One Step at a Time

The last month went by fast. It's felt like just taking one step at a time, one day at a time. Enjoying life. Walking with God.

I've been listening to the song "Follow" by Jason Upton lately. He cries out, "I wanna hear Your voice... In the midst of the noise... I wanna hear Your voice... In the midst of the distractions..."

My dad always shared this Scripture with me growing up, and it has become one of my life verses...

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I love what I'm learning in school, in church, in books (including the Bible), conferences, teachings, etc. That's all great, and I'm thankful for it. But I don't lean on those things. I don't fully depend on them and put all my trust in them. Kris warned us, "You can be educated out of a relationship."

It seems like life works best when I'm leaning in to hear God's voice, and living out of that place of intimacy with Him. This song called "Words That You Say" by the band Something Like Silas has been in my heart lately... "I await the words that You say. I open my life. I'm longing just to hear these words that You say."

It's His presence, not His principles, that's my ultimate source. It's what He's saying, not just what He's said. It's living by the Spirit, and not just by the letter. I better live like this, because Paul said that the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life-- and I want life! Jesus explained that humans live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

I like how John Eldredge explains...

"Satan’s seduction of our heart always comes in the form of a story that offers us greater control through knowing good and evil rather than the unknowns of relationship." (From Sacred Romance)

"The only way to live in this adventure- with all it’s danger and unpredictability and immensely high stakes- is an ongoing, intimate relationship with God. The control we crave is an illusion. Far better to give it up in exchange for God’s offer of companionship, set aside stale formulas so that we might enter into an informal relationship." (From Wild at Heart)

"If you’re not pursuing a dangerous quest with your life, well, then, you don’t need a Guide. If you haven’t found yourself in the midst of a ferocious war, then you won’t need a seasoned Captain. If you’ve settled in your mind to live as though this is a fairly neutral world and you are simply trying to live your life as best you can, then you can probably get by with the Christianity of tips and techniques. Maybe. I’ll give you about a fifty-fifty chance. But if you intend to live in the Story that God is telling, and if you want the life he offers, then you are going to need more than a handful of principles, however noble they may be. There are too many twists and turns in the road ahead, too many ambushes waiting only God knows where, too much at stake. You cannot possibly prepare yourself for every situation. Narrow is the way, said Jesus. How shall we be sure to find it? We need God intimately, and we need him desperately… In all the ins and outs of this thing we call living, there is one narrow path to life, and we need help finding it." (From Waking the Dead)

We had the last week off for Thanksgiving. I had a great week. Lots of time to rest and reflect, read, think, catch up on school work, and spend some time with friends.

Here's 5 things I'm thankful for:

1. New friends
2. New Mac laptop
3. Old friends
4. Good books
5. Hope

Friday I got to go hiking at a place called Castle Crags for my first time. It's about 45 minutes north of Redding. The weather was perfect, the hike solid, and the company quality. What a great way to end a week of vacation! Seriously, you guys have to come to Redding. I'll take you hiking.

Here's a couple pictures...


This is about half way up the trail. We went up on that rock formation on the left. We didn't quite make it to the top because we couldn't figure out how, but we were close. That's Mt. Shasta in the background.



Here's the hiking crew. A couple of the new friends that I mentioned I'm thankful for are in this picture. Mary, who I'm standing next to, and Scott, the guy in the middle. They're really quality people. That's Scott's daughter in front, and then a couple guys I just met on the right.



I have less than a month left of school this semester. As much as I like it here in Redding, I'm really looking forward to heading down south for the holidays.

Quote(s) of the day:

- "Don't just imitate Christ--emanate Him... If you get your act together, it's still just an act." (Randall Worley)

- "If the Enemy can take hope out of you and make you mediocre, he's satisfied." (Eric Johnson)