Making mud pies in a slum

Thanks to a John Piper message I was recently reminded of a popular quote by C.S. Lewis concerning our unceasing obsession with those things that never fully satisfy.
"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." - C.S. Lewis

I have grown increasingly aware of the fact that like so many others I fall into this trap on a daily basis. Just the other night at our house with friends I asked of them, and myself, if I can truly say that I find complete satisfaction and contentment in knowing God. Is the fact that our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ has given himself for me - TO me - enough? Is the joy of my salvation and the greatness of the transcendant God being right here close and accessable to me significant enough to me to overshadow my every desire? I posed the question to the group like this, "if that thing (whatever it is) that I treasure so much in my life were taken away, would I still be okay? Would I still believe I have all I truly need in Jesus, or would I lose it and question God and his goodness to me?" It seems I can't answer the question, as much as I wish I could, in the affirmative. I really don't know that being left with no posessions, no house, no vehicle, no wife, no family, no job, no "purpose," no friends, no influence, no recognition yet WITH GOD would leave me fully satisfied, content and joyful.

May it be that we can move toward having the desire of David when he said to God:

Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me. (ps 68:3-8)

The C.S. Lewis quote is from The Weight of Glory, which is available several places as a transcribed sermon. One of those places is here: www.doxaweb.com

About This Blog

The first 18 posts on here (June 09) are transfers from my other blog (derrach.blogspot.com) which is now being dedicated solely to updates on our personal lives for friends and family and neighbors. I created this separate blog to distinguish between those types of posts and the type that will appear here, mainly, theological. Note I am not claiming to be a theologian or anything even close but the fact is I will cover thoughts, convictions, opinions, facts and questions about God in this blog therefore deeming it theological (the study of God; websters - answers - wiki). More specifically I will look at the Gospel story and I hope to focus on two things, the Fame of Jesus Christ and the Fullness of life that is found in him, which is why I've titled the blog Fame & Fullness. Significant inspiration for this title and focus come from the following passages:

John 10:1-18

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

John 12:27-36

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. So the crowd answered him, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."

May we see the name and fame of our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ spread throughout the earth, bringing joy and abundant life to all who will believe and trust in him.

disclaimer: the posts prior to this did not exactly have a particular aim in mind and some are actually from a time of deep searching that I went through on the journey to where we are today. Glory to Jesus for the fact that in the end my heart, mind and soul were heartily re-focused on him!

True Christian Faith is Unique

From derrach.blogspot.com - 6/10/09

"It is certainly true that the moral maxims of the great religions of the world often parallel each other, but the Christian faith is unique in presenting a God who lived to provide the righteousness that we cannot earn, who died to provide the grace we do not deserve and who lives again in us that we may have his life now and eternally. We cannot be the body of Christ if he is not the source of our life."
-Dr. Bryan Chapell
The Future of Expository Preaching

"True Christian experience is experience that arises through the [Holy] Spirit from the revelation of God in Jesus contained in the Bible."
-Chester & Timmis
Total Church

advance09

From derrach.blogspot.com - 5/15/09

Our church, Vintage21, is joining with others (Desiring God, Resurgence, Acts29 Network, Summit Church, etc.) to host a conference next month that is sure to be worthwhile. Advance09 - Resurgence of the Local Church. It takes place in the city I love to call home - Durham, NC. Dates are June 4-6 and tickets are available now. Several of the speakers are on my podcast list and I'm excited to hear them in person. John Piper, Matt Chandler, Mark Driscoll, Ed Stetzer, JD Greer, Tyler Jones and many others will cover topics surrounding the power of God's gift to His people... The Church.

Now many people may say that the church is no gift at all, that it is in fact a blotch on the face of God, and I often see why that is said. The point of this conference is the resurgence of the church, the fact that it is in desperate need of correction, realignment and refocus. That Jesus wants it to be the vehicle by which his glory is shown to the world. We believe that Jesus is the head of the Church and that He is and has been leading the church into a renewed vision to preach the unchanging Gospel to this ever-changing culture in order to bring about life-changing redemption.

This will be a strong conference and I encourage anyone within 1000 miles to make it to Durham and attend.

I'll see you there!

