"My philosophy is basically this. And this is something that I live by. And I always have and I always will. Don't ever, for any reason, do anything to anyone...for any reason ever no matter what. No matter where or who or who you were with or where you are going or...where you've been. Ever. For any reason whatsoever." -Michael Scott, The Office (tv show) Season 4 Episode 11
Huh? That is someone without a target, without a goal. What is your target? What are you aiming at in life?
Chances are that target moved and you missed.
Life isn't a shooting range. For people learning how to shoot a gun, going to the range is essential. Mastering the skill of hitting a set point downrange is a wonderful tool, but when you get into a real life scenario; chances are things can get crazy. Sure you can hit dead center on the indoor range target with a .22 rifle from 20 yards; but when you are tracking a 5 point buck 40 yards away dashing west to east through the foliage at about 5mph with a light rain around you and the wind is blowing 8 mph north to south and a bead of sweat has just dropped into your sighting eye- will you still hit the target?
I think sometimes we treat our dreams, goals and ambitions like we're at the shooting range. The target is in our control. It's our comfort zone. But what we're training for in there is not in there. We are merely taking target practice. The real target, the real goal is outside, where nothing is in our control. Target practice is only training.
It's like wanting to start a band. You come up with a name "asparagus parking meter". You buy a Fender guitar. You buy a huge Marshall guitar amp. You play hours of Rock Band on Xbox. You create a wicked cool myspace. You recruit your girlfriend and her friends to make t-shirts. And then some promoter guy finds you a gig. Then you get scared and quit. Why? You've only been taking target practice. You don't have a drummer or bassist. You haven't learned how to actually play that guitar you bought. You don't even have one song written and your mom knows you can't sing. But you have awesomely sweet t-shirts. Get out of the shooting range.
Being able to hit a real target requires adjusting yourself to the surroundings you can't control and knowing how to deal with them so you hit the target. That rock band you want to lead? It's making a mad dash across an open field and you need to adjust your aim with the wind, the weather, your own arm, the distance etc.
In other words, people will say you can't do it. You'll have a severe dis-like for your guitar teacher. the recording studio will be beyond your budget. No one will want to book you. You need a drummer, bad. You and your girlfriend are the only ones that think the t-shirts are rockin'. Still want to hit that target? It's impossible. You need a target you can hit. But you left the shooting range behind. Now what?
That's where Jesus comes in.
"Since we are surrounded by so many examples [of faith], we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:1-2 GWT)
Jesus zoned out. He ignored all the distractions and temptations and instead focused on the joy ahead of Him. And we must do the same by focusing on Him.
Being focused on Him, we can ignore the lies and the things that hinder us from doing what we know we need to do, from aiming for the target. Are you seeing the joy that is ahead of you?
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
constant in change
What can we take on trust
in this uncertain life? Happiness, greatness,
pride - nothing is secure, nothing keeps.
~Euripides, Hecuba
change is currently what im in right now. my wife will be giving birth to our son in april and we're moving to a new place tomorrow. change is what the world is dealing with as we watch markets tumble and nations and peoples go to war. As Robert C. Gallagher says"Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine." change produces alot of unknowns. it can leave us worried and confused or feeling out of control.
still, the only constant is change most people will say and that does ring true in this life. but the counterpoint is there: even ships in constantly changing seas have an anchor to help them in the roughest waters. change often makes us feel like a ship floundering in massive swells and we find ourselves searching for an anchor. is it there?
"...God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride...". (Psalm 46:1-3 nasb) I'm wondering if this the anchor we've been looking for. If God is our help and strength when the earth is changing and mountains are collapsing and waters roar then it would stand to reason that God is there when my wife gives birth or when we're going through all thats required to change locations. what change are you dealing with? is the earth changing around you like it is around me? God is our refuge in all of this. Our anchor in our changing seas.
"So that when it was God's desire to make it specially clear to those who by his word were to have the heritage, that his purpose was fixed, he made it more certain with an oath; So that we, who have gone in flight from danger to the hope which has been put before us, may have a strong comfort in two unchanging things, in which it is not possible for God to be false; And this hope is like a strong band for our souls, fixed and certain..." (Hebrews 6:17-19 bbe) God has a fixed promise and purpose for us. Even when everything else changes- His purpose is fixed and sure. Still wondering if He is your anchor?
"Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning." (James 1:17 bbe) Our Father doesn't change. In the midst of your change, hold onto the One "with whom can be no variation" (James 1:17b asv). The One who does not change. I'm reminding myself to do just that, cus my seas are rolling along at a nice clip and i know i need an anchor.
in this uncertain life? Happiness, greatness,
pride - nothing is secure, nothing keeps.
~Euripides, Hecuba
change is currently what im in right now. my wife will be giving birth to our son in april and we're moving to a new place tomorrow. change is what the world is dealing with as we watch markets tumble and nations and peoples go to war. As Robert C. Gallagher says"Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine." change produces alot of unknowns. it can leave us worried and confused or feeling out of control.
still, the only constant is change most people will say and that does ring true in this life. but the counterpoint is there: even ships in constantly changing seas have an anchor to help them in the roughest waters. change often makes us feel like a ship floundering in massive swells and we find ourselves searching for an anchor. is it there?
"...God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride...". (Psalm 46:1-3 nasb) I'm wondering if this the anchor we've been looking for. If God is our help and strength when the earth is changing and mountains are collapsing and waters roar then it would stand to reason that God is there when my wife gives birth or when we're going through all thats required to change locations. what change are you dealing with? is the earth changing around you like it is around me? God is our refuge in all of this. Our anchor in our changing seas.
"So that when it was God's desire to make it specially clear to those who by his word were to have the heritage, that his purpose was fixed, he made it more certain with an oath; So that we, who have gone in flight from danger to the hope which has been put before us, may have a strong comfort in two unchanging things, in which it is not possible for God to be false; And this hope is like a strong band for our souls, fixed and certain..." (Hebrews 6:17-19 bbe) God has a fixed promise and purpose for us. Even when everything else changes- His purpose is fixed and sure. Still wondering if He is your anchor?
