It's 7:10 Part 2…

Ok…I think I have found a God lesson in this getting up with the sun thing.   Just to recap, I was up at 6:30 am without the aid of a dog or children…in case you wondered this makes me grumpy.  However, James 1:2-4 states:

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So here it is…I hate seeing 6:30 so I would consider this a trial of sorts (falling into the trial off many kinds category in verse 2).  So I am going to be transformed by the renewing of mind (Romans 12) and consider this early morning a blessing…a pure joy might be stretching it but that is what God’s Word says so that is what I am going to do.   Not my best scripture application ever, but it is the best I’ve got so far.

If I think of something better through the day I will let you know.

Grace and Peace to you all!

Cheer and Junk…

Recently I started a twitter account and every couple of days I go looking for a good quote to tweet.  This morning, I stumbled upon this quote:

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” J. R. R. Tolkien

There is definitely something in these words that resonates with me.  I wonder how much cheer and merry making I have missed out on because I have been hoarding the wrong kinds of things.  How much of my life has been over complicated by hoarding things I have no need of when when I could have found more joy in some of life’s simpler treasures like food,  family and friends, and song?  One of the things I think about often is finding a way to simplify life, and yet, in reality I am attempting to find new places to hide away all the junk that get collected and is seldom used.  Perhaps if we valued the more simple things that keep us connected to one another, we would be less likely to fill our lives full of junk that has no place.

Dancing with David…

I first came across this video at annual conference this past June (for those of you who are not United Methodists a yearly gathering for us United Methodists in Grove City).  For whatever reason, this video has stuck with me.  I am not sure if it is the music, the dancing, the feeling of global community, or the beautiful backgrounds.  Take a look and enjoy.

I guess when I see this video I am reminded of David who danced before the Lord with all his might:

¹⁴ David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might

I can’t remember the last thing I did with all my might…especially in regards to the LORD.  How often do we allow others perceptions from hindering us doing something with  all of our might, even when others will undoubtedly think it is silly?  May we will all be willing to dance for our LORD and look a little silly and do it with all of our might so that He might be glorified.  Maybe dancing isn’t your cup of tea (it is certainly not mine), but a little risk in some area of each of our lives for Jesus is a good thing, especially when it brings us all together.