Crazy Love

So a change I am trying to make in my life is increasing my reading - lately it hasn't been so good.  I can think of multiple reasons - when all day I am looking at my computer screen, the road in front of my, or words on a page...that the last thing I want to do is use my brain even more when I get home. But still, my mind feels mushy so I need to do something about that. So, here is the stack of books that is immediately next to my bed...

Thankfully, the Narnia book is almost complete so my stack can decrease by 2 inches!  But even when that disappears there are two more book shelves for me to dig into!  The top book, Crazy Love, is the one I am digging into right now.  It is such an easy read that it would very tempting to just read through it quickly to say that I finished another book, but I am afraid I am going to miss something! I am only on the first few chapters but it is such a simple yet deep reminder of the God that I love.

Here are a couple of key points so far...

In the preface, Chan writes..."The core problem isn't the fact taht we're lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. THe crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God. We see Him as a benevelant Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way.  We forget that God never had an identity crisis. He knows that He is great and deserves to be the center of our lives."

"In our world, where hundreds of things distract us from God, we have to intentionally and consistently remind ourselves of Him."   Oh, how I need to be more intentional in every moment to keep Him the center of my existence - because He is the source of my existence!

"The point of your life is to point to Him."  I like that one...especially as we all try to figure out what is the point of our lives! It is to point to Him - in everything that we do!

I so want my pointer to be waving excitedly towards the Father who is the Creator of the Universe, the King of Kings, and the joy of my life so that all around me can know who to glorify!

Changes

Gotta love New Years!  It is a time that most people think about starting something new and make resolutions.  I think I have given up on resolutions but not on change.  I always say that when I need to make a change in life, especially eating habits, that I start at the new month. There is something about the freshness of a new month - especially a new year...  How amazing it would be for me to say in October 2011 that I haven't consumed any bad sugar since 1-1-11!  Too bad - already broke that one! Then I just say I will start on Sunday - because it is the start of a new week!  I love how we think - it is so warped at times!

Either way - I really do want to see God make some changes in my life this year.  It is exciting to see what He will do in my life - the changes that He will make in my heart and mind in order to continue my restoration and healing process.  I was just reading in Mark 3 about Jesus healing a man with a crippled hand on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees were filled with rage over Jesus' actions of healing on the Sabbath.  Of course Jesus was challenging a very deep religious concept and they could not stand it!  And Jesus, just prior to healing the man, looked around with anger and grieved over their hard hearts.  I love the last part of that verse...After he felt grief over the Pharisees - he turned to the man - with the joy of doing what is good and right - told him to stretch out his hand, and in doing so the man's hand was restored! I really would have loved to have heard this man's thoughts as he is standing there in front a man he did not know, with religious leaders that most likely he revered and hearing a major conflict between two parties.  He made a choice, however, and that was to listen to the voice of Jesus - in faith, he stretched out his hand and was restored. 

I really appreciated that passage becasue it makes me excited about restoration and how it comes about. Restoration comes after obedience in faith.  We may not see physical restoration as this man did, but there is something deeper than can come - that of spiritual restoration - spiritual healing.  Deep inward peace that can only come from our Father!