Archive for May, 2008

Here’s a quote I’ve noticed that I live my life by…

“Discipline imposed from the outside eventually defeats when it is not matched by desire from within.”–Dawson Trotman

Do you agree with this? Is desire stronger than discipline? Should you force something on yourself if you don’t desire it? Discuss!

What is Wisdom?

I’ve been reading through the book of Proverbs over the last few months, picking it apart, really, and I’ve discovered new depths to the meaning of the word. 

What is Wisdom? 

Well, to fear the Lord is only the beginning of Wisdom, so I can only imagine what the rest of Wisdom must be like…

During my study of the word I decided that Wisdom is the desire to do God’s will above our own. 

Essentially, it is saying: “Okay, God.  You know what’s best and I trust You.  Your will be done.  No matter what.”

Do you agree? Are you living a life of Wisdom?

Why are you reading this?  It is Memorial Day! You should be outside soaking up some sun, or spending time with your family!

Go!

Come back tomorrow!

Love is freeing

Think about it.  When you love someone you free them to be themselves. 

When you love them with the right kind of love you free them from having to earn your love, or be any certain way except who God created them to be. 

Love is freeing.

Do you agree?

Love is bestowing worth to another at cost to oneself.

 Do you agree? What does this mean to you? How can we show this kind of love in our lives?

Words are my life.  I love words.  Words are what make our lives so sweet. 

For the next few posts I will be sharing a few insights on just a couple words that mean a lot to me…

Love

Wisdom

trust/control

and Confidence.

I hope we can begin a good dialogue about each of these weighty words…

Contentment.  It is a word so foreign in our culture that we don’t really understand what it looks like in our life.  Is there ever really any contentment? 

I could say I  am content right now:

• New and growing relationship with an amazing Man of God 
• Family is healthy and happy. 
• Understanding my relationship with Christ with new meaning
• SWITCH is taking a turn into a new season (depth in student and leader relationships)

…and yet, it would be easy to be discontent with how content I am.  I’ll often ask myself, feeling a bit guilty: Is it right to be this happy?  Isn’t there something I need to be agonizing over?  Seeking God about?  Worrying about? 

No!

A wise woman once told me to look at the scriptures: Psalms is full of agonizing, questions, doubts, frustrations… it is also full of praise, worship, thanksgiving (those times when everything was going great in King David’s life)

So I’m reminded today, to be content in my contentment.  To praise.  Worship.  Give thanks. 

What about you?

A lot of you might not know, but I have kept a daily journal since I was 15 years old.  That’s right, folks… I have everyday of my life on paper since I was 15.  (That’s either really awesome, or really crazy.)   Over the last few weeks (as life seems to get busier with added *cough* hott man *cough*—I mean added activities ) I’ve come to ask myself the question, is it beneficial for me to keep journaling?   If you knew me well, you would know that to even consider asking this question is a HUGE step.  I mean, I haven’t missed a day in 6 years!  But as I started to look into the subject more I realized a few things: 

• Journaling one day takes 40 minutes!  If I get behind (which happens a lot!) those 40 minutes really add up, adding stress and even feelings of dread!
• Journaling used to help me process things, make decisions, helped me see things in more black and white.  For the last year I’ve learned to process through talking things out, gaining wise advice, and using the thing between my shoulders more than the thing in my chest when making decisions. 
• My parents concern when I last talked about giving up the addiction—I mean habit of journaling—was that I would stop writing.  But with you guys keeping me accountable I don’t think that will happen.  In fact, I think I will have more time to devote to blogs and book writing if journaling was out of the equation. 
• Lastly, is that I really think it has become a sort of addiction.  Who’s really going to care if I stop journaling?  Who said I had to journal everyday?  Who put that restriction on me?  No one, but me. 

 The time has come to break free of some old habits.  I’m excited to see what will come of this new found freedom! 

Last Sunday I ran the half marathon with the Oklahoma City Memorial Run.  At the seventh mile I was about to quit!  My lungs strained to drag in air.  My legs ached with the constant pounding of concrete.  I wasn’t thinking clearly.   Then this song came on over my ipod.  There’s nothing spiritual about the lyrics of this song.  It’s about a break up:   Tell me how I’m supposed to breathe with no air
If I should die before I wake
It’s ’cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air  So I don’t really know why it moved me the way it did; perhaps because the lyrics are sung with such passion, conviction, feeling.  (You really got to hear this song, can’t just read the words)  Jordin Sparks sings as if her very life depends on it.   All I know is that I made it through the marathon because the song awakened my own passion.  It reminded me of just how deeply I feel—and that it’s okay to be that way.   As I think of it now, the question begs to be asked: am I living my life with that same passion everyday?  Are we living for something we believe in so deeply that it would be like having No Air if we didn’t?