“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” -Romans 13:12
Thoughts
Before creation, there was silence and darkness: God spoke (breaking the silence) and created light (breaking the darkness).
Our sin (Total Depravity) returned us to a state of darkness and silence away from God our creator.
In the song, darkness is called “my old friend.”
In the song, the main character “walks alone” (apart from God).
In the song, the main character has his darkness and silence (state of sin) broken into by the neon light. This light is like Christ being born to save us.
After the light enters the darkness, the main character sees “10000 people maybe more” and HEARS songs and words and is no longer alone in the darkness.
Christ brings us out of our state of sin, darkness, and silence
Christ restores us to the light and sound of creation before sin broke our ability to exist with God our creator.
“Silence like a cancer grows:” how often to people who feel far from God allow the darkness and silence (absence of God) to consume them?
Imagery
(Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel)
Lyrics
Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence
In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence
Fools, said I, you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
And the sign said, the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sounds of silence
“if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13
Read the whole story of Samson & Delilah and Samson’s death in Judges 16.
Thoughts:
I wrote the following paper when I was a student at John Wesley College. The assignment was to research and present a minor prophet of the Old Testament. I chose Samson and presented his story as an interview.
Host: Ladies and gentlemen, we are here live with Samson who has been imprisoned by the Philistines. We are going to ask him a few questions while he is taking a break from the mindless turning of this huge wheel that he has been chained to.
Interviewer: In what year were you born, and where is the place of your birth?
Samson: I was born in the year 1090 BC, near the beginning of the Philistine oppression of Zorah, which is located across the valley of Sorek from Beth-Shemesh near the Israelite and Philistine border.
Interviewer: Can you explain what a Nazarite is?
Samson: A Nazarite is a person of who is bound by a special vow to God’s service; either for life or for a defined period of time. In my case, my mother and father made this dedication at my birth, so it was for life. As Nazarite, I could not drink of the fruit of the vine, and I was not able to cut my hair. As a Nazarite, I was to remain free from all impurities, even the touching of dead bodies.
Interviewer: What is the answer to your riddle?
Samson: When I went down to Timnah I met a young Philistine woman. When I returned, I told my parents that I wanted her for my wife. My father and mother were not pleased with this. They said to me, “Is there not an acceptable woman among your relatives or among our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?”
I then said to my father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.” My parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at this time they were ruling over Israel. My father and my mother went with me down to Timnah. As we approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young line came roaring toward me. The Spirit of the Lord came upon me so I tore the lion apart with my bare hands as I might have torn a young goat. I told neither my mother nor father what I had done. Then I went down and talked with the woman, and I liked her. Some time later, when I had gone back to marry her, I turned back to look at the lion’s carcass. In it was a swarm of bees and some honey, at which I had scooped out with my hands and ate as I went along. When I had rejoined my parents, I gave them some as well. I did not tell them that I had taken it from the carcass of a lion. Now my father had gone down to see the woman in which I had intended to marry. As it was customary for the bridegroom, I prepared a feast. I was given thirty companions. And I said to all of them, “Let me tell you a riddle. If you can answer my riddle within seven days of this feast, I will give you thirty linen garments and thirty garments of clothes. If you cannot answer my riddle, you must give me the thirty linen garments and thirty sets of clothes.” They replied, “Tell us your riddle.”
“Out of the eater, something to eat;
out of the strong, something sweet.”
For three days they could not give me the answer. On the fourth day, they went to my wife to try and get the answer to the riddle. So my wife came to me and said to me, “You have given my people this riddle, but you have not told me the answer to your riddle.” So I told her. Before the sunset on the seventh day, the men of the town said to me,
“What is sweeter than honey?
What is stronger than a lion?”
Interviewer: Why did you allow Delilah to cut your hair?
Samson: Delilah with her persistent nagging prodded me day after day until I finally grew tired of her nagging and gave in. This was the second time that I had allowed myself to be brought down by her nagging. You might say this is a really bad excuse for my disobedience. My advice to you is that no matter how good something looks don‘t let someone talk you into doing
wrong.
Interviewer: How did God turn your failures and defeats into victories?
