jonbius.com: The Diary of Abernathy

One of my favorite authors, John Eldredge, updated his blog with a post titled “Blog Shame.” He compares not blogging for a while to not calling your parents for a while…. the longer you go without it, the harder it is to do it. I can associate with that.

I don’t blog here often, as most of my blogging efforts are focused on AgapeModels.com, a modeling-ministry website. And I’ve found that for just the day-to-day stuff, I like using Facebook. Still- Facebook got a bit old. How many times can you say “I’m at work” or “Hey, there’s a squirrel?”

Then one day I decided to simply praise the Lord for a Facebook entry. I don’t recall what it was…. just something short like “Thanks for the beautiful sunset, Lord!”

And that got me hooked.

Now, instead of posting what type of cereal I had for breakfast or the color of the car that passed me in traffic, I turn whatever I post into a praise. A short little conversation with God.

Not because God needs a Facebook post…. I just figure I should use whatever means I can to praise Him- and share that praise with others.

So all this rambling is getting to this…. if I could be so bold, John…. maybe don’t think of blogging as something you do for readers, a chore to be accomplished. Just talk to the Lord. Like in “Walking with God“. Only every day, as it comes to you. Sometimes seeing how others talk to the Lord- and hear from Him- can be a transformational witness. I can testify to that- “WwG” really made an impact on me, and my daily walk.

Might as well practice what I preach!

Lord, thanks for John and his ministry. His writing about You has really been a blessing in my walk with You, Father.

And thanks for that sunrise, Lord- wow! The way you had the pinks and oranges of the sun’s rays alongside the purples and grays of the clouds…. it was if the entire sky was singing out to You Lord! And to set the background music on the radio to “Open the Eyes of My Heart” moved me tears. That is what I needed this morning- it was like getting a hug. Thank You Father.

I saw a commentary today on CNN titled “Why we lost faith in Wall Street — and what to do”, written by John C. Bogle. It talks about the problems in that financial market, causes, and ways to deal with it.

Now, I am not going to say that prudent management of the resources God has given you is not a wise thing to do. We are called to be good stewards of all God has blessed us with. Certainly, there are sound Biblical guidelines for how we should use those blessings to honor God. So i am not preaching against wealth.

However, I do call into question where we place our faith. Markets will fail. Money is uncertain. We live in a fallen world, and simply put, bad things happen.

Yet if we put our faith in Christ, and in His Lordship, we will not ever have to worry.

No, it doesn’t create an immunity from financial failure. It’s no guarantee of fortune. Yet the blessing we receive from that relationship will never cease, never fail.

Because it’s not about us, as Rick Warren states so clearly in the opening line of “A Purpose Driven Life”. It’s about God’s glory. His plan is perfect. I urge you, put your faith there.

Have you ever looked around you? Have you really seen those people to your left and right? Did you ever think that God desperately loves them, just as He does you?

Sometimes? Rarely? Never?

Yeah, me too….

Yet I’ve found when you ask God to… well, “Give me your eyes”, He will. And you’ll see the world quite differently. Like Neo in The Matrix. The world is no longer abstract. You see it in a whole new way.

It is a battleground. A place where people need rescue.

Lord, give me Your eyes.

And thanks that Your eyes are on me.

I’ve grown quite weary of the political season. I know, I know. It’s important. It’s not something to just ignore. It effects all of us.

Still- I can’t help but look at it and think it’s all just more of the same. McCain. Obama. Biden. Palin. Bush, Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dole….. in the end, it’s all folks who are career politicians and I can’t help walking away from the whole thing thinking “I trust none of them.” because I don’t.

I guess the whole thing would be worthy of despair, except for one thing. One very, very important thing.

I know Who places people in authority. I know Who’s Hands they’ve gone through to get where they are.

Now there is a big difference between “annointed” and “allowed”. But all are ordained according to His plan.

So be careful who you put your faith in. If he wears a tie and participates in debates…. might be the wrong place to put your faith.