live like a kid again

I want to preface this post by saying that I am so very thankful the Lord has allowed me to be a covenant member at Grace Church. Among numerous other things, I am grateful for the leadership at GC, individuals who constantly spur one another on to pursue Christ, and the consistent Christ-centered teaching received. It is about the later of these items I wish to post about today...

Yesterday's sermon text was Mark 10:13-52 and in this text is found Mark's account of the little children going to Jesus and the disciples attempting to turn them away. When Jesus realized that the disciples were rebuking the children for attempting to get to Jesus he was indignant and commanded the disciples to allow the children to come to him. Jesus then made the statement, "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." My pastor noted that the picture of childlike faith that Christ was presenting was merely a picture of real faith. What followed was freedom to act like a kid again in our approach to God... go to God with a childlike faith! So, what does childlike faith look like anyway? Pastor Jordan was so gracious to get us started with the following thoughts regarding what childlike faith really looks like:

-Childlike faith brings nothing to God--it only receives from him.

-Childlike faith depends entirely on God without trying to impress him with our ability.

-Childlike faith is not too refined to express raw amazement when encountered with Someone truly marvelous.

-Childlike faith will latch on with a "never-let-go" grip when faced with fear or terror.

-Childlike faith owes all of its nurturing to Another.

-Childlike faith finds itself wrapped in the arms of Jesus finding blessings under his hand.

So, the closing application question posed to the congregation yesterday at Grace Church was, "Are you too old for Jesus?" O that we would never be too old for Jesus and as we approach God we would feel freedom to live like a kid again with great childlike faith!

my review of geocaching

Though my first experience with geocaching proved to be unsuccessful, it was loads of fun! The coordinates for the particular box we were in search of is hidden somewhere close to the lake at Chickasaw Gardens (if anyone sees a camo box that snaps on all four sides in the next couple of days… let me know). Sadly, we never located it. We did see nice “wildlife” along the way… It is largely important to note that the search for the “treasure” would have been easier had the GPS we were using not been confined to the car because it didn’t have enough battery power. SO, the GPS is currently charging and we are going to take another stab at finding the treasure sometime this weekend. Hopefully, we will have a better outcome!

How did I like my first experience with geocaching? As previously mentioned, it was loads of fun; however, I think I would be an even greater fan of rural geocaching (as opposed to urban geocaching around the city of Memphis). I think it would be an absolute blast to head out on a nice hike somewhere in the mountains in the Pacific Northwest (like Oregon or Washington) in search of “hidden treasure.” Maybe one day… Until then, I suppose I’ll stick to the task at hand and get back on the hunt for that box at Chickasaw Gardens….

geocaching

So tonight I will have my first experience in Geocaching and I can't wait!! The geocaching website describes this game as "a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."

I plan on posting more about this exciting experience tomorrow!!! Stay tuned....

Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain

What a powerful little reminder....

Why God Doesn't Fully Explain Pain
By: John Piper

One of the reasons God rarely gives micro reasons for his painful providences, but regularly gives magnificent macro reasons, is that there are too many micro reasons for us to manage, namely, millions and millions and millions and millions and millions.

God says things like:
-These bad things happened to you because I intend to work it together for your good (Romans 8).
-These happened so that you would rely more on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1).
-This happened so that the gold and silver of your faith would be refined (1 Peter 1).
-This thorn is so that the power of Christ would be magnified in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12).

But we can always object that there are other easier ways for God to accomplish those things. We want to know more specifics: Why now? Why this much? Why this often? Why this way? Why these people?

The problem is, we would have to be God to grasp all that God is doing in our problems. In fact, pushing too hard for more detailed explanations from God is a kind of demand that we be God.

Think of this, you are a blacksmith making horseshoes. You are hammering on a white hot shoe and it ricochets off and hits you in the leg and burns you. In your haste to tend to your leg you let the shoe alone unfinished. You wonder why God let this happen. You were singing a hymn and doing his will.

Your helper, not knowing the horseshoe was unfinished gathered it up and put it with the others.

