“How much more we miss because we are willing to settle for less”
Loren Thornburg
Settling in itself is not a bad thing. We settle on decisions, settle conflicts, settle in a new home, settle new lands, settle debts, settle legal disputes, or become calm and settled. The problem is that we are often too quick to settle or too early to stop and in that we miss out on so much. I am reminded of this often when I am hiking as I am tempted to stop before the top. There are many reasons to stop…my legs get tired, the climb is hard, the weather is bad. However, what I find as the greatest temptation is a good view. Often along the hike there are places where you get a good view. If I didn’t know there was an even better view up ahead I would settle or subside to stay there in the good view, missing the best view. It reminds me how often I am willing to do that in my life. I cling to what is good and in doing that miss the best. Satisfied with a relationship, a way of living or way of doing things that is in fact suitable or even above average but in staying there in that I miss what could be, I miss a better relationship, a more suitable way of living, and a more effective way of doing things. So enjoy the good, yes, but don’t stop there, move forward until you reach the best!
“Come close, listen carefully: I've never kept secrets from you. I've always been present with you."…"I am God, your God, who teaches you how to live right and well. I show you what to do, where to go. If you had listened all along to what I told you, your life would have flowed full like a river, blessings rolling in like waves from the sea. “
Isaiah 48: 17-19 MSG
The Lord has our best in mind. In all things He longs for us to settle for nothing less. He invites us to come close to Him, to settle in Him, to lead us and guide us into His best. For in His best we find our best. The Israelites missed this. They missed the invitation to come to Him and in that they missed all the blessings that flow from Him like waves of the sea. We can miss it like the Israelites did in our hikes of life. We don’t always know what is good and what is best when left to our own and we can be quick to settle for the good view along the way. This is why the Lord calls us to Himself so that He can show us the way. He is not in the business of keeping things from us. If only we will look to Him, draw near to Him, listen carefully to Him. He is leading us to more, to best, to HIM! Trail maps may fail, tour guides may falter, but our God never keeps His best from us if we are willing to look to Him, to climb with Him, to follow Him through the tough terrain, the steep incline, and the bad weather. He has your best in mind if you will settle for nothing less than settling on HIM!!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Where are you looking
“Often times it’s not because it’s not there, but because you’re not looking”
Loren Thornburg
I remember getting my Honda Accord only to notice that it was everywhere. I hadn’t noticed it until I was now looking for it since I had one. Or those days I am feeling sorry for myself I can make long lists of reason why my life is so hard. It seems I find what I am looking for. Yet what if I began looking for things to be thankful for?! What might happen then? I might find them!! When you start looking, you start finding it is all around you. So often I become so focused on what’s wrong that I miss what’s right! Don’t miss it! It’s right in front of you…if you will only start looking. Where are you looking?
“Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7 NLT
Keep on looking and you will find…Jesus! What are you looking for today? In need of help, in need of comfort, in need of saving, in need of hope? It is all around you because He is all around you. He has said He will supply all of your needs if we will be willing to ask and keep on asking, look and keep on looking, knock and keep on knocking. He knows what you need even before you ask, look or knock. But will you be willing to look? So often it seems I get caught in finding all the ways I am not finding that which I think I need. Yet when I begin looking to Him rather than to my needs I find what I am looking for. I find this verse that once seemed like a nice idea becomes truth.. It was not that I wasn’t given, finding or doors weren’t opened, but that I wasn’t asking, looking, and knocking for Him. Start looking…you just might find…Jesus. And where you find Jesus you just might find all you have been looking for. He is opening doors for you! Look for Him!!
Loren Thornburg
I remember getting my Honda Accord only to notice that it was everywhere. I hadn’t noticed it until I was now looking for it since I had one. Or those days I am feeling sorry for myself I can make long lists of reason why my life is so hard. It seems I find what I am looking for. Yet what if I began looking for things to be thankful for?! What might happen then? I might find them!! When you start looking, you start finding it is all around you. So often I become so focused on what’s wrong that I miss what’s right! Don’t miss it! It’s right in front of you…if you will only start looking. Where are you looking?
“Keep on asking and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened.”
Matthew 7:7 NLT
Keep on looking and you will find…Jesus! What are you looking for today? In need of help, in need of comfort, in need of saving, in need of hope? It is all around you because He is all around you. He has said He will supply all of your needs if we will be willing to ask and keep on asking, look and keep on looking, knock and keep on knocking. He knows what you need even before you ask, look or knock. But will you be willing to look? So often it seems I get caught in finding all the ways I am not finding that which I think I need. Yet when I begin looking to Him rather than to my needs I find what I am looking for. I find this verse that once seemed like a nice idea becomes truth.. It was not that I wasn’t given, finding or doors weren’t opened, but that I wasn’t asking, looking, and knocking for Him. Start looking…you just might find…Jesus. And where you find Jesus you just might find all you have been looking for. He is opening doors for you! Look for Him!!
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Even Here
“Even here in the pain, even here in the sadness, even here in the desperation there is hope.
It is here if you will grab it, letting go of all else, it is hope that is enough…even here.”