Samson: In spite of all my disobedience, God still answered my prayer to destroy the Philistines temple and its worshipers. God still loved me and was willing to use me in my weakness this final time. I can tell you that even though you may mess up, He still wants to use you and He still loves you.
Interviewer: What do you think about Delilah now that she has given you into the hands of the Philistines?
Samson: I think that Delilah was a very deceitful woman with honey on her lips and poison in her heart. She was a person who used me for her own personal gain. How could I have been such a fool? Delilah took advantage of me several times, and I was not even aware of this because I was in love.
God used Samson despite Samson allowing Delilah to cause him to stumble. God uses us despite our failures. His love is more powerful than our shortcomings. Just like He didn’t give up on Samson, God never gives up on us!
Imagine standing in complete darkness, and wanting to get into the light. It’s so dark that you cannot see anything. No outlines, no shadows, just a faint light in the distance showing you the direction to go. In these dark places, sometimes there is so much chaos going on that we are unable to see the difference between the darkness and the light. Imagine someone stood next to you that could see, someone who could tell the difference between the darkness and the light, someone who asked you to follow them out of the darkness and into the light. Would you trust them? Would you take the first step toward the light? It’s your choice to move forward out of the darkness and into the light. It’s your choice to take the first step.
When I spent time in Ireland doing mission work, I liked to ask people I met the question, “if something happened to you today, and you went to meet God, and He asked you why He should let you into His Heaven, what would you say?” Many people I met answered, “I’ve been a good person. I’ve never ______ …” Insert your favorite sin here.
Is this enough? Is being a good person enough?
The tension posed by this question has existed in the church since the very beginning. James addresses the tension in chapter 2 of his letter, as does Paul in his letter to the Romans. Abraham was commanded by God to offer his Son Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham, though faith in God, obeyed this command to the point of raising the knife he would use to sacrifice his son. God saw Abraham’s faith, and provided a replacement sacrifice. God then declared Abraham to be righteous—to have a right standing with God—to be justified. Some in the church said that Abraham’s justification came from the action of following the command from God to sacrifice his son. Some said that Abram’s justification came from his faith in God. Paul says, “If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God.”
So then, if we are to be justified by faith, what of our good works?
James makes the case that our good works follow our faith in Christ.
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17
It is important for us to remember that the New Testament uses of the term “faith” in different ways. Theologians have distinguished these different meanings in a variety of ways. Here James was distinguishing “saving faith” (faith that will result in eternal – salvation) from false faith. Faith that yields no good works is not a saving faith.”
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?
James 2:18-21 (NIV)
Abraham’s faith as well as his actions were working together.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?
James 2:25 (NIV)
Paul says the same thing that “If in fact Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about but not before God.” (Romans 4:2) Scriptures say that Abraham believed God and it was credited as righteousness.
Paul and James are both saying that we are justified by faith and not by our works, However they are saying that we can not have works without the faith. Out of this faith comes good deeds.
Our salvation is a gift freely given to us by God. We are justified through our faith in the work of Jesus Christ. The only thing that we can do to earn our salvation is to trust—to have faith—in the one who paid our debt.
Imagery
“There comes a time when my eyes of flesh are closed, this is so that I am able to see better with the eyes of the Spirit.” – David Dodd
Before getting into my thoughts, I want to share with you the reasons why I chose to write about this topic. First – there are people still searching for what they believe. Whether they find this helpful or find the answers they’re looking for from someone else, I want people to find the One answer to everything in life. Second – in all of the chatter about Christianity and theology, one important thing sometimes gets lost … Christ. He is a person who loves you and wants to lead you home.
Hop into a large sailing ship and it could take you around the entire globe. You’d need someone who knows which path to take and you’d need provision for the trip. Point is, it’s possible. There was also a time in history, in the 14th and 15th centuries, where authorities would put a bunch of “crazies” on a boat and set them a sail on the open seas…knowing they wouldn’t be able to navigate it properly; knowing it would lead to their ultimate demise. This is where the phrase “ship of fools” is derived.
So – which ship are you on?
