Ouch! That's Going to Leave a Mark.

It was 4:15am, and I was up again for the fourth morning in a row. I just couldn't get back to sleep. My mind was racing at a million miles a second. What was I thinking about? Everything from my personal finances, to my next sermon, to all the unknowns of my new job, to meeting people's expectations, to the fear of failing God.

And then He hit me like a Mack truck ramming into a matchbox car. I opened my Bible and it practically jumped off the page at me. "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the world." (Job 38:4). OUCH! That one hurt.

Why? Because I was trapped in this thought process that said that what happened in my life was all up to me, and I had better figure out a way to solve it. I had made my self the center of the universe. I wasn't thinking about others as much because I was consumed with my own problems. And as I was consumed, I worried about what in the world I was supposed to do.

Then God took a moment to remind me that I am dust (Psalm 103: 14), vapor (James 4: 14), something that's here today and gone tomorrow. He is not only bigger than all my problems, He is the center of the drama in our universe. This is all about Him. The great controversy, our daily struggles, it's all about Him and whether or not He is truly good, truly love.

Then He reminded me that He could make the rocks cry out (Luke 19:40) if I'm too scared to go forward. He could do that. He doesn't want to, but He could. He wants to use me, and have me trust in Him. He sure is one crazy God, but He's mine and I wouldn't have Him any other way.

So tonight, I'm a little soar but I'm thanking God for the reminder that He is Him, and I am not.

What A Ride!

If you've found your way here, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't even find my own blog most of the time (especially since it didn't exist until moments ago).

The purpose of this blog is to share inspirational ideas and stories from my life of devotion to Christ. I'm starting this during a summer of transition here at Walla Walla Unviersity. Transitioning from a Student Life position, to the Campus Chaplain.

I am excited, I am humbled, and I'm a little freaked out to take on this new charge. But I've learned that being "freaked out" is actually just where God wants me to be. Why? So that I may learn to rely on Him and not on myself (check out 2 Corinthians 1: 8-11). Too many times in my life I have taken the road more traveled because I knew I could navigate it. I knew I had just enough skill and ability to stay on the path. But now I'm in uncharted territory, not sure what it is God wants me to do in this new position and I'm learning to rely more on Him.

What I've taken away from this journey so far, in my summer of great anticipation, is summed up well in a quote from one of the early leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist faith, Ellen White: "Success is not dependent upon talent or learning, but on your connection with the Living God." Our job is to spend time with God. That is our ministry. From that everything else flows (John 7:38).

So as I look to this new year, new position, and new blog my other inspirational quote comes from one of my spiritual heroes, the late Mike Yaconelli, who writes in his book, Dangerous Wonder: Saying yes to Jesus is the thrill filled, bone rattling ride of a lifetime where every moment matters and all you can do is hang on for dear life. Mike hoped that at the end of his life he would have just enough breath left in his lungs to be able to say, "What a Ride, What a Ride!"

That is my prayer as well, as well as my prayer for each of you reading this blog. That you'll have the courage to say yes to Jesus enough times in your life that you won't regret a second of it. And at the end of your life, you'll have just enough breath left in your lungs to be able to say, "WHAT A RIDE!"

God bless you and keep you this week...