When Heaven Smiles

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God's pleasure."
-Eric Liddell

Wow. What an earth shattering statement. If you've never seen the movie Chariots of Fire, or read the story of Eric Liddell you have missed out. It is an amazing story that stirs the soul and causes my heart to turn toward God. What kind of faith in God did he have? What kind of relationship did he have with God that he could sense God's joy in him?

As an amazing and unique person in all of humankind, you were created with specific skills, special talents, amazing gifts, and a purpose designed by your Abba in Heaven. [Did you know that Abba really means Daddy (so I've been told)?]

What is it that you enjoy doing? Let me re-phrase, what is it that you do, when you are in the midst of doing it, that you feel light, joyous, right, happy, excited, encouraged, thankful...? Perhaps, that is related to what your purpose in life is. Maybe it is what you were meant to do.

What is the highlight of your day and why? The highlight of my day is coming home.

No matter how bad the day went, how badly I screwed up, whether I got "it" done or not, whether I was the best that I could be - I know that when I come through that door, there are four young voices, and the voice of my wife, that will greet me with squeals of delight. I hope that you can identify with what I'm saying, even if you have no children of your own, perhaps you have observed a child greeting their mommy or daddy.

The sky could be cloudy, my heart could be down, my legs and back may be exhausted but when my dear ones throw their arms around my neck their happiness becomes mine. I never feel more alive than when my family greets me, holds me, and they tell me unconditionally that they love me. Oh the smiles that come unbidden to my face!

From the story of the prodigal son, Jesus gives us a picture of how God the Father views us...
"...But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him(v20)...the father said to his servants...Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So, they began to celebrate." Luke 15:20, 22-24

Joy inexpressible sounds cliche doesn't it? I know what that overwhelming mingled sense of joy, happiness, pleasure, and connectedness feels like towards my children. How much more does God want that from me? It is simply breathtaking that as a father, I am still a child.

All praise, glory, and honor to God who draws me to Himself, calls me son, and graciously allows me to remain here for His pleasure. May I feel the Son-shine of His smile upon my life. There is no better place to be then in the warmth of the Risen Son, seeking to bring a smile upon the face of my heavenly Daddy!

My Little Child

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not recieve the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16

I would like to introduce a recent picture of my children to you, from left to right they are Zachary, Matthew, Joshua, and Ashley. They are a source of great joy to me, but they can also really frustrate me at times.

It seems lately that I have noticed a lot in the news about stories of children being rescued from harm, and those that were not. After reading the passage above, I believe that Jesus has a special place in his great heart for children. What do you suppose the phrases "do not hinder them" and "the kingdom of God belongs to such as these" mean?

As a father the depth of emotion that my children bring forth from my heart is overwhelming at times. And yet, I know that God the Father has a broader, deeper, unfathomable well of emotion for me.

If you have children, whatever their age, I am sure that you remember the uninhibited joy that they express themselves with. How they throw themselves into play, and whatever they do with great abandon. Life and society teaches them to hide and cover their exuberance. I wonder what we lose when we learn to be "more behaved."

Today, I mourn the loss that I know parents have felt in the past week. I can only imagine their pain at knowing that the one they once held will no longer wrap their arms around their neck. They won't hear the cries of "Mommy" or "Daddy" anymore. It is a pain that is real and immanent even though I am still able to hold my own children.

I thank God that He is my heavenly Father. I thank God for the gift of my children. I thank him for the daily lessons they present to me about my relationship to Him - even though many times I miss the message in the mayhem.

My prayer is that we would cherish our children. Not only our biological children, but all children in recognition of who we are to our heavenly Father, and for who they are in His eyes. I am sorry. I wish I could be more eloquent, and articulate more clearly my thoughts and prayers herein. Forgive my stumbling words and my inadequate thoughts.

In reverence and awe I humbly enter the presence of my heavenly Father and ask Him to gather me up in His all powerful arms and be surrounded by His ever loving heart. May you enjoy a moment of quietness and peace with Him today. May you know in the deepest, darkest part of your broken heart that He loves you beyond all measure and is waiting with arms open wide to bring healing to your heart.

