Set Sail

usually when i write something, I am speaking to myself. It helps me to see my thoughts in front of me and organized. Today I shall write about a theme that is very near and dear to my heart, Adventure. I love adventure. I love to see something that i have never seen before or experience something new. I love pretty much anything that has to do with adventure, I specifically mean that i love what adventure does inside of me. It changes me for the better, always. I live for adventure. but I have realized that there is one aspect of adventure that I suck at. That is the venturing out. To leave my comfort zone, to realize that there is so much more, to hate my complacency, to step out, to commit to the journey. I'll put it this way. I picture myself as a boy who loves to hear stories of adventures, who dreams about them. I admire the adventurous heros. All I talk about are my future adventures. I watch boats leave the harbor for long exciting trips to exotic lands. but there i sit, on the docks. I guess I think that the adventures are only for my dreams. I walk back home not quite as alive as I had came. My main problem is that, for some reason, i hold on to the comfort. I am not truly willing to sacrifice for the journey. Maybe I wonder if I will even enjoy it? Do I even doubt that the adventures are as great as they sound? I fool myself into thinking that a life at "home," (not venturing) is good enough, eventhough I have ventured out before. I know the exhilaration. But i stay dejected. Have you ever felt like this? One thing that will kill your adventurous spirit is sin/fleshly pursuits/lust/greed/covetousness. "Beloved, I BEG YOU as solourners and pilgrims, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL I Peter 2:11." Sinfulness is one vain pursuit leading to another. Adventure is a purposeful and exciting pursuit. Deep down we know that sin does not satisfy. We settle. Instead of blazing a trail to the promised land, we build a crappy log cabin in a swamp. C.S. Lewis quotes in The Weight of Glory, "Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." In that quote he says that we cannot imagine what is meant by the holiday at sea. My challenge to me and whoever else, is to imagine. Less T.V. and more inspiration. Less Internet and more nature. Less busyness and more dreaming and smiling and wishing for adventure. Freedom is tied into this theme as well. I do not believe we are living free until we are not depending on our comfort zone. The zone holds us back. It sucks us dry. For myself and those wishing to recapture the adventurous spirit, there is hope and grace. romans 12:1-2 paraphrased in the Stevo adventure translation says, "It is time to set sail. You are wild at heart. This is what you were made for. You have everything you need. So leave the shore and everything it offers and let the journey stir your soul. This is only the beginning of the wild amounts of joy that lie ahead for you to discover." One last thing. One of my best friends Tyler Williams always challenges me with this saying. "Don't pursue lovers less wild." By lovers, he means God of course. Here are a few more verses of encouragement. Psalms 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of you heart." Psalms 16:11 "You will show me the path of life; in your presence is fulness of joy and in your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Music: Absolutely must listen to Jason Upton "Faith". The whole CD, but especially the song faith. It is rest for the weary soul. Seriously, it has ministered to me tremendously.
Hillsong united-United (Great new CD from the hillsongers) Favorite tracks: Inside out and Fire fall down.
On a less spiritual note, Daft Punk has their greatest hits out now. woo-woo. it is a must get for all those who know they must get it.