"Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be
Let that goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Here's my heart, oh, take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above"

Have you ever considered what your heart is tethered to? Maybe it's the pursuit of something- money, happiness, fame, success, recognition, acceptance, love, or money. Maybe it's a person - your mom & dad, your siblings, your spouse, your boyfriend/girlfriend, your ex boyfriend/girlfriend, your best friend. Maybe it's a possession- your car, house, or pet. Or maybe it's a bit more obscure, like your past or your future.

I've had my heart tethered to all kinds of crap. I'm in the process of severing those ties and making better choices - choices that glorify God.

In church we're talking about making a lasting impact. As a result, I've begun to ask myself what I'll leave behind. What and who am I impacting, and in what way? What mark do I want to leave? What do I want to invest my time, energy and hope in? I think I may have embraced a lie in there somewhere, that you've got to have a well established savings account and probably a mortgage before you consider your legacy - but we impact people every second of every day, and we have the power to nurture our legacy from day 1.

NIV - "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity."
NLT - "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."
ESV - "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

/foodforthought

Jan 18, 2020

The story of Henry, the UFA

It was then, in the darkness, I saw it. FLYING AROUND IN CIRCLES. IN MY KITCHEN. My heart leapt into my throat, my pupils dilated, and my jaw dropped a bit, and for a very long 4 seconds, I literally couldn’t believe my eyes. After giving my sleepy brain a minute to fully understand that this was, in fact, happening (and whispering a few expletives to myself), I ran back to my bedroom and shut the door….

Feb 4, 2019

Day 365 / Fear

I’ve let fear control every single thought I’ve had since I was a kid, and I’ve only just recently identified it as such. It’s difficult to realize that a voice so familiar could be a voice that whispers lies and intends to suffocate me, not keep me safe.

Jun 22, 2018

Idem

“…while I definitely believe that we’re constantly changing and “identity” is an incredibly intricate and tricky subject, I also believe that there are certain patterns that emerge in people that establish a baseline for who they are.”

Jun 14, 2018

Expectation Management

We go to our favorite restaurant because of the way they cook burgers, so we expect to be able to sit down, order a burger, and have it taste as incredible as it has the last few times we went. When it doesn't, we're disappointed (and probably hangry).

May 10, 2018

Creating Space

In his presence, we remain safe and sound, the outside world can remain at bay. Yet we always have the option to stand up and walk out, and to face it all again, knowing we always have that place to return to to be refreshed.