Archive for June, 2006
Belief or Conviction?
Howard Hendricks says, “A belief is something you’ll argue about. But a conviction is something you’ll die for.”
Knowing what to do (knowledge), when to do it (wisdom), and how to do it (ability), is worthless without the conviction to actually do it (obedience). People without conviction follow the crowd, which is why Paul wrote, “Don’t let the world…squeeze you into its…mould.” I think this most plainly describes why I left the established church. My belief, just what I think, is always debatable. But my convictions rarely change, keep me grounded and help keep the mirror be abit less dark. This I KNOW. God sent His flesh to experience life amongst his littlest creations. He did it all; squeezed himself out of his Mom’s belly, ate as any other child would, and grew. He was a good child raised by good people, hand chosen by Jahweh Himself. Thusly Jesus learned how life on Earth swayed the hearts of men. He wanted us to believe Him without harm, but He also learned how much so many had before Him done to cause us to doubt.
My conviction, the thing I will die for is that Jesus loves us with love undeniable. It broke Him to realize that all the love, all the healing, the miracles He did here to persuade this doubting people did nothing. So to Himself he determined if I want something done, I must do it myself. I must allow myself to feel the embarrassment and the pangs of death itself. The separation we feel when we die and trust Father to make it right.
So there it is. Jesus too, must have had to convict his heart. In this too he shared with His brothers and sisters. Of course He knew His (Father’s) mind, that the resurrection would heal a brokeness between us all, yet He had to succumb to His Father’s ultimate will and trust Him. Oh what a great gift! I’m so glad to see this clearly. Jesus gave it to me, I receive it, and keep it, and walk in it, and pass it around… celebrate it. I have been given ultimate reconciliation, the saving of this soul to Heaven. Guess what? You have, too! It has come to my attention some (men) who would keep us under their thumbs decided there should be rules. Truth is there aren’t any. You don’t prove yourself worthy to be redeemed… you just are. Period. Then you work on passing the truth around, sharing your conviction, living your life in love …
2 commentsReunion Pictures
Wanna look at “old people” having so much fun we didn’t want to leave? http://www.draganjac.com/pics/reunion/ I’m so glad we all got together…..
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The Reunion
What a blast! Fifty of our original 125 showed up, spouses, pictures (I forgot mine!) and memories abounded. “Did you got to school with us?” we all asked at the beginning of the evening, faces changed by thirty-five years. But in less than an hour those years melted and we’re looked through seventeen year old eyes, everyone recognizable. So many stories, some have ills, have gone through the bad stuff, comeout the other end to give the rest of us strength to weather what comes. By now spouses even have become friends, and have their own reunions, so good to see. The years peeled away, I love these “kids” so much. It’s something rich, to keep a past that is honorable:
Gary biking over to hike with our “tribe” on our day long forays into the wild woods of LevelGreen, Teddy (who has never come out to a reunion before) reminding me of pictures of us playing together in the little blow-up pool — topless and 3 years old! Daddy hadn’t put in the yard yet, SEAS of mud! Joanie, Jimmy, Dave – the old bus circuit gang everyday for 12 years on that… bus! Parents gone, or aging, the sharing of being orphaned at 40 or 50, hurting just same as if we were 10 and left alone inthe world. We all share history, similar, and understood — a rare gift in an e-mail world. We each were blessed and for a few hours, HOME again.
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