Written by Jon Foreman in 2006:
So the new year has arrived in her traditional fashion: with a kiss, a yell, and a sip from a disposable plastic glass. We throw in a mumbled verse about auld acquaintances and swallow the old year down. dead. done. gone. over. That’s really all there is to it. And yet, when the sun rises on the suburban sprawl of driveways and shopping malls he finds them much like he does on every other sunday. Yes, and we reluctantly wake to find that the bedroom ceiling looks eerily familiar. Yes, and aside from the telltale beer bottle on the lawn next door it might as well be any day of last year or of the next. So you rub your eyes and roll away from the window, hoping to get back to sleep. Your thoughts drift back to last night. And then, in that brief, tender moment of thought between reality and a dream you smirk at the ridiculous concept of celebrating the passing of time. Why are we so excited to announce that we are yet one year closer to the inevitable graves that await us all? Perhaps we are inthralled by The New. I know I am. The thought of a second shot; a clean slate; the american dream; the fairy tale; the “anything can happen”… could we call it a longing for redemption? Maybe. For me, redemption is collection a bittersweet stories stories that haunt the present tense. You see the past I have has much that has been forgiven. Mistakes, piled on top of mistakes. And every year I add to the list of injustices that betray the selfish, arrogant bastard that I truly am. And yet, today I am not despondent. No, you see I have far too much to be thankful for. I wake up with the new sun knowing that I am not forced to be enslaved to myself. The chains of my appetite and of my lust are not my destiny. Truly, I have been given a second start: a new, abundant life that begins this side of the grave. No, I do not have all the answers but every breath that I have been given points to a grace that I cannot fully comprehend. Thanks to the community around me who has shown me the face of God as they demonstrate his abundant grace. Happy new year, mi amigos, have a graceful 365.25.
If you truly love someone, you’re going to be pure because true love comes from God, and God tells us to remain pure. That’s good enough for me
Fear Is A Lonely Man
Fear. We all have some acquaintance with the word. Most people think of spiders, small spaces, dark rooms, death… Fear is a pretty normal thing. Most people experience fear every day, whether they realize it or not. The fear that you won’t be accepted at your new school. The fear that your husband will be deployed to Iraq. The fear that you’ll never find your soulmate. The fear of your school bully. Normal, right? It’s not supposed to be. I never realized until a short while ago that fear, while instinctive, is not what God had in mind when He made us. The Bible says 365 times “Do not fear”. A lot of times it’s when this huge angel appears out of nowhere. That’s pretty intimidating. I’d be afraid. A couple of roman soldiers fell on their faces “as if dead” when they saw an angel. Yet, in most cases (except for the roman soldiers) the first thing the angel says is “Do not fear” or “don’t be afraid”. I’m not sure if fear itself is a sin. But I can tell you for sure that fear opens our hearts to so many sins. When we’re afraid of being an outcast, we don’t stand up for what’s right. When we’re afraid of catching leprosy, we don’t follow God’s order to take care of the sick. When we’re afraid of what people will think or say, we don’t sit down by that one lonely person. Followers of God are supposed to be fearless! If our God is with us, WHO CAN STAND AGAINST US? What fears are stopping you from “living life to the full”? For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) According to that verse, we are supposed to be powerful (through Him), loving (with God’s love) and have sound minds. Fear is not included!
Be honest with yourself. What are you afraid of? Don’t be afraid of those who can kill the body but cannot touch the soul. This skin and bones is a rental…
Fear is just a lie, open up your eyes!
Well, if anyone is reading this, hi. I started this blog for the days when I have something to say and no one in particular to say it to. If you enjoy reading these posts, please feel free.. They may not make sense all the time but honestly, what does make sense all the time? The title of this blog, “In a World Where I Belong”, comes from one of my favorite songs by the band Switchfoot. “Where I Belong” is a song that speaks to me sooo much… It’s about how this life is temporary, we’re just refugees here on this earth. We’re just waiting, waiting, while our hearts are just breaking, breaking… If anyone is perfectly honest with themselves, they will agree that they don’t always feel like they belong here… I certainly don’t. In my opinion, to love this earth is to be like a child who is offered a trip to Disneyland but would rather keep playingat the playground. We’ve got so much to look forward to! As one of my favorite authors, C. S. Lewis said, (in better words than I shall ever write) “Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave with regret? There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” As Christians, we have all of Heaven open to us… Why do we still love Earth and all it’s possessions as much as we do? I know, it’s hard, materialism and greed conquers the best of us. Building mega-churches and million dollar stained glass windows seems to be the church’s goal lately.. But has anyone ever considered that Jesus was homeless and preached what was possibly his most famous sermon on a mountain instead of a building that could house hundreds? Is it possible that Christians are just as greedy as everyone else, only we’re blind to it? Is it possible that maybe the Church should be out furthering God’s kingdom instead of sitting in our nice padded pews in our nice air-conditioned churches? I don’t know… All I know is that we shouldn’t be gathering wealth, fame, or glory down here on this tired earth… Because what we will experience in Heaven will eclipse everything we’ve ever experienced for the very short time we were in earth.
I’m not sentimental… This skin and bones is a rental.
