An infographic for Freedom Sunday at Regeneration. Download as PDF.

Blaise Pascal, one evening, recorded a spiritual experience he had. It affected him so much that he sewed it into the lining of his coat until his death. He titled it The Memorial:

L’an de grâce 1654,

Lundi, 23 novembre, jour de saint Clément, pape et martyr, et autres au martyrologe.
Veille de saint Chrysogone, martyr, et autres,
Depuis environ dix heures et demie du soir jusques environ minuit et demi,

FEU.

« DIEU d’Abraham, DIEU d’Isaac, DIEU de Jacob »
non des philosophes et des savants.
Certitude. Certitude. Sentiment. Joie. Paix.
DIEU de Jésus-Christ.
Deum meum et Deum vestrum.
« Ton DIEU sera mon Dieu. »
Oubli du monde et de tout, hormis DIEU.
Il ne se trouve que par les voies enseignées dans l’Évangile.
Grandeur de l’âme humaine.
« Père juste, le monde ne t’a point connu, mais je t’ai connu. »
Joie, joie, joie, pleurs de joie.
Je m’en suis séparé:
Dereliquerunt me fontem aquae vivae.
« Mon Dieu, me quitterez-vous ? »
Que je n’en sois pas séparé éternellement.
« Cette est la vie éternelle, qu’ils te connaissent seul vrai Dieu, et celui que tu as envoyé, Jésus-Christ. »
Jésus-Christ.
Jésus-Christ.
Je m’en suis séparé; je l’ai fui, renoncé, crucifié.
Que je n’en sois jamais séparé.
Il ne se conserve que par les voies enseignées dans l’Évangile:
Renonciation totale et douce.
Soumission totale à Jésus-Christ et à mon directeur.
Éternellement en joie pour un jour d’exercice sur la terre.
Non obliviscar sermones tuos. Amen.

“FIRE… certainty, heartfelt joy, peace,” he cries. “Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy.”

View the full version on Flickr.

Inspired from Genesis 28:16.

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I totally enjoyed our Freshmen Retreat Off Campus, a little shindig the staff and senior class here at Intervarsity put on for the freshmen class. We invited a group of freshmen in our fellowship out to Oakland for a weekend of Acts manuscript study and hangout time with our class. I led a seminar that went over the sexual struggles of Christian men and gave some principles to fight the battle with (we titled it “Band of Brothers: The Man Seminar” or succinctly, “The Man-inar”). It was rather healing; telling my story and finding rapport and even grace with other bros. Other fellow seniors led seminars ranging from time management to campus engagement to relationships to spiritual disciplines.

All in all, we definitely had a blast this week. We’re glad the frosh enjoyed the weekend, and we definitely see tons of potential in their community.

Now that much of the craziness is over (just for now), I promise to start writing more. There’s a lot I have to tell you about. If you haven’t discovered it yet, I keep short updates of my life over on my Twitter feed. Think of it as a place where I just tell you inane details of my life (“I’m eating a cheeseburger!”, “I can’t believe my professor just called us twits!”).

I also really, really, really miss design. I’ve got a few pieces I can’t wait to show you all. And I have tons of photos to update. Egads, this is going to be fun.

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I think this is the reason why I find it extraordinarily hard to say “no” to people. And it’s why I find it hard not to go the extra mile.

I retook my Meyers-Briggs profile a few weeks back and came out as a pretty convincing ESFJ. Booyeah, it’s pretty money.

So, how much do I just say “that’s who I am” and how much do I submit to the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in me? Perfection and people-pleasing and new life in Jesus, those are essays in themselves.