The Trade Off

Idealistic

I'll admit it: I'm idealistic.  I'm a dreamer.  I tend to see the potential in people in situations, tend to hope for more.

Today, I had a conversation with my pastor about my hopes and dreams for our church and for the Church. Apparently I kept referring to myself as idealistic, kept qualifying my ideas as quixotic to shield myself from the reality check that he was going to give me.  Except the reality check didn't come.  Instead, he pointed out that people must tell me that I'm idealistic a lot since I kept labeling myself as such.

As our conversation continued, I realized something.  Sure, others may view me as idealistic, but you know what?  I serve a God for whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37).  Because I worship a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all that I could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21), I'm going to keep my visionary spirit; I'm going to keep pursuing the direction that God leads me; I'm going to keep following Him into the impossible for the glory of my God.

Surrender

I'm not big into New Year's resolutions and such.  However, this year my mentor challenged me to think of one word to describe my hopes for this year.  The word I landed on?  Surrender?

I have no idea what this year will hold, no idea what God has in store for me.  And I'm excited to see His plan unfold!  I'm excited to learn what He has for me.  Thus, my goal for 2013 is to surrender it completely to my Papa.  I want to wake up each morning asking God what has for me, want to surrender plans big and small to Him, want to trust Him with every moment of my life, want to enjoy sweet surrender.

Where You lead, LORD, I will follow.  I surrender all to You.

Welcome

Priorities

²⁵ Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: ²⁶ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. ²⁷ And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

²⁸ “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? ²⁹ For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’

³¹ “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. ³³ In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

³⁴ “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? ³⁵ It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Luke 14