“Do ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
― Gregg Harris
Psalm 1-3
1Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
or set foot on the path of sinners,
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the Law of the LORD,
and on His law he meditates day and night.
3He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
yielding its fruit in season,
whose leaf does not wither,
and who prospers in all he does. (1:1-3)
ACTS 16:1-15
1Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers. (16:1-5)
JOURNAL
The first Psalm is so clear and direct and yet how complicated I tend to make life...rather than trusting God and his word "meditating day and night".
In this part of Acts, Paul meets Timothy. The book of Timothy has been a great blessing for me, his letter to him in 2 Timothy has been a critical cornerstone in my faith. In essence Paul's words and all the words of the Bible are an echo of heaven.
Those words hit me this morning, echo of heaven...Words God spoke to me years ago while journaling..."The challenge of each day is to first surrender to greatness ( which is the spirit and essence of God ) ...then its to seek, identify and grow the echoes of heaven." This is what it means to be and create Outposts of God's Kingdom.
Each day I am bombarded with the reality that this is not heaven, whether from my own aches and pains, to the news, to social media, to death and destruction...all of it screams that this world is far from the idea of paradise that stirs deep in my soul. Yet also within the stark reality of a world that fails to match this hope are glimpses of that hope and promise. The beauty of nature, the kindness of a stranger, the amazing technologies that swirl all around us...they are there as outposts of God's promise. They are there to encourage, build hope and stir us to keep going, keep hoping, keep loving and keep living.
The day awaits, God has provided...it is my privilege and joy to live it to the full!
In this part of Acts, Paul meets Timothy. The book of Timothy has been a great blessing for me, his letter to him in 2 Timothy has been a critical cornerstone in my faith. In essence Paul's words and all the words of the Bible are an echo of heaven.
Those words hit me this morning, echo of heaven...Words God spoke to me years ago while journaling..."The challenge of each day is to first surrender to greatness ( which is the spirit and essence of God ) ...then its to seek, identify and grow the echoes of heaven." This is what it means to be and create Outposts of God's Kingdom.
Each day I am bombarded with the reality that this is not heaven, whether from my own aches and pains, to the news, to social media, to death and destruction...all of it screams that this world is far from the idea of paradise that stirs deep in my soul. Yet also within the stark reality of a world that fails to match this hope are glimpses of that hope and promise. The beauty of nature, the kindness of a stranger, the amazing technologies that swirl all around us...they are there as outposts of God's promise. They are there to encourage, build hope and stir us to keep going, keep hoping, keep loving and keep living.
The day awaits, God has provided...it is my privilege and joy to live it to the full!
6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
2 TIMOTHY 1:6-9
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