Day 22: Rest

Rest.

Day 21: A Deep Breath

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Gensis 1:1, NIV)

Welcome to the age of technology.

We've got lots of fun gadgets, toys, and communication techs and I love them all. Just take a look:

• cell phones
• laptop computers
• radio
  
• internet
• handheld computers
• pagers
• television

And a multitude of others. Consider all the technologies we are surrounded by! We are constantly able to be at work and play.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. (Genesis 2:2, NIV)

And an incredible variety of transportation options too! You can hop in a car and go practically anywhere that you can get to via land. And if that's not enough, hop on a plane and fly anywhere in the world.

People are communicating at the speed of light all over the world at this very moment. You can hold a video chat in America with someone in Japan in a matter of seconds. Businesses can now be run without a home office as people develop online businesses and shop online for their goods.

But why aren't people satisfied with all this?

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:3, NIV)

I get pretty antsy these days if I've forgotten my cell phone. I feel like I've been disconnected from the rest of the world. Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to live before such things.

But... it's not always a great thing to be connected. Sometimes I forget to just... breathe a little.

Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath." (Mark 2:27-28, NIV)

I understand what it's like to book your days full of stuff to do. But even on those days when I have nothing planned, I still end up finding a way to stuff my day. The internet alone has more stuff to see than entire lives of men could possibly process.

But, I don't think we were created to live this way. If God himself took a day to rest on creation, and created and blessed this day for us to rest, I think that speaks to our need for rest. And I'm not just talking about "oh yea, I had that day off from work/school," I'm talking about real rest. The kind of time where you have scheduled to do nothing.

I'm guilty of taking what should be my rest time and filling it up. I'm not going to say you should never work on a Sunday or shouldn't work or anything like that, but remember the human need to rest. It was instilled in us from the very opening of the world. Turn the cell phone off and unplug the computer or TV if you have to.

Tomorrow we're going to apply the principle of rest. Coincidentally, it is the sabbath, and it will be very, very short ;-)

Day 20: The Halfway Mark

Halfway there! Wow, it has been a great twenty days. And I haven't missed one yet!

As awesome as it has been, it's getting tough to keep the content up. Writing once every few days made it easy to write a post since I had ideas floating around in my brain, but since I'm writing every day, it's not so easy! Still, I am enjoying the focused opportunity to write with this creative outlet.

Still, today, I celebrate getting halfway there.

Halfway marks can be significant times to reflect, celebrate, and plan for that next half. Going into something, I rarely understand to the full extent what is going to be involved, but by the time I get halfway there, I can usually predict what the next half is going to look like. Halfway marks can also be times of burnout.

When I should be saying: "I'm halfway there!"

Sometimes I say: "I'm only halfway there?!"

I wonder what went through Jesus' mind when he came to his halfway mark of his time here on earth. I wonder what went through his mind when he came to the halfway mark of his active ministry. Did he celebrate? Was it a serious time? Was it even a significant thought? I don't know.

Thanks for making it through the first half with me. See you in the last half.



Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24, NIV)

Day 19: 4D - The Fourth Dimension

Obligatory Caution: This blog posts contains metaphysics, physics, literature, and Christian thought all wrapped in one. Head explosion may occur.

OK so let's get it straight, "4D Days" is a pretty silly name for a blog. No one would actually call forty days "4D days" even those goofy internet speak people like me.

But there is one thing about "4D" which fascinates me, and that is the fourth dimension. Now I understand that the first three dimensions make plenty of sense: width, height, and length. But when we start adding dimensions, things get more complicated and it gets a lot harder to understand. I understand that most physicists and the like regard the fourth dimension as something separate from time, but it's a lot easier for me to just ignore these people and go with the popular conception. Not to mention, I read it in The Time Machine by H.G. Wells so it must be true, right?

So let's talk about time a little bit. I love talking about time because it is one of those things that we must live with day to day but can get so abstract and mind-blowing.

For starters, a lot of people don't realize how relative time is. When we consider the fact that time actually flows differently for two objects moving at different speeds, my head starts to swim a little bit. Think about the classic twin problem. We take two twins on earth and send one off in a rocket. Let's say this rocket moves at .99 times c where c is the speed of light. We'll send the twin off to the nearest start or something and then have the rocket return. When it returns, the twin on the rocket and the twin on earth will actually be a different age! I'll leave it at that abstraction. If your interested in relativity and such, feel free to google it. I did a search myself after describing that and found this wikipedia article on the twin problem called "The Twin Paradox." Go check it out.

Now let us add God into the picture. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He created time. So where does God fit in with all this stuff?

Well if God created time, then he is above and beyond the concept of time. He does not experience time as we do, though he obviously chooses to act inside of time from our biblical examples.

This is one of the reasons why I think the whole "predestination vs. freewill" arguments tend to be pretty useless. If you add in the fact that God is above and beyond time, then you might see the truth in both sides. Predestined? Sure, God sees all moments of time at once. Freewill? Of course, God created us to have the capability to decide and we live moment to moment, unlike God.

Our fourth dimensional mind problems also speak to the magnitude of God's power. What an unfathomable being to have created the very idea of living one moment after another!

Of course, we are more or less stuck in what I call "domino mode." We experience life one moment after another at a more or less linear speed, one after another. This is analogous to a series of dominoes, where each moment of our lives is the next domino in the sequence. We can do nothing to stop the dominoes, the first was pushed at our conception, and the last will fall at our death. The universe too has its own domino chain which was pushed at the moment of creation.

When we remember our God is above the whole domino chain, sees all, and can manipulate and color each domino how he wishes, what an encouraging thought we have! This idea has a lot of power to shape the way we view our struggles and triumphs, our highs and lows, our whole lives! With this amazing, unfathomable God at our side, using us for his purposes, how loved we must be!

Hope that didn't break your brain too much. I love to think on and speculate the physical and theological ramifications of time. And we haven't even moved into the higher dimensions yet =)

See ya tomorrow.

Day 18: Mysterious Ways 2

Well, no one ever went back and answered my question from Day 12. It's a shame too, since I was looking forward to seeing some of the answers. When God decides to surprise us, it always seems to make for an interesting story.

Here was/were the question(s):

When has God surprised you? Where has God shown up when you weren't expecting it?


