the time between times

may's kinda the month where the quiz season is done, Bible club is wrapping up, and i kinda get a deep breath from youth ministry before pressing on into the coming year. besides a lot of weeding and planting in the garden, i've also been doing some reading... including rereading thomas watson's "heaven taken by storm: showing the holy violence a christian is to put forth in the pursuit after glory." here are some good thoughts on meditation:

"[meditation] is a holy exercise of the mind whereby we bring the truths of God to remembrance, and do seriously ponder upon them and apply them to ourselves.... but where is the meditating christian? here i might lament the lack of holy meditation. most people live in a hurry. they are so distracted with the cares of the world that they can find no time to meditate or scarcely ask their souls how they do.... i dare to be bold to say that if men would spend but one quarter of an hour every day in contemplating heavenly objects, it would leave a mighty impression on them.... but how should we meditate? get a love for spiritual things. we usually meditate on those things which we love. the voluptuous man can muse on his pleasures; the covetous man on his bags of gold. if we loved heavenly things, we would meditate more on them. many say they cannot meditate because they lack memory; but is it not rather because they lack affection? if they loved the things of God, they would make them their continual study and meditation."

pretty applicable stuff from a guy who wrote over 300 years ago!