Posted on April 23, 2009 at 9:38am.
Just got back to town from a conference in Atlanta. I heard some great talks, and return home with a few decent take-a-ways. But one thing that one of the devotional speakers touched on, and was not even a main point of his talk, was that every single one of us is insecure. And, I think he is spot on. We all are. Everybody is dealing with something that we fight against, that impedes or robs our security, confidence, and ability to function in total and complete emotional and mental health. Privately, we think we are the only one, or one of a few, but that’s not true. Everybody has stuff that we wrestle with, feel inferior about, and leave us convinced if others knew who we really are would change their view of us. So what do we do? We hide, protect, isolate, project, and a whole bunch of other stuff to keep our shortfall from view. And then we feel lonely, separated, and more convinced to hide. So how is that “community”? How is that being the body of Christ? The evil one must enjoy the dance of distance we engage in as we have opportunities to truly care for, and accept one another. Here is my take-a-way, apply it if you like - Am I living authentically? Am I going there with people, and especially with the people that I consider to be friends? Or am I perpetuating the illusion that compounds isolation. Here is my prayer today - “God, help me live authentically in every relatiopnship and interaction today.”
Posted on April 19, 2009 at 5:34am.
Walking up to church this morning I was so struck by the beauty of the morning, trees in bloom, birds-a-chirping, and was reminded of that old hymn - “This is my Father’s world”. And what a spectacular world it is! I was talking to my brother yesterday in Jersey, where not bud is on the trees, and I pulled off three full bags of grass from my yard this weekend. All you can do is pity those poor Northerners, and thank God for the splendor of the South. Grateful for a new day, grateful for the gift of Spring, and grateful for the opportunity to worship today!
Posted on April 16, 2009 at 10:31am.
This has been a wild week mentally, a real fight every day to think right. I have felt “off”, out of sync, and wacky. I like the word wacky, and I would say that I have been a wackadoo inside this head of mine. I knew I needed an attitude adjustment, but could not or would not create the environment for that to occur. Then, being faithful to a preassigned appointment schedule a couple different guys served to realign my thinking, and my heart. One guy heard me out and then spoke truth to me, and the other spent time talking through a verse of Scripture that the Spirit unpacked inside of me. I rediscovered that “I am dead, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God”. All that stuff in me that seeks life, and has gotten undeserved and unfitting play time in my mind is dead, and has been reckoned dead, and my life is hidden with Christ in God. I am hidden with Him and in Him, He has my back, my front, my sides. I am protected, safe, and secure with my brother-Savior Jesus, and in my father-God. God did for me this week what I could not do for myself. He is faithful to His children.
Posted on April 14, 2009 at 7:11am.
Wow, it was difficult getting up this morning. That bed was never more comfortable, the rain outside lulling me to stay put, and the tossing and turning through the entire night. I am a walking talking exhausted man today, looking for that resurrection power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to me this day. I know this is true, but I am wrestling to tap into it.
Posted on April 1, 2009 at 6:43am.
Still wrestling with “setting my heart on things above”. Monday went fairly well, not perfectly. Yesterday was an intense internal battle on every front inside this heart of mine. I blew it at home, I blew it at work, and I felt like I was fighting an impossible, unwinnable war inside my head. So last night as I laid my head down on the pillow, I was simply thankful that the day was over, and at least for the next several hours I would be free from the war. I will choose today, to set, and reset my heart on Christ, on what please Him. God helping me, today has new potential!
