grow unto maturity in His life for the corporate expression of God manifested in the flesh, which is the Church, the Body of Christ. (1 Timothy 3:15-16). "...and confessedly great is the mystery of godliness, God manifested in the flesh..." Setting aside our own preference and lives and letting Him live again in and through us is what Paul meant by "exercising ourselves unto godliness." When this happens the very God who became the man Jesus really lives again in man. When the Lord gains the cooperation of His many Sons (His chosen and redeemed people) the result is a corporate expression, the church. What a mystery this is! Woah, this is getting deep and profound. But I love it.

great is the mystery

Well, firstly I wanted to say that the matter of God's will is actually disputed by many people. I think what one had said about being 'selfish' was actually right on the mark... I mean, not that we intend to be selfish, but we just are. Think about it. Whenever we inquire about God's will we are always asking 'what is God's will for my life?' When really we should be asking 'What is God's will?' and 'How can I join myself to His heart's desire on this earth?' I think this would make the Lord very happy to have some on this earth who would care for His interest over their own.

And I was also encouraged by the comment to seek out what the Bible has to say about God's Will. And in my study I have found that the Bible has a lot to say on God's Will. Infact it has a lot to do with two mysteries mentioned in the Bible. The first mystery being Christ, who is the mystery of God (Colossians 2:2). And the second mystery being the Church, which is His Body; being the mystery of Christ(Ephesians 3:4).

God's will began in eternity past with His good pleasure. . .There are a few verses that must be read when considering what is God's will. Those verses are Ephesians chapter 1, especially verses 5, 8-10, 22-23, and Eph. 3:9.

Let's read Ephesians 1:9-11 "making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in the heavens and which are on the earth-in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will."

According to the Greek text, His good pleasure can also be referred to as His economy (oikonmia-"household administration, household law, household dispensation" which is to parcel out, to dispense). For this purpose to be 'purposed in Himself' means that it was purposed in eternity, because our God is an eternal God. So, we can see from these verses that our God has something that makes Him happy; and this is called His good pleasure. So with this good pleasure He set His will to plan everything according to the working out of His good pleasure. And this will of His motivates Him to purpose in His heart to accomplish His good pleasure. So what is it exactly that makes God happy, you might ask. It makes our Father happy to be expressed in His many Sons. How is this possible? God's Economy. And God's economy is simply this:

To dispense Himself in Christ into His chosen and redeemed people that He may have a house to express Himself, which house is the church, the Body of Christ.

We know from Gal. 1:15-16, ("But when it pleased God,... to reveal His Son in me,") that it pleases God to reveal His Son in us. So it is the Christ in you(Col. 1:27) that really makes Him happy.

If we read 1 Tim 3:15-16 we can see that the church is the house of the living God. The Greek word for house in this verses corresponds to the Greek word for household in earlier in this book and also for "economy" (see above). The church as the house of God is a corporate house in which are many members, many Sons of God.

And we know also in Colossians 1:19 that "it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell." And in Ephesians 1:22-23 Paul says, "And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, Which is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. So Christ is the Head of the Body and the church is the Body of Christ. So from Galatians 1:15-16 and Colossians 1:19 we can see that two things really pleases God, makes Him happy; Christ and the church.

Hmmm... This is becoming a very long blog topic. . . Perhaps I will contunue on this line if anyone else is interested.

hello, blatter infection. so nice to meet you.

So I am serving the Lord in Austin. It has been sweet, no doubt. I even had my own room for a couple of weeks. But that is about to change real quick. I am gaining (*still trying to see it as a positive thing) a roommate in about seven days. I found out that she is Malaysian, over 30 (but acts younger), and could possibly have an English accent (since she is coming from London, that could be fun). However, as is, my room is really quite small. And I really don't like the idea of sharing it with someone. I need personal space. A place to hide away from the business of life. A place to chill. A safe haven. Oh man. (perhaps I should be calling, Oh Lord! instead). Our apartment will have four people with one bathroom. Yes, so that means one toilet, one shower. Oh joy. As it stands right now I can never pee when I need to with just the three of us here. Can you say,. . .*cringe*