bread&tea

Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." The complexity and design of creation is such that the evidence of a creator/designer is undeniable. From this statement I proceed with the idea that although a simple sparrow reveals intricate design when studied, that same sparrow does not always inspire an immediate declaration of God. Sometimes creation just seems to be there. Nothing more. In my daily life God is evident, showing himself through creation, people interaction, answers to prayer, and numerous little things that tell me he is here, with me. Sometimes, many times, I believe I take his presence for granted. Like the air I breath. I've become so used to his presence in my life that I no longer value that for what it is. Sometimes creation just seems to be there. Nothing more. God temp...

Thank God for air-conditioning. Swimming in ninety degree water doesn't sound to bad, but I'd rather not have to every time I walk out the front door. Even trying to sneak out the back door doesn't work. Still, it's not so bad once the first layer of sweat is out. After half an hour my brain decides this infernal heat is all it's ever known, ever, so it's easier to suck it up and get on with things. "Things", aren't so hard for me to enjoy then. The "comfort zone" can be described using an analogy derived from AC and summer heat and whatnot. Here are my thoughts. Truth is, I am often reluctant to get out of the air conditioning of my comfort zone. It feels good, and sometimes there's so much of it I go put on a long-sleeved shirt, hardening myself to the fact that I live in a very comfortable setting. Ignoring the reality of God's blessings. You know what though, after a while even that AC doesn't feel like enough. How selfish...

Aside from typos, grammar errors, and the occasional comment, I do no editing on my posts. Quite simply, because there is always so much more that I could say. I want to explain all the angles, so as to show the reader (you) that I've thought the idea through, not simply blab-filling a concept barely grasped. The urge to cover everything about one idea is a good driving factor, but frequently damages the quality of my posts overall. Mainly because ideas can swirl around picking up fragments of different ideas, and then those ideas need to be explained too. Eventually you've got about three or four things relative to your core topic, but they're not essential, and therefore usually cluttering the original idea. Not good. Another detrimental factor for me, (usually seen most obviously in analogies) is the desire to uncover/cover as many possibilities and ideas surrounding my starting idea as I can. This ends in long posts with a conclusion that usually isn't as clear or...

There are times when I just wish my walk with God was like somebody else, like 'that person, or that other person". You know, if I just had "their faith" or "their some attribute" things would be easier. Some, far off vision of who I want to be hovering in the distance, a goal to reach. Here's an idea: Our growth with God is a lot like railroad tracks. I know myself, how easy it is to see where the two rails meet. God and me. That distant spot, the current picture of who I want to be. The phenomenal, slightly discouraging at first, completely thrilling at second, truth though, is that those two rails never actually meet. I say these things because I know the mental picture of who I want to be is pretty much impossible to rid myself of. The problem is that I cannot picture the ideal, Jesus, in His entirety. I must constantly adjust my picture as I study and journey closer to who Jesus is. That meeting of the rails is an illusion. And however much it seem...

Yesterday evening I had the privilege of going to a Honduran style taco meal, (rice, beans, taco) hosted by Caroline Nichols, (www.foreignheart.blogspot.com) who is a missionary my church works with. Honduras is in Mexico. This setting was provided as a time for an update of how things are going over there. It was encouraging listening about how everything was going over there, but there was one somewhat offhand remark that really got me thinking, more than everything else. I don't need to try and make God look better than He is. I didn't really get it at first, because I thought, "isn't it impossible to make God better than He is already?", which is exactly the point as it turns out. Taking control of the moment is not a bad thing, but putting up a christian setting with the game that's "funner" or the food that's "better" than that other group, is not the point. God is the center, and the attracting factor. God cannot be made more per...

I've been away at Challenge 2010 for the past week, which was in Columbus, Ohio. Due to the long ride in a van, creative brain power was put to the test in order to stave off boredom. So, one of the resulting creations was this composition, Jesus And The Nursery. The people involved: Colton Carr, Kristen Schuler, Sam Johnson, Rob Nichols, Philip Iekel, and I. (if any of you read this, I'm sorry if I spelled your name wrong) Hey diddle diddle the cat and the fiddle The cow jumped over the moon The little boy laughed to see such a sight And the dish ran away with the spoon Cause God made the world And God made the moon And God made the cow And He made the little boy too Mary had a little lamb Whose fleece was white as snow And everywhere that Mary went That lamb was sure to go Cause Jesus was the Lamb of God And His heart was white as snow And God sent down His only son To save the world we know The itsy bitsy spider went up the waterspout Down came the rain and washed the spider...