quote for the day (and life in general)

"I'm made uncomfortable so I can be comforted"

The Greatness of Our God

Hope and Help

Irresolute I find myself

Wandering between love of earth

And of Heaven.

Focused on one, but forgetting

The other.

Focused on the other, and forgetting

The One.

How do I find contentment in both?

Earth, in all its verdant beauty, beckons

Me to dig in and accept her for all her faults

And adventures. But my heart gets caught in

The rain and I run for shelter.

The shelter I find in visions of Heaven

Where neither moth nor rust can

Destroy friendships or treasures. Resolute  

To stay in the shelter, I’m called back.

Called back to love the Earth and my fellow

Creatures, cultivating fields of rock and rich

Soil. Opening my soul to the refinement that

Will take place in those fields. Looking

Toward the Creator of Heaven, and clinging

To the Anchor of my soul; my feet digging into

Earthy dust while my eyes look to the

Heavens, where Hope and Help come forth.

(REALLY BIG) Phone photos

Hosea 2:18-23

And I will make for them a covenant on 

that day with the beasts of the field, the birds
of the heavens, and the creeping things of the
ground. And I will abolish the bow, the
sword, and war from the land, and I will
make you lie down in safety. And I will
betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you
to me in righteousness and in justice, in
steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth
you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know
the LORD.

“And in that day I will answer, declares 

the LORD, 

 I will answer the heavens, 

and they shall answer the earth, 

and the earth shall answer the grain, the 

wine, and the oil, 

and they shall answer Jezreel, 

and I will sow her for myself in the 

land. 

And I will have mercy on No Mercy, 

 and I will say to Not My People, ‘You 

are my people’; 

and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

A (pre)Valentine's Day post

A few thoughts once again running around in my head:

I've been watching (well listening mostly) to a couple of friends being deliberately pursued by godly men. These pursuits haven't been without bumps or questions, but with the deliberation and lots of prayer, the questions typically get answered and the bumps flattened.

I've learned the hard way of doing the pursuing on my own; even if the pursuing seemed like the only way to get the ball rolling, it was not good. It put the relationship on the wrong foot and set a tone that just wasn't sustainable.

Guys, pursue your love interests, no matter how terrified you may be. Your terror will not turn us off (in fact we'll think it's cute) but your lack of action will. Gals, let them pursue you, no matter how scared you may be or what questions you have in your mind (as long as he's not a dirty scum bag, of course. But if he's a decent and good guy, let him pursue you, even if he doesn't match the Matt Damon image you have in your head). If you let them pursue you long enough, your questions will get answered and fears allayed.

If you are single, you have as much responsibility to protect the marriages around you as the people inside those marriages. Your thoughts, actions, and words go a long way in this direction, and so does the lack thereof.

If you're married, love your spouse like it's your last day to love them. Be grateful that you have them even with the accompanying trials and irritations.

This is 1,027th time you've heard this stuff, and I do not take credit for any of the above. Sometimes I think it's just good to be reminded of something you already know. Sort of like a Christian being reminded of the Gospel message and remembering that they are a sinner, saved by Christ's dying love.

what I'm learning at work right now

(These may be somewhat random and without context, but I wanted to document in this venue nonetheless.)

I've made the following (non-comprehensive) list after coming across various readings and conversations over the past couple of weeks - reading on blogs I follow, John Piper, company leadership, my current work team, Os Guinness, and many more. (Conversations with now current work team, not Piper or Guinness.)

What is required for doing His work in the marketplace: 

• Emotional intelligence (EQ) - the ability to read people
• organize teams of skilled and experienced people who are skilled and have exemplified excellence in their field (I need to develop into this as well)
• filled with God's spirit
• integrity
• quality and excellence in work output
• referential power
• generalist in product knowledge as you rely on team for detailed knowledge
• ask quiet people to share their insights - they usually know the most
• you are an adviser, not a sales person
• company culture is what people do when no one is watching
• you need to be your client's friend and trusted adviser
• understand client value versus something they get for free
• hold the client accountable to give you credit where credit is due (you = your company)
• constantly build relationships
• product vs thought leadership
• transaction vs value
• blunt vs forthright

All of the above can be wrapped into the following verse:
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

I'm learning that every good thing I am learning at work can be referenced back to Scripture and how we are to live as followers of Christ.

Caspian is 5!

Wilbur and Caspian at the birthday party.

Birthday ride and having fun in the river.

It's hard to believe it's been 5 years since this:

He was so little!

Loved from the very beginning.