Love Is In The Blair

REQUESTED GUIDELINES FOR GIVING (PLEASE READ) -    I doubt anyone is in danger of this, but I’ll say it anyway.  Don’t give more than you feel led.  If you don’t feel led to give, don’t.  But I ask that you at least pray.  God values obedience greater than sacrifice. (1 Samuel 15:22) -    If giving to my trip will pull money from your tithe, please don’t give.  It is the local church that is best positioned to minister in your life & the lives of those in your community, many of them can’t make the difference they otherwise could because people aren’t giving to them in a Biblical way.  If you trust them with your spiritual guidance, trust your leaders to use your tithe as God leads them.  If you don’t trust them with that, perhaps you should examine either yourself or your choice of church.  If you want to bring it before your church to support me as a body, I’d be open & grateful to talk about that more....

Father... Thank You for continually seeking to remind me that You are all that satisfies... all I'll ever need...AND more than I'll ever deserve. Thank You...that though my foolish heart and mind wander and put up hope in other things and people, no matter how "good" they could be, You always seem to remind me how they fall flat compared to You. I pray that I become an easier student. However, I know I will often require a tough reminder. I'm thankful that You do not give up on me in spite of my pursuit of other, even if "good" and "wonderful," things. I'm thankful that You're always there to remind me, harshly when necessary, that You are BEST and that though my heart may long for "more" somehow that You are more than sufficient for such a prideful man. None of my words, nor a collection of those of the wisest men and women, could ever come near what it would take to express my need for You, and You alone; Nor could they aptl...

Originally Typed: February 3, 2011 Before you read this... just know you can help all this happen by going to http://apps.facebook.com/dockerswearthepants/entries/2631 and voting for my plan once a day until March 15. Tell your friends, make it your homepage, whatever you want. It's all appreciated! Ok... So some of you may have heard, quite vaguely I'm sure, about my desire and move to start a non profit foundation. The organization in question would be "The Least Foundation." Here's the latest to my "plan." The proposed mission statement will be at the very least... very similar to... "The Least Foundation exists to love the unloved and 'unlovable' reach the unreached and 'unreachable,' bring hope to the 'unseen,' 'hopeless,' and 'forgotten,' facilitate the process of those already engaged toward these ends, and encourage others to do the same, all in reflection of the life-changing love of Jesus Christ....

Originally typed: January 27, 2011 There's an ever-widening chasm between "vaguely caring about the less fortunate" and "making a worthwhile difference." The only way to bridge it is "intentionally." It won't happen by accident. Love, and worthwhile things motivated by love, don't occur by happenstance. It takes seeking. It takes a surrendered, broken, soft heart and dedicated, driven mind. It takes courage, selflessness, money, time, and more; the combination of which do not fit conveniently into the "American Dream." To bridge the bigger chasm in the world we've got to bridge the chasm in our lives, between what we say we care about/what sounds good and what we really care about? Sure there's more, but one of the biggest problems is that we often love "the idea of helping" more than the reality that it takes. What does your life; your actions, and your time and money spent, say about what you love and what ...

This was originally posted on Facebook, hence the mentions of FB. Originally typed: January 5, 2011 You may see this note and feel rushed with no time to read it because of the length, but how much time are you gonna waste doing other things today or tomorrow or the next day? Maybe just give it a shot. I mean... you ARE on Facebook, what else of massive importance do you have going? If there is anything you've obviously been willing to put it aside to get on Facebook, so what's another few minutes? We're not defined by anything we've ever had, anything we have, or anything we will have on this earth, no matter what happiness those things may bring. We're not defined by anything we have ever lost, are losing, or ever will lose on this earth, no matter what pain or distress that may bring. We're not defined by anything that we'll never have on this earth, no matter how great it may have been to have. That sounds good to say, but it is only of course...

Originally written : "Back in the day" "If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross." Philippians 2:1-8

Originally typed: November 3, 2010 It's not how we start, but how we finish, but we can never finish well unless at some point you start well. How do we start well? Start today. What do we start?... Start to love others today, because we have been, and are loved, in spite of our yesterdays, and as for our tomorrow(s)... we can just try to love more if we get there. How do we know how to love? Look at how we've been loved. Pray that through the Holy Spirit we would be shown our "unlovable" nature, and enamored with the grace and mercy we've received to have the breath to even begin to pray this prayer. Read and study and meditate through the Bible on how we've been, are, and will be loved by our Father, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, and through His ascension and sending of the Holy Spirit. And look for ways to reflect that love starting today. We must be attentive to the Spirit. Be attentive to our surroundings. We must be self aware to h...