Run to the Battle...Wearing Your True Name

In Jesus, who are you?

Me…?

Well, in Jesus…

I am forgiven.

I am a redeemed sinner.

I am a follower of Jesus.

I am loved by God with an everlasting love.

I am a pleasing son of the Most High.

I am a beloved friend of God.

I am the righteousness of God.

I am a lover of God, myself, and other people.

I am a part of the Bride of Christ.

I have been set apart for God’s service.

I am God’s witness.

I am an overcomer.

I am more than a conqueror.

I am a field sergeant in the Army of God.

I am a warrior.

I am me…just as God made me.

A couple days ago, I watched Gladiator again.  I absolutely love that movie.  I’ve probably watched it at least 60 times since it was first released more than a decade ago.

My favorite part of the movie is the scene where the emperor, Commodus, first encounters Maximus as a gladiator.  To set the scene, I would like to draw from the writings of John Eldgridge in Wild at Heart. (For you men [and women!], who’ve never read that book, I urge you to READ IT!)  Anyway, here’s John Eldridge…

“In the movie Gladiator, set in the second century A.D., the hero is a warrior from Spain called Maximus.  He is the commander of the Roman armies, a general loved by his men and by the aging emperor Marcus Aurelius.  The emperor’s foul son Commodus learns of his father’s plan to make Maximus emperor in his place, but before Marcus can pronounce his successor, Commodus strangles his father.  He sentences Maximus to immediate execution and his wife and son to crucifixion and burning.  Maximus escapes, but too late to save his family.  Captured by slave traders, he is sold as a gladiator.  That fate is normally a death sentence, but this is Maximus, a valiant fighter.  He more than survives; he becomes a champion.  Ultimately, he is taken to Rome to perform in the Colosseum before the emperor Commodus, (who of course believes that Maximus is long dead).  After a remarkable display of courage [by Maximus] and a stunning upset, the emperor comes down into the arena to meet the valiant gladiator, who’s identity remains hidden behind his helmet.

COMMODUS:  Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard.  I don’t believe there’s ever been a gladiator that matched you…Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name?  (Maximus is silent.) You do have a name?

MAXIMUS:  My name is Gladiator.  (He turns and walks away.)

COMMODUS:  How dare you show your back to me?  Slave!  You will remove your helmet and tell me your name.

MAXIMUS:  (Slowly, very slowly, he lifts his helmet and turns to face his enemy.)

My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius

Commander of the Armies of the North;

General of the Felix Legions;

Loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius;

Father to a murdered son;

Husband to a murdered wife;

And I will have my vengeance, in this life or in the next.

“His answer builds like a mighty wave, swelling in size and strength before it crashes on the shore.  The man knows who he is, what he’s made of.  Where does a man go to learn an answer life that—to learn his true name, a name that can never be taken from him?  That deep heart knowledge comes only through a process of initiation.  You have to know where you’ve come from. You have to have faced a series of trials that test you; you have to have taken a journey, and you have to have faced your enemy.”  (From Wild at Heart, by John Eldridge, pp. 102-103)

The Enemy…

Men and women…we have a formidable adversary, and he is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (see 1 Peter 5:8), and he is a thief hell bent on a path of complete and utter destruction in your life and mine (see John 10:10).  We each have an enemy inside us, too—"the old man," if you will, who is at war with the redeeming work of God in our lives (see Romans 7).  To quote Walt Kelly, "We have met the enemy, and he is us."  

The Journey…

We are also on a journey, and it is an inward journey toward wholeness as God works continually within us to give us the desire and the ability to live out His purposes in our lives (see Philippians 2:13).

Initiating Trials…

And, on this journey, we face many initiating difficulties in life.  And all of them are working for our good (see Romans 8:28) to bring about God’s work of maturity and completeness in our lives (see James 1:2-4).

The Question…

Given that we have everything we need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3), I ask you once again...In Jesus, who are you?

If you will allow me, I would like to help you answer that question.  And, if you will oblige me even further, I would like you to repeat these words after me (do it out loud, right now, right where you are):

In—and because of—Jesus…

You are forgiven.  I am forgiven!!

You are a redeemed sinner.  I am a redeemed sinner!!

You are a follower of Jesus.  I am a follower of Jesus!!