Hand Me Downs

I don't remember where I heard the story, it's one of those stories that I have gathered from years of reading and being in church...

There was a missionary family that came to a church, somewhere in the North West I think, to give their report. They had been on the mission field, some obscure corner of Africa or Asia - I don't remember where. The place is not that important.

The father stood up to introduce his wife and five children and began to speak about what God was doing in the corner of the world to where they had been called. Apparently there was a minor stirr when the father introduced his family, namely in regards to the clothing worn by the family. The clothes were far out of date, out of style, and somewhat jaded in appearance. I remember the impression of that the story teller had regarding the clothes, almost to the effect of - "My God they are soo out of style."

As the father was wrapping up, he specifically thanked this particular church for the clothing that his family was wearing as they had come from this church's missionary bin... You can probably imagine the story teller's complete chagrin.

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned but had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether livingt in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him [Christ] who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:10-13

For the few in ministry that seem to have been able to use their position to an advantage, possibly beyond what may be appropriate - there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of those who have chosen full time ministry and are barely scraping by financially. While the story talks about clothing, I believe that it is a mistake to limit the application of the story to "Clothes in the missionary bin."

God seeks a relationship with us wherein He has first priority, first place, the place of honor in our lives in regard to each and every area of life. Whether it be spiritually, emotionally, physically, or financially He wants to be in first place. Be it with our time, our possessions, or our person, God wants us wholly committed to giving Him our Best.

What hand-me downs are you giving to God? With your time? With your conversation? With your family? With your money? With your possessions? With your heart? I believe that is a prayerful conversation worth having, one that I should have more frequently.

One more thought, the missionaries in the story had received hand-me downs from people in the church and were sincerely grateful. How many times are we less than happy with what God has provided for us? In Philippians, Paul spoke about how he had learned to be content in all circumstances.

Does it matter to you if it's hand-me downs or brand new Tommy Hilfiger? Are you happy with Wal-Mart, or does it have to be Macy's and Nordstrom's? Definitely a prayerful conversation I need to have regularly - and not just about clothes.

Brokenhearted

What compels you? What drives you?

I think that most of us, if we are brutally honest with ourselves, given the time and quiet to consider, can probably find the event(s) and/or person(s) that have shaped the core of who we are. Often enough, it is probably heartache, pain, loss, or failure that pierced us through our heart that is the keystone to who we have become.

We are, all of us, brokenhearted. It's a product of the Fall. Sin has placed such a burden on this world that, as Paul says:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

Romans 8:22-23 [NIV]

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.

Isaiah 61:1(b) [NIV]

When Isaiah talks about the brokenhearted, God is not using metaphor. The Hebrew is leb shabar (leb for "heart," shabar for "broken"). Isaiah uses the word shabar to describe a bush whose "twigs are dry, they are broken off" (27:11); to describe the idols of Babylon lying "shattered on the ground" (21:9), as a statue shatters into a thousand pieces when you knock it off the table; or to describe a broken bone(38:13). God is speaking literally here, He says, "Your heart is now in many pieces. I want to heal it." (Eldredge, Waking the Dead,132)

The wonderful promise from God is that we do not have to be driven by those turning points, or by that event or person that has colored our perception of who we are, who God is, and what I should be doing with my life.

My prayer is that God would reveal to me those event(s) and people that have shaped me and enable me to refocus my understanding of them with His Truth. In so doing, perhaps, I can learn to be driven by my love for Christ instead of my fears, my failures, and my faults.

He's already set us free from the prison of our old heart, our sin nature. It seems that my problem, and maybe yours as well, is that I keep walking back into that old cell and sitting down. I've imprisoned myself by choice. Instead of enjoying the freedom that He paid for so extravagantly, I'm stumbling around in a prison cell with an unlocked door.

What about you?

