How great though art

The flames in the fire place are now nothing but glowing red embers.
The candles are burning down to a small wax nothing.
But here in the dark as the smoke makes a smell pleasing to the nostrils,
our prayers go up in meaningful songs of exhaltation.
How great though art, how great though art.

"The report is not good... your reflection is a beast."

I'm currently enrolled in what will be my heaviest semester yet. 19.5 credits, plus a job, and all the other responsibilities that come with life. Surprisingly, I am looking forward to this semester very much. Since this is my fifth year I no longer feel like a typical college student. Actually, I'm not sure I ever did. Nonetheless, this semester is all about classes and not college life.

One of my last theology classes is Christianity at Work. A coworker of mine, who attends Central Bible College, says not even his school would stoop so low for a title. Regardless, the course has my attention so far. Our initial text is a book called Character is Destiny by Pepperdine ethics professor Russel Gough.

I am only read through the second chapter, but I have to say so far the book has achieved it's purpose. It calls for self reflection. It probably helps that I have been doing a little of that already, but the book has been a catalyst for me to go deeper. Surprisingly, what I am finding about myself is not surprising.

I lack motivation. I was asking myself what it is I live for and it is not much aside from my normal roles of Fiance, Student, Employee, and Friend. Of course, like any person, I could use some improvement in all of those categories. But what I am most concerned with is my ability to give up on the challenging things.

With goals of getting into better shape, recording and producing more music, and saving for a wedding and married life, that is quickly approaching, most of those things to some extent have been mere ideas. As I read this book I pray the Lord to help me motivate myself and accomplish the tasks ahead of me.

My professor told a story of his college days. A story of when he asked a close female friend what she though of him. The friends answer: The report is not good. When he evaluated himself and saw a lot of talk followed by little action, he realized in his reflection was a beast.