But what do i know...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
hello again blog
there are a whole lot of life changing things in the works in my life. so i've been thinking a lot about God's plan and he works it all out. the insane complexities of perfectly orchestrating millions and millions of lives blows my mind.
i am a big fan of the tv show Fringe and one of the last episodes "the plateau" was kind of about that. they are chasing a guy whose intelligence is so advanced that he can predict how how things will happen and even cause huge chain reactions through small acts.
it reminds me of God who can do that with everyone at once. and not only does He do it but he does it "for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28) how crazy is it that God does that in our lives.
another part of the guy's ability was that in order to predict he had to observe them and collect data. God doesn't even have to do that. He created us and knows us even better than we know ourselves.
God has a plan and it is a good plan and it is so good to rest in that.
a C.S. Lewis quote from twitter the other day:
"There seems no plan because it is all plan."
check out the episode on hulu
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Garbage In Garbage Out
It is something I so often try to pretend is not true. Then I start wondering why all this garbage is overflowing out of my heart. Hmm... I wonder...
Luke 6:43-45
43"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
2Corinthians 5:13-15
13For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Is God overflowing out of my heart? Or is the world overflowing out of my heart?
Monday, November 23, 2009
Bad Choices...
So i had one of those moments the other day that you read stories about, where you find yourself at a decision to either do what you know is right or what the people around you would prefer. And all of the really good stories are about the times when people choose the right thing even in the face of adversity. I really wish that was my story, but i am ashamed to say that is not the case. While on a church trip a man approached us as we were leaving a gas station and in need of some gas. My first thought was of course i can come help you get some gas, but the people around me immediately began to say we need to go, we don't have time. And the moment was there. The milliseconds that it took me to turn back to him seemed like forever but in the end the pressure beat me. With what i'm sure seemed like no hesitation at all i turned back to him and said "Sorry they say we have to go." Saying it like that made me feel a little better cause it was they not me, right? But i am just as much a part of the they. The whole way home i apologized to God over and over for not entertaining one of his angels and failing the test. Why do we do this?? Why do i do this?? But thank God that i am forgiven..
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
live what you know
How little do I really know of Christ? How little have I really seen of His power? How little do i really understand His resurrection? He has taught me much and shown me much, yet it is still the tip of the iceberg. The hugeness and complexity of God is ridiculous to think about. How could I, or any of us for that matter, ever really know Him fully?
But it is ok.
Paul gives us an amazing statement. "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Huge! God does not ask any more than what He has revealed to us. But He does ask that. If I really lived up to what i have seen of His power and what knowledge He has revealed to me. My life would be so much more radically consumed by Him.
God, please continue to reveal yourself to me. Though i know i don't deserve it. God, continue to help me see and understand the power and beauty of Christ's resurrection. Help me to live in light of that power and beauty.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Talk Is Cheap
29" 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30"Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go.
31"Which of the two did what his father wanted?"
"The first," they answered.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
This was put in my face the past few days. For a whole lot of us, though we wish we walked our talk, we are the second son. We talk a lot about God and what he wants for our lives, and we think that is doing it. If someone asked me to mow their lawn, I would say, "Yeah, sure." Then we would probably talk about when I needed to do that. Maybe what tools I needed and things I needed to watch out for. But the lawn is no closer to being mowed than when we began. Lets start actually living like Jesus instead of just talking about it. Lets be intentional about things and not just hope they happen.
An awesome song comes to mind. "Make War" by Tedashii. Check it out.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Peepin the God of the Universe
"Not to show people the all satisfying God is not to love them. To make them feel good about themselves when they were made to feel good about seeing God is like taking someone to the Alps and locking them in a room full of mirrors."We are not called to make people feel good. God does that sometimes through us but only so that we can point to HIS awesomeness. Whenever I am no pointing to God I am not loving those people. We are crappy people and we are not made to dress up our crap. We are called to point to the only one who is not crap. The only one who really brings us joy and makes us happy (not always in the short term but always lasting happiness). In God, because of Jesus, we are able to experience the best, most amazing thing ever and so many times we get caught up looking in the mirror.
Man! If I were in the same room as Will Smith, and my friend did not interrupt my conversation about my new shoes to point him out so that i could crap my pants and go meet him. They would not be my friend....And that is only Will Smith! Just some other flesh and bones piece of crap.
How many people am I not loving? How many people am I letting look at their toes while standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon? (...which I have never been to, but am fairly certain is amazing) How many times will I check myself instead of peepin the God of the universe??