Where Do We Go From Here?

This has been something that I feel the Spirit has been impressing upon me the past few days.  This could become something bigger than just one blog post, but, I will try not to get ahead of myself.  So bear with me as I work through whatever this is.

As of late, I have been constantly turning to the Gospel accounts because they share similarities but are so vastly different in their interpretations, purposes, and style.  As I have been studying through these accounts I keep coming to the arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus the Christ.  I know, it isn't the season to look at the last days of Jesus' life but maybe my internal clock is just messed up or something.  However, as I am reading through these various accounts it is not Jesus that I am fascinated with; rather, I have had an interest in the disciples.  Let me give my reason why below:

As I have said in previous blogs and with many of you who may be reading this, the time from my spring semester of my senior year at college up until now has been a rough ride for me.  And it has been exceedingly confusing and frustrating.  And, honestly, rather hopeless at times.  I have been frustrated, lost, confused, filled with doubt, and I have been impatient.  These are all pretty universal feelings that all of us can say that we have experienced at one time or another.  It is real crap we deal with like this.  I do not know a single person that has gone through even one day without having to wrestle with at least one of these emotions/feelings.  For that reason, I think it is easy to say that I am at the point in my life where I am asking God over and over again: where do we go from here?  What am I supposed to be doing?  And I truly believe that the disciples were experiencing these emotions and maybe these questions after the events of Jesus’ arrest, trial, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.  This is the reason for my interest in their lives in the ultimate chapters of the Gospels and throughout the rest of the New Testament.

I will be referencing all of the Gospel accounts throughout this writing and I want to say that I love John’s account of this part of the narrative and so anytime I am referencing the story and not giving an account by name, it’s probably John.  First, though, let’s take a look at Luke’s account.  In Luke 22 Jesus is betrayed by Judas, one of his disciples, but Jesus knew all along that Judas was going to be the one to betray him and it was meant for Jesus to fulfill the prophecies written in the Old Testament considering his betrayal and death.  Jesus is taken away by Roman guards led by Judas and Luke tells us that Peter, the stubborn oaf of a disciple known for his confidence and utter loyalty to Jesus, is following them from a distance (22:54).  Whenever I read that I think to myself, “Why?  What is he hoping to accomplish by following from a distance?”  Let me also point out that just before Jesus’ arrest Peter tells him that he would follow him even to death.  Maybe he meant literally?  But I do not think so.  Then, in verse 55, it mentions that the guards build a fire outside and so Peter plops down with them.  Again, why?  These are the guards that just saw him with Jesus and then followed all the way to the city, and then he sits down around a fire with them.  Not a bright move really.  What on earth was he thinking?  This is also the part where Peter denies even knowing Jesus three times and after the third time is reminded that Jesus told him that he would do this.  When he remembers the words of Jesus about this denial he runs away, weeping. 

Each of the Gospel accounts tells this story of Peter.  In Matthew and Mark the authors make sure to mention that the disciples “deserted” Jesus immediately after his arrest, save for Peter of course.  Then, in John, there is a mention of “another disciple” going with Peter on his short stalking of Jesus and his captors (18:15).  Alas, that is where it ends for the disciples.  We know almost nothing about what they were doing or thinking throughout this part of the story except for this short excerpt about Peter and maybe one other disciple.  In fact, the next time we do hear of the disciples is at the foot of the cross after Jesus has died but they appear to take no part in the process of his burial.  They simply arrive at the cross at the very end.  Why?  And where does Peter run to while he is weeping?  Where is home for him now?  Or the other disciples for that matter?

I tell all this to make sure that the setting is understood because my point is coming up! I think that there is no mention of the disciples because it should be obvious: they are all freaking out.  They have spent the last three years (roughly) of their lives going from place to place with this man named Jesus of Nazareth (because there were a lot of people named Jesus running around in the area) and learning more and more about God and faith and love from every word coming from his mouth.  They were sustained, spiritually, by a direct source to the Living Water that promises eternal life.  Can you even imagine!?  Then, in just a few moments, that man is ripped away from them.  Then not a few minutes later, the second in command, Peter, runs off after him!  They are beyond lost, frustrated, confused, filled with doubt, and more than impatient with the circumstances.  I truly believe that the thought on each of their minds was, “Where do we go from here?”  For them they also meant physically where would they go because none of them actually had homes necessarily anymore since they gave everything up to follow Jesus.  And so…the disciples sit in silence until his death and burial.  Not knowing what to do.  Or where to go.

