SharpTop and my wandering mind

tomorrow morning my family and I leave for SharpTop Cove, a YoungLife camp in north Georgia. They will be there one week with me and then I will stay on for a second week. I can't wait to get there. It's always a great time and the chance to pour into students 24/7 makes it one of my favorite parts of the year.

I've been thinking about (though probably not very intelligibly)
1. the nature of repenting versus merely reforming
2. the Holy Spirit and what exactly it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit
3. the worship of Money "or the god Mammon" as John White would say. Here's a quote from the Pathway of Holiness:

"You worship whomever you trust. Most of us trust Money more than we trust God. It hit me when God once said to me, 'When I ask you to give money to someone and tell you how much to give, do not consider how much you will have left, I will take care of you! You are to trust me not the money you have left in your account!'"

wow, that kicked me in the pants.

Quick-fix Christianity

Against my better judgment I am going to post a quote here from a book I am reading by none other than John White. I say "against my better judgment" because when I read quotes online without their context I almost always feel like they must have meant more to the person quoting them than to me. But I read this today and it so completely rings true to my observations and maybe even experience that I want to share it. And if anyone wants to discuss it with me in this context or another I'd love to. Here it is:

"Our day is a day of superficial Christianity. To become a Christian you are supposed to agree to certain correct beliefs. Gradually you learn the Christian jargon and gain confidence socializing in the Christian community. This is the quick-fix form of Christianity." - John White, The Pathway of Holiness (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996) p.65

Better Together

We really are better together.

For over a year now I've been telling myself that I would find time and start to work with children in some kind of after-school program here in Gainesville. It just seemed like an appropriate way for me to help out and serve in a practical way. The problem is, I let myself get so busy that it has sat on my goals for the last 16 months or so and I've never moved forward with it. I've made multiple commitments without much action at all beyond a couple of conversations with the right people. I was starting to feel pathetic and like I was all talk.

Maybe I still am... but tonight at our small group we decided to make helping underprivileged kids in our community our primary mission. We're not exactly sure what that will look like but several of us have a connection to a particular after-school program that is getting started in Gainesville. I think that together with my community this will finally happen. I never got the ball rolling by myself but with my friends pushing alongside I believe this goal of mine will come to fruition. I love it when a plan comes together.

Pride

** in tribute to a truly great man **

Early morning, April 4
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky
Free at last, they took your life
They could not take your pride

In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love?
In the name of love!
What more in the name of love...

Consuming Jesus

awhile back I went in on an offer to receive this book for free provided I write a review of it on my blog. I have yet to read it but plan to, and am excited about it. I guess this post is really an attempt at catharsis. I feel somewhat guilty, hopefully it is also a reminder at some point this summer to read and review it.