The soul is justified by faith alone, and not by any works. Also, the soul cannot be justified simply by thinking you’re okay because of the social theology you’ve constructed in your own mind. Therefore, there is absolutely nothing I can do to earn a right standing with God or just “believe” my own way to this place. Our works play a role in life, but not when it comes to being made right before God. Since faith alone justifies, it is clear that our souls cannot be freed or saved by any outer work or action at all. Faith alone justifies and offers us such a treasure of great benefits without works.
Then what?
How do we know we’ve TRULY prayed the prayer and have received God’s full and unconditional acceptance? This is a question that has sparked furious debate for centuries. On one hand, if faith alone connects us with God, then this belief can lead us into an inactive faith, living and behaving no different than before. If there is no outward evidence of faith, is this person’s faith even real? On the other hand, if we continue to hold onto a belief that we must continually earn God’s acceptance, this could lead to an exhausting faith where we have a hard time saying no, which only leads to eventually feeling “burned out.” If we work so hard for God that we feel that not even God can fuel us or fill us up, is this person’s faith real?
“We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored!”-1 Corinthians 4:10
“I am determined not to act on my feelings but simply on the basis of the promises.”-Outgrowing the Ingrown Church by Jack Miller
Sometimes…we get caught up too much in the debate and end up missing the point.
A person can think himself wise without God. A person can make up his own rules or beliefs when it comes to God. A person can discern his own path of wisdom. A person can trust his own counsel, believing it will lead him to a desirable destination. And … it’s certain that at least some of the people placed on a ship of fools actually thought that they were given freedom and provision to go anywhere or do anything they wanted, believing they could navigate the ship. However, there is no record that even one “ship of fools” ever reached a destination safely.
If we truly cared about our destination, we would rely heavily on the map we’ve been given. Without God’s love, I’m lost. Without using God’s Word and Spirit as the source of all knowledge and truth, I’m lost. Without living the purpose for which God created me, I’m lost. Without Jesus, I’m lost.
“The wise fear the Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.”-Proverbs 14:16
God doesn’t want to control you. He wants to save you. When we forget this truth, we often begin to debate all sorts of things about God and often lose sight of how He wants to guide us through life and into a glorious future. God isn’t the captain on the ship, asking you to continually swab the deck and do the grunt work. He allows you to be the captain, steering the ship. God is the star that guides you by night, the sun that guides you by day and the lighthouse that brings you home safely.
Imagery
Make sure you’re on the right boat for the right reasons.
“For I know the plans I have for you – this is the Lord’s declaration – plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”–Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thoughts
There is a deep yearning inside of each of us that wants to awake. We all have a desire for adventure or to be part of something bigger than ourselves. That desire is put there by design. The question is … are we willing to step out of the front door and into uncharted territory that is unknown to us?
While this question connects with our hopes and dreams, it can also clash with our every day reality.
Every day is and can be an adventure. I have a hard time seeing that sometimes. We all, at times, have preconceived ideas or thoughts of how we want our adventures to turn out or what we want them to look like. In other words, we want everything to be predictable and under our control. Is this really adventure? Is this the kind of adventure that captures our hearts through our favorite books and movies?
One of my favorite adventures of all time was the time I spent in Ireland. I want to go back, yet I know it will not be the same. Maybe the adventure I still seek isn’t found in a location. Maybe God wants to remake my eyes to see what He sees and to see others as He made them – fearfully and wonderfully. Maybe the reason we don’t experience much adventure in life is because we tend to say “NO” to things that we feel might be uncomfortable, annoying, unpredictable or hard. Maybe it is because of our preconceived ideas and thoughts that keep us from screaming “YES” to an experience that may be uncomfortable, annoying, unpredictable or hard. When we choose to say “Yes,” we allow God’s Spirit to lead us. To lead a horse out of a burning stable, you need to cover its eyes. Otherwise, it will focus on the fire and will refuse to be led to safety. To live life as an adventure, we need to trust God. We cannot always focus just on what we see. This is why the Bible tells us, “For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7)
I want another Goonies adventure! When we get tired of the mundane, something needs to change. It could be that the “change” you’re looking for needs to happen inside of you first. How about for starters, we change our perspectives. What if it was God Himself saying, “I have a journey coming up, and I want you to be a part of it.” What do you think your answer might be? It could be that the answer to how you’re feeling about life right now can be found within your answer to this question. God asked Jonah to go to Ninevah. Jonah refused. God provided an unusual mode of transportation to get Jonah where God wanted him to be.
