October 31, 2009

Potential is a place that sometimes resides in our imagination.  And imagination is often kept quieted by fear.

Fear far too often gets in our way of trying to imagine what we could do.  “What if I set out and fail?”  Or worse yet, “What if I set out and God takes me farther than I want, or am willing, to go?”  Either way fear often spends more time guiding us than does the One who called a dead Lazarus from the tomb.

Spend some time imagining the potential we could be if it were not for our fears.

Peace

Jim

October 30, 2009

Why is it usually easier to see the potential in other people than it is to see potential in ourselves?

I think sometimes the reason is because my fears loom too large to face, and I see your fears as something easily overcome.  When I look at your fears from the outside looking in, I see the big picture.  I see where you are; I see your problems, and I see that the other side of your problems are so close to hand… if only you just step out.

But when I’m on the inside looking out, the fog of whatever blocks my view.  And I’m too afraid to venture into the fog.  And I have a hard time allowing you to encouraging me.

It is so much easier to look into a life than to look out from one.  Looking in is like having this view from a balcony where one can see everything unfolding, but looking out is sometimes like being in a pit.  We need to somehow learn how to look at our life from the outside in.

Peace

Jim

October 29, 2009

In his book Have A Little Faith Mitch Albom writes about a young Jewish man, Al, who attended seminary only to be told that he didn’t have what it took to be a good inspiring Rabbi.

Al left seminary and took a job at a summer camp where he encountered a harsh teenager with a chip on his shoulder.  Determined to reach this kid, Al spent most of the summer encouraging and befriending this young man and by the end of the summer the young man went home with a new outlook on life.

Al received a call from the parents shortly after returning home for the summer, and the parents were excited that their son was a different person.  “You should go to seminary,” Al was told by the father.  To which Al replied that he had done that and failed.  The father told Al to try again.  Al tried again and succeeded and was ordained.

Al went on to influence many people over his life and made a difference in the lives of so many.  Mitch Albom writes:

“The most inspirational man I knew only reached his potential by helping a child reach his.”

It seems that our potential is not usually reached by ourselves, it requires others to be involved.  Since we were created for community it sort of follows that our potential might take community too.

Peace

Jim

October 28, 2009

We took a drive the other evening to look at the countryside.  It was a little early for the full color but pretty none the less.

This last one is the normally peacefull trout sream where we fish.  The lake is being drawn down toward winter pool so below the dam is too rough to fish.

Have a good day…

Jim

October 27, 2009

In his book Forgotten God, Francis Chang says that people are sometimes afraid to seek the action of the Holy Spirit in their lives not just because of fear of disappointment, for fear they don’t believe the Holy Spirit will guide them through such unimaginable situations, but because they are afraid that he will.

In other words, sometimes when the Holy Spirit is leading us, we are led to places, or to do things which are either painful or stretch our limits, or take us beyond our comfort zone.  What we need to understand is that the sometimes bittersweet guiding of the Holy Spirit is always sweeter than the bitterness.

Peace

Jim

October 26, 2009

 

I was Driving to Turkey Creek this past Sunday morning praying and listening, and I was hit with this question:

“Have I / we reached the potential that God wants us to be?”

My immediate thought was “No.”  And then I began to think about what my potential might be.  That thought almost produces anxiety because I know what my fears are and I know where my limits are, and I know that God calls us to go beyond our limits.  I know that God wants us to come to the point that we realize where we are no longer capable…so God can give us what we need to be capable.

Go back through the Bible and note the places where God’s servants had to be brought to the point of impossibility so that the only outcome was God’s power.

Our Lord calls us to the brink of our wits and abilities so that we and others can see his power…and the outcome brings us and others humbly seeking more…

Peace

Jim

October 25, 2009

 

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  Mark 10:47

Bartimaeus was blind and he wanted to see.  He may have heard Jesus teach before and he may not, we’re not told.  But in some way he had heard about Jesus and he was ready to put all of his effort into getting Jesus’ attention.

As the church of Jesus Christ our teaching and our actions should reflect Jesus so that other people cry out like Bartimaeus.

Jesus stands ready to intervene in people’s lives…they just need to ask him.  Jesus asked Bartimaeus, “What do you want me to do for you?”  We can fill in the blanks with our own needs.  But we have to be ready to accept Jesus’ reply, and we have to accept Jesus’ authority.

Peace

Jim

October 24, 2009

 

Jesus is Lord.

Just the sound of those three words seem to take Jesus from his teaching role and put him in the authority role.  And the neat thing is that once we understand the authority part of Jesus, the teaching part becomes even more important and easier to understand.

Obedience seems to be the key to understanding that Jesus is Lord.  Obedience to the Lordship, to the authority of Jesus, leads to a position where we want to spend more time in his presence.  If we don’t accept the demands that our Lord puts before us, our faith isn’t strong enough to stay under his Lordship therefore we don’t trust him enough to get the benefits that are offered.

Go through the fire trusting Jesus, suffer with Jesus, face our fears with faith in Jesus…and his authority in our life will take on an all new meaning that will drive us deeper into his presence.

Peace

Jim

October 23, 2009

I just ran across this picture and thought I’d post it…if you look closely you might be able to see love going back and forth about the place where our jacket zippers stop.  We are one.

Me and my Sweetie

 

I read this morning in a publication:

“Christian imagination must be free to sing a new song before the world can hear our music.”

The new song is a product of our recognition that Jesus is Lord.  Think about what it means to recognize Jesus as Lord.  And to do that we need to think hard about what “Lord” means.

A “new song” may be an old song revitalized and finally understood.  Think hard without pre-conceived ideas, and allow our Lord to speak to our heart.

Peace

Jim

October 22, 2009

 

The author of the book I’m reading speaks of the seed of love that God planted in the hearts of those who follow him as being shaped like a long, sharply pointed thorn.  With God, life is bittersweet…but the bitterness is overcome by the sweetness.

We are often led to the places where our hearts are broken but we are led there to bear witness to the mercy, the beauty, and the greatness of our Lord to overcome and give abundant life.

Peace

Jim