I just remembered that I have to pick up my dry cleaning before going to work. (I hope it's ready or I'm in a world of trouble.) You ever have a moment like that? Where a sudden moment of panic fills your mind? Did I leave the stove on? Did I shut off the iron? Did I blow out that candle? For those involved in secret sin, this becomes much more problematic. Did I hide that pack of condoms? Did I erase the web browser's history? Did I ditch that trashy romance novel? Will he find out? Will she be able to tell? Wait, did my pastor hear about that night out with people from church? That was a rough one.
So many believers have these secret sins, these pet sins that we nurture. When preaching, I often speak of our "pet sins." For those who have dogs, they know it involves walking them, feeding them, playing with them, training them, taking them to veterinarian's appointments and so on. There is a personal investment into these beloved pets; we care for them so they can grow and develop into healthy animals.
We often do the same thing with our sin. We nurture it. We care for it. We take it for walks. We play with it. We tell it how much we love it and we turn to it when things are rough. We feed it more fire. We train it to happen at the right moment. We make an agreement with Satan that this sin will satisfy us and we live in accordance to that contract we have signed with the pens of our souls.
Paul writes, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible - and everything that is illuminated becomes a light" (Ephesians 5:11-13 NIV).
Expose these secrets to the light of Christ's love and His mercy. James tells us to "confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16). This is so difficult to do, I know. It is so much easier to read about these things than to put them into action. Still, if we seek to honor God we will set these instructions in the forefront of our minds. True story.
These past few days have been very busy for me. I have spent my time working around the house, trying to murder my to do list. I know that is probably not the best attitude to have because we are not to have anger in our hearts, but I finally got so tired of looking at that thing that I took some action. In all actuality, the to do list really isn't mine as much as it is my mother's, but it is only right that I help her accomplish those things around the house that she needs done.
I spent the entirety of my day working around the yard yesterday. There was some intensive clean up to do. I had to clean up a bunch of weeds, dead leaves, dig up old bricks, dig up old plants and remove the roots, etc. To remove the roots from the ground, I had to dig rather deeply. I was distracted for a few minutes and forgot that I had left a hole in the area where I was working. I walked away from the hole and returned to finish what I was doing. Because I was distracted and did not remember where exactly I was digging, I ended up stepping into the hole and tripping. While I caught myself from falling, it would have been a nasty and dirty fall if I had not regained my balance. "That's funny," I thought. "I dug the very hole that would have taken a foothold and brought me down."
I think of Paul, who is in letter to the Ephesians wrote that they not ought to give the devil a foothold (Ephesians 4:27). While Paul is describing the effects of anger in the hearts of believers, specifically not addressing anger before the sundown, I believe it is safe to apply this instruction to all contexts. James tells us that when we resit the devil, he will flee (James 4:7). The irony of my gardening trouble is that I dug the hole that caused me to trip. Because I had not finished taking care of the hole right away and because I was distracted, I left myself a trap.
There are holes that we have left in our hearts and lives that will cause us to trip if we do not address them. It is a simple truth. Any sin not confessed, any anger or hurt towards another not addressed, any lifestyle and behavior patterns from our pasts, any projection from our past experiences onto our future ones and other similar experiences will cause us to trip. They are holes we have left in our spiritual pathway and they will ensure to snare us and cause us to fall. If they are fully effective, they will cause us to roll backwards in a destructive tumble that will hurt our hearts and the hearts of those we love.
Do not give the devil a foothold (NIV). The New American Standard Bible reads, "Do not give the devil an opportunity" (James 4:7). We give him an opportunity when we do not address the matters of our hearts that we must address. Do not leave holes in your garden or you may fall. True story.
I have recently made a vow to better my physical health. After returning from Seattle, Washington in late March, I decided that my health had to become more serious to me. By neglecting my health I was stealing years away from the Lord. My sin and failure to obey the command to honor my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit began taking its toll. I felt tired all of the time and my self confidence surrounding my body image was fairly low. (Wow, this blogging thing totally makes me vulnerable. Am I nuts to be sharing this stuff?) I knew it was time to take action.
