Thursday, June 30, 2011

Dragging

I get tired of dragging the weight of my sin, so I shoulder the load while wearing reluctance on my sleeve. And whether it's something I refuse to change or an area where I just want to indulge, the weight still feels the same: heavy.

Do you sometimes carry things that leave you feeling less than fulfilled?

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 6:23

Monday, June 27, 2011

A Proverb

A proverb of my own:

Don't sell your soul to the future.
You will probably lose interest.

Don't give your heart to the past.
You will need it today.

Don't waste your strength on just anything,
but give your strength to something worthwhile.

Don't lose your mind over minor challenges,
but let your mind be challenged by worthy things.

Inspired by Philippians 4:8;
"...whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Finding Rest

She silently resigned when she fell asleep in the shadow of yesterday, as if she truly found shelter from the scorching sun. But shadows only last for so long before they move, changing shape, leaving her to be burned by the realities of today. And she wakes up, feeling exhausted before finding rest in a new place.

"...but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
-Isaiah 40:31

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting

I serve a loving God who patiently waits for me. He does not demand I move faster when I slowly process his direction. He does not snap at me when I act or react based on the desires of my flesh. He does not give me the silent treatment when I say things I should not.

I serve a loving God who waits patiently for me to be more like him, and I know he waits for you too. So my question is, what are we waiting for?

"The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love."
-Psalm 103:8

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Foolishness

I chase perfection like a dog chases its tail. And at the end of the day I end up running in circles. I forget I am chasing something I can never catch when it always seems to be within reach. But it never stays still long enough for me to wrap my fingers around it.

How about you? What are you trying to get your hands on?

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness."
-Proverbs 26:11

Monday, June 20, 2011

Collapsing

I take a step forward and find myself in a place that is strangely familiar. And everything I once considered necessary now seems like extra baggage. So I drop it all as my strength grows weary and my heart grows faint. My feet begin to drag and I realize I have nothing left... nothing in my hands, nothing hanging on my shoulder, nothing to pull, I don't even have anyone to bring. So I collapse. And it is in this moment that I wonder why it took me so long to get here.

"But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there."
-Hosea 2:14

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Faith Journeys

A ship travels over seas. Its captain knows the journey is long and the waters are deep. He plans the course carefully through squalls and storms so as not to threaten the mission. He calculates the routes the ship will take; where it will sail and where it will dock.

Is your faith like that ship? Is the Lord Jesus your Captain?

"I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."
-1 Timothy 1:18-19

Friday, June 17, 2011

Stepping Stones

My life feels like a series of leaps of faith surrounded by shallow pools of hope, like I am a kid stepping from stone to stone in a steady stream with my eyes closed. Sometimes I pray I won't slip and fall. Other times I don't even give it a second thought....and then I seem to leap a little further.

"For we live by faith, not by sight."
-2 Corinthians 5:7

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Timing

Time stands still and I get restless. So I find ways to pass the time. Then time gets restless while I stand still, so I find ways to savor each minute. Until it dawns on me that my timing can be off, so I thank God that his timing is perfect.


"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
-Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Ambitious

I nearly tossed my ambition in the trash after it sat around collecting dust. I passed it by several times without any desire to pick it back up.

Perhaps I felt too tired or too busy. Perhaps it felt too heavy. Or maybe I feared it would slip through my fingers.

So when I finally decided to pick it up and throw it away, I suddenly felt compelled to not let it go.

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."
-1 Corinthians 15:58

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Racing

I race to the finish line marked with perfection while apathy sweats from my pores. So I grab a rag to wipe it away but it keeps dripping down my face. And it seems the harder I try, the faster it falls. Until I realize there is no way I can reach the finish line on my own.

"I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us."
-Philippians 3:14

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Truth & Grace

I cannot run from reality, but if I stand still long enough I fall through the cracks. So I slip into something anonymous in hopes that the truth won't find me. But she does. She backs me into a corner until I have no other choice but to remove my disguise. And when I do, I find myself standing in a fragile place.

And it's hard to be alone when truth is staring you right in the eye. So I call on my friend, grace.

"Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church."
-Ephesians 4:14,15

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Treasured

We treasure a sense of adventure but fail to leave the comfort of all things familiar. So we strap on a parachute called safety before leaping headfirst, only to land in a place called faith. And we discover that faith is filled with everything we already treasured, while fear offers nothing at all.

What is holding you back?

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
-Joshua 1:9

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Religious

What once held her accountable now holds her captive. And those who stood beside her in worship now stand beside her in judgement. So she tip toes around feeling very religious. But what good is religion when she seeks the praise of people instead of she herself praising God?

And yet the same thing can happen to anyone of us.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
-James 1:27