mystic mess....

weightless, what can we do but pursue him? I seek Him and He pursues me like the beating of my heart or the searing burn of conscious thought in reasoned discourse, while I have no idea what to say to them or He. Yet I do know and it is the words and discourse of one who doesn't care, as I learn what it means to not care and commend the darknesses and weirdnesses of my soul into thy blessed light, Great strongly hand. What means this thing called confidence and surety in my proper skin? what does this naked pursuit mean while we cower in long pants and parkas that choke or soul and fry or spirit in the midst of your searing heat. Is confidence the way to lose the discontent that saves our souls.... what do You mean? Who am I, Who are YOU?

Daniel

deliverer

God, help Carol Geer. A lot is riding on this...

I'm trying to understand good habits and what it means to live a life that uses everything God gave me. I have all these resources and money and stuff that I could use... and I totally abuse it. I mean, look at it this way. We live in the richest, most well-fed society on the planet. Yet I eat when I am not hungry and spend money on stuff I don't need. There are the poor and the oppresed in every corner of the world who die daily because they don't have the money or resources that we have-- and we squander it. That can't please God.

At the same time, I struggle with the fact that a large part of human interaction happens in entertainment setttings, (spending money on stuff I don't need, eating food for which I am not hungry, etc, etc,) People must be sought. They must be pursued and met where they are at. They are the only thing that matters.

So what do we do? Before someone tells me "stop spending money!" (Mom, I love you but I know that's what you are going to say), understand that there needs to be a practical solution in place of that. Instead of going to Coffee shops/ movies/resteraunts, (the only three things to do in Lansing), what can we do to learn the stories of the people around us and to meet them on their terms while still making good use of the resources we have. Something must be done. but what?

Daniel

pursuit of the prodigal....

As I write this, I find myself in Espresso Royale perched in my usual corner of the patio. I'm a little tired, probably from a lack of caffeine, and it's a little difficult to concentrate, more because I think too much than because of any fatigue, real, imagined or chemically induced.

It's been about three and 1/2 days since I returned from camp, and I'm still trying to process what a shock the itinerate, cultural life was to my system. Don't get me wrong, I am so glad I had this opportunity and would do it again in a heartbeat. But honestly, this trip forced me to examine a lot of previously held conceptions I had about myself, culture, and the nature of friends, home and family.

The thing is, I didn't think I was going to miss people as much as I did. This scared me, because I have known for a long time that traveling was something I wanted to be a huge part of my life. I still believe this. However, how do you form the needed context/root system (in a word what I missed) when you keep traveling? Last month, I was able to get a taste of that question and it frightened me a little.

However, I'm a bit thankful for this little scare, only because it showed me that my context is in God. I didn't know this before I stepped on the pilgrims road and waged exploits in the wilds of nothern minnesota. He gives me roots and context and all the things that define my heart. He passes me on a name, because it puts in the middle of, not only something, but someone, bigger than myself. Praise God, this intinerate warrior is starting to know who he is....

Into the wilds...

Daniel

By the way, pray for England. The world is going crazy and our brothers and sisters need our prayers...