can you hear me now?

pursuing God through spiritual disciplines. that's the series we've started at church. it's amazing if you ask me. opens up all sorts of discussions about sanctification, legalism, growth, accountability. and it's just plain hard.

in his book, The Practice of Godliness, jerry bridges reevaluates the idea of spiritual disciplines which normally conjures up thoughts of perpetual actions carried out in the pursuit of higher spirituality. His definition of godliness is "devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to Him." That devotion, he suggests, is "a personal attitude toward God that results in actions that are pleasing to God." a simple yet concise synthesis of the goal of each believer's life: "whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

so this next week we will be embarking on the adventure of solitude. and i honestly get pumped just thinking about it. i guess i'm one of those personalities that enjoys the presence of people but also looks forward to the confines of quiet peace. but we're not talking a simple retreat from people. we're talking a retreat from the hum-drum of life. which, in our case is difficult to do. just listen for a minute...do you hear signs of productivity and advancement in the distance? it only takes about 20 seconds for me to recognize the sounds of automotive engineering enabling the continuance of busy schedules. and i'm sitting her looking at a computer screen tempting me to re-review those sports scores from professional games that occurred hundreds of miles from here only hours ago. and there's always the threat of a rumble and jingle from the cell phone in my pocket interrupting my already noisy hour...life is loud.

but i want to get away. i want to get away to where verizon wireless can't hear me now. alone. but not alone.

for me...the best place is outside in God's creation. just waiting, watching, listening, smelling, experiencing...creation exalting God.

so i created a movie/slideshow for youth group that kind of takes us on a tour of our planet. and i begin to realize how amazing God's creation is.

and i can't wait to explore.

and to think we've got all eternity to "be still and know that I am God."