For me, it seems that at the times when I feel God is furthest away, he is actually right there alongside me, working things out to his purposes. The problem is, it doesn't feel like this is the case at the time, and it is only clear on reflection on those times. I think it really comes down to a trust thing in the end. If God always let us know what was up and what is coming our way, it would eliminate some of the need to just trust that he has got everything under control.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8, NIV)

God certainly doesn't do things the way I do things. He doesn't do things the way I expect him to do things either. Here's some hypothetical examples which parallel what I feel sometimes actually happens:

• I pray for patience... I get stuck in traffic
• I pray for wisdom... I have to make a hard choice
• I pray for stronger faith... I become wracked with doubt

Perhaps you've got your own experiences like what I'm talking about here. A couple years ago I said a prayer for more patience. I'm not sure why this particular prayer sticks out in my head, I'm sure I've prayed for all sorts of things like it before, but it does. Since praying that prayer, it seems I have been thrust into situations which require huge amounts of patience, lots of waiting, more harder decisions without a word from God, longer waits till I understand what he wants me to do. And the problem: I wasn't any more patient than I was before! I've said it before, I'll say it again, it seems God is not in the business of magically poofing his children into spitting images of him. Instead, to grow us, we are put into situations which will strengthen us. And these situations are not always pleasant.

God really showed up in an unexpected way when it came time for me to pick a college. I'm not even sure I was really all that interested in making the decision or seeking God's guidance at the time, but I know my family had been in prayer about it at the very least. I had it narrowed down to two colleges, a local one, and Georgia Tech. I was leaning toward going to the local college but God intervened. When I went to visit the college and have an overnight tour/stay, it ended up being one of the weirdest, most uncomfortable experiences of my life. The guy I was staying with pretty much gave me a room number and took off, leaving me with some other guys who weren't really interested in the idea that I was staying with them at all. And their apartment was pretty much the nastiest home I've ever seen. After that, I was questioned relentlessly by some professor about both my religion and why I would want to major in Computer Science in a liberal arts program. The whole thing was ridiculous, but I did learn some life lessons from it. It made my decision, I was going to Georgia Tech. I can look back now and say that there can be no other reason I made it there but by the grace of God. I have seen his hand move in my pursuit of new friends, experiences, and growth as a person there that wouldn't have happened back at home. But he certainly picked an interesting way to get me there.
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I'm going to move on, but I'd still like to hear your own stories. Feel free to leave a comment. It's great to hear how surprising and interesting our God is!

Day 17: Freewrite 3 (Sacrifical Star Trek)

Part three of the freewrite series continues today.

The following may be found here: more grammatical mistakes than usual, typos, jumps in thought, incoherence, and zanyness. You've been warned.
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Today's Additional Warning: I couldn't really think about any way to write this one without being spoilery, so if you haven't seen the Star Trek movie, spoilers are below.



I went to see Star Trek today (woo memorial day!) and thought it was a pretty awesome movie. I'm not even really that big a fan of the Star Trek universe (not that I hate it either, it's interesting) but the characters were charming and the action was intense. And it's got one of my favorite elements, time manipulation. I love a good plot with some time travel.

But the greatest scene, in my humble opinion, is in the very beginning. Kirk's dad demonstrates heroic bravery as he goes down the ship, saving hundreds of lives in the process. It is an extremely intense series of moments, and an incredible way to open up the movie.

The idea of sacrificing one's life for the greater good is not uncommon in movies and great stories. Great heroes often must do so to save others and vanquish evil. But Our Lord did it too. He chose death to save us.

Now I know if I had been in one of those ships that Kirk's dad sacrificed his life to save, I would've been eternally grateful for his heroic deed. But sometimes, I take Christ's death for granted. Instead of remembering it for what it really was, a heroic and perfect invasion of this earth and a triumph over evil, I regard it as just another story in the Bible, just like Star Trek is just a story. But this story isn't fiction. It actually happened and it even has a unique twist: Christ didn't stay dead. He's God after all, and he was raised from the dead and lives even today.
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Today's free write ended up being a lot more topical than I thought it would be =D

We might return to regular programming tomorrow. We'll see.

Day 16: Freewrite 2 (Unorthodox Church)

Day 2 of my freewrite mini-series! Enjoy.

The following may be found here: more grammatical mistakes than usual, typos, jumps in thought, incoherence, and zanyness. You've been warned.
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I have to admit that I haven't always been the biggest fan of going to church. When I was younger I was always sort of a loner in youth group. I suppose I can't really blame the other kids too much, I was pretty quiet. But on top of that, I didn't go to the same schools they did and so while they were building friendships during the week, I was up the creek. I tried going to the whole "Wednesday night youth group" thing for a few weeks, but that didn't really do it either. I admit that sometimes I just really didn't want to go to church on Sunday mornings.

Then this amazing thing happened, God did something big. I hadn't been praying about it or anything like that, but in early high school a good friend of mine invited me to come on a retreat with his youth group. I remember thinking that it sounded awful but somehow or another I was talked into it. I was totally nervous about the whole thing but I ended up having a great time. When the retreat came around the next year, I went back and took some more friends with me.

I believe it was the third retreat of this sort when I finally stopped running from the call to fully submit my life to Christ. I had felt this call for a long time at the various "come forward" events, sermons, and the like but had been resisting. The retreat changed my life.

It was also from this series of retreats that I found a church home that I belonged at. Somewhere in the middle of all this I started driving (turned 16) and decided I would start going to my friend's church instead of the one I had been going to. Even though I had become much less quiet and was beginning to learn to be social with other people, my old youth group had become an alien place of little warmth. At my new church I found people who were always interested in what was going on in my life and friendly faces and smiles (with breakfast!).

Perhaps one of the reasons it was so friendly was because of how small it was. I mean this was a really tiny church. We're talking twenty to thirty people on any given Sunday. I began to enjoy going to church (though the drive was pretty long).

I've been thinking about church a lot lately because I've once again found a church that makes me enjoy getting up on Sunday morning to go. I've been going there for over a year now but I suppose I just now realized how I actually look forward to being at church on Sunday. I love the church so much that I'm starting to volunteer with the little kid's ministry at the early service by being a small group leader (a.k.a. playing with kids).

