Joy

It has been far too long since my last blog post. Sukkot has been busy, but it was amazing and full of joy. Actually, I want to share two scenes of joy from this past week.

The first happened just prior to Sukkot. I went in for an advising appointment at the college to find out what classes I still need to graduate. For the longest time I was under the impression that a meteorology degree leaves very little room for freedom in choosing classes. For the longest time that was true. But when I went in that day, I found that this was no longer true--next semester I have complete freedom in choosing all but two of my classes. Freedom...to pursue my heart's desires without worrying about what my family, friends, or adviser thinks; without worrying about whether it can get me a job or how much money I can make. Freedom to be who I am. Freedom to pursue a dream. And all praise goes to God for granting me this freedom. Coming out of that office, I wanted to jump for joy. Thank you Father.

The second snapshot comes at the end of a Shabbat in the middle of Sukkot. This day I felt what Sukkot is all about--coming together as brothers and sisters and drawing near to our God. Played kickball with the kids, enjoyed some amazing cooking, but the climax of the evening was when we took the speakers outside and danced. To come together and dance before our Father--there is nothing like it. When the joy of community is overcome by the presence of God--words cannot describe it.

So often we get caught up in day to day mediocrity. It's easy to forget the joy of our Father. The joy of the freedom we have in Messiah. The joy of our Father's love for us and His desire to see us prosper and live--really live. The joy of community--the friends and family God has given us. The joy of dancing before our King.

Someone worth dying for

Someone worth dying for

MikesChair

I was driving one day and this song came on. I decided to turn it up and really listen to the words. I had heard the song before, but never really paid attention to the words. As the chorus begun I thought "This is beautiful" and could relate it to my own life. Then the last line of the chorus was sung--and I was not expecting it. At that point my spirit broke within me. Someone worth dying for? Me?

Some time later, listening again to this song, I realized that not everyone knows of this love. I realized that I need to live my life in such a way that those placed in my path can see that they are more than flesh and bone. That they are something beautiful. That they are seen and they are known. That they are someone worth dying for. And I realized that I don't have enough love for that. But God does. So, Father, let your love flow through me.

"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you."
(John 15:12 ESV)

Hiding from God

The traditional reading for Yom Kippur ("Day of Atonement"--just ten days from now) is the book of Jonah. This is the story of a man who tried to hide from God. Hiding...several things (a blog post, a movie, old journal entries) have echoed this theme today.

Have you ever hid from God? I believe I have. In friends. In knowledge and Bible studies (ironic, isn't it?). In various distractions. The thing about hiding from God is it usually involves hiding from yourself as well. That makes it hard to detect--and even harder to correct. But God can help you come out into the light, if you ask Him.

Today is Yom Teruah--Day of Trumpets. On this day the trumpet sounds calling to our hearts and piercing to our soul: "Prepare for the coming our King!" How do we prepare? We must lay open our hearts before Him. We must strip ourselves of our pride. Your grades, your art, your career, your friends, your family, your wealth, your knowledge, your good works...I could go on--all must be laid down before we enter the presence of our King. We must approach in humility, laying down our crowns of gold and our crowns of thorns before Him. When it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is His faithfulness and His mercy.

As I read through some old journal entries, I am noticing a pattern. God has revealed Himself to me when I lay my heart bare before Him--when I acknowledge my faults, my guilt, my confusion and cry out sincerely to hear His voice. When I hand over everything--my past, my present, and my future--to Him. He is there waiting to reveal Himself to us. But maybe He's waiting for us to reveal ourselves to Him.

My desire is to pursue God with all my heart--to chase after the Ruach. But sometimes I wonder, who is really chasing who? Perhaps, in a sense, God is chasing after His bride. Shall we hide from Him any longer?

Surrender

My grip tightens. My resolve strengthens. And slowly everything I care about slips away.

Let go.

My hands slowly relax. I look to Him who gives me peace. My life falls away. I lose focus--I reach out to catch all the things I let go of. Frantically, I try to grasp at my fleeting ambitions.

Hand it all to me.

My eyes lock with His. My trust is in Him. Slowly I begin to hand pieces of my life to Him. He takes them. He molds them. I cry out "No! That's not what I wanted!" I reach out to grab my life back. And as I pull, they tear. My hopes. My dreams. Torn. My fears. My frustrations. My bitterness. My life--broken. And He says to me,

Will you trust me? My ways are higher than your ways. My plans are greater than your plans. I can take your life, your love, your hatred, your ambition, your fear--I can take all the broken pieces and turn them into something greater. But you have to give it all to me.

Broken, I hand Him what is left of my life. As He begins to work, I begin to see Him work wonders in my life. And as I see my life restored, I feel empowered to take it back. But He gently reminds me that I am His. Reluctantly, I surrender. My hopes and my fears. My friends and my family. My hands and my heart. I place it all into His hands.

Father, sometimes surrender feels like the hardest thing in the world. Sometimes I feel like I'm caught in the middle. Father, help me to trust you.

Prayer of a Butterfly

God of our fathers and of every creature under heaven
Transform my life, make me a new creation
Through death of myself and in you resurrection

In wisdom you are crafting the wings with which I fly
Give me wisdom to use them to sail into the sky
And discernment to know when I have flown too high

With kindness you sustain every living creature
Mend my wings, make my flight sure
Forgive my sin, make my heart pure

Creation groans under the weight of sin
They hiss, they fight, but I won't give in
Gently I'll touch a shoulder or a hand
Sharing your love, waiting for redemption

Stepping Out Of The Boat

If you have not seen the movie Soul Surfer, you should. It is an amazing, true story about faith and courage. It's stories like this that help me see life in a different light.

Where the Dinosaurs Roam

Miles away from civilization, where the dinosaurs roam...


Where water is scarce, and the floods sweep away boulders, and the rain pours on a dry and dusty desert.

A connection is made with the Most High outside the cell phone network.