Those Dangerous Green Eyes

There's this awesome moment in Acts when, although people are cautious about joining the Way because it is evident the Spirit knew each person's motives, "more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number." And crowds kept gathering to be healed, and Peter was so filled with the Spirit and His power that even his shadow was healing people. His shadow.

Now the religious leaders had a couple choices, among them the choice to believe this new life that Paul and the other believers testified about through words and power. But in order to believe this new life that Paul preached they would have to believe that Jesus rose from the dead-- and the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. 

And they aren't about to change that.

Bliss

Keep your bliss, 

your false, selfish bliss. 

Keep your eyes closed

and your ears covered and

your heart hardened like concrete.

Reality isn't changed by your ignorance.

It continues.

On and on.

Spiraling. 

Reality. 

Trees that fall?

They make noise. 

Even when you are ignorant

of their painful, thundering crash.

Reality. 

Flossing and Prayer

Sometimes we pray like we brush our teeth. We polish things up and confess our sin, we have that Fresh Mint taste as we praise and thank the Lord, we brush every tooth- not stopping until it's clean- like we persist in requests on behalf of others. It's wonderful, really. But you can still build up plaque and even end up with a cavity.

Plans A and B

My phone dropped from 11% to 6% just pulling up the map, and I knew I wouldn't make it home without that guidance. So I had to return to my friend's house for a plan B. Someone lent me a charger, they pulled up a map online, and they wrote down directions for me.
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You only have to go to Plan B if Plan A didn't work.

These Aren't My Words

If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that theyobey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Fruit Growers

I tried to grow a strawberry plant over the summer. It took a long time, and lots of weeding and watering and pruning, but eventually it sprouted a few exciting berries! The squirrels may or may not have gotten to them before me, but that's beside the point.

In the Car of my my life, God is not my Driver

If God were the driver of the car of my life I don't think I'd keep driving the wrong way. I wouldn't be able to make wrong turns, I wouldn't be racing along to get the the next destination as fast as I could, and I certainly wouldn't need so many u-turns. I wouldn't have choice, free will, if God were chauffeuring me through life.

My Short-Lived Career as a Fortune Teller

Back in High School, I was adamant that I would not be a teacher- not if it was the last job on earth.

When I was younger, somewhere in middle school, I didn't want to go to the doctor because I was sure the pain in my feet was normal, and other people were just better at dealing with it.

All through High School and college I was sure sure I'd never beat my dad at Boggle.

Just today, I was confident that school wouldn't be called off.