Later there was an invasion of your country by a hostile army with a powerful cavalry. They came through your town and demanded that you supply them with food and with shoes for their horses. You comply.

Their commander has his horse shoed by his own smith using the stolen horseshoes, and the unfinished shoe with the thin weak spot is put on the commander’s horse.

In the decisive battle against the loyal troops defending your homeland the enemy commander is leading the final charge. The weak shoe snaps and catches on a root and causes his horse to fall. He crashes to the ground and his own soldiers, galloping at full speed, trample him to death.

This causes such a confusion that the defenders are able to rout the enemy and the country is saved.

Now you might say, well, it would sure help me trust God if he informed me of these events so that I would know why the horseshoe ricocheted and burned my leg. Well maybe it would help you. Maybe not.

God cannot make plain all he is doing, because there are millions and millions and millions and millions of effects of every event in your life, the good and the bad. God guides them all. They all have micro purposes and macro purposes. He cannot tell you all of them because your brain can’t hold all of them.

Trust does not demand more than God has told us. And he has given us immeasurably precious promises that he is in control of all things and only does good to his children. And he has given us a very thick book where we can read story after story after story about how he rules for the good of his people.

Let’s trust him and not ask for what our brains cannot contain.

more regarding unchangeableness...

In reading through The Loveliness of Christ by Samuel Rutherford earlier today, I found the following quote, which in my mind, (somewhat) corresponds to yesterday's post regarding the rest I have in the unchangeableness of my King.

"Ye may yourself ebb and flow, rise and fall, wax and wane; but your Lord is this day as he was yesterday; and it is your comfort that your salvation is not rolled upon wheels of your own making, neither have ye to do with a Christ of your own shaping."

unchangeableness

Wow! It’s only July and I think already this year will go down as an iconic one in my life—it has been jam packed with so many big life changes. It seems as if each time I get “comfortable” where I am there is a new change looming around the bend and a new way the Lord is challenging me to live outside of myself and live dependently on His sure provision. It seems as if each day I become increasingly thankful for the immutability or unchangeableness of my King. I become grateful that as everything in my life seems to swirl around and I struggle to find one thing in this life that is “stable,” I find a Refuge; I find a Rock that is unchanging in both His purposes and His promises. I’m ever so thankful for passages like James 1:17 which says there is no variation or shadow in the Father and Malachi 3:6 where God himself proclaims that he does not change. So, this day in the midst of all of my life’s instability, I choose to, with a thankful heart, cling to his sure promises and rest in his vast unchangeableness.

one appeal

"One Appeal: His Mercy"
via Of First Importance on 7/10/08

“When I come to the Lord after I’ve blown it, I’ve only one argument to make. It’s not the argument of the difficulty of the environment that I am in. It’s not the argument of the difficult people that I’m near. It’s not the argument of good intentions that were thwarted in some way.

I come to the Lord with only one appeal; his mercy. I’ve no other defense. I’ve no other standing. I’ve no other hope. I can’t escape the reality of my biggest problem; me! So I appeal to the one thing in my life that’s sure and will never fail. I appeal to the one thing that guaranteed not only my acceptance with God, but the hope of new beginnings and fresh starts. I appeal on the basis of the greatest gift I ever have or ever will be given.

I leave the courtroom of my own defense, I come out of hiding and I admit who I am. But I’m not afraid, because I’ve been personally and eternally blessed. Because of what Jesus has done, God looks on me with mercy. It’s my only appeal, it’s the source of my hope, it’s my life. Mercy, mercy me!”

—Paul David Tripp, Whiter Than Snow (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Books, 2008), 22