"Every good and true thing is given to us from heaven, coming from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or any shade made by turning." (James 1:17 bbe) Our Father doesn't change. In the midst of your change, hold onto the One "with whom can be no variation" (James 1:17b asv). The One who does not change. I'm reminding myself to do just that, cus my seas are rolling along at a nice clip and i know i need an anchor.
Friday, January 23, 2009
deeds that move the wheels of the world
"The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."
The Lord of the Rings Book 1 The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
-Elrond, Chapter 'The Council of Elrond'.
do you feel like whatever it is you are trying to accomplish is work done in vain? or that the little battles you have to deal with everyday are starting to feel like they are not worth going through anymore? i've been feeling that way lately myself.
the quote above mentions "the deeds that move the wheels of the world" and that "small hands do them because they must". i wonder if the small hands even know that they are moving the wheels of the world...
the things we do everyday, in the shadow of the history of the world, seem very insignificant. we go through our day just trying to keep ourselves alive and together and cling to some measure of hope that whatever we do will take us somewhere, somehow. where is somewhere? how do we get there? and why even try? the moment we cannot answer these questions; this is where we begin to feel worthless and hopeless. so where does our misaligned hope find it's ground?
"That you were at that time without Christ... having no hope of the promise, and without God in this world. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who some time were afar off, are made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ. " Ephesians 2:13 (d-rb) our hope finds its foundation in Jesus. "I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (gwt) a future filled with hope... now thats something we all desire- to know we have a future and that future is filled with hope. armed with this hope, how do we then live?
"For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. Therefore put on the complete armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the day of battle, and, having fought to the end, to remain victors on the field." Ephesians 6:12-13 (wmt) feeling insignificant? look at who our battle is with: "the forces that control and govern this dark world"; and look at our mission: "to remain victors on the field". this is a massive responsibility.
what are the "deeds that move the wheels of the world" then? each little Christ putting on the full armour of God and fighting to the end. we each have our little battles, but in the big picture only God can see, each little victory in each little battle will decide the outcome of our conflict with the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us. Like the quote i began with: "This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must." we may feel insignificant, but we must realize that our small hands serve a much bigger purpose.
The Lord of the Rings Book 1 The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
-Elrond, Chapter 'The Council of Elrond'.
do you feel like whatever it is you are trying to accomplish is work done in vain? or that the little battles you have to deal with everyday are starting to feel like they are not worth going through anymore? i've been feeling that way lately myself.
the quote above mentions "the deeds that move the wheels of the world" and that "small hands do them because they must". i wonder if the small hands even know that they are moving the wheels of the world...
the things we do everyday, in the shadow of the history of the world, seem very insignificant. we go through our day just trying to keep ourselves alive and together and cling to some measure of hope that whatever we do will take us somewhere, somehow. where is somewhere? how do we get there? and why even try? the moment we cannot answer these questions; this is where we begin to feel worthless and hopeless. so where does our misaligned hope find it's ground?
"That you were at that time without Christ... having no hope of the promise, and without God in this world. But now in Christ Jesus, you, who some time were afar off, are made nigh (near) by the blood of Christ. " Ephesians 2:13 (d-rb) our hope finds its foundation in Jesus. "I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. They are plans for peace and not disaster, plans to give you a future filled with hope." Jeremiah 29:11 (gwt) a future filled with hope... now thats something we all desire- to know we have a future and that future is filled with hope. armed with this hope, how do we then live?
"For ours is not a conflict with mere flesh and blood, but with the despotisms, the empires, the forces that control and govern this dark world--the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us in the heavenly warfare. Therefore put on the complete armour of God, so that you may be able to stand your ground on the day of battle, and, having fought to the end, to remain victors on the field." Ephesians 6:12-13 (wmt) feeling insignificant? look at who our battle is with: "the forces that control and govern this dark world"; and look at our mission: "to remain victors on the field". this is a massive responsibility.
what are the "deeds that move the wheels of the world" then? each little Christ putting on the full armour of God and fighting to the end. we each have our little battles, but in the big picture only God can see, each little victory in each little battle will decide the outcome of our conflict with the spiritual hosts of evil arrayed against us. Like the quote i began with: "This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must." we may feel insignificant, but we must realize that our small hands serve a much bigger purpose.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
dreaming
i put this up on my twitter feed and i thought i should cut and paste it here.
-the question i have for myself today is: "whats my dream? am i following it? is it unrealistic? does it follow where my talent leads? does it align with God's word?"-
-the question i have for myself today is: "whats my dream? am i following it? is it unrealistic? does it follow where my talent leads? does it align with God's word?"-
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
my hypocrisy
today is an historic moment. the united states is swearing in her new president. regardless of how you feel or what you believe, this is a moment to be proud of. congratulations president-elect Barack Obama on your well designed, well fought and gracefully won campaign. i pray that you will lead this country forward and that you will lean on God, not man, when you find yourself in great indecision.
with that said, this is a great oppourtunity to discuss hypocrisy: my hypocrisy.
during the campaign for president, both sides threw around words like stones at windows using names such as hypocrite to label their opponent and mar their reputation. and they are not alone. we throw our own stones, trying to judge others in an attempt to make ourselves look better. but Jesus quietly walks in as we madly rush about to pick up our stones and spin them wildly towards those we wish to judge and says: "...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." (john 8:7) (kjv). time to put on the brakes.
hypocrisy defined: " a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not ; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion". do we feign to we believe something we do not?
we act outwardly offended when in a public situation someone says (insert swear word) in our general vicinity but when we are alone in our cars getting cut off by some crazy guy in a pickup truck; we'll use the same swear word ourselves very liberally, possibly even sprinkling in a "dear Lord bless that man" to remain "holy". (editor's note: this situation was pulled directly from the author's life experiences)
but i digress. or do i. either way you could call me hypocritical. i'll take the chance and continue.
romans 2:1 "No matter who you are, if you judge anyone, you have no excuse. When you judge another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things." (gwt). there's the zinger right there. right in the kisser. a straight upper cut to the jaw. a... anyway, if the do not throw stones part didn't stop us, this should. am i abdicating a lawless society or that we should fire court judges? no. i'm talking about our condition as little Christs. or more specifically, my condition.
i tend to judge, to throw stones, to label others as hypocrites when i am just as much a hypocrite myself. i am guilty of this and more and i hope that you and i can recognize where we need the reconditioning before we try to recondition others.