10 Ideas Changing the World right now

From derrach.blogspot.com - 3/17/09

Great article from Time, I love when they do these type of lists.

Click here to read.

Of particular interest to me is IDEA #3.

happy reading

worship thru pain

From derrach.blogspot.com - 2/9/09

Life sucks sometimes, this should come as no surprise. For me, last Thursday was the start of another period of pain in life with some family news that I received. I'm sorry that I cannot share in depth what has happened but it is heartbreaking and devastating. For days I've been in and out of a funk and don't exactly know what to think, say or do. A few times I have been able to lift my eyes, heart, hands in worship thru this pain. This morning was another opportunity to do so on my way to work and I selected a song from years ago that I remembered had a great impact on me. A link is below for "Hallelujah" by Hillsong United. The words, simply: "Hallelujah, Our God Reigns."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHAb3ie0igk

Jolly Beggars

From derrach.blogspot.com - 1/19/09

This hit me like a ton of bricks today:

"It is easy to acknowledge but almost impossible to realise for long, that we are mirrors whose brightness, if we are bright, is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us. Surely we must have a little - however little - native luminosity? Surely we can't be quite creatures." ... "Grace substitutes a full, childlike and delighted acceptance of our Need, a joy in total dependence. We become 'jolly beggars.' "
-C.S. Lewis in The Four Loves

It's really hard to boast of any sort of accomplishment or status in light of those words. Try reading again and again.


-dp-

President-Elect

From derrach.blogspot.com - 11/11/08

I receive monthly updates from a missionary friend in Africa. The country he & his wife serve in is actually closed to "religious missionaries" so they work under the cover of being teachers & counselors. His most recent writing had to do with the United States' election of Barack Obama as President. I cannot simply post his email because of the sensitivity of where he works and the trouble it could get him in but I did want to forward some of his words and pass on the heart of his message. I thought his international perspective was great and some of his words were very convicting to the typical evangelical Christian response to politics and our country's choosing of President-Elect Obama.

He stated that they have received such exuberant greetings lately, like the ones they once received when first married, only because they are Americans. Previously they would wince a bit when having to answer where they were from; the people they are bringing Jesus to on a daily basis have an entirely different view of America than we do. Many are now more accepting of the Americans simply because of who we have elected. If you've never had the chance to travel outside of the country this may be mysterious to you and even infuriating, stirring up all sorts of quick rebuttals and judgments. If that is your response then the words I quote below may be for you.

"World leaders come and go, invincible kingdoms fall, and unsuspecting nations rise. Politics are argued, and peoples are treated with care, morality, and dignity, where just a country away, peoples are persecuted and murdered. As impassioned as we as Christians can become with the situation within our borders or even our respective communities, it only takes a quick trip to realize that the world is big, the lost are many, and Jesus is the ONLY answer."

Those words are directly from my friend's email.

He then goes on to describe the neighboring country to his. This country is a place where they are trying to enforce holiness by law. They have laws against lusting, homosexuality, drunkenness, lack of faith and conversion to another religion. Yet this is the most corrupt nation they have ever visited while ministering in Africa. Again his words drive a spike into my, and perhaps your, typical American Christian response.

"Our beacon of light and salvation will never be our government, policies, or perceived righteousness, but our beacon of light and hope will always be the unsurpassed power of the Truth that Christ has defeated the grave and is living in us!"

So often I find myself and hear other Christians talking about what's wrong with our country and the government. We are so quick to be happy when a certain party is "in power" and another is out; or vice-versa. The problem here is that we often fail to remember and recognize that only Jesus is in power. We often believe that certain laws being passed or others being repealed can make this a "Christian nation" again. While believing this we neglect to recognize the depth of sin in our own lives and look at things with the perspective of them vs. us. I especially hate it when I find myself thinking that if everyone were like me the world would be a better place, this is completely asinine. This arrogant mistake puts the hope of the world in my hands and in my righteousness and this is a grave mistake. Any hope in me - or any single human for that matter - will result in terrible let down and devastation. (I just pictured in my head many well meaning Christians laughing about how many people are putting their hope in President-Elect Obama and thinking to themselves, "it will be a good lesson for everyone when he fails, I'll just sit here and wait." This too is a terrible mistake and an arrogant one as well because it is a way of reinforcing what one thought was right and blaming everyone else for thinking other than us, which is obviously wrong.) Can you see how dark your own motivations are? These realizations have been haunting me for the last 3 weeks. I have repented regularly and ask daily for the eyes to see the world through the correct understanding of the Sovereignty of God, would you join me in doing the same...

