Quickly, Ben's Blog from yesterday is funny. He had his computer fried by a freak storm surge two weeks ago. He blogged yesterday from a Cox Communications place posing as a customer :)

Road Markers
Today, June 5th I've turned 25 years old. I am officially a quarter-century. I've also realized that according to statistics assuming I live a relatively complete life as an American Male, I'm about 1/3 of the way done this ride. Sobering, yet energizing.

I began a new book yesterday called Desiring God by John Piper. I was introduced to Piper just last week by Ben Arment from History Church. Piper's entire ministry is shaped from the concept that we are to be 'Christian Hedonists'. We are to live our lives in search of complete joy and happiness that every other human being searches for but the difference is that we are to search for it IN GOD. I'm only about 50 pages in but I'm actually finding this to be right up my alley.

I have for a while believed and taught that our 'End Game' was to "KNOW GOD". By 'Know' I've meant to have complete Intimacy in and with Him. Piper seems to have spent the last 30 years studying this same concept from the happiness and joy side of things. Although part of his thought pattern includes Calvanism, I've been able to ignore it for the sake of the ultimate truth he's getting at. It's not a light read by any standard (if you actually want to gain anything), but I've found it to be a fulfilling piece of work. Remember, I'm only 50 pages into 369 so if you've read it, give me some time.

One thing that's stuck out for me thus far is the concept of 'Praise'. Using references from C.S.Lewis' Reflections on the Psalms, Piper explains how we are more than happily fulfilled when we GIVE true praise to God. Lewis was battling the idea that God wants praise all of the time. Lewis couldn't understand why God was so stuck on himself with regard to people...
"But the most ovious fact about praise-- whether of God or any thing-- strangely escaped me. I thought of it in terms of compliment, approval, or the giving of honor. I had never noticed that all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise unless (sometimes even if) shyness or the fear of boring others is deliberately brought it in to check it. The world rings with praise- lovers praising their mistresses, readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game- praise of weather, wines, dishes, actors, motors, horses, colleges, countries, historical personages, children, flowers, mountains, rare stamps, rare beetles, even sometimes politicians or scholars. I had not noticed how the humblest, and at the same time most balanced and capacious, minds praised most, while the cranks, misfits and malcontents praised least..."

God wants us to praise him b/c that's the OVERFLOW of our complete joy in Him. We can't help but to express our satisfaction in that which we gain great satisfaction. We tip our waiters, we cheer for our favorite sports team, we clap at a musical or speech. We are just designed to give praise as a COMPLETION of our enjoyment! Imagine these things without praise... How awkward would it be for a football game to be played in complete silence? Would the NBA finals be 'fan-tastic' without cheering from the stands?

So, my roadmark today is that I'm 25 now. I now have a more clear understanding of why God says that he only desires praise that is in 'spirit and in truth'. God only wants to be Glorified because if he recieves the glory, it means that we are Satisfied in Him. Just as you and I look at the Highway markers to see where we're going from here, my life has a marker on today to see how I responded now that I have this understanding of God.

FINAL THOUGHT: A quote hit me and I'll paraphrase "I don't want to simply be satisfied raking the surface of who God is when I can dig for the gold he has told me exists in Him." Don't ever stop digging. That process may be more dirty... may involve more time, but its so much more valuable than the safe route of manacuring your garden of nicely held beliefs. DIG into the depth of God and challenge your faith. You will surely find nothing but an endless supply of value and joy in the end.