Thoughts of a weary traveller

If the past month has taught me anything, I would have to say one thing is that I love spending time with my wife. Lindsay is a joy to be around, and we have so much fun together.

Today we spent the day exploring the town of Sukhothai. There we so many neat ruins, and we took as many pictures as we thought would turn out. We rented bicycles for the day and just trotted around a few square kilometres of ruins. Lindsay said she felt like she was Anne from Road to Avonlee, and I was some boy she cuts off and falls in the river - I didn't watch the show, but I'm sure the sisters will know what this means :)

The other thing I have learned is that I have much to learn from God. On that note, here are a few things that have been on my heart and mind over the past month (in no particular order - just what is flowing from my heart and mind):

1) Christianity is not about guns, swords, bombs, and tricking and coercing people into following Jesus. True Christianity prays, listens, preaches, and loves people into deciding to follow.

2) God is bigger than my fears, anxieties, short comings, sins, and flaws.

3) I am a wickedly deceitful man at heart. Only by the grace of God can I change and show anything good.

4) Blinking Christmas lights fascinate me.

5) Lindsay and I have and had amazing grandparents. They loved us as unconditionally as humanly possible and had so much fun playing with us. We look forward to seeing our children revel in the love and joy of our parents one day.

6) I will know when I have grasped the grace and love of God when I stop seeing evangelism as "pushing my beliefs onto someone." When this time comes, I will see it as showing love because I will desperately yearn and long for them to come to know Jesus and will ache with pain every minute they do not.

7) I want to be like Dave Fields and Sandy Colero. These two men are men of God. They love him, love people, and seek to share all that they have with others. These men are men who understand grace.

8) I want to be the type of person who others are attracted to. I don't say this with vain conceit, but with the desire that people around me will see me as a source of encouragement and strength, giving to them and upholding them throughout their own times of trials and tribulations.

9) I have been blessed. I have nothing to look on with contempt. I have a wife who loves me; a family who has always spoken wisdom and insight into me; in-laws who have always loved me as their own blood; and a church family that wants to see me grow in Christ.

10) Our pastoral staff (and ALL pastoral staff, of all churches) need our support. Their job is to give. They have been called to give all that God has given them, unselfishly. They have to deal with politics, unhappy people, decent in the congregation, and still are called to preach to the lost and called. We need to love them with all our hearts, and seek to uphold them so that they may complete the task set before them without wavering and faulting. They are human and will make mistakes, but the grace of God allows us and them to overcome these failings and strive for the mark set by Jesus.

11) I haven't led anyone to Christ in almost 5 years. I haven't shared my faith with anyone in just as long. I am ashamed of this, yet know that there is great power that God has available to me to do these things and "make disciples of all nations."

12) Marriage is a blessing. Cherish it. It is the most important calling you have if you are married. If your marriage is in jeopardy, find someone who can lead you in finding resolution. If your marriage is struggling, so will your relationship with God, as marriage is the human example of how Christ loves the church (Christians).

There are so many things that are going through my mind, and I would love to share them with you. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to pray, read my Bible, and listen to sermons by Godly men and women.

If these thoughts sound like foolishness, that is ok. I don't expect all my thoughts to resonate with every person. I would love to talk to you about them, however, and maybe work on number 11 of my list above :)

This may be a bit of a different post, but I thought it would be worth sharing, as all of you are treasured parts of life.

Cheers!