A few final words from my friend's email and I close

"Let us take hope in Christ our Omnipotent, Merciful, and Perfect President. Let us strive and labor unwaveringly to see people choose King Jesus as the President-Elect of their hearts and lives!"

I sign off on this post in the same way he signed off his email -

Serving at the Pleasure of President Jesus,

Derrick Phillips

(email quotes courtesy of a guy we'll just call Bob)

"How to be all you've dreamed of"

From derrach.blogspot.com - 7/29/07

Well, if you read the "about me" portion of my myspace page recently you can tell that I'm in a bit of a sarcastic mood. Let me do my best to explain here without getting too red in the face (well, I guess you can't see my face, so I'll get as red as I want.)

This world is a very broken place. All of us know this and the reason we know it so well is not because of what is around us, IT'S BECAUSE OF WHAT'S INSIDE OF US! Yes, I said it...read on if you aren't already put off.

One place that this obvious brokenness is evident is in "profiles." You know these digital pictures we paint of ourselves here, on myspace, and other "social" websites like Facebook, friendsters, xanga, xianz and also the dozens of internet dating sites out there. These profiles are "all about you" and it's amazing how many good, decent, caring, thoughtful, fun, attractive, wondeful and downright perfect people are out there. Most of the time we spend this space bragging about our accomplishments, touting our wonderful participation in worthwhile efforts or even better, "humbly" proclaiming that we're really "not that big of a deal." ALL THE WHILE WE'RE SINFUL, PRIDEFUL, IMPERFECT, SELF-CENTERED, UNLOVING AND BROKEN PEOPLE.

Now I know it's just a cultural thing and that no one is really "bragging" about themselves, they just want others to know who they are by reading a paragraph and that's no big deal. Really that's not so much my point. My point is that we don't spend any time admitting our sins (most people would use the word "weaknesses" or "flaws" there but I've just decided to use the real word). We dedicate these pages and often our lives to promoting the good in us and rarely admit or reveal the bad. We all know it's there because it's what comes out on accident or during the times no one sees or when we're outside of our circle of friends. It's the ugliness deep in our souls that just won't go away no matter how "possitive" we think or how many self-esteem mantras we chant. All of this has to point us in one direction, the direction we won't go on our own as long as we're focusing on all the "good" stuff in our lives.



That direction my friends is UP.



All of the ugliness and brokenness of our souls leads us to look toward the Cross of Jesus Christ for our salvation. He alone can redeem this broken life and he alone can save our sorry souls. It's in the realization of all of this brokenness and sin in our lives that makes Jesus Christ, our God and Savior, so absolutely unbelievable and beautiful. Who would ever love this wrech, who could forgive all of this mess, and what kind of power would it take to make it all right?




The answer is simple.




The answer is Jesus.




We are not good people. Jesus is good, perfect.

We cannot save ourselves. Jesus has saved us and is saving us.

We seldom think of others. Jesus is constantly praying for us.

We want to be liked and appreciated. Jesus was spit on and betrayed.

We want to be recognized for the good we've done. Jesus was killed for the good he did.

All of our imperfections, weaknesses and sins point to the perfection, strength and glory of Jesus Christ. I just can't help but saying that I love him more now than I ever have before...now that I've realized that I'm weaker and more sinful than I ever before believed and that he is more loving and accepting than I ever dared to hope.
(the last portion of that paragraph must be credited to Tim Keller, found at monergism.com)

Contentment

From derrach.blogspot.com - 8/23/06

Okay, something's been eating away at me for several days now and I have finally come to a point where I feel I should write about it.