You are loved by God with an everlasting love.  I am loved by God with an everlasting love!!

You are a pleasing son/daughter of the Most High.  I am a pleasing son/daughter of the Most High!!

You are the righteousness of God.  I am the righteousness of God!!

You are a beloved friend of God.  I am a beloved friend of God!!

You are a lover of God, yourself, and other people.  I am a lover of God, myself, and other people!!

You are a part of the Bride of Christ.  I am a part of the Bride of Christ!!

You have been set apart for God’s service.  I have been set apart for God’s service!!

You are God’s witness.  I am God’s witness!!

You are an overcomer.  I am an overcomer!!

You are more than a conqueror.  I am more than a conqueror!!

You are a soldier in the Army of God.  I am a soldier in the Army of God!!

You are a warrior.  I am a warrior!!

You are you…just as God made you.  I am me…just as God made me!!

Doesn’t that feel good?

Speak these things forth often, my friends, and they will become a greater and greater part of your identity as a follower of Jesus, as a warrior in His army, and as a human being.

A Name that No One Can Take Away…

I would like to give you an assignment.  And here it is:  Watch the movie Gladiator—from start to finish, and then begin to write out your own answer to the very same question Commodus asks Maximus:  Why doesn’t the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name?  Many years ago, I was challenged by God to do the same.  Writing from my own place of ultimate vulnerability, here's my on-going answer to that question...

 

My name is Jonathan-David,

Gift and Friend of God,

Tender-hearted Warrior,

Catcher of Tears and Lifter of Hearts,

Beloved Lionheart of God,

Loyal Servant of the Good Shepherd,

Samurai of the Most High.

I was fashioned and trained by God in the outback of creation.  Beware…for my spirit is fierce.  I will not run; I will not back down.  In Christ, I will make my stand.

I am a being, who also happens to be human, and I will create the dream of my life one step at a time.

I will live according to my own reality, my own intuition, and my own internal compass.

I will remember who I am, Whose I am, and from where I came.

In my heart, true paradise is found, and my greatest happiness is experienced in choosing and surrendering to “what is”—without judgment, without resistance, without attachment.

I will treat everyone I meet with the utmost kindness, respect, dignity, and compassion, and I will consider my service, both to God and to others, to be my highest purpose and calling in life.

I will live and demonstrate the principles of self-respect and consideration for others; I will stand up for myself while supporting others at the same time.

I will extend and give of myself courageously and unashamedly, express myself openly and honestly, and share “my song” with all who wish to listen.

I love you all lots and lots,

Bling


Enjoy these, my friends...

“Run to the Battle,” Steve Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7vLlciebH4&feature=related

"He Covers Me,"  Steve Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFHfoEadyz0

“Ocean Floor,” Audio Adrenalin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y281553XUAA
 

“I Am a Friend of God,” Phillips Craig and Dean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMnMN08sv4k

"The Fellowship of the Unashamed"

These words were penned by a young Christian pastor in Zimbabwe; they were found in his office shortly after he was martyred for his faith in Jesus.


"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed.  I have the Holy Spirit's power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made - I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

"I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean in His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and I labor with power.

"My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions are few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

"I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me... my banner will be clear!"

From, The Signature of Jesus, by Brennan Manning, p.17.

 

Amen, my brother!  I can't wait to meet you in heaven, someday.  I love how you write, "...my guide reliable..."  Yes He is.  RELIABLE is His Name!  My heart and face are set like flint to follow hard after Christ in the light of the example you have set.  Again, I look forward to meeting you in heaven, someday.

“Prayer Requires Physiological Embodiment”

Prayer is like a coming home…

...of sorts.

In some ways, we've all been living in a far off land, and God has been beckoning us to return...to His Arms, to His Heart, to Him.  He's inviting us to come talk with Him—can you hear His Voice?—and to return to home plate…to that for which we were created…to that realm where we can be fully embraced by Him, embrace Him in return, and receive from Him the life He wishes to share with us.

Prayer is also an awakening to that which is beyond our normal perceptions.  The world of the physical senses can be so vivid, at times, that it can overshadow the larger world of the spirit.   It is possible, though, to use this very thing to our advantage by allowing our senses to become a gateway to the very presence of the part of heaven that resides within us.

