Inherit the Sun

Devotions: Thoughts from Day One

2012-01-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

Further confirmation in support of my one and only resolution this year, from today's Bible readings:

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1: 8)

Interesting how success (or "prospering") is linked with meditation on God's Word in both Joshua 1 and the Psalm I shared yesterday. That kind of challenges common ideas of success that are more associated with working hard, making savvy financial decisions, snagging a great job, networking/meeting the right people, finding your life's greatest passion, or believing in yourself and your power to control your life. Or in my case, the temptation to measure success by how much others value and appreciate me, or how happy and content I feel.

Also noteworthy: both these passages include the phrase "meditate (on it) day and night." Almost makes you think that spending time reading and mulling over what God has said is a big deal, huh? :)

My One and Only

2011-12-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

Like many others, I've been thinking about goals and resolutions as 2011 draws to a close and we begin another calendar year. I was actually hesitant to post about such things, as it seems like such a cliché to blog about resolutions on the eve of a new January. But then I realized that although I don't really get excited for New Year's or celebrate it in a big way, my favourite part of this post-Christmas holiday is that it is a natural time for us all to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the coming one.

During one of my sleepless nights this week (there have been a few, recently), I grabbed the journal on my nightstand and started making a list of my goals for 2012. There are a lot of them, mostly self-improvement related rather than adventures/activities I'd like to experience, but taken as a whole they make for a somewhat formidable task. Ever the optimist, I usually have a lengthy list of things to accomplish during the new year, the summer, my week off, the month before Christmas, etc. And while goals are healthy and can provide great motivation, sometimes they can be more daunting than helpful when they stack up like a pile of dirty dishes.

Thus, in the spirit of simplicity and to focus on what's really important, I have only one resolution this year. I will not let anything (aside from a true crisis/emergency) get in the way of spending intentional, daily quiet time with God. Too often I choose other things, less important things, over this necessary discipline, foolishly allowing the general busy-ness and seemingly "urgent" matters in life to crowd out what's truly essential. If I wouldn't go a day without eating and sleeping (that wouldn't be healthy!), why would I go a day without feeding and giving rest to my soul (also not healthy)?

To help me stick to this resolution, I'll be following Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System for each of January's 31 days. There's nothing extra-holy or super-spiritual about this plan over others, but since I usually just work through a book of the Bible at a time during my devos (reading a chapter or so per sitting) and have been doing so for years, I thought this emphasis on reading for quantity so you become familiar with the whole of Scripture would be a nice change of pace. We'll see how I feel after a month, but I've heard a whole lot of positive feedback from others who have tried this method so I'm hoping I will find it as beneficial as they have. For other options, including a very tempting choice which is chronologically organized, you can check out this list by Ligonier Ministries, which includes some of the most popular Bible reading plans.

Psalm 1: 1-3

Blessed is the man
   who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
   or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
   and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
   which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
   Whatever he does prospers.

Going Public

2011-12-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

It's time to take the plunge.

After over four years of blogging with my "secret" audience on my password-protected "private" blog (although how private is anything you put on the Internet, really?), it's high time to just get over it and dive in. Since I strive for transparency and honesty in my daily life (in the real world), I figured it would be good if I could say the same about my life in the virtual world. Not that I had a fake persona or anything beforehand, but there's something appealing about just living out loud for all the world to see. And if I ever want to legitimately call myself a writer, new customs dictate that a blog is mandatory, preferably a blog that more than three people have the chance to read.

I mean, honestly. I’m not discussing any top-secret government conspiracies, posting scandalous photos, or putting my bank statements online. The only reason my identity would be worth stealing is because I belong to Jesus, and that can’t really be stolen, so I don’t think the security issue is a big concern. Plus, let's face it, the design options are infinitely better if your blog is public.

So, in a show of ~~pomp and circumstance~~ calmness and quiet words, I welcome you all to read along through the sunny and rainy days of my life. If you don’t know me, or don’t know me too well, or think you know me but are just curious, you should check out the “Who” page. If you know me well enough that you could have written this section yourself, perhaps you should check it out as well, just to make sure I didn’t leave out anything important.

P.S. For the handful of you who have been reading Inherit the Sun since the beginning, thank you! Should you feel in a nostalgic sort of mood and find yourself with time on your hands, you can still access all my previous posts at www.inheritthesunarchive.blogspot.com.