Pour through the scriptures. Look for an exception. You won’t find it. There are certain cases where people are taken from this world rather than experiencing death. But everyone leaves this world at some point.

Still, we try to bargain and deal with death. We try to avoid his snare. And with science and medicine we can stave off his grasp for a moment. He won’t be satisfied though. He will return.

The clip above is from “The Seventh Seal”, a 1957 Swedish film, and is one of the most famous and parodied scenes in all of cinema. What better way to describe our dance with death than as a chess match? We deliberately make our moves, trying to last just a moment more. The end result, though, is never in question:

For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts, for all is vanity. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to dust all return. Who knows whether the spirit of man goes upward and the spirit of the beast goes down into the earth? So I saw that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his work, for that is his lot. Who can bring him to see what will be after him? (Ecclesiastes 3:19-22)

What happens once we leave this world is uncertain. But we will certainly leave it. Since we have no way to know when our time will run out, we must then decide what to do with the time we do have. And as the Preacher in Ecclesiastes puts it, there is nothing better we can do than to take hold of what is before us each day. For that is all that we have, and to let it slip away is a sin.

I was struck by this a few summers ago when I visited Atlantic City, New Jersey. My family and I spent one night at the Trump Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino on the historic Atlantic City Boardwalk. It was my idea – I’m a huge fan of the Donald and “The Celebrity Apprentice”, and I thought it would be pretty net to stay in one of his “luxurious” hotels.

And while it was pretty neat staying in a Trump building, the casino portion really weighed me down. My parents and I spent a few hours in the casino at night, playing blackjack and some slot machines, and we had a reasonably good time. As good a time as you can have while watching your money quickly slip away, that is. The casino floor was flooded with partying people, boisterous music, and that lively Vegas-type atmosphere you always see in the movies.

When we woke up the next morning, the shine wore off. As we walked back through the casino floor to leave the hotel, I noticed many folks still on the slot machines. Most of these people were older. They seemed to have been staring at the same video screen for hours. Who knows how long they had been there, and who knows how long they stayed? Was this really how they spent their lives?

It broke my heart to see these people in the light of day. It was one thing to watch countless people on the casino floor under a neon glow and with a hypnotic soundtrack. It was quite another sight to see so many people wasting their day away in the early hours, seeking riches that would never come.

I wonder what stories these people tell their grandchildren. I wonder if they tell them about the hours spent at the casino. I wonder if they think that’s what life is all about.

I wonder what stories we will tell ours. I wonder if we’ll tell them about all those great conversations we had on Facebook, or those house we spent slaying dragons on our Playstations.

You may not be addicted to a slot machine, but there is surely something else in your life that eats away at your time. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little mindless entertainment here and there. But I don’t want you to hit 70, 80, 90 years old and begin to ask yourself, “Where did the time go?” I don’t write this out of judgment. For I am as guilty as anyone of a Facebook/Internet/Television addiction. I write this as a much a message to you as to myself.

For there is something more to life than fame and fortune and comfort and entertainment. There is something greater to seek:

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gains understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her feet are called blessed. (Proverbs 3:13-18)

Every day that we let waste away is akin to rolling the dice with our lives. You may think you’re playing it safe. In reality you’re taking the biggest risk of all – assuming that you’re going to have a second chance to do it right. Assuming that you’re going to get another day to make the most of this life.

Don’t assume. Don’t entertain the illusion that you are any different than anyone else. Don’t let the days and the years slip away from you.

Seek wisdom. Seek the Lord. Seek first the kingdom of God. Give your life to the God whose name is “I AM”, whose love and character are eternal. Don’t assume that you’ll have another chance to get things right with Him. Go to Him now. Accept His forgiveness and free love. Be transformed.

You’re not getting out of this world alive. That is a black and white truth. But there is hope. There is a way to make more out of this life. And it is only through Him.

Take the advice of Jack London. The author of the classic Call Of The Wild took care to make something of his life. He lived his life by a credo that we would all do well to follow:

“I would rather be ashes than dust. I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

Jack London died at 40 years old. He made more of his life on this world than most men do in double the time. Do not be content with simply existing, letting the world pass you by. Step out from behind the slot machine. Step into the world. Stop rolling the dice with your life. Start living.

Roc has to have some questions. He has to wonder how this mysterious man produces the food and water in his bowls twice a day. He has to wonder where this giant goes when he leaves for work every morning. There’s no way that Roc understands the truck rides I take him on, or the leash attached to his collar, or why he can’t just run around in the neighborhood freely. These all must be mysteries to his brain.

My dog must also wonder why.

“Why does this man give me food instead of eating it for himself?”

“Why does this man walk around with me everyday?”

“Why does this man take me outside when I have to go to the bathroom?”

“Why does this man spray me with water and soap?”

“Why does this man give me pain pills and ointments when things are wrong with me?”

“Why does this man care about me?”

Roc will never fully understand why I take care of him. His brain will not comprehend my relationship with him. He will never quite understand how much I love him. I know that he cannot take care of himself in this environment, so I reach down to help him. The same can be said with the relationship we have with God.

If we take a good long look at our relationship with God, the only question that can arise is, “Why?”

“Why does He give us our daily bread?”

“Why does He give us our daily breath?”

“Why did He put us here?”

“Why did He give us the miracle that is red velvet cake?”

“Why does He do things the way He does?”

“Why does He forgive us?”

“Why does He want to spend eternity with us?

“Why does He take care of us?”

And, just as my dog will never fully understand me, we will never fully understand the mystery of God. Our brain cannot comprehend His relationship with humanity. He knows that we cannot survive in this environment on our own, so He reaches down to help us.

God is mysterious. That is a black and white truth about Him. H is ways are also mysterious. He doesn’t always work the same way. He speaks to certain people through burning bushes, to others through talking donkeys. He heals one person through spit and mud, another through casting out a demon. He has different timelines for different folks, different stories for different characters.

