Meta tags:
description= Because all of life is worth thinking well about...;
Headings (most frequently used words):
let, play, top, thinking, 25, posts, keep, games, lists, shelf, 2025, abzu, watch, fantastic, four, first, steps, deals, riches, true, joy, read, the, waiting, soul, by, william, cowper, dredge, sonic, generations, deep, sky, derelicts, navigation, recent, archives, categories, follow, blog, via, email, because, all, of, life, is, worth, well, about,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (319), and (263), this (79), you (72), for (66), that (66), game (61), with (60), but (54), all (44), have (38), what (37), not (37), like (36), more (36), are (34), was (32), there (30), about (30), your (29), games (29), god (29), our (28), sonic (27), world (26), #thinking (25), his (24), 2025 (23), will (23), good (22), want (22), some (21), can (21), one (21), time (20), keep (19), top (19), play (19), out (18), get (17), from (17), much (16), has (16), life (16), abzu (15), while (15), something (15), really (14), these (14), into (14), who (14), year (14), just (14), past (14), than (14), family (14), new (13), best (13), how (13), also (13), when (13), things (13), first (12), even (12), see (12), generations (12), favorite (12), its (12), let (11), 2016 (11), february (11), way (11), over (11), hope (11), only (10), december (10), fantastic (10), enjoyed (10), story (10), characters (10), then (10), fun (10), still (10), their (10), around (10), well (10), other (10), great (10), yet (10), love (10), comment (9), books (9), november (9), lists (9), because (9), need (9), where (9), they (9), made (9), ultimately (9), movie (9), again (9), dredge (9), could (9), paul (9), come (9), experience (9), always (9), humanity (9), technology (8), through (8), being (8), back (8), various (8), both (8), each (8), him (8), know (8), waiting (8), earth (8), pop (8), culture (8), favorites (8), content (7), blog (7), october (7), 2026 (7), four (7), dsd (7), would (7), however (7), got (7), find (7), derelicts (7), times (7), didn (7), them (7), goal (7), few (7), should (7), liked (7), another (7), those (7), enjoy (7), ever (7), different (7), jesus (7), lord (7), probably (7), heart (7), riches (7), think (7), many (7), old (7), created (7), now (6), stuff (6), 2020 (6), 2021 (6), steps (6), battles (6), enemies (6), everything (6), home (6), feels (6), variety (6), dialogue (6), bit (6), lot (6), trying (6), leave (6), never (6), wish (6), care (6), order (6), played (6), don (6), worth (6), make (6), biblical (6), truth (6), christ (6), fishing (6), mind (6), better (6), set (6), deals (6), underwater (6), tactical (6), started (5), com (5), email (5), posts (5), sports (5), watch (5), april (5), may (5), september (5), 2024 (5), character (5), after (5), might (5), down (5), outside (5), here (5), yourself (5), any (5), were (5), abilities (5), playing (5), going (5), brief (5), book (5), combat (5), found (5), feel (5), did (5), spend (5), days (5), based (5), moments (5), present (5), perspective (5), rather (5), upgrade (5), interact (5), long (5), been (5), take (5), beautiful (5), cowper (5), soul (5), had (5), hearts (5), day (5), thoughts (5), across (5), christian (5), living (5), sites (5), rich (5), look (5), beauty (5), football (5), name (4), comments (4), free (4), search (4), shelf (4), august (4), 2023 (4), part (4), enemy (4), took (4), able (4), likely (4), including (4), buy (4), help (4), which (4), true (4), off (4), bunch (4), yes (4), hit (4), deep (4), myself (4), less (4), complete (4), same (4), using (4), adventure (4), history (4), light (4), phil (4), rest (4), forward (4), toward (4), faith (4), sea (4), call (4), objectives (4), together (4), reality (4), fish (4), compelling (4), doesn (4), role (4), options (4), wants (4), hard (4), wait (4), alone (4), away (4), though (4), gone (4), calls (4), necessarily (4), helpful (4), reading (4), verse (4), fallen (4), give (4), kid (4), seek (4), superhero (4), run (4), genesis (4), creatures (4), video (4), site (3), wordpress (3), write (3), follow (3), why (3), songs (3), movies (3), read (3), january (3), 2022 (3), hoping (3), effort (3), end (3), mode (3), own (3), mercenaries (3), head (3), sell (3), very (3), quests (3), speed (3), ultimate (3), final (3), derelict (3), numbers (3), battle (3), cards (3), stats (3), ways (3), forums (3), doing (3), access (3), thought (3), developed (3), published (3), hopefully (3), sky (3), put (3), wanted (3), turn (3), strategy (3), levels (3), looking (3), start (3), solid (3), sometimes (3), reason (3), continue (3), players (3), least (3), boss (3), several (3), does (3), thankfully (3), etc (3), focused (3), believe (3), before (3), team (3), rescue (3), bring (3), allowing (3), grace (3), given (3), thing (3), satisfying (3), exploring (3), allows (3), moving (3), catch (3), none (3), income (3), simple (3), fisherman (3), every (3), poem (3), mercy (3), goes (3), sin (3), calling (3), door (3), last (3), within (3), joy (3), instead (3), deeper (3), habits (3), encourage (3), writing (3), post (3), along (3), comes (3), age (3), little (3), catalogs (3), worship (3), under (3), thanksgiving (3), save (3), kids (3), seen (3), sue (3), bigger (3), film (3), appreciated (3), must (3), natural (3), stewardship (3), creation (3), fill (3), mankind (3), appreciate (3), wildlife (3), board (3), series (3), watching (3), soccer (3), manager (3), breach (3), arcade (3), racer (3), multiplayer (3), design (2), website (2), required (2), log (2), sign (2), subscribed (2), subscribe (2), already (2), address (2), receive (2), web (2), categories (2), june (2), july (2), 2017 (2), 2018 (2), certain (2), card (2), either (2), learn (2), figure (2), defeat (2), pretty (2), haven (2), return (2), station (2), energy (2), loot (2), loop (2), ones (2), particularly (2), felt (2), alien (2), nice (2), face (2), building (2), giving (2), equipment (2), dlcs (2), particular (2), browsing (2), having (2), comic (2), rogue (2), weary (2), cutaways (2), actually (2), opposite (2), exciting (2), deckbuilder (2), space (2), remaining (2), idyllic (2), achieve (2), secure (2), list (2), comfort (2), platformers (2), kept (2), finishing (2), totally (2), invested (2), glad (2), sure (2), isn (2), fault (2), replayability (2), respect (2), backlog (2), breakdown (2), timing (2), controls (2), beat (2), platformer (2), forgettable (2), change (2), saving (2), faster (2), challenges (2), friends (2), powers (2), almost (2), full (2), modern (2), try (2), lives (2), searching (2), bringing (2), big (2), choice (2), possible (2), future (2), apostle (2), proper (2), said (2), wasn (2), gives (2), race (2), peace (2), most (2), depths (2), prize (2), upward (2), lies (2), completionist (2), piece (2), narrative (2), slow (2), ship (2), welcome (2), mechanic (2), type (2), challenging (2), seems (2), islands (2), kinds (2), hours (2), according (2), example (2), tired (2), exactly (2), needs (2), pray (2), sickness (2), distant (2), merciful (2), knows (2), feeble (2), deliverer (2), cold (2), exile (2), spirit (2), open (2), humble (2), since (2), william (2), collection (2), holiday (2), season (2), sale (2), looks (2), thoughtful (2), although (2), carousel (2), purchase (2), coming (2), helps (2), finish (2), current (2), carry (2), without (2), ourselves (2), stores (2), cash (2), uncertainty (2), saying (2), wrong (2), gain (2), tim (2), kind (2), shows (2), richly (2), provides (2), generous (2), goodness (2), anything (2), creator (2), says (2), speaking (2), car (2), disposable (2), non (2), problem (2), haughty (2), begin (2), hopes (2), man (2), cannot (2), eye (2), nor (2), second (2), soon (2), death (2), youtube (2), latest (2), greatest (2), three (2), boardgames (2), thousands (2), discounts (2), often (2), remember (2), lego (2), catalog (2), years (2), holidays (2), next (2), sadly (2), waywardness (2), written (2), two (2), films (2), realize (2), bible (2), gift (2), working (2), relationships (2), redeem (2), son (2), sons (2), born (2), law (2), commend (2), truly (2), central (2), too (2), storm (2), fighting (2), retro (2), superheroes (2), wife (2), between (2), provoking (2), say (2), ancient (2), against (2), revelation (2), multiply (2), subdue (2), dominion (2), romans (2), short (2), glory (2), swimming (2), puzzles (2), itself (2), used (2), happy (2), finally (2), hook (2), aquatic (2), bryan (2), everyone (2), app (2), loved (2), growing (2), turtles (2), mutant (2), please (2), engage (2), delightful (2), easy (2), actual (2), tactics (2), snappy (2), encourages (2), wizards (2), original (2), local (2), mario (2), kart (2), publish (2), simply (2), draw (2), fiction (2), course (2), others (2), management (2), dynasty (2), loading, collapse, bar, manage, subscriptions, view, reader, report, privacy, account, create, enter, notifications, via, uncategorized, surfing, poetry, goals, march, 