love debt

I think this says it all.

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,  for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.  The commandments "Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, " and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."    Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.
     And do this(love each other like you have a debt to love them)  understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed(wow)  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealous.  Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

This passage wrecked me this morning and last night.  It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever read.  I know I've read it many times before....but the parts in italics hit me like never before and I couldn't help but scream it from the rooftops (or type frantically into the blog).  The idea that I have a continuing debt to love you as my brother or sister, put love into an entirely new category.  I'm so excited to love like that.   The reminder that we need to wake up from our sleep...that the night is nearly over, the day is almost here, reminds me how sad it would be if I kept sleeping and missed what God is doing on this earth.  Here's a video I thought went perfectly.

Fire Burn

Without meaning to sound sadistic, there is something absolutely beautiful when you are in the fire, knowing you're going through hard times, and can see yourself being refined in the process.  When you can look at the issues and know that they don't have a hold on you.  There is something freeing knowing that pain has not destroyed you but made you stronger.  There is incredible peace that comes when you  look at the bitterness you could have chosen and instead see the forgiveness that you gave.

So, fire burn, do your thing.  You can only take what is temporary.  The best still remains.  You're just one more tool in the potter's hand.  I see people running away, terrified of the pain, of being burned away.   But I'm not going anywhere, I'm here to stay.  Fire, burn, do your thing.  I'm not afraid of the ashes, I'm not afraid of the smoke.  I'm willing to push it away to see the new growth.

As the fire burns in your life, you can choose to try to run...or you can stand your ground, see the beauty for ashes that Christ promises us...and say fire, do your thing.  

Slow fade

You know that game "Have you ever?"  No?  Shoot...well, you're about to get a little taste of it right now.  Ready?
I was hoping you'd say that!  Here we go...
Have you ever had a REALLY awesome idea?  (me too!)
Have you ever gotten super excited about the next adventure? (me too!!!)
(later I can explain the directions....)

Did you ever feel that excitement and energy and passion that you had felt so strongly yesterday slowly(or quickly) begin to fade away as you realized the every day work and every day not so glamorous tasks and action that it would take to get you there?  Did you feel it fade as you realized it wouldn't be an instantaneous achievement?  I've felt that a lot lately.

The reality is that almost everyone in their life has had at least a few amazing ideas that could really have changed things around them.  Most people brush them off assuming they can't do anything with those ideas, and the reason those ideas never come into fruition much of the time isn't because they were tried and failed, it was because they were never tried.  Fear steals so much of what could be beautiful in our life.  Let's stop letting fear and apathy have a monopoly on the market.

I'm currently surrounded by people who have dreams and ideas (like most people).  The difference is that they've been challenging me to actually do the everyday tasks to get us from simply good ideas and dreams to actually living out those dreams.  It's sure not easy, having to think through a big idea and break it down into the little steps it will take to bringing it into reality.  I guess the beauty of the whole thing is in that.

Work is beautiful.  Being faithful in the small things is beautiful.  We are called to work and give it our all.  I want to be that person that looks back one day when I'm sitting in a porch swing and remembers the ideas I had with a knowing smile rather than a far away what if look in my eyes.

So, what are some dreams on your heart?  Any?  (If you don't know, don't feel bad...you don't HAVE to have one to be cool or for me or God to love you).  If you know the slow fade away feeling I was talking about...do you have any ideas how we can encourage each other in a way that we don't give up before we even try?