However inconsistent His ways are, is completely the opposite of the consistency of His character. As we learned last week, God’s name is “I AM”. His name means that He is the same God that ruled thousands of years ago, and He will be the same God to rule for thousands more. He is always loving, forgiving, powerful, merciful. He always is and always has been. Though His ways are not always the same, He never changes.

Look at how He helps Joshua bring down the Jericho wall:

Jericho was shut up tight as a drum because of the People of Israel: no one going in, no one coming out. God spoke to Joshua, “Look sharp now. I’ve already give Jericho to you, along with its king and its crack troops. Here’s what you are to do. March around the city, all your soldiers. Circle the city once. Repeat this for six days. Have seven priests carry seven ram’s horn trumpets in front of the Chest. On the seventh day march around the city seven times, the priests blowing away on the trumpets. And then, a long blast on the ram’s horn – when you hear that, all the people are to shout at the top of their lungs. The city wall will collapse at once. All the people are to enter, every man straight on in.” (Joshua 6:1-5)

That’s not what most people would call sound military strategy. God told Joseph to run a few laps around a city, blow some trumpets, and the wall surrounding the city would collapse and the city would be his.

This is a mysterious, confusing, downright outrageous way of going about things. It did not make sense then. It does not make sense now. But notice God’s first words to Joseph: “I have already given you the city.”

God had things under control. He always does. He always has. He always will.

He won’t always tell us how things are going to happen. He will not always solve His mystery before us. His ways will always be mysterious. But He will never change who He is. His nature, His character will always remain true.

Joshua and his troops did not take down the wall of Jericho because of the path they walked or the noise their trumpets made. They won the battle because, as verse 27 in the same chapter says, “God was with Joshua.”

As Oswald Chambers puts it in My Utmost For His Highest, “We are not uncertain of God, just uncertain of what He is going to do next…Leave everything to Him and it will be gloriously and graciously uncertain how He will come in – but you can be certain that He will come.”

The black and white of it is that God is mysterious. And like any other black and white truth about God, this should not scare us, but comfort and encourage us. A God who is greater, higher, and wiser than we are is on our side. He wants to be in our lives. He wants to take care of us.

When we acknowledge that though we will not always understand Him, but that we can trust Him, we can be set free. We can face the mysteries of each day down. We don’t have to always know how things will work and can simply trust that they will.

Which is I think the biggest mystery that The Roc asks himself about me. The picture at the top of the post is from a few days after Christmas. Roc is playing with a remote control helicopter that my Dad’s friend gave him for Christmas. We flew the helicopter around Roc one afternoon and it made him the most excited I have ever seen him. He chased it, jumped at it, tried to attack it. I think he broke it.

Most of the time Roc is a couch potato. He is the definition of a lap dog – whenever I sit down he leaps right into lap and won’t move until I do. When I do get going though, watch out. When I grab a leash, let Roc outside, or give him a toy to play with, he goes crazy. The Roc knows the importance of play. He knows how important it is to find joy.

Roc must look at me on most days and think, “Why?”

“Why do you sit on the couch on this beautiful day?”

“Why do you watch tv when there are games to play?”

“Why do you waste the daylight staring at a computer screen?”

“Why don’t you just want to run around and experience this wonderful world that God has created?”

Why indeed. The certainty of God should empower us to face the mysteries of life. The God whose name is “I AM” should enable us to get up off the couch and take some risks. Don’t let the uncertainty of the day erase the certainty of God from your mind. Don’t be overwhelmed by unknown and unseen obstacles. Take some chances. Play with the helicopter.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)

Who hasn’t wanted to be The Beatles at some point in their life? The Beatles were at the height of their popularity when their film “A Hard Day’s Night” was released, and this opening scene encapsulates a bit of what life was like for the most famous band in the world. As a child I had dreams of being as famous as John, Paul, George, and Ringo. I craved their notoriety. I yearned to have adoring fans chasing me down the streets.

So when I was 18, I set out to make my dream happen.

For years I’d heard commercials on the radio about talent agencies coming to Augusta once a year to recruit the next big Hollywood stars. Every year the voice would shout through my car speakers, rattling off a list of Disney and Nickelodeon stars that had found fame through these casting calls (you can still hear the commercials every year). I decided it was finally time to check out one of these open casting calls.

The year I went the casting call was taking place at Fort Discovery (how fitting). When I arrived I filled out my registration, signed some paperwork, and was handed a brief script to look over. When I say “brief”, I mean that there were two sentences on the page. Some sort of spiel about laundry detergent or dish soap or some other household cleaning product. The same script was handed out to the 200 or so other hopefuls in attendance.

I had a challenge on my hands. How was I to distinguish myself when everyone would be reading the exact same short, unimaginative script? As I watched the other hopeful actors come quickly across the stage, I squirmed in my seat scrambling to find the right way to stand out. Should I emphasize the “the” in this sentence? Should I raise my eyebrow halfway through the second sentence? There wasn’t much I could do to spice up this line-reading, but I was going to give it my best.

My turn finally came on the stage. And in five seconds it was gone. Given the brevity of the reading, I felt like I nailed it. After everyone had their chance to audition (and do a modelling catwalk across the stage, another requirement) the judges told everyone to check their email later that night to see if we would get a “callback” to come audition again tomorrow.

The email could not come soon enough. I sat before the computer pounding refresh over and over again. Finally the news came. I had been selected for a return audition the next day. My breakthrough had come. Here was my chance to become a star. Here was my moment.

I returned to Fort Discovery the next day with my mother in tow. You know, in case I needed to leave for Hollywood right then and there and kiss her goodbye. When I walked back into the audition room on that day, I saw something unexpected. The room was full.

