A song I like

Lord you are more precious than silver
Lord you are more costly than gold
Lord you are more beautiful than diamonds
And nothing I desire compares with you

I grew up singing this song.
Do I really mean it?
My prayer is that I do; one day at a time.

What is precious about God to you?
What is costly about God?
What is beautiful?
What do you desire?
Can your desires compare?

Love is a Verb

These are just a few recent expressions of love I have seen...















How have you experienced love recently?

A funny interaction

Saturday morning Matt and I walked along the boardwalk at VA Beach. It was beautiful morning and we were able to make it out before it got too crowded. 

At the turning point of our stroll we found Neptune's statue. It's a large sculpture with starfish and other creatures attached too it. It looks like a perfect climbing wall to me. So, I started climbing on it. 

After I got a few feet up  (you can kind of see me in the picture) an young boy said, "Hey, you aren't supposed to climb on that!"... he was with his parents... 

My inner child wanted to say, "so what? I'm having fun and Matt is trying to take a picture of me on here, so just shut up!"

But, my mature adult voice said, "Really? Are you sure?"

The boy proceeded to show me two signs that read Do not climb on the artwork. He explained to me that Neptune's statue was art and that it was dangerous for me to climb on it. 

I got down. 

Say what??

So, I am in the middle of my morning reflection/reading time, but can't get past something so I decided to blog about it. Please give me feedback!!! 

I am reading in Acts and this is how my thoughts were going.

Acts 11: The disciples are first called Christians at Antioch... they then send aid to their friends facing a famine.

Acts 12: Herod has James executed and Peter thrown in prison with 16 guards to watch over him.

He was next to be executed. (They were thrown in prison for preaching about Jesus).

continue Acts 12: Peter gets set free from jail by an angel and led to safety outside the city. Herod gets pissed, searches for him, can't find him, but has to continue business as usual.

Acts 13: Herod goes to settle a dispute and the crowds call him "god". He doesn't stop them, God (the one I believe in) strikes him dead, he gets eaten by worms. 

This is where I need to pause... 

My first thought, "what if a child were reading this?"

My second thought, "he deserved it."

Third, "did the writers have to put this part in here?"

Forth, "is this consistent with God's character?" (the character that I believe to be true)

I am settling on this take away for now... God, why is it so important for us to know and acknowledge you? 

My quote for the day

In the words of Thoreau, "For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, there is one striking the root." We can only achieve quantum improvements in our lives as we quit hacking at the leaves of attitude and behavior and get to work on the root, the paradigms from which our attitudes and behaviors flow.

*From The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, p. 31*

Bike Commuting

So today I did my first 'distance' commute with belongings in hand. For me the distance was only over 3 miles, but it was challenging to figure out how to carry my bag, wear my bike shoes, and the timing of my various meetings. 

I biked to the Dentist, then to Starbucks, to my friend's house and back home. I felt very accomplished and like I could do this on a regular basis. It started with going to NoFo (a little over a mile) and I'm working my way up. 

I got a few funny stares at Starbucks because I was clicking around the store in my bike shoes (is this improper etiquette?) and I almost slipped when throwing my trash away. Only one person caught it, but it was funny. 

I wonder where I'll try to go next...

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge...

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. 

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 

The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. 

The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes...

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Its another glorious day! 

Notice the trees, the sky, the birds chirping, the clouds, the power of the storms, the dawn of a new day...

I wish to have this awe and wonder for God's word and his truths. Sometimes this is hard, but if its true... (the bible) then I must approach it with this way.

Truth

Freedom

Revitalization

Joy

Wisdom

Peace