In this moment

In this moment you are in
Is the place of encounter God
The past and future can encourage
But you are in this moment
So now, the ever present now
Is your place to encounter God
Unless the past or yet to come
Encourages your encountering God now
It is a distraction
Learn to do all that is good
In the Now
With the power of the Lord

The Last Day - rejoice

Today is the last day before a new year. I thought I would make a list of things I rejoice over. These are not in order, just a random come to mind as they did mode. I will rejoice and be glad.
1. Peace of God in my mind
2. Shirley and a good marriage
3. People who love me and people who pretend to
4. For the health that I do have and ability to work
5. Provision to live on and to share
6. Hope for the future in Christ Jesus
7. Eternity, more yet to come
8. God’s creativity
9. Miracles, signs and wonders
10. Testimony of the Saints
11. Witness of the Martyrs
12. Sincerity of the Youth
13. Always something new to learn
14. Humility as a pathway to freedom
15. Coffee
16. My children knowing God
17. I have a Bible and reading glasses
18. My home is full of peace (especially if I am not home)
19. I have a purpose in daily life
20. I am clothed and well fed
21. I have power to help others
22. I hear God’s voice (others too)
23. I enjoy seeking God, music and prophecy
24. My soul is content
25. God often tells me what is wrong with me so that I don’t need to worry about that part much.

Happy New Year

In this coming year I would like to
1. Write 4 pages every day
2. Spend at least 2 hours in prayer a day
3. Fast every week
4. Start a Video blog for the PPC
5. Improve my web skills
6. Get a video camera and do stuff
7. Stop the pain and glorify God
8. Train 1000 people to be better than I am
9. Play my guitar and other musical stuff before the Lord daily
10. Learn to spell 10 words 5th graders already know how to spell
11. Read 1 Fiction book
12. Discover a way to monitor and capture unseen gamma waves
13. Do out of door stuff with people
14. Do some paint can art work
15. Levitate
16. Do half the stuff I want to do
17. Drink good coffee
18. Decrease my anger
19. Increase my ability to love others
20. Learn to manage better
21. Go on a cruise with my wife
22. Publish one of the hundreds of things I have written
23. Do some nature photo stuff
24. Walk around the city in prayer
25. Heal someone on the streets
26. Laugh more
27. Worry less
28. Be more thankful and let others know how much I love them
29. Make fewer lists

Getting Holy

You can tell that you are becoming more holy if...
the dog pukes on the porch
and then poops in the basement
you misplace $250 in cash
break a gift the same day to purchase it
slip on the ice
get up at 5:30 to pray each day
give your coffee money to someone in need of gas
think good thoughts when you want to be mad
save for a guitar but keep giving the savings away
and still think that you have a very very good like.

There are branches breaking off trees all around us now. The freezing rain and the dormant trees are in battle. It is not a matter of wills, as each one is only doing the very thing it knows to do. Freezing ran falls and trees seek to stand. Conflict. So it is with me. I seek to stand, and the nature of this world just falls. Everything that has not be redeemed to stand, falls. By grace I was redeemed, and by grace I will stand. Understanding this conflict allows me to become more holy, not just react to my fallen world.

All Gone

Turkey
T is for treasure, enjoying each bite
U is for uniting to eat and to delight
R is for relaxing, after eating you must do
K is for keeping a pie from a few (for yourself later)
E is for enjoyment, excitement and email
Y is for wishbone, it is better than the tail.

Thanks + Giving

Had a great time with some of the family this past weekend. Right now I am doing the Global Bridegroom Fast. It is very, very hard to go from feasting to fasting. I love to feast. Fasting is not so enjoyable.

I had to go through some of the scripture on fasting this morning to get my motivation up. I had a little, "why should I go without" attitude and needed to be challenged to make a difference in the world and not just live. It is easy to fall into the "what does it matter" way of thinking. This is especially true for those of us who have been fasting and praying for years. At times you can wonder what difference it is making. Who would know or care if we gave in a little?

It is in moments like these that I need to be reminded that I don't do it for YOU (humanity), I do it for HIM. God will know each sacrifice and broken fast. He will know the cost I have paid in prayer, in service and in loving others. It is enough for HIM to know because HE is the one I am seeking to serve. It is HIS will I am seeking to see actualized on the earth in the first place.

The greatest Mystics taught that what you do matters. They taught that if you pull away from this world, that if you abandon your life to Christ alone, you will find true life. Living beyond the Vail of self-service doesn't mean we do not serve. We serve and labor for HIS will, not our own. Those who are abandoned to Christ are not care-less with life. Those who are abandoned to Christ are the most care-ful with life, and actions, and duty.

God creates so that HE can share HIMSELF.