as we welcome a new president, it's not time to point out all his faults or make rush judgements about his character. it is, however, time to do to others what we would want them to do to us.
with that said, this is a great oppourtunity to discuss hypocrisy: my hypocrisy.
during the campaign for president, both sides threw around words like stones at windows using names such as hypocrite to label their opponent and mar their reputation. and they are not alone. we throw our own stones, trying to judge others in an attempt to make ourselves look better. but Jesus quietly walks in as we madly rush about to pick up our stones and spin them wildly towards those we wish to judge and says: "...He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone..." (john 8:7) (kjv). time to put on the brakes.
hypocrisy defined: " a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not ; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion". do we feign to we believe something we do not?
we act outwardly offended when in a public situation someone says (insert swear word) in our general vicinity but when we are alone in our cars getting cut off by some crazy guy in a pickup truck; we'll use the same swear word ourselves very liberally, possibly even sprinkling in a "dear Lord bless that man" to remain "holy". (editor's note: this situation was pulled directly from the author's life experiences)
but i digress. or do i. either way you could call me hypocritical. i'll take the chance and continue.
romans 2:1 "No matter who you are, if you judge anyone, you have no excuse. When you judge another person, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things." (gwt). there's the zinger right there. right in the kisser. a straight upper cut to the jaw. a... anyway, if the do not throw stones part didn't stop us, this should. am i abdicating a lawless society or that we should fire court judges? no. i'm talking about our condition as little Christs. or more specifically, my condition.
i tend to judge, to throw stones, to label others as hypocrites when i am just as much a hypocrite myself. i am guilty of this and more and i hope that you and i can recognize where we need the reconditioning before we try to recondition others.
as we welcome a new president, it's not time to point out all his faults or make rush judgements about his character. it is, however, time to do to others what we would want them to do to us.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
making cents
unless you reside under a stone, you might notice that the current economy is running on weak knees. when money is tight, there is a change in attitude among most people towards a more gloomy outlook or at least a darkening view of the world in general.
it came to me that, while not everyone has money; everyone has an attitude. what we bank into our attitude changes our attitude. in an unstable economy that is out of our control, we still have the ability to stabilize our attitude and bring it under control.
how we do this? first, let's imagine every encouraging word you use is worth one cent and every demeaning word subtracts one cent. while money is a limited item, there is no limit to the words you can use, so it's time to invest what you have.
you tell someone that you appreciate them. you have now deposited one cent into their "attitude account". you say hello to a co-worker instead of ignoring them. one cent into their "attitude account". now someone tells you they really liked the effort you put into something you did. one cent into your account. if this was to continue, we would all end up being "attitude millionaires". how does this help? it could change the very nature of our world.
we've seen how speculation, lies, rumours, thievery, terrorism and the like have been able to impact our economy to a devastating affect. isn't it time to see what truth, honesty, encouragement and the like can do to impact our economy?
why did people flock to Jesus wherever He went in His 3 years of ministry on the earth? He was the Love and the Hope to their normal, desperate lives. isn't it time we were the same?
its time to start making cents. it's time to start investing the unlimited words we have into other people in an effort to change the attitude of our times and impact our world.
if you have nothing, even something is worth everything. give someone who has nothing something today. keep it up. see what happens.
it came to me that, while not everyone has money; everyone has an attitude. what we bank into our attitude changes our attitude. in an unstable economy that is out of our control, we still have the ability to stabilize our attitude and bring it under control.
how we do this? first, let's imagine every encouraging word you use is worth one cent and every demeaning word subtracts one cent. while money is a limited item, there is no limit to the words you can use, so it's time to invest what you have.
you tell someone that you appreciate them. you have now deposited one cent into their "attitude account". you say hello to a co-worker instead of ignoring them. one cent into their "attitude account". now someone tells you they really liked the effort you put into something you did. one cent into your account. if this was to continue, we would all end up being "attitude millionaires". how does this help? it could change the very nature of our world.
we've seen how speculation, lies, rumours, thievery, terrorism and the like have been able to impact our economy to a devastating affect. isn't it time to see what truth, honesty, encouragement and the like can do to impact our economy?
why did people flock to Jesus wherever He went in His 3 years of ministry on the earth? He was the Love and the Hope to their normal, desperate lives. isn't it time we were the same?
its time to start making cents. it's time to start investing the unlimited words we have into other people in an effort to change the attitude of our times and impact our world.
if you have nothing, even something is worth everything. give someone who has nothing something today. keep it up. see what happens.
redemption
the tv show 24 on fox featuring one of the greatest characters created for tv, jack bauer (portrayed by keifer sutherland), is back on for a new season and i'm watching every minute i can of it cus when chuck norris wants to go to sleep feeling safe, his momma reads him jack bauer stories. but that is beside the point.
yesterday, i ran across a quote from one of the shows seasons in which jack bauer states "...part of getting a second chance is taking responsibility for what you did wrong in the first place." and then i had a thought.
that's why Jesus came to save us. so we wouldn't have to bear all the weight of the responsibility for what we did wrong in the first place. "It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dearly-loved Son, in whom we have our redemption--the forgiveness of our sins." Colossians 1:13-14 (wnt)
Jesus is our redemption, our second chance. in life, when we get a second chance i.e. traffic cop giving one a warning instead of a ticket or a judge sentencing one to community service instead of 1-5 years in the cell; our second chance requires is to be responsible for what we did wrong in the first place.
when the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was discovered, sin was welcomed into all of our lives. "For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (wnt) sin results in death. God loved the world so much that He choose to redeem us, to give us a second chance at life. He knew that if we were to take this second chance AND have to bear the weight and guilt of what we did wrong in the first place, we could not do it. thats why God gave His One and Only Son, so all that responsibility and guilt and shame would not fall on us, but on the shoulders of a dying, bleeding Christ who died and rose again to give us the greatest second chance of all- eternal life.
yesterday, i ran across a quote from one of the shows seasons in which jack bauer states "...part of getting a second chance is taking responsibility for what you did wrong in the first place." and then i had a thought.
