Last night was so much fun. I stayed up finishing "The moves make the man." That is such a good book. There's the parts of just Bix and how he's all moody or whatever. There's Jerome who has an epiphany to draw a bigger map. And tries to figure out Bix. There's Bix's stepdad who does know what's best, but Bix can't see that. There's the whole motif of truth vs. lies and if it's ever ok to lie.
But my favorite part is just the moves. I almost started crying at one point because I wanted that feeling of getting caught up in the motion and you don't notice anything except what's coming next. He practiced each move to perfection, but sometimes he just went all out in the fakes and such and didn't know how it would end up. He had that passion for basketball, just like Bix had the passion for baseball. Just like some people with music. Dance. Art. Sports. Whatever. You just get caught up and forget the time. You make the moves, but the moves also make you. I want that passion for whatever I'm doing. Whatever that might be.
I was reading My Utmost for His Highest today, and even though it wasn't exactly about the above, I felt like I needed to inject more of that passion into walking with you. Spending my energy for you. Whatever is needed for your kingdom. So that's what today is going to be. All my energy, physical and mental, will be for your kingdom.
I'll need some energy from you, I'm sure. Sleep will never give me enough to accomplish what needs to happen. But that's why I do this.
Love,
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:1-4
Mark 1-3
That Mark, he sure knows how to get to the point. He starts with John and your baptism, and how strange and amazing that was, and then he moves on to you in the desert with the devil and angels, then zips to you calling the disciples. But who can blame him? He has just over half of what Matthew had.
The desert part gives a sense of a battle because it was a battle. You against Satan. I get the idea that you had to fight Satan straight on in order to initiate his ministry.
An evil spirit interrupts your first sermon. And your sermon was pretty impressive as it was. But you're just getting started.
So you have a meal at some of your disciples' house. Then everybody shows up as it's getting dark with their diseases and ailments and such. I don't blame you for leaving in the morning to refuel. Even when you knew people would look for you.
There's just something about you that draws people. Your compassion, your love, your power, your authority.
That dude had awesome friends. They wouldn't even wait for you to finish and come out. They dug through the roof (and probably made a few people mad).
You had sinner friends. Oooohh.... I wonder if they were anything like my non-believing friends. Swearing, a little awkward some of them, a little hard to have a conversation with.
I've thought about fasting this week, but I've decided I can't fast unless I see a point, and right now I don't see the point except that nipto says to do it. I can do it when I have something to pray for and being hungry is a reminder, or to show how much I want something to you, but otherwise I don't get it. Apparently, you say it's enough that you aren't here on earth, but I still don't get it.
The Sabbath is made for man, so that man will REST. The Pharisees don't rest on the Sabbath. They may not walk super far away, but they work too hard trying to condemn people who do "work" on the Sabbath.
I need a day to rest. I guess Sunday's my day. Even with church in the morning and church at night, it still is my most restful day, unless we have nothing on Saturday. But yeah, it's bad. I can't imagine having a day set every week where you aren't doing something crazy. Monday's bow. Tuesday's UV. Wed is piano and dance. Thurs is work, Fri is work. Sat is Karen kids or errands, Sun is church. Ridiculous. I'll figure out something.
So the man with the withered hand healing was the when the Pharisees started plotting against you. Man, that was near the beginning of your ministry! Sheesh.
I was struck just now by the fact that you remember that day, you know what they were thinking and what they went off to do. You remember the room, the weather, the look of the man's face, the colors... everything. It really happened. There are people either in heaven or hell that remember that day. I say the bible's true, but when I'm reading, it's sometimes difficult to remember that these aren't just cool stories. They are also cool events.
I wonder what happened to the men you did not designate as apostles. What happened to them? Did they follow you to the end? Were they martyred for you?
Sometimes the family will want to keep her from doing what she needs to do to further your kingdom because she is a barbarian and going all out and taking other's needs more seriously then her own. You must have confirmed to Mary and your brothers that you were out of your mind when you said they weren't your family, that your family was the people you served and who followed you. You were going all out to serve the people there. Could you help me do the same here? I need help with my selfishness.
Revelation 9
I wonder how much of this is literal and how much is figuratively speaking. The Abyss, etc.
Those four angels are waiting. They have been waiting a long time. Hopefully they still have a long time to wait. But no one knows. One has to wait a long time when one's duty is at the end.
That's sad. God's judgment comes and the wicked still go on being wicked.
Proverbs 9
Listen to Wisdom, add to your learning, accept rebukes. Don't listen to Folly.
Funny. I'm doing a paper on Foolishness/Folly in Pride and Prejudice.
Well, I have to go be wise now. :-)