Yes – the adventure will be scary at times. But yes – God is with each one of us. He says that He will never leave us or forsake us. Through Jeremiah 29:11, God is saying that He cares for us and wants to guide us to a place of safety and hope. Scary? Yes. Worth it? ABSOLUTELY!
The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor. Perhaps it is that ugly four-letter-word that is keeping us from stepping out – FEAR. Perhaps it is another four-letter-word – BUSY. Perhaps it is yet a different four-letter-word – LAZY. Just maybe we should look our excuses in the face and say enough is enough! You have been given the power and authority to break any chains or any generational patterns that are keeping you in the harbor.
What would you say if I were to give you an open-ended ticket. Where would you go? You can leave whenever you want and come back when you like. Your bags for this great adventure have been packed. Everything you need is provided and taken care of. All you all you have to do is to be willing to accept the offer.
“I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad.” -James Joyce, Dubliners
C.S. Lewis believed that our desire for something better is a gift, a way of reminding us of what it is we lost and what it is we hope to regain. “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those exists.” Lewis also explains, “A baby feels hunger. Well, there is such a thing as food. A duckling wants to swim. Well, there is such a thing as water.” Our desire for adventure is there for a reason. Well, God provides such adventures.
“Life is a journey, a home; a road, not a city of habitation; and the enjoyments and blessings we have are but little inns on the roadside of life, where we may be refreshed for a moment, that we may with new strength press on to the end – to the rest that remaineth for the people of God.” –Horatius Bonar
“There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night, and if you go, no one may follow, that path is for your steps alone” –Ripple by the Grateful Dead
Are you ready to scream, “YES?”
Imagery
Sometimes we pack way too many things for our journey.
“I tell you,”he replied,“if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”–Luke 19:40 (NIV)
Thoughts
Two days ago, I woke up in excruciating back pain. As the day progressed, my left arm went numb. I could still tell my arm was there, however, it was difficult to move– almost as if it were frozen. It was NOT a great feeling!
In life, pain will come. But what do we do with the pain? How do we handle it? Often, we try to numb ourselves from the pain. We try to pull the covers over our heads, yet the blanket is too short. We even tell ourselves that we are okay when we really are not. By doing this, we become comfortably numb.
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery.” –Francis Bacon
Numbness can cause us to die to the things around us. We shut ourselves off or put up walls to the things around us. We feel that if nothing can get in, nothing can hurt us. At this point we can become lost, like sailing aimlessly on the endless sea. If we get so wrapped up in being comfortable, especially to the point of numbness, it can rob us of something bigger. If you try to numb the pain or disregard it by not letting anything in, then you’re not letting anything else in as well – no healing, no love, no purpose, no renewal – nothing.
“Some days the gales are howling. Some days the sea is still as glass. You’re a lost sailor. You’ve been too long at sea.” –Lost Sailor, The Grateful Dead
Without God, we’re all lost. We’re like a ship at sea without a compass. We’re like a ship approaching land in the dark without a lighthouse. We’re like sheep without a shepherd.
Comfort can be a kind of numbness that we don’t realize is keeping us from bigger things. Is it possible to become so comfortable that we find ourselves in a vegetative state or on autopilot flying dangerously low? Is this what we see in each other as we go through the motions of everyday life?
Icarus’ father Daedalus, who was a master craftsman, was hired by the king in order to build a labyrinth under his castle to protect the king. After it’s construction, the king imprisoned both Icarus and Daedalus in the highest tower of his castle, in order to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe. In other words, Icarus and his father were the only people who knew how to get out of the labyrinth, and he didn’t want that secret leaked. Daedalus would often look out the window and study the birds. After observing them for some time, he gathered up feathers that he found and made wings by fastening them down to a strap with wax. The wings were to be used to escape from the tower. After months of training, they were ready to set out over the sea. Daedalus warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sea, or the spray would wash the wax off. He also warned Icarus not to fly too close to the sun, for it would melt the wax. Icarus didn’t listen and got carried away thinking he was like a god. He flew too close to the sun. All of his feathers became loose and his wings were destroyed. He fell and drowned in the sea while his father flew on alone, crying.
