Good morning!
I hope you are able to sense the powerful love that the God of the universe has for you today - and every day!
Are you a paitent person? Are you able to wait more than 30 seconds for a web page to pop up or a text to be returned? Do you get frustrated when it has taken someone an hour to return an email or even a phone call? Do you take joy in the journey or the result?
For those of you who know me, patience is not my strong suit, although I must say I am getting better at it. God continues to smoothe out that rough edge in my life...but, I wish He'd hurry up and do it!
As I have journeyed with God and waited upon Him, I have become more and more aware that God wants me to find joy in the journey more than finding joy in the results of my life. Often, for me, impatience engulfs me when I am not getting the results I desire. I forget that the journey has joy in it as well and, if I forget that, the results are not as sweet in the end. While I may enjoy achieving goals and getting results, it is the journey that defines how great the results end up being. It is in the journey that God teaches us our greatest lessons.
From Merton's Palace of Nowhere by James Finley, Finley writes, "Merton once told me to quit trying so hard in prayer. He said: 'How does an apple ripen? It just sits in the sun.' A small green apple cannot ripen in one night by tightening all its muscles, squinting its eyes and tightening its jaw in order to find itself the next morning miraculously large, red, ripe, and juicy beside its small green counterparts. Like the birth of a baby or the opening of a rose, the birth of true self takes place in God's time. We must wait for God, we must be awake; we must trust in his hidden action within us."
Our impatience oftens propels us to want to be more than what we are outside of God's timing...or wanting others to be more than what they are outside of God's timing. As Isaiah 40:31 shares with us, "Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not faint."
Don't try to get somewhere in life faster than God needs you to. He needs you here and now and He desires to use you here and now. He will offer you the strength you need. He will reveal to you the purpose of your life today. Enjoy the journey...wait on God...the result will be a better, truer, you.
Holy God, thank you for patiently loving me, especially when I try to get ahead of You. When I get impatient God and I want more from my life, slow me down and open my eyes to the incredible blessings you want me to experience today. Take away my bent towards impatience and keep my awake as I wait for You and trust what You are doing in my life. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
HOPE
Hello,
I pray that you have been able to experience the power of God's presence in your life this week.
As some of you may know, I am a news junkie. I like watching the news, listening to talk radio, and getting the latest updates on what is going on in the world around me. Unfortunately, this past week hasn't been a good week to be a news junkie. Every time I turn on the news I hear the story of the shooting tragedy in Tuscon that took 6 lives and wounded 14 others (one of them congresswoman Gabby Giffords). Not only do I hear the story again, but the images from that day flood the television screen...along with the image of the little nine year old girl who was killed. Seeing those images over and over again tends to have a negative effect after a while. I know I can turn off the news, and I often do, but the images seem to linger in my mind.
Locally, the past two weeks have created tragic images of their own. With the tragic death of Sammi Gaunt, a high school Senior, and the drowning death of a local 2 year old boy in the Arkansas River, images of tragedy and pain have been our constant companions recently. Mix all of this with the violence and unrest around the world, to which our news stations seem to flock, these images must have an unhealthy affect on our souls and our spirits.
I don't know aobut you but sometimes I shut off the television, stop reading the newspaper, and shut myself off from the world. No news is better than the news that's out there. This doesn't last too long and, unfortunately, I find myself being bombarded once again by the images and stories that communicate the darkest and most difficult realities of our humanity.
So, I'd like to offer the image above that pulls me out of the duldrums of life and removes the negative images in my mind. It is an image that, to me, is life-giving, hope-filled, and true. What does this image say to you?
(image received from www.schoolofabraham.com/pencilindex.htm and drawn by Jean Keaton)
Gracious God, I pray for our world that is full of tragedy and strife. I pray that our world does not become desensitized to the grave realities of our existence, but instead is able to put their trust and hope in You. As You have come to us in the image of Your Son, may I reflect His image in my own life and may Your life-giving Hope fill the darkest parts of my soul and the darkest corners of the world. In Your Holy Name I pray. Amen.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Social Networking
Happy New Year!
I pray that you and your family have been able to welcome 2011 with open arms and with anticipation of all that God will reveal to you this year!
Like many of you, I have made some promises to myself for the New Year. I would like to get into better shape (my "round" isn't fully proportional yet), I would like to become more disciplined in my spiritual life, and I made a promise to join Facebook.
Suffice it to say, I achieved 1/3 of my goals for the year when I joined the Facebook family 3 days ago. Many of my family and friends were surprised to see me finally get on board with the cultural wave that has crashed down on our society. I have been very reluctant to join Facebook in the past and I vowed to never join it. But, in the true wisdom of the Bee Gee's, "never say never again."
I am intrigued by the cultural phenomenon that Facebook has become. It has been deemed the ultimate social networking site. At the end of 2010, Facebook heralded 400 million users that spans worldwide. As a matter of fact, 70% of Facebook users are outside of the United States. The statistics are staggering when you think of how Facebook has exploded in just 6 years. If you want to view some of the statistics follow this link: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/facebook-statistics-facts-figures-for-2010/.
Facebook's mission is, "Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Obviously, their mission is being accomplished so much so that Goldman Sachs just invested $500 million in the company. Estimates of Facebook's worth range from $10-$50 Billion. Of course, it's not just about the money, it's about the people using the site as a way of connecting to those with whom they have lost connection in their lives. It is a way to stay up-to-date in our busy and chaotic world.
I have always been intrigued by culture's response to the newest idea and fad. Facebook seems that it is becoming one of the primary ways that people stay connected and in relationship with one another. Facebook has met a need in a world that often feels disconnected, even though we are the most connected generation in history.