that's why Jesus came to save us. so we wouldn't have to bear all the weight of the responsibility for what we did wrong in the first place. "It is God who has delivered us out of the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us into the Kingdom of His dearly-loved Son, in whom we have our redemption--the forgiveness of our sins." Colossians 1:13-14 (wnt)
Jesus is our redemption, our second chance. in life, when we get a second chance i.e. traffic cop giving one a warning instead of a ticket or a judge sentencing one to community service instead of 1-5 years in the cell; our second chance requires is to be responsible for what we did wrong in the first place.
when the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was discovered, sin was welcomed into all of our lives. "For the wages paid by Sin are death; but God's free gift is the Life of the Ages bestowed upon us in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (wnt) sin results in death. God loved the world so much that He choose to redeem us, to give us a second chance at life. He knew that if we were to take this second chance AND have to bear the weight and guilt of what we did wrong in the first place, we could not do it. thats why God gave His One and Only Son, so all that responsibility and guilt and shame would not fall on us, but on the shoulders of a dying, bleeding Christ who died and rose again to give us the greatest second chance of all- eternal life.
Friday, January 02, 2009
you feeling lucky, punk?
wow. what a title to start the new year off with. no, this post has nothing to do with dirty harry or clint eastwood but as you'll discover, the title is relevant...
if you have ever used www.google.com to conduct a web search (i assume most have!) you'll notice the 2 choices just below the word search bar. the one on the left says "google search" and the one on the right says "i'm feeling lucky". are you? would you gamble your life on an "im feeling lucky" result? where am i going with this? here we go...
it crossed my mind today that we sometimes treat our search for answers to life like we're asking google and not God. God doesn't have a "i'm feeling lucky" search wherein you are given a random search result out of a myriad of possibilities available. He clearly states "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' jeremiah 29:11 (nasb)" God does not rely on luck at all for the answers to our lives. but we have the tendency to do so ourselves.
if God knows the plans He has for us, why do we find ourselves at wit's end reading through every book but the bible, watching self help tv shows, asking everyone's opinion but God's, crying ourselves to sleep because we have too many answers or none at all, yelling at kids, friends, strangers because we're fed up and frustrated; and then hitting the "i'm feeling lucky" button and end up following either the advice of a book, neighbour or our discontent? (editor's note: possibly the longest sentence on CRW) because relying on God's plan requires relying on God.
its so simple to go the route of lucky and be able to blame someone or something else when the answer falls apart and we're left with our finger over the "i'm feeling lucky" button for the umpteenth time. but when it comes to relying on God, it requires our faith to go to work and our resolve to go through what we have to go through to see the answer God has already determined for us.
this year, the next time we are desperate for an answer to a problem in life, we should ask ourselves: "you feeling lucky, punk?" because once the answer becomes "no", we'll be well on our way to trusting in God who knows the plans He has for us and not towards gambling our lives away on random answers from random sources with random results.
if you have ever used www.google.com to conduct a web search (i assume most have!) you'll notice the 2 choices just below the word search bar. the one on the left says "google search" and the one on the right says "i'm feeling lucky". are you? would you gamble your life on an "im feeling lucky" result? where am i going with this? here we go...
it crossed my mind today that we sometimes treat our search for answers to life like we're asking google and not God. God doesn't have a "i'm feeling lucky" search wherein you are given a random search result out of a myriad of possibilities available. He clearly states "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' jeremiah 29:11 (nasb)" God does not rely on luck at all for the answers to our lives. but we have the tendency to do so ourselves.
if God knows the plans He has for us, why do we find ourselves at wit's end reading through every book but the bible, watching self help tv shows, asking everyone's opinion but God's, crying ourselves to sleep because we have too many answers or none at all, yelling at kids, friends, strangers because we're fed up and frustrated; and then hitting the "i'm feeling lucky" button and end up following either the advice of a book, neighbour or our discontent? (editor's note: possibly the longest sentence on CRW) because relying on God's plan requires relying on God.
its so simple to go the route of lucky and be able to blame someone or something else when the answer falls apart and we're left with our finger over the "i'm feeling lucky" button for the umpteenth time. but when it comes to relying on God, it requires our faith to go to work and our resolve to go through what we have to go through to see the answer God has already determined for us.
this year, the next time we are desperate for an answer to a problem in life, we should ask ourselves: "you feeling lucky, punk?" because once the answer becomes "no", we'll be well on our way to trusting in God who knows the plans He has for us and not towards gambling our lives away on random answers from random sources with random results.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
social lite (republish)
i wrote this ad for caffeine rarely works awhile back... i figured i'd dig it up and publish it again until i resume writing january 2nd. enjoy!
new! lo carb interaction! a revolution in avoiding deep, interesting and fattening conversations! try SOCIAL LITE!!!! a one month supply is only 39.99!!! this otc medication helps you keep your eyes from focusing, enables your hearing to diminish and reduces brain activity! (this is only for those people who wish to reduce their interaction with friends, relatives and co workers because of hidden fears, resentment or other physiological social inhibitors. ) why face reality when you have SOCIAL LITE!!!! call 1- 888-SHUT-UP now to order your free sample!!!!
new! lo carb interaction! a revolution in avoiding deep, interesting and fattening conversations! try SOCIAL LITE!!!! a one month supply is only 39.99!!! this otc medication helps you keep your eyes from focusing, enables your hearing to diminish and reduces brain activity! (this is only for those people who wish to reduce their interaction with friends, relatives and co workers because of hidden fears, resentment or other physiological social inhibitors. ) why face reality when you have SOCIAL LITE!!!! call 1- 888-SHUT-UP now to order your free sample!!!!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
tis the season
from all of us here at the caffeine rarely works world headquarters to you and yours- have a wonderful christmas and a great start to the new year!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
ripening
yesterday was my 25th birthday. it's a wierd feeling, turning a quarter century old. with this in mind, i spent this morning contemplating where i am at in life.
not only am i 25 years old, i am an uncle to an awesome 3 year old nephew. i have been married for two and a half years to my beautiful wife and my first child is due to be born this coming in april. i was born south of boston and now live east of orlando. i wanted to be a pilot when i was 10 and today i play music and work in a corporate office.
i'm ripening. that's what i arrived on today.