However, my church may not be what one would consider typical. There's no steeple, the sanctuary looks more like an auditorium, and a rocking band leads worship. Perhaps these kinds of churches are becoming more typical, but this was not the kind of church I grew up in. It isn't the kind of church that the 20-30 people church was either.

Here's another example of being untypical. Right now we've just finished up a sermon series called "Staying in Love" which is about exactly what it sounds like. So, since we're in a series on romance, the service opened today with the "top five 80s love song music videos." This included videos like Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran." Pretty strange right? But the best was the number one video. The number one video picked was Journey's "Seperate Ways." And instead of simply showing a clip from the video, they turned off the audio and the band played the song. And I mean the lead singer had a fake mullet, sounded just like Steve Perry, and the whole band shredded like Journey had just hit the scene. It was insanely awesome.

I'm still not entirely sure what Journey has to do with staying in love, but it was an epic church moment. And I'm sure there are plenty of people who might get upset about all this, but fooey on them. Why can't church be awesome? Why does it have to subscribe to some formula that is boring and completely shuts out anything interesting from the outside world?

Church is becoming more unorthodox and I think that this is (in general) a good thing. Christ did not come to die so that a new church based on legalism could be born. Christ set us free for freedom.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

It's totally weird how God works such huge turnarounds in lives that embrace his call. I never thought I would see the day where I would get up in the morning and think of church as a joy instead of an obligation, but I've lived to see it. God never ceases to surprise me. It always seems that he sets it up so that the very things I say "I'll never do that" are the very things he calls me to do later on. Maybe he's just got an extremely cool sense of humor?

Freedom is a wonderful thing. I think I forget more often than not that being a Christ follower is supposed to be a freeing experience and not one where you memorize a set of rules and then set to work being a perfect person for the rest of your life. God's invasion of this world is so much bigger than that, so far beyond it, it's not even close to being about rules any more.

And I think that is a good note to end on :)

See you tomorrow.

Day 15: Freewrite 1 (Snipers and You)

This begins day one of my mini-series of freewrites. It'll go a couple days at least.

The following may be found here: more grammatical mistakes than usual, typos, jumps in thought, incoherence, and zanyness. You've been warned.
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Just in case you didn't know, I do occasionally write a day's post ahead of time. While each post is completed at least the day before it goes up, I sometimes write a couple days ahead because I know I won't be able to write that day (like if I'm out of town or something). Today is one of those days. I realize that makes this a sort of untraditional "forty days" of sorts but that is just the way the cookies crumbles. Since this is a blog challenge one of the things I want to do is make sure a post goes up each day. I chose this as a priority over ensuring that I write a single post each day. And thankfully, no legalism required!

But all that is really beside the point, I just figured you might want to know. Didn't want you think I was cheating you out of something.

Bah, there I go, going back and editing my sentences. Free writing is a really difficult thing for me to do. Of course, some editing must be done, but I realize I do way too much of it, even when I'm trying my hardest not to. I think it has to do with my desire for acceptance. This is one of those huge traps that I often fall into in my life. I do things for the sake of earning people's respect and acceptance and no other reason all too often. Instead of merely living for God because of my great love for him and my greatfulness for what he has done, I find myself struggling along, doing Christiany things because some people will think more highly of me as a result. Free writing helps me a little in this regard because I can write stuff like that and now I can't go back and erase it.

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32, NIV)

But the truth sets us free, so it's good to talk about our struggles. For me, not only does knowing the truth set me free, but stating it also.

Recently I've been playing a game called Team Fortress 2 for the PC. You might have heard of it if your a gamer, but I don't blame you if you haven't. Anyways, it's one of those first person shooter games but this one is cartoony and wacky and a lot of fun. They released a patch which updated the Sniper and the Spy characters (two of my favorites) so I've been playing to check out the new stuff. I enjoy the thrill of friendly competition as we battle to capture the flag, capture points, or simply eliminate the other team.

But the sniper holds a special place. I really enjoy the feeling of sitting there with my scope set on some other player who (for all I know) could be half the world away from me. When you get the perfect shot, they never see it coming. But of course, it's just a video game, so on their next life, they're coming after me.

The only problem is, I've never really been that good at being the sniper. I always run into these players who make me look like a total newbie. They can shoot anything at any distance even if your running at full speed and zig zagging. Me, I have trouble shooting targets that move even a little bit. But still I enjoy stepping into the shoes of the sniper and getting the occasional lucky break. Sometimes I even fool myself into thinking I'm pretty good at this game.

When it comes to God, I think I treat my relationship with him too often like a game of the same sort. I see people who are really good at the whole God thing, they seem to have it all put together and are really on fire for Him. I like to step into their shoes occasionally and try to be one of the Christian legends, and sure I fool myself (and sometimes others) for a period of time, but in the end I end up acting somehow not like a Christian legend and I just end up frustrated.

Thank goodness for the grace of God. Thanks to this grace, I don't have to be a rock star of the Bible to be a child of God. He has chosen to use me, my weaknesses and all. If we could compare it to sniping in team fortress it'd be like this. I'm a terrible sniper for God's army but he still wants me in there, trying my best. He doesn't want me acting like I'm the best player ever because he knows my real skill level. He just wants my heart for the role.

Man, I had no idea I would be comparing playing a sniper in a video game to being a child of God when I woke up this morning. I'm sure I've crossed one of those heathen thresholds at this point.

To be honest, sometimes I think about video games and the time I spend on those and wonder if it's really an OK thing to do. While I don't spent every single moment of my spare time on them like I used to, I wonder how this or that game is improving my relationship with God. But then, I can extrapolate this to all kinds of things I fill my spare time with. Random websites, watching TV, reading books I love, you name it. I'm almost certain that God does not think these things are bad in and of themselves, but I don't fully understand how our hobbies relate to our calling as followers of Christ either.

I was chatting with a friend of mine that I met through one of the games I play online earlier with these thoughts running through my head when he invited me to join up with his group of gaming friends. Their group is a rather large group of online gamers dedicated to excellence in a variety of games. Now I realize I'm losing you if you don't play online games at all, but bear with me. I chose not to immediately join up with this group (this isn't the point) because I think it would suck away my time, but the idea of socializing with other people over a game on the internet seems like it could actually have some straight-up biblical kingdom building qualities. It made me remember that God is working all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28) and that includes our hobbies.