Plastic Christianity

"We should never look down on someone unless we are helping them up."
-source unknown

If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other (v15) ... Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit (v25). Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other (v26).
Galatians 5:15, 25-26 [NIV]

I don't know about you but I am so tired of shallow, surface Christianity. One of the themes of the book of Galatians relates to the fact that it is not what we are physically [on the outside] that makes us Christians. Paul is dealing with the issue of whether or not the practice of the Law, specifically whether circumcision, is required for one to become a believer in Christ.

Life, and life as a Christian, is difficult enough without fighting with fellow believers in Christ. I don't know if you've come from, or if you're part of, a Christian community that has kind of an "unwritten social code." In other words, social mores that are not necessarily tied explicitly to Scripture. They have a tendency to become a kind of "New Christian Law." If one transgresses these rules, it can result in anything from being socially ostracized to being publically embarassed whether informal or formal. This type of Christian community can become a place where the real work of Christ in our hearts is often hampered by a lack of transparency.

How?

I become conceited - it is a source of pride, social status, community influence if I adhere to all of the social mores of a specific community.

Provoking - once pride steps in, it is a simple thing to begin pointing the finger and highlighting the failures of fellow Christians in meeting those social mores.

Envying each other - I then become incapable of allowing Christ to work in and through me because it is no longer possible for me to be transparent and real with my struggles to live a Spirit filled life. Thus I close off my heart and mind from others and attempt to compartmentalize what I am dealing with. Why? In order to avoid transgressing those social mores, which may or may not be tied to Scripture. For if I fail, if I stumble, then I run the risk of being ostracized at a minimum and publicly embarassed at the worst.

I know that I want to be learning how to be open and transparent in appropriate Christ-centered relationships whether that be mentoring relationships, or accountability partners, or whatever relationship God has brought into my life.

Personally, I've made the commitment to make every effort to leave my Mask of Plastic Christianity in the refuse heap where it belongs and refuse to ever pick it up again.

I hope and pray that you do not feel like you are dancing the night away at the Masquerade Ball for Christ. If you are, then I hope and pray that you can drop your plastic mask. You know, the one that covers your real heart. I pray that you'll be able to really get connected - with both God and with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Lost: Spiritual Disciplines

Scripture speaks about fasting, about meditation, about worship, about discipleship and about prayer . . . Are these the spiritual disciplines? Do you think there are others that should be included above?

While they were worshipping with the Lord and Fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13:2

I find it interesting that fasting is connected to both worship and prayer in this passage. What do you see?

I believe that we have largely lost the value and understanding of these spiritual disciplines within at least the Evangelical Christian Community. I confess that this is more an opinion than a scientific poll or observation of a broader spectrum of Christianity. It's kind of like Instant Replay in the NFL, I don't see "indisputable proof" that would cause me to change the call.

When was the last time you heard a sermon about fasting or meditation? Perhaps a better forum for that discussion is in a mentoring relationship... Do you think that Discipleship is a lost function for believers today? There are certainly plenty of how-to manuals for Christian living, but what about our consideration and meditation on The Manual for Living - the Living Breathing Word of God.

I recall an assistant professor saying, "why is it that American Christian's need formulas" in reference to a book titled something along the lines of 28 Days to a Better Prayer Life ... I don't remember the title exactly. But the point he was making still rings true to me more than 10 years later.

Should not our Christian walk be about the Relationship [with Him] and not worrying about whether or not we've crossed our T's and dotted our I's on today's Checklist for Healthy Spirit Filled Living?

Please understand, that's not to say that the disciplines should not be practiced faithfully - they should, otherwise they are not disicplines. More to the point, it's too easy to get caught up in the habit and ritual of performing Christianty that we forget to connect our heart's to His in the process.

Anger: Right or Wrong?

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.
Proverbs 29:11

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
Ephesians 4:26-27

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.
James 1:19-20

I am sure that many of us are familiar with the story of Jesus driving the money changers out of the temple area (Matthew 21:12-16; Luke 19:45-46; Mark 11:15-18; John 2:13-16). Jesus does not "look" or sound peaceful in the midst of this action. I think that most would agree that Jesus was angry about the whole situation. Along these lines there are many verses that speak about God's anger.

