THE RICHNESS OF YOUR GLORY

I think I am like most people, who put God into a little box where we
call on him whenever life gets a little hiccup or a distress becomes
too inconvenient to deal with alone. God is so much more than that,
and wants us to experience a richness of life that may not be easier,
but will certainly be fuller.

Tonight was the Christmas Eve service at church, and for the first
time ever we had the service at 11 pm. I was dreading it at first,
but then I found out some great friends whom I haven't seen in way too
long were coming and I got really excited. At Church, I recognized so
many family friends that it really made me very happy. For a family
christmas that almost didn't happen, this is sure turning out so far
to be a great Christmas (I feared I would be scheduled to work).

Tonight during the service I began thinking about why God goes so far
to reach out to us. We must be pretty special. Just looking around
at the world we discover an entire universe full of complex designs
and structures created by God for what appears to be one purpose:
life. Our very existence is as statistically probable as the chances
of gravity suddenly reversing on it's own accord. God created this
whole realm as an act of revelation of himself and his glory, and I
cannot help but notice the richness of it all. We are little more
than specks of dirt in time, and yet this universe exists solely as a
home for us.

God loves us very much indeed. It's all for his glory... and how rich
that glory is!

CONSEQUENCE

Consequences, repercussions, outcomes--I am the kind of man who is
always careful about what he sows so that I may only reap the best
harvest. I am at a point where there are so many possible and
pressing choices that I am starting to wonder if I am going about it
all wrong. Maybe my time would be more fruitful if I made a choice
and then dealt with the consequences as it comes. Maybe that is just
as foolish.

I live my life so cautiously at times. It would be a lie for me to
deny that I am a calculative person; taking risks only when the
opportunity is destiny. I would say that this has not worked badly
for me, but I feel like something is missing.

Maybe I just need to dive deep. Make my choices and then stand by
them. What is this life, after all, if not a tiny finite moment
barely celebrated for but a moment? If I only live once (here) then
perhaps I should be a better steward of what God has blessed me with.

Whatever cost, whatever pain,
I'd like to think I'd follow you anywhere
Prepare this heart for whatever mission

IN CHRIST ALONE

I'm at that point in my life where my hunger to know God more
intimately is becoming a desperate hunger.

Soon I will starve, or be filled... and I doubt God is ready to let me
starve. I am ready to commit my life to living for God, and while
I'll admit it scares me to consider what implications that may have,
I see the adventure in it all. If there is anything I fancy myself to
be, it is an adventurer.

In Christ Alone, my hope is found.

I'm at another crossroad in my life. I have so many decisions to
make. Nothing is easy--well, except finding the time to sweat
everything. I face decisions in my job, in my dating life, in my
friendships, in my schedule, in my paths, in my finances... there are
choices that need to be made everywhere. While I lean on God to give
me wisdom, I know that he will not make the decision for me.
Therefore I sit and pray for guidance, and while I make a leap of
faith, pray that God will bless me in it.

It is also in this moment of rejuvenation that I seek to make changes
to my life that affect others. I want to be kinder, more generous,
and wiser. I used to be the person whom people sought for wisdom, and
lately I've felt like the village idiot. I want to be remembered for
my kind, bold, and prophetic words. I want to give others a taste of
the love God has, and I want to be full of life.

In the end, I worry that I am all flashy words and no substance. The
hope of things yet to be keeps me smiling however, and I pray for
growth to come.