陰陽
Without hunger there is no satisfaction
Without work there is no rest
Without night there is no day
As I've been thinking more and more about pain, what it is, why it hurts, I've been thinking about all the things I don't like and why it is I don't like them.
Would I rather work or rest?
Would I rather feel lonely or comfort?
As Toni and I were talking Saturday she mentioned loneliness being a good thing.
But it doesn't feel good... is it possible that good things don't always feel good?
Does working out at the gym feel good?
Does dieting and eating vegetables taste good?
What if good is above our senses being pleased?
What if good sometimes looks horribly evil through the lens of my flesh?
What if sometimes in order to see the good we must look beyond ourselves?
God told us to rest on the Sabbath. Rest is good. Does that mean God wants us to only live and look forward to 1/7th of our lives? Maybe there is something in work that is good and beautiful. So is rest bad but necessary? Maybe it isn't always about that sort of logic.
I feel in this culture I live in we have an
if (blank) then (blank)
sort of mindset. If you like the day then you must not like the night. If you like summer you must not like winter. But the more and more I think about pain and I think about pleasure the more and more I realize I need the pain for the pleasure and I need the pleasure for the pain.
Again does that mean I only do the painful "so that" I get the pleasure? If that were how I am to live my life then I'd miss out on 6/7th of life!
Everything has a glimpse of goodness.
Everything will be redeemed.
God is ever where...EVERY WHERE!
Monday night as I stood listening to my friend weep and lament about the hardships of life. As she opened up to me and confessed her fears and her agony, her sins and her struggles, what could I do? I stood looking into her eyes and listened. I offered my heart and presence to her. And rapping my arms around her I felt her body shaking as she let go of the tears.
All of her sins, all of her struggles, all of her pain, it isn't enjoyable...but it is good.
How can God allow my child to die?
How can God allow the holocaust?
How can God allow child soldiers?
This stuff isn't enjoyable, this stuff can seem downright evil...but God is in the midst. God is offering His heart and presence. And it is good.
Hope exists every where and always.
loneliness is good. Not because it leads to joy later, It is good because it is part of life.
Addiction is good. Not because it leads to freedom once conquered. It is good because it is part of life.
Death is good. Not because then they are with their "maker". It is good because it is part of life.
Life isn't about getting there.
Life isn't about accomplishing.
Life isn't about reaching euphoria.
Life is about living.
Jesus wants us to have life and have it to the fullest. All of Life. Not just the good. Not just the bad. Jesus doesn't want us to evaluate seasons of life as good or bad He simply wants us to live life.
Yes life is painful
Yes life is wonderful
Jesus stands in the midst of everything EVERYTHING and offers us peace.
Peace when things go exactly as we plan.
...and peace when things go horribly, horribly wrong.
Jesus pulls beauty from the ash heap, it is WHO GOD IS. And it is good. Without the ash heap there is no beauty. Without beauty there is no ash heap.
Without choices there is no freedom.
Without freedom there is no love.
Without love there is no life.
It’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
yīn and yáng
The Psalters - Magnificat
Without hunger there is no satisfaction
Without work there is no rest
Without night there is no day
As I've been thinking more and more about pain, what it is, why it hurts, I've been thinking about all the things I don't like and why it is I don't like them.
Would I rather work or rest?
Would I rather feel lonely or comfort?
"Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another." ~The Magician's Nephew #CSLewis
— C. S. Lewis (@CSLewis) March 2, 2014As Toni and I were talking Saturday she mentioned loneliness being a good thing.
But it doesn't feel good... is it possible that good things don't always feel good?
Does working out at the gym feel good?
Does dieting and eating vegetables taste good?
What if good is above our senses being pleased?
What if good sometimes looks horribly evil through the lens of my flesh?
What if sometimes in order to see the good we must look beyond ourselves?
God told us to rest on the Sabbath. Rest is good. Does that mean God wants us to only live and look forward to 1/7th of our lives? Maybe there is something in work that is good and beautiful. So is rest bad but necessary? Maybe it isn't always about that sort of logic.
I feel in this culture I live in we have an
if (blank) then (blank)
sort of mindset. If you like the day then you must not like the night. If you like summer you must not like winter. But the more and more I think about pain and I think about pleasure the more and more I realize I need the pain for the pleasure and I need the pleasure for the pain.
Again does that mean I only do the painful "so that" I get the pleasure? If that were how I am to live my life then I'd miss out on 6/7th of life!
Everything has a glimpse of goodness.
Everything will be redeemed.
God is ever where...EVERY WHERE!
Monday night as I stood listening to my friend weep and lament about the hardships of life. As she opened up to me and confessed her fears and her agony, her sins and her struggles, what could I do? I stood looking into her eyes and listened. I offered my heart and presence to her. And rapping my arms around her I felt her body shaking as she let go of the tears.
All of her sins, all of her struggles, all of her pain, it isn't enjoyable...but it is good.
How can God allow my child to die?
How can God allow the holocaust?
How can God allow child soldiers?
This stuff isn't enjoyable, this stuff can seem downright evil...but God is in the midst. God is offering His heart and presence. And it is good.
Hope exists every where and always.
loneliness is good. Not because it leads to joy later, It is good because it is part of life.
Addiction is good. Not because it leads to freedom once conquered. It is good because it is part of life.
Death is good. Not because then they are with their "maker". It is good because it is part of life.
Life isn't about getting there.
Life isn't about accomplishing.
Life isn't about reaching euphoria.
Life is about living.
Jesus wants us to have life and have it to the fullest. All of Life. Not just the good. Not just the bad. Jesus doesn't want us to evaluate seasons of life as good or bad He simply wants us to live life.
Yes life is painful
Yes life is wonderful
Jesus stands in the midst of everything EVERYTHING and offers us peace.
Peace when things go exactly as we plan.
...and peace when things go horribly, horribly wrong.
Jesus pulls beauty from the ash heap, it is WHO GOD IS. And it is good. Without the ash heap there is no beauty. Without beauty there is no ash heap.
Without choices there is no freedom.
Without freedom there is no love.
Without love there is no life.
It’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
yīn and yáng
The Psalters - Magnificat