Category Archives: seeking understanding

good soil (heart)

This morning I heard about a plant, hairy vetch that is, I was told, essentially a weed. This ground cover has the advantage of adding important nitrogen to the soil as it grows from fall until it is cut away at the next planting season. It makes the soil better.

Weeks back I read a book on humility in which the author stated, essentially, that we should consider every humiliation, no matter the source, as a way to grow in humility. In that, we are made better servants of God. As we are lowered, or lower ourselves, the soil of our heart is made better… then just now I read Mark 4:20…

…those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit… (ESV)

I then considered that our hearts, like soil, need constant tending and that comes working… so the humiliation that comes our way (regardless of source) can be used by God like hairy vetch, though it may seem to be just humiliation on the surface, God can use it to work our hearts into better soil. This give another layer of meaning to Romans 8:28… “…all things work together for good…”

Hang on to God, he will work in your heart, no matter the circumstance.

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Filed under being a disciple, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

winter trip ’14 – almost finished

Almost finished. I’m checked in for tomorrow’s flights home. I checked in on line using the British Air app on my phone courtesy MAV railway free WiFi on the train to VAC. What a great time we live in for convenience.

Today has been a rule 1 day (bring no expectations). At 8 am my main meeting changed and shortened thus giving me 5 hours to myself. In Budapest. What a gift. Here’s how I felt as I went up to the castle…

image

Now I’m on one of only 3 solo train rides this trip. Looking bank with thanks to God is always a good thing.

These 19 days have flown by. They have been busy and productive (one can be busy without being productive and vice-versa). There have been many wonderful conversations and there was encouraging response to my teachings.

As I look back, I see that God had good things planned and details worked out that I couldn’t asked for or imagined. There are always things you wish you had gotten to but the unplanned awesome things on this trip are better than I could have planned. God’s just like that.

The other day I read about Jesus telling Peter to get behind him. Then he said “For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Read Matt. 16:21-23 to get the whole picture.

Life is full of unpleasant, hard, even tragic things that happen because of the fall or because God allowed or designed them. We don’t always understand (Peter didn’t) and sometimes/many times God has a greater plan in mind than we could ask or imagine.

Our job? Pray and believe.

Is our focus on God’s plan? Or ours?

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Filed under seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

Retreat

A baker’s dozen of us will go on a retreat tomorrow. It will be a time of rest and reflection.

Here’s our outline:

Don’t look back with regret,

Don’t sit now in fear,

Look forward with hope in God.

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Filed under experience, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings, travel notes

Post-Christmas

Just got home from the Foley-Luper-Penno Christmas, this year at the Penno’s. As we were driving home from mid morning through pretty heavy traffic, I was thinking as I always do about the post Christmas feeling.

For me Advent is an awesome season because it is a time of anticipation of the holiday of Jesus incarnation. It is wonderful to think deeply about the Incarnation itself especially as we consider the helplessness of the baby Jesus. This was especially clear to me this year with a little William present. I was amazed as I was considering the helplessness of our 3 month old and realizing that God became a human, a baby… in a helpless condition.

Indeed this is what humility means, to lower oneself to serve another. In this case Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth to serve us through his birth death and resurrection.

To me the holiday seems to be over but the truth of Jesus’ work for us never ends.

I’m thinking about how we should truly celebrate Christmas by humbling ourselves and serving someone else.

Merry Christmas indeed.

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Filed under culture, definitions, experience, seeking understanding, spiritual questions/musings/wonderings

Needed Wisdom from Sacred Chaos

Luke Davis has weighed in on two issues that need understanding: 1) the Duck guy thing and 2) Mark Driscoll writing scandal…

Read his thoughts:

The Kerfluffle Many Christians Have Overlooked

 Okay. Everyone and their pregnant poodle have commented on the Duck Dynasty/A&E/Phil Robertson/Cracker Barrel’s foot-in-their-mouth controversy.

here

Christianity Today Magazine raised the question of idolatry… HERE

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A Mandela inspired fantasy

Yesterday I wrote about hope for South Africa. Today I read an article in CT that expresses a dream for the Church… This is worth your time… Read HERE

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Filed under culture, seeking understanding