Recently there have been several people in our church family that have come upon very hard times. I'm talking cancer, hospitalization, car accidents, etc. As these people and issues have weighed heavily on my heart and demanded much attention in prayer I have been moved. Moved to what? I haven't exactly figured that out yet but I do know that surrounded by these events I have been taken to a new place of contentment. Content? you may ask, yes, content...and here's why:
Often I can, as easily as anyone, get caught up in the consumer drenched American culture. The commercials, web banners, billboards, and sound bites, along with everyone having a new something begins to take a toll on the mind. I find myself looking at what I've got with discontentment. I start looking at the ads and the neighbors' (or family & friends) stuff with envy and then begin to think that fatal thought, "I need ______."

Woah.

So I've been reminded this week of how incredibly GOOD I really have it. My wife isn't fighting for her life in the hospital. My family is healthy and living very blessed. I have no major financial needs that are driving me out of my home or into starvation. I can see. I can walk. I can talk. I can breathe on my own. And I've got my whole life still ahead of me with nothing but possitive things to look forward to. I HAVE GOT IT ALL!!! No, I don't drive an Audi TT turbo. No, my house is not a mansion. I do have debt. No, I don't have the latest greatest cell phone. No, I'm not famous. I don't have a dishwasher. No my wife's diamond isn't 5 carats. BUT, let me say this again, I HAVE GOT IT ALL!!!

I'm content. I have everything I need. I don't have to live wanting, I can be satisfied, and I AM! I have love, I have health, I have my needs taken care of AND THEN SOME. All of this has made me so thankful and content. Paul says in 1 Timothy 6:6, "But godliness with contentment is great gain." And the next verse in the message translation says, "Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough."

Woah.

Again.

So content I am and content I will remain. The people around me that are going through all these hard time, I know some of them very well and are watching as they go through the valley and you know what...they've got the content thing down...AMAZING.

Book Review: Pocket Guide to the Bible

From derrach.blogspot.com - 7/26/06

A month ago I tried to get a free pre-release copy of a new book by Jason Boyett by responding to a note at the bottom of a newsletter that I get. Well, I didn't end up getting the free copy but I did buy it when it was released. Part of the bargain for the free book was that you would blog a review upon finishing the book. Well, even though I didn't get the free copy I do still think it's worth talking about a bit on my site (plus, maybe Jason will give me something else for free if I write a good review).

So, here goes: Pocket Guide to the Bible "a little book about the big book" by Jason Boyett is a quick, fun, and informative - easy read that helps to break down the mountains of information in and about the Bible. It's kinda bite sized. Not to mention it's written with humor, a not-so-gray-haired perspective and is chock-full of modern, hip language. Jason runs through the Bible at "breakneck speed" to help summarize it all and give a sweeping overview that reminds you of what you've learned before and introduces you to things you never thought were or would be in the Holy Scriptures. (a note of warning: if you've got any religious, holier-than-thou thinking in you there may be some offenses to you, but in my mind that's just good for us all) (big smiley)
The book has some very, very informative chapters and then some that are just stinkin' hilarious. All together it adds up to a great AND fun book to read, and like I said, it's bite sized so it shouldn't take you long to read it (unless you're like me and your read like three different books all at the same time). I'm having my wife read it next just to give her a recap of all the things that I know she's learned in the past about the Bible. I hope it does for her what it's done for me...helped me to realize how much I do love this "book" called the Bible and how great it is to have the knowledge of it in my life. If you decide to pick it up I hope you come to the same, or at least similar, conclusion.

