...I need to be filled

Nov. 28 I started to post. It was only a line or two. I saved it...came back...saved it...came back. I realized I had nothing. Maybe it was the day or my mind trying to function off of the coffee, but I had nothing. Maybe it is because I am new at this. Although, what I sensed and now know is that I need to be constantly filled by God. Without daily devotion, prayer, and reading of His Word, I am empty. I was empty. I want to be full. I read books, Christian books, but none compare. I need Him, only Him. God longs for conversation with us, yet we (I) deny Him when it is most needed at times. Sometimes I wish I had more physical need so that I would be more apt to take action. I pray for that need to be burning in me. Should one wish a thorn in their own side? Do I need something to dig deeper in me?

I think of the song, "I Dare You to Move" by Switchfoot. Move like today never happened. No matter how bad your day is or how guilty you feel for days, weeks, months, or years without maintaining your relationship with Christ...He awaits for us to move toward Him. I am so thankful for a merciful and gracious God!

Next...

As we venture into Christmas I again come to realize that we are so unbelievably consumeristic. My wife and I discussed one day how we needed to cut TV completely - cold turkey! Next day we stroll through Wal-Mart gawking at the wall of HD flat screen TV's...we actually discussed the feasibility of getting one!!! Galatians 5:17, "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit." (NASB) This is a battle we face constantly.

As for my cohort's most recent post...

Isaiah 58 will knock your ego on the floor and then knock it down again. What an unbelievable passage, as well as the others. Those filled me up today. I will be teaching in the main service Dec. 17 and 24. I will be praying and meditating on this passage as to what God wants to speak through me.

Faith of My Fathers...

I am about half way through Chris Seay's book. I am not to familiar with Don Miller's style but I haven't quite figured out why he is part of it. As I read on I will let you know. As for "Papa"...he rocks! What lessons to be learned from his experiences. What a blessing to have multi-generational pastor in a family as close as theirs seems to be. My father and I have some great conversations and I look forward to the conversations I can have with him and my son. Right now we get together and make silly faces at Trace (my son who is 4 months old). I will share more in detail as I wrap up the book. Meantime (which truly is "mean"-especially writing research papers) I will be concentrating on my seminary research paper for hermeneutics.

I am researching the differences between tongues as a true language (i.e. Spanish, French, Hebrew, Latin, etc.) and tongues as unintelligible utterances (heavenly tongues). I will share my paper with you if I get a decent grade.

By the way...Google alerts are awesome!

-JWShaw