Let me see You today!
While I sit down to pray
While I read Your word
While I write in response
Let me see You today!
While I organize my day
While I ship packages
While I check messages
Let me see You today!
While I open boxes
While I organize books
While I sit at a computer
Let me see You today!
While I run a register
While I help a customer
While I count money
Let me see You today!
While I check my email
While I read and write Twitter
While I browse the blogosphere
Let me see You today!
While I talk to my wife
While I wrestle with my kids
While I have dinner with friends
Let me see You today!
While I read a book
While I write a paper
While I memorize words
Let me see You today!
God in all I do
Let me see You today!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Renewed Mind...OH NO!!
So if you haven't seen the "Renewed Mind" video by The Way International, then you haven't been around me lately. I watch it regularly when I am down because it makes me laugh...I'm not sure I'm laughing now...if we could just keep things like this out of the national spotlight, we'd be a lot better off I think.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Does Astonished Equal Changed?
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
"the crowds were astonished at his sayings." Astonished - To fill with sudden wonder or amazement.
As I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 with the Asbury community, I have been praying that God would use this scripture to transform me more and more into the likeness of Jesus. That I would not just read the words and fill my time with a ritual but instead that the image of God in me would slowly be revealed. So the passage above struck me today as I read it.
When Jesus taught, the crowds were astonished or amazed. They thought to themselves, "Man, that guy can preach! He did a really great job today!" But the question for me becomes, "They were astonished but were they changed?" The teachings of Jesus in the setting of the people were mind-blowing. He was speaking out against Rome, against religious zealotry, against the hypocrisy of the most pious people in the religious community, and he taught of a way of life that seems to go against everything we know of as the "right" or "most effective" way of living. His teachings WERE ASTONISHING.
But were the people on the mount that day changed? Did they leave and live in the way Jesus was teaching? The disciples don't seem to truly grasp the concept until Jesus actually leaves and the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. You wonder if Peter still truly got it until after he went to visit Cornelius. Even then?
I am praying that I will be astonished by Jesus' teaching. It is radical! But I also pray that it won't be left there. That the grace of God through the Holy Spirit will lead me to life change so that I can live in this new and radical way.
God, change us and lead us in the way of Your Kingdom on earth. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
"the crowds were astonished at his sayings." Astonished - To fill with sudden wonder or amazement.
As I have been reading the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 with the Asbury community, I have been praying that God would use this scripture to transform me more and more into the likeness of Jesus. That I would not just read the words and fill my time with a ritual but instead that the image of God in me would slowly be revealed. So the passage above struck me today as I read it.
When Jesus taught, the crowds were astonished or amazed. They thought to themselves, "Man, that guy can preach! He did a really great job today!" But the question for me becomes, "They were astonished but were they changed?" The teachings of Jesus in the setting of the people were mind-blowing. He was speaking out against Rome, against religious zealotry, against the hypocrisy of the most pious people in the religious community, and he taught of a way of life that seems to go against everything we know of as the "right" or "most effective" way of living. His teachings WERE ASTONISHING.
But were the people on the mount that day changed? Did they leave and live in the way Jesus was teaching? The disciples don't seem to truly grasp the concept until Jesus actually leaves and the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. You wonder if Peter still truly got it until after he went to visit Cornelius. Even then?
I am praying that I will be astonished by Jesus' teaching. It is radical! But I also pray that it won't be left there. That the grace of God through the Holy Spirit will lead me to life change so that I can live in this new and radical way.
God, change us and lead us in the way of Your Kingdom on earth. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Heart Abandoned!
This song has been in my head all day. Thought I would share.
You stood before creation
Eternity within Your hand
You spoke the earth into motion
My soul now to stand
You stood before my failure
Carried the Cross for my shame
My sin weighed upon Your shoulders
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I'll walk upon salvation
Your Spirit alive in me
This life to declare Your promise
My soul now to stand
So what can I say
What can I do
But offer this heart O God
Completely to You
So I’ll stand
With arms high and heart abandoned
In awe of the One who gave it all
So I’ll stand
My soul Lord to You surrendered
All I am is Yours
The God of Time
So I've been trying something new. (If you know me well, you know this is unusual.) My semester is going to be unbelievably crazy. I'm working full-time at the bookstore, taking nine hours (Greek, Psalms IBS, and NT Intro with Mulholland) and I have a wife and 3 boys that I would like to see as well, along with a few extra things as well. My time has to be well organized, planned down to the minute, no TV, breaks used efficiently, no time wasting!!
But in the midst of all this, I have been very intentional (and believe me, I have had to strongly remind myself when I wanted to get work done) to keep 24 hours of Sabbath beginning Saturday night and ending Sunday night as well as spending time in the Asbury Reader every morning. The times in the mornings have been amazing! It gets me ready for the coming day
and I am meditating on the Word from the morning all day long! While I have feared taking a day away from work or study on Sundays, it has been a time of renewal and focus. It really does give me a better focus on loving God and loving the people around me when I do things differently on this special day. It sets my rhythm for the week and symbolically closes the previous week while focusing me on the week to come. The discipline has been an amazing change for me. I have felt less stress and have been able to focus completely on working hard 6 days knowing that the day of rest will come. A byproduct has been that I am more organized as well! WHO KNEW!?
God, thank You for the rhythm of Sabbath and for the chance to meditate on Your Word each day.
