Hide and Seek.

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"God wanted them to look for Him and perhaps search all around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any of us." v27

These words have been tugging at my heartstrings for weeks.  I’ve been trying to get a vision of what this is saying.  It's not that God is capriciously "hiding himself" from us , or "playing" with us in a saucy manner, pulling stubbornly away when we are trying to find Him.

I think what it boils down to is that God wants us to want Him. He doesn't want to be the one chasing us all the time. He wants US to pursue Him. To want to catch Him so much that we are willing to set all else aside in pursuit of His presence.

And when we pick ourselves up, start really looking for Him, and then RUN towards Him, full of anticipation and enthusiasm, like a child rushing to greet their Daddy at the door, He doesn't turn and run.... He opens His arms and swings us up into the air and laughs with delight. 

He wants to be wanted. He wants us to desire Him and delight in Him. Why are we so bad at loving Him? Why are we so dull and distracted? I'm floored today by this image. I will run. Run to the door. Run to the road. Run however far I need to run to be with Him. I know He'll meet me there.

Over the Top

Deb, at He Gave Me A Dream tagged me with this fun award. If I had to pick I’d rather be over the top than scraping rock bottom *wink*.

 
The rules for accepting this award are to copy and change the answers below to suit you and pass it on. Answers can only be one word! Pass the award to a deserving blogger and alert them they have been awarded.

Here are my answers to these questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? charging
2. Your hair? chestnut
3. Your mother? funny
4. Your father? wise
5. Your favorite food? oh…..
6. Your dream last night? bizarre
7. Your favorite drink? coffee
8. Your dream/goal? heaven
9. What room are you in? dining
10. Your hobby? literature
11. Your fear? Loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night? home
14. Something you aren’t? rich
15. Muffins? bacon
16. Wish list item? closets
17. Where did you grow up? britishcolumbia :P
18. Last thing you did? baked
19. What are you wearing? pyjamas 
20. Your TV? off
21. Your pets? shivering
22. Your friends? rock
23. Your life? sweet
24. Your mood? bliss
25. Missing someone? no
26. Vehicle? guzzler
27. Something you’re not wearing? watch
28. Your favorite store? Pier One
29. Your favorite color? brown
30. When was the last time you laughed? Today 
31. Last time you cried? yesterday
32. Your best friend? God
33. One place that you go over and over? Costco
34. One person who emails you regularly?  Laura
35. Favorite place to eat? out.

I am passing this award on to my crazy and beautiful friend, Chris.  Sorry folks, her blog is private but trust me when I say she TRULY merits this reward.   I am also awarding it to Outdoor Mom at Yak Adventures, and to her entire family by proxy.  Again, utterly merited and last but not least to Berry Girl, whose regular dose of dry humor makes her my favorite comedienne in the whole wide world (okay, okay, at least my little corner of it).  

Parenting Is Your Highest Calling.

Or is it? Sounds good doesn't it? Think about it carefully. Prepare yourself to get schmucked upside the head, in a really good way and read THIS book. I could say so much. I have wanted to say so much as I have read and re-read this book. I have wanted to do a chapter by chapter light bulb moment play by play, but in wanting to share so much I have held off sharing at all because I didn't have time to put into words all the great insights I have been pondering via Leslie's message.

A few thoughts to tickle your tastebuds.

Parenting is not our greatest calling. Living lives that glorify God and love Him above all is.

Think about this. God calls Himself Father, to Israel, and to the Church. He has faced disappointment, rejection, frustration, sorrow, you name it, as His children rebelled, tested, and ignored His counsel. Can we expect perfection in our own parenting tecqniques when God Himself shows us that parenting is only ONE side of the equation?

These are only summary thoughts from the first TWO chapters. The book is FULL of practical, freeing, inspiring truths that will help you gain clear insight into what parenting is all about, and what it isn't. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Thank you, Leslie, for the gift of your book, and for the gift of your words that serve to build up, encourage and equip us as Christian parents.

The Good Book

'Tis the good reader that makes the good book;

in every book he finds passages

which seem confidences

or asides

hidden from all else

and unmistakably meant for his ear;

the profit of books

is according to the sensibility of the reader;

the profoundest thought or passion

sleeps as in a mine,

until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart.

...ralph waldo emerson