what is interesting?

Why is it that I can never find anything interesting to talk about? I do not think I have the genetic make-up of a very good blogger, I've decided. What I enjoy talking about is deep and complex... not necessarily humorous or entertaining. Is that what is important though? I hardly think so. My perspective so easily shifts back onto the things of this world and simply what my eyes can see. It is a constant battle to keep my eyes where they should be...on the eternal.

More from Tozer...The Pursuit of God...My favorites

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become 'unity' conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship."

"'Be thou exalted' (Psalm 21:13) is the language of victorious spiritual experience. It is a little key to unlock the door to great treasures of grace... His Christian life ceases to be the complicated thing it had been before and becomes the very essence of simplicity."

"Not perfection, but holy intention made the difference."

"God wants the whole person and He will not rest till He gets us in entirety. No part of the man will do."

"Jesus calls us to His rest, and meekness is His method. The meek man cares not at all who is greater than he, for he has long ago decided that the esteem of the world is not worth the effort... Come on, humble yourself and cease to care what men think."

"Artificiality is one cures that will drop away the moment we kneel at Jesus' feet and surrender ourselves to His meekness. Then we will not care what people think of us so long as God is pleased. Then what we are will be everything; what we appear will take its place far down the scale of interest for us. Apart from sin we have nothing of which to be ashamed. Only an evil desire to shine makes us want to appear other than we are."

"Keep reminding God in our times of private prayer that we mean every act for His glory; then supplement those times by a thousand thought-prayers as we go about the job of living. Let us practice the fine art of making every work a priestly ministration. Let us believe that God is in all our simple deeds and learn to find Him there."

"It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything."

The Background

On Saturday my family was walking around downtown Portland after going to a movie at Pioneer Place for my brother's birthday... the movie got out around ten o'clock, and as we were walking back to our Suburban in the parking garage, we observed many different people. People who looked as if they had no hope. People who looked lost. People for whom I wrote those thoughts in my previous post.
We are called, by Jesus, to share the Good News with those we encounter, but as I was taking in every sad face and rebellious spirit that evening, I truly wondered HOW anyone was to go about doing that most effectively. I realize that quite often we lack courage to speak up because we fear rejection and rationalize that, "Actions speak louder than words," and those people on the streets have not seen our actions... but WHEN? HOW? WHO? Will anyone reach those people?
The thoughts of my quiet time earlier in the week also rushed into my head that evening... I have been reading in 2 Samuel. David wanted to do it all. In addition to all the battles He fought in the name of the Lord, he also wanted to build God's dwelling place, the temple. God said no. The lesson: we can not do it all for the Lord. All He asks is that we do what He has called us to do.
I can not say that I have been called to reach out to the homeless people of Portland, but my heart still aches for them. I can pray. I can ask for the Lord to put the calling into someone else's heart, can't I?
Oh Lord, I will have faith in your perfect plan.

What a contrast.
What a revelation.
How burdened I now feel...
Yet, abundantly blessed.

My life is clean. It has hope.
Theirs is hopeless.
From whom do they get their strength?
Do they know HE is waiting?

If only.
If only they were given the Gift.
If only someone was willing to give it.
It has been paid for. Paid with a life.

Their life awaits for that moment.
Will I be the one to give what is already there?
I know from Whom I get my strength.
I have found the One who is still waiting on some.

I pray for courage.
For the courage to do something.
Not everything. Just what I have been called to do.
Oh Jesus, give me courage.

Ahh...A.W. Tozer

"Many....constantly practice this habit of inwardly gazing upon God. They know that something inside their hearts sees God. Even when they are compelled to withdraw their conscious attention in order to engage in earthly affairs, there is within them a secret communion always going on. Let their attention but be released for a moment from necessary business and it flies at once to God again. This has been the testimony of many Christians..."

Time...

I am finding it harder and harder to either find the time or make the time, whichever it may be, to DO all the things I want or need to do. ahhh.... I don't really know if that made sense, but I understand it in my head.
My strategy is to, of course, take care of my responsibilities first, and THEN do what I find enjoyable...things called hobbies... you know, cooking, baking, playing the piano, dancing, reading, etc. (Oh how many hobbies I am wanting to add to my list of hobbies, it's crazy!! kayaking, floral arranging, painting, scrapbooking, cake decorating, paintballing, learning about an engine...I could go on forever!!)
What I often have a difficulty with, however, is ever breaking free from all my responsibility...there is ALWAYS something productive I could be doing... if it isn't working on the farm (which is my main priority right now) it is cleaning the kitchen, making dinner, or organizing another list of things to accomplish tomorrow. Is it possible to get a break?
Then I must add the factor of PEOPLE... Spending time with them is a priority, obviously... "oh oh, we need each other..." How do I possibly balance this time in? Oh sometimes it's just too overwhelming. Okay, I know it doesn't have to be... I just tend to over analyze.
In conclusion..... I pray to remember and live by Matthew 6:33............
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well." Ahhh.... peace.

God is good

It's been awhile since I have written anything on my blog. I highly doubt anyone ever reads this anyway... More recently I have been writing my daily thoughts in my paper journal. Just recently I filled up my latest journal, and had to go searching into my dresser drawer for another one. I discovered one I had started at the beginning of 2006, and oh how fun it was to go back and read my thoughts and stories from my life at seventeen! One day I will come back to this blog...perhaps another couple years from now, and read and reminisce on this very moment. I have concluded this is one of my favorite hobbies, whether or not it is really a hobby or not...
Another one of my favorite things to do when I am home is to sit on our back deck and have my "daily afternoon quiet time," as I now call it. As I sit at our new patio furniture, the sun warms my back and the wind gently cools my face. The sound of the wind chimes and the consistent swishing of the sprinklers are sweet reminders of life on the farm, of life at home. God is good to me, oh so good!
I wonder sometimes...if my life were not so great...would I still think God were good? Would I still praise Him? Would I continue to faithfully follow Him? Take the newest Rambo movie for example... the blood, death, terror, and evil that is so prevalent in that movie was not just "made up" in Hollywood. People actually live through that on a daily basis. Do they believe God is good? I wonder how they can when they are blinded by so many evil actions. Many people do not even know of God's goodness to us: His free gift of eternal life.
Oh how I desire to seek the Lord always, daily, moment by moment, regardless of what happens in my life. I pray that God would always supply me with the strength and endurance to daily seek and surrender to Him. To simply surrender. Afterall, Philippians 4:19 (my verse of the week) says that, "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Jesus is what I need. Others need Jesus as well. He is everything.