A walk in the woods

I make it a habit to go for a walk most mornings.  With much thankfulness I can say that I most always have somewhere enjoyable to walk. In my current estate it is a short trail that finds its way up the side of a small mountain as it bends away from a quiet road and a surging stream (in which, today, I saw my first salmon this year. Two of them, each some 20 inches long.)

It was a beautiful morning today. Accented by the fact that it had been raining with opression the day before, the sun cutting colors through the golden autumn leaves left an impression that only being there could render.  I stopped at a point where I could still see the road bending away below and still hear the rushing of the stream behind the birds and the forest's hum. My feet have stopped crunching leaves beneath them and in the thick stillness I see the trees growing up the decline below set as silhouettes against the relentless morning sun- whose beams lay stripes on the path and make my shadow dance quietly in the underbrush when I walk. The air is misty and dense. For the first time I notice that steam is rising off the moss growing on the trees below me, which had accumulated much moisture the day before and was now giving it back to the demand of a new day rising. 

Amazed with the lot of it I look upward and wonder at the golden yellow leaves that pattern the sky from their limbs and motherly trunks that set themselves far below on the ground beside me. 

"Like a crown." I think to myself.

"But not a spoiled and pompous crown that we think of ( so unfortunately) when we think of kingly. No. This crown is one that is too earthy in tone to assume more than it is. This maple dons a humble crown. Up there, existing in all its splendor, this maple knows that to think of itself more than a maple would only destroy the true glory that its simple existence allowed it. Such is humanity! So creation - so our lives."

And for a moment again I realize that being quiet and enjoying the Creators work is no less than he might have me do in this moment. Enjoy, breathe, learn. 

Why not?

I continue to walk again, only in time for another traveller on the trail to mostly miss seeing me gazing off into the air. As his dog approaches the owner makes a joke. 

"There ya go Fellah!"

Talking to his dog, 

"You can have him for breakfast!"

Talking about me. 

I laugh and give the canine a rub on the head before carrying on to greet his owner and pass by. Walking away I think to myself how much I liked the dog. 

Later I see a small bird that land and skirts around my near peripheral- enough to show his colors that would have been a blur in flight. Then he flies away. 

The morning sun is burning on into day and I am almost back to the place I currently call home. 

Hope, Love, Truth hold ground in me today. 

I know God loves me. But I don't need to know. I need love.

I was just sitting here on my couch listening to Jars' new recording of "Love song for a Savior" when a simple and profound thought struck me.  

Here i am, having been raised by an incredibly loving family in a relitavely supportive social structure. I've accepted God's love in my life, at least so I say. I'm at Bible college, have a bible, and have discovered that page after page spells love, and yet... 

Yet I have such a hard time accepting God's love. I know it I know it I know it.... than why don't I receive it? Ephesians 3:19 says that the love of Christ "surpasses knowledge" (niv).... well then why can't I believe it.  Its so important I know. my emotional, physical and spiritual self all scream for it. 

The message in church today was more or less about taking the love into the world. It was about showing God to a world who is caught in a great separation from God- from Truth. 

I have every reason to do this don't I? What is the thing that would hold me back? 

If the enemy wants to hold off the attack, what is an easier way to do it, to fight back, or to make his enemies question their cause? 

This was my thought: No wonder I have a problem receiving and believing God's love! What better place for the Enemy to target all of his arrows? 

In addition, what better way to infuriate God?

Where did i put that shield of faith? 

So How do we combat the lies? I'm sure there are many ways, but on a practical note I know God's love most presently and practically and real when another of the body of Christ shows Christlike love to me. There's nothing like it. Maybe there is more to be said for encouragement and love among comrades than I thought about before. 

Simple, but in my mind, profound. 

I put off lunch to write this. 

Love ya later,

mc

What would a smart person do?

Sometimes I get to thinking about the stupid things i did when i was younger, sometimes these things are laughable, and on a bad day depressing. But in any case, I was thinking recently about how it seems every year I think I've got it together-like "now I've arrived". 

Having realized that i seem to think this all the time and i still look back on my mistakes and groan at my ignorance leads me to ask one question (which i hope proves some increase in wisdom). The question is this: What stupid thing am i doing right now?!

Ok, so I'm sortof joking... because if i thought that way all the time I'd probably hide in my closet afraid to do anythings for risk that i will fail. But I think it is worth having friends around who can check you and kick you in the rear when you need it, 'cause sometimes it takes another party to see your stupidity just as it might take another party to see your success. 

Just a thought

from yours truly