I began to eat healthfully and go to the gym a couple times per week. I'll be honest in admitting that I was not really putting forth any genuine effort. I was lying to myself. At my job we call this "self deceptive enhancement" (SDE) - we enhance our opinion of our actions by minimizing and justifying our inappropriate actions or failure to take appropriate actions, therefore lying to ourselves. "I can speed and drive safely" is an example of SDE. I am so thankful for Lauren, who lovingly pointed out my SDE (though she didn't call it that, thank God) and made me commit to exercising a certain amount of times per week.
Lauren really had to push me to get to the gym today. I was not feeling it. After I resolved to get my rear out the door to get to my gym, the enemy began his work. While I was putting on my gym clothes, he started telling me that I was wholly inadequate. He then accused God, saying that if He were truly a provider then I would not have to work as hard as I do to pay bills and enjoy my life. I continued to get dressed. He then started to attack my personal relationships, saying that no one could genuinely love me and if they did it would be an act of compromise. I put on my sneakers. He assaulted my self-esteem, telling me that I am wasting my time because I had a piece of pizza today. See Stephen, you'll always love pizza more than you do your health! I walked to my car, turned on the engine and left my driveway. This continued throughout the ride to the gym and while I was exercising. I plead the blood of Jesus over my life and asked the Lord to protect my mind and heart. I asked Him to war on my behalf. And I didn't feel some big rush of peace after doing this. I continued on and knew in faith that God would answer my prayer. Still, it became so draining for me that after running my mile on the treadmill and a little bit of lifting (not nearly as much as I wanted to do), I left the gym.
The enemy has come to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus has come to bring us life (John 10:10). Any step that you take in a direction that brings forth life, love and obedience to the Lord, the enemy will do all he can to steal from you, kill you and destroy you. If you do all you can to get to church on Sunday morning, the enemy will be sure that your alarm does not go off or that you really feel like sleeping in. Put forth an effort to read your Bible in the morning, the boss will be sure to call to ask you to come in early. Ask the Lord to allow you a romantic evening with your husband or wife, the enemy will do all he can to ensure that the kids are sick that night or the babysitter "just remembered" she has a test the next day and cancels.
Where you are striving to honor the Lord, the enemy is striving to dishonor you. Guard your heart (Proverbs 4:23), ask the Warrior God to battle on your behalf and rejoice over you (Zephaniah 3:17), and rest in knowing that the Lord will answer your prayers (John 14:13). True story.
Yesterday I was driving on the highway en route to my small group meeting. As I was driving, I activated my right turn signal and began to change lanes. I checked all my mirrors, focusing on the vehicles behind me to ensure that I did not cut off another vehicle. I looked behind me a few more seconds than I should have while I was changing lanes, not seeing that the vehicle in front of me was slowing down. I quickly hit my brakes, decelerated and prevented a potentially nasty accident. After I breathed a sigh of relief, I began to laugh a little bit. Jesus is always faithful to show Himself in the midst of daily chaos.
Because I spent too much time looking behind me, I almost crashed into the car in front of me. While it is necessary to look in our rear view mirrors and to check our blind spots to drive successfully, we must also keep our eyes on the road ahead of us. Ultimately, the vehicles behind us also have the responsibility not to collide with us. They too are responsible for driving safely, keeping their eyes on what is in front of them.
The same is true with our walk with Jesus. We cannot remain focused on the past, lest we crash in our futures. When we live in the past, our present suffers and and this suffering then presents itself in our futures. It is wise for us to check our lives' rear view mirrors. We must not forget the work that the Lord has done for us (Psalm 143:5). It is right for us to remember that the Lord has saved us from the pits of hell, restored our broken relationships, freed us from addiction, put the broken pieces of our hearts back together and saved us from our sin. I look back at my days of binge drinking and partying, my days of spiritual apathy and depression and I thank the Lord for the work He has done in my heart.
