Saturday, January 29, 2011

Sheep Thinking

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want." -Psalm 23:1

Have you ever really wrapped your mind around this verse? It's from one of the most familiar passages in the Bible but it's possible to miss the meaning in the familiarity and imagery.

I've not interacted a whole lot with sheep but have been around them briefly. They are skittish, nervous, worried, apt to wander, and greedily lunge for food. If we really think about it, many times we're similar to sheep. We can be worried and concerned about our needs, wants, and desires. Often times, we wander away from the Shepherd either because we think we know best how to meet our needs or because we're stubborn or maybe don't trust Him.

The sheep's lack of vision and knowledge of the shepherd's plans can lead it to dangerous places if it does not stay close to the shepherd and walk in the way he has planned for it. The shepherd will protect and provide for the sheep and may need to occasionally discipline it but ultimately has good intentions for it.

Let us move beyond sheep thinking and fully trust the Shepherd. Let us seek His voice and guiding when we're scared, depend on His provision, and know that He'll lead us in paths of righteousness. When the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not be in want.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Running on Faith

In Running on Faith, we meet Jason Lester, an incredible athlete and follower of Christ. As a boy, Jason was hit by a car which after recovering from the initial injuries, left his right arm paralyzed. He went on to live a very normal and active life despite this challenge. In young adulthood, he also came to faith in Christ and this faith has been his source of strength and motivation for tackling some of the most difficult athletic endeavors known to man.

After moving to Hawaii to train full time, Lester learned how to swim with one arm and went on to compete in the name brand Hawaii Ironman race consisting of a 2.4 mile swim, 113 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. This was not enough though, he later competed in the Ultraman race which consists of a 6.2 mile swim, 261.4 mile bike, and 52.4 mile run over the course of 3 days.

Throughout the book he talks about his faith in God and how he continuously relies on Him in both training, racing, and daily living. It is one of the most inspirational real life stories I've read. It is highly likely you'll be inspired to go for a run, bike, or swim after reading it. Whether you're an athlete, interested in stories of Christian faith, or enjoy seeing people overcome great challenges, this book is for you.

If you found this review helpful, let Amazon know at this link

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Love That Gives You Hope



This is a song I wrote after reading a book about a family’s experience with a daughter who had an eating disorder. While that was in mind when writing the song, the lyrics apply to anyone with a hurt, habit, or hangup. If you need help with something along those lines, check out a Celebrate Recovery at a church close to you.

Love That Gives You Hope
By: Andrew Allen

You are broken and you’re hurting
It’s so dark and you’re afraid of what’s to come
It’s unspoken but it’s certain
That there’s something wrong that haunts you deep inside

All the confusion and chaos screams at you
You wonder if you’ll ever know what to do
Well take a breath and hold on tight, it’s gonna be a hard fight
And just keep going till the darkness turns to light

The light of freedom, unshackled and unchained and living free
So hold on and surrender to the Love that gives you hope eternally

There’ll be times where you want to give up
When everything just seems to drag you down
You might be scared feel like you’re stuck
With no end in sight and so much to overcome

All the confusion and chaos screams at you
You wonder if you’ll ever know what to do
Well take a breath and hold on tight, it’s gonna be a hard fight
And just keep going till the darkness turns to light

The light of freedom, unshackled and unchained and living free
So hold on and surrender to the Love that gives you hope eternally

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

God at the Grocery Store

Today, at the grocery store I had an experience that on the surface was a case of poor customer service. I had gone to the deli to pick up some turkey and the deli clerk was talking with another person who was either a friend or casual acquaintance. She went on and on for several minutes and was quite involved in the conversation (from what I could tell she was complaining about something) but was not engaged in any tasks related to work. This kept up for some time and she seemed oblivious to my presence and need for assistance until finally the other person mentioned something to make her aware of a customer needing help and that he should probably get going.

I didn’t let the incident get to me too much but as I was thinking back over it, I realized that this type of thing probably happens at a deeper level more than we realize. We might be going along in life and get wrapped up in our own little world, interacting with friends and not even realize someone on the periphery that needs help or is reaching out to us.

From time to time, it’s important to look around in case there are people that we can minister to that we might not be aware of at first. It could be something as simple as being a listening ear or lending a hand. Maybe the person is hurting and looking for more in life than what they’ve known so far. Look for opportunities to break out of the normal bubble of life and be available to engage people at their point of need and be Jesus to them.

Who is someone you can be Jesus to?

In pursuit of His best,

Andrew
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