I find it interesting that anger is never described as an emotion that we should not have. It is clear to me that it is an emotion that we need to be very careful with. I believe that each of the above verses speak to the importance of maintaining balance and control in anger.

Anger can at times be a very difficult emotion for me to control. If I am tired, stressed, worn out, then I have even less ability to control my anger. I don't know about you, but it is certainly an emotion that can "sweep you away" with its raw power.

My prayer today is that God would enable me to exercise my anger appropriately and not sin in the expression of it. My prayer is that God would enable me to surrender to His control, and live in and by His Holy Spirit.

Your Heart is Home

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

It is an amazing, awesome and powerful thing to realize that Christ dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit. That in and of itself is a powerful thought. And, there is much in this prayer of Paul to the saints in Ephesus to turn over in our minds.

We should be rooted and established in love.
It takes power to understand how big the love of Christ is for us.
In knowing this love, we can experience the fullness of God.

This passage speaks so eloquently that I find it hard to even comment on - May your life be richly blessed in Him as you consider what the love of Christ is for you.

Don't Be Anxious . . .

Yeah. Right. I seem to get overwhelmed on this one very easily on a regular basis. It seems at some level that my ability to think has become a curse in analyzing all the potential problems that can pop up . . . Or, in focusing on the problems in front of me without taking God into consideration.

Life is hard - thank you Grandfather Adam. Life is certainly not fair - thank you Adam, again. If Life was about Fairness then Jesus would not have had to die on the cross to save me, to save you, to save the world... Or, how about the story of Job - he was tested merely because God was proud of him. What would that be like? How would that feel? To have God be proud of you, be proud of who you are?

You know that we have the privilege of calling God our Abba, paraphrased our Daddy. We as parents didn't know how big our hearts were, or how deep our emotions could run, until He entrusted us with little ones. Do you think there is an application there?

Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God
Psalm 94:19 When anxiety was great within me, your [God's] consolation brought joy to my soul.
Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Proverbs 12:25 An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Those are just a few of the verses that I run and consider when I am feeling anxious or worried about what will happen in the future.

I thank God that He is loving, gracious, patient, and merciful... Because if He wasn't, I'd be a hopeless wreck with no clue. When things seem to be dark, or getting darker, it is very difficult to climb out of those circumstances and attempt to have a godly, biblical, or spiritual perspective on things.

If you are facing anything difficult or trying in your life right now, I would encourage you to place that burden upon the broad shoulders of Jesus - our mediator before God. Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf, that He intercedes and communicates in our stead for us. So, don't worry about what you're saying or how you're saying it - the Holy Spirit will make sure that it's said right.

Just focus right now on the loving reality of the provision of God's grace and mercy in your life and seek His face. Verbally, emotionally, perhaps in a physically symbolic way - take the burdens that you have and specifically place them in His care. This is not to say that we passively approach our days and tasks and fail to act. It is proactively seeking to not focus on what is wrong and then to "give it to God." Then go and do what must be done.

Beyond space and before the beginning of Time, God intended me and he intended you. He has fore-ordained the course of our lives. Yet, we need to understand that, juxtaposed with the fact that He has given us Free Will - the ability to choose. Which means at some level, that while God has forknowledge of our lives, He may not eradicate or minimize the consequences of bad decisions or prevent us from doing stupid things.

In seeking knowledge and wisdom which begins with the Fear of the Lord (Proverbs chapters 1 & 2), we begin the journey to a place of reliance in, on, and through Him.
This too shall pass...
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...
Don't Worry. Pray. Focus on Him.
Jehovah-Jireh. Jehovah Nissi. Lord Jesus - take my burdens, my thoughts, and my cares. Help me not to take them back when I am reminded of them. Thank you for the intercession of your Son, Jesus on my behalf. Thank you for the interpretation of your Holy Spirit on my behalf.

Thank you Abba Father for being my spiritual Daddy.

Transform - Don't Conform

Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your siritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

I love these verses . . . you might call them the Cliff Notes version of "How To Be A Christian." If we agree with the statement that the purpose of Man is Worship God and enjoy Him forever, then I believe that there is no better place to begin than Romans 12:1-2.

