Saturday, February 19, 2011

Control, Dependency, and The X Factor

 Greetings and Salutations to my friends and family,
        Learning is a life long process, it seems to creep by and then you wake up looking back and wondering if you have succeeded.  Many would argue that living the American dream is life's  ultimate goal.  David Platt would have you believe that it isn't, and that living the American dream is not all that it is cut out to be.  People may live the American dream and not be missionaries.  If being on missions is the anti-American dream then there are many who are going to hell.  Including me!  Well, it depends on how you view the mission field.   If you view the mission field has over seas then I guess we've all missed the boat who have never done over seas mission and we have missed God's plan for our lives.  O.k., I don't believe we have all missed God's plan.  The mission field is outside your front door, loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind, loving your neighbor as self.  What role does God play in answering the question of control, dependency, and the X factor?

Control

        Arrogantly, what makes you and I think we have control?  Human beings are for the vast majority control freaks.  If we did a self evaluation amongst a group of 1,000 people we would find that each situation would be different, but they would all have variants of control.   People are often shy, outgoing, reserved, out-of-control, and even keeled across the board, yet they are all in this illusion of control.  Naive as it may be to say such things, look at your own life.  Do you like to be told when to rise and when to walk?  Do you like to be told how to talk?  Do you like someone to plan your day for you?  Do you think that you have ultimate and infinite control over life?  How do go from babies of dependency to autonomous adults of arrogance?  Did the devil make me do it? (I'm tired of giving the sunny red devil credit for anything.)  Giving the devil credit is giving him control and mastery, and folks he does not have control or mastery over anything that God doesn't give him control over.   I think we answer yes to all of the control questions and yes to the devil.  Saying yes to the devil questions is giving him control and you can count me out of that vote.   He has received enough awards and accolades from me in the past, but no longer.
          Flesh allows us to think we have control, it allows us to run the show so to speak.  You may believe that you are "letting go and letting God" but that's all a bunch of bologna.  We let go and let God when circumstances are favorable for us.   Have you ever thought that favorable circumstances are those circumstances that God places us in, good or bad?  Control is a made up word, an illusion, an apparition, second cousin to your imagination and you have never had it as your own.  If we are not under control then we have a necessary need for dependency.

Dependency

        When I think of dependency babies come to mind often, especially when they are fresh from the womb.  Babies drink milk, sleep, pee and poop all at the aid of someone else.  Sign me up if there is a list going around because that is the life of dependency.    Check out this video, this is dependency.


enough said.

The X Factor

        Some would say that Dick Hoyt has the "X" factor.  I once sat through a conference in which the premise of the whole weekend was asking the question of "do you have 'it'?"  I'm not sure what "it" is or if I have "it" but that has to be the worst question I've ever encountered to supply a weekend of spiritualism and renewal!  The first thing that came to mind in the midst of the "it" weekend was oh no I don't have "it" and now I've got to find a way to get "it" which gave nope of ever finding "it".  If you figure out this mystery "x" factor please contact me and let me know, and maybe I'll satisfy "it". 
        Recently, I began P 90 X, extreme workout.  The "X" factor in this extreme workout is well I'm not sure.  I'm busting my butt to find the "X" factor but if the "X" factor is found in the belly I'm in trouble.   In looking for the "it" or "X" we can kill ourselves in trying to maintain levity.   In your journey to find "it" or "X" losing control and living dependent is "it" and "X".

        I'm not sure about the American dream, most of "it" and "X" is wrapped up in the American dream and we suffer the illusion of control because we lack the desire to live dependent.

have a good day!
Saturday, February 12, 2011

What are You up to?


       In the incredible walk of life, we face the ever daunting question; God what are you up to?
       This is the question that grabs my attention when facing each new morning.  It’s like ground hog day all over again and I’m perfecting the Ice sculpture that I’ve been practicing on for 36 years. 
        Funny, when I think of sculpting there is a frustrating element to the patience of an artist forming its subject.  Immediately I want the end result to show forth and give validity to the creation.
        The interesting part of this sculpting that I’ve been trying to form is this, I’ve never had control of the chisel.  What I thought was my idea and my mind was really all the thoughts and Idea’s of the graceful and infinite hand of Hashem (the name Adonai, The LORD).
        As the page turns on life and each new day reveals His revelation, I’m finding myself stripping away from the old layer of skin that I’m encamped in and discovering the wide vast ocean of the unknown and the known.
        Finding joy in the midst of this ocean is apart of the living and breathing God who encompasses each of those things I naturally do not.  His fruits belong to him and I’m just a vessel that He makes himself manifest.  
         So God, what are you up to?  Give me the courage to follow it and rest in your infinite grace and mercy as it is being lived out.

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