I imagined maybe 20-30 people getting a callback from the talent agency. As I scanned the room it appeared that 90% of the auditioners from yesterday were back. There were people in the room that could barely even speak English when they were on the stage before. How could this be? What sort of talent agency wanted these people?

The talent agency representative then went into her presentation. Basically the agency wanted our group of Hollywood hopefuls to each throw down a large lump of cash to go through further training, acting classes, and seminars in Augusta and in Florida over the next few months. If we chose to sing up for these classes, we would then have a chance months down the line to possibly audition for a real spot with the agency.

I was heartbroken. I should have known better. I should have realized that fame is not so quickly found. Even as a wide-eyed teenager I should have known that the shortcut to success the talent agency’s commercials advertised was too good to be true.

I made the mistake of believing a commercial without checking out the fine print. I believed that the commercial for this talent agency spelled out its intentions in black and white, but there was more underneath the surface.

Have you ever done the same thing? Have you ever believed something to be a black and white issue, only to discover another layer deep beneath the surface? Or perhaps you’ve had to deal with a person who hid behind layers of disguises and never showed their true personality.

Now, I’m not talking about racial issues here. I’m talking about the idea of black and white.

Let me put it this way: some people refuse to watch black and white movies. They call them bland, boring, simplistic. But that is their greatest asset – their simplicity. What makes black and white movies beautiful are their simplicity. Black and white films have a timeless quality to them.

When I refer to black and white ideas and truths I’m referring to the ones that are simple and timeless. Cut and dry. Everything out in the open. Nothing hidden. Things we can be sure of.

Although there are many aspects of God and Christianity that are mysterious, confusing, and difficult to understand, there are a great many that are black and white. There are a great many aspects of God that we endlessly debate and question but actually have a clear-cut answer. Over the next few weeks at The Hill we’re going to be breaking down some of these black and white aspects of God to help gain a better understanding of Him.

One of those aspects is God’s name.

Though we have many titles for God (Redeemer, Savior, King of Kings, Lord, Price of Peace, Shepherd, Father), we do not often call Him by His name.

God reveals His name to Moses in the third chapter of Exodus. Moses has just heard God’s voice speaking to him from out of a burning bush when God reveals His purpose for Noah:

God said, “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you [Moses] to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel out of Egypt.”

Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel out of Egypt?”

“I’ll be with you,” God said…

Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?”

God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’ This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.” (Exodus 3:9-15)

It almost seems like a joke from God. The Israelite people would not utter the name of God. They feared His name. They would not call him YAHWEH for they felt their lips were unworthy. Moses wondered how he would be able to communicate God’s message to his people without being able to say His name and who the message came from. So God told Moses to tell them who He really was.

I Am Who I Am. By revealing His name, God revealed great truths about himself. His name is not “I WAS” or “I WILL BE”. His name is not “I AM, ON OCCASION”. It is simply “I AM”.

The name “I AM” represents a God who is always the same. He is always loving, gracious, merciful, and strong. He is self-sufficient, not dependent upon humanity. He is eternal, incomprehensible, faithful.

When God reveals His name, He is saying, “I am. I always have been. I always will be. There is no one besides me. I am.”

The God whose name was unutterable was now telling man to call Him exactly who He was. And perhaps more importantly, God told Moses something greater than His name.

When Moses is terrified at the prospect of preaching God’s message, I-AM gives him comfort. He tells Moses not to be afraid – “I’ll be with you.”

The God who is, was, and always be was with Moses in his time of weakness. He is with us as well. Instead of seeking fame for yourself today, take refuge in the God whose name was once too famous too mention. Find strength in all that God’s true name says about Him. Find strength in the black and white name of God. Find strength in that same God being with you today and everyday.

1) Go On More Dates Than Caleb (a friendly bet I made with a friend of mine)

2) Read Through The Entire Bible

3) Write 500 Words (Approximately 1 Page) Everyday

4) Take 15 Students On A Summer Mission Trip

5) Run The Warrior Dash On May 19

6) Double The Audience Of The News 2 Me Podcast

7) Wear More Wrestling Masks (mission accomplished)

All of these goals are important to me for various reasons. I want to be more of the man that God created me to be, and I feel like all of these goals will point me in that direction. As important as these goals are to me, I will undoubtedly be distracted from all of them at some point during this year. Multiple times.

We all get distracted, even from the things that are important to us. Just ask Homer:

Homer Simpson surely didn’t go into his meeting intemt on giving into distraction. I’m guessing he wanted to make a good impression on his new bosses. But the Germans just happened to touch on Homer’s biggest temptation – food. Homer couldn’t help but be distracted.

How do we avoid falling into the same pit as Homer? How do we avoid ending up like Noah, who made a New Year’s Resolution to commit his life to God, but then got distracted by the allure of alcohol? How do we stand strong against temptation like Jesus did?

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him, and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:13-17)

When Jesus was baptized, he was making a resolution. He was publicly committing his life to God. Immediately after his resolution, Jesus faced temptation. Satan tried to distract Jesus from what he wanted to accomplish.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:1-4)

Satan knew what would tempt Jesus the most. He knew that Jesus had not eaten in over a month. Satan thought food would be enough to distract him. But Jesus fought back against the distraction. He knew that a piece of bread would not satisfy him in the same way that overcoming temptation would.

Satan wasn’t done yet.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and, ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:5-7)

If bread wouldn’t be enough, Satan would have to dig deeper. He went to his next big gun – power. Satan even tried to twist scripture to distract Jesus from his work. Jesus knew that he was God’s son. He knew the power that was in him. But he knew that the power God gave him was not for show. The power that resided in Jesus was there to bring about the glory of God. Again Jesus rejected Satan’s temptation.

Satan wasn’t done yet.

