Friday, June 20, 2014

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Everyday II: The Quiet Life

God has really been working on my heart since--well, ever since spring break, which was in late February/early March, I believe! There is a huge potential opportunity coming up, that I can't share with you all because it's far from solid yet (your prayers for God's guidance are appreciated, though!), and when it comes, if it comes, there will be a lot of excitement, a lot of terrified-ness (what's the word for that anyway?), a lot of technical details, and a lot of trust and faith in God needed!

But in the meantime I'm sitting here working at my little desk in my corner of the world. Unlike my friends, I'm not doing literature evangelism, Bible work, health evangelism, camp ministry, preaching evangelistic series, getting married, traveling the nation on a honeymoon, or anything else that anyone might see as doing "hard things" for God.

Can God use quiet lives, uninspiring events? If you question that, why don't we look to the first 30 years of Jesus' life on earth? After His birth, we only have one or two sentences surrounding three decades.

The most important thing? I think can be summed up in this quote (something of a life goal for me):
"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every circumstance you know to be the will of God." (Jim Elliot)

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Every Day

It's been my routine almost a full year now--every day after the hectic school and work and everything-else schedule, I drive out to see, feed, groom, and (sometimes) ride my horse, a.k.a. my Best Buddy (or just River). He's the biggest and best gift God could've given me for this last year, by the way. :) (And the most expensive, but God provides!)

But today we had good old-fashioned Tennessee "gully-washer" thunderstorms and therefore I didn't go see my best friend. He'll survive; in fact he's probably perfectly happy with his grass.

I, on the other hand, am already regretting it. Why? Well ... because it's my "reset" from the day. And because I miss him. Even just one day, I miss that connection that only really happens when you're there, together. I can think about him all day long but it's not the same as being there, even if we have a rough day.

Tonight, missing my Buddy (but knowing I'll go see him tomorrow), I'm thinking--do I recognize my need of just being there, together with God? Even if it's a rough day and I just don't "feel" like I'm connecting with Him?

Sunday, June 1, 2014

The Faithful

Thought today I would share a poem I wrote quite a while ago. The first stanza is from Steve Green's song "The Faithful"; the rest is mine. :)

In dark filthy places
Forsaken
Forgotten
Our brothers and sisters
Are paying the price
They will not deny Him
to purchase
their freedom
These are the Faithful
The martyrs of Christ

They’re tortured
and beaten
And finally their voices
Fall silent at last
Unseen
Unknown
and Silence reigns again

From under the altar
Their blood is outcrying
How long, Lord?
How long till my people
Will again hear Your voice?
Who will come to
Raise Your banner?

How long Lord
How long till our
Torch of truth can
Be passed on

How long Lord?