do not fear

The most often repeated commandment in the bible is “do not fear.”
God knew there would be a lot to be afraid of.
It is so easy for me to carry around worries and fears and make plans to try to find comfort and security instead of turning to the very foundation of the universe to find something to set my burdens on.
I forget that the very things I’m looking for all come from one source, and that to put my hope in Him is not a gamble. Not at all.
It is to be sure of my joy, my prosperity, and my provision.


You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

Pslam 91:1-16

http://www.mediafire.com/?b21z2dslbtactla

stories

I just reread A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller again and he talks a lot about living a good story in it. He sees life as a giant movie that we are all thrust into, to weave a beautiful story, or to write something that no one cares to see on DVD.
And I think that a lot of this is true- that we have a choice to write a great story, or to write a story about getting a good job and buying a volvo. And there's nothing wrong with volvos, but it's settling for a small story instead of reaching for something big, for an epic.
I realized about a week ago that my story so far this semester has not been as good as it could be. So I've been taking small steps, saying yes to a few more things, spending more time with people, reading more books, and doing more yoga. These aren't my big story, they're just small steps on the way to something greater.
I want to write a great story with my life. A story about building things that last, a story about loving people, and a story that ultimately points to the writer of all stories, the author of time.

“Nearly every day in the summer, I take my dog to Westmoreland Park, where she plays in the creek. She runs up and down through the creek bed, diving headlong into the water, chasing ducks. Sometimes when I watch her I think about how good life can be, if we only lose ourselves in our stories. Lucy doesn’t read self-help books about how to be a dog; she just is a dog. All she wants to do is chase ducks and sticks and do other things that make both her and me happy. It makes me wonder if that was the intention for man, to chase sticks and ducks, to name animals, to create families, and to keep looking back at God to feed off his pleasure at our pleasure.

It’s interesting that in the Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes, the only practical advice given about living a meaningful life is to find a job you like, enjoy your marriage, and obey God. It’s as though God is saying, Write a good story, take somebody with you, and let me help.

Sometimes, when I’m writing stories, it feels this way. I mean, when I’m sitting at the computer like I am now, I lose track of time and feel as though I’m jumping through the water in the creek, while God is sitting on the shore, pleased at my pleasure.”

Donald Miller

A Million Miles in a Thousand Years