Who, or what, do we worship? Worship the wrong thing and it could lead you to great pain.
“We don’t need to see worship itself redefined as much as we need to change how we approach it.”–The Art of Helping Others
The place that is supposed to help us conquer pain and keep us from getting too comfortable is the church. We go to church and we sit in nice comfy seats. Many churches even try to make themselves more attractive by making its services, programs and classes more and more comfortable. By doing this, do we honestly make it more about us, or the Creator?
“One possible solution to our underwhelming spiritual slumber might be to lock ourselves out of the church. Not permanently; maybe every other week or so. What if we spent our‘spiritual time’on people who are actually looking for something more?”–The Art of Helping Others
When you become comfortably numb, you can fall into the shadows where the real you is ignored or unknown to others.
Or are you?
“Irish homes are heated in only one room.Other rooms are so cold you can see you breath. The old Victorian-era windows frost over on the inside. Like these old windows, we to have allow ourselves to grow cold and become frost-covered.” –The Art of Helping Others
Luke 19:40 says how easy it is to fall into the trap of withdrawing to a secluded place of being comfortable within a controlled environment, not being creatively engaging with one another. When we do this as believers, the gospel becomes very small. God doesn’t want us to be so comfortable because if this happens, we will no longer need Him as our All in All.
You are known to God, even when the real you is ignored or unknown to others. When you allow yourself to become numb, the greatest things about you go numb as well. God doesn’t want this for you. You, and those around you, need the real you to surface, to step out of your comfort zone, to force the numbness to go away. Yes, that means some pain will find its way in. But– you are never alone in facing that pain and the victories you’ll experience will make the pain feel … numb.
Just as my arm regained feeling and strength, so can you by accepting God’s grace and living in His Truth.
Imagery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7EpSirtf_E
Don’t allow yourself get to this point.
Stop feeling like you’re lost when in reality, you’re never alone.
“He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things.”–Romans 8:32(NIV)
Thoughts
There are times when we all feel like we are standing outside of the proverbial window looking in, while others are celebrating life, trying to figure out where or how we might fit. But is this the reality?
“Rage is the thrashing of the soul when it wakes up from the nightmare lie.” –Dan Allender
When we step out on to the dance floor and out of the nightmare lie, we are able to see things in a different light. There is something that lies within each of us that wants to join the dance.The reality is, not everyone is enjoying the dance as much as we might assume. The truth is, you are part of the dance, even when you feel like you are on the outside looking in. The invitation is offered, but it’s up to you to accept.
“When we see people who are loved by God and as fellow citizens in God’s kingdom, it becomes harder to rip them off or give them second best.” –Brian D Melaren
The human soul cries out for fellowship. We want to be a part of something bigger. Through Christ’s death we receive “redemption.” Redemption points to deliverance from sin’s dominion over us. Jesus’ death on the cross was the sacrifice given to set us free from the tyranny of sin. Jesus took on your sin as well as mine, so that we would have fellowship and communion with God. Again – this is what your soul is crying out for.
God does not want you to be on the outside. His desire is to bring you in. He created you to be “in.” You matter! Whatever your situation might be,He loves you. His love will not fade away – ever. The choice is yours alone to make.This path is for your steps alone.The door is open. The celebration has been ongoing since creation. The dance is real.
So what is the next step?
Romans 6:23: Sin leads you to nothingness.
Romans 3:13: Sin leads you to believing the lies.
John 3:3: Jesus leads you to the Truth.
John 14:6: Truth can be found only through Jesus.
Romans 10:9-11: Through faith in Jesus, He takes away your shame.
Revelation 1:5: You are free!
Revelation 3:20: You have accepted your invitation to the dance!
Christ freed us from our sin by his blood. One man and one man alone can redeem us. One man and one man alone is the mediator between God and man. Through Christ, God has given us a new status … forgiven, redeemed, righteous!!!