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and all their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. (Matthew 4:8-11)

If power wouldn’t be enough, Satan would have to dig deeper. He tried once again to distract Jesus with something close to his heart. Jesus knew that soon he would inherit the kingdom of God. Satan offered him all the kingdoms of the world on demand. Finally, Jesus had enough of Satan’s distractions. Jesus went to the brink of every temptation and distraction and stood strong in his resolve.

The battle was not easy. Jesus was weakened. But he did not waver. He did not fall.

The devil is real and present. Every day the tempter lies to us. He tries to distract us from the things that we want to accomplish. Just as he did with Jesus, Satan tries to tell us that we need more than what God gives us. In that way the devil is kind of like a fast food employee.

No offense to anyone working the Zaxby’s drive-thru window, but Satan uses some of the same “upsizing” techniques that many fast food chains do. As a single twenty-something male living on my own, I find myself at many a drive-thru window for my meals. I know that I don’t need an extra-large drink, or a hot apple pie to go along with my meal. I know that I will be satisfied with a salad and a water. I’ve experienced it first hand. I can confirm this fact.

Yet inevitably when that magical voice floats out of the speaker asking me if I want something more I give in. When I pull up to the menu and see the new double extra thick and cheesy bacon explosion burger on the menu, I am tempted. My resolve wears thin. I pick the chicken finger plate (with extra fries instead of cole slaw) over the salad (or Zalad, in this case). I am temporarily distracted into doing the thing that I do not want to do.

Despite our commitment to Christ, despite the confirmation of our belief in Him, despite the knowledge that He is enough, we often give into Satan’s temptation to want something more. The devil tells us that a little drink, a little affair, a little more time playing video games will fill up the hole in our heart, the aching in our soul.

What is it that distracts you? What is it that Satan uses to drive you away from your resolve? The first step to fighting the battle against him is knowing how he will distract you. When we know where Satan will attack us, we can fortify the entrance. We can prepare a plan of action to battle against him.

For my Finish List, I know that Satan will come after my insecurities around girls. I know he will distract me with less important tasks at home and the office to keep me away from the Bible and from writing. I know he will distract me with laziness and illness to keep me from preparing for the Warrior Dash and working on my podcast.

Because I know where he will come after me, I can prepare to fight against him. I can recognize when he is tempting me, and turn to God for strength. That is not to say that I will not give in to temptation. The fight will be a constant one.

But we must fight. We must step into the arena as Jesus did. We can follow His example as we fight – memorizing scripture, engaging in prayer and fasting, digging deep in our faith.

And we can trust in Jesus to give us strength and to give us victory because of this:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Soak in the promise of this verse. Run to it in your time of need. Wear it on your sleeve as you go into battle this year.

The road to accomplishing our goals is long. The reward for standing firm in our resolve is sweet, and so much more satisfying than the temptations of Satan. Build your resolve on the promise and the victory of Christ in 2012.

One of my goals last year was to lose weight (how original). I joined together with five other friends as we started our own Biggest Loser competition. We divided ourselves into teams, set an end date, put money in a pool,  scheduled weekly weigh-ins, and pushed ourselves toward a serious goal of getting healthier in 2011.

“Weight Wars 2011″ is one of my favorite memories of last year. Most of us chose to go on a low-carb diet and for me the experience was an eye-opening eating revolution. I swiftly cut the majority of carbs and sugars out of my diet, denied myself fast food, and started taking my exercise habits seriously. One of my goals was to get under 160 lbs. by Wrestlemania at the beginning of April, and I did: I hit 158.5 lbs. the weekend before we headed to Atlanta for the big show.

For the first few months of 2011 I felt incredible. My clothes fit better. I was sleeping better at night. I had more energy. I completed a half-marathon. I didn’t ever want to go back to my old Taco Bell eating ways.

As the months rolled on and the summer came along, my friends and I all began to veer off the tracks. Scheduling conflicts got in the way of our weigh-ins. We no longer had the incentive to push each other toward our goals. Pretty soon we had all gained back some or all of the weight we lost. We never actually completed our competition.

In August we tried to right the course and kicked off a second weight-loss challenge, but it was all for naught. This version of “Weight Wars” ended in half the time that the first one did. And now, as 2012 begins, I find myself almost all the way back at the weight where I started 2011.

What is it about new year’s resolutions that make them so hard to maintain for 365 days? My resolution to lose weight brought me excitement, happiness, and an improved quality of life. It should have been a piece of cake for me to maintain. But instead I find myself unable to stop shoving pieces of cake into my belly. Why can’t we keep our New Year’s Resolutions?

Why couldn’t Noah keep his? In the book of Genesis, we see Noah finding favor with God. As God prepares to destroy the earth He created, He chooses to save Noah and his family. Noah is called upon by God to save lives and to restart this world. Though he witnesses the devastation and destruction of the great flood firsthand, Noah also sees the amazing grace of God at work in his life. It makes a profound impact upon him on New Year’s Day:

In the 601st year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the 27th day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry…

Noah built an altar to God. He selected clean animals and birds from every species and offered them as burnt-offerings on the altar. (Genesis 8:13-14, 20)

On the first day of the first month of a new year, as Noah was 601 years young, Noah saw the floodwaters dry up. He saw God giving him, his family, and all humanity a second chance. When he got off the ark Noah built an altar to the Lord as a sign of his commitment to God. Noah resolved in this new year to make something of the second chance God gave him. His resolve would soon be tested, however, and much like my weight loss challenge, Noah found himself seeking false comfort:

Noah, a farmer, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank from the wine, got drunk, and passed out, naked in his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and told his two brothers who were outside the tent. Shem and Japheth took a cloak, held it between them from their shoulders, walked backwards and covered their father’s nakedness, keeping their faces turned away so they did not see their father’s exposed body. (Genesis 9:20-23)

What happened? The man who witnessed the immeasurable saving power of God first hand was found drunk and naked, facedown in his tent. He was such an embarrassing sight that His sons turned their backs toward him as they covered him up.