i remember watching mom's tomatoes grow in her little garden; complete with marigolds to ward off the maurading ant armies. the tomatoes would arrive on the vine tiny and green (one time i tried to eat one and i will never try that again!) and over the course of several days, their shade would slowly progress from green to yellow and from yellow to red. i used to get impatient waiting for them to be ripe; wondering why they didnt just emerge as ready-to-eat tomatoes just waiting to be placed on a salad. but just as any life on earth takes time to mature, those tiny green tomatoes needed time to develop and ripen before they were ready to be used.
i'm ripening. 25 years ago, i arrived; a tiny green bud on a vine. i wasn't ready to fall in love or dream about being a pilot, i was crying and cold and missing my mother's womb. i had a long way to go cus it takes time to ripen. 15 years ago, watching jet contrails stream overhead, wondering what being in a cloud was like; the greenish hue began to slowly give away to yellow. 10 years ago, dealing with teen age awkwardness, i didnt notice the faint red spots beginning to show in all the yellow and green. and i kept on ripening...
i think that yesterday, though, was the day i noticed just how much red is really showing...
not only am i 25 years old, i am an uncle to an awesome 3 year old nephew. i have been married for two and a half years to my beautiful wife and my first child is due to be born this coming in april. i was born south of boston and now live east of orlando. i wanted to be a pilot when i was 10 and today i play music and work in a corporate office.
i'm ripening. that's what i arrived on today.
i remember watching mom's tomatoes grow in her little garden; complete with marigolds to ward off the maurading ant armies. the tomatoes would arrive on the vine tiny and green (one time i tried to eat one and i will never try that again!) and over the course of several days, their shade would slowly progress from green to yellow and from yellow to red. i used to get impatient waiting for them to be ripe; wondering why they didnt just emerge as ready-to-eat tomatoes just waiting to be placed on a salad. but just as any life on earth takes time to mature, those tiny green tomatoes needed time to develop and ripen before they were ready to be used.
i'm ripening. 25 years ago, i arrived; a tiny green bud on a vine. i wasn't ready to fall in love or dream about being a pilot, i was crying and cold and missing my mother's womb. i had a long way to go cus it takes time to ripen. 15 years ago, watching jet contrails stream overhead, wondering what being in a cloud was like; the greenish hue began to slowly give away to yellow. 10 years ago, dealing with teen age awkwardness, i didnt notice the faint red spots beginning to show in all the yellow and green. and i kept on ripening...
i think that yesterday, though, was the day i noticed just how much red is really showing...
Thursday, December 11, 2008
unsaved money
there is currently a billboard up around town emblazoned with the following "quote": "save money, and money will save you."
money will save you. interesting statement. every time i go out and purposefully spend money- i look for deals and never pay full price for anything- i try to save money. despite that its still tight times for the conti household and money sure aint growing on trees. if there was ever a time for all that money i saved to now save me- now is the time! but money has not saved me. why is this?
1 Timothy 6:10 states why. "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." And that is why money won't be saving me anytime soon. It's really quite hard to imagine "a root of all sorts of evil" SAVING me! i believe that in the heart of most men lies the desire to want to be pulled from the circumstances they are caught in and be rescued. so why would we believe that evil could save us?
faith. it's a hard pill to swallow. it's very easy to look at a one dollar bill and know that it exists and that it can provide what it promises to provide. God, on the other hand, lies beyond our grasp and view; asking us to trust that He will provide what He promised He will provide and we must rely on faith, not sight. and thusly i believe faith is the differential between our trust in money or God. after all the verse above clearly states that money will sometimes cause some to leave the faith. faith: the evidence of things unseen. therein begins our struggle.
in these economic times there is a battle between money and faith that we must make ourselves aware of. we look at our checkbooks and wallets and beg the stock market to surge and a new president to bailout our drowning economic system. we look at what we have and wish for just to survive. we look at what we can see and it destroys our hope. we stampede store workers just to save money so it will save us. we apply for more and more credit cards to give the appearance that money can save us. we exhaust the resources we can see, desperately begging money to save us and come up short even still. we have fallen away from faith.
faith. why does God go so far as to say "Blessed are you poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours." (Luke 6:20)? because the rich have already established their god and their kingdom of money. they have no need for what they cant see. Jesus states: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". those engorged in the love of money (see my previous blog "a love of money") have no use for faith because what they can see is what they choose to believe in.
God tells David: "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.". (Psalm 50:10-12) Basically God is telling us He owns the world. That He is far richer than any one man. The world is His. all we need to do to tap into His endless provision is believe in Him. That He is our saviour. How do we do this? through faith.
faith. the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. our love of money will not save us. it's a stormy downdraft that will rip us from the sky and slam us into the ground, destroying us. just like birds that leap from trees limbs, trusting that the unseen air will lift them up- we can leave the ground behind and soar if we trust in the plan of our unseen Saviour.
money will save you. interesting statement. every time i go out and purposefully spend money- i look for deals and never pay full price for anything- i try to save money. despite that its still tight times for the conti household and money sure aint growing on trees. if there was ever a time for all that money i saved to now save me- now is the time! but money has not saved me. why is this?
1 Timothy 6:10 states why. "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." And that is why money won't be saving me anytime soon. It's really quite hard to imagine "a root of all sorts of evil" SAVING me! i believe that in the heart of most men lies the desire to want to be pulled from the circumstances they are caught in and be rescued. so why would we believe that evil could save us?
faith. it's a hard pill to swallow. it's very easy to look at a one dollar bill and know that it exists and that it can provide what it promises to provide. God, on the other hand, lies beyond our grasp and view; asking us to trust that He will provide what He promised He will provide and we must rely on faith, not sight. and thusly i believe faith is the differential between our trust in money or God. after all the verse above clearly states that money will sometimes cause some to leave the faith. faith: the evidence of things unseen. therein begins our struggle.
in these economic times there is a battle between money and faith that we must make ourselves aware of. we look at our checkbooks and wallets and beg the stock market to surge and a new president to bailout our drowning economic system. we look at what we have and wish for just to survive. we look at what we can see and it destroys our hope. we stampede store workers just to save money so it will save us. we apply for more and more credit cards to give the appearance that money can save us. we exhaust the resources we can see, desperately begging money to save us and come up short even still. we have fallen away from faith.
faith. why does God go so far as to say "Blessed are you poor, because the Kingdom of God is yours." (Luke 6:20)? because the rich have already established their god and their kingdom of money. they have no need for what they cant see. Jesus states: "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God". those engorged in the love of money (see my previous blog "a love of money") have no use for faith because what they can see is what they choose to believe in.