As I reflect on the success of Facebook and experience for myself the opportunities it provides to the world, I cannot help but reflect on the church as well. No offense to Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies over at Facebook, but, in my opinion, they are NOT the ultimate social networking site. The Christian church bodes some 2 billion followers worldwide - 5 times that of Facebook. The Christian church was established to connect people to each other and help people connect to Jesus Christ and the divine presence of God in their lives.
While Facebook has begun to transform our society (only time will tell how much), the Church has been doing it for years! Granted, there are times that we don't do it as well as we should, but we have been given a way to not only connect ourselves with others, but to help others get connected as well.
The caution I would provide to all Facebook users (which is why I resisted for so long) is to not subsitute your Facebook time for real face time with those you love and those who are part of your spiritual family. It can be easy in our crazy lives to think we are "connecting" through the virtual world and let that become our only reality. True connection, in my opinion, comes in the face-to-face, heart-to-heart, sit down at the table together, real world that Christ modeled for us. Facebook can offer us opportunities and provide us chances to catch-up, but it cannot provide us with the real thing.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) states: "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
We are to meet together. If we happen to comment on someone's wall from time to time or "like" their status, that is fine. But let's not let it keep us from meeting with each other at the coffee shop, the book store, the dinner table, or the worship center. Let's not let it keep us from entering into real, authentic, loving relationships with one another. Let's not forget that the ultimate social networking site was created almost 2000 years ago and it has proven to be the best way to connect and be in relationship with each other and with our God!
I know that it is not always as convenient as getting online for a few minutes and typing a few words...it takes more investment and more time. But, I think many of us understand that building and maintaining a relationship takes time and effort. Which social networking site will you invest more of your time in this year?
"Creator God, You have created me for relationship with others and with You. Forgive me if I have lost my connection with You in my pursuit of the newest idea and cultural fad. Forgive me if I have lost my true connection with those I love. Remind me that I am more than a picture on a screen and a status on a wall - I am Your child, made for relationship with all You have created. Help me to recommit my life to making face time with You and with those who love me and encourage me on my faith journey. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen."
I pray that you and your family have been able to welcome 2011 with open arms and with anticipation of all that God will reveal to you this year!
Like many of you, I have made some promises to myself for the New Year. I would like to get into better shape (my "round" isn't fully proportional yet), I would like to become more disciplined in my spiritual life, and I made a promise to join Facebook.
Suffice it to say, I achieved 1/3 of my goals for the year when I joined the Facebook family 3 days ago. Many of my family and friends were surprised to see me finally get on board with the cultural wave that has crashed down on our society. I have been very reluctant to join Facebook in the past and I vowed to never join it. But, in the true wisdom of the Bee Gee's, "never say never again."
I am intrigued by the cultural phenomenon that Facebook has become. It has been deemed the ultimate social networking site. At the end of 2010, Facebook heralded 400 million users that spans worldwide. As a matter of fact, 70% of Facebook users are outside of the United States. The statistics are staggering when you think of how Facebook has exploded in just 6 years. If you want to view some of the statistics follow this link: http://www.digitalbuzzblog.com/facebook-statistics-facts-figures-for-2010/.
Facebook's mission is, "Giving people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." Obviously, their mission is being accomplished so much so that Goldman Sachs just invested $500 million in the company. Estimates of Facebook's worth range from $10-$50 Billion. Of course, it's not just about the money, it's about the people using the site as a way of connecting to those with whom they have lost connection in their lives. It is a way to stay up-to-date in our busy and chaotic world.
I have always been intrigued by culture's response to the newest idea and fad. Facebook seems that it is becoming one of the primary ways that people stay connected and in relationship with one another. Facebook has met a need in a world that often feels disconnected, even though we are the most connected generation in history.
As I reflect on the success of Facebook and experience for myself the opportunities it provides to the world, I cannot help but reflect on the church as well. No offense to Mark Zuckerberg and his cronies over at Facebook, but, in my opinion, they are NOT the ultimate social networking site. The Christian church bodes some 2 billion followers worldwide - 5 times that of Facebook. The Christian church was established to connect people to each other and help people connect to Jesus Christ and the divine presence of God in their lives.
While Facebook has begun to transform our society (only time will tell how much), the Church has been doing it for years! Granted, there are times that we don't do it as well as we should, but we have been given a way to not only connect ourselves with others, but to help others get connected as well.
The caution I would provide to all Facebook users (which is why I resisted for so long) is to not subsitute your Facebook time for real face time with those you love and those who are part of your spiritual family. It can be easy in our crazy lives to think we are "connecting" through the virtual world and let that become our only reality. True connection, in my opinion, comes in the face-to-face, heart-to-heart, sit down at the table together, real world that Christ modeled for us. Facebook can offer us opportunities and provide us chances to catch-up, but it cannot provide us with the real thing.
Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT) states: "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
We are to meet together. If we happen to comment on someone's wall from time to time or "like" their status, that is fine. But let's not let it keep us from meeting with each other at the coffee shop, the book store, the dinner table, or the worship center. Let's not let it keep us from entering into real, authentic, loving relationships with one another. Let's not forget that the ultimate social networking site was created almost 2000 years ago and it has proven to be the best way to connect and be in relationship with each other and with our God!
I know that it is not always as convenient as getting online for a few minutes and typing a few words...it takes more investment and more time. But, I think many of us understand that building and maintaining a relationship takes time and effort. Which social networking site will you invest more of your time in this year?
"Creator God, You have created me for relationship with others and with You. Forgive me if I have lost my connection with You in my pursuit of the newest idea and cultural fad. Forgive me if I have lost my true connection with those I love. Remind me that I am more than a picture on a screen and a status on a wall - I am Your child, made for relationship with all You have created. Help me to recommit my life to making face time with You and with those who love me and encourage me on my faith journey. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen."
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