Will be blogging mostly on my Wordpress blog from now, though this blog is not abandoned entirely.
I've set up an Etsy store to sell some postcards and notecards that I've printed from my photos. Check it out and spread the word around if you like them.
He continues, "We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink, sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.
We are far too easily pleased."
We settle for less because we simply cannot comprehend the the magnitude of Him.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! Rom 11:33 (ESV)
“ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor 2:9 (NKJV)
He "...is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," so that.."...to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph 3:20-21 (NKJV)
I think we also settle for less because we haven't experienced how He alone over and abundantly satisfies. He isn't simply enough... He is so much more than enough.
Mr. Lewis again says it so aptly, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."
Everytime I find myself relegating to mediocrity, I realise that I do that simply because I don't know Him enough. I haven't experienced Him enough. I don't know what it means to be abundantly satisfied by Him. How in Him alone is found fullness of joy and pleasure (Ps 16:11).
Only those who know Him can be strong and carry out great exploits (Dan 11:32b)
I realise I'm quoting C.S. Lewis alot in this post, but he has such a brilliant way of putting into words what I'm learning. He wrote in his final Narnia book, The Last Battle, “Welcome, in the lion’s name. Come further up and further in… the further up and the further in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside.”
That pretty much sums up my prayer for this year (and my life, really). Lord, take me further up and further into You. Satisfy me. Let nothing prevent me from truly knowing and experiencing You fully!
2010... what a year to look forward to. pregnant with hope and promises... because of Him who holds the future in His hands.
it's so easy to look at present circumstances and forget every ounce of hope; to be honest, i've been swaying back and forth between optimism and denial over the past couple of days.
but alas... that's what the Vision Watch was for. and Pastor Vernon's word. and the Holy Spirit's prompting within my heart on Sunday, to write down all that was said, to hold on to it, and not. let. go.
trust i must... trust i will... because He said so; and because He IS faithful to all His words.
it's been raining here- almost every single day. i thoroughly loved and enjoyed the cool, dull weather to bits!
it kinda suited the name of the month- rainy november.
today, though the month isn't over yet, it felt as though it was.
the sun came up and shone as though it never left. and i thought,
perhaps, for once, after all the dark clouds of november, it may be
a sunny december after all? -- Other pictures taken by my trusty Sony Ericsson W810i this evening: Can you spot the moon? It was only about 6pm!
I don't think I'll ever get tired of taking pictures with sunflare.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “ Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.
I don't usually talk about songs in my blog, but I just thought I'd share this.
Angelyn has been playing this song on the piano for a couple of weeks now (she found it via youtube), and the melody got stuck in my head, so I decided to look up the lyrics and the band that wrote the song. I really the song because it directs the listener's to focus on Jesus, versus the common over emphasis on self (what I do or can do) that is often found in modern christian music.
Why are you striving these days Why are you trying to earn grace Why are you crying Let me lift up your face Just don't turn away
Why are you looking for love Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough To where will you go child Tell me where will you run To where will you run
And I'll be by your side Wherever you fall In the dead of night Whenever you call And please don't fight These hands that are holding you My hands are holding you
Look at these hands and my side They swallowed the grave on that night When I drank the world's sin So I could carry you in And give you life I want to give you life
Cause I, I love you I want you to know That I, I love you I'll never let you go
To be completely honest, sometimes when I'm in a self-effort rut, I think that it seems so cliched to keep on focusing on God's love. Shouldn't we be moving on to other aspects of God's nature?
One of the members of Tenth Ave North's bio on myspace summed up my thoughts perfectly on this subject. He wrote:
How does one love God? Well, John says, "we love because He first loved us." And if that's true, then my whole approach must change. No longer am I condemning myself in the mirror, saying, "come on Mike, get your act together." No. Instead I simply incline my gaze to the cross. If I'm not loving God, it's because I'm not believing I'm loved. And how do I know that I am loved? "This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down his life..."
This relates so well with Pastor Joshua's message last Saturday.
Thanks, Angelyn :) (ps: check out her blog and leave her a comment!)
