rockin' out at red lights...

i like to put my ipod on shuffle as i drive around. well, yesterday was one of those times when a sweet song (get up by bleach) came on just as i pulled up to a red light. since i wasn't in the act of steering a vehicle, i was jamming on my air guitar. i glanced up and who was standing on the corner pointing and laughing at me? mark, my youth group leader from when i was in high school! i rolled down the window and yelled, "it's a sweet song!" to which he replied, "i know, i do the same thing all the time!"

as i drove on, i remembered a time when rick devore spoke for Bible club and shared a similar scenario. he likened the experience to the gospel: when people can hear the music, it makes perfect sense, but when they can't hear it, they can think we're pretty crazy.

we're just starting to embark on a year long journey through 1 and 2 Corinthians and Titus. paul may not have had an ipod, but i'm pretty sure he'd agree with the analogy:

"for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

as we head into camp this next week and throughout the entire year, my prayer is that many many young people would "hear the music of the gospel."

changin' focus a little bit

just a little under 2 years ago, i moved to an apartment house in east end next to my grandparents. a big part of me being there was to help keep an eye on them. well, now that they have moved to a nursing home, my purpose there needs to be more intentially directed elsewhere. where to? building relationships with my neighbors and sharing the truth of Jesus Christ with them. one main focus will be matt, who is buying pap and gram's house from them.

a good encouragement for this has come in studying Jonah this summer at disc golfing, and then having our messages in fairmont last week come from the same place. praise the Lord for the power of the gospel! (Jonah 2:9) may i be a useful tool in His hand!

ironically, what was playing on the ipod random shuffling this morning on the way to the office??? nineveh by brandtson! :)

it's so hard for me to tell you how i feel. and i can never say exactly what i mean. you are my nineveh and i've been jonah from the start. and i can't let you make the same mistakes i've made. if for a moment i could overcome my fear i wouldn't have to hide behind this fiction wall. sometimes i wonder how i call myself your friend. a failure to myself. a failure to Him. what if i told you. would you reach for Him after all. would you fall down to your knees. would you walk away from it all. would you fall down at His feet. and i watch you live in months between the sun. i can't help but feel that i wanted more than this. and still i smile inside and know it's not the end. because the light of hope is brighter than this wall of silence

for thought

"it is not enough to be correct in our beliefs about the Scriptures if God is not day by day dealing with us through the Scriptures." j.i. packer