I'm always interested in the idea of using new technology and communication structures to build God's kingdom. The church I go to "gets" the whole web 2.0, social network thing, and I think that is an excellent thing. I'm all for causing a God-invasion of the internet, wouldn't that be awesome? The only problem is I'm not sure where to start. If you've got more ideas than writing a few sentence on a blog every few days, then feel free to send 'em my way.
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Whew! That wasn't so bad. More freewriting tomorrow.

Day 14: Two Week Notice

Today I've made it two weeks of straight posting! I never thought I'd see the day.

Somewhere I had once heard that doing something for two weeks turns it into a habit. I was curious if this was true, so I did a Google search. The various sources couldn't seem to agree. There were some websites that said 21 days, others more like 28 days, and still some were 30+ days. I guess I still have a week or two to go before I qualify for a writing habit. I will be looking forward to that.

I admit that it has been pretty tough to come up with things to write about every day. There are a lot of things floating around in my head, but it's not always easy to turn these into a specified topic and write it with a full length entry. I've stuck to very generalized concepts instead of very specific ones because it is a forty day challenge, not a forty year one.

Nevertheless, I have a rough list of things left that I would like to write about, but I'm not entirely sure they are each and all good candidates for a post here. For one thing, I realize I'm not exactly the most qualified person to be expounding thoughts on God, Christianity, the Bible life, etc. but I at least hope that if you made it this far that some inkling of my thought helps you, inspires you, or challenges you in some way. I wasn't originally going to write these forty posts for an audience; it was a challenge for myself and an attempt to get closer to God through writing.

Nevertheless, if your reading this, I'm glad you found it, and you are one of the few keeping me accountable with my writing each day. I want to say thanks for taking the time to come take a look at what I've got to say. I hope you don't think any of my entries are very preachy or unrealistic or anything of the sort. I'm merely trying to put some of the things that I have felt strongly, curious, or inspired about into written words.

I must admit though that I am falling into the trap of coating my writing a bit too much since I know there are people out there reading it that I know. So, with your indulgence, I'm going to cut loose a bit more so I can get back to making this not only a challenge, but an enjoyable part of my life.

One way I'm going to do that is I'm going to take a few days and do some free writing. That means I'm going to give myself some time, start at the beginning, and just write until I feel I've written enough or my time is up. These posts may be more incoherent, grammatically incorrect, and not flow very well, but they will hopefully be a bit more raw. That means they will also include more of the things that are going on in my life currently.

So if you want to peer inside the chaos that is my mind, you'll get at least a day or two to do so (and I may come back and do some more of it again later). There's still a lot about living for Christ that I haven't fully grasped and I have many more questions than I have answers. Maybe you'll find something interesting.

In the mean time, I hope you'll go take a look at Day 12: Mysterious Ways and make a comment on the question(s) I posed there. I really enjoy feedback and especially when that feedback is more like dialog. There aren't too many of you out there reading this so don't be victim of the bystander effect and think someone else is going to comment :P

Thanks for two weeks! 3.714 more weeks to go.

Day 13: Epic

Ever read Lord of the Rings? Seen the movies? How about Harry Potter? Have you read those books or seen those movies? The Chronicles of Narnia?

I love these (and other) stories because they are epic tales of good versus evil. Through brilliant characters and fantastic storytelling, they tell the story of somewhat ordinary people (if you can call a hobbit an ordinary person) thrust into extraordinary circumstances. They find themselves wrapped up in a huge conflict that has existed long before they arrive on the scene. And yet, they are instrumental in this fight against evil. Frodo must destroy the ring. Harry Potter must face Voldemort, the Pevensie children must do battle against the white witch, the list goes on.

Why do we love these stories? I'm sure the reasons we could list are endless. Tolkien was a brilliant storyteller with an engaging mind. J.K. Rowling crafts a tale that hooks you early on and won't put you down till the very end. C.S. Lewis parallels the real-life struggles and triumphs with a tale of both divinity and common heroism.

But, I think one of the reason we enjoy tales like this and others is that we long to be a part of these adventures, to be heroes - to be courageous, demonstrate valor, and do deeds of legend.

My reminder today is that we are all embroiled in an epic conflict that has been going on since long before we were born. We have been chosen to play out our part, to fight evil, and show the glory of Our Lord to everyone on this planet. God, for some reason, has chosen to use us to accomplish his purposes. We are called to a daily fight, and if we are not in combat, we may already be losing.

It reminds me of the armor of God:

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:11-12, NIV)

You can read a few verses past this one for more detail about preparing yourself for daily combat. Sometimes I think we've picked the wrong enemy for our fights, but that will be a post for another day. I hope this will encourage you and remind you that we are a part of a grand tale which started at the moment of creation. And unlike some of the heroes in the stories I talked about before, we know how this tale ends, in victory!

Day 12: Mysterious Ways

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD. (Isaiah 55:8, NIV)
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More and more I realize how true this passage is. God doesn't do anythings like I do things. He often puts me on edge till the very last moment, testing my patience. Sometimes he seems to be silent, other times he comes through in a very unexpected or unusual way. And I'm often surprised by where God shows up. Random books, movies, experiences, people, God shows up even when I'm not looking for him.

I have a couple simple questions/thoughts for today.

When has God surprised you? Where has God shown up when you weren't expecting it?

Leave me a comment with your thoughts. We'll come back and look at these questions again in a few days.

Day 11: The Payout

Money, its a crime
share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say,
is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise its no surprise that they're
giving none away.
~Money, Pink Floyd
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Ah, the classical lyrical poet, Pink Floyd. What amazing wisdom they speak. Think their the only source of wisdom on money? Think again.

But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. (Deuteronomy 8:18)

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. (Psalms 23:1, NIV)

Better is a little with righteousness
Than great income with injustice. (Proverbs 16:8, NASB)

On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (1 Corinthians 16:2, NIV)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)


These are just a few of the passages, including some heavy hitters. Money is all over the Bible. What to do with it, where it comes from, the dangers, the rewards, everything, it's all there.

