Fire Hydrants

That's how I feel right now. Not that its a bad way to feel, but that definitely captures my life the last 20 hours or so.

You see, this past Friday I found out, after six months of intense effort and work, that I will continue to live in the loveliest village on the plains as I attend Auburn University for my graduate studies. I will be working toward a MS in Horticulture (or maybe Fisheries) over the next year and a half or two.

And then yesterday, I had my first formal meeting with two of the professors who will be on my graduate committee and that's when the whole fire hydrant thing kicked into full swing, with unstoppable force. BUT, don't get me wrong! I am pumped about grad school. I have not a single doubt in my heart that this is where the Lord has sovereignly led me to, for a purpose I will only know in time to come. It is just a little intimidating, that's all. I mean, we met for around an hour and covered more odds and ends in that meeting than any other hour of my short life. It was exciting, and intense. I guess those two words, exciting and intense, continue to come up ... I guess that's the best description.

But for my research, it will be interesting ... and according to Dr. Sibley, it has the potential to revolutionize a hurting industry (ie - Fisheries in America). I will be responsible for determining how to take the nutrients produced by the fish (nutrients in the waste water) and use it to grow plants, really any plants in theory, but for now the ones that we know can be sold and make money. First I have to determine which nutrients are available in the waste water and to what degree or concentration they are present. After that, it must be determined what amount of nutrients each species of plant requires, and in what order. That is, do they need to be grown in the first half of their growing period on fish water and then on clear water, or vice versa. Or rather maybe species 'X' doesn't grow well at all on the fish water, and maybe species 'Y' grows ten times better when grown solely off of the fish water. Either way, these are the type of things I am going to be responsible for determining. I feel as though there will be a significantly steep learning curve.

All the while, I am in need a of home. I am kind of like a stray dog right now. I don't really belong anywhere, but soon enough I will. If a buddy can tell me tonight that he will continue to live in Auburn, then I will be living in one of two houses I found today. They are both pretty old, but with a lot to offer. And having lived in a house for the last two years, I definitely want to live in one again. But who knows what will happen?! And I am ok with that, for I belong to One who knows all and to One that nothing comes as a surprise!

And yet, amongst all this ... seemingly chaos ... I received an email from a guy I met a week ago who asked me to get lunch. Why? Because he assumed I felt overwhelmed and needed a heads up on the life of a grad student. So, I am having lunch with him next week, prepared to get the inside scoop on grad student life. I am very grateful for this. I fill I am in need of anything that might help me gain some confidence, and the Lord being aware of the needs of his children, has graciously provided me this opportunity, even before I asked.

But, as I say that I don't feel confident, or that things are intimidating, I realize the foolishmness coming out of my mouth, because I have every reason to be supremely confident ... not because I am able ... namely it is because of the opposite ... that is because most things are impossible with me. And my track records shows this lack of success. But as I just read this morning, "With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God." (Mark 10:27)! This has got to be one of the greatest promises of all Scripture. Consider, that salvation is certainly not possible through my obedience and natural goodness (or yours or anyones), for my own natural goodness is actually as filthy rags and is not goodness at all. My natural bent is toward anger and wrath, selfishness and pride, and these certainly do not exhort me toward humble submission to the Great I Am! But, salvation is not only possible but complete in the great power and work of my Heavenly Father. He has sent a great and remarkable answer to this staggering problem we face ... His name is Jesus Christ. For the Bible even says, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Th 5:9)!

So that's why I am confident, even as Adam and my feeble and weak flesh may shutter and shake every now and then, but in my heart and in my soul, I rest confident not in myself, but the in the One who has loved me and gave himself for me!

Fire hydrants!?

PLEASE!