Now, the resurrection accounts are all different in each of the Gospel accounts.  They just are.  There are similarities, though:

Mary Magdalene finding the tomb empty

Mary running to find Simon Peter and the disciples

Peter running to and looking inside the tomb but finding just the empty grave cloths

The disciples meeting behind closed, locked doors in fear

Jesus suddenly appearing to them despite the locked door

That is where the similarities kind of end.  There is one other thing that is not noticeable if you don’t pay close attention.  Each of the Gospel accounts make mention of the fact that all of the disciples (and other believers, too!) were together and Mark says they were sharing a meal at the time Jesus appeared (16:14).  That is vitally important but so easily overlooked!  The disciples, when faced with the question, “Where do we go from here?” find the solution without even realizing it was a solution because it was so natural for them. 

The natural thing was to stay together.

Yep.  That’s what they did.  That’s all they know because that is what Jesus taught them.  When we are at a point in our lives where we are having to stare face-to-face with the question, “Where do we go from here?” the disciples model for us that we stay together.  We seek each other out.  When we are lost, when we doubt, when we are scared (sometimes even for our lives!), we cling to one another, we share meals and thoughts and feelings and life, we talk, we quarrel, we figure it out, and we wait for God to act.  We wait for Jesus to show up behind a locked door where we least expected him.

May each of you find some comfort in the reactions of the disciples in the narrative of the Gospels.  May each of you begin to unravel the answer to the question, “Where do we go from here?”  May each of you find those you need to cling to in order to offer such comfort as the disciples did in their darkest of times.  This is where the answer to that question begins to be fulfilled. 

Seeking the Truth,

Dylan 

A Christmas Narration

As I go through this Christmas season and reflect on what all it is supposed to mean I am disturbed by a question that is always prickling me in the back of my mind.  This morning I was reading in John 19 about the death of Jesus.  The parts that mention the fulfillment of Scripture and the prophecies from the Old Testament always stick out to me.  The question that comes to mind, strangely enough, is about the importance of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.  Which one is more important?

Yes, they are all vital and one cannot be without the others.  The Christmas season is all about celebrating the birth of Jesus the Messiah.  But is it really?  This season has very little to do with the birth of a child that later becomes the Savior of Creation.  It has a whole lot to do with presents and family and friendship and celebration.  I am starting to ramble a bit but my point is coming up.  What if this season wasn't about the birth of the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior?  What is this season is about the beginning of a story, a narrative, an unfolding of God's plan?

Luke begins his gospel with his desire to unfold a narrative.  I am about to break out some Greek, briefly, so be prepared.  The word Luke uses is, transliterated, diegesis (dee-ay-gay-sis) and basically means"an account."  However, it stems from two words that mean "through" and "to lead" with the idea behind the combination of words meaning something along the lines of "to lead through to the end."  It is fascinating that Luke would use this word that can seem so analytical and logical yet has the implication of something so enticing and wonderful.  Luke was simply stating the case of giving a full account of the life and work of Jesus, known as the Jewish Messiah, but maybe the Spirit was giving the author the inspiration of meaning something much more.  What if this season is not celebrating so much the birth of Jesus as the beginning of a narrative of redemption that began at the birth of creation but is now fully being told through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ?  Another note of interest is that it is widely accepted by many biblical scholars that Luke and Acts are part of a collection written by the same author, but that it seems that the collection was not finished or the latter books were lost.  Obviously I am no biblical scholar but I just find it interesting that Luke begins with the notion of telling a story to the end and the story is never given a conclusion.  Possible?  Maybe.

Back to my point: what if we stopped treating the Christmas season about gifts (duh) or about even the birth of Jesus but started recognizing it as the beginning of being led through the story of salvation?  That might be a weird way of wording it but I hope it makes sense.  It isn't something that could be drastically different but I think it makes a slight difference in how we interpret things.  These are just some thoughts and musings as Christmas time approaches and I process through Scripture and study.  I pray that I haven't said anything heretical in these brief thoughts ;)

Seeking Truth Seekers

Woah.  It has been a while since the last time I wrote anything.  I have been so caught up with working and life that this blog entirely slipped my mind until recently.  Thanksgiving must have really given me a run for my money, huh?

