Love less

I recently posted this quote on facebook from Alan and Debra Hirsch book untamed in which they are quoting C.S. Lewis "we must actively train ourselves to love God more than the people and things in our world" after posting I realized that it would be easy to read this quote and decide to start working on loving the people in things input world less. This would however miss the point, God is pretty clear that we should love people and the gifts and things of this world that God has given and created for us. The problem is not loving them it's loving them more than God. We are people who should be actively working on increasing our love. An even more so increasing our love of God and his kingdom.

who do you learn from?

I have just finished my masters degree from fuller theological seminary. i have spent the last three years taking classes and reading books written by those who very well may be the smartest people on the given subjects, and i am grateful for that opportunity. however i can not help but be struck by the reality that sometimes, all of the most brilliant discussions and thoughts about a theological or ministry topic often falls short to an individual that has decided to follow jesus in faith and has a simple understanding of the way that jesus is at work in their life. A room full of theologians and pastors can learn a lot from being in a group of christians that has learned to care for and love one another, even and especially those that take more time to let be apart of their community. Sometimes its the ones that we have to wait for that can teach us the most.

Back from camp

returned from our weekend camp yesterday and i am tiered. the camp was great, i really felt like God spoke, i know that God began speaking to me about some things. watching God work in others has away of breaking my own heart anew and in such away that God seems to be able to speak more clearly to me. i am Glad to be back with my family but it was good to see God work and i am looking forward to see how God continues what was started at camp.

Almost finished

i am one paper away from completing my MA in theology from fuller theological seminary. it has been a great process, i have learned and grown a lot in past couple years. however i am very much looking forward to finishing, it seems so close and so far, it is hard to see past this last paper.

i phone photo of the "Ladera Ranch Valley" taken on my run the other day.

Time

it is more often then not the the time in-between that is hard,
it is the time not quiet here or there that is difficult.
when we are there, we tell ourselves, it will be easy
when we are there, we tell ourselves, i will know what to do.
but it is not easier
the answers are not there and the time has passed.
if we never lean into the time between we will never know what to do when we arrive.

every man is a dragon slayer inside his own mind, but if he does not practice, if he does not live outside his head, there will be no dragon, no battle, just more of the same and a loss of time.

Brilliant !

currently listening to David Wilcox streaming from his website in the "musical medicine" section. i think he is brilliant! i encourage all to check out his website, also brilliant. http://www.davidwilcox.com/index.php?page=cds&category=01--MUSICAL_MEDICINE