I believe that following Jesus is a willingness to die. Death loses all power. The life gained in following the master is worth more than all else. In yielding my impoverished everything, I am granted an everlasting abundance. The one who gives me everything, accepts nothing less in return.
The madness of the world finds order in a singular pursuit of God. I am created in His image. Like a body reduced to a carbon shadow from a nuclear blast, God's image is scorched onto the fabric of my soul. I drag my finger through the outline and the chaos is silenced by the grit beneath my skin. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, this is where I meet my God. He is here to receive my ultimate yield.
I find deep peace in the contents of my study. The front wall is glass, behind me hang the banners of the past 18 months of my sermons at church. They flood my mind with the hours of preparation, and images of those who listened. I know my heart clung to each concept.
A shelf stands to my left. It was left behind by the previous owners and I am grateful. It holds the physical belongings that are most dear to me: my Bibles, my theology books, the knives that Kroger gave to me when I walked away from a career to pursue a calling, and images of my family.
What images define you? As I hear the traffic outside my window, my night is cradled with reflections on the glass of my being. I am created by the lives that surround me.
The madness of the world finds order in a singular pursuit of God. I am created in His image. Like a body reduced to a carbon shadow from a nuclear blast, God's image is scorched onto the fabric of my soul. I drag my finger through the outline and the chaos is silenced by the grit beneath my skin. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, this is where I meet my God. He is here to receive my ultimate yield.
I find deep peace in the contents of my study. The front wall is glass, behind me hang the banners of the past 18 months of my sermons at church. They flood my mind with the hours of preparation, and images of those who listened. I know my heart clung to each concept.
A shelf stands to my left. It was left behind by the previous owners and I am grateful. It holds the physical belongings that are most dear to me: my Bibles, my theology books, the knives that Kroger gave to me when I walked away from a career to pursue a calling, and images of my family.
What images define you? As I hear the traffic outside my window, my night is cradled with reflections on the glass of my being. I am created by the lives that surround me.
This is a snapshot of who I am. My faith, my calling, tools of my work, authors who inspire me, and my grandparents whose memory and legacy compel me forward.
This reminds me of my beginnings. I love this picture of my parents when life was fresh and they held me as the joyful product of their commitment to each other. I look at this and I see promise. I see hope.
These hang outside of my office at the Christian Academy. They are student representations of our retreat experience a few weeks ago. I read the words of the students and I am reminded that our days matter. Our words matter. The struggle is worth it. We are put here for a reason. We were selected from all the years of time for this moment.
I take heart tonight. These images remind me of my belief. They remind me of my identity as a follower of Jesus. I reflect on those who have carried me to this place, who love me still, and who inspire me to carry on.
There is great worth to this calling of following my savior. I am honored to live my life in pursuit of this great calling. These are images of my true belief. May the face of God scorch my soul and burn shadows onto the landscape.
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| Student artwork at CAS. The images we leave behind tell of the life we lived. May our images reflect something greater than ourselves. |
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