Yesterday I sat with friends I haven't seen in a long time. I had lunch with a close friend. Then later that night Andrea and I sat with another couple who are close friends over dinner at an Indian restaurant. These are good friends who in the past have known me well and have always challenged me about what it means to be part of the kingdom of heaven. They have been an encouragement to me as well. In both cases we picked up where we left off as if we'd never been apart.
There are not words to explain the benefits and joys of close friendships. I think it was C.S. Lewis who said something like "There is nothing better than good Christian friends and a fire". I know I probably butchered that quote but it's right. There is nothing like the company of good friends.Saturday, July 31, 2004
Friday, July 30, 2004
Knowledge
When I read what I've written here and elsewhere or listen to some of the messages I've preached it seems to me that sometimes I sound as if I've got life all figured out. I hope you know that is not the case. There are ideas and concepts and thoughts I have about life that I am completely convinced are true. But there are also ideas and thoughts that I lean really heavily towards but don't have completely formed in my mind. There are also thoughts I have hunches about that I cannot prove. So how can you tell which are which? I'll leave that for you to figure out on your own.
That's what's good about a blog. I can "try on" some things as I write them down. Dawson Trotman said:
"Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through the lips and the fingertips."
And in this case my keyboard. So don't think of me as a pompous arrogant know-it-all. I'm just writing my thoughts to allow them to disentangle themselves. And am surprised that anyone would want to read them.
I ran across this story on a June 11 post on One House:
Once upon a time a visitor came to the monastery
looking for the purpose and the meaning of life.
The Teacher said to the visitor, "If what you seek
is the Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else."
"I know," said the visitor, "To find Truth I must have an
overwhelming passion for it."
"No," the Teacher said. "In order to find the Truth, you
must have an unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong."
You can read the entire post here ... Link
That's what's good about a blog. I can "try on" some things as I write them down. Dawson Trotman said:
"Thoughts disentangle themselves when they pass through the lips and the fingertips."
And in this case my keyboard. So don't think of me as a pompous arrogant know-it-all. I'm just writing my thoughts to allow them to disentangle themselves. And am surprised that anyone would want to read them.
I ran across this story on a June 11 post on One House:
Once upon a time a visitor came to the monastery
looking for the purpose and the meaning of life.
The Teacher said to the visitor, "If what you seek
is the Truth, there is one thing you must have above all else."
"I know," said the visitor, "To find Truth I must have an
overwhelming passion for it."
"No," the Teacher said. "In order to find the Truth, you
must have an unremitting readiness to admit you may be wrong."
You can read the entire post here ... Link
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Marriage Mentoring
Brazos Pointe Fellowship is starting a ministry where an "experienced couple" spends time with a pre-married couple on 5 or 6 occasions before they get married. During their time together they talk through various topics related to their marriage that are beneficial to be discussed before the wedding day. The more experienced couple mostly listens, but they help by offering advice and personal experience. There is also some transparency on the part of the mentor couple to help the pre-married couple know that there is no perfect marriage and it takes work and while it is rewarding overall marriage sometimes gets hard.
My question to you. What piece of advice do you wish someone would have given you and your spouse before you were married?
My question to you. What piece of advice do you wish someone would have given you and your spouse before you were married?
Feelings
Dallas Willard in Renovation of the Heart says:
" ...the feelings that harm us are, for the most part, not bad in themselves, but are somehow not properly limited or subordinated. They are out of order. Feelings are, with few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters."
In the not so distant past I've allowed my feelings to be the motivation for what I did and did not do. And Dallas Willard is right, they make disasterous masters. It is far better to have the correct motivation for our actions than to perform our actions for a feeling.
For example, choosing to worship God because of the emotion it causes can be disasterous to my relationship with God. Because when the emotion is gone (and it will go) I feel that God has left as well and my worship suffers. So my motivation for worship should be because God deserves it and because it is "my reasonable service".
The same thing goes in my relationship with Andrea (my wife). If my only motivation for love is the feelings I get from it, then when the feeling is gone I will decide I've "fallen out of love". But when love is a choice and I love out of regard for the interest of the other I get more out of our relationship and the feelings associated with love aren't my master. But when the feelings come ... they are an incredible bonus and are more satisfying than if I pursued the feeling alone.
These are lessons I've learned the hard way.
" ...the feelings that harm us are, for the most part, not bad in themselves, but are somehow not properly limited or subordinated. They are out of order. Feelings are, with few exceptions, good servants. But they are disastrous masters."
In the not so distant past I've allowed my feelings to be the motivation for what I did and did not do. And Dallas Willard is right, they make disasterous masters. It is far better to have the correct motivation for our actions than to perform our actions for a feeling.
For example, choosing to worship God because of the emotion it causes can be disasterous to my relationship with God. Because when the emotion is gone (and it will go) I feel that God has left as well and my worship suffers. So my motivation for worship should be because God deserves it and because it is "my reasonable service".
The same thing goes in my relationship with Andrea (my wife). If my only motivation for love is the feelings I get from it, then when the feeling is gone I will decide I've "fallen out of love". But when love is a choice and I love out of regard for the interest of the other I get more out of our relationship and the feelings associated with love aren't my master. But when the feelings come ... they are an incredible bonus and are more satisfying than if I pursued the feeling alone.
These are lessons I've learned the hard way.
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
.
Potential
Andrea and I went to a church called Ecclesia this weekend in Houston with friends. The Pastor Chris Seay was preaching Numbers chapter 13 and 14. In it, is the telling of how the Israelites came to the promised land and sent 12 spies to check the place out. Of the 12 only Joshua and Caleb were interested in going in and taking the land with God's help. All of the others were scared and pretty belligerent about the fact that they could never overcome the giants that lived in this incredible place.
Out of that message I had to ask myself - how often have I missed out on the potential of what God has for me because I didn't believe. Because I didn't have the faith that God could overcome what seemingly stands in my way. How many times have I blown people off because I don't see the potential God's placed in them and the potential they have if they would just step Godward.
God keep my eyes on you to where the giants don't seem so BIG ...but very small ...
Out of that message I had to ask myself - how often have I missed out on the potential of what God has for me because I didn't believe. Because I didn't have the faith that God could overcome what seemingly stands in my way. How many times have I blown people off because I don't see the potential God's placed in them and the potential they have if they would just step Godward.
God keep my eyes on you to where the giants don't seem so BIG ...but very small ...
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
I'm a BLOGGER now ...
Blogs have been a facination to me in recent months. I enjoy reading what people have to say about various subjects and now ... I look forward to posting different stuff myself.
Jesus talked about living life in the Kingdom of Heaven and mostly, that's what I want to post. How do I find my way while trying to live this "Kingdom" kind of life? I'll post some serious stuff but some stuff not so serious.
So check back if you would like and have your say by commenting on my posts.
This ought to be fun.
Jesus talked about living life in the Kingdom of Heaven and mostly, that's what I want to post. How do I find my way while trying to live this "Kingdom" kind of life? I'll post some serious stuff but some stuff not so serious.
So check back if you would like and have your say by commenting on my posts.
This ought to be fun.
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