Yet if I spend too much time looking in my past, I neglect the beautiful work He is doing in my present. I begin to pick up the sorrow and shame I left at the foot of the cross years ago and carry it with me as if it were my cross to bear. When I spend too much time gazing into memories of hurt and immorality, I forget that Jesus bore that cross at Calvary. The enemy then begins to accuse me (Rev. 12:10), saying "See, you have not changed! That was an emotional conversion. You are the same man! You will always lust, you will always overeat, you will always drink, you will never trust, you will always be broken, hurt and abandoned." It is at moments like these that I ought to cry out to the Lord, but I find myself believing these lies at times. And while you may be tempted to write me a little encouraging note (which is always nice), ask the Lord to expose to you the lies the enemy tells you, only if even through the power of suggestion. Explore what agreements you have made with the enemy because you have spent too much time recalling who you were that you have forgotten who you are.
Check the baggage from the past at the curbside and move forward onto your journey with a carry-on of healing, restoration and maturity. I like the way The Message paraphrases the words of Jesus. "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me -- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly" (Matthew 11:28-29).
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14 NIV). Oh happy day and oh baby, what a true story!
One of my client's came in with his son today. We have a family room with some children's toys, so I brought my client and his son into that room for our session. After handing me the two pieces of paper he drew as gifts for "Teve," he began playing with the toys while my client discussed his life since his last session.
After the 30 minute session ended, my client was helping his son clean up while I set up our next appointment. I saw one of my favorite children's toys: the shape sorting cube. This is the toy where children (or some childlike adults) find the correct sized shape and insert the shape into its proper hole. The square goes in the square shaped hole, the triangle in the triangular shaped hole and so on. I love watching children's faces when they fit the right shape into the correct hole. If I look at just the right moment, there is a flash of pride and contentedness that comes over the child's face. This momentary capture of nonverbal communication brings a sudden rush of joy to my heart. I have found that this is my favorite moment in all of ministry - the moment when it clicks for people. They suddenly realize Jesus is really the Christ, that sexual immorality will only destroy relationships, that they must honor their wives, that they must support their husbands, that discipleship is a way of life and not a Sunday morning obligation, etc. How wonderful!
Something that is equally as exciting to watch, though a bit more challenging, is the frustration that a child portrays when he cannot seem to find the right shape. It begins with just an attempt to place the square in the triangular hole. After this attempt quickly fails, the child then tries a little more forcefully. "Get in there!" I can almost hear. After this failed second attempt, we hit the banging stage. "If I only try hard enough, I can bang this square into a triangle and it will work!" Depending on the temperament of the child (dare I say, the temperament of his or her parents as well), he or she may then begin to cry, to give up or to revise the methods and try again. Nevertheless, no matter how hard the child tries he will be unable to force the square shape in the triangular shaped hole. It is often at moments like these that a loving parent may step in and show the child the proper way. Better yet, a parent may watch and allow the child to learn for his or herself, allowing him/her the satisfaction of individual achievement.
I find this moment wonderful because it causes me to reflect upon my own spiritual blindness and immaturity. How often do I try to bang a square shape into a triangular hole in my life. The times that God has designed for intimacy with Him I fill with hobbies. I have tried to shove the alcohol shape and the pornography piece into the cross shaped hole in my heart. I banged academic success and a longing for financial stability against my heart and wept like a baby because my methods would not work. There were times when the Lord would run to my rescue and gently guide me in the right direction. Other times, I would reap the awful wages of my sin resulting in death and pain (Romans 6:23). I would then return to the Lord and in His mercy, He would relent from sending calamity and restore my soul (Joel 2:12-13).
Proverbs 16:9 reads, "The mind of a man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps" (NASB). This verse allows for us to plan our way, but we must submit to the Lord as He directs our steps. There is nothing wrong with having a Holy Spirit inspired plan, but we must not force into existence. As we wait upon the Lord, we ought not to fill this hole with others things: money, sex, career, success, possessions, fashion, or even ministry. Sit back. Relax. Ask God to teach you what shape belongs where. The Christian life is interesting in that we start with the destination (Jesus) and now we journey onward towards whatever good works He has planned in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). We ought to stop shoving the wrong shapes into a cross shaped hole. True story.
I had a wonderful this evening this past Thursday. My date and I enjoyed a meal at a restaurant in New Haven and then spent some great time exploring the boat harbor of Milford. I am really thankful that the Lord blessed me with such a great time. God truly does care about our dolls.