Thanks, as always, for reading.
-dp-

Too much thinking

From derrach.blogspot.com - 5/22/06

I haven't posted anything in quite a while because I've felt that I haven't had much good to say recently. Not that I've had "bad" things to say, it's just that I don't want to write for writing's sake, I want it to be meaningful and beneficial for those who would read it. The funny thing is, now that I'm writing something I still don't know if it's worth much.

~~~Read on at own risk~~~
*****You are about to enter an unsecured zone known as Derrick's mind*****

In the last few months I've been swept up in an ever expanding amount of thinking. Lots of reflection, evaluation, and critique on myself and my kind - much of which has ended in no concrete conclusions so I've hesitated to write any of it out. (btw - I don't recommend this be done on too much of a regular basis, it kinda hurts)

Long story short...it's a search, an exploration, almost an excavation of sorts. I've been digging through all of the things that are most meaningful to me to see really what they mean. I know that may be somewhat random but it's the best way I can find to describe the situation. I'm regularly questioning and evaluating the things I do, say and think. The strange thing is I somehow feel that the Spirit of Truth is taking a beating inside of me but at the same time he's stronger and more apparently involved in my life than ever before. Kinda like Sylvester Stalone in every movie he's ever done...he always gets the crap kicked out of him before he really comes on strong... yeah, it's like that. I'm taking these things I know as TRUTHS and punching them, pulling them, tearing them apart and in the midst of it all the truth is standing stronger and more clearly before me.

I think that a lot of it comes down to the American gospel as opposed to the ancient gospel. There's a lot of people looking at things like this right now and I don't mean to jump bandwagons or anything but there's a point to be made here. The gospel was not written in English during the 21st Century to a politically divided, uncomparibly comfortable, terrorist threatened, hurricane & tornado torn, technologically advanced superpower called America. Nope, not written to us. Is it applicable to us? ABSOLUTELY. Is it timeless? UNDENIABLY. Does is cross cultural boundaries? MOST DEFINATELY. Yet, it was not written to us and we continue to read it as though it were. This epiphany of sorts has lead me to a re-evaluation of the Scriptures and how we interpret them and more than that, how we apply them. I haven't reached any drop dead, rock solid, everlasting conclusions yet except for the following (and this may be the only part of my ramblings worth reading):

God created.
Man chose.
Life broke.
God spoke.
Jesus came.
Light/Dark.
More choosing.
Eternity awaits.

Beyond this I am renevating just about everything in my system of beliefs. (Just so you are comforted, this is absolutely not turning out to be a questioning of God himself, that's one of the only definites I have, but more a questioning of the lenses that I'm looking through to "see" him.) It's a rigorous and deeply moving adventure that has worn me down to the core of who I am and left me desperate for a gut level, glamourless, honest and revealing life lived in relationship to God. This is what I currently know. This is who I am. And if you happen to have to interact with me know that I'm not totally crazy and that I will still act fairly "normal"* while relating with you.
(* - normal is a relative term when describing Derrick Phillips)

So, I don't know about you and what's inside your head but this was a little glimpse of my inards. Take it or leave it, it's still just me.

-dp-

What kind of people are we?

From derrach.blogspot.com - 4/12/06

Yesterday I had one of those really good days. It wasn't necessarily good because of anything that happened or anything I did, it was just a good feeling kind of day. The day before that was, however, not one of those kind of days. So here I sit on the preverbial 'hump' day, three days into the week, three days from the weekend and having experienced 'bad' and 'good' days thus far. Interesting...
It's got me wondering: What kind of people are we?
Are we fair weather fans of life?
Do we jump on bandwagons of fad, philosophy, and feelings all too easily?
Can we really have a GOOD LIFE? or is that fantasy?
Do the things we experience on a daily basis affect more than just ourselves?
Is there really an intertwining of destinies in our world or are we just bumping into eachother?

These questions seem somewhat silly, I must admit, but they are being asked - I think - by more than just me. As I listen to music, read articles, catch stupid TV shows, glance at millions of advertisements, watch videos, digest the news and all these things I can't shake the thought that we - so many around this nation especially - are really missing life as it tears past us on the interstate.

So the question, "what kind of people are we?" remains to me unanswered but worth the search to find the answer. I think that a lot of us, at least those of us who are 'becoming' adults - my crew - are looking at what lies ahead and wanting it to be so much more than it's become to our predecessors. My God, I hope, pray and believe that it will be different!