Prayer is, chiefly, communion with God.  And it requires—no, demands—all that we are:  our physical senses, our emotions, our drives, our thoughts, even our imaginations.

Physical Senses

God created and is present in all things.  I taste of God’s nourishing humor when I down a good chili dog while watching kids race the bases between innings at a Durham Bulls baseball game.  I’ve admired God’s beauty and sleekness in the marsh birds that dance through the wetland sites I visit on a regular basis.  I sense God’s strength in the waterfall and rock formations I like visit near my old home in Virginia.  I feel God’s breath when the wind pushes at my back.  And I smell of God’s goodness every time I step into a coffee shop.

Emotions

God gave me my emotions to enjoy AND to meter my life.  When I’ve hurt or been hurt by others, God uses the pain and sorrow I feel to enable me to be a greater channel of His loving-kindness to those around me.  God uses the joy I feel in moving to inspire me to honor Him in the ways in which I move.  I know God loves me, because I can sense just how glad He is to see me when I awaken each morning.  And I know God’s forgiven me because He’s given me the ability to forgive and to love and to give of myself to those who’ve hurt me.

Drives

What gets you up in the morning?  I'll tell you what gets me up.  It's knowing that there’s a purpose to everything I do, experience, and suffer, and that that purpose is working for my good and the good of God's expanding kingdom.

When I feel hungry, I’m reminded of my continual need for spiritual as well as physical nourishment.  When I feel threatened, I can remember that I’m not alone and that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside me.  And when I feel lacking and want more than what I have, I seek from God what I need, and I tell Him what I want, all the while keeping in mind the ultimate hope I have in the life to come.

Thoughts

Did you know that more than 90% of our conversation as human beings is spent dialoguing internally with ourselves?  For introverts, that percentage may be only a percentage point or two shy of 100.  In twenty-nine years of walking with God, I've discovered that prayer, in it’s most basic and transformational sense, may be as simple as just inviting God to be a part of the internal conversations going on within my own mind.  There’s far less pressure—you know?  It’s just two individuals—me and God—hanging out together and shooting the breeze.  Now how cool is that?  To be able to shoot the breeze with The Master of the Universe?  It brings a tear to my eye when I realize that God likes it more than I do, and I like it A LOT!

Imaginations

In Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius of Loyola invites us to use our imagination to experience what we read in scripture.  In Prayer, Richard Foster expounds on this concept in the following paraphrased passage…

If, for example, you're reading about Christ on trial for his life, “see” the crowd, “hear” the accusations, and “feel” the sting of the whip.  Move from just reading about what happened to entering in to what happened.  See, hear, smell, taste, and touch the story.

Through reading scripture in this way, I can commune with God on a much deeper level as He engages me completely through my reading of His Word.

Concluding Thoughts

Prayer, or intimacy with God, draws upon all that makes us human.  Communing with God is not just about speech communication; often, it goes far beyond that.  How can one describe the beauty of a sunset and do it justice?  As Anne of Green Gables might say, "I'd like to just feel a prayer."  Prayer enables us to share with God in His orchestration of the universe—even the changing of the tides.  Through embodied prayer, God permeates all that we are and all that we experience.  Such is the essence of true wakefulness.

Have a nice day, y'all,

Bling

"A Conversation with a Friend"

“What does being happy have to do with anything?” I asked.

It has everything to do with everything, my Donkey-friend, Sonam fired back.  We were designed in the image of Ultimate Happiness to be happy…to live happily.  Our regrets over our mistakes and our worries over and cravings for the future separate us from the time and place of deep happiness:  Here…Now.

“Well…what about you?  Are you happy?”

Sonam paused for a moment and then looked straight into my eyes.  Yes, my friend, I am.  Infinitely so, in fact.  And pretty much all the time…even when I’m feeling sad and broken.  It has taken me a life time of practice to learn that it really doesn’t take a life time to learn that happiness is available to all of us…in this moment.

“That doesn’t make sense, Sonam.  How can you be happy and feel sad at the same time?  That sounds—”

Contradictory? Sonam interrupted.  Now you’re thinking.  That’s good, he said, half laughing to himself.  It tells me that you’re paying attention.  Feelings come and go, Dave, just like the clouds in the sky.  Happiness has nothing to do with transient emotion, such as the giddiness we feel when we get what we think we want or the relief we feel when we free ourselves of that which we think we don’t want.

