Month: June 2011

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Runners vs Joggers

Yesterday afternoon I made my way lazily down to the restroom facilities were I happened upon one of my coworkers.  After we swapped howdy’s, he mentioned that at lunch he was in a conversation about runners versus joggers, and mentioned that he should have mentioned me- as which one I am not sure.  Then the conversation went something like this.

“Hey, are you still running?” he asked me.

“Yes”, I replied.

He then commented “Not me, I am just getting fat and lazy.  That’s the difference between runners and joggers, runners keep running.”

To which I said “Well, you can do it, it’s just one step at a time”

and he finished as we parted ways,  “You are right. No excuses. I just have to get out there and go!”

Yep, and that is the same way with our spirituality, we can be a spiritual jogger or runner. But I think we are pushed to be runners:

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3 New International Version (NIV)

Which are you going to be a fat and lazy jogger, or a running who keeps going.  Get out there and go, or as the Message says “Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in.“

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IP Six Day

I am such a geek.  Today is World IPv6 Day, and that is so exciting!  No really, that is exciting.  For, a geek this change in addressing opens up the internet for more and more stuff.  That’s a big deal in a connected world – I mean really having over 4 billion times more space is a great thing.

I was trying to think of some clever way to relate this to anything in the world, and I think I am failing this morning.  So, I guess, that fact that it’s IPv6 day is, well, a who cares moment.

But the fact that this day was made by the creator of the world, there is still life in the day!

So, change your IP addresses, and enjoy the day!

21-25 Thank you for responding to me;
you’ve truly become my salvation!
The stone the masons discarded as flawed
is now the capstone!
This is God’s work.
We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!
This is the very day God acted—
let’s celebrate and be festive!
Salvation now, God. Salvation now!
Oh yes, God—a free and full life! Psalm 118:24 The Message (MSG)

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Mobile Liberation

Yesterday I traded in my old Windows Mobile Phone for an iPhone, and immediately I felt like I have been released from the throws of mobile phone captivity.  This iPhone is so easy to use, so nice to read, and just so, well,  so freeing.  Gone are the days of a user interface that was odd, a misbehaving ‘touchscreen’, and the limits of only having access to limited applications.  I want to shout from the mountaintops, or maybe just tweet it and post it to Facebook!

Yes, freedom.  When bonds are released and new limits are opened it is such a fantastic feeling.  The feeling of freedom and the joys of freedom are something I write about quite often – because it is so nice.  However, when it comes to spiritual freedom, sometimes, we want to stay in our bondage.  But look at this, the creator of the world says, give me your bondage:

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 New International Version (NIV)

This spiritual liberation, that comes oddly enough though a complete surrender is a really good thing. It makes the joy of the iPhone look like the joy you can get from a lead balloon.

Cast you anxiety on him and enjoy freedom. (oh , and then tweet about it!)

11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11 New International Version (NIV)

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Who’s Living?

Last night I was talking with my small group that I meet with quite often about what it means to “die to self” and to live with Christ.  It centered around this great verse in Galatians, we sing it, we exclaim it, we believe it…

19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21 New International Version (NIV)

But do we live it?  Or, I guess I should say, do we let Christ live it?

What’s interesting here, is this may not be a matter of doing what Christ would do, but more a matter of complete surrender, and letting Christ do what Christ would do.

This week, and especially today, I am going to try to take an inventory to see how much I am living and how much Christ is living in me.  Will  you spend a few minutes as well, examining your motives, your goals, your desires, your wants and your living to see how things are?

I find this verse extremely uplifting and extremely challenging as the same time.  How about you?

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Liquid Mountaineering

Have you seen this video?  It’s a great “manufactured” viral video from Hi-Tech shoes.  In the video that was released some time last year ( I am so behind the times), they introduce a new sport – called Liquid Mountaineering – which is essentially running on water.

Sound familiar?
What I thought was the most interesting is that one of the guys is being interviewed and he says in order to do this “you just have to believe”.
Sound familiar?

I am sure it certainly reminds you of the real creator of this sport – the Christ Jesus. As a matter of fact he gets two direct mentions in the video, and a few more subtle references. And what it reminds me of is that fact that he says to Peter “Dude, you just have to believe”!

25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

29 “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-31, New International Version)

So on this Friday, consider this new sport, which is really an old sport – giving yourself complelete over to Christ, so that you can do the amazing, the unreal and the positively unimaginable – things like walking on water.

Let get out there and tackle some liquid mountaineering.