Life Together...

I have an overflowing desire to live life with people that love Jesus and love righteousness. I want to design life in such a way that we can actually live together. Not necessarily under the same roof, or on the same plot of land, but live in tight enough proximity to actually function together. I can see it vaguely, there is no specific shape, just brilliant colors of life swirling healthily together.

Open Letter to Myself...

Repent of lust, repent of the idols you've resurrected; fun, happiness, comfort, acceptance. Repent and be free, repent and be healthy, repent and be forgiven.
Do not allow yourself to lose sight of the goal, there is a war that we must acknowledge and fight, there is an enemy which you must love and call to repentance in humility.
Wake up, listen, stop leaning on your own understanding, search the Word of the Lord, pray, fast, love, be bold, encourage, build up, usher conviction, trust in the Lord, ask for faith and wisdom...

Tonights Prayer

Lord God I want to know you. I believe that you have created and sustained all things. I believe that your Son is the perfect sacrificial savior that you have chosen for us. I believe that you are a good, loving, righteous, just, jealous, merciful, gracious father. I do not fully understand, but believe in the Holy Trinity. I believe that you sent your Holy Spirit to abide in us, to live with us, as our counselor, guide, teacher, and comforter. I believe in you. I fear you. I desire to have wisdom, faith, and ultimate freedom.
My sin is great. I ask for forgiveness and I repent from the sins that I have known and continue to give birth to. Give me strength to be obedient and to love you more than my flesh. Reveal yourself to me. Give me a passion for righteousness. Live with me, in me, speak to me, burden me for your Kingdom. Make clear the paths that best honor you for me and my family. Allow your Holy Spirit to truly be my counselor, guide, teacher, and comforter. I love you. Thank you for your kept promises and those to come. Find favor in you fickle, fallen servants. Teach us how to live as redeemed children of the one true God.

Please Squeeze my Hand

It's been awhile since I've been excited about friendships. That sentence doesn't read as serious as it felt to type, but it's huge.
My love in life is friendship. So much so that I seriously considered moving from beautiful Fort Lauderdale to soggy, freezing Des Moines. Crazy! But I love Jeremy.
I love friendships that walk hand in hand long enough to allow the other to squeeze as hard as necessary for love to prevail. True friendship is vulnerable enough to invite the intimacy we all long for.
I've had some amazing friends. Thank you Lord! Many of them are scattered across America. Living in South Florida in a globally minded world has molested my love of friendship. Rootless life has crushed me monthly. Lying in the absence of so many oaks offers no horizon. But God is good, and God is faithful, and the sun rises once again.
I remember thinking in middle school that I wouldn't end up having so few friends as my father. Before Hurricane Andrew he had more friends than I could keep up with. Six months later they we're scattered along the east coast of Florida. My parents did what was best for us kids. My dad's closest friend, on the map, was a half an hour away. They get together annually.
I realize that life is fluid, and that the flow often takes us where we hadn't anticipated, but we are stronger than the stream by design. I wrote this simple song back in January of 06 called Let's Go Pick a City. You can archive it on this blog if you'd like. The only comment I got was an advert for penny stocks, but I liked it.
I constantly struggle with balancing insatiable longings for perfection and reality. Therefore I'm often frustrated and disappointed. But Teresa is helping me through this, her friendship is the most valuable aspect of our marriage for me.
I want to live well. I want to live with purpose. I want to affect positive transformation. I want to live in the same neighborhood as the people I love and share life. And I want hope to be more contagious than depression, reality, or hate. Please squeeze my hand!

My Wife....

is amazing. I woke up and felt like posting that on the private, public cork board of the world. Thank you Teresa for loving me so selflessly, encouraging me constantly, and taking care of me so completely. I'm in love with you!

An Absolute Must Watch!!!

http://www.storyofstuff.com

Life

I'm glad that someone was wise enough to create a calendar, particularly the restart every 365 days. Last year too much of my mental energy was spent on not being content. Constantly reevaluating everything in the hopes of growing one step closer to arriving. Perfection is the goal no doubt, but self oriented striving has a way of leading us down strange side roads. I haven't yet found the balance between being satisfied and longing. To be content in the mess of the now, while enjoying the pursuit of perfection. Too often the mess frustrates and the pursuit demoralizes.
My mind has that natural tendency to focus on the worst and the best, glossing over rest. My blogging probably paints a dark background with exploding splotches randomly appearing. The reality is that life is good, really good. Teresa is amazing, our marriage is everything that I could ever desire. Our health is fine, our jobs are great. We have some really good friends, and some great people that we're journeying with. I'm happy, and having fun.
It's a new year, and regardless of what the media says, there is a lot to be excited about.