YouTube video: Commencement 2011: Dr. Dallas Willard, May 7, 2011
Duration: 19:07
eternal life is eternal living. replace in Scripture, if helpful
our lives are caught up in God's life, what God is doing where we are
we can make our lives and moments eternal by making sure we are acting in the presence, character and power of God
we acknowledge His presence where we are and expect Him to be involved
Paul: Phil 3: foundation on Christ and then building with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble
very few of us end up where we expected to be
the three little pigs made it to brick, but we have an opportunity to go far beyond that
fire will test qualities of each man's work
I believe the fire is God Himself
morning discipline (and throughout day): God is here
the great danger is not knowing we are building eternal structures and we will only build in the visible world
we're likely to be overwhelmed by sufferings and disappointments, by what others do. you may give up and build with wood, hay and stubble
Jacob wound up in a ditch. he turned to the visible. his mother helped him. built with a lot of wood, hay and stubble
surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it
Heidegger. geworfenheit: thrown-ness
life can be unexpected
but God is still with us
as you go into the world, people will say your faith is baloney, and you will be challenged to say i have spiritual knowledge
I know Whom I have believed
not just faith, but faith with knowledge
God will be with you and will manifest Himself in ways that cannot be denied by those who are willing to know
knowledge just not jump down people's throats. you have to want it and seek it.
expect God's presence and action
have to keep and guard heart
Prov 4.23: keep your heart with all diligence. what your life amounts to comes out of your heart
heart is direct connection with God and His kingdom. you must learn to keep your heart present to God
He is the way. not a map. a person.
have to seek Him, call upon Him, lean upon Him, cling to Him
that's the secret of the spiritual life
hope may be some time coming
watch and wait in knowledge of future to which present sufferings are not worth being compared, the glory that is to be revealed
patiently put into practice right where you are the things that Jesus teaches us to do
the key is to do it, even if you don't know what's going to happen
you will fail some, but you will learn and gradually your life will be one with the life of Christ
you know the truth and the reality of the life that sets us free by putting into practice the words of Jesus and the companionship with Jesus
you become assured of who you are as God's creature, child and co-laborer. nearly everything you meet will try to turn you away from that knowledge
being with Him and Him with us becomes a tangible fact as our life progresses
I am an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe.
Tuesday, January 21
Saturday, January 4
My 2013 in Review
Thanks to the teaching of Dallas Willard, this was my best year of following Jesus. I have a ton to learn and a long way to go. I won't stop needing to learn and grow. But I've been able to often keep a different mindset and experience more peace of mind. More on this topic: I have decided to follow Jesus.
I lost 30 pounds this year. Last year at this time, losing 30 pounds would have seemed like a miracle, so I am giving credit to God for helping me, for changing my mind, for guiding me into the right change of habits for me.
Christine and I celebrated our 20th anniversary and, in my opinion, our marriage is as good as ever.
One sign of growth was my approach to Christmas and my birthday. I did not have a long or expensive wishlist. This made gift-getting a little harder, especially for Christine, but it was a good sign. I got and enjoyed a number of things I absolutely would not have wanted last year. (Annual gift post to come later). And I didn't want my actual birthday to be as focused on me as I sometimes have in the past. (It was still pretty focused on me ;-)
Finally, without getting into specifics, work went well this year, from my perspective.
I wrote a lot more in my journal that is private and doesn't come into this writeup, so this is a little shorter than I imagined.
I don't really do resolutions, but if I had one, it would be to seek God's Kingdom more this year. And I would like to lose about 10 more pounds, but maybe not until the spring. :-)
I lost 30 pounds this year. Last year at this time, losing 30 pounds would have seemed like a miracle, so I am giving credit to God for helping me, for changing my mind, for guiding me into the right change of habits for me.
Christine and I celebrated our 20th anniversary and, in my opinion, our marriage is as good as ever.
One sign of growth was my approach to Christmas and my birthday. I did not have a long or expensive wishlist. This made gift-getting a little harder, especially for Christine, but it was a good sign. I got and enjoyed a number of things I absolutely would not have wanted last year. (Annual gift post to come later). And I didn't want my actual birthday to be as focused on me as I sometimes have in the past. (It was still pretty focused on me ;-)
Finally, without getting into specifics, work went well this year, from my perspective.
I wrote a lot more in my journal that is private and doesn't come into this writeup, so this is a little shorter than I imagined.
I don't really do resolutions, but if I had one, it would be to seek God's Kingdom more this year. And I would like to lose about 10 more pounds, but maybe not until the spring. :-)
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