Pursuit

"The pursuit of happiness."
When they said that, did they know that we would pursue that with our lives?
Did they know we would chase after it to the ends of the earth
That we would tackle it and catch it and lose it again
Hang on to it for dear life and give it away and begin the search all over
Until the moment we breathe our last?

Why is the desire to be "happy" such a pursuit in the first place?
Are we naturally inclined to be running all of our lives?
Is it this pursuit that results in such confusion and compromise
Chasing with all of our energy after a fleeting moment
And then we have the nerve to act surprised when it's gone.
We desire the tangible and to be sustained
But we settle for whatever is immediate and convenient to numb the pain.

I. Do not. Want to live for the temporary.
Despite my tendency to act otherwise, I know nothing of this world will truly satisfy.
The pursuit of happiness is a lie.
I'd rather stop and rest in perpetual joy.
I would rather abide in Christ.

Ribs are Cages

You ask me simple, "How are you?"
And I want to tell you.
I want to explain every detail with infinite adjectives
Because I want you to know me.

You have no idea how hard it is,
How accustomed I am to complacency.

But I want you to know me.
I want you to know me better than I know myself,
I want you to hold me.
Not just in your hands, but in your words and in your thoughts
In your heart I want you to hold me and know me and that be a good thing.

And it's better than I told myself
It could be. Know me.
So how am I? Tell me.

Tomorrow and Forever

          The best poem I ever wrote
          Is the one that has yet to be written.
          (...what?)
          Poetry comes from feelings. It comes from thoughts, and experiences.
          These poems are feelings, they are thoughts, they alone are experiences in themselves.
          They are

          Excitement
                             and
                                    disappointment

          Unending joy
                                 and
                                        immeasurable pain

          They are life
                               and sometimes
                                                       they're
                                                        death.

                But the best poem I ever wrote
                 Is the one that isn't written yet.

Don't Worry 'bout a Thing

Luke 12:22-31
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

I encourage you to please pray that God helps you understand His word and message through scripture, then read through these verses a couple of times, really chew on these verses today.

Jesus made it very simple for us by giving us instructions in the bible. He was also very specific on a lot of things, like telling us not to worry. He's very clear that worrying isn't going to help get us anywhere, and worry is not from God. Life is so much more fulfilling when you let God take care it. He was even loving enough not to just say "Okay, don't worry", but instead explains what to replace those types of thoughts with as well.

He tells us to "seek his kingdom". Focus on loving God with everything you have, surrender your every day to Him and be excited that He has everything under control! Worrying will not add a single hour to your life, all it does is rob you of your joy and peace, which takes your eyes off of the One who can take care of the situation! When you worry, you're focusing on the problem instead of the solution. God LOVES you beyond what you can even comprehend; He wants you to live an abundant life full of joy and peace and love that is absolutely overflowing. He's going to make provision in your life and give you what you need. I've seen Him do it in my life and the lives of my faith family countless times.

But so often I let the problem distract me from the solution (God!) and I let myself worry about it, even though I've experienced God work situations out in ways I would've never imagined, and way better than I could've guessed! So when you do start to worry about a situation (because you probably will, we all do because we're human, there's a reason Jesus talked to us about this!) be intentional about taking those thoughts captive! (2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 4:8) Start by talking to God; thank Him for what He has already done in your life. This is going to build your faith and remind you of how He has already worked out situations in the past (thanks for helping me pass that impossible class, thank you for healing my friend's illness, thank you for providing me the funding for that mission trip, etc.). Then ask Him to take the worry away and replace it with peace and comfort, and ask Him in confidence to work the situation out, and know without a doubt that He is going to take care of it! (Romans 8:28).

Pray this week that God helps you to stay free from worry. There is freedom that comes with being a child of God, and that includes freedom from stress and worries. Actively focus on how God has worked out problems in the past for you and people you know, and even for people in the bible. Remember to stay plugged in to His word and the power that is yours as a child of the most high King!


Related Scripture to Keep You Focused This Week:

• Philippians 4:4-13
  
• Matthew 6:25-34
  
• Jeremiah 29:11-13
  
• Proverbs 3:5-6
  
• Matthew 11:28-30

Where Freedom is Found

Happy Wednesday! (Or whatever day is happens to be when you're reading this). Pray that God gives you understanding of His word, and read over these verses in John a few times and really pay attention to what is being said about freedom.

John 8:31-38
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence, and you are doing what you have heard from your father."

The truth of the gospel is the truth of love and a future and the good news of Jesus Christ. By being completely grounded in the teaching of Jesus you experience the freedom that comes with a relationship with Christ. But what does that set you free from? Let's look at what Jesus told the group.

