The Sweater

It arrived in the mail a little bit early. A birthday card from a friend with a note penned, "Here's $50 go shopping". So when the day came I made my way to store where I normally just window shop. On a rack marked "sale" I found what I wanted: a black sweater with fancy ruffles on the front. It was the perfect mix of a classic touched by a trend. So I handed the clerk my money then waited nearly a month and this past Sunday I wore it. But not only that, I treasured it. And I kept the compliments I received tucked tightly in my heart.

When I returned home, I draped the sweater gently over a chair in my room instead of returning it to its proper place. Little did I realize that the sweater slipped from the chair and fell into the laundry basket until today when I pulled a little black sweater from the dryer. Ahh... I sighed as my heart sank with disappointment.

It was an expensive lesson learned that material things are fleeting and should stay tucked in a closet, not in a corner of my heart because when they do, they might try to shape my identity, puff up my pride, or steal the place of important virtues. Now my little black sweater can still be worn, but I shall never wear it the same way again.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." -Colossians 3:12

Answering the Call

If we come to a place in life where we can just coast then we better be careful. When we make more of an effort to maximize our own comforts, we tend to minimize God's calling on our lives.

I can guarantee that a life lived in hot pursuit of a God sized dream is action packed and full of adventure, not creature comforts.

So let's check our hearts today. Are we more concerned with the comforts of this life or the calling of a lifetime?

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” -Matthew 4:19

A Poem

Winter came without a warning
on Wednesday morning
when a north wind ushered in the cold.
Word on the street is,
"fall is gone" or so I am told
by the leaves that go skipping by
along the ground
and the Christmas lights proclaiming,
"Tis the season to be jolly".
As I cherish in my heart
the coming celebration of my Savior's birth.

Water into Wine

In a day when Jesus turned water into wine, he met a need. He performed a miracle. And I cannot help but wonder today if Jesus would do the same for me and turn water into coffee? I think he would. But more than that, I think he would say, now that you have your coffee, come and let's sit together and talk. That's the Jesus I serve...not a stuffed shirt or a painted mural, but a relational God.

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. "
-John 2:1-11

Surrender

There is a quiet place of silent surrender that remains in a heart yielded to Christ.
It is a place that keeps the heart anchored in the midst of a storm.
It is a place that knows rest in the midst of weariness.
It is a place that knows wealth in the midst of poverty.
It is a place that finds grace in the midst of depravity.
There is a quiet place of silent surrender.
Have you made that discovery?

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts."
-Psalm 139:23

Counting Blessings

The call to live simply comes from a heart that loves deeply. This Thanksgiving let's count our blessings, not in the same way we count days on a calendar or money in our pockets, but in the way we count answered prayers and priceless relationships. I believe that in doing so we will be able to gage whether or not we are living simply or simply living.

What truly matters most to you this holiday season?

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
-Jesus (Matthew 5:3-10)

In Ruins

There are some things we leave in ruins only for them to be filed away in the archives of our past. And that can be a good thing. But it can also be bad when relationships crumble or when dreams fall apart and we are left with nothing more than broken pieces.

What is in a state of disrepair in your life today? Perhaps it is time to rebuild.


A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8