After spending some time perusing the menu, my date and I ordered our meals. I ordered a pizette (a small pizza) and she ordered a hamburger. When the waitress brought us our meals, we were both very surprised. While the pizette was a good sized portion, the hamburger was a little bit larger than a half dollar and was on an English muffin. This was not the impressive burger that she and I were expecting. I saw my date's surprised face and I felt that internal sense of panic that all men feel when they think the evening has become an awkward story that their date will tell her friends later. Lord, really? Where's the big "j/k" and "lol" from heaven?
She handled the situation gracefully. She enjoyed her burger, did not complain at all and was very reassuring. We both agreed that the situation was rather funny. "I ordered a burger, not a slider," she joked. We both laughed and continued our conversation. "Phew," I thought. "Thank God she's a good sport."
I was talking with my date later on and she asked me if I was going to blog about the experience. My masculine pride wanted to hide the burger crisis of 2011. I mean, how would that "true story" go? "I was blessed with a dinner with a wonderful woman and her hamburger had performance anxiety." After a few moments of consideration, I realized that with a little more discernment, insight and obsessive compulsive over analysis, I could find a spiritual implication for her skinny cow burger.
"I ordered a burger, not a slider." I think I have said the same thing to Jesus several times in my life. There are times I ask the Lord to bless me with an opportunity to serve. As a speaker and a worship leader, I am secretly implying that I want an opportunity to speak at a church service or lead a worship song. The Lord is faithful to answer my prayer, so He has assigned me various tasks that I did not expect. "Sure, Stephen. I want you to serve me by greeting guests at church and handing them their bulletins. After that, I am going to assign you to your community's prayer team, where you will never receive recognition but you will spend time with me interceding for the children that I love so dearly. After that, I want you to bless your mother and start fixing things around the house." My reaction? "Jesus, I ordered a burger, not a slider."
I recall Paul who says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship" (Romans 12:1). This verse does not allow preference for the means by which serve, it only allows for obedience to the Lord as holy sacrifices. The Lord will give us what we need to bless Him and to bless others. If God hands you a slider, take a lesson from my date. Enjoy your experience, do not complain and be reassured that God is in control. Now that's a true story.
It seems the entire nation has suddenly remembered that Jesus is going to return to judge the world. Harold Camping, a "Christian evangelist," has predicted that the rapture will occur tonight at approximately 7:00 p.m. This means that all disciples of Jesus Christ will disappear to meet with the Lord while the rest of the unbelieving world is left to suffer as the Book of Revelation unfolds before them.
I do not mean to write harshly, but our Christian brother Camping seems to have lost his mind. Mark 13:32-37 tells that the time and the hour of Christ's return is unknown to man. Jesus also reminds that He will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2), implying there is no way for us to truly sit and prepare for His coming except for the process of sanctification that the Holy Spirit is working out in us. The notion that we can prepare for the time and the hour of the rapture is almost as ridiculous as suggesting that there is eternal life outside of Jesus Christ.
While the media makes a mockery of the Lord's second coming, everyone seems to be a bit on edge. What would happen if this Camping fellow were to be correct? While I have made my opinion to you about his predictions clear, I still think my question is valid. What if Jesus were to return? Would my heart be prepared and peaceful with such an event?
I meditated on this question in prayer. As I spoke to the Lord about my life, I found myself telling God that I wanted Him to wait to return. I still have not been married, had children, a career I truly enjoyed and a home of my own. I have not been able to preach at Madison Square Garden or sing on Broadway. I have not been able to publish my own book yet nor have I earned my Ph.D. When I found that I wanted the Lord to delay His coming so I can store up earthly treasures, I spent time asking for forgiveness for wanting anything more than I want the return of the Lord. I asked God to conform my heart to the image of His own heart. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:21). A troubling thought considering my heart was more into a my future marriage than my Lord's return.
I predict that we will all go to church tomorrow and worship the Lord. I predict I'll post another blog by the end of the weekend. We'll still be here. My concern is the location of my heart. Where will my treasure be located? We must forsake earthly treasure for the sake of the coming of the Lord's kingdom. Let us make use of this false prophesy to glorify the Lord by asking Him to change our hearts about our lives. The Lord will give us all we need but we must value the coming of His Kingdom greater than we do ourselves. True story.
