“Too many Christians, and I include myself in this, claim to believe in the Jesus revolution, in the radically changed life, in the prophetic call of God’s people to live out the gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit to transform — and yet we live the same lifestyle as any other middle-class Western suburban atheist. What the heck is wrong with us? Do I really believe in those things? Or is my vision of a radically changed life merely the addition of attendance at a Sunday service and occasionally giving money to a charity?”

Daniel Sturgeon

thankfulness

i am thankful for wake-up calls from God. i am thankful for cups of tea with my parents. i’m thankful for video games with my brother. i am thankful for new beginnings. i am so thankful for forgiveness. i am thankful for friends who are there when i need to talk. i’m thankful for friends i can relate to. i’m thankful for cold pizza. i’m thankful for quiet nights with a book.

The only reason I am able to get through today is because our God is amazing.

I thank God for my friends, every day.

heavy hearts.

sometimes we take on the heaviest of hearts. we wear our knees week till we can no longer walk, till our spines are crooked & we sink further & further into the soil, forcing ourselves to hide. why do we let our hearts get so heavy? why do we insist on carrying loads that are simply too much? cleanse. we must cleanse. we must purge our hearts of their heaviness. how do we do this? it seems so simple but it can be so hard. it takes time & it takes concentration. it takes silence & sometimes it takes screams. it can be done. where to, where to start? step one, breathe deep (inhale/exhale). let it go, let it go, let it go. now we can start. start by sitting in silence, bathed in the sunlight or in the moonlight. let that light fill you & let it wash you. maybe hold a token of sorts: a crystal, a note, something that soothes you. continue to breathe. continue to let the weight go. sit there for a minute, for an hour, for however long it takes for your knees to feel stronger & your spine to feel straighter. now this is just the first part. there is more work to be done. next you must think of a cathartic activity. perhaps this is writing, or painting, or hiking, or cleaning. now that you are feeling a little lighter it’s time for this cathartic activity. invest time into it. invest your soul into it. you must put fourth the effort to really be able to cleanse yourself. when you are done with this activity you are ready for the final step, a warm bath. let yourself sink into the water as your body & soul become weightless. the water washes over you & cleanses all the negative energy fro you. breathe deep. let the heat from the water warm your lungs & loosen your muscles. let the water heal you. let go, let go, let go. when your fingers turn to prunes & your water turns cool stand up, slowly. be aware of all your muscles & bones readjusting to your lightness. stretch your arms & spine towards the sky. you are weightless. you are free.

I need tea before I can do anything.

I mean, I need tea before I can do anything.

Time.

churchjanitor:

I count the minutes and hours I’ve wasted saying to myself what I wish to do, but never carrying out my resolutions. I see the time spent on frivolous things, fear of the unknown, or just fear of rejection; however, I realize that it is my refusal to acknowledge that I need to act. I often deny that God works when I choose to work. It’s not that he does not guide me or use his Providence in my life, yet I’ve had the nagging feeling lately that his Providence is embedded in my decisions. Instead of me waiting for God to show up, I need to see that he is already here. I need to recognize that my discontent is his voice saying, “You know what’s wrong, so change it and know that I am working in the change.”. God is a God of the living, so who am I to complain when I am the one who’s not living life for all it’s worth. I chose to be complacent, but his grace instills in me a restlessness that is only quelled by living in his light. The time that I waste cannot be reclaimed, but I can choose to dedicate each day to God. I can begin each day reflecting upon his grace, then let that grace empower me throughout the day to live as Jesus lives.

Amen.

I am so thankful for God’s love. I’m so thankful for Jesus’ sacrifice. I am so thankful for my friend-family. I am thankful for getting to sleep last night and sleeping late this morning. I am thankful that I can sit on the floor and stretch. I’m thankful for coffee.

Meeting Christians on the train home

featherfall:

(and being brave enough to go talk to them)

Uh. YES!

ps. totally knew she was Christian ‘cause she had a big ol crucifix around her neck! Turned out she was 16, half Hungarian, Catholic (@Daniel, I’m wondering if it was the girl we saw that day we went to Mass, with the long blonde hair?), lives in the same town as me and is freaking beautiful and SO friendly. New coffee buddy, YAYA.