Letters from Lilongwe

Over the summer I took different songs that I had been listening to often and printed the lyrics and then decided to sing them during my early morning quite times outside.  No one could hear me so I could just sing and it felt so good.  This song is one that really shaped a lot of my worship. Recently I have been asking the Lord to cultivate a culture of praise within Theta Xi and my personal life.  At times I have been frustrated with the Lord and myself for the lack of fruit in both places but when I sit back and rest in the truth that the Father does bring all things to the good of those who love him I see the fruit.  Its slowing coming, its a process, a romance that can not be rushed or forced.  Now its time to walk in this world while the Father romances my soul and I truly learn what Intimacy means! These hands you made to hold yours, my love These feet you shaped to walk with you in our garden These eyes you placed to gaze upon your face These lips you fo

I see education at all levels changing drastically in the duration of my young adult life.  There are masses of money to be made as well as an opportunity to empower the masses in ways previously impossible.  Code.org and other online resources to help children learn to code are amazing because its getting tools into the hands of children early.   Take a look at this video as it steps through the importance of programming and computing skills to be competitive in the future of industry. Some personal thoughts on these new developments of blending technology into our schools is simply that its accelerating the distance between the rich and poor.  Mainly in the realm of education as poor schools continue to degrade while wealthy schools can add in these innovative measures that will place their students at much higher proficiency rates.  Poor schools can hardly teach their students basic mathematics therefore its a tall task to add another vital aspect to primary and secondary e

This song has been doing work on me so I really want to push it along.  Take a listen to this song and think through how it ties into the Civil Rights Movement.  This is part of a very powerful album that I highly recommend listening through. Could a spark of Your love light a fire in me Just a spark warm my cold heart It's the living that breathe When I breathe in Hope I breathe in Create some meaning again And I breathe in, peace will be there Just a stream of love Ohhh This little light's gonna shine With just a spark to light a fire Just a spark Could a spark of Your love light the whole church on fire When we care for our neighbor More than we care for style When we breathe in Hope we breathe in Create some meaning God When we breathe out Peace will breathe out Just to breathe out love This little light's gonna shine With just a spark light a fire Just a spark Just a spark could change the heart Just a s

This morning while reading through Psalm 2 and 3 I came across a passage that at first did not jump out.  Then I reread it and I realized that the predominate  voice that I hear trying to cause me to run from my God speaks these exact words.   I then listen to these words "Let us break their chains, and free ourselves from slavery to God", my flesh desires God, my mind desires God, my soul desires God, but I listen to the thoughts that speak lies.  Speaking that he is not a good father, that he is withholding the goodness of life from me, listening to the same lies spoken in the garden!  God doesn't care you for or he would have access to all of the trees, did he actually say you could not eat from the tree, just give it a try.  Ya these are the same lies just in a different context that we listen to frequently!   I recommend examining the voices coming into your mind and figure out if they are from God, your Self, or the Enemy.   Even in Times of Trial, all i

Yesterday while walking back from my Econ class a Fraternity brother and I were talking about how often Tech Alums really don't use there degree.   He is a CS student and he made the comment that basically the CS degree has some theoretical parts that would be helpful if you decided to study for PhD or Masters Degrees and that the practice experience is just to prove to employers some experience.  As we kept walking I just threw out the idea that we could get rid of the requirement to get a CS degree to get a CS job.   We simply need to figure out some metric to determine which candidate right for the job.   Currently I am enrolled in two Psychology courses at Tech, Abnormal and Personality Theory.  These courses are really interesting even though the Georgia Tech Psychology department is highly theoretical.  My Professor for Personality Theory worked in industry designing recruiting tests that could identify employees who should be directed toward high level management position

There is no end to the affection you have for me , this is a fact that I frequently choose not to remember. Once I remember that my Father in Heaven loves me with no end then the walls of my heart break and allow the Loves of others to penetrate what I desire to keep closed.  My preference out of my own selfish desires is to gaze into the hearts of others while not exposing myself.  But luckily I have a God who transforms me from the inside out, tearing down walls he never designed to be standing, removing the blockades of my self desire. Recently the Lord has been opening my eyes to my own desire to sin and how he knows the recipe to rehabilitate my wandering heart.  He is working but I choose to not listen to his voice and/or not act upon the commands of his mouth.  His discipline sometimes feels like punishment but its rather simply a father guiding a child away from the fire and toward himself. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.   In the begi

Boom, this is going to be a psalm/prayer I am going to sit in for a long time.  This is a great example of praying boldly to ask for blessing, protection, and multiplication from the lord.  Then sitting in the joy that he has placed in our heart, our God is the Lord!  That's one reassuring truth, our God is the Lord of all, ruling and reigning, working all things for our good and for his Glory.  He may be mysterious but I know these simple concepts I know as Truths. All in the Power of the King, Paul Shackelford