Jeremy Blaido: Journal

Hope.

A New Year filled with promise.

What GOOD things will God bring your way this year?

How will you love God this year?

How will you follow Jesus this year?

How will you love people this year?

Father, reveal your heart to us. Help us to DO what needs to be done. Give us courage to follow you...yes, even to suffer for your name.

Let your kingdom come.

There is a line in this Andrew Peterson song that goes:

"It's the fear that I'll fall one too many times,
It's the fear that His love is no better than mine.
Just as I am, just as I was
just as I will be He loves me He does..."

I love the idea that God's love is better than mine. Especially knowing how really weak and incomplete my own love often times is. I also love the idea that God loves me so completely that He loves me not only for what I am...but for what I once was, and for what I will one day become. Because I am becoming something...someting much better than what I am today. And there is so much hope in that.

A lot of energy and money is spent on trying to make you believe that you are something less. Less talented, less good-looking, less important.

But being rich, or famous, or powerful has little to do with your importance. In fact, it has nothing to do with it. You are important because God loves you. Just as you were, just as you are, just as you will be.

He loves you.

He does.

I have been giving my thought life a lot of attention lately. What a mess! I have found that much of my happiness is related to how well I attend to what I think about.

Don't believe me? Well...how about this:

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
Philippians 4:8

Do you ever notice how much time you spend worrying about money, or relationships, or your job, or even global warming or the world political scene? Personally, I worry about really silly stuff like why I can't get my new lawn established. Seriously, these are the things that fill my brain space. It makes me feel...tired.

But when I think about the love of God towards me, my family and my friends who love me, I am not anxious anymore. When I remember His promises...and that He is transforming my character making me more and more like Christ I am filled with hope. When I remember that I am just an alien here...passing through this temporary situation on my way to the new heavens and new earth where I will get to live forever in His presence....I am filled with so much anticipation and joy!

Let's do this together. It's more fun to think about good stuff anyway.
Like Jesus said,
"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. "

Matthew 6:25-34 The Message

It's not what you think. That is what makes it a surprise. You know, like when you are walking very casually into a studio where a friend from California is visiting and then as you pass by where he is hidden behind a curtain he jumps out at you screaming at the top of his lungs.
That is called a surprise.
Recently, I was surprised to learn that at least one person reads these little journal entries. Thanks for reading Laura. I appreciate that. You may be the only one.
Here is something to think about:
How surprising is it that no matter how awful we have been God still loves us? How surprising is it that no matter what we look like, how much money we make, how "successful" we are, or how many people like us, God still values us above His own life. (see John 3:16)
You don't have to be famous or powerful to get God's attention.
That is surprising.
Think about it.

Sometimes one of my children will ask me what my favorite cereal is (cocoa crispies) or what my favorite color is (hazel-the color of my wife's eyes) or what my favorite sport is (basketball). The funny thing about favorites is you can really only have one favorite. That's what makes it your favorite!

That's really not how it is with God though. God has lots of favorites. I am His favorite, and so are you. Think about it.

You are God's favorite.

I took a much needed break for a while. I needed to get some things right. I found out that God loves to give us second chances. Or even third chances. Do you think it's too late for God to use you? Well, it's not.

Anyways, God is so good! He is full of grace and mercy and compassion and...well, you get the point.

Drop me a note if you want. Love to hear from you.