[ late nights... ]

Today's been a full day -- lots of time in the Black and Magenta office, a combined floor program (not a big turnout, but fun) and some good, important digging-deeper conversations with loved ones. It's getting late, but I wanted to post before bed.

The Importance of Being Foolish, a book written by Brennan Manning (The Ragamuffin Gospel, Signature of Jesus), has been really encouraging and relevant in relation what I've been processing and praying through in the past few weeks. Manning is in touch with the Word in a special, unique way that has left me wanting to pursue the Lord harder and with zealous, lively faith. He speaks hard truth in a loving, gentle way. Big stuff.

Here's Manning:

When Jesus Christ reveals himself through the gospel, which is active and creative, he calls for a spontaneous response. His message is not a reassurance to keep right on doing what we've been doing, but, writes, Edward O'Connor, "a summons to the labor of eliminating from our lives, faithfully and perseveringly, everything in us that is opposed to the work and will of his Holy Spirit for us."

Lately I've been desiring that the Lord would find me faithful in pursuing his heart so that my love for others here and across the world would multiply -- and, really, that I would be found willing to act upon need with hopeful spontaneity. Trusting in his will and not my own. I want to be found really loving my Lord, anticipating his direction, getting over myself in order to eliminate what I've been claiming as my own. Oh, that he would redeem a lost people and restore them to life again.

Jesus, we owe it all to you.

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." (1 Co. 1:27-31)