broken stuff

I woke up this morning feeling broken. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way. In the last few months I’ve had friends struggle with serious health issues and personal pain. Disease, poverty, and loneliness seem to be constant themes for so many people I know. More and more I’m realizing these are the products of a very broken world. While I know hate is usually an unhealthy thing, I find myself today angry for the right reasons; certain suffering simply isn’t right:

I hate cancer…
I hate greed and how that leads to poverty and famine…
I hate racism, unequal opportunity, and unfair immigration practices…
I hate loneliness and the frustration it brings into so many lives…
I hate porn and drug addiction…
I hate  spousal abuse and infidelity…
I hate death and war… man’s need to conquer…

I’m grateful for Jesus. That God has come and will come again to make all things right. Until then I’m praying that God destroys these evils in our world and protects so many of my close friends who I believe are growing weary over it all…

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.

- David

core people

A few weeks back I saw a sign at the coast that said: Behind every successful man is a woman rolling her eyes. Sort of true though, right? At least for the Christian because our theology says that God’s the one who does the great work. So how does it work?

I really believe it’s through prayer. Who do you pray with and who prays for you? 

over desire

Can holiness ever become a bad thing? I know that’s probably a crazy question to ask but I’ve been thinking about a word Peter uses: Do not conform to the passions that you had in your former ignorance (1 Pet. 1:14-15). What are passions to you? The Greek for passions is literally over-desire as in too-much desire.

baptism

I’ve seen a lot of baptisms. I’m always speechless afterward. A few years ago I watched my dad get baptized and I was an absolute mess. Cried like a baby. Like communion, the obedient act of baptism always moves me to tears. It’s just so worshipful. And last weekend proved to be no different for me. I had the honor of witnessing parents baptize their kids at Hagg Lake. 11 in total openly declared their love for Christ as well as their desire to express publicly to us that they belonged to Jesus. I was moved to tears; overwhelmed by immeasurable joy. Every single time I watched a body rise from the water I kept thinking about God’s voice descending from heaven at Jesus baptism: “This is my son whom I am well pleased.”  So moving…