More Than Grateful

This Christmas I didn’t need anything waiting for me under the tree because I had already received so much.  I experienced the faithfulness of God in such a profound way in 2010.  I feel so full right now.  I’m so tempted to leap out of my chair and have a praise break right here in the office!  GOD IS GOOD!!!  This is the cry of my heart right now.  In the midst of transition and uncertainty God is good and has proven to me over and over again that He can be trusted.

I just need to publicly thank God for all that I have received in 2010.  It was a year of major transition for me and God was there to lead me every step of the way.  He never left me alone. When I couldn’t walk he carried me.  When I was weak his presence made me strong. When worry began to grip my heart he gave me peace.  When friends walked away he brought wonderful people into my life to fill the void.  When I needed a new church home he blessed me with an amazing community of faith I am honored to be a part of.  When I experienced lack he provided.  When I failed he showed me grace.  When I fell he showed mercy.  When I was hungry and thirsty for something more than this world could provide he filled me with himself and now I am satisfied. 

What did I ever do to deserve such love and what can I ever do to repay God for it?  I am overwhelmed and I must say thank you.  I am more than grateful for God’s abiding indwelling presence.  I am more than grateful for this strength and joy that leaps up out of my soul when I need it most.  I am more than grateful for this love that cannot be named, that cannot adequately be described or measured that I can feel deep within the marrow of my bones, coursing through my veins, echoing in even the darkest corners of my soul where no one else dare go.  I am more than grateful that I have fallen in love with a God who had already fallen in love with me from day one.

It’s too much to take in.  I am held by love.  I am carried by love.  I am drowning in love.  I can’t understand it.  I can’t explain it.  I can’t repay God for it.  All I can say is thank you!

Following the Way,

Kevin

Good Morning God

I woke up this morning and I said, "Good Morning God".  It's a spiritual practice I have used in the past and am returning to again.  It's a practice that emphasizes devotion.  By setting aside my first words of every morning to God I demonstrate the place of importance God holds in my life.  In saying Good Morning I am saying to God: You are my first love.  You are the first thing on my mind when I awake; the first thing upon my heart when I begin to stir myself out of bed.  Before my feet even touch the floor I long to commune with You. Brushing my teeth, washing my face, emptying my bladder can wait; I must greet the One who watched over me all night as I was sleeping.  I must reach out to the One who is always reaching out to me. I must turn to face the One who has never hidden his face from me and so I simply say Good Morning.

It's also a practice that emphasizes presence.  I greet God because I realize that God is there and is always there.  There will never be a morning when I will awake to find myself alone.  No, God is always there and by simply saying Good Morning my spirit is reminded of this fact.  And knowing this makes all the difference in how I go about my day whatever it may hold.

Good Morning God!  I am more than grateful for the privilege of greeting You this morning and sharing with You another day.

Following the Way,
Kevin

Joy!!!

I am having one of those days again when the joy of God is just rumbling and tumbling inside of me.  I don't know what to do with myself!  Go to the bathroom and cry tears of joy?  Run around the office shouting God's praises and confuse my coworkers?  Or let it all hang out and just bust out in tongues and dance the way we Pentecostals do when we get a little too excited in church and REALLY confuse my co-workers?

I love days like this!  I am in awe of God's grace and I feel kissed by God's grace right now.  That's the best way I can put it.  Grace is always present but sometimes you feel like it just reaches down and kisses you on the cheek and wraps its arms around you.  I feel like I am about to spontaneously grow wings and take to the sky!  I don't know how anyone could live without ever feeling like this.  I'm just in awe of life, of God, of grace, of the soul's ability to be a sponge sometimes and just soak up all of the joy it can find.

What a gift!  This day.  This moment.  This awareness of grace.  How could I ask for anything more?

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

Romans 5:13

Following the Way,

Kevin

More Than I Can Bear

My beautiful niece Lia was born on Thursday, July 29 at 8:42 in the morning.  I was thrilled at the news and rushed to the hospital as soon as I got off work to welcome my niece into the world.  I can't quite describe it, but there's something so beautiful, spiritual and transcendent about being able to lay your eyes upon a human being during their first day on the planet!

Lia was so beautiful.  I could do nothing but stop and stare.  And for a moment I became enveloped in a holy silence brought about by a deep sense of awe and wonder.  It was so humbling.  Lia was small and largely silent, sleeping most of the time I was there, but she had such presence.  She radiated such peace and tranquility that seemed to fill the whole room and hover in the air.  It was almost too much to bear.  I thought, wow, what a gift to be able to be here at this moment and witness such beauty!  Every issue or problem I had just vanished from my mind and I realized I wasn't just in the presence of my niece but I was standing in the presence of Something much, much bigger than Lia and me.  What a gift!

I am grateful for Lia.  I am grateful for moments like these that help put things in perspective.  I am honored and humbled to be given the privilege of experiencing such richness in life.  The joy in my heart, the song in my soul, the peace in my spirit is almost more than I can bear and I am grateful.

Following the Way,
Kevin

Better Late Than Never

Ok, so this is long overdue! I've been writing here and there for years and I have finally gotten around to starting a blog (I have always been a late bloomer :) I am very excited to share this journey with you! This blog is about my walk with the awesome Mystery we call God. Every one of us is on a personal journey through life and for me God has been a part of my journey for a very long time.

God cannot adequately be defined with words, cannot adequately be understood with the mind, cannot be seen with the eye or touched by the hand, but God, God's presence, God's love, God's joy, can be felt, and for the millions of us all around the globe who are believers, this is all we need. Not to see God with our eyes, not to touch God with our hands, not to prove the existence of God with science or mathematical equations but to feel the presence of God deep down in the marrow of our bones, filling up the deepest crevices of our souls, illuminating the darkest and coldest corners of our hearts.

To be loved by God and to have the honor of loving God in return as well as our fellow man. What could be better than this? For me, nothing. I am following the Way and you are welcome to come join me.