Loren Thornburg
Hope is like the sun. It always exists, you just can’t always see it. The other morning I ventured to watch the sun rise to find disappointment in finding only clouds. Yet, in fact, I was at sun rise for the sun did rise; I just couldn’t see it behind the clouds. The same is true of hope in our lives. Hope is still there in our cloudy days and in the storm of all storms days. We may not see it, but like the sun it is there. Our eyes are not the determiner of hope, nor are our emotions, just as clouds are not the determiners of the existence of the sun. Clouds, like pain, only make it harder to see the hope. So just know that whether you see hope or not, whether you feel the hope or not, whether it seems there is reason to hope or not…there is. Just like the sun hope is always there. Yes, even here, in your pain, there is hope.
“Even there shall Your hand lead me and Your right hand shall hold me.”Psalm 139:10 Amplified
So often we feel outside of redeemable, outside of restorable, outside of the hands of God. But, once again, our feelings are not truth. For God has said, even there He will lead us, even there He will hold us. Even there, right here, wherever you are, is never too far for the hand of God. So regardless of where you are, what you’ve done, or how you feel listen to this truth…even there His hand will lead you, even there His hand will hold you. But don’t just take it from me. Listen to Him say it to you. He is speaking to you.
“Child, there is nowhere you can go that I won’t be there. Even in this place, even here, in your pain, in your sin, in your desperation. Child, even there My hand will guide you, My strength will support you, My hand will hold you. It will hold you through your tears, through your shame, through your confusion. But, Child, what’s even more is these things are already true. Even now, My hand IS guiding you, even now My strength IS supporting you, and even now my hand IS holding you. For even now I AM! So Child, take hold of My hand! I long to hold you, I desire to lead you, I love to love you, My Child.”.
It is here if you will grab it, letting go of all else, it is hope that is enough…even here.”
Loren Thornburg
Hope is like the sun. It always exists, you just can’t always see it. The other morning I ventured to watch the sun rise to find disappointment in finding only clouds. Yet, in fact, I was at sun rise for the sun did rise; I just couldn’t see it behind the clouds. The same is true of hope in our lives. Hope is still there in our cloudy days and in the storm of all storms days. We may not see it, but like the sun it is there. Our eyes are not the determiner of hope, nor are our emotions, just as clouds are not the determiners of the existence of the sun. Clouds, like pain, only make it harder to see the hope. So just know that whether you see hope or not, whether you feel the hope or not, whether it seems there is reason to hope or not…there is. Just like the sun hope is always there. Yes, even here, in your pain, there is hope.
“Even there shall Your hand lead me and Your right hand shall hold me.”Psalm 139:10 Amplified
So often we feel outside of redeemable, outside of restorable, outside of the hands of God. But, once again, our feelings are not truth. For God has said, even there He will lead us, even there He will hold us. Even there, right here, wherever you are, is never too far for the hand of God. So regardless of where you are, what you’ve done, or how you feel listen to this truth…even there His hand will lead you, even there His hand will hold you. But don’t just take it from me. Listen to Him say it to you. He is speaking to you.
“Child, there is nowhere you can go that I won’t be there. Even in this place, even here, in your pain, in your sin, in your desperation. Child, even there My hand will guide you, My strength will support you, My hand will hold you. It will hold you through your tears, through your shame, through your confusion. But, Child, what’s even more is these things are already true. Even now, My hand IS guiding you, even now My strength IS supporting you, and even now my hand IS holding you. For even now I AM! So Child, take hold of My hand! I long to hold you, I desire to lead you, I love to love you, My Child.”.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
More Than Mediocre
"More than mediocre. More that sub par. Don't stop, don't settle, keep raising the bar."Loren Thornburg Camping is not something I do often, thus neither is putting up a tent. Now I am not going to tell you how long it took my friends and I to put it up but I am glad that we got there well before dark. With almost 30 different poles sitting on the ground, no directions, and not much experience I was wishing for the tents everyone else had that basically put themselves up. After much trial, error, and frustration the tent was finally up and even functional. However, we soon realized it could be better and would potentially be harmed if we didn't take it all down and re-build the entire thing. Now, if it were up to me I would have just left it. But luckily it wasn't, so we pushed through, past the mediocre tent, to something that was even better. Not only did it now function better, but it functioned as that tent was designed, which made the whole trip more enjoyable. Life is often like that. We wish for the instant tent, we settle for less than best and in doing that we miss life in the big tent that not only functions, but functions well, just as it was designed to. If only we are willing to push past the times when it seems there is nothing, when it seems to be moving slow, when it seems too much work. Step beyond mediocre! Step out of sub par! You were made for something more than mediocre. "Lord you discipline is good, for it leads to life and health. You have restored me to health and allowed me to live."Isaiah 38:16 NLT You have been made with excellence in mind. Thus, you will never be fully satisfied until you are walking in that excellence. However, sometimes the road to excellence is paved with times that seem fallen down, broken, missing parts, with no way to be put back together. Other times we settle for minimal function unaware we are capable of so much more because we are not willing to be taken apart and rebuilt. But, God, the one who made you wants to do that. And you can trust Him. For He is the One, who formed you, who knows you, who loves you. Yes, you can trust Him in the times that you see no way out, when you see no signs of hope, when you see nothing. Yes, you can trust Him. For He is good. He is resotring you to life and health more than you have known before. He wants not only to restore but bring you to more life than you've ever known before. Will you trust Him, the One who made you, to bring you to more of the excellence He created you to walk in?
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