I think that I am realizing that I do not have much to say that I feel is worth sharing.  I have some ideas jotted down somewhere to look to if I need ideas.  Even in those ideas written down, though, I just am not feeling as if I need to say anything nor that I have anything to say.  When I started this blog I wanted it to be in pursuit of truth and I do not think that me writing about whatever happens to be on my mind at the time is truly seeking truth.  My intent with writing is to truly dig in deep with issues I struggle with, thoughts I wrestle with, and arguments that I have with myself and to share them aloud with my peers, family, friends, and maybe even random strangers.  If I fall short of that, then why should I write in this way at all?  My point is similar to when Paul writes about speaking in languages and sounding like a clanging cymbal but how it is worthless if it means nothing to no one and brings no one closer to and with God.  In the coming weeks I wish to ask those close with me what they think I might have to say or questions and/or issues I could tackle or struggle with either on my own or with others in order that I might continue to seek truth, whatever that might mean.

With all of this in mind, I will go out on a limb and say this: if you have any questions, ideas, struggles, comments, witty banter, quips, quibbles, slurs, etc. then email me at dylmill10@gmail.com (the email this blog is attached to) with "Seeking Alethinos" somewhere in the subject line.

Always Seeking Truth,

Dylan

The Obligatory Blog About The Current Holiday - Thanksgiving

I have waffled back and forth on whether or not I should bother writing this blog.  But...what the heck...here is the obligatory holiday blog...

As I am sitting down to write this blog I am about to leave to go to the Miller side of my family for a Thanksgiving dinner.  All morning I have been baking cookies just for the occasion and this whole week I have been pondering what all I have for which I should be thankful.  Thanks to Lifetime movies and most tv shows at this time of year, the idea of sitting at the table and going around and sharing what I am thankful for has been on my mind.  And I find it to be a terrifying thought.  All that being said, I feel as if I have very little to share that hasn't already been said by someone older, smarter, and/or greater than me.

However, thank God for the crap in my life.  There has been so much good in my life and it is very easy to count those blessings.  When it comes to this time of year and Thanksgiving begins to creep up on me I tend to turn dark and melancholy.  What do I have to be thankful for?  Look at all this bad stuff that has been happening to me.  And then, something wonderful happens, I start noticing how one bad thing has eventually led to something good or has had some positive side effect even though it may not have been ideal.  We can look in Scripture at how bad situations have turned around or how they have turned out to be a part of a greater plan that God has been in the process of orchestrating.  A bit of insight into my theology: I do not believe that God makes all things work together for our good.  I believe that God makes all things work together for the good of all creation.  Sometimes, that does not mean that we will experience sunshine and roses at most points in our lives.  Sometimes that means that God is deeply involved in our lives, suffering along with us, encouraging us, talking to us, but that there are times when God simply will not alter a situation because it is of our own choosing BUT that God can and will work that event into a means of good (perhaps even a means of grace???) for creation.  So, for this reason, thank God for all the crap in my life.  Maybe someday it will open up the opportunity to empathize with someone or allow for the chance to share my testimony and the gospel with someone.  Maybe this stuff that just isn't working out for me is because something else down the road is going to work out even better and be just where God wants me.  Maybe I have missed out on a great opportunity that God has placed in front of me but I know that God will fill that opportunity in another way.  I could go on and on but I think I will stop here because I have said all that I feel led to say in this brief holiday rant/rave/whatever.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  (Even the ones we don't recognize as blessings)

Continually seeking the truth,

Dylan

Okay...

...I am realizing that I can be a huge jerk sometimes...and maybe that is okay (not OK okay but okay okay...am I making any sense?)...

What I am trying to say is that there is some kind of compulsion in Christianity to be perfect. To put on a good face and to grin and push through whatever it is. I think most people that know me would say that I am a pretty easy-going person and that I take a lot in stride. I have been known by the name Chill Dyl in my life, and I like to think that I'm pretty proud for being known for that! And while being chill is oftentimes a personality thing and maybe not so much a religious thing, there is an aspect in American Christianity where we have to hide our emotions. We have to feel good all the time. Being sad is looked down upon. Being depressed is a shameful thing. Being angry is sinful. But I want to call us on our lies. I have a friend who has suffered from depression and while we were at school together he and I had many conversations together, tears were shed, hurt was shared, but sometimes it got too much for me. I will be brutally honest at my own expense: there were times when I told him he was wrong for feeling the way he did and that he should be happy and sometimes I avoided dealing with him on my off days because I knew I was going to be a little harsh or mean. I regret nothing in life because what has happened can't be changed, only the present can be changed. That being said, I truly do wish I had been more understanding and patient with him.

