random is good

i've been reading alot lately, my bible and books. i don't try to replace the Word by reading books but for me it helps for things to sink in and gives me different views that i like to explore and sometimes live by. 

God has really been doing a number on me (and brandon for that matter) taking us to new places, new levels, new dimensions of His love. it's been amazing. some of it has hurt, some of it has been amazing, overall it's a journey i would take a million times over. we have big plans and dreams and we are living by faith and daily seeking God for the direction we need in order to fulfill His plan and those dreams. 

along the way i read things that usually encourage me and sometimes leave me feeling perplexed. the following is a short comment i got from friend of mine on his "random blog" on facebook of all places....

"I Samuel 14:6 says, "Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf." I love that modus operandi. But I honestly think many if not most Christians take the opposite approach. Perhaps the Lord WON'T act in our behalf. We let fear dictate our decisions. We have a better-safe-than-sorry mentality. We live as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.

Maybe it's time for a paradigm shift. When did we start believing that God wants to take us to safe places to do easy things? Here's a thought: the will of God is not an insurance plan. It's a daring plan.

I think we've made a false assumption that the will of God gets easier as we grow spiritually. Some dimensions do get easier with the consistent practice of spiritual disciplines. But I also think God will give us more difficult, dangerous, and daring things to do!

I love this phrase. It's so hopeful. It's so optimistic. And it's the key to living with holy anticipation. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. May God give us the spirit of Jonathan!

from a pastor, mark batterson in dc

it's awesome right? it awakened my faith.

 not too long ago, brandon and i were talking and he told me about an "illustration" the Lord gave to him. he said most people in life, when making big decisions or great leaps of faith will say "if i fall the Lord will catch me" and everyone nods their heads and agrees, yes if we fall the Lord is always there...then b said, NO! why do we always say "if i fall" why not when i fly the Lord won't have to catch me b/c He's given me wings....how awesome is that. i know along this road of life we will fall and get bumps and bruises and yes the Lord is there to pick us up and keep us going.. but WHAT IF our frame of mind changed and we started looking at every obstacle as an "excuse" (if you will) to fly......

another piece i read today was something from a book i've mentioned before called "anonymous." the author wrote about the anonymous years of Jesus, the years while He was waiting for His purpose, the years nobody mentions in the Bible. she also dives into the temptations He faced with satan while in the desert. i'm near the end of the book and one of her "reflections" really spoke to me. " Many of us avoid lonely spaces because, by definition, deserts are barren. Nothing seems to grow there. But perhaps that is the point. Growth is so very distracting. Deserts are bare, but they are also beautiful. They are empty, but there is healing in their stillness. In those beautifully barren, empty, still spaces, our faith is uncluttered as we rest in God alone."

i guess what i'm getting at, as my ramblings come to an end, to me life, is all about how you look at it and perceive it. if you want it to be negative, it will be, but if you choose to see the positive, you will see it, even in your dustiest, dirtiest times. don't worry, (the Bible says that) God is in control (the Bible says that) and He IS working on our behalf (the Bible says that too) 

the Lord has given US authority, through Him (so take it!)