The Unworthy Saint

How much can be said on one particular aspect of God? Does God not have to be experienced to be understood any small amount? How many road maps can you have before you must travel down the road to learn more? I read and I read and I read but more than anything, I want to experience God. And more than anything I deny myself the time to experience God, replacing it with time to read about Him, or do other things I feel are worth doing. Time to give it up…time to go. I’m going outside.

(this is a paraphrase of something said by someone sometime in the past… but I don’t remember what, who or when)

In all my discussion and talking with people – even people whom I consider highly intelligent, far more intelligent than I – I find not truth, but an ever-increasing realization that the human mind cannot fully comprehend the truths of the bible. I am constantly realizing that there is mystery in the Good Book and mystery in God. And while this mystery is quite frustrating, it would be stupid to think that we fully understand many of the truths of the Bible. I’m also realizing that while might seem quite intelligent to have an explanation of the mysteries of the Bible, perhaps it is more stupidity than anything – perhaps the smart man is the man who humbles himself before the word, before God, before man and says “I do not understand this, that or the other about God, no matter how I try. And so I am accepting and confessing that I do not know the truth, and will not unless God expands my mind and gives me understanding beyond my capacity.”

I want to be all that I am capable of, in Christ, rather than all that I currently am. And I suppose I’m on the road… the road to transformation into perfection. I’m just curious what it looks like further down the road. And I’m curious whether I’ll be over seas in a few years, or still here. Curious whether I’ll have a job at a church, be a full time artist, or if I’ll be back at a corporate job. I’m curious… I want to be so much more than I am now…

Ruth is 5, she lives in Guatemala with her parents. Isn’t she cute? I’m just starting to get to know her through Compassion International. Compassion is a great organization and they are doing some wonderful things in young people’s lives around the world. If you’re interested in teaming up with them, as I have, and making a difference in a child’s life, you can visit compassion.net.

Discipline is doing a thing even when there is no inspiration or motivation.

Are we capable of thought without language? I think so – unless language is more than words, but is also images and feelings.

Some would say that mastery of language enables a deeper capacity for thought. I don’t know if I agree or disagree. I should think that clear communication of complex thought probably is dependent on the depth of language in the two communicating – but I do not know if internal thought & comprehension is dependent upon language. What I am trying to get at is this: the comprehension of God from another’s perspective hinges on our ability to clearly communicate & understand (the level of mastery of a given language) but our ability to comprehend God would seem to depend less on language & more on holy revelation & capacity for understanding that inward revelation (the communication between the heart/mind and the Holy Spirit).

AW Tozer says “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” He goes on to say “Were we able to extract from any man a complete answer to the question, ‘What comes into your mind when you think about God?’ we might predict with certainty the spiritual future of that man.”

But what if that man isn’t capable of complex thought? Have you ever met someone who is just vacant? Void? They don’t seem to “be there,” whether from drugs or disease. I wonder if God can still bring someone with, say, Alzheimer’s to a knowledge of Him? Is saving knowledge of Christ really something that belongs to the mind, or is it an affair of the heart that the mind then comprehends and builds on? Does the Holy Spirit communicate in language the mind understands or does He groan in such a way the heart understands what He is saying?

The Plaza, Borger, Texas – Quesadillas
Angry Dog, Dallas, Texas – Burger
Chuys, Dallas, Texas – Enchiladas (Elvis Memorial Combo) / Elvis Green Chili Fried Chicken
Rudy’s, Denton, Texas – Chopped Beef Baked Potato (Bar-b-que)
Buster’s, Dallas, Texas – Tacos Al Carbon
Murphy’s, Bartlesville, Oklahoma – Hot Hamburger (Gravy over all)
Mirabelle, Dallas, Texas – Fillet Mignon
Mercury Grill, Dallas, Texas – Chicken
PF Chang’s, Dallas, Texas – Mongolian Beef, Great Wall of Chocolate (7 layer chocolate cake)
Carabba’s, Grapevine, Texas – Sicilian Chicken Soup, chicken marsala
Blue Mesa, Dallas, Texas – Sunday Mexican Brunch Buffet
Cafe Brazil, Dallas, Texas – Chorizo Omelet

“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.”
- AW Tozer

It just dawned on me today that I can memorize all kinds of useless information rather easily, but I have yet to apply that ability to scripture.

I am an idiot sometimes.

Shania Twain is sitting on the table staring at me. She’s kinda starting to freak me out.

I might have to turn the magazine over.