One can empathize with Noah. Lesser things have driven men to drink than the destruction of all humanity. Noah lost friends, family, the entire world that he knew for 600 years in the flood. And while he saw God’s mercy at work, Noah still struggled with the temptation to wash his pain away with something other than God’s love.

Temptations always try to disrupt our resolutions. Even though my friends and I experienced the benefits of fruits and vegetables, we still fell into the temptation of tacos and pizzas. Eating healthy takes work. It takes consistent trips to the grocery store and lots of home cooking. Fast food is readily available. It takes no effort to order a pizza and in the heat of the moment it makes for a tempting treat.

Even though Noah experienced the glory of God’s favor, he still was tempted by the wine in his vineyard. He thought the allure of alcohol would ease the pain in his heart when what he really needed was to seek God.

Keeping a resolution is easy for a little while. We like new things. We embrace fads. Our minds are stimulated when we try new diets and make changes in our lives. But soon the new thing becomes commonplace. Soon the sensation that comes from trying a new way of living gives way to monotony.

For Noah, and for many of us, the work of seeking God each day becomes overwhelming. We forget about the joy and peace He brings into our life and try to find happiness somewhere else. For some it is in alcohol. For some it is in food. For some it is in pornography. For you it may be something different. We all have temptations that try to disrupt our resolutions when they become difficult. Whatever distractions come though, we must treat them like bad Christmas gifts.

Every year you get one. A shirt too small, a DVD you already own, a pair of pajamas you will never wear. We all get gifts that we don’t want. If we take them back to the store, then we can exchange them for something greater.

Occasionally God will bring something into your life that you do not want or understand – an obstacle in the way of accomplishing your goal. Something that drives you to temptation.  But God has an exchange policy.

If we bring our temptations to Him, He will exchange them for something greater. If we let God use our pain and work in it, He will turn it into something special. God worked through the destruction of the world to bring about the salvation of humanity. God worked through Noah’s struggles to bring a new chance at life. What will God do with yours? Don’t forget about God’s return policy. Don’t sit around with a gift you don’t want. Don’t let your struggles and sorrows sit in your closet. Bring them back to God. Lay them on the return counter before Him. Let Him work through them. Let Him exchange them for something of greater value.

Surely you crafted one of these in your younger days, or perhaps your child or grandchild made one for you. If not then perhaps you crafted something similar – a Christmas ornament made from an ashtray, a picture frame glued with glitter and macaroni, etc.

You worked hard on these crafts. Spent your afternoons in a grade school classroom perfecting your placement of buttons and stickers onto an oddly adorned flower pot to give to your mother or father on a special occasion. Were these drawings and sculptures art? No. You were 7 years old when you made them. Of course they weren’t art.

But your mom and dad loved them. They may or not have been pretending, but for a time they made you feel like Rembrandt or Michelangelo for coming up with such an original creation. Why? Why did they like these grade school gifts? Why did we give them?

Looking back, these are pretty paltry paintings, especially considering who they were made for. Most of our parents, if nothing else, put a roof over our head, fed us, clothed us, bathed us, and took care of us while we could not do it ourselves.

And to repay their tireless efforts we gave them hand turkeys. We didn’t have jobs. We didn’t have money. We could not give a gift of any monetary significance, unless our parents gave us the money to go buy it for them. Even if we saved up our allowances for years and popped our piggy banks open, we could never match up to all our parents gave us.

Yet we wanted to say thank you. We yearned to give them something to express our gratitude. And this was the best that we could do.

So with the help of teachers who needed to fill time before Thanksgiving break and patient parapros who helped us with our gluesticks, we created something. We gave back to our parents a pale reflection what was given to us. We gave what meager contribution we could as our gesture of gratitude.

Much like the widow who Jesus observes in Mark 12:41-44, we did not have much to lay down as an offering. Jesus informs his disciples, however, that a humble spirit is gift enough:

Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins – a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford – she gave her all.”

The widow’s two cents paled in comparison to all that God had given her, but that did not matter. Jesus was moved by her gracious spirit.

We could never color in enough crafts to say Thank You to our parents for all they did for us. So how can we ever say thank you enough to God for his never-ending gifts, the depths of which we may never fully comprehend?

Thankfully, God does not need our thankfulness. His grace toward us is not dependent on getting a thank you card afterward. He will continue to give to his people unconditional love and grace and mercy even if we reject it. We do not have to match his gifts with our own contributions of gratitude.

That’s because, as David recognized in this prayer from 1st Chronicles 29:11-17, any gift we give to God is truly nothing more than our regifting of something he first gave to us.

Yours is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.

O God we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are our people that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you what you only first gave us! We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace.

O Lord our God, even this material we have gathered to build a temple to honor Your holy name comes from you! It all belongs to you! I know my God you examine our heart and rejoice when you find integrity there. You know I have done all this with good motives, and I have watched your people offer their gifts willingly and joyfully.

When we realize that our thank-yous will never match God’s gifts, when we realize our gifts are as miniscule as hand turkeys, it is as much a blessing for us as it is for Him.

God wants us to be thankful in order to be comforted. He wants us to recognize that He will never be matched. His strength, His love, His graciousness is incomparable. God wants us to recognize that there is something greater than us at work in the universe.

God wants us to be comforted when circumstances rise beyond our control. He wants us to know that when our abilities do not match up to the task at hand, there is someone who will help us overcome. A gracious attitude and heart will empower us to not be overwhelmed by this world. 

Last Wednesday at The Hill we created a special Thank You card to God. The students were asked to draw up some of the things they were thankful for, both silly and serious. Below you’ll see a few glimpses into their psyche. 

