Well, it's been WAY to long since I posted to my blog.  I have many blog posts running around in my head, but today I'll have to keep it brief.  My days at the Salvation Army have been full, and it's left me with less time to write, etc.  I'm not sure that I'm 'too busy'… but I will admit I'm feeling a real urgency as it relates to guarding my heart and mind in this season.  I need to pray more, to listen longer, to find rest and solitude more often… ironically it seems the need for these things grows with alongside the lack of opportunity for them. 

I am reminded today that followers of Christ are called to a 'disciplined' life, and that the word discipline infers a level of work or commitment.  It suggests that there is bound to be something or someone pulling us away from the things that would be best or most needed in our lives at any given moment.  If that weren't the case we wouldn't refer to prayer, fasting, silence, and the like as disciplines.

I confess that given the chance for (and often the challenge to live) a disciplined life, my flesh very often becomes unwilling.  I get tired, distracted, busy, lazy… the list goes one.  Simply put, discipline is needed because our flesh is weak and unwilling.  Jesus pointed this out when He was calling his disciples to pray in Matthew 26.  He said

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Last weekend Janna and I celebrated our 10th anniversary, and I my 32nd birthday.  We had the opportunity to spend five incredible days together.  We hit the spa (courtesy of some good friends), camped on the West Coast, shared some incredible meals, walked on the beaches of both the west coast and Vancouver, took in a Radiohead concert, and visited with good friends in Vancouver.  What a time of remembering and celebrating!  God has been so good to us.  As always this time of rest stirred things in our hearts.  As we continue to wait and watch God is unfolding incredible things in our life together.  Today my spirit is deeply encouraged to 'remain' in Him…  To live a disciplined and surrendered life.  He has been SO faithful, and I pray that His grace leads me to a place of strength and discipline as we continue to trust Him with tomorrow.  More Lord!

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30

or as the message puts it:

"This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines." John 3:30