1 Corinthians 14:1 (NIV)
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts,
especially the gift of prophecy.
This spiritual gift of prophecy has been on my mind and heart a lot lately. Not only that but also gaining more understanding or insight into who the Holy Spirit is. There is so much i have yet to grasp but i'm so thankful for the revelations i've had recently. In my last blog, i talked about this prayer: "God extend me, expand my boundaries. I want to be capable of so much more". My buddy aaron tweeted a prayer that prayed for a release from our projected selves - I've bottled myself into a form that is not who God said i should be. there is so much goodness in listening to the holy spirit. So much comes from it! My life has been transformed because i've finally decided to sit and listen to his words. So much clarity has been brought into my life. Clarity in words and images all pointing to who God has called me to be.
I've also been attending church with my girlfriend, Jen!! (Holla!) and it's been really cool to see how her church pursues the word of the spirit. God speaks! He wants us to hear him! But we have to do our part too - allow ourselves to be vulnerable and fall flat on our face in humility. I have to say, the main push for my prayer life was Jen. And hears the deal - it's been so good! God has spoken to me, loud and clear! If I could encourage anyone right now, it would be to say take time to listen to the spirit. Not just listen, but ask to be spoken to. All i see happening from that is communication that is beyond what we've imagined. It's right.
Here are some words from Dietrich Bonhoeffer:
"Above all, it is not necessary that we should have any unexpected, extraordinary experiences in meditation. This can happen, but if it does not, it is not a sign that the meditation period has been useless. Not only at the beginning, but repeatedly, there will be times when we feel a great spiritual dryness and apathy, an aversion, even an inability to meditate. We dare not be balked by such experiences. Above all, we must not allow them to keep us from adhering to our meditation period with great patience and fidelity.
It is, therefore, not good for us to take too seriously the many untoward experiences we have with ourselves in meditation.
It is here that our old vanity and our illicit claims upon God may creep in by a pious detour, as if it were our right to have
nothing but elevating and fruitful experiences, and as if the discovery of our own inner poverty were quite beneath our
dignity. With that attitude, we shall make no progress."
... Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), Life Together [1954]
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Get Ya Some!
"I wanna ball with the best, I put it down make it fall like the rest. Aint no stoppin when i call with my chest, and i'm rollin like ya heard to the west."
Just a little rap line that came this morning. Ha. It's been a good morning. Not only have I "Got me some" love from my God, but i realize how full i am. This rap line kind of explains it a bit. "I wanna ball with the best" - It's not that i want to be compared to others, nor do i want to receive credit, but i want to be able to live like those who have gone before and who currently live in a state of complete surrender to God. I wanna do my role in this story like my role on the court, d'n it up and helping my team win. "I put it down make it fall like the rest" - I used say "put it down for the ..." a lot. But this time there is so much I hold on to that weighs me down. If i let go of the junk in my life and let it fall like the junk God has taken off me already, then i'm weightless and ready to roll. "Aint no stoppin when i call with my chest" - My heart is very sensitive and capable. My prayer this morning was "lord, expand me, extend my boundaries. I want to be capable of love like yours." When i let my heart speak, yeah it sometimes speaks without thinking and pushes me to places i may not have gone (i kind of think it's a good thing, most of the time), but i feel an honesty and an ability to be instinctual and be the man i'm supposed to be. i love the heart God gave me and i want use it for Him. " And i'm rollin like ya heard to the west." - sometimes you gotta rhyme no matter what and make it sound good. This one worked out though. I do feel like im blazin a new trail (yes i have ties to the oregon trail as well). I'm not sure where God is taking me but i'm stoked for the journey. So I'm gonna mount up (Regulators!) and head with my heart, i'm gonna get me some. ;)
Just a little rap line that came this morning. Ha. It's been a good morning. Not only have I "Got me some" love from my God, but i realize how full i am. This rap line kind of explains it a bit. "I wanna ball with the best" - It's not that i want to be compared to others, nor do i want to receive credit, but i want to be able to live like those who have gone before and who currently live in a state of complete surrender to God. I wanna do my role in this story like my role on the court, d'n it up and helping my team win. "I put it down make it fall like the rest" - I used say "put it down for the ..." a lot. But this time there is so much I hold on to that weighs me down. If i let go of the junk in my life and let it fall like the junk God has taken off me already, then i'm weightless and ready to roll. "Aint no stoppin when i call with my chest" - My heart is very sensitive and capable. My prayer this morning was "lord, expand me, extend my boundaries. I want to be capable of love like yours." When i let my heart speak, yeah it sometimes speaks without thinking and pushes me to places i may not have gone (i kind of think it's a good thing, most of the time), but i feel an honesty and an ability to be instinctual and be the man i'm supposed to be. i love the heart God gave me and i want use it for Him. " And i'm rollin like ya heard to the west." - sometimes you gotta rhyme no matter what and make it sound good. This one worked out though. I do feel like im blazin a new trail (yes i have ties to the oregon trail as well). I'm not sure where God is taking me but i'm stoked for the journey. So I'm gonna mount up (Regulators!) and head with my heart, i'm gonna get me some. ;)
Friday, July 8, 2011
Blessed
July 8th (or 9th depending on how you look at the time) 2011 - I'm back in my high school country. Hutchinson, KS for my 10 yr high school reunion. I had some amazing times here in Hutch and Buhler, and I'm pumped to relive some of those great memories with my best friends from high school. On our way down here, Nathan and I were talking about what the last 10yrs of life was like for us. It's so crazy to look back to July 8/9 2001. I was working at Gaeddert Farms Sweet Corn, so pumped to head to KU in the fall, where life would start to dramatically change. I looked through some old pictures of high school and college days trying to remember the guy I was back then. What I remember most is my loyal, amazing friends and family. So blessed by my brothers from several other mothers and my genetical family. What I had in them was a strong base, a strong support, a blessing that many people don't get.
The sad part was that they were all pushed away in a time of my life where i was told to give up those things to fill the needs of another person. After literally saying goodbye to some and never calling back others, 2 1/2 yrs later, those that i lost, returned. My blessings were back. But God didn't just decide to give them back to me, He gave me hoards of people. I can't even count the number of people who have come into my life and seriously laid down some heavy blessing on me. What a wonderful savior! I lay here thinking about my blessings and thinking about how i can return the blessing to others. I also lay here with the complete knowledge that my blessings aren't done, which makes me smile hugetime. God, you have given me so much and you want to give me more? I'll take it! People have been my blessings. It's all about relationship. I'm entering into a relationship now that seems to push more than just the envelope on blessing but blows the envelope to pieces! I am SO pumped to bless this blessing back too. She's good. Blessed am i for sure. Peace.
The sad part was that they were all pushed away in a time of my life where i was told to give up those things to fill the needs of another person. After literally saying goodbye to some and never calling back others, 2 1/2 yrs later, those that i lost, returned. My blessings were back. But God didn't just decide to give them back to me, He gave me hoards of people. I can't even count the number of people who have come into my life and seriously laid down some heavy blessing on me. What a wonderful savior! I lay here thinking about my blessings and thinking about how i can return the blessing to others. I also lay here with the complete knowledge that my blessings aren't done, which makes me smile hugetime. God, you have given me so much and you want to give me more? I'll take it! People have been my blessings. It's all about relationship. I'm entering into a relationship now that seems to push more than just the envelope on blessing but blows the envelope to pieces! I am SO pumped to bless this blessing back too. She's good. Blessed am i for sure. Peace.
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