Happiness is like the sun and the sky, he continued.  It’s always there like they’re always there…even at night or when it’s raining out.  Happiness comes from the deep knowing within that you are reconciled and that whatever is happening, despite how gut-wrenchingly painful it might be in the moment, is working for your supreme good.  Working to instruct you.  Working to break you down—when needed—so that you can be built back up, redeemed, awakened, even resurrected. 
 
It is a peace and contentment that defies all explanation.  It comes from your connectedness to the Source of All Good, and from nowhere else.  So…yes, my friend…I am happy.  For I am united with  Goodness.  With He Who is called "Good."  Happiness is not generated from within me, Dave; rather, it is received from outside of me.  But the gate is very much within me…right here…right now.  May the gates within you be flung wide open, my friend!  And may God's Happiness open your heart to the world around you.  Maybe then, you won’t miss so much.

Sonam Narayan is a character that came to me in a dream almost two years ago.  He is representative of a conglomerate of the many mentors I have had in life.  If you will oblige me—and as strange as it might seem, I would like to invite you to drop in on my conversations with this person from time to time.  :o)

"Cultivars"

Intelligence

I wish to develop the following intelligences within myself:

1. Logical-Mathematical - Examples:  Sir Isaac Newton; Stephen Hawking
2. Verbal-Linguistic - Examples:   Thomas Jefferson; Emily Dickinson; David (Shepherd Boy, King of Jerusalem, and the Principal Author of Psalms)
3. Spatial-Mechanical - Examples:  Leonardo da Vinci; Phidias (Architect of Athens)
4. Musical - Examples:  Mozart; Dave Grusin; Phil Keaggy
5. Bodily-Kinesthetic - Examples:  Bruce Lee; F. M. Alexander
6. Emotional/Interpersonal (Social) - Examples:  Winston Churchill; Mahatma Gandhi 
7. Emotional/Intrapersonal (Self-knowledge) - Examples:  Mother Theresa; Victor Frankl; Pema Chodron; Bill W. (of AA and Al-Anon)
8. Spiritual - Examples:  Father Jim Papile; Billy Graham; C.S. Lewis; Henri Nouwen; St. Antony; St. Benedict

Attitude

I wish to develop the following attitudes within myself:

1. An insatiably curious approach to life, and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
2. A commitment to test knowledge through experience and persistence, and a willingness to learn from my mistakes and the mistakes of others.
3. A continual refinement of my senses, especially sight, as a means to liven experience.
4. A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
5. A balance between science and art, logic and imagination—“Whole-brain” thinking.
6. Grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.
7. A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things—“Systems” thinking.

Fluidity

The stages for the cultivation of effortless fluidity are as follows:

1. The Stage of Innocence:  Fluid, but unscientific (lacking truth).
2. The Stage of Sophistication (Knowledge Acquisition):  Scientific, but not fluid (mechanical, robotic, recipe driven).
3. The Stage of Second Innocence:  Fluid, scientific, whittled-down, uncontrived (natural unnaturalness/unnatural naturalness).

Mastery

The principal qualities of a master are as follows:

1. He has clearly defined goals (or sets of goals) that have been internalized.
2. He is sensitive to and able to receive feedback, be it physical, emotional, spiritual, or intellectual.
3. He has the flexibility and mindfulness needed to immediately adapt, modify, and improve upon his practice or performance based on the feedback he has received (or is receiving).

Note:  With respect to the above, I am especially indebted to the inspirational thoughts and writings of Michael Gelb, Tony Buzan, Daniel Goleman, and Bruce Lee.

Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, Stradivarius Violins, the ’67½ Ford Mustang, Paperclips, and You

In the modern usage of the term, a "masterpiece" refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person’s career, or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill, or workmanship.  (From Wikipedia)

I could spend countless days and weeks delving into why I think each of the above items are masterpieces, but many have done that already.

And I’m going to defer to them.

There's one aspect of masterpieces, though, that I do wish to speak to, and that's this:  How we treat them.  Take Monet's, Autumn Effect at Argenteuil, for example.  Is that something you would use to house-train a new puppy?  Probably not.  Okay...how'bout this one?  What if, instead of a plastic bat, we used a Stradivarius Violin to play wiffleball?  Hmmm...yes, such a thing might work okay, but who in his or her right mind would use something worth in upwards of $1M to swat a little plastic ball?