In Scripture, some of the most beautiful words are from the mouth of Job as he tells of his suffering and how God wasn't doing as good a job as he thought God should and how death would be better than living his life. Also, in Lamentations we see the outpouring heart of a man who is so upset for his people and is in anguish and is just letting his heart bleed out to God. And in then Psalms we see various Psalmists crying out in much the same way! Yet, for some reason, here I am trying to hide my pain from God and from others and simultaneously continuing this cycle to my friend suffering with depression with a heart torn open by the pain in his life. Why do we do this? Jesus never, not once, said we should be happy. But I have been taught otherwise. And I have taught otherwise...my challenge is this: read through Lamentations or Job or the Psalms or the final words that left Christ's lips before he died and, just for a moment, put yourself in that mindset and truly feel, just for a moment, the pain. But, notice how these always end with Love. They end with God loving His creation despite their cries against Him. They end with the Scriptures telling us how, in the end, loving God and knowing His love for us through it all is what matters.

I am realizing that sometimes I can be a jerk. And I am also realizing that I am human and that, whether I like it or not, I get upset and angry and sad and frustrated. Sometimes, I will react to those feelings in ways that are less than loving. And sometimes, only sometimes, that is okay. Because we are going to have these feelings and they will occasionally cause a reaction in us. We must always repent if these reactions create sin in us or in others. But we have to recognize that God doesn't want us to be happy all the time. He knows we won't be. But He knows that He will always be there for us. And in the end, we must love Him and find comfort in knowing that He loves us.

*I want to add a side note here because there is one last thing that I feel I need to say with this. I struggle with finding the balance with what I mentioned earlier...is it okay to just express our emotions at all times? Should we bottle up on occasion? Are there times when we must seek joy despite our circumstances instead of feeling in the moment. I read an article the other day and shared it with my wife. Afterwards, she did her thing and read even more about the subject and it ended up being about the death of a husband who left behind a widow with 2 very small children. And in that, the widow who wrote the article mentions how she can't allow herself to feel all the emotions of reliving the day her husband died. She couldn't allow herself to live in that every day. I find that to be extremely healthy. But, at the same time, is it better for her to express those feelings and emotions to God? I truly struggle with this balance for people in these situations or for people that suffer in depression. I willingly admit that I don't have the answer. The best solution I have to this struggle is that each person must make their own decision on the balance of these. Maybe there are others that have a better answer than I.

What Good Can Come From Dungeon Siege?

I remember when I was growing up my dad would play these super awesome games on the computer. He would have people come o er to the house and play the games with him online or through a direct link. They played games like Age of Empires and Baldur's Gate and Dungeon Siege. I would watch them play these games and I was absolutely fascinated by them. I loved that the mechanics were simple enough that I could learn to play but there was a certain style and finesse required to actually be good at them. I loved watching my dad play with swarms and armies of creatures and people closing in around his character and him fighting them off with his friends nearby helping him out.

Fast forward to the present and I am still fascinated by these games. Call them hack'n'slash or dungeon crawlers or RPGs or what have you, but they are some of my all time favorite games to play. One of my favorite oldie games is Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna. Sadly, I lost the disc years ago and I when I downloaded it, it was not compatible with my laptop and so for now that game is put to rest. Most recently, however, I have picked back up Dungeon Siege 2. Let me tell you, the graphics aren't that great compared to new games and the storyline is lacking but, man, I love playing that game.

Some people love video games and some people hate them. I am not going to advocate for abusing video games or saying that they are bad or evil. I am most certainly not going to make any statements about whether or not video games are good or bad for kids or teenagers or even adults. All I want to do is explain why I am intrigued by video games and why I enjoy them...

...I am a dreamer. As I said before I grew up with certain video games via my dad or playing them myself. The biggest fascination for me isn't in winning the games or becoming the most powerful or best player. I love challenging myself and I love creating a character, a person. When I play games like Dungeon Siege 2 or Elder Scrolls or even Pokémon I try and make characters with personality that will or will not do certain things and has preferences and loves and hates and has opinions. On top of that I thoroughly enjoy making those characters have struggles and challenges such as only using certain types of weapons or attacks, which can make the game easier or more difficult. The attraction for me for video games (more specifically, with the games that I enjoy) is in practicing empathy, feeling with someone rather than feeling for someone (sympathy), and learning new and creative ways to solve problems. Maybe it sounds silly, but I know that video games like this have helped me develop into someone whose dominant strength is empathy and who is able to come up with solutions to problems in creative ways. It may not have been the entire reason and perhaps these traits were prominent for me before but they definitely developed these further.