Wealth is very ensnaring. For wealth, we will work day in and day out, sacrifice our time, and take risks. Money is the fuel that modern society moves on. "Gotta have money to make money" is a common saying. The government, businesses, and individuals move billions of dollars all over the place in the attempt to make more money.

But, what are we chasing? Why are we after more money anyway?

If your reading this, I want to challenge you a bit. Jesus has some pretty provocative things to say about what we do with our wealth. He challenges one young man (who is a very "good" man) to give up all his wealth, sell all his possessions. When he walks away, defeated, he immediately turns to his disciples and repeats this troubling statement:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:23-24, NIV)

The disciples' reaction makes sense. I believe they are seeing money as a sign of God's blessing on the individual. They wonder if it is this hard for a blessed person to enter the kingdom of heaven, who can be saved? Jesus responds:

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26, NIV)

But, why would Jesus ask this man to sell his possessions? Wealth was the big obstacle between him and God. His priorities might have looked like this:

1. Stuff
2. God

I think this whole wealth issue needs some serious examination for those whose life has been devoted to Christ. I've found that it is really easy to simply follow the money instead of seeking out God's will. The gospel has called us to a higher authority. Any amount of money is totally insignificant when you consider how temporary it all is. We all have to die someday, and what happens to it then? Will God count our green? No, what matters is obedience.

I'm still working out what this all means in my own life, but I think there are some pretty interesting implications here. I'm concerned that some are sacrificing their whole lives, all their time, and bigger, better things in service of that ever-escaping dream of wealth.

Putting God first is going to look different for everyone. For some, it could be taking a lower-paying job in order to have more time to devote to family and God. For others, it might mean simply living within their means (seen the troubling statistics on debt lately?). Maybe it's just realizing we don't need that must-have item on the TV. But for all, God has called us to fight, not to simply go with the common flow.

That's not to say that having money, making money, and working hard are bad things (their not!). God has called us to be responsible, provide for our families, and build his kingdom. Money must merely become a tool and not an end in and of itself.

I'll leave you with final passage from the words of Jesus. I think it is self-explanatory.


No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:24, NIV)

See you tomorrow.

Day 10: Fasting Part 2 - The Inedible Variety

Yesterday, I talked a little about fasting as it is defined, abstaining from food or water for a period of time. Today I'm going to talk about fasting from other things.
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One of my very first experiences with fasting came my freshman year in college in my bible study group. We read through a book called A Call to Die by David Nasser. In the book, it gave us a forty day challenge to fast from something while we read through the book. We each picked something different. Among some of our choices were Facebook and instant messenger, I remember that much. My choice was cable television.

I had no idea at the time that this was going to be a challenging thing to do. If I had been wiser or more determined, I may have chosen video games instead since that was my real priority. However, I figured abstaining from television for forty days was going to be challenging enough. It ended up being a lot tougher than I originally thought. For one thing, I had to compromise a bit. I didn't realize at first that just because I chose to not watch TV, that I would still be around it and exposed to it quite often. With a roommate that watched TV, and restaurants and events with TVs on everywhere, I just had to ensure that I was actively making efforts to not watch instead of being legalistic and avoiding every place that had a TV on (which would've been a lot of places!).

Eventually, I just got used to not watching. I wouldn't turn it on when I got back to my room, and I found other things to do. It wasn't till the end of those forty days that I realized what had happened. Television had simply lost its place as a priority. It no longer was exciting or interesting or even just something to do if I had spare time. By being away from it for forty days, I had somehow subconsciously come to the conclusion that it actually wasn't as great as I was making it, it was just a habit.

Now obviously your mileage will vary, but I've had a lot of amazing realizations about my life when I take forty days to reprioritize with a fast. Such a fast can be used to break strongholds of importance that have taken the place of God in our lives. And the free time you get from giving up something can be spent for other things. If you have a hard time remembering to read the Bible or finding time to do so, maybe that time could be used for that, for example.

The key to the fast is remembering its purpose. If I take forty days and remove myself from one thing only to replace it with something else which is not God-related then I have accomplished very little.

So let's say that you want to give this whole "4D Days" thing a shot and want to try a forty day fast from something inedible (no doctor's consultation required!). How do you figure out what might be a good pick? Try the following:

1. Pray. Ask God that he will show you what is an obstacle to his relationship with you.
2. Imagine what you can't live without for forty days. Now think again. Can you really not live without it?
   
3. Ask yourself, "What am I spending a lot of time doing that isn't really nescessary?"
4. Find an accountability partner who would be willing to make a suggestion and perhaps keep you accountable if it will be a difficult thing for you.

And remember, it doesn't nescessarily have to be extreme. The point is to refocus. Even if it means just giving up ten minutes in bed in the morning to spend reading the Bible or praying, it can make a difference. Even starting with just a few days (nothing magic about forty!) can open the door to new breakthroughs.
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Tomorrow I'll talk a bit about money. Feel free to go back to Day 8's post, read my question, and make a comment on the subject. I might use your comment in the post.

Day 9: Fasting Part 1 - Food

I'm going to be talking about fasting for a couple days. In the meantime, feel free to add any thoughts you have about my question from Monday (Day 8: Quick Cash). I'll follow up with another post on money soon.
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While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. (Acts 13:2-3)

Fasting is a spiritual disciple that we see throughout the Bible. Fasting is abstaining from food (and sometimes drink) for a period of time. This is typically done for either traditional or spiritual purpose, and is not unique to Christianity alone. Sometimes fasts are from specific types of food instead of just abstaining from particular foods, like taking a period of time to not eat meats which is common during Lent, for example.

If there was a spiritual disciple which might have been swept under the rug in Americanized Christianity, I'd say it's fasting. We certainly like to eat, and the idea of skipping a meal or several meals gets mixed reactions. Instead of developing an attitude to fast when it is appropriate, it has become somewhat of a "spiritually trendy" thing to do instead of something practical.

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)

But obviously, a discipline which is to be done in secret is not really a trendy thing to do. Fasting is not meant to bring glory to ourselves, and I'm afraid this is the big temptation when fasting. The temptation is to say "Look what I'm doing for God!"