“But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”–Ephesians 2:13
Imagery
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbj8AAfs_ZQ
We have the opportunity to gather what another Man spilled.
If you want to read more about St. Stephen, read the book of Acts.
My love will never leave you or forsake you. I’m in for the long haul.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”-Ecclesiastes 3:1(NIV)
Thoughts
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” –Gandalf the Grey
Here is the simple challenge: Each of us has been given a certain amount of time on earth. Use this time to BE a positive impact on others’ lives. This is a thought that has been shared for generations … but are we any better at it now than in times past? I fear the answer is, “No.”
My sister got a tattoo on the side of her foot that reads, “Take each step in stride.” She also has one on her side that reads, “We are greater than the sum of our parts.” I love tattoos because they help to creatively tell a story. My sister’s tattoos remind us that the time we’ve been given is just that – the time WE’VE been given. Not just me. Not just you.
“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.” –Henry David Thoreau
We often forget that there is beauty in everything. Yet, we need to allow God to intervene to help show us what true beauty really is. There are magazines that display “beauty” in such a way that it gets used in very ugly ways. There are pictures and images that arise from tragedy that inspire us and capture the strength of the human spirit. There is also the father who abandoned his family yet wants to fight his way back in. There is the drug addict that is fighting to overcome his addiction. Look at this father or addict and all you may see is “ugly.” Look a little deeper and you may find the beauty struggling to be seen again.
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
So the big question is … Are you still ready to fight? Are there dreams you’ve given up on? Are there battles you feel you’ve already lost? Have you already placed your sword down? If so, why? What outside force became more powerful than the time WE’VE been given?
I wanted to write this blog because I was really touched by a message I heard years ago at camp. It has stayed with me, even though I haven’t always made the most of the time I’ve been given. I try not to spend my time on superficial matters.I try to treat every person as someone who matters. I also wanted to write this because I often get caught up contemplating the past. This is my commitment to keep moving forward. My hope is that people will read this and see the beauty in their dreams, the beauty of the time we’ve been given, and the beauty of the battle.
However, this blog may have just been for my sake. Who knows?
As I sit outside and hear all the sounds of nature all around. As I sit there is a waterfall in the distance as Indians dance a sacred dance around a fire. Singing in their native tongue with a drum beat that gets louder and louder. The music changes – a man plays a flute. In the back of my mind, my thoughts are free. A wind blows once more. Geese fly in the air. More drums keep a steady beat as in Indian chief raises his hands up to the sky. More birds soar in the sky as the beat fades into the background once more. With the scream of a whale with a poacher on his tail as he’s in for the kill. As the ticking of a clock. Does time ever stop?
-Jacob Mauney
Imagery
Caption: To grow, it takes time and care.
Caption: Sometimes, beauty does fall like a landslide. It doesn’t mean the beauty is gone forever. Keep fighting!
Caption: The sun will outshine the darkness and bring a new day – every time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8e6TrT5Gt4
Caption: The countdown is on. What will you do with today?
“Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor, Jerusalem, the holy city. The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again. Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion, now a captive.”-Isaiah 52:1-2(NIV)
Thoughts
“What most peopleneedto learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things.” –Zelda Fitzgerald
During the holiday season, we stuff bags with candy on Halloween. We stuff our bellies on Thanksgiving. We stuff our homes with more stuff on Christmas. Now what? If we become so stuffed with things, how can there beroom for anything else? Also, if we spend so much time and money stuffing ourselves, why do a lot of us remain empty inside?
Before God led the Israelites into the desert, they were stuffed full of beliefs and practices that did not reflect God and His Will. God needed them to go through a sort of “detox” so He could fill them with who He is and what He values.It’s kind of like the stuff you need to drink before having a colonoscopy. It may not be pleasant at the time, but it helps you get rid of stuff that can hurt you from the inside out. God wanted to “unstuff” the Israelites so He could fill them with His Presence and wonder.
“When we give freely, we become more free ourselves. We become less attached to the things of this world and more attached to the world to come. We make the transition from having an inward focus to having an outward one, and in the process we reflect the radiance of our Creator.” –Margaret Feinberg, The Organic God.
