Hunger and Thirst

Yesterday I went walking while wearing my 20lb weight vest and pushing my son in the jogger stroller. When I go walking I typically try to go for at least an hour, but, when I take him I make it b/t 30-45 minutes b/c it's cold out there! While I was walking I began to feel very faint, dizzy, and lightheaded. I began to sweat, not the good kind of work out sweat, but the nervous cold sweat like when one gets sick. I began to feel so unbelievably hungry and thirsty. I hadn't eaten anything yet, but it was only about 0830. I usually do PT from 0600 - 0700 (sometimes until 0745) five days a week and I have never felt this way before. I was not too far from home, only a couple of blocks, and good thing I was, too. When I burst in the door, I put Gami down, told Cassy that I needed to eat quickly, and sat down as fast as I could. The sudden temperature change going from outside 35 degrees to inside 72 degrees did not help me feel any better. I dropped my weight vest, my sweatshirt and long sleeve underneath, scarfed down a bowl of cheerios, four potato latkes with ketchup, and a big glass of OJ. My Eshet Chayil was waiting on me hand and foot while taking care of both the kiddos, b/c she is amazing! After all this I became very convicted of sin and I realized that God was speaking to me.
Yeshua said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6
If I hungered for righteousness as much as my flesh was hungry for food and water, I would not waste so much of the precious little time I have been given on this earth. God is good.

B'shem Yeshua

Don't Waste Any More Time

I have come the conclusion that the only way to rightly understand and apply the Word of God is to read it cover-to-cover, large portions at a time (3+) chapters, and to simply allow it to teach you what it wants to teach.

Some may say to this, "I am too busy."

To that I respond, "You are absolutely wasting your life."

I find that much "Christian teaching" is based on plucking verses completely out of context, wrapping a topical sermon around them, and becoming essentially, motivational speaking with a couple of Bible verses.

Here are some sure fire ways to waste your life:

spend more time studying worldly things than God's word

spend significant amounts of time watching TV and/or movies

use credit cards

shop at the mall

try to make as much money as possible

date

believe that the government can change society for the better

don't forgive people who have hurt you

send your kids to public school

believe that church is something that happens in an ampi-theater once a week

B'Shem Yeshua
Brandon

the elusiveness of sleep

Elusive

–adjective
1.
eluding clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define: an elusive concept.
2.
cleverly or skillfully evasive: a fish too elusive to catch.

perhaps the caffeine would explain it better than dictionary.com. Well, my wife and children slumber as I sit red-eyed at the computer screen at night which is now tomorrow. All is well, I am on leave and have only God to answer to for the next ten days. Although personal business may draw me into the presence of those who exercises authority over me. I have received papers which will precipitate my discharge from active duty, hoooahray! In order to achieve that end I must cut through red tape. Alas, I will go if it benefits me.

I intended to compare God to sleep, and say that while sleep, money, satisfaction, comfort, and other earthly things are elusive, God promises to not be that way. Here is where I would dig up scriptures like Psalm 139 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139&version=NIV ; and try to wow you with some deep theological insight that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy. Well, I am not going to do that. Just know that God is not hard to be close to. We make it harder than it ever needs to be. With our sin, worries, blame, doubt, traditions, rationalizations, procrastinations, worldly pursuits, and love of the world. Just know that when you can't sleep, God never does, he is always there for you.

B'Shem Yeshua
Brandon

I used to blog a lot

When I was in college I had a lot more free time. Well, figured since I am about to go back to college, I will start blogging again. Cassy says that she wishes I would more. She is very good at keeping everyone up to date on family happenings. I think that my contributions would not be along that line of thinking. I will probably write more about spiritual things, not that family is not spiritual, but as the spiritual leader of our home I am simply consumed with following Yeshua and leading my family into obedience to God. So, stay tuned for thoughts concerning what it means to be a "son of the stranger" written of in Isaiah 56.

B'shem Yeshua
Brandon