I remember hearing a professor speak about is the concept of the living sacrifice. We present ourselves to God, but we keep getting down off of the altar to do our own thing. The only way that we can avoid being conformed to the pattern of this world is to be sure that we are filling our minds (and hearts) with God's Word.

An interesting read for meditation and contemplation are some of the historical writings of Christians who have come before. They are found in Creeds and Confessions. They can provide a thought provoking context for our faith. A sample of those documents/beliefs can be found at http://www.reformed.org/documents/index.html.

[Sometimes I feel like a deep-sea fisherman….]

Good Night My Love…

By Benjamin D. Goss [copyright 1999, 2006]

Darkness painfully changes to gray.

The creak of wood and the smell of salt,

The sound of rope sliding,

Falling onto the deck.

Chain clanking as the anchor settles against

The bow.

Softly, gently, no sense of rush

The sun touches the sky

And she blushes a rosy shade of pink.

Then a riot of color from horizon to shore,

As the sun begins to climb in earnest…

From stem to stern,

From keel to topmast,

My boat is battered,

Weathered

And scarred.

Steady and reliable as she moves out

Ready to face whatever comes to her

Upon the Sea.

Time to work and time to toil

While the sun climbs high

My blood begins to boil…

Errors in navigation, I’m off course…

The nets begin breaking…used up

Used out, the catch uncaught now

It must be re-sought.

Desperation, failure, remorse and sorrow

Rise and fall ‘pon the sea from today through tomorrow.

But, then…

As the fog rolls in and the air chills

My spirits rise and the sail fills.

I’ve fixed the nets and I’m back on course

New fish are caught as I’ve seen the worst.

Precious cargo in the hold…or perhaps in tow

I turn toward home…

To seek kith and kin once more.

The fog is thick as I head for shore.

But , again the heading isn’t clear…

The compass spins in circles

And my heart catches in my throat.

A lump seems to be there,

No matter how many times I try to swallow.

I try to drink lukewarm coffee…

It doesn’t help.

I try again…the fog thins out.

As I lift the mug, a wave smashes

Into the ship and threatens to hurl me

Overboard…in spite of my slicker

I’m soaked.

I swallow a lot of seawater.

The wheel spins as I heave,

Coffee and sea water…then nothing

Just dry, wracking, draining heaves.

Then fog suddenly swarms about the ship

Feeling like one thousand and one wraiths smothering me,

I hear it, subtle, imperceptible…then, a long, low, and mournful sigh

Signaling rocks and the shoreline.

The sun must be falling like a stone

As the wet, cold, grayness begins to darken.

Then the wind begins to blow…

Whether in dream or in reality

I hear the voice of my Love calling…

Calling me home.

Her heart beckons to mine

And my spirit senses her soul.

Intertwined in a desperate intimacy

Since the day we were wed,

The call of her heart has ever brought me

Home.

The dank, clinging, wet is carried

As if the voice of my love was chasing

The wraiths away…I whisper my thanks

To God, my Adonai, my Jehovah-Jireh.

He provides a way through, mist, storm and sea.

He gave me my Love…

And provides respite and reason every day and every night

To find my way home.

From a long way off

And high upon cliffs and rocks

A beacon of shattering light reveals

A desperate shore that beckons for destruction.

Above the sirens of desperation

And beyond sharp shapes of hopelessness

The beam that pierces the night…

And…

My Love’s voice that pierces my heart

No obstacle, no diversion can confuse my way Home.

The pier and the jetty resound with

Sounds of boats gently rocked by the sea.

My boat thuds dully against the docks,

Sails wrapped tightly and hold locked shut…

The rope is course and thick in my hand

First loose, now taught against ship and dock.

Swift and sure I’m secure

In a jiff…I’m over the side.

I walk along the dock continuously rocked

By the sea…now vast and mysterious

Not so violent or strange anymore.

Looking away I see her there…

Standing on solid ground.

The wind plays with her clothing and her hair.

She smiles and calls to me.

My heart leaps within my chest,

My Love is here

And Home is just a heartbeat away.

