1.16.2007

STORY LINES...


The following is from the IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE transcript...

EXTERIOR HOUSE –– NIGHT
MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT –– George stands a moment, stunned. Then he turns and runs out to the sidewalk, until his face fills the screen. His features are distorted by the emotional chaos within him. We see Clarence leaning on the mail box at the curb, holding his volume of "Tom Sawyer" in his hand.

CLARENCE
Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?

For those who don't know, I am a Youth Pastor at Hope Church in Dallas, GA. Our student worship celebration is currently in the middle of a series titled STORY LINES. The focus is about STORY LINES- God's, ours, and others. As I was preparing for the message this week where we will be looking at our own stories and how they might influence others, I thought about this line form the movie.

Interesting.....

We never cold possibly realize all the lives we impact as we go about our daily business. The question then becomes what impact are we making on all of the lives we are touching with our own? How will we be remembered? I love the song by Nicole Nordeman called LEGACY. Here are the lyrics....

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

Probably my most favorite line in the song is "Did I point to You enough..."

One of the two people that have been influential in my thinking about God and Jesus and that all that jazz, is Rich Mullins. He authored a book called AN ARROW POINTING TO HEAVEN. His wanted his life to be just that~~~ an arrow pointing others to heaven. (more about Rich and the other guy later)

God, I need your help if I am going to influence even just one person for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God have mercy on me.

semper reformanda ragamuffin,

sinbad

Amen.

1.14.2007

NOW I WANT A BROKEN HEART

Chapter 2....Irresistible Revolution....

Something happened to me this morning at church (the walled one).....

I choose not to divulge it here, but will outside of this medium if you ask me too.....

The result.... a broken and hurting heart.... mine.

I was reminded of a quote by the founder of World Vision.....Bob Pierce.....

"Let my heart be broken with the things that break God's heart."

I've prayed this prayer before..... only not wholeheartedly.

I'm also reminded of another revolutionist and his lyrics..... Derek Webb...I WANT A BROKEN HEART.

i've got faith in the bank and money in my heart
i've got a calloused place where your ring used to be, my love
i've traded naked and unashamed

for a better place to hide
for a righteous mask, a suit of fig leaves and lies

i thought the cattle on a thousand hills
was not enough to pay my bills
and i fell in love with those who proved me wrong
and now i want a broken heart

now there's a great pad lock
on the place where i was free
and i'm feeling bad from swallowing that key
now i work real hard but i mostly call in sick
of a broken back from the ground fighting back at me
i cannot look you in the eye
so i check the knots on my disguise
'cause i fell in love with fashion in the dark
and now i want a broken heart

i've got alibis for every crime
a substitute to do my time
'cause Your heart breaks enough on both our parts

so now i want a broken heart
now i want a broken heart
now i want a broken heart

I find it interesting to think how many times I've had a broken heart from girls or life or situations that didn't go the way I wanted them too. But the times my heart has been truly broken with the things that break God's heart has been far less. Not saying they haven't been there and been incredibly real, there's just fewer of them.

Hmmmmm....may I not be afraid to WHOLEHEARTEDLY ask God to break my heart with those things that break His. Amen and amen.....

May my broken heart allow more of YOU to shine through.

Reformanda....

M"s"C

1.09.2007

EVERYTHING....?....!....

Scribed this morning. Been a while. Anyway......

I'm
scribing in Luke. Currently in chapter 5. These were some of the verses I was journaling on today....
Luke 5.27-28
27-28 After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

Hmmmmm......here's what I think......

(from my scribing journal)
No doubt a tax collector in those days was not only not liked, but rather despised by society. BUT, he certainly would have had a lot of "everything" to walk away from, especially in a material sense. Certainly people must have thought he had lost his mind. What is my "everything" and am I willing to leave it all for
The Way? God, help me to loosen my grip on my "everything" and turn it loose so that in it's place I can better grasp YOU and YOUR everything! Amen....

I'm reminded of the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer when he said.....
"When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die."

I'm also reminded of the words of LIFEHOUSE in the song EVERYTHING.

Complete "EVERYTHING" by Lifehouse Lyrics

Find Me Here
Speak To Me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
You are the light
That's leading me
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.
You are the light to my soul.
You are my purpose...you're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

I especially like the line "Your are my purpose.....You're everything."

May I never lose sight of the fact that all else is "rubbish" compared to HIM.

Striving to let go of my everything,

semper reformanda,

M"s"C