And then there’s you and me.

How have you been treating (or using?) yourself lately?

Each of us are worth far more than any masterpiece in existence and, yet, some—if not many—of us, at times, treat a $5 cat better than we treat ourselves.

Drawing from my own personal history...

Earlier in life, I made some decisions that were not in my best interest.  At the time, I thought I was going with what I really wanted, but, in retrospect, it wasn't at all what I wanted.  In the exuberance of my own feelings and in the context of my own unaddressed relational insecurities, I failed to seek God as diligently as I could have.  And, in addition, I discounted my own intuition—the whistles and red flags of my own internal warning systems—and opted for what I thought I wanted based on what turned out to be extremely limited data.  To quote many…"I chose unwisely.”  VERY unwisely.

Fast forward to many years later, and the seeds I’d planted with those early decisions were now in full bloom and had grown so far beyond me that I had no concept of what I had gotten myself into or what I was dealing with.  In the darkest hours, I cried out to God for help, and, yes, He heard me.  He let me know just how much He loved me, He told me how He understood exactly what I was feeling and dealing with, and, in His great mercy, He gave me the power to confess my sin and to repent not only of the ways in which I’d been living my life but also of the entire manner in which I had, to that point, approached the whole arena or relationships and decision-making.  And—praise His Holy Name!—He rescued me...and at just the right time, too!

THANK GOD!!  (For those of you who know of that from which God rescued me, you know that I have so much to be grateful for.) 

So...in being rescued, I found myself alone and by myself once again (THANK YOU GOD!!  Yes, there is a theme, here.), and it was then that I chose to withdraw from a lot of what I had been involved in previously.  During this time, which lasted for a couple of years, I lived a kind of monastic-light existence and devoted countless hours to prayer and meditation, to complete and utter silence, to hiking, to working my bag, to writing, to composing music, and to just seeking God in great earnest.  I still live that way to a degree, now, but not to the extent I once did.  That season of my life, while now over, was absolutely necessary as it brought me into close and extended contact with God and re-calibrated and re-focused my life.  It also allowed me to begin to feel my hunger and thirst again as well as to reacquaint myself with my dreams.  I will never forget that season of life, my friends.  I am not the monastic I once was (yes, I can hear quite a number of you cheering over that!), but I still carry a good bit of it with me.  You can take the boy out of monasticism, but you can't take the monasticism out of...

Anyway, about two years ago, I felt the prompting of God to re-engage in the world.  To demarcate such a thing, I got re-baptized on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009, at newhope church in Durham, NC.  That very afternoon, I was given a new name: Jonathan David.  Jonathan means “Yahweh has given,” and David means “Beloved.”  I believe the reason God chose to add Jonathan to my birthing namesake was to let me know that He was giving me back to my own self as my own best friend.  (Please forgive me if this sounds strange, but it is exactly what happened.)  During my monastic period, I learned how to not just listen to but to embrace my surrendered intuition, my deepest desires and longings, and my basic needs as a human being.  I discovered that I can stand up for myself while supporting others at the same time.  “I will extend myself courageously and unashamedly, express myself openly and honestly, and share my song with all who wish to listen,” was the decision of my heart.  And it is a decision I continue to make and to live-out every day of my life.

A little more background on Jonathan David...

All my life, I've been fascinated by David in the Bible.  He was, indeed, a man after the very Heart of God.  He was also a warrior, a worshiper, a leader, a poet, a musician and song-writer, a servant, a thief, a liar, a blood-thirsty scoundrel (at times), an adulterer, and a murderer.  Like many, David had a lot of difficulties in life, but unlike many, he allowed those very difficulties to mold and shape him into the man he became and to inflame within him a great and lasting passion for God.  The legacy of David’s life, difficulties, and passions are recorded for all eternity in the Psalms, which have been loved literally by billions of people for thousands upon thousands of years.

In life, David’s greatest friend was a man by the name of Jonathan.  In a way, Jonathan was “Yahweh’s personal gift” to David.  He was a friend to David like none other and was able to love David in a way that I don’t think even David was capable of.  And it gave David great comfort, courage, and strength.  I believe it also brought a lot of healing to David’s heart.