All of this being said is because I recently watched an episode of a TV show that brought up some good points about video games being bad and being good...but they never came up with any kind of solution or answer for their problem! I am presenting my perspective to add to the ongoing conversation. I would also like to add that there are video games that I would refuse to play on principal and because of certain beliefs that I hold, just so someone doesn't hold me as hiding the truth or trying to cover up for anything.

Thanks for reading! I would be curious to hear others' perspectives as well!

A Long Time Waiting...

It has been a very long time since I have actually updated anything on this blog. I have wanted to post and blog and share but whenever I would sit down to do it, nothing would happen or I would get distracted and do something else. I am not sure that I have much good to say...

I still want to seek truth with this blog. I still want to seek what is real and sure and good and true. But I am beginning to think that I am in need of opening that up to other avenues rather than theology and scripture. I am learning more and more, since being outside of college and a Christian community and part time jobs, that truth can be found in even more things than I ever thought. For this reason, I will try to blog about a lot of different things and some of them may be random, some may be nerdy, some may be cheesy, some may be about romance (with my amazing wife, of course!), and some might be about the mundane. No matter what, though, I want it to always be about what is true and real. And it has been a long time waiting for that realization. Now, for the content of this particular blog...

I studied Youth Ministry and I studied Biblical Languages and I invested in the spiritual lives and health of others (sometimes at the expense of my own). I volunteered at various things. I prayed long and hard. I listened a lot. I talked a lot. I never truly found the joy in my heart that I knew should be there. I love God and I love others. But I never loved myself and I still don't most days. I wasn't depressed and I wasn't necessarily unfortunate or even unhappy. But I was not content. I wanted and expected more out of life. I knew the right things and I did the right things. I truly think I even had strong faith in God. But, shoot, the results were not at all what I expected. I know, I know...the Lord sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike and good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people. I get it. I have often said that life is unfair and all we can do is be faithful throughout it all. But...did I believe the words I was saying? Do I believe it now? I don't know. Haha. I still do not know what I think and believe sometimes. My wife knows how often I struggle with doubt and disbelief and questioning God and Scripture. I am sincerely grateful for her bearing with me through these moments.

This is all to say that I am not out of the woods...but I see more rays of sunlight shining through than I have in times past. And that is a very good thing. I was talking to a very good friend of mine last night and I told him that I have found some joy and contentment in my life. And I realized that it was the first time in more than a while. (My senior year of college was a drag, let me tell ya) life hit me hard those 9 months. Don't get me wrong: I have been profoundly happy during the past year or so, but that is different from having joy and being content. I am not happy with where I am at career-wise but I am content. I have found joy with my life. I come home to a beautiful wife, a good apartment, from my good paying job in my functional car, and we get to eat out and rent movies and do some fun activities every now and then. I am blessed, even though I do not feel like it sometimes.

That realization has taken a long time to come to my attention.

Always seeking what is real and true,

Dylan

Do More

I am in my final week of my final semester of my final year of my undergraduate education.  To keep it short and sweet: life is hitting me hard.  I could talk about all the things that are weighing me down in life right now, but I do not want to seem as if my purpose in sharing the following is for a pity party.  Suffice it to say that what I am writing comes from an extremely weary and burdened heart and soul that always feels the pressure to "do more..."

I want to start with something that probably needs to be said to the young adult American population (and pretty much the entirety of the American population): we need rest.  We do not require rest.  We need rest.  I say it this way because it is required, of course, but I want to emphasize the urgency by using the word need.  Now that we, you and I, have that established...

In Genesis 1 we can read that God created and we are told that God created in six days.  Then, in Genesis 2:1-3 we are told, "So the creation of the heavens and the earth and everything in them was completed.  On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.  And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation" (NLT).  My point here is not on the issue of the days or length of creation.  My point is to focus on Sabbath.  In both Exodus and Leviticus this Sabbath day was focused on as a day to rest and give glory to God for His work of creation.  The Sabbath was set aside as a time of rest.  You know something that we, myself included, tend to skip over at this point?  Humans were created on day six and on that day God spoke to them, "'Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground'...Then God said, 'Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food. And I have given every green plant as food for all the wild animals, the birds in the sky, and the small animals that scurry along the ground—everything that has life'" (NLT).  God gave humans a task to perform, a job to do...but then God told them to immediately observe the next day as rest.  It is this crazy thing that God does...He tells humans, "I have something big planned for you and a great work that I want you to do with me.  But first...you need to take some time and rest in me."

