Oh happiness!

It's hard to have a bad day when you're listening to this song.




Oh, happiness
There's grace enough for us
And the whole human race

Friend or foe
Stranger or kin
All who come
Begin again

Hard or frail
Rich or poor
All in need
Need fear no more

Such a thing to give away

All regrets
Let go, forget
There's something that
Mends all of it

Such a thing to give away

Sound the church bells
Let them ring
Let them ring
For everything can be redeemed
We can be redeemed
Oh, all of us

Junk

I know I've talked about this before, but something just happened that made me sort of angry.  I was perusing the twitter follower list of someone I greatly admire to see if he was following anyone I found useful or interesting.  I stumbled upon the profile page of someone I used to know.  I didn't know this person very personally, but he was on staff at a church I attended before the one I attend now.  He still belongs to our denomination and now he has his own church.  The very last tweet he wrote was talking about Glee.  It's clear that he was watching and/or does watch the show.  Now I'm not actually judging... I LOVE that show.  But I also recently gave it up because I was getting convicted each time I watched it.  The show is very sexual, and if that weren't bad enough, it's advocates teen sexuality as well as adultery and homosexuality.  I guess what I'm wondering is how a pastor, preacher, leader of many can watch and basically publicly endorse such a thing?  I know that this show (as well as a few others) so greatly shocks and offends me sometimes that I can't with good conscience watch it at home alone by myself, let alone tell others all about it or discuss it in a way that makes it seem as though I recommend that someone else watches it.  Yes, the show is funny and has great covers of many wonderful songs as well as lovable characters and, sometimes, a good message.  But the show is also rife with bad examples, and both questionable and objectionable behavior by both teens, adults, teachers and authority figures alike.  As leaders, aren't we called to a higher standard?  Aren't we called to be examples?  (I know you hear this next term a lot here...)  Aren't we called to walk worthy of the calling with which we've been called?  I'm definitely not saying that I'm perfect.  And I'm not even judging the person that sparked this thought/rant.  But it's making me think, for sure.  Aside from that fact that I'm trying to do everything I can to be a good example to those around me (regardless of whether they're watching or not), I think it's really important to keep ourselves as pure as possible. Romans 12:1 NKJV says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

My conclusion: I want God to use me.  I want to guard my heart and my mind and my eyes and ears to be sure that I only let things in that glorify Him.  I don't want to just go along living like everyone else.  Because then how can people tell the difference between me and the world?

Apologies

I have to offer my apologies to my new readers. (There are 7 of you!)  I started this blog with the best of intentions and nothing has changed... However, immediately after starting, I began to feel dry.  You know what I mean.  We've all been there.  And I don't think I have to explain to you how feeling dry (and sometimes empty) can result in not posting.  I began to doubt whether I should be doing this.  I wondered if I heard from Him wrong.  Then I realized where (or who) this might be coming from.  So I took some time to pray and I feel like I've gotten confirmation that I need to continue this little project.  So, I want to set up a goal for myself.  My new goal is to post at least one full, relevant post each week.  There will be other little thoughts and short posts, but I want to post at least one full length post a week.

Finally, I'd like to end with a plea.  I know you're reading.  Can you please say hi?  Even if you want to use an alias or post anonymously, leave me a comment saying hello.  It's much easier to write when I feel like I have an audience.  :)

Signs of the Times

It is becoming increasingly obvious to me that we are in what some like to call "the end times."  What that means to me is that the Lord is coming back sooner rather than later.  It makes me feel an even greater sense of urgency to live my life for Him and be sure that I'm in the center of His will, fulfilling the plan He has for me.  How does it make you feel?

³ Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.
⁹ “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. ¹⁰ And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. ¹¹ Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. ¹² And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But he who endures to the end shall be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:3-14

Need I say more?

Day and Night

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 

Joshua 1:8 NKJV

Photo by Timothy Long.