Most of all, the art work we drew was to help us recognize God as the giver of every good and perfect gift. Anything worth saying Thank You for is not because of anyone but Him. And we should not be discouraged if all we can give back to him is something small like a hand turkey. Instead we should be encouraged by the strength of the one is by our side always. 

Will you give back to God today by creating something special for Him? Draw up what you’re thankful for. Create something special today by saying a simple thank you to Him. Create a special moment by doing something out of gratitude for a friend or family member. Recognize on this special day all that there is to be thankful for. 

Rejoice in the Lord, always. I will say it again: Rejoice! – Philippians 4:4

There’s a variety of secondhand stores popping up across the nation buying back used movies and games. Besides stores like Gamestop and Moviestop and 2nd And Charles which specialize in secondhand media, big businesses like Best Buy and Toys R Us are now giving away cash instead of taking it, buying back old video games, blu rays, and dvds.

http://bit.ly/pIkh2H

But it seems trade-in value for old media seems to be at an all-time low. Just the other day I tried to sell back some of my less-watched DVDs at a couple of stores. I ended up just keeping them as I saw the trade-in value come up on the screen: 75 cents, 15, cents, 10 cents, 5 cents, 1 cent. How could a DVD that cost $15 have a trade-in value of just a penny? The stores didn’t even want some of my movies, rejecting them out right.

Again, this isn’t the first time this has happened to me. I always build myself up hoping I’m going to get a fortune for my old movies or clothes, and I always end up angry that stores like FYE and Plato’s Closet don’t want what I have to offer.

It’s embarrassing, too, having to take the walk of shame out of a secondhand store carrying the goods I brought in now deemed no good. I feel that same sort of embarrassment sometimes when I come before God.

God too is in the trade-in business. He is always looking to buy back what we have to offer. In Matthew 4 Jesus comes upon Peter and Andrew, a pair of fishermen. He calls upon them to trade in the tools of their trade – their boat, their nets, their hooks, their entire way of life they had built for years. Jesus says to Peter and Andrew in verse 19, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus tells Peter and Andrew that if they are willing to trade in the life they have built, He will give them a life that is infinitely more fulfilling.

In a world where we get very little value from our trade-ins at the thrift store, it’s enticing to hear God’s offer. When I look at my life, I don’t see much value. I don’t see much to offer. I see all the mistakes, the imperfections. I see the depreciation that 25 years on this earth can bring about on a human being. I’m embarrassed to come to the counter and lay what I have before Him, thinking there’s no way He’ll want any of this.

God does not see things the way I do. God does not look for the scratches on us like the employees at Gamestop look for them on a used video game. God does not look for the holes on us like an employee at Goodwill might look for on a used blouse. God is not looking for perfection from those He asks to join Him.

In fact, there are no prerequisites for following God. He does not have a summer reading list you have to complete to qualify for a spot to follow Him. All He asks is that we join Him for the ride.

Take Peter and Andrew, for instance. A pair of average fishermen. Ever watched “Deadliest Catch” on the Discovery Channel? Have you seen the lifestyle that those fishermen lead? Have you heard what comes out of their mouths? I’m not saying this to judge them. That’s the life of a fishermen. It’s rough. It’s full of NSFW conversation. And it’s been like that forever, I’m sure. I’m sure Peter and Andrew were cut from that same ilk. And Jesus wanted these rough and tumble imperfect fishermen as the first two people to stand by Him as He went about changing the world.

God uses prostitutes, alcoholics, liars, cheats, thieves, and sex addicts. God accepts them all. God traded in His one and only son’s life in order to buy back ours. God accepts whatever we have to bring to the trade in table. All we have to do is walk in the door.

You don’t have to clean up what you have to offer. You don’t have to wait until you clean up your life to be of use to God. You don’t have to wait until you read the entire Bible. You don’t have to wait until you’re not shy. You don’t have to wait until you stop drinking. You don’t have to wait until you’ve conquered your addiction to porn. You don’t have to wait until you stop gossiping. You don’t have to wait until you can go 24 hours without sin.

You don’t have to wait until you accomplish these things because you will never reach these points. You will never find perfection in yourself. You will only find it once you trade in your fishing net and your boat and everything you are attached to in your old way of life.

Don’t be afraid of bringing what you have to God. Don’t be afraid that He may not accept you. Remember the words of 1st John 4:18, which tells us that, “Perfect love drives out fear.” God is the manifestation of perfect love, and God drives our fears out of the room, out of the window, into the abyss. “There is no fear in love,” John writes, and when we know that God is love, and when we know how much He loves us, we know that we don’t have to ever be afraid again.

Your life is now. The kingdom of God is at hand, in the present. The time is now to stop just singing about God, and to start being about God in everything that you do. It’s time to stop just singing God’s praises on a Wednesday night and start taking your faith and His love Beyond the Building.

What are you holding on to that you don’t want to trade in? What are you trying to fix before you come to God? His trade-in offer is always available to you, but why are you waiting to take Him up on it? Ask yourself what you have to lose, and come to the trade-in counter to ask Him what you have to gain by giving it all away.

This was a moment where Jesus, being hounded and surrounded by people questioning who He was, walked to the top of a hill. In this moment He did not shy away. He did not seek shelter or safety. He did not try to appease anyone. He sat down on the side of a hill and began to tell everyone that everything they believed was wrong. In this moment Jesus told the people around Him that the laws and rules and restrictions they followed were not enough to be considered holy. God was calling the people to a higher way of life, Jesus proclaimed – a life set apart by love.

