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Spiritual Growth

What if Spiritual Growth is not something we can create in ourselves, 

but can only prepare ourselves to receive?  

Loss

It is said that God doesn't waste any experience, and I tend to believe it.  That does not necessarily mean that every experience is fully used in our lives.  I believe our sin nature gets in the way, but through humble submission we embrace what God is doing in our lives.

I say this because today is a day of memorial for my wife and I.  We experienced great loss on this day two years ago and God has not wasted that pain.  Our experience and understanding of His grace have been severely deepened.  We can now love and care in ways we never would have been able to before.

In a world where pain and suffering is so prominent, let us praise the Lord that He doesn't waste it: Romans 5:3-5  ^"Not only so, but we^[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Abba-ology

I have been spending some time reading up on how to be a Godly Father for my daughter.  This recent study has caused me to ask the question: would a class on this subject be named Abbaology?

So far it seems good abbaology yields two Is: Invested and Intentional!

Change; at what cost?

I have been wrestling with a seemingly simple question lately:

Can there be change without sacrifice?

The Gravity of Sin

Nothing has informed me to the gravity of sin more than the sorrow of my loss.

Noah, I miss you!

Purpose Driven Self

I have, and will be, doing a lot of reflection on "Purpose".  It strikes me as ironic that many of us spend our youth avoiding purpose, only to have our "grown up" lives riddled with the lack of it!  It reminds me of a quote I once heard: "Aim for nothing and you will most certainly hit it."

In fact, as I have worked as a CNA at nursing homes, I have seen first hand the devastating results of lives completely stripped of purpose.  Great sorrow accompanies those who cannot muster up the motivation that purpose creates, but those who have purpose and who are defined by it don't live a dull day.

I recently watched the movie "Moneyball".  It struck me when the Billy Beane says "I've been in this game so long, I want it to mean something".  He eventually turns down 12.5 million dollars to stay with that purpose, to be about something.  Our hope in heaven must be the purpose giver in our lives.  We must be like the sinful woman who wiped and kissed Jesus' feet in Luke 7:37-39.  She understood her great sin and how great Christ's forgiveness is, there for her life purpose was to glorify and serve him.