Fridays and Peanut Butter M&Ms

Well hello there my faithful readers.  Apparently I’m making up for not blogging much over the past few months.. purging of the mind and soul I guess.

What is it about Fridays???  They always are SO SLOW!  I don’t know what the deal is.. some kind of conspiracy probably.  I have a few things on my to-do list today, but for some reason, I’m blogging now.  While eating peanut butter m&ms.. at 10:30 am no less.

I’ve been injured this week, so haven’t run much.  Last Saturday, upon completing 16 miles, as soon as I stopped running my knee started throbbing in pain.  I stretched and rested the remainder of the day, and limped around Sunday and Monday, deciding I needed a couple days off.  Tuesday, I slipped on my running shoes, and as soon as I took two steps, my knee began to scream at me.  Wednesday I ran a mile, then turned back and walked home.. I couldn’t do 8 in that kind of pain.  Last night I decided on a short bike ride after worship practice, at 9:30 PM (probably not the best decision.. kind of like the time I ran in a thunderstorm a couple weeks ago).  I did a couple miles, and so far so good on my knee.  My crazy marathon-runner-friend Suzanne was telling me today about doing water running…. humm, I’ll have to think on that one.  Or maybe tomorrow I’ll just do a longer bike ride.  We’ll see.  Yoga and a potential massage might be just what I need too.

Alright.  Now organic almonds with M&ms.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.

So I’ve been thinking a lot, about a lot lately.. which isn’t new.  You who know me well know I think a lot.  It’s interesting how God intervenes in our lives in the strangest ways.  Sometimes we think he’s leading us one way, sometimes we wonder where he is, sometimes we ask more questions than we thought possible…sometimes at the end of the day, all we can do is just sit in his presence and keep saying “I trust you Lord”, “I trust you Lord”, even when it hurts to say it.

I was reminded today of that glorious day… when we will see Jesus face to face… in heaven one day. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.  And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’… I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.  To the thirsty I will give from the spring of water of life without payment…”. (from Revelation 21…).

No guarantees are given for an easy life.  I think about my friend Lisa.. who was in a car accident almost exactly a year ago in Thailand.  She’s still recovering, yet the brightest shining light for all to see today.  You are an inspiration Lisa.  Today during teacher devotions Dave reminded us of the verses listed above as he recalled the past year, and his wife miscarrying.. twice.  Pain and tears may mark our journey, but we never walk alone through it.  Our pain and tears are held and seen by him.

Our own personal “Theology of Suffering” may be different for each person… but if we believe in the end God is good, and that those who seek Him lack no good thing… we will somehow begin to muster the strength to walk by faith.  One step at a time.

Wow, I didn’t mean for this to be so serious.  In the beginning, I was just thinking about the fact it was Friday, and that I love chocolate almost as much as Lindsey Jones right now.  I’ll refrain from eating the whole package of M&Ms.  Self control.

Happy Friday.  Having dinner with some of my favorite people tonight… Michelle and Marvin.. you guys rock!

Later.

“My God! I Know, I Feel Thee Mine”

I discovered this hymn not long ago and still am moved by the poetic words.  It’s a prayer I want for my life, and I pray for yours too… that we will walk closely with God, commit our ways to him, and be filled with His love.  I especially  love the last portion.. it’s beautiful.

My God! I Know, I Feel Thee Mine
BY CHARLES WESLEY

1 My God! I know, I feel thee mine,
And will not quit my claim
Till all I have is lost in thine,
And all renewed I am.

2 I hold thee with a trembling hand,
But will not let thee go
Till steadfastly by faith I stand,
And all thy goodness know.

3 When shall I see the welcome hour
That plants my God in me!
Spirit of health, and life, and power,
And perfect liberty!

4 Jesu, thine all-victorious love
Shed in my heart abroad!
Then shall my feet no longer rove,
Rooted and fixed in God.

5 Love only can the conquest win,
The strength of sin subdue
(Mine own unconquerable sin),
And form my soul anew.

6 Love can bow down the stubborn neck,
The stone to flesh convert;
Soften, and melt, and pierce, and break
An adamantine heart.

7 Oh, that in me the sacred fire
Might now begin to glow,
Burn up the dross of base desire,
And make the mountains flow!

8 Oh, that it now from heaven might fall,
And all my sins consume!
Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call,
Spirit of burning, come!

9 Refining fire, go through my heart,
Illuminate my soul;
Scatter thy life through every part,
And sanctify the whole.

10 Sorrow and sin shall then expire,
While, entered into rest,
I only live my God t’admire—
My God forever blest.

11 No longer then my heart shall mourn,
While purified by grace
I only for his glory burn,
And always see his face.

12 My steadfast soul, from falling free,
Shall then no longer move;
But Christ be all the world to me,
And all my heart be love.

Prayer

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.  I do not see the road ahead of me.  I cannot know for certain where it will end.  Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.  But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.  And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.  I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.  And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.  Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death.  I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave meto face my perils alone.”

-From Thoughts in Solitude by Thomas Merton

God of Justice

Micha 6-8 (JustWallpaper).preview

For those planning to attend this Sunday’s Prayer and Worship Night at FBC, here is just a taste of what you’ll see, and what we will be praying about for our city and community… it’s something that has been on my heart for quite some time, but read over the lyrics to Tim Hughes’  “God of Justice”, taken from Micah 6:8.  As we pray for our communities, let us remember the heart of our call as believers, and remember how simple it really is.

I often forget the simplicity of our call… Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly…

God of Justice, Savior to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we’ve received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in every way
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we’ve received
Now freely we will give

Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

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The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
For a class I’m taking right now, there are several disciplines we have to experience, one of those is praying the Lord’s Prayer every day for a month.  Some days I wake up and right away, I remember to pray it, but more than just “pray it”, I try and think through what it means.  As a Christian, and really for anyone in any organized religion, it becomes easy for things to become routine, and by acting in those things that are required, we miss why they are important.
Just like we should all pray.
Just like we should all read our bibles.
It’s interesting how the disciples, of all the questions they could have asked Jesus, they ask to be taught how to pray.  Father tells us that we are on a personal level with God.  Hallowed reminds us of how holy he is, and how un-holy we are.  Asking for His Kingdom and will to be done gives God full power and control in our lives.  Asking for him to give us our daily bread teaches us to ask only for what we need, and to know that he will meet and provide that need.  Asking for forgiveness for our sins, and for those who have sinned against us teaches us humility as we place in God’s hand our own humanity.  The KINGDOM, the POWER, and the GLORY should belong to him forever, and we lift up these characteristics of God, knowing that he will show these things in our own lives, but to the entire world.
Maybe you’ve strayed, maybe intentionally, or maybe each day you’ve let yourself slip away from the Lord’s presence, whatever the case, sometimes it just begins with a prayer of faith, a verse of encouragement, but either way, he’s whispering for you, because he’s a Father who cares.