come all you weary

So I'm sitting at work and had a bit of a discovery and I have to write this quickly before the beauty of the whole thing leaves me. I should probably also be quick because there is more than likely a guy locked in a dark room somewhere working for our company who watches my every move on the internet. I'm preeetty sure writing an entry here doesn't count as a value-added proposition…so I'll be brief.

I realized that God gives me perspective. I also realized what a rare and beautiful gift perspective is. Some of the wisest, most respected people I know are the ones who can simply put the everyday happenings of life into their proper places in the grand scheme.
Over the past week, I've heard what I would normally consider some pretty bad news from a variety of people on a variety of things. Instead of pulling my hair out and elevating my blood pressure to levels that kills men over 40, I've had a strange peace. I say strange because rationally, I feel like these things should stress me or make me angry, but I surprise even myself and stay calm.

My peace largely comes from knowing that the course of my life is ultimately in the Lord's hands. With trials comes perseverance, and when one door closes, another has opened somewhere in its place. I know that sounds a bit cliché, but I'm serious when I say that I'm relieved to have my life out of my control. It gives life depth, putting instances into perspective, knowing that others have endured far worse than I in the past, and that the quality of my future is dependent only on my ability to submit. Not saying that everyday with Jesus is a happy-go-lucky march into candyland, because that's not what He promises. It is, however, a rich journey where my burden is His, and His is mine. So I'm sitting at work and had a bit of a discovery and I have to write this quickly before the beauty of the whole thing leaves me. I should probably also be quick because there is more than likely a guy locked in a dark room somewhere working for our company who watches my every move on the internet. I'm preeetty sure writing an entry here doesn't count as a value-added proposition…so I'll be brief.

I realized that God gives me perspective. I also realized what a rare and beautiful gift perspective is. Some of the wisest, most respected people I know are the ones who can simply put the everyday happenings of life into their proper places in the grand scheme.
Over the past week, I've heard what I would normally consider some pretty bad news from a variety of people on a variety of things. Instead of pulling my hair out and elevating my blood pressure to levels that kills men over 40, I've had a strange peace. I say strange because rationally, I feel like these things should stress me or make me angry, but I surprise even myself and stay calm.

My peace largely comes from knowing that the course of my life is ultimately in the Lord's hands. With trials comes perseverance, and when one door closes, another has opened somewhere in its place. I know that sounds a bit cliché, but I'm serious when I say that I'm relieved to have my life out of my control. It gives life depth, putting instances into perspective, knowing that others have endured far worse than I in the past, and that the quality of my future is dependent only on my ability to submit. Not saying that everyday with Jesus is a happy-go-lucky march into candyland, because that's not what He promises. It is, however, a rich journey where my burden is His, and His is mine.

this is war

This is war like you ain't seen.
This winter's long, it's cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it's final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

It's the red ornament on the upper left! This is war like you ain't seen.
This winter's long, it's cold and mean.
With hangdog hearts we stood condemned,
But the tide turns now at Bethlehem.

This is war and born tonight,
The Word as flesh, the Lord of Light,
The Son of God, the low-born king;
Who demons fear, of whom angels sing.

This is war on sin and death;
The dark will take it's final breath.
It shakes the earth, confounds all plans;
The mystery of God as man.

It's the red ornament on the upper left!

more adventurous

so i've decided to do something very unlike myself and make a belated new years resolution this year. not only have i resolved to make a resolution (which is a resolution in and of itself) but i've resolved to commit to it (wow that's already two!). i pass through most new years without giving second thought to the things i want to personally accomplish the next year. but this new years was special and i decided this: wouldn't it be fun to look back on 2009 and say that i was more adventurous? and that's it...i resolve to be more adventurous.

now i know that you're probably all (not) thinking, "jonathan, wouldn't you count meeting a woman on the internet, falling madly in love with her, and trying to make her your wife in less than a year enough adventure for an entire decade?" To that i would scratch my hairless chin and answer, "hmmm, why yeessss!"

meeting mallory, falling in love with her, and exploring this life with God as our Shepherd certainly does qualify as the greatest adventure i have ever and will ever embark upon. this isn't a love letter though, so i'll refrain from getting too saccharine. i'm talking about the smaller adventures in life though: backpacking trips into the sierras, climbing halfdome, day hikes up diablo, cycling sweet east bay routes like three bears, late night bowling with friends, and anything else i can find to just soak every second of joy and beauty out of life that i can. more than anything though, i want to live unabashedly for Christ this year. cheers to the memories of 2008 and to the journey to come in 2009. so i've decided to do something very unlike myself and make a belated new years resolution this year. not only have i resolved to make a resolution (which is a resolution in and of itself) but i've resolved to commit to it (wow that's already two!). i pass through most new years without giving second thought to the things i want to personally accomplish the next year. but this new years was special and i decided this: wouldn't it be fun to look back on 2009 and say that i was more adventurous? and that's it...i resolve to be more adventurous.

now i know that you're probably all (not) thinking, "jonathan, wouldn't you count meeting a woman on the internet, falling madly in love with her, and trying to make her your wife in less than a year enough adventure for an entire decade?" To that i would scratch my hairless chin and answer, "hmmm, why yeessss!"

meeting mallory, falling in love with her, and exploring this life with God as our Shepherd certainly does qualify as the greatest adventure i have ever and will ever embark upon. this isn't a love letter though, so i'll refrain from getting too saccharine. i'm talking about the smaller adventures in life though: backpacking trips into the sierras, climbing halfdome, day hikes up diablo, cycling sweet east bay routes like three bears, late night bowling with friends, and anything else i can find to just soak every second of joy and beauty out of life that i can. more than anything though, i want to live unabashedly for Christ this year. cheers to the memories of 2008 and to the journey to come in 2009.