This is the whole context of my own covenant name.  All my life, I have longed to be a friend of God (and that is what I am!), and through that friendship, God has forged within my own soul the gift of being able to befriend myself like no one else can.  It is truly an amazing thing!  To be God’s friend and to be my own best friend at the same time is worth more to me than anything I can imagine. THIS is what embracing isolation brought about in my life.  But the isolation was only for a season, and, despite the insatiable hungers and thirsts I felt at the time (and still feel), it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.  The ability to feel and to embrace one’s hurt, one’s loneliness, one’s fears, and, even, the crashings of one’s life that occur from time to time is a special gift that only the Holy Spirit can bestow.

I have discovered that true happiness in life comes from accepting, choosing, and embracing the moment for this is truly what it means to befriend oneself.  Many times throughout my day, I hear my own voice (via the Jonathan part!) speak to me these very words: ''Accept, choose, and embrace what is, Dave.  Welcome it with an unconditional friendliness."  I also hear:  "Empty your mind, Dave, let it all go, and stay here…conscious and present…devoted 100% to the experience you’re having right now, because ‘right now’ is all you have. There is nothing else.”  This is how I continue to befriend myself.

I don't think I could ever overemphasize this, but the ability to accept what “is” in the moment is absolutely critical in life and is, I believe, one of the keys to living joyfully and generatively.  I have learned, even when things feel really, really crappy and uncomfortable, to want what is...to want what I have...to want and even embrace what I am experiencing in the moment as a special gift from God, given to me for my ultimate good.  James (in the book of James) urged us to welcome trials and difficulties as friends, because they are of God, given to build us up in Him.  So many in life struggle with great unhappiness because they have not yet discovered the secret of wanting "what is" and, consequently, devote much energy to trying to deny "what is (which is really just Jesus in the moment)," trying to run from "what is" (or how they're feeling about it [or HIM!]), or trying to change "what is" into something different than what it is [e.g., to recreate Jesus in one's own image].  Please hear me when I say:  No amount of energy can EVER change "what is" in this moment into something different from what it is in this moment.

Difficult and edgy times will come, but, as with everything, they, too, will pass.  They're like the clouds in the sky.  The joy of living, however, is like the sun and the cloudless skies of blue...always there, even when the torrents of "now" prevent us from seeing them.  To know in one's "knower" that they are there is a great comfort and provides the perspective needed to stay present and, even, to enjoy the difficulties we encounter because we know they're good for us and, as the scriptures read, demonstrate just how great God's love for us really is.  For is it not the Loving Father that disciplines us?  I believe it is.  He loves and accepts me unconditionally, yes, but He loves me so much that he will not let me stay mired in the muck and mud of my current life-conditions (see Psalm 40).

So…in this very moment, I want to urge you with everything that's within me to choose to befriend yourself and to treat yourself well...like the masterpiece that you are.  Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.  Might you and I both become "like a good neighbor (ergo State Farm)" to our own selves.  May we, also, allow Jesus, Who lives inside us, to become the Good Samaritan to the you and the me laying bruised, broken, and bleeding in the ditch.

In concluding this post, I wish to leave you with two youtube clips, which I just love.  I hope they minister to you like they have to me.

Peace to all of you as you seek to befriend the masterpieces that all’y’all are.


Bling


"God's Chisel," The Skit Guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfUzodLRvk

"The Touch of the Master's Hand," Wayne Watson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDrEkkfs6FQ

"Endowments"

Things I Ask for from God:

1. The power to be present completely…no matter when or where.
2. The power to “see” clearly, in every person encountered, that person as he or she "is" and to see that person's immediate as well as ultimate need.
3. The power to embrace truth and reality as they are.
4. The power to understand completely that which another person is trying to communicate.
5. The power to be an open and genuine conduit of Life, meaning the loving-kindness, joy, compassion, and equanimity of Jesus, the Source of All Life.
6. The power to remember, with complete and total recall, every face, name, and story that goes with that face and name.
7. The power to live from a place of ultimate vulnerability.

“‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’”  (Acts 1:7)

“Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.  Amen.”  (Ephesians 3:20-21)

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind, discipline, and self-control.”  (2 Timothy 1:7)