Hello, folks. Just sharing an outline of what I shared yesterday at church.
Thanked the youth member for her exhortation and prayer during Holy Communion – ‘we pray for unity’ ‘protect our church from division’
Thanked one of our Academy teachers for her reminder from giving exhortation from long ago: ‘the money we give is to protect the money we keep’
Finally, thanked one of our congregation for his testimony: ‘no matter how far I’m brought, I’m sustained physically and financially’
Shared a little on the Certified Voice Acting Program (CVAP) that kept me busy, and the combo of cough, colds, headache and fever that kept me occupied.
Recognized that Sunday was December 08, when Catholics celebrate Mary’s Immaculate Concepcion. Explained that’s how Dad got his name.
Shared about the ‘AVP’ I did for CVAP – Stood for Aspirations, Visions, and Purpose. Clarified my own understanding on these three; Aspirations are our ground-level desires, wants, goals, and tasks. Visions are the aspirations of aspirations, or the aspiration behind the aspiration, if that makes any sense. Visions are the overreaching themes beneath our aspirations. Finally, our Purpose is the singular vision serving as our foundation to our other visions, and, consequently, our aspirations. They’re what God created us specifically to do.
For my AVP I shared that I do the ultimate (aspirations) for the ultimate number of people (vision) for the ultimate glory of the Father (purpose).
This was one of two end of the year messages I’m sharing. They’re messages I’d tell myself 40 years ago, and 40 years from now.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.Psalms 20:7-8
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”Romans 10:10-11
I turned my attention to the youth in attendance and told them that in their state in life, they have more ahead of them, and are therefore advised to prioritize trusting in the Lord for the future.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:4-7
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-21
I then turned my attention to the rest of the congregation and told them that in their state in life, they have a significant amount behind them, and are therefore advised to prioritize thanking God for His faithfulness in the past.
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
John 7:37-38
Here I pulled up how when you keep thanking God, you naturally bring more yourself to trusting in Him more, and when you keep trusting God, you find yourself with more cause to give thanks to Him. In other words, you can’t have one without naturally having the other – thank God, and trust Him, trust God, and thank Him.
It is, as I say, a ‘flow’; Mom likes to pray that we are guided to what we should do and what we shouldn’t do, To where we should go, and where we shouldn’t go, what words we should say and what words we shouldn’t say… But I propose that the Holy Spirit does not merely tell us but also moves with us, and we move with Him. I believe this is what goes on when we find ourselves in the endless cycle of trusting and thanking God.
And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” Exodus 3:2-3
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
I had these two verses here ready in case I wanted to explore or expound on the fact that the Holy Spirit shows Himself in light and fire… but I think we’re all set with the perspective of His being like water. Bruce Lee’s famous ‘be like water’ speech comes to mind.
Oh, yes, I’m back to writing. I figure I’ll try shooting for 400000 words this year, and anything else that may follow before 2025, I’ll count towards 2025.
All I can say now, is, as always – Flow, Trust God, and Thank God.
Trust God for the future, thank God for the past, and flow in the present.
Trust God for your plans, thank God for your outcomes, and flow in the processes.
Trust God for all you want, thank God through all you’ve lost, and flow in the transitions of acquisition and release.
Trust in the Father, be thankful for Christ, the Son, and flow with the Holy Spirit.
Trust God in the pleasure, thank God through the pain, and flow in the unremarkable.
Trust God in the thrill, thank God through the terror, and flow in the tension.
Until the next post, may the Lord continue to bless us all. Amen, and amen.
373270/365000
JB's Personal Brain Defragmenter 
Leave a comment