Abandonment

A Living Together Reality: Meditations on Community Part One

2014-08-26T03:23:50+00:00By Joel|Abandonment, discipleship, Jesus Shaped Community, The Dangerous Kind|

A few weeks ago I grabbed lunch with a friend at Red Robin. Munching on Buffalo Chicken Strips we were talking about the churches that we were serving at, and about where the Lord is leading in those place. Community is the word that came up. God has me (and some leadership of our church) parked on that, and what it looks like in discipleship. My friend then mentioned another conversation that he had where the person shared his dislike of the word community: arguing that it is a buzzword, and not found in the New Testament. While "community" is mentioned once in Acts, depending on your translation, the word 'family [of believers]' appears a lot. [...]

Whispers of sovereignty: Stacking Stones Part V

2014-08-18T22:34:45+00:00By Joel|Abandonment, Jesus Christ, nature, prayer, Stacking Stones|

Today I've been sitting outside quite a bit (praying, working on my computer, thinking, etc), and I decided that one 'stone' in my Josh 4 memorial is nature. Not just generalized - nature as a concept - nature, but those moments when I get to commune with God. God often speaks to me through nature...not like a 'being one with nature kind of way,' but rather, nature being a sanctuary where my heart and mind can be still, and where I can pause and experience a 'come Lord Jesus' moment (being one with my Creator). God speaks loudly to me in the quiet (which may be paradoxical when put like that), that is, He speaks powerfully [...]

Relentless Goodness: Stacking Stones Part IV

2014-08-18T22:34:45+00:00By Joel|Abandonment, Jesus Christ, memories, Stacking Stones, trust|

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I [...]

Lessons on the front lines: Stacking Stones part III

2014-08-18T22:34:45+00:00By Joel|Abandonment, Jesus Christ, Stacking Stones, The Dangerous Kind|

Probably the biggest stones in my memorial of this season, are related to the loss that we experienced in 2009 with the death of our baby boy Elijah. The documentation of this journey can be followed in the following posts:An Artist and Lover of God's Take on GriefCouragePicking Up the PiecesRegarding ElijahInstead of reiterating the journey and the emotions involved, here's what I learned, and they'll be stones in this Josh 4 memorial.It's OK to grieve, cry, and be broken. The grieving process takes...time. You don't just get over holding your lifeless baby in your arms. While people don't understand, as a father it shapes you, it changes you, makes you see life different, and if [...]