In the Bible, we see a lot of fasting is done in preparation. Even Jesus fasted (for forty days!) as he prepared for his ministry. Putting aside food for a time can help serve as a reminder of what we are here for (not for food!) and surrender extra time to spend in reflection and prayer. It is a discipline which develops the habit of not relying on the things of this earth, but on God alone.

Now here's my disclaimer for healthy purposes: fasting from food for forty days is kind of a big deal. If your going to fast for an extended period of time, I recommend checking it out with a doctor first (and maybe start smaller!).

Fasting continues tomorrow.

Day 8: Quick Cash

This is a short post. We'll resume regular length tomorrow.
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I have a simple question for today.

What is the point of money?

Go ahead and leave me a comment with your thoughts. Consider if your answer changes after you read the following two passages. Take some time to read the surrounding passages if you've got time, I don't want you to be misled by an incorrect context.

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10, NIV)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:23-24)

The issue of money is pretty loaded and there is a lot of talk about it in the Bible. It's clearly an important one and an everyday issue. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

See you tomorrow!

Day 7: Romance

This one is in honor of my good friend who is getting married this very day! I always said that when one of my close friends from back in high school got married, that would be the day that I would begin to feel old. That day has come.

I hope you don't think I'm too sappy with this one. Congratulations man!
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Love is a pretty simple word to say. It gets a lot of use in everyday contexts. I love hotdogs, certain TV shows, my friends, and books by C.S. lewis, but not all in the same way. But, I'm going to skip most of that and dig into romantic love.

Warning: Here be dragons.

Falling in love is a pretty dangerous thing, right? Nobody likes a broken heart. But God did it when he created mankind. And guess what? We went and broke his heart. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to mend that relationship. I think we can spare a few words for romance.

The scripture that deals with God-fearing relationships between man and woman are pretty tough to navigate. A lot of it has to do with marriage and the relationship between a husband and wife. What can we say for those who want a relationship centered on Christ?

There are a lot of "guidebooks" out there on romantic relationships, particularly when it comes to finding that special someone. Perhaps you've read I Kissed Dating Goodbye or Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris or maybe Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot or even Boundaries in Dating by Cloud and Townsend (I don't recommend that last one if you don't like long, dry and boring books). Perhaps you've read some others, but they've all got their "tried and true" methods and advice. Some are just stories (and I like these the best) about what worked for them.

There are a lot of viewpoints, but as with all things we do, if we keep our focus on God and ask for his wisdom, he will provide.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, NIV)

I think the major trap when pursuing that elusive, God-fearing romance with another person is to take the focus off God and put it on that other person. Obviously, avoiding this trap is a lot easier to chat about than to do. It takes a lot of prayer on the part of both people and a willingness to do God's will, whatever that looks like. A relationship centered on God should be a testament to the gift he has given us and it may not look typical and that's okay.

Whole books, blogs, and talks are devoted to the subject of romance by people far more qualified than I. But I believe real love is possible and you can find someone to spend the rest of your life with. Yes, it can be tough work, and yes there are a lot of unhealthy shortcuts which do more harm than good, but when God brings two people together and they commit to love each other and walk hand in hand doing his work, they can move mountains.

<3

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Tomorrow will be a short one because of all this wedding stuff! Look forward to it.

Day 6: Hilarious Gospel

Laughter is the best medicine.
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Being a follower of Christ Jesus is a pretty serious deal. It is not merely a one-time decision and that's the end of it. It is a commitment which has the power to change your life; turn it upside down.

Thankfully, that doesn't mean that we have to walk around with grave faces all day long.

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17, NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)

You see the common theme here? The Holy Spirit brings joy. Doesn't sound very dull, does it?

I have a feeling that when Jesus walked the earth, he did a lot of laughing with his disciples and the people he surrounded himself with. Don't get me wrong, I'm going out on a limb here, I don't have the scriptural evidence. However, we are made in the image of God and he created humor. I can think of few things that cure a bad day more than hearty laughter with some good friends.

I think that we miss out on a lot of opportunities to show, be, and receive God's love when we take our messages, bible studies, and gatherings and turn them into business meetings. If God was running a business, I think it would look a lot more like some place like Google or even one of those kids fun zones instead of a stiff corporate office with suits and ties.

When I imagine the love of God, I don't imagine a row of people sitting in a pew dressed nicely and not really talking to each other. Instead, I imagine something that looks a lot more like a bar with a lot of laughter and a lot of good friends gathered close around a table enjoying some food and good company. I hope you don't think I'm being sacrilegious. I think the love God shows us in the scriptures is a lot more raucous than we might imagine by default.

Don't be afraid to keep things lighthearted, especially if your sitting across from me in a small group.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
(Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)

There is a time for everything and that includes time to laugh and time to dance. I'm not discounting that there are times for the serious too, a time for sorrow, and a time to grit your teeth. But don't forget that God brings the joy in some seriously large helpings.

See you tomorrow.

Day 5: Smoke and Mirrors

When I was little I was fascinated with magic. One of my favorite things to do was to play with those little kid's magic kits which would include things like cheap card tricks and how to make a ball disappear under a cup. We would go on vacation and I would always beg my parents to take me to the magic store at the beach which had all the fancy tricks. I'd pick one out and practice with it until I could impress my parents and friends. I felt like I really could really do magic or at least make people think I could.

But it's not really magic, is it? In the end, as amazing as the trick is, it's still just a trick. It may be clever but it's just an illusion. It boils down to smoke and mirrors.

I never got to have a magic show of my own. I wasn't really interested enough in the tricks or patient enough to keep up with it. But today, I am a master of illusion. With the wave of a hand, a little bit of smoke, some mirrors, and lights I can show you how perfect I am. I can cover up mistakes with a smile and hide problems and sadness with a smile on my face. You may gasp at the magic of it all, revel in the "magic," and wonder how in the world I do it, but you'll never know. The magician never reveals his secrets.

Unfortunately, it's not really a secret. This magician's trick is nothing new. This one has been in the church family for generations. It seems that us magicians walk through those church doors (or into that church group of friends, or whatever) and instantly we start our tricks.