Surely this was not an easy thing to hear for the crowds. The bible says the crowd was “astonished” at Jesus’s teaching, that He would teach them with “authority”. You can probably assume that were also angry, frustrated, and confused by this teaching as well. Jesus was taking the God the people had been worshipping Beyond The Building and into real life. This was a dangerous thing to do. Jesus was risking His life every time He opened His mouth. How was Jesus able to do this? How was He able to go out on the ledge and speak and not worry about being safe? How can we do the same? How can we stop being afraid for our safety and start taking chances in life?

Playing it safe can often lead to disappointment. Check out this video from a celebrity edition of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?” featuring comedian Norm MacDonald. Norm is about to go for $500,000 and has no lifelines left. Consider the choices he makes during this video:

You see two different sides of Norm in this clip. For the $500,000 question Norm is bold and brave, cutting Regis off before he can be talked out of his answer. But when the million is on the line, Norm decides to play it safe. He betrays the strategy that has worked for him for 14 questions beforehand. My heart breaks watching this clip now as much as it did when I originally saw it ten years ago. This is the pain, the danger of playing it safe.

Sometimes in life all we want is to just be safe. In the game of baseball, for example, the number one goal is to make it home safe. If you can’t get all the way to home plate safe, just get as far as you can as long as you’ll still be safe. Safe is always the key word in baseball, and players will do wacky things to make sure they are safe. They’ll run around in circles, run back and forth, run outside the lines, throw up crazy hand signals, whatever it takes to be safe.

Don’t we do the same thing? Don’t we also do a ridiculous dance just to be safe in our life? We lie, trying to take control of a situation so that other people won’t think strangely of us. We make fun of other people so that we don’t get made fun of ourselves. We avoid certain situations that seem sticky or difficult. We stay home instead of taking a risk. We try to control our destiny, thinking we know better than God. All this just to be safe.

We worry about what we look like, what others think of us, where we stand on the popularity scale. These are the ways we measure our safety. It’s funny that Jesus never worried about these things. Jesus never really worried about anything, especially not about being safe. Jesus was able to not worry about being safe, because He knew that He was already safe.

I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, Lord, make me live in safety. Psalm 4:8

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom should I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Jesus didn’t just know these words from the Psalms – He lived them. He lived confident in the safety that being a child of God afforded Him. That same perfect protection from God is afforded to us. We too are God’s children. We too can live unafraid for our safety, trusting that God is taking care of us. We too can live dangerously, because of what 1st John 4:18 says:

There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love.

Be made perfect in God’s love. Be convinced that you don’t have to fear for your own safety. Be convinced that you don’t have to work anymore to ensure your safety; you’re covered. Don’t fall into the same trap that befalls Walter White, the main character on AMC’s brilliant series “Breaking Bad”. Walt has a constant chip on his shoulder. Each week he digs himself deeper and deeper into a pit of crime and sin in his newfound life as a drug manufacturer. Even when Walt seems to dig himself out of trouble, when he seems to be freed from the snares that entangle him, he chooses to find new ways to stack the odds against himself. It’s as if Walt thrives on having the world against him, on being a martyr. Walt, and each and every one of us, should heed the advice of a character on the show named Mike The Cleaner.

Walter getting advice from Mike

Mike The Cleaner is a mysterious man who plays every side in the crime world. At many points during the series Walter has a chance to escape from his life crime and the constant fear for his life that comes with it. But Walter refuses to leave so easily. Venting his frustration that Walter always wants to play the victim, Mike gives him a great piece of advice: “Walter, why can’t you just take yes for an answer?”

Ask yourself that same question: why can’t you just take yes for an answer? God has been telling you yes for years. God has been telling you that you are special, that you are beloved, that you are safe. Why don’t you believe Him? Why don’t you try it?

Try accepting God’s yes today. Try accepting His love. Try believing that no matter what you do, you are still safe in His arms.

Bob Goff, one of the best persons you could ever follow on Twitter, recently tweeted this:

Jesus doesn’t try to entice us with success or scare us with failure; He wants to captivate us with purpose instead.

Be confident in God’s purpose for you. Let the knowledge of God’s love and protection inspire you to live without fear. Be inspired to take a chance today, to do something you wouldn’t normally do. Go do something dangerous.

Who doesn’t love to find a great souvenir to take home from a special trip? Earlier this summer The Hill Youth embarked upon our very first international mission trip, spending a week building and repairing houses for underprivileged families in Jamaica. At the end of the week we all wanted to purchase some tangible reminders of this amazing week as well. I bought this bowl at a souvenir shop on our last day in Jamaica, wanting something to have in my office that I could look at each day and remind me of the incredible journey and life-changing message God spoke to me that week. What I thought I was getting was an authentic piece of Jamaica craftsmanship. When I got home and unpacked, I realized I had something else.

Made In Indonesia

I got got. That’s what I get for assuming, for not doing my due diligence and flipping the bowl over before I spent my money on it. Unfortunately, as much as I want to blame the shopowner for selling me misleading merchandise, I know that the blame is on me in this situation. It’s my fault for buying into something thinking it was something that it wasn’t.

Some people think that when they start to follow God. Some people want God to be something that He is not.

Some people want God to be a rulemaker, someone who tells us all the right rules and restrictions to follow to get the most out of life.

Some people want God to be like a magical genie, granting out their every demand and desire.

Some people want God to be an escape from reality, an escape from hardship. Some people want God to take away all their pain and to be like a cruise to the Caribbean.

God is not a rulemaker. He frees us from rules and restrictions.

God is not a magical genie. He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He does give us more than we need.

God is not an escape from reality. God offers us victory in reality.

At one time or another most of us have wanted God to be something or someone that He is not. At one time or another most of us have asked the question, “Where is God in all of this?” At one time or another most of us have questioned if the God we follow is the same one that we originally bought into. Have we been bamboozled? Are we getting everything we bargained for? No. We get so much more.

