Saturday, January 30, 2010
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There is more to life than labels.
Don't Worry. Be Happy.
Monday, November 30, 2009
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How do we find happiness? Or at least our own version of happiness because, let's face it, we're never 'happy'. We always want for something new or different or we're always worrying about something. Church tells us we find joy through our relationship with Jesus. And whether you like it or not...the church is right in this case. Giving things to Him to take care of, trusting that He has your back and doing both these things FIRST. It is way too common for us to exhaust all our options until we have no choice but to turn to God. Try Him first for a change. Think of it as a shortcut.
Don't try to sort everything out yourself because, quite simply, ye can't. I always try to fix things, usually without thinking about it first and probably twisting Gods original plan. This includes relationships....impulsively buying things....calling friends to vent....pretending there is nothing wrong. The number of times God has had to re-engineer elements of the plan for my life is verging on comical.
But I've been learning that when you stop searching for solutions to everything and pray about it and commit to leaving the ball in God's court...that it's easier or simpler or something. It takes patience, which I lack and faith, which I don't and I guess sometimes you'll still be disappointed but you'll always learn something. And you will be a better and stronger person for it.
Don't try to sort everything out yourself because, quite simply, ye can't. I always try to fix things, usually without thinking about it first and probably twisting Gods original plan. This includes relationships....impulsively buying things....calling friends to vent....pretending there is nothing wrong. The number of times God has had to re-engineer elements of the plan for my life is verging on comical.
But I've been learning that when you stop searching for solutions to everything and pray about it and commit to leaving the ball in God's court...that it's easier or simpler or something. It takes patience, which I lack and faith, which I don't and I guess sometimes you'll still be disappointed but you'll always learn something. And you will be a better and stronger person for it.
Irresistable Reminder.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
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God is in the business of messing up your plans. But I think that he does it so you are forced to think about whats keeping you rooted? Obviously it should be your faith; a constant, unchanging source of strength despite location or circumstance. But is this the case when things don't go to plan....like when you don't get a job or placement you want? Or when a relationship doesn't work out? Or a friend lets you down? When there are so many barriers between you and your plans goal, that you can't even see the goalposts anymore!
Shane Claiborne claims "We've taken the blood at the foot of the cross and turned it into kool-aid". And he is referring to Pop Christianity; a type of Christianity we have customized to suit our needs and have all begun to conform to. And this is why we get so fed up with Christians and their churches....because they preach love, hope, justice, miracles, the bible and Jesus but don't live it. We eliminated the need for miracles with our science and our medicine and our addiction to convenience. We invented highlighters to highlight the parts of the bible we like and ignore the rest. We completely lost Jesus to fashion, music, movies, sport, parties and politics. We try to so hard to be individual and non-conformist in the way we dress, in how we spend our time, in how we talk.....lets try and do it in how we follow Jesus.
And at the end of the day...your plans aren't always going to work out whether you have faith in Jesus or not. And, I for one, want Jesus nearby when they don't because if he isn't, then whats the point?
Shane Claiborne claims "We've taken the blood at the foot of the cross and turned it into kool-aid". And he is referring to Pop Christianity; a type of Christianity we have customized to suit our needs and have all begun to conform to. And this is why we get so fed up with Christians and their churches....because they preach love, hope, justice, miracles, the bible and Jesus but don't live it. We eliminated the need for miracles with our science and our medicine and our addiction to convenience. We invented highlighters to highlight the parts of the bible we like and ignore the rest. We completely lost Jesus to fashion, music, movies, sport, parties and politics. We try to so hard to be individual and non-conformist in the way we dress, in how we spend our time, in how we talk.....lets try and do it in how we follow Jesus.
And at the end of the day...your plans aren't always going to work out whether you have faith in Jesus or not. And, I for one, want Jesus nearby when they don't because if he isn't, then whats the point?
Label It.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
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We all have reputations and labels. And we are all responsible for somebody else's reputation and label. As a Christian, our circumstances don't change but the person that we are does. The way we react to situations or deal with situations changes. We may still have the same reputation or label that those in our church or school or community had known us by, but we changed.
We don't have to carry yesterdays baggage. And when I say yesterday I mean your entire past right up until right now.
You know who you were before now, before Jesus and you know who you are now or maybe you are still trying to figure it out but it's all about the journey. The more you cling to Jesus, the more beautiful things are going to be. The more you cling to the world, the harder things are going to get.
We don't have to carry yesterdays baggage. And when I say yesterday I mean your entire past right up until right now.
You know who you were before now, before Jesus and you know who you are now or maybe you are still trying to figure it out but it's all about the journey. The more you cling to Jesus, the more beautiful things are going to be. The more you cling to the world, the harder things are going to get.
River God.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
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Rolling River God
Little Stones are smooth
Only once the water passes through
So I am a stone
rough and grainy still
Trying to reconcile this river's chill
But when I close my eyes
and feel you rushing by
I know that time brings change
and change takes time
And when the sunset comes
my prayer would be just this one
that you might pick me up
and notice that I am
just a little smoother in your hand.
Take your supplements.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
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I have to take supplements in the morning. If I don't, my body starts to run down and I'll get sick easier. I guess it's the same with my spirituality. If I don't supplement my faith, I'll get busy and my spirit will run down and I'll find myself struggling. And more often than not, by the time we realize we're struggling, it's pretty far down the line.
Cue 2 Peter 1:5-7 "...For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and the godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you posess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ."
So start taking your supplements the same way you take your vitamins, and following your diets and eating your pro-biotic crap.
Practice humility and stay steadfast.
Keep adding to the knowledge you already have in your quiet time and in your conversations and in the books you read.
Don't give into temptation and control your urges, whatever they may be.
Persevere in everything your do, keeping an eternal perspective on life.
Always live in the face of God, don't compartmentalize your time and fool yourself into thinking you can hide certain parts from Him.
We are a part of a kingdom and a family and we must love all the people in the world and be loving in attitude and words. This is what we are called to do because love is what God is. We won't always like everybody but we must always love and pray for them.
Cue 2 Peter 1:5-7 "...For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness knowledge; and to knowledge, self control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and the godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you posess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ."
So start taking your supplements the same way you take your vitamins, and following your diets and eating your pro-biotic crap.
Practice humility and stay steadfast.
Keep adding to the knowledge you already have in your quiet time and in your conversations and in the books you read.
Don't give into temptation and control your urges, whatever they may be.
Persevere in everything your do, keeping an eternal perspective on life.
Always live in the face of God, don't compartmentalize your time and fool yourself into thinking you can hide certain parts from Him.
We are a part of a kingdom and a family and we must love all the people in the world and be loving in attitude and words. This is what we are called to do because love is what God is. We won't always like everybody but we must always love and pray for them.
Psalm 138
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
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The Psalms are an amazing piece of work, and the Psalms which David wrote are some of my favorites. David will always be a character I resonate with in the bible because I can see him in this world, the society we live in, my own family and friends. He is a Christian who constantly makes mistakes, pushes boundaries, makes bad calls. He makes really bad calls sometimes but in other instances his strength and faith in God makes him a hero. He changes people and he makes a difference and if I can say I was half the person David was when I get to heaven, I'll be good with that.
"...As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength..."
"The Lord will work out his plans for my life..."
"...As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength..."
"The Lord will work out his plans for my life..."
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