True Joy

"Faith, as i'm growing to understand it more,
is about looking beyond my circumstances to a person.

To have faith in better circumstances,
even in God creating better circumstances,
is NOT true faith.

I want to be the kind of man who can watch every
dream go down in flames and still yearn to be
intimately involved in kingdom living,
intimately involved with my friend the King,
and still be willing to take another risk
just because it delights Him for me to do so.
And my flesh shivers to think about it."

~David Shepherd~

Learning to Love You in the wonderful and smooth times is not hard, it's in fact greatly pleasurable and delightful to my spirit. However, the journey of learning to Love You in the dark times, the times where dreams vanish in flames, where things are complicated and not beautiful, that is where the journey really begins.

eyes turn away...
throbbing heart hurts...
I look up...
Tears well up...
Vision is blurred...

just enough to see the face of God

My hurting heart swells with worship,
I discover how deeply i pant for You.
My soul longs for You,
above the hurt...
and that's the way it should be.

Thank you Lord.

I'll still offer up myself in praise to you. Regardless...and always.

There is only one way to love...
recklessly and with total abandon.
risking self, because Love is nothing without action.

Thank You for that example on the cross.