contemplating…

(23 random thoughts from my mind)
(1) When will I get to go skiing in Park City, Utah again.
(2) Specifically how our country will change in January 2009 when either Barack Obama or John McCain takes over the office of president.
(3) How each of these men will affect the tax structure and domestic economy after elected (which in turn effect my job day each day).
(4) What it would be like to just quit my job and move to India (I so love it there!).
(5) In what specific way the Lord will practically use me to flesh out “First Week” this week.
(6) Why it takes the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ board well over a month to process paperwork that they said they could process in 10 days.
(7) Why it is at times so hard to pull myself out of bed to spend a few moments before the Lord in the morning but I have significantly less problems pulling myself out of bed to go run (however, sadly enough, I didn’t pull myself out of bed to do either this morning).
(8) What in the world the next “step” the Lord has planned for me is and why He decided against using neon signs in the sky to tell us which path to take.
(9) How much fun I’m going to have when my college roommate, Laura Pevahouse, comes to town to visit this weekend. (Yea for fun visits from fabulous friends!)
(10) How time flies! One of my favorite foster babies, Lucas (aka Logan), will turn ONE next weekend!!! Unbelievable!
(11) How my life has turned out, thus far, to be drastically different than I imagined 9 months, 2 years, 5 years, or even 10 years ago AND….
(12) How overwhelmingly thankful I am for the Lord’s kind providence.
(13) How much I will miss my little brother if he moves far away to go to school next year.
(14) Which of the potential recruits the Tiger basketball team will actually get to sign for their 2009 recruiting class AND…
(15) Will the Tigers have another deep run in the 2009 NCAA College Basketball Tournament.
(16) What a difference it makes to have fresh ground coffee at the start of your day. (I recently got a coffee grinder and it makes a phenomenal difference in the taste of the coffee.)
(17) How I love dress pants from The Limited and if I could, every pair of pants I ever wore to work would be from this store.
(18) How much I have enjoyed meditating (most days) thru the devotional book, the "Daily Light."
(19) What it would take to get a job as a host of a Travel Channel TV program so I could make traveling my “job.”
(20) What needs to happen/change/occur for Christ to be formed in me to an even greater degree and the “Divine Life” become more of a reality now.
(21) Why in regards to homeownership, the phrase, “There’s always something” has to be true AND…
(22) What it is going to take to figure out the mystery of why there is still a leak coming down from my bathroom, thru my ceiling, into my kitchen but why it doesn’t happen every day.
(23) How I am still nervous about running the Philadelphia Marathon in November and how I probably will continue to be until I cross the finish line on November 23rd.

Mute Math

Since it has become increasingly trendy in some circles of the blogosphere (example: here and here) to post a bit regarding Mute Math, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon today!

I must start by noting the following two things: (1) Mute Math has become my current favorite “running soundtrack” and (2) sometimes I have a bad habit (especially when running) just to listen to the music (the beat, rhythm, etc.) and not really process the words to a song. Such was not the case yesterday as I was squeezing a quick run in after work; I actually began to take notice of the words to Mute Math’s song Control. Most specifically, Mute Math sings the following words in this song (emphasis mine):

Take control of the atmosphere/ Take me far away from here/ There is no better loss than to lose myself in you/ In a parachute to glide, I am captive in your sky/ Surrender has somehow become so beautiful/ Take control of the atmosphere/ Take control of the atmosphere/ You can take my world you can fill the air/ Take control, take control/ Such a beautiful surrender/ Move me up through the darkest clouds/ Till I've lost in the sun every shadow of doubt/ There is no better find than to find myself with you/ In a fog you are all I see/ I'm inviting you closer with each time I breathe/ Surrender has somehow become so beautiful/ Take control of the atmosphere/ Take control of the atmosphere/ You can take my world you can fill the air/ Take control, take control, take control, take control/ Such a beautiful surrender/ Take control of the atmosphere/ Take control of the atmosphere/ There is no reason I should breathe unless you're in the air/ Take control/ Such a beautiful surrender/ Such a beautiful surrender/ And I'm calling out Would you take control/ And I'm calling out

As I ran, I listened and actually processed these words, I was reminded that there is indeed no better loss than to loose myself in Christ… for what “loss” is this really? I was reminded to plead for grace and strength to stifle the rebellion in my heart and embrace complete surrender to His good pleasure… for this is indeed beautiful. I was assured that there is indeed no greater find in this life or the next than finding yourself hidden with King Jesus and seeing Christ formed in you. So that “reminder” might have been more than I bargained for or expected in a short run on a random Monday afternoon but Mute Math, thanks for the reminder nonetheless.