I drink at least two cups of coffee a day. I recognize that this may not be the healthiest of habits, but I thoroughly enjoy coffee and I find the caffeine helpful. As an avid user of the Keurig, I brew different brands of coffee each morning. The specific brand of coffee that I have been brewing lately is especially bitter for some reason. It was given to me by someone else who did not want it. I drink it nonetheless, though I probably will not purchase it in the future.
While traveling to different work sites today, I stopped to pick up another coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. I really enjoy Dunkin's coffee. I poured my Dunkin' Donuts coffee into my tumbler, which still had some coffee left over from the morning. While I did my best to finish the morning's coffee before pouring the Dunkin' Donuts coffee into the cup, the flavors of the two coffees seemed to blend together into an interesting tasting coffee. Because I love coffee, I drank this new blend without complaints. Still, something was not quite right. I really needed to clean my tumbler before adding new coffee to it.
I think humans are the same way. The world and the enemy have poured bitter, secondhand coffee into the hearts and souls of people. Our cups are filled with this burnt blend of hurt, anger, disappointment and fear. We search for a new blend of love from others, for affirmation in academic and vocational success, for the next new item to purchase, the next project to distract us. We pour this new activity, person or thing into a tainted tumbler in hopes of new experiences. Yet when we take a sip, something does not taste right. Somewhere in this cup of our hearts, a bad brew exists. No matter how good the new flavors taste they will be spoiled by the bitterness of past tastes. Our tumblers must be cleaned.
Jesus invites those of us who are weary to find rest at His feet (Matthew 11:28). The Lord wants us to be healed (Psalm 30:2, Psalm 147:3, Jeremiah 33:6, Matthew 10:1) of our wounds, the diseases of our heart, the bitter tastes of sinful living, hurt and brokenness. We can mask the hurts of our hearts with new flavors, but until we rend our hearts before the Lord and surrender to Him we will continue to wonder why our new experiences taste so funny. God has prepared some beautiful things for us, things that we cannot imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9). Expose the inner chambers of your heart to the grace of Jesus. Ask Him to expose to you the bitterness. Allow Him to cleanse you. If you do these things, you will experience a flavorful life that you cannot begin to imagine. True story.
My friend Drew traveled from Florida to spend some time with me in Connecticut. I highly value Drew's friendship and I am honored that the Lord saw it right to bless me with a co-laborer in Christ like Drew. I am very thankful to have such wise counsel.
When making his airport travel arrangements, I had underestimated the amount of time it would take to get to New York City for Drew to return to Florida. In order for me to get to work outside of Hartford, Conn. and for Drew to get to New York City, we reserved Drew a shuttle from a local hotel to the airport. The shuttle was expected to be a large van with other travelers. We had no reason to expect another type of vehicle besides a van because the company advertises its vans and shuttle services.
As Drew and I were waiting inside my car, a sleek, black Lincoln Town Car Executive Series pulled up to the front of the hotel. Drew and I started joking about how unlikely it would be that the limousine service was for him. Drew was certain that we should expect an Econoline style van and I agreed. After waiting a few more minutes, we exited my car and walked to the hotel lobby to wait. The driver of the Lincoln exited his vehicle as well and asked us if we were waiting for a shuttle to the airport. Drew and the driver confirmed the reservation while I watched open jawed. This Lincoln totally beat a transport to New York City in my Honda and certainly was much more impressive than an Econoline van. Drew and I looked at each other and laughed. I love it when God pulls a fast one.
Matthew 20:16 reads, "So the last shall be the first..." The man ready to sit in the back of a van through New York City traffic is the man who rides with a personal chauffeur in a vehicle he nor I can afford to fuel. When we think of promoting ourselves, we often find we are left frustrated, discouraged and disappointed. When in humility we consider others greater than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-4) and seek first the kingdom of God, everything else is added to our lives (Matt. 6:33). I believe the Lord would love to see us all in Lincoln Town Car Executive Series. We just have to let him make the reservation. True story.