God tells David: "For every beast of the forest is Mine, The cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, And everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, For the world is Mine, and all it contains.". (Psalm 50:10-12) Basically God is telling us He owns the world. That He is far richer than any one man. The world is His. all we need to do to tap into His endless provision is believe in Him. That He is our saviour. How do we do this? through faith.
faith. the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. our love of money will not save us. it's a stormy downdraft that will rip us from the sky and slam us into the ground, destroying us. just like birds that leap from trees limbs, trusting that the unseen air will lift them up- we can leave the ground behind and soar if we trust in the plan of our unseen Saviour.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
url
i've been quite active online lately and have run into a few great blogs. i love to find bloggers that are in the world but not of the world, if you catch my drift.
links are not linked 1. because i might be lazy and 2. the lost art of copy and paste may die.
sports with a proper twist: www.prayersforblowouts.com
my father in law's gifted insights are at: www.glimmerman55.blogspot.com
do you like what they like? find out: stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com
go deeper: www.97secondswithgod.blogspot.com
and if anyone out there has twitter- im on twitter now! www.twitter.com/analoguepilot
follow me if you'd like up to the minute insights from yours truly!
links are not linked 1. because i might be lazy and 2. the lost art of copy and paste may die.
sports with a proper twist: www.prayersforblowouts.com
my father in law's gifted insights are at: www.glimmerman55.blogspot.com
do you like what they like? find out: stuffchristianslike.blogspot.com
go deeper: www.97secondswithgod.blogspot.com
and if anyone out there has twitter- im on twitter now! www.twitter.com/analoguepilot
follow me if you'd like up to the minute insights from yours truly!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
a true story - chapter three
Chapter Three
work had been long. too long. he wondered what they meant by "long"; and who were "they" anyway? but these were the normal questions. the one question he could not answer was why he did this routine everyday.
it was night again. time for the dodging of twenty somethings in street racers again. the pausing at the light. "a blind man could live the life i live", he thought out loud to the quiet stars too far to hear the noise of the world below. a blind man. what would he do if he went blind? his entire life revolved around interpreting information from computer screens, driving, staring down a viewfinder at a subject. he needed his eyes.
that was one thing that separated him from the blurred, faceless masses. his eyes. his ability to see from his perspective. to look at his wife and know she's beautiful. to frame a person on the confines of a 4 by 6 viewfinder and compose a decent portrait. to guide his hands up and down the black and white puzzle of piano keys. to finish a day at work. his eyes transposed theory into fact.
you could tell him that the sunset was beautiful out but that would never be enough for him. a rush to the window or a dart downstairs would be required to verify that statement. it wasnt because he didnt believe. it was because he needed to experience. no one held his perspective. and his perspective kept telling him that the current routine needed rescue.
leaving his routine bobbing helplessly in it's swamped life raft on a raging sea of procrastination and circumstance , he climbed into his car, dialed in the engine and headed for the commute home. the sunrise would bring another long day.
work had been long. too long. he wondered what they meant by "long"; and who were "they" anyway? but these were the normal questions. the one question he could not answer was why he did this routine everyday.
it was night again. time for the dodging of twenty somethings in street racers again. the pausing at the light. "a blind man could live the life i live", he thought out loud to the quiet stars too far to hear the noise of the world below. a blind man. what would he do if he went blind? his entire life revolved around interpreting information from computer screens, driving, staring down a viewfinder at a subject. he needed his eyes.
that was one thing that separated him from the blurred, faceless masses. his eyes. his ability to see from his perspective. to look at his wife and know she's beautiful. to frame a person on the confines of a 4 by 6 viewfinder and compose a decent portrait. to guide his hands up and down the black and white puzzle of piano keys. to finish a day at work. his eyes transposed theory into fact.
you could tell him that the sunset was beautiful out but that would never be enough for him. a rush to the window or a dart downstairs would be required to verify that statement. it wasnt because he didnt believe. it was because he needed to experience. no one held his perspective. and his perspective kept telling him that the current routine needed rescue.
leaving his routine bobbing helplessly in it's swamped life raft on a raging sea of procrastination and circumstance , he climbed into his car, dialed in the engine and headed for the commute home. the sunrise would bring another long day.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
a true story - chapter two
A True Story
Chapter Two
that was night. this was day. he drank mornings in like a drunk on his eighth pilsner- hungrily. today was no exception. a tiny, finger nail clipping of a moon hung suspended over silhoutted cumulous clouds ringed in the faint orange glow of the rising sun. beautiful.
mornings were redemption. just like the shower he took every morning, the sunrise scrubbed away the remains of yesterday and made each day feel new.
the drive to work was his solace. no one to talk to, no one to have to interact with. not lonely at all, more like hitting the pause button on the dvd player right before the fight scene in a movie. much like taking a breath and enjoying it's benefits. calm.
there were many things on his mind today: channels being flipped by tiny neurons wearing out the battery on the remote. thats where driving comes into play. something to focus on. the road ahead. checking the mirrors, listening to the motor, quick glancing over his left shoulder at the rapid advance of the pale yellow edge of the sun burning against the cold sky. laughing at a quip made by a radio host or playing air drums to electronic music all while safely! guiding his car down the highway to work.
To Be Continued...
Chapter Two
that was night. this was day. he drank mornings in like a drunk on his eighth pilsner- hungrily. today was no exception. a tiny, finger nail clipping of a moon hung suspended over silhoutted cumulous clouds ringed in the faint orange glow of the rising sun. beautiful.
mornings were redemption. just like the shower he took every morning, the sunrise scrubbed away the remains of yesterday and made each day feel new.
the drive to work was his solace. no one to talk to, no one to have to interact with. not lonely at all, more like hitting the pause button on the dvd player right before the fight scene in a movie. much like taking a breath and enjoying it's benefits. calm.
there were many things on his mind today: channels being flipped by tiny neurons wearing out the battery on the remote. thats where driving comes into play. something to focus on. the road ahead. checking the mirrors, listening to the motor, quick glancing over his left shoulder at the rapid advance of the pale yellow edge of the sun burning against the cold sky. laughing at a quip made by a radio host or playing air drums to electronic music all while safely! guiding his car down the highway to work.
