let's be real.

I didn’t read any of my old journals from the last two years while I was at home, even though I meant to, but I realized that I know what I’d find: evidence that God works, and that He’s faithful. He is active, and true, and unchanging. He won’t fail me. He has my best (which I often don’t even comprehend) in mind. Any trials I undergo have purpose and refine my faith. He has turned and continues to turn the tears I’ve sown into joy. What an unfathomably great God!

Like today, I nicked my knee while shaving. I’ve only done that a handful of times in the past few years. It makes me think about how fragile humanity is. We go along believing we’re secure, and most of the evidence points to that, but at any moment the unexpected can intrude.

when mom told me we’d be watching the hockey game during dinner rather than sitting outside at the table i’d set in attempts to be helpful.  it just kind of happened, and it seemed irrational.  i couldn’t have been that upset about wasting five minutes to set a table and turn on the heaters, but maybe the lack of apology or acknowledgement of my effort to help was disappointing.  those actions often go unnoticed, though.  

it’s probably because i’ve been thinking a lot about material things recently, about how it’s a sacrifice to give them up as the life i plan to lead will require, but how other things are of far surpassing worth.  it was sad to think that a sharks game, even though it’s the opening game of playoffs, could take precedence over a family dinner and sobremesa.  that’s not how i was raised, right?  eating together was always a priority.  until the kids started doing all of their sports and stuff.  then someone was always gone, or leaving early, or coming late, or maybe the parents were at a baseball game and i was left to fend for myself food-wise.  

i miss the times when it was all of us, together, no matter what.  let not this culture that tells us to consume—things or entertainment or success—crowd that out.

Compare Genesis 22:2 and 2 Chronicles 3:1 — Moriah is a name given to the mountains and hills surrounding Jerusalem, and on one of those hills, the Messiah was sacrificed to be the ultimate Substitute for sinful humanity, so that every firstborn son didn’t have to die.

God makes what He does SO CLEAR—to those who have “eyes to see and ears to hear.”
I pray that eyes would be opened and hearts would be softened to see the glorious and gracious work of the Redeemer.

1. Listen without interrupting. ( PROVERBS 18 )
2. Speak without accusing. ( JAMES 1:19 )
3. Give without sparing. ( PROVERBS 21:26 )
4. Pray without ceasing. ( COLOSSIANS 1:9 )
5. Answer without arguing. ( PROVERBS 17:1 )
6. Share without pretending. ( EPHESIANS 4:15 )
7. Enjoy without complaint. ( PHILIPPIANS 2:14 )
8. Trust without wavering. ( CORINTHIANS 13:7 )
9. Forgive without punishing. ( COLOSSIANS 3:13 )
10. Promise without forgetting. ( PROVERBS 13:12 )

(Source: ohitsjeje)