Follow Me June 5, 2007

I'm meditating on an idea that was birthed in two events: hearing Josh McDowell at Beltway talk about our youth, and hearing John MacArthur on Focus on the Family. We need something in our lives, a purpose, a truth. We need something to fight for, something to live for, and something worth dying for.

We, as a nation, need to get our focus on God. Josh talked about how this generation believes in functional truth, and John talked about what it looks like when God abandons a nation from Romans. (Check out the Focus site for the steps: Sexual Revolution, Homo-sexual Revolution, Depraved Mind.) It felt like a call to action, but I didn't know what to do. I prayed, and so far I'm at these three steps: fight, live, die.

I want to fight for righteousness, calling sin evil and righteousness good. I want to be a voice for God in my home and in the marketplace, without compromise. I want to live to love God and to love others, even my adversaries. I want to love radically and claim the abundant life jesus promises. I want to die to myself, and die in repentance on behalf of our nation. I think of Daniel praying on behalf of his people. Do I love my neighbors that much?

Like I said, it's a thought in progress, but it's on my mind this morning as I prepare to go to work. I don't particularly want to go to work (who does @ 6AM?), I'd rather be sleeping next to my wonderful bride. But, since I am going to work, I want to do so with these thoughts in mind: Jesus refused to take matters into his own hands when tempted, he refused to compromise and he stood for righteousness in God's name (Matt. 4). He proclaimed righteousness, loved radically, lived fully, and died to interceed for his nation and the world. Then, in the very same chapter, he says "Follow me."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Caption Contest!

Image
Today Micah reached 2 lbs, 0.5 ounces. In order to celebrate, Olivia (and Micah) suggested a competition. So, here's the deal: Think of a caption for this picture and contribute it in the Comments below by clicking on the underlined word "comments". The winner will get a guest appearance on a popular sitcom, a cash prize of $2000.00, and a special gift from Micah. (Well, maybe just a special gift from Micah!) Micah also asked me to tell you that she is progressing on her ventilator and her lungs have cleared very well because her lungs are growing. Praise God! She did have to have a transfusion to get her red blood cells up where they need to be, because she is making less blood than she uses. (But, hey! She's only 5 weeks and 1 day old [gestationally 28 weeks, 5 days] and is amazingly making making her own blood, how much more do you expect?) So, think of your caption, enter it in Comments below, and keep praying! Add Your Caption Here {click below}
Read more

Gone

We saw her born. I cut her cord. We waited. We loved and thanked her birth-parents. We visited with them, ate with them, rejoiced with them. We took her from the hospital. We watched her all night. We hardly slept. We set up stations for changing and sleeping. We fed her. We changed her. We worried about germs. We held her. We prayed over her. We sang to her. We talked to her. We cleaned the stub of her umbilical cord. We memorized her changing little face: her nose, her ears, her blue eyes, her soft dark hair. She was perfect and we fell in love right away. She squeaked. She sighed. She looked at us. She snuggled. She held our fingers. She ate passionately, liked noise better than quiet, and learned to anticipate a camera's flash by the "1 - 2 - 3" that preceded it. Never had either of us been so happy. Yesterday, we packed her things in the car. We started driving back home. I drove. Olivia sat in the back with her. We sang praises to Jesus. Every mile was joy. We stopp
Read more

100 Days of Micah!

Image
Here are my girls! Today is Micah Ahava Elise's 100th day!     So, what are some of our favorite things about Micah?   1. She is alive! 2. All her labs are normal 3. She is 5 1/2 pounds 4. She is awake a lot 5. She is breastfeeding 3 times a day 6. She is 14 weeks, 1 day (37 weeks, 5 days gestation) 7. Her steroids have stopped (really this time) with no signs of stress 8. She smiles 9. She makes sounds while she is eating 10. She burps! 11. Her eyes look good and healthy 12. She has a strong heart 13. She had a good echo-cardiogram 14. She squeaks 15. She follows you with her eyes 16. She likes to "nuggle" 17. She is progressing on her O2 support 18. She is strong 19. She is really cute! 20. She has done everything they have asked her to do 21. She already has lots of friends (including you!) 22. God has amazing plans for her life 23. She has 10 toes 24. She has daddy's hairline (temporarily) 25. She is an answer to prayer 26. She
Read more