A Difficult Start, an Exciting Race, a Big Prize

A Difficult Start, an Exciting Race, a Big Prize 

It’s been 3 weeks now that I have stared at this empty blog page that I set up one late Thursday night.  Three weeks staring at it, knowing I need to write but not knowing where to start. It goes back a lot more than 3 weeks though; this desire in me to put words on paper.  When I pick up a pen, or when my fingers hit that keyboard, words just seem to come right out of me in ways that never flow out of my mouth. I’m not sure why. But when I write, I feel alive. It was always my childhood dream to write a book.  It still is. But my problem is in the starting. Where do I start? What do I write about? There is so much I want to say, but does what I have to say matter to anyone other than me? It does, I know it does, but will THEY know it does?  And then I realize. It’s not just for others. It’s for me. And it’s for my God. And if it happens to be any sort of encouragement, support or help to anyone else along the way, then awesome! And if it’s not, if I’m the only one that ever actually visits this blog site, then awesome! Would I love for others to come along side me in this life and run with me? Yes! Yes I do. But am I willing to run this race alone? Yep, I sure am! For the prize is worth it!  How do we run this race and what is the prize?

Hebrews 12:1-3 (The Message Version) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!

So, my dream, is that together, dear friends and family, or current strangers that I have yet to meet- together- we can strip down and start running and never quit! Keeping our eyes on Jesus. Who is our prize! And when we need to, which is EVERY day, we’ll go over the story again. Reading and remembering and rejoicing in what he did on the cross and what he tells us about himself in the Bible. He died for our sins. What an amazing gift. And he desires our hearts, our repentance and our lives.  So in following him we are given the gift of eternal life. Such an indescribable gift! For me, to start the race was difficult; to run the race is also difficult but also so exciting; and in the end the prize will be beyond incredible!

So that’s my dream. That others will come to this place and read and share and together we can run this race hard for him. But if that doesn't happen. If no one comes. I will still run!! And I will still write in this space for me and my God. My filled up journals that line my bookcase are filling up shelves and space in my room and collecting dust. So I might as well fill up space online instead of on shelves, in the hopes that others might run along with me.

So what will this blog be? It will be a lot of things. Just like me. Such a mix, such a mess of different ideas poured into one place. It will be my journal. There will be grammatical errors. There may be some theological slip ups. But it will be real. And it will be His.  It will be my space to work out and express the lessons that God is teaching me in my day to day life. It will be my place to share. Share lists of books I have loved and enjoyed, share messages and podcasts that have taught me something, share things I’m doing with my kids that have worked well, as well as things that have NOT worked well (because there sure are a lot of those!), share my thoughts, ideas, passions  some strategies in studying the Bible, helpful printables, helpful truths and more. I am currently learning the importance of preaching to myself. I need to hear and be reminded of the gospel ALL. DAY. LONG. And so as I preach, and maybe teach, and encourage and try to inspire on this blog, it is not because I want to preach down to anyone, it is because I need to hear it more than anyone! So, that’s what this blog is intended to be. A whole lot of words! Words that hopefully magnify him in my life and in yours. What does it mean to magnify?

verb (used with object), magnified,magnifying.

1.

to increase the apparent size of, as a lens does.

2.

to make greater in actual size; enlarge

3.

to cause to seem greater or more important;attribute too much importance to; exaggerate

4.

to make more exciting; intensify; dramatize;heighten

5.

 to extol; praise

Yes! That is what I want from this blog. That is what I want from all of my words and all of my life. To make him greater in my life and for him to be greater in yours. I want to see him more clearly and bigger. Because he is bigger than we can ever imagine! “To intensify, dramatize, heighten”  his importance and role in my life. “To attribute too much importance to,” because is that really possible? No it is not! He is exciting and he is huge and amazing and holy. But I often see him through my faulty, weak eyes. I make myself big and give him a little corner of my life to occupy. It’s a daily struggle, but I need to fight it. More of him and less of me.  What I want to do is magnify him so I can see him for who he is, and so he can be bigger in my mind, my heart and my life. I want to dig into the Bible together learning more about him. I want to take the time to see his fingerprints in our lives. So, put your seat-belts on and hold on tight. If you keep coming back to check out this place you may just see Jesus is a new magnified way.  He is bigger than we have ever imagined! So let’s journey together in seeing this great big God for the big God he is, and in giving this great God the big role he desires and deserves in our lives. Let’s magnify him! I've got some good stuff I’m planning to share in the next few days. But for now, that’s the intro to this new place.

Phew! I got the hardest over with! The beginning. And I’m going to end it with my very favorite words from my favorite Psalm. How Good Is our God that he gives us words to praise him with! So, with a full heart, and three crazy kids filling my house with noise, my heart whispers these words. And I pray that the rest of my day is also filled with these heart-felt whispers. Will you join me in surrendering the rest of your day to him? Knowing that he is God and we are his. All our spaces, all our places, all our gifts, all our fears, all of our beginnings and all of our tears. They are all his and for him; the God of the universe, the sheep of his pasture, they are all of him. Jesus.

Psalm 100  (ESV)

A Psalm for giving thanks.

 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
²     Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

³ Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

John 3:30
He must become greater; I must become less