The Jews Jesus was speaking with had never been slaves, so they were confused by what Jesus was saying. "Set free? Whatever dude I'm already free to do whatever I want." Um, well... That kinda seems true at first, but it's a lie the enemy uses to decieve people into continuing on that path. Jesus said anyone who sins is a slave to sin. That's because without the intercession of Christ, we are bound by that sin. Without grace, we are stuck in bondage and the death that sin causes (Romans 6:23).

We were created by God to serve God and live in a relationship, so we have a natural instinct to worship and serve. As a result, we will either be a slave to sin (fall under temptation, chase after worldly desires that will pass away, worship idols, etc.) or a child of God, which ultimately results in freedom.

Romans 8:1-4
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

You have been set free by the sacrifice Christ made. He made that willingly because of his passionate, enduring love for you. You are free to live a life rich with joy, hope, love, and faith. You are free to live without caring what other people think or say about you, you are set free from addiction, from the hopelessness that results from sin. You have the power to resist temptation and have hope and faith under any circumstances. In addition to the liberation you have in this life, you are now set free from the struggle to make yourself right by just being a "good person" to try and get to heaven, but by grace through faith you get to spend eternity with our King. 

Smile today and know that you are free. Free to live the beautiful abundant life God has promised... Free to be the person He created you to be and live for him with everything you have.

Here's one of my favorite videos, personally... And it's a great visual for the freedom we have in Christ.

Knock Knock, Come In.

It's all fun and games until somebody gets left alone in the dark.

The edge of her numb breathe is tainted with a question mark.
Were the answers too difficult to find,
Or was she too terrified
That she would have to redefine reality?

What if she didn't even understand the question,
What if she had never articulated the words to ask?
Attempting to avoid knowing she was wrong all along.

Or, what if she had?

Maybe they tumbled like bricks inside her head
Knocking into one another while she tried to make sense
Of the difference
Between what she thought she knew, what she had been told,
and what she wanted so badly to be true.

The light reflecting off her irises is tainted with a spark.
It's all fun and games until somebody gets left alone in the dark,
Then the light can have His way, and the playing really starts.

Pits and Bieces

Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.                                John 1:3-5

 I was in a truck for a minimum of 8 hours today. That is A LOT of sitting. The result: I have a mild case of the hyper. Chaos may ensue. I was also reading Calvin and Hobbes out loud for a majority of that time to the driver. That statement speaks for itself.

Disclaimer: No mustaches, poodles, or gorillas were harmed in the making of this blog post. Please forgive me for the ridiculousness of my thought train.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Lord empty me of me, so I can instead be filled with You.

You can bake cookies, and you can cook bacon
But you can't cook cookies and you can't bake bacon.
It's just not right. So I'll write. But is it worth the fight to try and convince you it's not alright

I'm trying to stop relying on my own source of light that tends to go out at night

Pick up your cross and follow Me,
Well whatever that cross may be, I can promise it's going to be heavy.

So here's what I've learned: Vulnerability is a virtue and perfection is my enemy. I will never be good enough, and I will never be too honest with myself, or you. Because I like to lie, but I like to tell the truth.  ADOPTED

I believe that promises kept are promises wasted, and that's a promise.  ADOPTED
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Once upon a time, a well dressed french man decided to visit a local bistro for breakfast. His name was Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth, and his delicately groomed mustache extended inches past both sides of his face. It was quite the mustache marvel, to say the least.

While walking down the cold concrete sidewalk, Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth noticed a large, pale, pink and purple poodle. It was well-groomed, but looked like a mutt in comparison to Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth's miraculous mustache. He quickly moved on, for he was on a mission to find macaroon morsels somewhere soon.

After rounding the corner of Ramases and Raphael, Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth came to an abrupt stop, for a giant gorilla was standing in his path! They both stared at each other in shock and stood still in the silence.

"Excuse me, large hairy primate", piped Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth, "You are standing in my path, and I'm afraid we must part ways so that I may presume my previous plans."

The gorilla scowled at Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth. The french man cleared his throat, and secured his arms across his chest. Suddenly the gorilla stood straighter than before and smiled. "I see ya take good care of that there mustache, mister."

Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth was quite shocked! This gorilla had a southern accent as if he was from the countryside (which was a ridiculous dialect for a gorilla to have in France, to say the least)!

The proud man curled the ends of his mustache and grinned. He became so distracted by the luscious locks detailing his face, that he lost contact with reality and stood in a daze, rubbing his facial hair.

Then the gorilla grunted, shook his head, and killed Sir Fredessondino the Fourteenth.

The end.