Tag Archive - Soul Food

Up From The Deep: From The Inside Out

December 15, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 2 Comments

“Up From The Deep: From The Inside Out” is a post within the short series called The Wave. Please check out The Wave post page and the other posts in this series.

Ok, so this intimacy that you’re talking about Chris… I’m not really sure if I have experienced it to the level you’re suggesting is attainable… how do I know?

I think most people have had a deep, intimate experience with other people… have you with God?

True intimacy comes and goes in life. Unfortunately, God didn’t put us here just to live a life of bliss. In that regard, experiencing intimacy is like experiencing true joy. Savor it when you have it… hold on tight!

Savor the positive memories as well. Like the first impression of a smile and the healing power of laughter, the rhythmic beauty of the ripple will go far… and then its reflection will eventually fade… what will it leave behind? Many times that’s up to us to decide… what will it leave behind in our memory… and in our heart? That decision, in many regards, is made through the conscious decision of our focus.

While the ripple is a shallow pattern on the surface of the water, it is poetic… a reflection of the deeper character of the fluid… and, in us, our core… where our true identity, character and the level of intimacy that we can attain are defined.

Big wave or small, our time here is but a flash in comparison to eternity…

What story does your life tell? I can’t change the past, but when I look around I know that I want to be able to tell the whole story of what’s going on now… that’s the litmus test of how I’m riding the wave.

Finally, I know if I want to have true, deep intimacy in my life, with God and with others, I have to focus on me. I have to focus on just being me. And I have to be real. That starts in the core and the transformation occurs from the inside out. The ripple or reflection… my presence… is the last place it appears… where everyone else can see.

What are you waiting for? Start today… the gracedrops will shower you clean… puddles of blessings will soon appear… and you’ll have a chance to ride the wave.

The Wave… more than anything this is about working on me… how I need to focus on comparing myself only to Jesus. How I can grow and become better.

The Wave… Ride It… and Ride It Well.

How do I get there?

The Wave and our Presence… from the inside out.

Happy Monday… Everyday!

October 10, 2011 in Soul Food with 2 Comments

Making change, the crisp $2 and The New Happy Everyday

Happy Monday has been the weekly lead here forever now, so I thought it would be a good time for a change.

I’m making the Monday change as I want to try some other material with Soul Food, the category for inspiration here at I’m Just Thinkin’. Soul Food has been the closest fit with Happy Monday (yep, thisclose).

Super excited to see where He leads as I am bonzo-wingin’ it and acting completely in faith… without a definite plan at the moment…

yep yep yep…

So Soul Food can now show up anytime (and more likely all the time!)

Here’s the best news of all: life happens…

and, with faith, it will be more awesome than imaginable…

so don’t let it, like a crisp 2-dollar bill, pass you by…

just follow His lead, be patient and you’ll find Puddles of Blessings…

and Happy Monday…

Everyday :-)

“do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9b

When A Dream Is Just A Dream

May 23, 2011 in Soul Food with 0 Comments

 

Do you like to dream?

When I was younger I wanted to be an astronaut. It was a big dream, and one that I was convinced was a part of my destiny. Being an astronaut (so far) hasn’t been a reality. I am still fascinated with outer space… and think of exploring God’s creation beyond our planet as an extension of a part of my destiny as a geologist. So I guess you could say that I am, so to speak, living that dream to some degree.

I’m thinkin’ using our imagination is a gift and a part of creativity…

but to have a dream and not live it can also be one of the biggest mistakes we can make.

How do we know when a dream is just dreamy?

There are times in life when we are asked by God to take a chance and live a dream…

and there are times when it’s incredibly obvious that changing course is the next move.

Proverbs 16:9 says: In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

How do we stay on track with God’s perfect plan for each of us… and live The Dream that He intends for us?

What I’m finding out along the way is that there are plenty of clues to staying on the path… if we choose to pay attention to them. Keep in mind, there are plenty of other influences, obstacles, and detours along the way too.

The greatest obstacle for living a dream for me is indecision… for a dream is nothing more than a dream if we don’t take action. I am notorious for putting off decisions, and have made a conscious effort to overcome doing this… and it’s working!

How do we discern when there’s a decision to be made, or a choice between two paths?

and how do we follow God’s lead, and live out Proverbs 16:9?

Here are two ideas:

  • If you believe, and you ask God to lead you… He will… it may not always be in your way… or time… but it will always be perfect, according to His plan.
  • The other key here is found in the big book… The Bible. It’s filled with timeless, useful wisdom.

That’s it !! Plain and simple.

What is your dream?

Are you living it?

Are you following God’s lead, and perfect plan?

Or is your dream simply passing you by?

Please leave your comments or thoughts by clicking here.

Going Places: The Glass Window Bridge

April 2, 2011 in Breathing Deep with 0 Comments

When I thought about writing at Going Places, The Glass Window Bridge kept coming up in my mind… though I wasn’t sure what I was going to write. The more I thought and prayed about it, God kind of planted the seed – I followed and came up with this post…

The Glass Window Bridge

I have great memories of this place. It’s located in a remote area of Northern Eleuthera, in The Bahamas. I’ve been there twice, and neither time could I put a finger on what it was about this location… it’s different!

The Glass Window Bridge is a natural bluff, a limestone relict of a former barrier reef from a time of a higher sea level stand. The bridge crosses at the summit, 80 feet above sea level.

This is a locale symbolic of strength and resilience.  

The Narrowest Place On Earth

For starters, it’s called “the narrowest place on earth.” This is where the mighty Atlantic Ocean, with all of its strength and majesty, meets the splendor and beauty of the Caribbean. The Glass Window Bridge sits at the eastern edge and the end of the continental shelf, and further to the east there is a dramatic drop off into the great abyss known as the Atlantic Ocean. The man-made bridge used to be a natural crossing, until the forces of nature eroded away and permanently removed the gateway. Looking through The Glass Window Bridge would symbolically offer much to learn… although the window is narrow, these two places are worlds apart… unique… and different… and they compliment each other in the most beautiful way… in a way that only God could create.

The best explanation is that this is a place of sharp and distinct contrasts.

Life Through a Child’s Eyes

May 20, 2010 in Soul Food with 2 Comments

Worrying about something I can’t change…

Continually waiting for that one thing that’s going to change everything, and when it arrives there’s always just one more thing to wait for…

Regretting something from the past…

… or the worst for me, the dreaded INDECISION…

Skepticism? Experience? Or, as John Eldredge says “that which we mistakenly call Maturity?”

Life can be really complicated at times.

A Chris-ism: I’ve vowed to “not grow up until I get older.” I’m very much a kid at heart.

When I ran across this picture of my younger days it reminded me that I was full of optimism. With a whimsical imagination. And shy as a mouse.

And I have the incredible and joyous experience of watching the world unfold through my precious grandson’s eyes.

Being a kid is really cool, then comes life, and along with soaking up a bunch of good and positive memories, we are also served up some painful experiences that we wish we could just put curbside to be hauled off to the landfill. Or just give me a mulligan or do-over, so I can get it right.

Jesus said, “whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

Trusting God with a child-like simplicity and receptivity. And with a humble and sincere heart.

Being thankful for the opportunity to grow.

Trying to find and bring out the best in everyone around.

And recognizing that the best is yet to come.

What do you think this journey is all about?