I hope you've found a group of people where you can put down your own illusions. I hope you've found a place where you are welcome as you really are and are encouraged without any fancy tricks. But, I fear that many in our time have fallen into this trap. It seems in so many places I have found groups of perfect looking Christians. The problem with this? Perfect people don't actually exist. My campus minister always said if you found the perfect church you shouldn't join it. The reason? It won't be perfect any more (and it never was!).

I think we really cheat ourselves when we "put on the face." When we look at the people that God chose to do his mighty works in the Bible, we don't see perfect people. We see broken people, adulterers, murderers, prostitutes, people struggling with their faith and more...

Consider Paul for a moment. When we first meet him he is not the ideal Christian. He is on the hunt for Christians, assisting in their imprisonment and even murder! But God changed that. Paul later writes in his first letter to Timothy:

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:16, NIV)

Paul's incredible turn around is a huge demonstration of God's grace and mercy. But if he had chosen to play the magician and demonstrate a false perfect life, we would miss out on the incredible working of God's power here!

I know authenticity is one of those buzz words that is sometimes thrown around in churchy circles, but I really hope this one is going to be more than just buzz. Communities where people can come together, mistakes and all, and grow and love God together are more able to carry out the will of God unhindered. If we don't have anything to hide, then can use that energy we've been using doing magic tricks for something else!

I think there are a lot of people out there that are frustrated with their faith because they feel the pressure to put on a great show. I think that these people are out there because I've been there before and I know how it feels. I know what it's like to doubt and to wrestle with questions that seem to have no answers and still put on a smile while the insides are in turmoil. I know what it's like to be totally away from God's word and out of communication with the Almighty and still showing up like I have all the answers. And I know that it is miserable.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

This verse is such a huge, earthshaking voice and your probably going to see it again here on this blog. It is incredible to realize that God can work everything for the good and this includes all the screw-ups and brokenness we bring to the table. This includes those times when we don't feel 100% on board with Christ and we're struggling to even dig out a few stable percentage points of our life for His glory. We have been redeemed! Past, present, and future. We don't need to be magicians any longer because Christ has done the unthinkable, he died to abolish our mistakes, period. And this one is no trick.

See you tomorrow.

Day 4: Silence

The silence is deafening.
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How long has it been since you've experienced silence? How about silence where there is no television in the background, no laundry going, and the cell phone is off? How about the kind of silence where your ears ring? Let's go a step further. What about the kind of silence where even your mind is still? No frantic thoughts and questions run by, all is still.

If you are like me, it has probably been a long time. Perhaps you don't even remember a time where you were able to be still and experience real quiet. Perhaps the last time you found yourself in quiet, it was actually not very pleasant or you could not shut your mind off.

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13, NIV)

God is powerful and he reveals himself in unique and creative ways. There are certainly times when he may be in the big events: the earthquakes, the fires, and the floods. But this is not always the case. God is revealed, too, in the silence. Notice here he is in the "gentle whisper." King James calls it a "still small voice."

This goes hand in hand with yesterday's bit about prayer. It can be tough to find peace and quiet in the modern world. Even when I immerse myself in nature at a late night on the beach or on a morning hike in the woods, it seems I must truly strive for real silence. My brain starts going a million miles a minute. It takes time and patience to slow down that too and really spend time in the quiet and listen.

There is something fulfilling about actually reaching that kind of peace though. Once I finally chew through all those thoughts that I've had on the back burner for a while and I just sit back and enjoy the quiet, it is rejuvenating and refreshing. It is in those moments that I can put aside the worries and concerns I've been dealing with and simply exist.

It was no mistake that we were given a Sabbath, a day of rest. We were created to sometimes rest, to be still, and simply be with God. I want to challenge you to take some time to do so if you haven't in a while It could even be another one of those forty day challenges! Maybe I should start a list of these things? =)

See you tomorrow

Day 3: Prayer Stance

Thanks for the encouraging feedback everyone has provided so far. I wonder how many days I'm going to get into this before writer's block is going to be a struggle! (The answer: Probably not too many more!)

This one is something I've had on my mind for a while but haven't really formulated into words. I'm not sure if this is more of a culture thing or what, but I'm talking about the position of the body when praying. It seems that the some of the typical American church culture I've been familiar with has taught us that prayer occurs while sitting down with our eyes closed at specified points of time. Let me attack this view a bit.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NIV)

This is a really challenging statement on more than a few levels. Giving thanks in all circumstances is pretty tough and so is remaining joyful but let's talk about the whole "pray continually" thing. The KJV calls it "pray without ceasing" which I think has a bit more punch.

There have been times in my life when I can honestly say I've been committed to this passage and there have also been times when I can say I was very far from the ideal here. Praying continually can be tough but it is God's will for us. If we can immerse ourselves in constant prayer, we will be more ready to make those quick decisions that need to be made and more able to withstand the difficulties that are thrown at us.

But this brings me to the idea: Praying is not merely something you do sitting down with your eyes closed. In fact, it has to be something more than just a simple one-way dialog with our Creator. If we are to reach the goal, to reach the point of praying without ceasing it has to be an entire mindset. In addition to our direct requests and words with the Almighty, our everyday thoughts, our goals, and perhaps even the images that flash across our mind must be prayers. I'm still exploring what this actually looks like myself, but it certainly revolutionizes the way I typically think about praying.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6, NIV)

Now this kind of prayer is obviously a little different. This is the kind of prayer that is more of the formal dialog with our Father. I think there are two keys here: first of all, it is done in secret. Second, there is no mention of how to do it. I think we sell ourselves short when we confine our prayer lives to some sort of formula. Personally, I've found that taking some quiet moments to spend on my knees or even face down before God have been powerful and serve to remind me of how reliant I really am for my daily life and sanity.

So here's a potential forty day challenge for you. Take forty days and make sure to each day spent some time (in secret) in prayer. Don't subscribe to the typical. Pray out loud, kneel, pray silently, experience some real quiet....

Prayer doesn't have to be hum-drum and I really believe that.

See you tomorrow.

Day 2: Real Transformers

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2, NIV)
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This verse has changed my life. I can't begin to explain the depth that these simple words bring in this seriously uncertain world. If you haven't read through Romans in a while, go read the whole chapter. Romans 12 has been like a rock star of encouragement in my life.