To Be Continued...
Monday, November 24, 2008
a true story - chapter one
instead of my normal blog entries- i have opted to change pattern and compose a short fictional story. i need to stretch my mind and take my writing for a brisk jog. you are welcome to come join me as i exercise...
A True Story by Joshua Conti
Chapter One
summer solstice had passed. because of 20th century school schedules conflicting with 20th century farmer's harvests, his normal sunset blissed commute home was now committed in the dark.
night and day take on their own unique forms and daytime's was the one he knew well. night was another animal altogether.
the main road leading out from his parking space was possessed by college students tearing hellbent in foreign build sedan-turned-street-racers towards a unknown destinations, unafraid of death or old ladies in lincoln town cars.
during the day, he could easily spot them from a quarter mile away in another lane, but at night they could elude him completely. at the second intersection on the main road, he knew to count to 8 seconds after the left turn light sparked green before lurching forward as 20 of these cars could easily run the opposing left turn light's angry red glow. and all this only happened at night.
To Be Continued...
A True Story by Joshua Conti
Chapter One
summer solstice had passed. because of 20th century school schedules conflicting with 20th century farmer's harvests, his normal sunset blissed commute home was now committed in the dark.
night and day take on their own unique forms and daytime's was the one he knew well. night was another animal altogether.
the main road leading out from his parking space was possessed by college students tearing hellbent in foreign build sedan-turned-street-racers towards a unknown destinations, unafraid of death or old ladies in lincoln town cars.
during the day, he could easily spot them from a quarter mile away in another lane, but at night they could elude him completely. at the second intersection on the main road, he knew to count to 8 seconds after the left turn light sparked green before lurching forward as 20 of these cars could easily run the opposing left turn light's angry red glow. and all this only happened at night.
To Be Continued...
Friday, October 31, 2008
passe ainsi la sagesse de l'homme
And as for myself, brethren, when I came to you, it was not with surpassing power of eloquence or earthly wisdom that I came, announcing to you that which God had commanded me to bear witness to. For I determined to be utterly ignorant, when among you, of everything except of Jesus Christ, and of Him as having been crucified. And so far as I myself was concerned, I came to you in conscious feebleness and in fear and in deep anxiety. And my language and the Message that I proclaimed were not adorned with persuasive words of earthly wisdom, but depended upon truths which the Spirit taught and mightily carried home; so that your trust might rest not on the wisdom of man but on the power of God. Yet when we are among mature believers we do speak words of wisdom; a wisdom not belonging, however, to the present age nor to the leaders of the present age who are soon to pass away. But in dealing with truths hitherto kept secret we speak of God's wisdom--that hidden wisdom which, before the world began, God pre-destined, so that it should result in glory to us; a wisdom which not one of the leaders of the present age possesses, for if they had possessed it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. (1 Corinthians 2:1-8 Weymouth New Testament)
passe ainsi la sagesse de l'homme (french) or thus passes the wisdom of man. in these last days of the elections to pick the next leader of our country- let these verses remind us that the candidate we're angry about or passionate about or unhappy/happy about is mere dust when compared to the wisdom of God. one mortal man cannot at all provide the answers we really need in our lives. as the verse above says- if the leaders of our present age had the wisdom only God possesses they would have thought twice about crucifying Jesus. think for a minute about the ramifications of that statement and let it sink in.
go out and vote but purpose in your heart to lean not on your own understanding or man's but in all your ways trust God's wisdom.
passe ainsi la sagesse de l'homme (french) or thus passes the wisdom of man. in these last days of the elections to pick the next leader of our country- let these verses remind us that the candidate we're angry about or passionate about or unhappy/happy about is mere dust when compared to the wisdom of God. one mortal man cannot at all provide the answers we really need in our lives. as the verse above says- if the leaders of our present age had the wisdom only God possesses they would have thought twice about crucifying Jesus. think for a minute about the ramifications of that statement and let it sink in.
go out and vote but purpose in your heart to lean not on your own understanding or man's but in all your ways trust God's wisdom.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
second place
i was watching a re-run episode of "third watch" (a favourite show of mine) on a&e this morning before work and the main story line was that of a new paramedic trying to learn how other paramedics, policemen and firemen were able to posess compassion for others. what got me thinking was when the new paramedic's mentor looked at him (fed up with his insistent questions on how he could be compassionate) and said (and i paraphrase here): "you wanna know how to have compassion? look at you- you've used the word "me" 6 times in the last 5 seconds! try putting yourself second for awhile and see what happens. it's not about you. stop making being compassionate about you!"
if you don't think God uses tv to get a point across, you're mistaken. very mistaken. it really isn't about me and thats something biblical to read into.
browsing the latest headlines on wired.com today, i ran into an article about a facebook movement in cairo, egypt. did you know that it's illegal to hold a meeting of more than 5 people without a permit in egypt? i sure didn't. this year, a regular guy with a wife and child named ahmed maher didn't view this as an obstacle in his web based protest of his nation's opressive government. he facing arrest and worse, he started a movement called "april 6th youth" that at one time had up to and over 40,000 online supporters. arrested and beaten at least 2 times he still is fighting for an end to the injustice in his land. this article ( found at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-11/ff_facebookegypt?currentPage=1 ) only served to play into today's theme: it's not about me.
my pastor, pastor ken hitte, is preaching from ephesians this month and he suggested we read the second chapter this week. guess what verse i found? ephesians 2:8-10. "for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. which God has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
think about it. what paul is saying here is that there are two distinct "works" here. what we do on our own and what God has planned for us to do. our works will not do any good for us! the works that we do through God have been planned and purposed before we were even born. how much is it not about me? My own works will not get me into heaven- only what i do through God's will. and the things i do through God are not for me or about me because i am His workmanship already created to worship. love and serve Him. as his workmanship it should be second nature to put myself second and God in first place in my life. with all these reminders i've run into today, im going to say that second place isn't a bad place to be. besides, i have a pregnant wife so im already learning another side to the meaning of "second place"! but that's for another post...