The whole “stuffed” thing even applies to God. The more we fill ourselves with the things of the world, the less room we have in our minds and hearts for the things of God.Even in the church, there are things that can distract us from loving God and loving others the way we should. Many believers endlessly debate things like theology and doctrine. Where does this lead? Maybe you feel like you’re “more” right while I’m “more” wrong. At the end of the debate, did either of us become more filled with the Spirit, love and grace of God? We need less clutter in our lives. We all know this.But how? We become less “stuffed” and more filled with God through freely giving.
“There are tears of things, and the stuff of our mortality cuts us to the heart.” -Virgils Great Lines
There are things we fill ourselves with that can cut us deep. The only things that can cut you on the inside are the things you let in to begin with. This is why we constantly need to be detoxing from the things that harm us and filling ourselves with what breathes life into us.
“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.” – Psalm 119:37
“Worship worthless things. Create a worthless world.” – Enter the Worship Circle
The world is full of whatever we put into it. If there are things that hurt or harm, it’s because WE put them there – not God.If you live in a messy house, you are more likely to get sick. Keep a clean house, and you’re more likely to remain healthy. We need to clean up our messes. However, if we try to clean them up using the same mindset that created the mess in the first place – we will not succeed. This is where God comes in. Talk to Him about your plan. See what kind of plan both of you can come up with together.God doesn’t like messes, however, He LOVES you and I – who can be big messes. He wants to help you become unstuffed so He can fill you with LIFE!
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
–Isaiah 41:10
Imagery
Caption: There are times when we need to walk away from things.
Caption: For the answers, we need to look up, not around.
Caption: God created the world to be beautiful. We’re the ones who filled it with … other stuff.
“Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;mearanarchy is loosed upon this world, the blood dimmed tide is loosed, and every were. The ceremony of innocence is drowned.” -WB Yeats, The Second Coming
Caption: Without God, everything falls apart.
“Think for a moment about what is most important to you. How many of them were things rather than people or ideals?” –Anthony J. DeAngelo
Caption: With what you just read, what will your response be?
Caption: After the holiday “stuffing,” we need to get our noses back to the grindstone.
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”-Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)
The Ireland Team
Thoughts
Before we left Ireland, an interesting question was posed: “With what you’ve experienced here, what are going to do with it when you get home?”
A mission trip can be an incredible experience. What happens often, though, is that the person comes home and eventually returns to“normal”life. When I was a youth leader, I saw this same thing happen after summer camp. We would drive down to FL and encounter great worship and teaching. The students would be completely engaged in worship and have rich discussions about the messages. Then, we’d drive home. Within a couple of weeks, the students would sink back to “normal,” almost seeming like different kids than the ones who were at camp. When we have a mountaintop experience, we eventually need to come down the mountain, right? Or – do we?
When I got home from Ireland, I felt torn. It was great to be home, but I missed the excitement and purpose of what we did in Ireland. Beyond that, I also fell in love with the slower pace of Irish life – and the abundance of pubs. I longed for something simple, where I woke up knowing that I would be making a difference and not having to trudge through the normal day-to-day of life.
If God has called me to love and serve others, would He only want me to do it a few days a year or at a certain destination on the map? If this were true, I’d be more like Santa Claus. Instead, it’s more about who God has created me to be. If I am being who God wants, the opportunities to minister will come to me – no matter where I’m at or what I’m doing. This allows us to stay on the mountaintop – living a life of purpose every day. Is this easy? Absolutely not. Do I still struggle with it? Absolutely.
Moses went to the mountain. The mountain did not come to him. God called to him from the mountain. If we listen closely enough, we can hear that same calling. It’s more about the journey, not the destination. When I walk, I can either choose my own path, or choose the path from which God is calling me.When I choose my own path, it becomes more about my story. When I choose God’s path, it becomes more about His Story. It is much more enjoyable and fulfilling to play a small role in God’s big Story than to be the main character in my own little tale.
What I’ve learned is that I sometimes carry way too much baggage to travel where God wants me to go. My life gets filled with all sorts of stuff. I’ll address this topic in my next blog.
Thanks so much for allowing me to share my heart with you!
Imagery
Caption: We need to hunger after the right things.