First of all, God's plan for our lives could perhaps be described as unusual or maybe atypical at least. Paul's instruction is pretty straightforward here; don't conform to the world's deal. Following Christ's lead is going to look pretty different. In fact, it's going to look completely different.

I don't know how many of you are or have ever been Transformers fans. When I was little I had those toys which would transform back and forth between the vehicle and the robot. You could twist a few things here and there, unfold this and that, and suddenly the fire truck or the bulldozer or whatever would become a little humanoid robot. It was pretty cool and eventually you could get the transformation down and get the toy transformed quickly. But the show was even cooler. While the toys never looked quite perfect in either transformed state, in the show transforming was like night and day. The robots from space would hide perfectly among the humans as a normal car, truck, plane, or whatever.

I think that Transformers isn't too far away from what Paul had in mind (I'm sure someone has used this illustration before). The kind of transformation that comes from taking leaps of faith with Christ is like going from truck to alien robot.

And this transformation is directly correlated with God's will. As we become transformed we are inundated with God's ultimate plan. This plan is good, it brings joy, and there is nothing greater. That doesn't mean we are always sure of what the next step is. Following in Christ's footsteps is not just like taking a short stroll on a beach with clearly marked footprints where He walked. Many times it is a lot more like following the hero in a non-stop action movie. Following Christ often takes us out third floor windows without looking and busting down doors with villains lurking around every corner. It's scary and it's tough, but it's also the ultimate experience.

When I think about the incredible uncertainty about the future that I'm experiencing in my own life right now, I try to remember that as long as I stick with God, I'm here to live out His will. Even the outcome of this forty day project is uncertain. For all I know, I may not have forty days left!

Let's do some transforming. What does it look like to stop conforming to the world's "pattern?" That's what we are here to find out. See you tomorrow.

Day 1: The Almighty

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-19, NIV)

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I thought it would be fitting to start off this forty days of post with the Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I read through Colossians this morning and was intrigued by Paul's introduction to this letter. He started off with the most important thing first, he recognized the Almighty.

Forty days is a significant chunk of time. I'm going to start it off by honoring our Lord, Jesus Christ. He is the supreme creator and only by his allowance can forty days, forty minutes, or even forty milliseconds of anything be done. He holds all things together as Colossians so rightly points out. All the laws of physics, all matter, every possibility, every dimension, and every moment of time that is, was, and will be are all beneath His outstretched hand.

Pretty humbling, right? But, also encouraging. God doesn't need us. He has more power than any human mind can possibly understand given any number of lifetimes. Yet, He still chooses to make us the instruments of His plan. He set aside all this power to take on human form, sacrifice His life, and redeem us of our mistakes for eternity.

For me, this means so many things, but the key point I want to drive home now is this: purpose. It seems we've swamped ourselves with ways to look for our purpose in life with activities, personality tests, multitudes of education and career options and the like. But what could be greater than merely living day per day in the role that Our Creator has laid before us? That doesn't mean it is always clear, well-defined, or easy. But when considering the limited time we have here, I believe there is no higher calling.

Taking forty days is a great starting point for realigning ourselves with the greatest purpose we can possibly have. For you, it could mean any number of things. Forty days in reading the Bible, forty days to make sure to have a quiet time to be with the Lord, forty days without a favorite food, forty days away from that one hobby that keeps you occupied all the time... I want to challenge you to find your own forty days and I will challenge you again when my forty days are up. I'm taking this particular forty days to challenges myself to do something God has given me a heart for, to write. And I want to honor Him with these forty days of writing devoted to Him.

It isn't easy and there are many traps. God has called us to put aside glory for ourselves. When we fast, we are not to call attention to ourselves

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:16-18, NIV)

This is one of my struggles and I want to share this with you before we dig in to the rest of these forty days. It is and will be a temptation for me to write this so that I can say, "Aha! Look what I have done!" Yet, I want to do this for His glory and not for my own. It may take knocking me down a peg, keeping me humble - I ask for your prayer and help in this. But, I also hope that if you're reading this, you too will find God in a new and exciting way whether it be in forty days or forty years and beyond.

See you tomorrow.

(P.S. Happy Mother's Day! I love you Mom!)

4D Days

Hello there,

You might not know me. Or maybe you do. Either way, you've found your way to an interesting place.

I'm going to use this blog to explore the concept of forty days. And I'm going to do it in (at least) forty days.

But, why forty days?

Forty days is a significant time period. Over a month long, spending forty days doing anything has the potential to change a life. And on top of that, it is biblical. Here are some examples:

• It rained for forty days as Noah was on the ark (Genesis 7:12,17)
  
• Moses twice spent forty days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18, 34:28)
  
• Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and enduring temptation (Mark 1:13, Matthew 4:2)

And those are not the only examples from the Bible alone. In addition, Lent, a popular Christian holiday for fasting and reflection, lasts right around forty days. Perhaps you have read a book which talks about fasting for forty days like A Call to Die or read through the forty day challenges of A Purpose Driven Life.

I have experienced the power of forty days myself. My freshman year of college I completed a forty day "fast" with my freshman bible study group in which I gave up television. Those forty days completely destroyed the power, influence, and draw that television had in my life. More recently, I completed a forty day fast from video games with a close friend. It was very difficult for the both of us since we both love video games but it was a truly eye-opening experience.

I'll talk about those two experiences another time. For now, I want to introduce you to 4D Days. 4D Days is just forty days sounded out if you slur your T a bit.

Why 4D?

• It also stands for Fourth Dimension, Four Dimensions, or Four Dimensional, one step beyond the more commonly heard 3D (Three Dimensional)
• 4D Days has a meaning in and of itself. What does a 4D day look like?
  
• 4D Days is more eye-grabbing than "Forty Days" which has been extensively commercialized in Christian product land
  
• fortydays.blogspot.com and 40days.blogspot.com was taken =)
• 4T Days is not nearly as cool
  

I'm going to kick off 4D Days with forty days of blog posts, one each day. I'm going to talk about God, life, prayer, fasting, Bible passages, and who knows what else. Join me as I fight writers block, wrestle with questions, and explore the wonders of an Almighty God and Savior.

And if you didn't find your way onto this blog from my personal blog, you can find it here. This blog is a direct descendant of that one and an experiment on the unknown.

I'll see you tomorrow as we mark off day one.