That's all folks.

Christian conduct on TV

From derrach.blogspot.com - 3/23/06

Sometimes I feel that my heart gets broken more often by Christians than by "others." Like last night. I don't know about you but I'm getting to rather enjoy American Idol. So, after last nights show FOX premiered a new reality show called UNANIMOUS. So if you didn't watch it I appologize but let me just speak of my disdain while taking in this crazy television creation.

They introduced the 9 people taking part in this "social experiment" and, of course, one of the 9 was a Christian (actually labeled a Minister) and another one of the 9 was an unashamed homosexual. YIKES. In the first 10 minutes or so of the show I was at the edge of tears. This Christian Minister carried on about God, the Bible, Sin and Condemnation. NEVER ONCE DID SHE SAY THE WORD LOVE. This was hard to take in. She told the guy he was going to hell and all that...quite disturbing for all on the show and probably for most watching.

Now, don't be quick to judge here...I'm not necessarily saying what she said was right or wrong but I am going to be bold enough to say that how she said it was definately wrong. Come on Christian, can we learn to love again? Can we let people "know [we] are [his] disciples [by] loving one another."? John 13:35 NIV Can we try showing truth instead of arguing it? I'm sorry but this whole shove-it-in-thier-face thing just isn't doing it.

I don't know.

Maybe it's just me.

Or, just maybe, it's the God of Love inside me.

I guess that's for him to decide...

Healing

From derrach.blogspot.com

I just read an article yesterday about healing. Not Jesus walking down the street giving a blind man back his sight healing. Not some crazy preacher at a huge stadium with lines of people being touched healing. Not normal ordinary people in their workplaces praying for co-workers healing.

A different healing.

A bringing a dead life, a destructed life, a horrible existance of humanity, a dark being back into the light. It was a tremendous story of redemption, hope, belief, truth and healing.

I thought for a while after reading the article that this was the high calling of those who would call themselves Christians: to take a battered, lied to, broken human and collect their rubble, breathe on it and watch it begin to reconnect and walk around like a real life again.

I'm sure we all have reasons why we can't do something like that but I think that the cause of the gospel erases those excuses and moves us to a place where we must take action.

So jump over your fears and reach out. Dare to love. Take a leap of faith and extend your heart toward a dying mass...you might be amazed at how quickly the hands of Jesus take over in your pursuit to heal.

Beautiful People

From derrach.blogspot.com

You know, people are beautiful. When we look at them with our own eyes we can even say that. However, when we look at people through eyes of LOVE (God)... they become beautiful all the more. Let me encourage you today, as you are connecting and interacting with people, to appreciate the beauty of them and their lives. People are precious and they deserve to feel like that as they encounter us and we encounter them.

Imagine the way Jesus could look past the leprosy, ceremonial uncleanliness and prostitution to see the beauty of God inside of people. IT MOVED HIM. Be moved this week. Be inspired by the beauty within and do what you can to appreciate and highlight that beauty. Pull it out of them and show it to them. God wants to live in them. Love wants to make it's home in them... that's beautiful!

You're beautiful!

Love has the final move

From derrach.blogspot.com

I don't know how you feel about love but I think it's quite powerful. When you think about it, even the simplest of things respond to love. My wife and I have two dogs. We rescued them both from shelters. It's an amazing thing to see how even a dog can change and "grow" when it's love properly. (Well, we try to love 'em properly, sometimes they're pests ;) )

So if it's true of animals and other simpler things in life, how much more true is it in dealing with people...LOVE IS POWERFUL, IT CAN TRANSFORM, IT CAN CHANGE THINGS.

Give it a try sometime soon. Try loving someone, or even something. Just love it/them for the sake of loving. Don't look for anything in return. Here's a crazy idea, love something/one that might not even be able to love back that well. I think we'd all be surprised at how much our world would be different if we all just loved.

To finish up, here's some lyrics from a song I was listening to the other night.

THE FINAL MOVE
~chris rice~

It was love that set this fragile planet moving
tilting at our perfect twenty-three
molecules and men infused with holy
finding our way around the galaxy
and paradise has up and flown away for now
but hope still breathes and truth is always true
just when we think it's almost over
Love has the final move
Love has the final move

It's true friend, Love has the final move. :)

Reality Check

From derrach.blogspot.com

I had a chance today to talk to some students about life, God, faith and stuff like that. I chose to talk about a subject that some of us have come to completely loose our grip on...REALITY. Don't worry, I'm not about to "preach" so you can keep reading - it's safe - at least I think so.