As I hold her tight upon dry ground,

Everything still moves though it is sound.

She whispers sweet nothings to calm me…

And the motion in my mind slowly slows.

Just to the left,

And beyond the moor

We walk to find our door.

Later as I draw her to myself

And drift off on the winds of rest…

my mind rocked by the rhythm of her breath

Squeezing gently I whisper…

"Goodnight my love,

Goodnight my sweet, Perhaps upon the shores of dreamland we’ll meet."

NOTE from the author: Many of us, men and women alike face frustrating and stress filled days. Many times it seems like we’ve lost our way, or the heading isn’t clear or what have you. It is at those times that we may turn to our mates for encouragement, exhortation, and unwavering love. My wife Jenna does this for me. May this poem bless you and your mate as you seek to encourage each other in your trials and celebrate together in your triumphs.

Life Verse

Do you have a verse that rises above all others when you think about Scripture? Is there a verse that sets your heart on fire, that causes your mind to burn with passion and intensity?

When I take time to pause and consider the legacy I want to leave my children, my fervent prayer is that they would have a grasp for the whole of my life within the context of this verse:

John 10:10 [Jesus is speaking] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Some versions of Scripture will translate the last phrase as "and have it abundantly." A full and abundant life . . . CARPE DIEM . . . We have the chance, the opportunity, and the privilege to live without fear of what may come.

What does it mean to grasp hold of the abundant life that is offered by Christ to us? How should I be living? How can I demonstrate this attitude, this reality to my children. When the end of my days come upon me, will they be able to say that I held this promise of Jesus close to my heart and lived from it?

My prayer is that my children would come to understand what an abundant life is before God. I hope and pray that those who come into contact with me will find a joy and zest for life that cannot be explained without an understanding of who God is!

Do you have a verse that speaks to your heart . . . at the deepest point of who you are? I encourage you to search your heart. Seek Truth and Life and I believe that within the intimate setting of your heart, God will draw you to Himself. In drawing you to Himself, He will reveal a verse or part of a verse that is a central truth about who you are.

Embrace The Glory

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. - Nelson Mandela

I am reading and thinking through the book WAKING THE DEAD by John Eldredge which Jenna, my lovely wife purchased for me a little while ago. This quote from Nelson Mandela was taken from that book.

Genesis 1:26-27 relates the story how Man has been created in the "image" and "likeness" of God.

Ephesians 2:4-10 speaks on how we having been saved by the Grace of God have been "seated with him [Christ] in the heavenly realms." Moreover, we are "God's workmanship."

You have value. You have worth. You are an amazing, wonderful, incredibly special unique work of God who stands before Eternity as an example of God's loving Grace in action.

I believe that given enough time in meditation upon scripture before the God of the Universe, when you are able to quiet the many voices that clamor in your heart for attention, that within the deepest part of your heart You know Who you really are.

Many of us struggle to shine forth as a reflection of the image of God. We have clouded the mirror of our heart with so many other concerns, other goals, other struggles that the image of God, and the power of Him within, has been covered with the veil of our failure to act in accordance with who we truly are.

Drop the pretense.
Forget false humility.
Celebrate the passion of being the dwelling place of God and the beauty of His Grace as demonstrated in your life for all of Eternity!

Look into the Mirror of your heart and remember . . .
Remember Who You Are.
Remember Whose You Are.

Who are you really? God knows and deep down so do you.

September 7th, 2006

"The Gates of Hell are locked from the inside..."
-C.S. Lewis

Perhaps another way to think about that statement is that conversation between the ghost of Jacob Marley and Ebenezer Scrooge... paraphrased..."You have labored on it [your chain] these past seven years. It is a ponderous chain..."

Ebenezer couldn't "see" his chain because it was a spiritual reality not evident in the physical world... In the same way, those we come into contact with are "inmates of Hell." They're dead and they don't know it... unless someone makes them aware of it. So, this morning I have been thinking about how I can try to "wake the dead."

Whose [heart's] door should I be knocking on today?

Just a thought for today that I wanted to share. I trust that you all are doing well.

Benjamin
1 Thess 5:23-24