if you don't think God uses tv to get a point across, you're mistaken. very mistaken. it really isn't about me and thats something biblical to read into.
browsing the latest headlines on wired.com today, i ran into an article about a facebook movement in cairo, egypt. did you know that it's illegal to hold a meeting of more than 5 people without a permit in egypt? i sure didn't. this year, a regular guy with a wife and child named ahmed maher didn't view this as an obstacle in his web based protest of his nation's opressive government. he facing arrest and worse, he started a movement called "april 6th youth" that at one time had up to and over 40,000 online supporters. arrested and beaten at least 2 times he still is fighting for an end to the injustice in his land. this article ( found at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-11/ff_facebookegypt?currentPage=1 ) only served to play into today's theme: it's not about me.
my pastor, pastor ken hitte, is preaching from ephesians this month and he suggested we read the second chapter this week. guess what verse i found? ephesians 2:8-10. "for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. which God has prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."
think about it. what paul is saying here is that there are two distinct "works" here. what we do on our own and what God has planned for us to do. our works will not do any good for us! the works that we do through God have been planned and purposed before we were even born. how much is it not about me? My own works will not get me into heaven- only what i do through God's will. and the things i do through God are not for me or about me because i am His workmanship already created to worship. love and serve Him. as his workmanship it should be second nature to put myself second and God in first place in my life. with all these reminders i've run into today, im going to say that second place isn't a bad place to be. besides, i have a pregnant wife so im already learning another side to the meaning of "second place"! but that's for another post...
Friday, October 17, 2008
ultrasounds
this is an excerpt from my musings on my website (www.contimedia.us/music). this last tuesday, my wife and i went for her first ultrasound and this is what i wrote down the moment i got home...
i can’t think of anything to compare with seeing my child for the first time. according to the measurements- it could fit right into my palm with plenty of room to spare. being able to watch it move around and suck on its thumb, seeing its backbone and brain and belly… its tiny hands and feet… i am beside myself. i cant tell you how proud i am of my wife for taking on the journey of childbirth. our lives have changed forever! never before have i had as deep of a sense in God’s design and purpose as when i looked at the tiny human thriving inside my wife. i don't think i have the right words to describe how i feel... it was beautiful and awesome all at once.
i can’t think of anything to compare with seeing my child for the first time. according to the measurements- it could fit right into my palm with plenty of room to spare. being able to watch it move around and suck on its thumb, seeing its backbone and brain and belly… its tiny hands and feet… i am beside myself. i cant tell you how proud i am of my wife for taking on the journey of childbirth. our lives have changed forever! never before have i had as deep of a sense in God’s design and purpose as when i looked at the tiny human thriving inside my wife. i don't think i have the right words to describe how i feel... it was beautiful and awesome all at once.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
uncomfortably content
"I know both how to live in humble circumstances and how to live amid abundance. I am fully initiated into all the mysteries both of fulness and of hunger, of abundance and of want. I have strength for anything through Him who gives me power." philippians 4:12-13 (weymouth new testament)
i just found out that a $2,200 bill my wife and i would owe in february is being covered. this is welcome news. we're expecting our first child in april and i am beside myself with the sheer excitement of being responsible for the life of a child brimming full of God's purpose. but not so much with the monetary requirement thereof.
the economy is a black hole as we all know and despite everything i do to not worry about it, i am still uncomfortable and worried about it. yet, last night i was struggling with feeling content. why would i do that? why struggle with feeling content? simple. it goes against all this worry i have for everything going on around me.
being the good husband- i tell my wife: "don't worry about paying that" or "God knows and we'll be fine". easy words to say. not so easy words to actually believe. last night- struggling with actually believing that "God knows and we'll be fine" and my inecessant worry reached a pinnacle: i can be uncomfortably content.
i can be uncomfortable with the unstable world around me but i don't have to worry. i can be content with what i have (see my previous blog: a love of money). i can be content with where i am and with my circumstances. as paul says in the above scripture (and i paraphrase): "i have learned the secret of being content in every situation. i can do everything through him that gives me strength."
no matter if im living paycheck to paycheck or living off of a lottery winning (caffeine rarely works does not endorse gambling!) God gives me the strength to be content. i just have to learn to do everything through Him and not through my worry. after all- faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. why worry about what i can't see or control when God offers me the strength to conquer whatever lies ahead through my contenment in His purpose? there isn't a logical reason this side of sanity to do so!
as evidenced today- God is taking care of what i can't take care of and working everything out for His purpose. the next time i tell my wife "it's going to be okay, God's got this" i will make the greatest effort to put my faith and not my worry behind those words. i will be uncomfortably content.
i just found out that a $2,200 bill my wife and i would owe in february is being covered. this is welcome news. we're expecting our first child in april and i am beside myself with the sheer excitement of being responsible for the life of a child brimming full of God's purpose. but not so much with the monetary requirement thereof.
the economy is a black hole as we all know and despite everything i do to not worry about it, i am still uncomfortable and worried about it. yet, last night i was struggling with feeling content. why would i do that? why struggle with feeling content? simple. it goes against all this worry i have for everything going on around me.
being the good husband- i tell my wife: "don't worry about paying that" or "God knows and we'll be fine". easy words to say. not so easy words to actually believe. last night- struggling with actually believing that "God knows and we'll be fine" and my inecessant worry reached a pinnacle: i can be uncomfortably content.
i can be uncomfortable with the unstable world around me but i don't have to worry. i can be content with what i have (see my previous blog: a love of money). i can be content with where i am and with my circumstances. as paul says in the above scripture (and i paraphrase): "i have learned the secret of being content in every situation. i can do everything through him that gives me strength."
no matter if im living paycheck to paycheck or living off of a lottery winning (caffeine rarely works does not endorse gambling!) God gives me the strength to be content. i just have to learn to do everything through Him and not through my worry. after all- faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. why worry about what i can't see or control when God offers me the strength to conquer whatever lies ahead through my contenment in His purpose? there isn't a logical reason this side of sanity to do so!
as evidenced today- God is taking care of what i can't take care of and working everything out for His purpose. the next time i tell my wife "it's going to be okay, God's got this" i will make the greatest effort to put my faith and not my worry behind those words. i will be uncomfortably content.
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