I finally figured out how to post pictures, so this should hopefully add a nice accent to my blog. Here is picture of me making my first snow angel. (Actually, I might have made one before in Texas, but it's been so long, I don't really remember what it was like. Much fun!!

Freedom's Way (A poem dedicated to Dr. Don Whitney)

God is holy love and faithful, ever blessing, kind and graceful, Commanding us to discipline, He through it weaning hearts from sin And laziness, which long to go unnoticed and to steal the joy of both His, Presence and His likeness seen in holy authenticity. So help us now to train our minds to closely watch our lives and please remind, Us also our doctrine to heed, lest we limit love's flight speed, Into the hearts of all involved, thus the mystery of sin solved, By Christ implanting faith inside hearts hearing, seeing faithful gospel guides, Through steady, purposed discipline, proselytizing joy and freedom, Making celestial city's light become the beacon shining sight Along this Pilgrim way, until the day when He will say, Your work is done now through the Son Enter into happiness, never to forget or dare suppress The grace that brought you through it all, to see the face of Christ, Immanuel!

Long time no blog!

Wow,
I would like to apologize for being so unfaithful to my blog in the month of December. Since I am not planning on taking any j-term classes though, I do not begin again until January 30th. I have been traveling quite a bit over our winter break, which has been both refreshing and insightful. The time to get away, reflect, and see friends and family has been much desired and needed. Also, for those who do not already know, I have met and begun courting a girl here named Sarah Odom. She is wonderful, and I am anxious for many of you to have a chance to meet her. The Lord has truly blessed our relationship so far, as I pray He would continue to into the future, so long as He is pleased to do so. Please join me in prayer for this, seeing as it is only Christ who is able to grant unity, holiness, and obedience. Thanks!

Looking back at my first semester here at Southern, I think the most important thing that the Lord has taught me is that Christ is the Lord of all things, even the things which to some may seem shallow. The Lord has been pleased to reveal to me many of the deeper truths of His word and His person in my time here thus far, yet these truths only serve to make me more appreciate the truths that He has already shown me, never do they replace them. Newly revealed truth of God never replaces but enhances and strengthens previously revealed truth! Oh the danger I have felt recently in even listening to a song with a simple truth and then finding myself becoming critical of it because it did not reveal a deeper truth. Lord, please guard my heart from such un-Christlike pride. May we never settle for simple truth, but always long to go deeper, yet never view the simple as deserved, but grace also. As I've thought about how to most effectively and creatively convey to you a few of the things that the Lord has taught me in each of my classes, I have decided to write a poem about each one. I am still working on them, but expect them within the next week. I am going to plan on posting a new post to my blog each Saturday morning, so if you would like, check back then for more. Again, I thank you so much for your prayers and may the thought of Jesus produce more affection and excitement in your heart than any other thought.

Blessings! jason

PS Sarah and I will be coming to Texas from January 13-16th and would love to see as many of you as possible. We are planning on coming to Central on Sunday for worship, so I'm sure we'll see many of you there! Til then.