6.04.2003

Complete Randomness
I don't know if that is a word, but that's how I'd expect to describe my thoughts for today.

Steven (worship guy), Hershel (pastor), Ben Trueblood (church member) and I all spend this morning playing golf. We used up some free passes we got which were going to expire next week. Had a great time with the guys and just getting my mind relaxed (attempted anyway). Lets just say I got my money's worth (a blog isn't the place for my score).

Watched an interesting documentary on meditation. Some scientists have been studying meditation via different religions and the effects that it has on stress. They have conclusively found a link between stress and our immune systems. If a person is under stress, they call it the 'fight or flight syndrome'. The body shuts down some functions to allow us to focus on the immediate physical need at hand (i.e.: running away from a bad guy, picking up a heavy object to help someone, etc.) They demonstrated also how we are at our best in short bursts of this high-stress situation but that over any period of time it is actually dangerous to our bodies. Our muscles tence up which restricts bloodflow and decreases the productivity of our immune system. So over the course of our lives, we'd be better off to constantly remain as calm as possible.
I found this interesting b/c God's word has said this for 2000 years! Pray without ceasing (I Thes. 5:17), present your requests to God (don't stress) and 'what good is worrying?'
That show just encouraged my faith to the "N"th degree! I'm able to look at that show and see how my Gods love letter to me already prepared me for this life and what some perceive to be commands, are actually encouragements to a healthy life. I see how God has my best interest at heart. Not just spiritual, but even physical. He knows how (if left to our own devices) we'd mess up this body we're in. He knows that stress isn't healthy for us. God's pretty cool.

Strech Your Faith
We all get bothered by things. One of the things that bothers me is a Christian who doesn't long to grow closer to God. A Christian who does nothing to think outside their 'prescribed box' of who God is. Think how arrogant it is to think that we have 'made it' in our faith. Think how much there is left to discover about God... A Christian without growth I'm not so sure is actually a Christian. Bold I know, but I believe it. I just can't fathom how a person could 'get it' when it comes to how big our God is and then be content never to explore and find out more. What other relationship do we have that shows us that this is an appropriate response to someone we love and desire in our lives? Think back to your dating days. You wanted to spend every waking moment with your boyfriend/girlfriend. You wanted to know ALL about them. You probably talked for hours with them on the phone. You probably exchanged love letters along the way. But with God we have allowed 'the church' to be a place where if you make a statement 'I believe that Jesus died for me' that you get counted up as a full fledged Christ-Follower, are allowed to make decisions with the rest of the church, have your opinions heard and respected as legit and all the while never grow closer to God. It's amazing.

Get streched today. Read a book. Study another faith. Find out what makes Christianity true.

My friend John from Corpus Christi, TX and I talked last night. He told me of a book by Ravi Zacharius that reminds us that the USA is perfect for the Christian faith. Christianity is a fath that promotes your freedom to choose or deny God. Part of the faith itself is a buffet of options out there. Ultimately our faith isn't one that forces anyone b/c we believe you can't force a person to accept this Salvation. The USA is a perfect place for Christianity b/c we all have our choice and that's 'Okay'. Many in the world are so scared of your faith that they shut their borders down to you b/c of it. They realize the power of the Gospel of Christ. Yet we as American church-goers take for granted the awesomeness of knowing who God is. We allow our churches to beome nothing more than theaters or boyscout meetings. How I long for us to see something deeper.

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