Struggling with sin is evidence of God's amazing grace at work in my life...

I am always searching for new things to satisfy new passions.
I am always waiting for new days to come with old fantasies in the form of a Hollywood movie.
Then I could really live...right?
Then I would have real meaning and substance in my life.
Then I would have purpose, identity, and real happiness.
Then I could love people the way that I imagine myself loving people.
Then I would be a "faithful" Christian.
Then I wouldn't sin as much or perhaps not even at all.
Then I would be like God.
This is how my thinking eventually breaks down.
My entire paradigm needs to be changed.
All of my passions and desires have my "happiness" and myself at the center.
All of my fantasies, perhaps even well-intended wants and desires, are functionally controlled by my desire to suit my own corrupt passions.
It is a vicious cycle that continually feeds itself.
I'm like a stupid dog who keeps chasing his own tail around.
"More! More! MORE! GIVE ME MORE!"
Thank God that he doesn't leave me in my sin.
He doesn't let me stay the same.
He breaks into my life. He is still at work removing the junk from my heart.
He is making me into the image of his Son,
the one in whom he finds Supreme delight and joy.
This is what redemption looks like. God breaking into real history, real time and space, to do and to be what men cannot and will not do for themselves.
Perfect obedience. Perfect righteousness.
God should kick my ass out of his holy presence and into the pits of hell, but instead he has come down in the person of Jesus to perfectly obey on my behalf and then He, himself, was cut off as my substitute.
What a crazy story in which I find myself!
The story isn't over yet.
It's still being played out with living characters and in real time, space, history!
I am comforted to know my Father in Heaven, Yahweh, The Creator God, The Only One True God, The King who has given me His only Son to fulfill His promises.
He has given me his Son in real time, space, and history; but, also, he has given me His Son in His Holy word-in the Bible.
And I can have full confidence in His promises and in his faithfulness to carry them out because His word is sufficient to know and follow Him.
I look forward to the day that I can be with Him and behold Him in the fullness of His glory.
But, I find comfort in knowing Him now, and that I can trust Him fully.
In Christ, the veil has been lifted.
In Christ, I reign as a Prince.
My allegiance belongs to Jesus, the Warrior-King.
"The Lord is a warrior."

Summer in Georgia is so hot these days.

The summer heat dries my skin,

enough to fill an ocean.

All emotion, all thoughts,

begin to evaporate.

These roads are crooked.

These trees stand straight like giants,

and redirect my gaze up towards heaven.


The earth is still. The cities are quiet up there.
Their lights still pulse in all directions.
The moon is content with reflecting the light
of something brighter than himself.


But, my imagination soon tumbles back down to earth.

The heat burns it up and soon it is erased forever.

The sun does not reflect off of my skin so much,

but continues to dry it like old leather.

I wonder if the weather will ever change.

I would like to stand in the rain.

And let it soak into my skin.

Song/Poem

We drive back in the afternoon.

Somehow we pick the hottest time of day.

The mountains were beautiful.

And so were you.

It's hot and muggy in this old car.

The A/C broke last January.

Kind of ironic, don't you see?

We didn't need to stay cold back then.


But summer's here. The sweat leaves traces on the steering wheel.
I'm not dead yet, but I oddly feel I should be in bed by now.
But, somehow, I know I've got a long way to drive. And there are things left unsaid.


The house was a mess when we first left.

I hope that it hasn't gotten worse.

The dog was alive and well.

I hope she checked on him from time to time.

I'd like to see him again.

All of these concerns run through my head.

I know there are things left unsaid.

I should open my mouth.

And I almost do, but you are asleep in the passenger seat.



But summer's here. The sweat leaves traces on the steering wheel.
I'm not dead yet, but I oddly feel I should be in bed by now.
But, somehow, I know I've got a long way to drive. And there are things left unsaid.