We aren’t the first generation to struggle with the question of “Where is God?” Joshua, the man who took over for Moses in leading the tribes of Israel to freedom from slavery, addressed the Israelites who were asking this same questions that we do.

This is what God, the God of Israel says: A long time ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived to the east of the River Euphrates. They worshiped other gods. I took your ancestor Abraham from the far side of The River. I led him all over the land of Canaan and multiplied his descendants. I gave him Isaac. then I gave Isaac Jacob and Esau. I let Esau have the mountains of Seir as home, but Jacob and his sons ended up in Egypt. I sent Moses and Aaron. I hit Egypt hard with plagues and then led you out of there. I brought your ancestors out of Egypt. You came to the sea, the Egyptians in hot pursuit with chariots and calvary, to the very edge of the Red Sea!

Then they cried out for help to God. He put a cloud between you and the Egyptians and then let the sea loose on them. It drowned them.

You watched the whole thing with your own eyes, what I did to Egypt. And then you lived in the wilderness for along time. I brought you to the country of the Amorites, who lived east of the Jordan, and the fought you. But I fought for you and you took their land. I destroyed them for you. Then Balak son of Zippor made his appearance. He was the king of Moab. He got ready to fight Israel by sending for Balaam son of Beor to come and curse you. But I wouldn’t listen to Balaam – he ended up blessing you over and over! I saved you from him.

You then crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho. The Jericho leaders ganged up on you as well as the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites, and Jebusites, but I turned them ahead of you.

I sent the Hornet ahead of you. It drove out the two Amorite kings – did your work for you. You didn’t have to do a thing, not so much as raise a finger.

I handed you a land for which you did not work, towns you did not build. And here you are now living in them and eating from vineyards and olive groves you did not plant.

So now: Fear God. Worship him in total commitment. Get rid of the gods your ancestors worshiped on the far side of The River and in Egypt. You, worship God.

If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God, then choose a god you’d rather serve – and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God. (Joshua 24:2-15)

The Israelites ask, “Where is God?” Joshua answers, “Are you serious? He is all around you. He has always been with you. And He will never leave you.” Joshua answers the Israelites cries by rattling off God’s impressive resume. God brought His people out of Egypt. He led them to victory over Amorites and Moabites and any other -ite that came their way. He gave them land and food and life. He does the same for us. All He asks in return is that they, and we, worship Him over any other god.

Yet He still gives us the freedom to choose. After He gave them all, God offered the Israelites the ability to worship other gods, gods that would fit into the ideas they had about who God was. That same freedom is afforded to those of us who want God to be something that He is not. There are plenty of gods who will be want we want them to be, and we are free to worship them. We are free to experience the pain and heartbreak that worshipping these Gods will lead to as well.

God gave the Israelites an opportunity to choose who they would follow. That same choice is one that we need to make each day. And like Joshua, I know that I too will choose to worship God. Because I know that just like my souvenir bowl from Jamaica was an impostor, there are many impostor gods out there who are trying to offer people what they want but will never be able to do so. Instead of wavering off to every false god who fits into who I want God to be, instead I will choose to worship the God who I know will be real, who will give me more than I could ever bargain for. The God who does not waver. The God who does not falter. The God who is victorious.

I’m disappointed that I don’t have a beautiful authentic souvenir from Jamaica. But what I’ve realized is that the greatest souvenirs any of us have from any experience are our memories. Too often we forget how awesome an experience or a trip was. And even more often we forget how awesome God is. Don’t let your memory play tricks on you. Let the presence of God, let His resume, let the memories of His continued work in your life never fade from the forefront of your mind.

My Favorite Movie Of The Summer

The summer movie season is the most lucrative time of the year for the motion picture industry. From May to August each Friday (and now sometimes each Thursday or Wednesday) at least one new sure-fire blockbuster arrives at the cineplex hoping to draw in the eyes and wallets of teenagers and young adults. In the summer season success is not measured in how much money the movie makes during the 8 or so weeks it sits in theaters. Instead a movie’s success is measured in how much money it makes during the opening weekend – the first 3 days of its release.

When advertising a new film, a marketing company’s job is to make you feel like you need to see a movie during the opening weekend. A great movie trailer should make you feel like if you don’t see a movie during the opening weekend then you will be culturally irrelevant – left behind all of the cool people since anyone who’s anyone will be spending their $10 ($15 for IMAX 3D) to catch the latest CGI masterpiece.

Of course in our heads we know that a good movie is still a good movie whether you see it the first weekend, the second weekend, midday on a Wednesday, three months later at the dollar theater (which is now a two dollar theater even though no one ever calls it that) or at your home on Netflix or Blu Ray. It is much cheaper to see a movie a few months later than it is on opening weekend, and a movie is just as enjoyable whenever you see it. Yet a great movie trailer can trigger our impulses and sucker us into parting with our money because we think we need to see a movie immediately.

Summer blockbuster movies are just one of the many things in life that we think we are in immediate need of. Like kids in the checkout aisle of a grocery store enchanted by the shiny candy wrappers enveloping them we think our lives will be incomplete unless we have what we want right now. We are rarely satisfied with what we have. We are rarely content to wait on what we want. We are rarely content to do as Jesus advises and trust God enough to give us everything we need and more than we could ever want.

What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matthew 6:31-34

As the summer comes to a close and school kicks back into session you may find yourself feeling the feeling of having to have certain things right now. It may be a new bookbag or iPad or purse or pair of shoes. It may be a boyfriend or girlfriend or prom date or dance partner. It may be an invitation to a party or a club or a circle of friends. Whatever it may be that has you thinking your life won’t be complete without it, know that if you give your attention to God then the desires of your heart will be met. They will not always be met in the way you expect, but God promises more than you could ever imagine if you seek Him above all else. And unlike the majority of the summer blockbusters at the movie theater, God never disappoints.