Humans, though, we tend to mess things up.  Jesus tells us the same thing in Mark 2.  Jesus and his disciples were walking through some fields of grain one Sabbath and needed to eat so they picked some as they were passing by, which really only makes sense if you really think about it.  However, there was a very strict law among the Jews that picking grain was considered work and we are not allowed to work on the Sabbath.  The Pharisees reminded Jesus and his disciples of this fact very audibly and publicly, to which Jesus in turn reminded them of something they had forgotten.  In fact, Jesus brings this point home to the Pharisees by saying, "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath!" (NLT).  Typically, the argument is made here that Jesus was telling the Pharisees to ease up on their silly, nit-picky laws.  I would like to make the case that the Pharisees here were truly trying to do the right thing and that Jesus' point was not that they need to chillax with all of the laws, but that he was reminding them about this passage in Genesis.  Jesus was reminding them that God has given humans a great work to do alongside Him but that we must continually take the time to rest in Him.

I imagine that the Pharisees of this story, and that many many many of us now, are stuck.  We know that we need to practice "sabbath" and to do so means that we mustn't do anything "work-related."  I wonder, though...doesn't it seem like work to try and figure out a large chunk of time in which we try to avoid doing anything that might be work?  If so, then isn't that really going against what we are trying to accomplish?  Is that really practicing sabbath?  Don't get me wrong!  Being able to take large chunks of time and relax and simply rest in God is a wonderful and great thing!  But sometimes I think we, like the Pharisees, tend to over-complicate things.  

We were not made to meet the requirements of the Sabbath, but the Sabbath was truly created for us.  

I think...I think that we may have gotten some things wrong.  If our objective in practicing sabbath is because we are told that we need to practice sabbath, then I think that we have sorely missed out on something beautiful.  Sabbath was given to humanity as a gift.  Humans were created on day six and God tasked them with something great, but first He wanted them to rest in Him and with Him on day seven.  Jesus' reminder to the Pharisees is a reminder to us: there is something great that God has tasked us with but before we can begin we must take the time to focus in on God and find rest and strength in Him.  Once we are rested up, we can truly dig into our work.  

Sabbath is a gift from God in which He asks us to intentionally take the time to rest in Him and center our purpose in alignment with His purpose.  

Now, that being said, I must admit that I rarely am able to take an entire day to practice sabbath.  My guess is that most people that might read this don't have the time or ability to either.  Here is what I have to say about that: find ways to rest in God or to do things more restfully and intentionally with the purpose of aligning your purpose with God's purpose.  For me, this looks like purposefully reading Scripture at a leisurely pace with no predetermined stopping point (and it drives me crazy sometimes).  It looks like taking the time to rest deeply in those moments when I can stop and simply relax and focus on God's task that He has given me.  It looks like going exploring or hiking or going to Taco Bell with some friends or something like that, but with the purpose of resting in who God is and doing so with the desire to further align my purpose and goals with His purpose and will.

I want to end with the words of Christ, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you.  Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light" (NLT Matthew 11:28-30).  

Believe me when I say that I am the kind of person that reads something like this blog post and the cynicism begins to just ooze out of my pores, "Yeah, right, dude/dudette.  Significantly easier said/read than done."  Please, let me encourage you.  Allow me the sincere pleasure to tell you that in Christ there is rest for your soul.  It is so much easier to read it than to believe it and to practice it.  It is so incredibly and truthfully worth it, though.  Do not listen to the things and the stuff that weighs you down and whispers (or yells) into your ear, "Do more.  Do more.  Do more."  We need rest.  God has something so great for us to participate in alongside Him and all He asks is that we first rest in Him and center our will and purpose in His will and purpose.  Find ways to practice sabbath and to rest in God.  Take up the yoke of Jesus the Christ.  Find rest for your soul.

Allow me to conclude with a short prayer for myself and for you, the reader:

Father, thank you so much for your creation.  Thank you for your blessing and the task for us to participate with you in your world.  Help us to find ways to rest in you.  Allow us the opportunities to center our will and purpose with yours.  We love you, Lord, so much.  Amen.


Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Grace and Peace,
Dylan