Small Perspective

These are a collection of writings that I first wrote down between 2 and 5 years ago.

I pray they do for you what they have done for me both now and then.

Obsession

Starts small and insignificant.
Dwell upon it for a while.
Leave it and let it grow.
Come back to it and enjoy it some more.
Subconsciously try and attain your obsession.
Wake up and be captured by it.
Dwell on it until it become viable.
Consciously try to attain it.
Sell out to have your obsession.
View time as your enemy.
Attain your desire.
Find a new desire.

Obsession is a vicious cycle of misplaced love.

What love does to you.

Love commands you! It takes you by your ankles and swings you around and then holds you there for a while. Yes at times you may get sick. Sometimes love is quiet and waits for you to make a move. God is love but love is not God all of the time. Love is timeless and yet always in the present. The most unusual attribute we can put to love is its universality. When God takes your heart you will be shaped to be more like Christ. This to me says you will begin to love those on the fringe. It is not a love born out of sympathy, but it is a love that simply loves the person for who they are. God's grace is sufficient enough for all that accept Him as Lord. The question remains can we as believers show God's love in our actions?

Honesty

Honesty can explain your first thought with tact. Brutality is blunt and hurtful. Honesty builds trust in a relationship. Brutality shatters a part of the relationship. With trust comes a sense of peace and a foundation for love to grow. Wisdom comes from the honest thinker/leader/doer. A wise person knows enough to know that knowing is not enough. It is true that works will not save us from hell, but what is this life really for? Life is to honor God in honest worship of our loving God. We will not always get it right. However we must remember that we are examples and are the salt and light of this world. Let's bring the good out to love and honor our God. Let us thank him for his grace with our works. Let us start with love and honesty.

Beauty

We are bombarded with images of pseudo beauty. We are so battered by this bombardmwnt that we mistake glamour (beauty's twice removed cousin) for true beauty. Beauty is not simply form, like glamour is. Beauty is more about the function and purpose of a person or thing and based on how well that person or thing fits and thrives. When that person fits and thrives beauty is most fully seen. The sad story is beauty is largely ignored. We say things like, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." We make beauty relative to ourselves. I believe beauty is, and the beholders out there are for the most part blind to it. Beauty is not a scantly clad cheerleader to be gawked at. No, beauty is so much more than that. Beauty is a 50th anniversary surrounded by children and grandchildren. Beauty is saying everything without opening your mouth. Beauty is stepping out of the spotlight to wipe the tears from your friend's eyes. Beauty is the cross and the rolled back stone. Beauty fits.

You are beautiful.

An Ode to all those

To you who will never be in the history books and even to those who are, may we never forget the one who strengthens us.

To you who weep, may you find solace in a friend.
To you who fight, may you cease to hate.
To you who are indifferent, may you be moved to passionate living.
To you who gripe about insignificant matters, may you construct a significant solution to share with all.
To you who wander this world, may you find peace every night.
To you who are too small, may that never stop you from achieving your dreams.
To you who already follow Christ, may you draw nearer to him each day.
To you in authority, may you  always remember your responsibility.
To you who suffers, may you never forget Him who suffered first.

A Personal Aside

Commonly, people assume I am tired. It must be something in my eyes. Sure from time to time they are right, but usually not. I carry my internal dialogue externally. That's good if it is recognized for what it is. Maybe I need to let people in more than I am now. Lord I ask that you provide time and relationships in my life to address this weariness I carry. All this in your name.
   Amen