I hope to record my thoughts here about how it goes and hopefully share something of use for others.  Many things are on my mind as I go into this.  I am seeking God to intervene on a very personal matter that I cannot reveal here.  I have many other hopes through this fast.  I hope to learn more about my God and my Savior.  I  hope to become closer to God and hear His voice.

I have a few specific things that are happening that I sorely need guidance on in my life.  I also have some personal pain in my body that is troubling and I am praying for God to heal.

But this fast is not supposed to be about what I want, except that I want to know God.  I am often consumed by the grace and mercy that I have received from Him. I know that He alone is my Rock and my Fortress.  The old songs and Hymns we sang in Palestine Baptist Church so many years ago echo in my heart all the more as I get older.  The old language used was so flavorful and meaningful, and respectful.

So we are off.  I hope to check back in over the next 21 days, but if that is where I go, it is where He leads me.

I won’t quote it all here, but you can read it on your own… here is an excerpt.

Presidential Proclamation–Father’s Day

FATHER’S DAY, 2010

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

From the first moments of life, the bond forged between a father and a child is sacred. Whether patching scraped knees or helping with homework, dads bring joy, instill values, and introduce wonders into the lives of their children. Father’s Day is a special time to honor the men who raised us, and to thank them for their selfless dedication and love……..
Nurturing families come in many forms, and children may be raised by a father and mother, a single father, two fathers

, a step father, a grandfather, or caring guardian.

We have to take the White House back as soon as possible.  2012!

Edit:  It gets better.   The taxpayers of this great country are paying for a website called fatherhood.gov.  One of the things you can find there is “green tips for fathers“… A bunch of energy saving tips for fathers…. bleh!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNjaUepNE88

I have lived this.   What do “we” know of holy?

We all like sheep have gone astray, each unto his own way. And God laid on Him the sins of us all. ( my paraphrase) Isaiah 53:6.

Here are the lyrics to this poignant song.  You can also follow the links to hear more from this talented band.

I made You promises a thousand times
I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?

(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?
I guess I thought that I had figured You out
I knew all the stories and I learned to talk about
How You were might to save
Those were only empty words on a page
Then I caught a glimpse of who You might be
The slightest hint of You brought me down to my knees
(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?
(CHORUS 2)
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of wounds that will heal my shame?
And a God who gave life it’s name?
What do I know of Holy?
Of the One who the angels praise?
All creation knows Your name
On earth and heaven above
What do I know of this love?
(CHORUS)
What do I know of You
Who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood
But the shore along Your ocean?
Are You fire? Are You fury?
Are You sacred? Are You beautiful?
What do I know? What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?
What do I know of Holy?

Today he tells people America is not a Christian  nation.  Say What?

How about ” one nation, under God”,  In God We Trust, etc.

Our nation is a Christian nation.  Wow, I am still in awe that we have stooped so low as to elect this man.  Shame on all of you who voted for him.

We can only hope to take this land back in the legislature in 2010., before it’s too late.

There, I said that.

Jesus would eat with the poor , not look down on them.   Jesus would spend most of His time with sinners, felons, drug users, the “sick”.   What do we do? We try to stay away from these people, and secretly maybe say a prayer for them.   Sometimes Jesus was angry and he caused a big disruption in church, turning over tables and yelling.    Did you know that?
If I did that, in the right situation, I would be doing what Jesus did.

I know we all want to ‘think’ we sort of know what Jesus would do, even if we don’t care to do it ourselves.
The fact is, (at least the facts the way I see them) we don’t know what Jesus would do, because we don’t know Jesus.
What I mean by that is, some of us know Him as a savior and that is very important, but we don’t know what He would do in our day to day circumstances.   Why don’t we?
He gave us a way to know Him.   He gave us a chronicle of His life that we can read. We can get to know Him by reading about how He handled situations that happened in His life.   In fact, the entire Bible is what God wants us to know about Him.

I said all that to encourage you to get to know Him this year.    I am talking to myself even more than to you.   I need to learn about Him more and to know what He would do…

What Would Jesus Do?   How can we say we love Him and at the same time have no idea what He thinks about certain things.   We should know.   If you know me, really know me, you have a good idea what I would think about a given situation.   Those who have only heard of me, or maybe know my name , don’t really know me.   Often we say we know God, but we act like we don’t.    Or we don’t really care what He says for us to do.

This is a matter of deep thought and urgent behavior change.   I am going to try to get to know Him this year.

Maybe you will join me?

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

This is an awesome song. Enjoy!… Buy it when you can! Support this man and his mission.

I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that trys to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering

(Chorus)
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we’ll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we’ll hold on to you always

I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone

(Chorus)

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing

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This sort of thing is felt rather than understood by those who touch us in everyday life. They do not know why they cannot stand us, but we are sure that the reason is our exalted state of spirituality! Perilous comfort. Deep heart searching and prolonged repentance would be better.

Yet let us not assume that if we are persecuted it is because of our faults. The opposite may be the fact. They may hate us because they first hated Christ, and if that is so, then blessed are we indeed. The point is, let us take nothing for granted. We may be better than we think we are, but the likelihood is not overwhelming. Humility is best.”

The above is a devotional from “Collective Writings from the Books of A.W. Tozer”..

This is really rich and deep.  I hope I have not been guilty of this type of repulsive pride, but I fear I may have.  We have to constantly check our motives for how and why we say the things we do to those around us.  I am afraid we often get prideful and judgemental, then we wonder why Christ is rejected.  How would Jesus say this or that?  That should be our heart check, before we speak.

At least in my world, there is a lot of talk of the love of God. So much so that I wonder sometimes if we are missing some of very important attributes of God.  An example came to me the other day.  Since there is nothing ‘new under the sun’, I would say that I must have heard this somewhere, but it seemed like a new thought to me. God is love, true. But God is not only love. This is a point that seems to get missed in some Pollyanna circles of this life. The illustration that came to my mind was as follows.

We could say blood is red. We can’t turn it around and say red is blood. When something equals something else, we can turn the equation around and it will still be true. I have heard speakers try to convince people that Love is God, just as God is Love. I say no. Just as red is an attribute of blood, it is not ‘equal’ to blood. Love is an attribute of God, but it is not God. God has so many more attributes. Say , for example, God is Just. I doubt anyone would argue that is not true, but Justice is not God.
God is Holy. God is Perfect. God is Righteous.
But God so loved the world ( you and I) that He demonstrated His love for us in this, that God sacrificed His own Son, so that we might become His children.
God is love. And God is so much more.
I am afraid the whole “God is Love, so Love is God” thing can mask the true question that must be answered by everyone. Who is God to me and why would He want a person like me to live with Him eternally. Or put another way, if I die today, what then?