I brought with me to this little chat a list of reality shows in the US. Would you believe that the list was 16 pages long? I though, oh my gosh...that's a ton of shows. From the ever classic (only 6 years old now) SURVIVOR to the zany SURREAL LIFE and even some parenting reality on SUPERNANNY, this list had 'em all. It's kinda funny how we all look at reality now. It's like this: my life isn't spectacular...a camera crew following me would be bored...I do "normal" things living in my "normal" world that no one would be impressed with...this sense of reality that I have isn't doing it for me at all so I'll just watch a bunch of other people's "reality" to see how awesome it would be to live like them.

I just want to say that whatever is REALITY for us "normal" people is probably more REALITY than anyone on these shows might experience. Really, really...reality is that I am who I am today, and not who I was yesterday, nor am I yet who I will be tomorrow but... I'm continuing on in this reality and making the most of life. Not living to denying who I am or where I am or what I'm going through but looking at it all dead in the face and accepting that it's my reality. Can it change? Of course. Can I change? Absolutely. What's gonna get me there? Don't know, maybe a REALITY CHECK......

Christmastime

From derrach.blogspot.com

I don't know if you're like me or not but when Christmas is over it almost seems unbelievable, surreal, even...dissapointing. I mean, we spend a whole month building up to this ONE DAY that is still only 24 hours long like every other day. All the deco, mall rushes, carols, fights over the word 'Christmas' vs. 'Holiday,' and even our own discruntled family members to deal with...yikes! So we have all this build up, yet December 25th is still only a day long. The day starts with eagerly awakening children, thawing turkeys and maybe the admiration of a lite dusting of your favorite part of the "White Christmas" song. As the day moves on we proceed through our own version of Christmas 'rituals' until finally we sit on the edges of our beds, bellies full, wish lists checked off - or not - and a feeling of relief... "Finally, it's over" we think to ourselves, or maybe even aloud.
All that seems rather empty and worthless unless we have at center a love that can turn an ordinary day into an extraordinary one. If we don't enjoy it, if we don't treasure the family, the memories, the moments then we've just hyped up something for the kids that we don't even believe in ourselves. Christ really is the center of Christmas but what does that end up meaning to you? Does it rid your mind of the guilt you get from racking up debt? Does it ease the stress of waiting in line for the perfect gift? Does it really do anything to make the day different? If you're like me - and we all hope & pray you're not too similar - you want to know that Christ is there for more than just his "Birthday Party." After the hustle and bustle I'm here to say that this love that equated to the Son of God coming to a manger as a messy little newborn baby still rings true on December 26th. I hope it does for you and I hope your holiday ruckus hasn't left you with the empty, "was that it" feeling that so many are getting over today. May God bless your December 26th, 27th...new year and all the days of this mysterious thing we call life.

Thursday Mornings

From derrach.blogspot.com

Thursday. For you it might just be a day. Actually, for me it is sometimes just a day too...but most of the time it's special. Thursday symbolizes a lot of things to me because over the years it has become a significant day. For some reason important things always fall on Thursday for me...especially in the morning. For years now I've been meeting early at church for prayer on Thursday. For quite some time I was accompanied by several other men from the church, currently it's mainly one gentleman by the name of Lee.

Ahh, Thursday. Sometimes I wake up excited, sometimes dragging my feet. Sometimes I get going because I am looking forward to it, sometimes because I know if I'm not there the place won't be open for others. Whatever the case may be, week in and week out, it's been a time that to me is special, nearly sacred, and times like that help us extract meaning from the everyday events that seem to swirl into a blur.

Let me ask you...what moments are special - say - sacred to you? Is there a day? Is there an event? Maybe it's a particular encounter or conversation you have on a weekly or monthly basis. I've been thinking lately, "don't we discredit God and his presence in all of life when we only say that 'going to church' is spiritually meaningful? Didn't he say that he came to give us LIFE more abundantly? So what does that mean?"

Now I know that my example involved church but you know, sometimes it isn't even that I'm in that particular building, sometimes it's just the fact that soft music is playing, or that Lee is there talking to God too, sometimes it's the sunrise and sometimes it's just that I know I'm heard - no matter where I am. Those things are what makes Thursday morning sacred to me.

So find it, search out the sacred in everyday living, enjoy it, thank God for it, share it with others and come to see that HE is involved all throughout your life.