But in the midst of all this, I have been very intentional (and believe me, I have had to strongly remind myself when I wanted to get work done) to keep 24 hours of Sabbath beginning Saturday night and ending Sunday night as well as spending time in the Asbury Reader every morning. The times in the mornings have been amazing! It gets me ready for the coming day
and I am meditating on the Word from the morning all day long! While I have feared taking a day away from work or study on Sundays, it has been a time of renewal and focus. It really does give me a better focus on loving God and loving the people around me when I do things differently on this special day. It sets my rhythm for the week and symbolically closes the previous week while focusing me on the week to come. The discipline has been an amazing change for me. I have felt less stress and have been able to focus completely on working hard 6 days knowing that the day of rest will come. A byproduct has been that I am more organized as well! WHO KNEW!?God, thank You for the rhythm of Sabbath and for the chance to meditate on Your Word each day.
Friday, September 12, 2008
I Know Text Books Are Expensive BUT...
So I work at the bookstore on the campus of a seminary. (trivial information but informs the upcoming story) I'm minding my business shelving books, helping customers when a man walks up to me and asks me if we have a certain book he is looking for. I know right where the book is and I go and get it for him. I hand him the book, he looks at the price tag on the back (wasn't one of the high priced text books), flips through some of the pages and then he looks back up at me.
Now remember I work at a bookstore...where we sell books...I get paid because we SELL books...this is NOT a library...the man is a seminary student...graduate school...
"I really only need to read about 10 pages out of this book. Do you have a copy machine here?"
crickets chirping as I stare at him...
"I'm sorry sir, we can't do that here."
he thinks for a few seconds...
"So I guess I can buy the book and return it tomorrow, right?"
my chin falls to the floor like a character in a Tom and Jerry cartoon...
"If that's your prerogative, but you didn't tell me that."
I know text books are hard on the budget but he just asked me to break copyright laws and then tells me he is going to use a book for free. Books that I sell to pay my bills. People will never stop amazing me.
Now remember I work at a bookstore...where we sell books...I get paid because we SELL books...this is NOT a library...the man is a seminary student...graduate school...
"I really only need to read about 10 pages out of this book. Do you have a copy machine here?"
crickets chirping as I stare at him...
"I'm sorry sir, we can't do that here."
he thinks for a few seconds...
"So I guess I can buy the book and return it tomorrow, right?"
my chin falls to the floor like a character in a Tom and Jerry cartoon...
"If that's your prerogative, but you didn't tell me that."
I know text books are hard on the budget but he just asked me to break copyright laws and then tells me he is going to use a book for free. Books that I sell to pay my bills. People will never stop amazing me.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Hunger
Hunger consumes me
My thoughts dwell on it
Hunger effects my mood
My body responds physically
Hunger sets me on a search
My need must be satisfied
Hunger for God?
Hunger for righteousness?
Hunger for relationships?
My thoughts dwell on it
Hunger effects my mood
My body responds physically
Hunger sets me on a search
My need must be satisfied
Hunger for God?
Hunger for righteousness?
Hunger for relationships?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Playground Ulcers
While playing at the park with the boys today, I noticed a number of parents (alright, I'll just admit it, they were dads) with their very young and what looked like first child. They looked like the kids were made of glass and seemed to be getting ulcers while playing at the playground. After having 3 BOYS and realizing that they are going to climb, jump, fall, yell, and get unbelievably dirty, I try to enjoy my time at the playground by playing and not constantly running to catch a child who isn't falling. It made me laugh to realize that these stressed out parents were me only a few years ago. Now all I have to worry about is making sure my kids don't knock those kids down...For an amazingly hilarious post on parenting, check out this woman's day at the beach.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Missing the Mist
To live in the moment...
To eat good food and slowly chew while enjoying every juice that drips on your tongue. To sit and watch the sun go down while there are dishes to be done. To listen to 3 little boys laugh as you wrestle with them on the floor while the computer lies open with a half written paper on the screen. To sit and have a great conversation with the love of your life late into the night knowing that the alarm is going to come early.
To live in the moment...
I'm not good at living in the moment. I like to get to the next task, check something else off of my list, take the shortest distance between two points and make the best time possible. I love efficiency! Living in the moment is not efficient. It takes time. It requires patience and trust. Living in the moment is like observing sabbath and believing that honoring God with my time will lead to a better life. Trusting that 6 days of hard work is enough.
We are at a stage of our lives where living in the moment is even more difficult. At seminary, we are in a place where we are preparing for "somewhere else." It is incredibly easy to get caught up in thinking about the future, where we will go, what we will do, how we will get there. But in all of that thinking ahead we are missing what God is leading us to do today. Our lives are like a mist, a mist that I wouldn't notice if I didn't slow down long enough to stare at its beauty.
Live in the moment with me...
To eat good food and slowly chew while enjoying every juice that drips on your tongue. To sit and watch the sun go down while there are dishes to be done. To listen to 3 little boys laugh as you wrestle with them on the floor while the computer lies open with a half written paper on the screen. To sit and have a great conversation with the love of your life late into the night knowing that the alarm is going to come early.To live in the moment...
I'm not good at living in the moment. I like to get to the next task, check something else off of my list, take the shortest distance between two points and make the best time possible. I love efficiency! Living in the moment is not efficient. It takes time. It requires patience and trust. Living in the moment is like observing sabbath and believing that honoring God with my time will lead to a better life. Trusting that 6 days of hard work is enough.
We are at a stage of our lives where living in the moment is even more difficult. At seminary, we are in a place where we are preparing for "somewhere else." It is incredibly easy to get caught up in thinking about the future, where we will go, what we will do, how we will get there. But in all of that thinking ahead we are missing what God is leading us to do today. Our lives are like a mist, a mist that I wouldn't notice if I didn't slow down long enough to stare at its beauty.
James 4:13-17
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and get gain"; whereas you do not know about tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and we shall do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Live in the moment with me...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)