Woo Hoo!! INTERNET!!

As of yesterday afternoon, my roommates and I finally got high-speed internet in our apartment - YES!! Anyway, we've been without internet since we officially moved out of the dorms July 11... we have all been amazed at how much we depend on internet and email. It's almost the equivalent to not having a phone - weird. Welcome to the 21st century.

Not much has really happened the last few weeks since I posted, so don't feel jipped - you didn't miss anything in the oh-so-exciting life of Donna Millard. Most of my time has been consumed with work and moving in... I think we're pretty settled in. Good thing, since classes start on Monday... where did the summer go?? Anyway, we have a new addition to our little family: Chips the parakeet.



Ain't he cute?

Other than that, not much has happened. Well, except that I am currently fighting a kidney infection/UTI (I know - WAAAAAAY too much information for some of you). Talk about knocking me on my tush - I have been sick for almost a week and I'm just beginning to feel relatively normal. A few more days of antibiotics, gallons and gallons of water, and cranberry juice (ick) and I should be fine. However, it did come just in time to ruin my camping/fishing plans for the weekend (see my friend Robbie's blog for more info). Ah well - the Lord knew, and it proved to be a very restful weekend.

Also, during this time I have been able to spend more concentrated time in the Scriptures and reading this incredible book, Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey. I don't have time to really delve into it, but it talks about the issue of people who separate religion and their real world (i.e. science, politics, economics, lifestyle). It's amazing and very revealing. What is sad is that even professing Christians are often guilty of adopting practices and ideas that are inconsistent with a biblical worldview but have no problem with it, because they say, "Yes, well, this doesn't have anything to do with my faith," when in fact as a follower of Christ EVERYTHING in our lives is related to our faith. NOTHING in our lives is separate from our relationship with God. That includes beliefs of science, politics, economics, work ethic, relationships, materialism, recreation, EVERYTHING. The thing is, everyone functions in some form of faith system, even in they don't realize it, Pearcey says. We are creatures of worship - it is part of who we are, by God's design. However, because of sin we displace God and worship other things in its place, allowing it to form the way we look at the world... it can be anything: science, a person, a desire, materialism, anything. As followers of Christ, we must live in the reality of who God as who He says He is and who we are in relation to that truth. Are we? Where are our inconsistencies? What untruth have we adopted?

The thing I've noticed over the last year as I have been more bold in sharing the Gospel with others is that some skeptics love to try to confound Christians and put them on the defense, trying to point out weaknesses in their arguments. However, if you put their beliefs and views up to the same test, they realize that their views are extremely inconsistent and that a true biblical worldview proves consistent with all parts of reality. However, if you are a follower of Christ, you should be sure that you know what a true biblical worldview looks like and that you are consistently striving toward that true biblical worldview through the grace of God. If you are not a follower of Christ, what are you putting your faith in? Is it a reliable source? How can you be sure? Are you ideas consistent with reality? These are important questions that everyone should ask themselves - it's the difference between life and death.

Ravi Zacharias, a former Hindu and now world-renouned apologetic speaker and philosopher, says that after studying and breaking down many of the major (and minor) religions of the world, Christianity is the only one that he found to stand as the most consistent and the most logical religion. It's a strong statement, but it's a statement I will stand by as well. I am constantly having to struggle and wrestle with difficult questions and nagging doubts, but God is faithful to grant us to find Him when we search for Him with all our heart (Jeremiah 29:13). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10, Job 28:28) - so find out who this God is.

Check out the book, Total Truth. The woman who wrote it is actually a former Athiest who after years of searching and questioning has drawn the same conclusion as Zacharias and defends the importance of a true biblical worldview in a world full of postmodernism and inconsistencies. Truth is NOT relative, so you better be sure that what you believe is really truth.