I have the day off from work today, which is a beautiful thing for me. The more time that I can take to process where the Lord is leading me and what He is speaking to my heart, the better I feel. I started my day with a pancake breakfast at Chip's in Orange, Connecticut, where I shared breakfast with two wonderfully important people to me.
While we were eating, a young father and his daughter entered the restaurant and sat at the table adjacent to ours. The man was good looking and clearly spent a good portion of his time at the gym. He was a giant of a man and despite my size, he probably could have swatted me like a fly. The three of us looked over to this man almost simultaneously and saw him holding a Barbie doll in his hands. He was straightening the doll's hair and gently positioning the doll so she would be as comfortable as could be. The man was very serious about the doll's comfort. His daughter watched on as he made adjustments to the doll's hair and positioning. It seemed as if the father cared more about the placement than the daughter did. I can imagine the conversation now. "Just put that anywhere, Daddy, it's fine." "No, honey, it has to be just right."
We were all touched by the moment, so touched by this father's love. In my work, I see the effects of fatherlessness on society. I hear awful stories of those abandoned by their fathers, children left to fend for their families before they were legally able to drive. Reflecting upon my past experiences and the testimonies of others, I found this father's compassion and dedication impressive. (I am rather uneasy that our society is surprised and impressed by compassionate and dedicate fathers. Shouldn't that be the norm?)
This morning's story pointed me back to the Lord. I think of the Lord, much stronger and more powerful than the world's strongest man, caring about the things that are meaningful to me. God loves me so much that He is willing to play with "my dolls:" my career, my relationships, my talents, my desires and so on. In my brokenness, I haphazardly place these things where they seem to fit for me. Yet in His mercy, God cares about me enough to adjust their positions perfectly. The Lord is so passionate about me, so proud of His son that He lavishes His love upon me (1 John 3:1) by caring about my own life more than I can care about it. I think this is why Jesus says, "Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33). The Lord delights in the way of those who trust Him (Psalm 37:23). We cannot care more about ourselves than the Lord does.
If we insist upon being self sufficient, we will find that our doll's hair will not be nearly as straight or her body as perfectly positioned as our Father would have straightened and positioned it. Lose your life and you will find it. True story.
I spent Friday walking around New York City yesterday with my good friend Drew. Drew and I seem to take similar approaches to life. We have both concluded through our own life experiences that we live to bring God glory, that Christianity is more about loving others than it is about church attendance and that in the midst of the chaos of daily life there are pearls of truth waiting to be discovered. Life is an adventure of faith designed by God for His children to experience the fullness of His character, peace and blessing. This pearl of truth has been disguised by the monotony of work schedules, church activities and the frustrations of daily living.
Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. I certainly do not take issue with Socrates' statement. Yet Christians must take Socrates' observation to the next level. I would suggest that the unexamined heart is not worth beating and the unexamined Christian walk is not worth walking. Far too many believers have fallen victim to the "Jesus take the wheel" mentality of our culture, insinuating that we are spectators of a marvelous show called life. The problem with this "Jesus take the wheel" theology is if this show of life is thoroughly boring and uneventful, then it is the Director of the show who has failed us and not the cast members. Now I am certainly not implying that Jesus should not be driving our metaphorical vehicles, but merely postulating that we must be more proactive in our travels with the Lord. We must be searching for the opportunities to find peace in the midst of pain, truth amongst the lies and love throughout all the hate.
I have based nearly all of my ministry upon John 10:10: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." The fullness of life that is available to Christians cannot be experienced if we sit in the spectator's seat. There is an aspect of Christian living that requires us to translate our faith into action. James says that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). I do not claim to be qualified to unpack this scripture in terms of its implication as to eternal salvation, but I do assert that if we desire to live the abundant life we must actively search for opportunities to find, share and live out the truths of the Gospel. Intellectualism without heartfelt practical application is useless.
I write all these things to encourage you to join me in the journey of finding pearls of truth in the chaotic seas of life. It is my hope that we can partner in this journey together - that you can share your pearls of truth with other blog readers and with me. Together, we will find that there is life outside of this secular Matrix. Like Neo, we must leave the Matrix, free our minds and embrace reality. True story.
