Life | Love | Freedom: April 2005

Conversation with Blake Kennedy

I replied to Blake's post; "Defence of Christian intellectualism" you can read his original post and my reply here.

The conversation continues here.

the weekend

wow it was eventful, relaxing and definitely enjoyable...

It started out with that fateful call from the marina guy that our boat wouldn't start after being in storage all winter. Turns out that we'll need a new starter...but hey...better we found out on dry land than out in the middle of the lake with a boat full of folks :) We had to change plans with our friends the Palmer's but kickin' it on the back deck eating burned meat whilst enjoying a little convo certainly wasn't beyond our endurance ;)

Sunday morning we loaded up with our neighbor Mark and kayaked the stones river from Lebanon Rd. to Priest dam and back. Chelsie and Josh joined us in a canoe...it was comedy...nothing like listening to brother/sister instructions/commentary :) Along the way we spotted some mountain goats!?!?! or maybe goats that liked standing on the rock cliffs. After the kayaking adventure we headed home for my famous breakfast burritos.

In the afternoon Josh and I visited the college fair at the convention center. He's gravitating toward University of Tennessee, Tennessee Tech or Belmont...and he's all ears, so if you know anything speak up.

After we got home Josh's Jr. banquet (prom) date, Allison Pulley and Chelsie dyed their hair...very dark...Allison morso than Chelsie a.k.a. "blackie".

My greatest need

To rest in God's unconditional acceptance. Too often I'm consumed with thoughts of myself because 'I think' or 'feel like' His unconditional acceptance looms just out of my reach. I think I must improve, do better, stop some behavior or attitude and help others 'before' He will/can accept me. This is such a distraction from enjoying Him, His presence and the all He's already given me.

Truth I'm pondering:

Christ 'is' my life (Col 3:4)

'In Him' we have right standing with God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

In Him we will do greater things than these. (John 14:12)

I desire to live in conscious awareness of the above realities. I believe the Kingdom of God is being consciously aware of those realities and depending on them with every breath.

All by itself

Mark 4:26...“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28All by itself the soil produces grain

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Here in the western world we believe nothing happens unless "you" make it happen.

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We believe we make things grow through our ingenuity, effort or even our obedience.

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The eastern world believes in the collective effort; that "together" we'll make things grow.

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What do you believe?

Fountains of blessing

A fountain is but a fountain, it's the flowing of the water that captures the passerby...offering a cool resting place, refreshment and a magnificence to behold.

May your relationship with Him overflow with His grace and peace; providing rest, meaning and joy to the souls of others.

In Him

A while back I was searching intently for what it means to "be the church". One day God spoke these words to me through a good friend.

I AM what you're looking for.
God uses I AM (all caps) in the scripture to describe Himself.

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'

"It took me almost a year to realize what the Spirit was trying to teach me through that simple phrase (hard headed and too busy trying to figure out what it meant to "be the church"). One morning I was driving to Owensboro, KY and had made it as far as Morgantown when it dawned on me that I was searching for what can only be found in Jesus. Jesus is the beginning and end of everything. If you're looking to/for a person, activity, meeting, religion, organization, book, understanding or way of life other than the person of Jesus...you're looking in the wrong place.

Acts 17:28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'

It doesn't read...

In religion - In being/or going to church - In AA - In reading the bible - In memorizing scripture - In doing good works - In being a good person - In 'whatever'.

We pursue these other things/people/orgs because we've not truely experienced the solution being in Him. Once we've rested in our relationship with Him, we might be part of these other things/people/orgs/etc, not as a result of "our needing something", but as an expression of Him through us...they're the outpouring of being in Him.

...but we must first realize and trust that it's Him we're looking for.