2019, archives, recent, older, navigation, puzzling, fights, edge, seat, defend, land, devastating, blow, construct, decks, advanced, trial, error, system, worked, usually, involved, attacks, stunned, damaged, multiple, once, cakewalk, tried, standing, arena, road, essentially, adequate, revolutionary, won, attached, encounter, wandering, replenish, heal, research, whatever, battling, rinse, repeat, throws, odd, ball, tasks, included, interesting, humorous, meaningful, memorable, bump, getting, shapes, sizes, eases, difficulty, careful, party, wiped, poorly, combines, rpg, deckbuilding, deck, impact, dlc, opens, hone, quite, steam, guides, idea, fight, definitely, level, dangerous, robust, aesthetic, stylized, grow, attack, visceral, energetic, results, popped, graphic, stun, shave, shield, red, popping, snowhound, fulqrum, publishing, premise, impoverished, win, citizenship, hospitable, planet, shoot, ships, discover, location, overcome, ticket, locked, loaded, podcast, details, challenge, zone, bread, butter, experiment, finding, familiar, mechanics, putting, pressed, discomfort, experienced, deal, frustration, shaking, loads, reminder, experiences, sizeable, fandom, skill, delight, spikes, egg, dragoon, frustrating, runs, guess, fanboy, largely, gravitate, heartfelt, profound, development, nothing, gang, bosses, else, window, dressing, unlock, gate, doppelganger, races, drifting, skateboarding, partnering, invisibility, understandably, sheer, offers, parts, dreamcast, racing, rolled, credits, genre, exhilarating, flow, state, jump, obstacles, fly, loops, bounce, balloons, clouds, smash, boost, incredible, mania, 2011, sega, honor, 20th, anniversary, involves, traveling, adventures, classic, tails, meaning, haunted, island, chain, questions, wrestles, whether, haunt, undo, turned, people, haunts, value, processing, sense, humbly, accepting, consequences, poor, choices, danger, rule, blot, privileges, performance, atone, laurels, resting, clinging, righteousness, runner, leaning, prince, compassionate, casts, micah, sins, surpassing, knowing, brothers, consider, forgetting, behind, straining, ahead, press, https, www, merriam, webster, dictionary, accomplishing, missions, underlying, backseat, ending, intrigued, endings, emotional, force, hadn, heavy, travel, improves, array, overstay, scenes, respects, dredging, vary, depending, reel, extremely, pace, keeps, fresh, monotonous, enjoyable, improve, generate, passive, focus, gameplay, minutes, advance, onboarding, belabor, backstory, flings, seemingly, ordinary, town, sinister, undertones, explore, boat, vessel, residents, scattered, tie, loose, signing, extra, howlongtobeat, hopeful, lament, hiding, fact, troubled, distressed, exhausted, trouble, disciples, struggle, garden, gethsemane, worn, fatigue, heavenly, such, reminds, compassion, fickle, journey, appears, situation, spiritually, forsaken, drying, asking, word, cheer, hurting, abandoned, patiently, despite, troubles, feelings, escape, relief, prayer, awaits, thou, resign, patient, delay, fatigues, drinks, reach, confirm, knee, pity, faints, thee, yields, divine, low, seem, forsake, hear, lion, roar, shut, till, dear, deliv, rer, shall, recently, ran, contemporary, friend, john, newton, kindle, share, hand, marvelous, maker, chief, lasting, acquisition, consumption, videos, lately, scrambling, acquiring, shallowly, experiencing, vast, quantities, commercial, train, conversant, planning, tools, organize, process, notion, applying, harder, prayerfully, persistently, implementing, patterns, behavior, frequenting, shelling, shop, differently, place, godliness, contentment, foundation, talk, works, vision, radically, commercials, malls, websites, telling, supplies, worthless, trace, source, hands, lavishly, disappoint, require, expansion, pack, false, bill, goods, enough, timothy, starters, global, poverty, medical, bills, plenty, essential, money, proud, reserves, earned, backlogs, flowing, shelves, tempted, solace, security, control, stave, suffering, fool, gold, appearance, mirage, wearily, sinful, author, ecclesiastes, puts, weariness, utter, satisfied, seeing, ear, filled, hearing, eccl, lasts, unless, unavoidable, appointment, snagged, smashed, closets, basements, garages, 14b, uncertain, mental, charge, creators, hobby, reddit, school, podcasts, marketing, wishlist, pine, months, ravenous, zeitgeist, shiny, momentarily, riding, stops, starting, nauseous, hobbies, currently, videogames, awash, multitudinous, upon, dedicated, aggregating, items, chagrin, check, daily, alert, bargains, brutally, honest, stoking, discontentment, visit, nowadays, internet, smartphone, vying, attention, imagining, wondrously, creative, possibilities, frankly, toy, pages, eventually, legos, today, vastly, gained, harried, foggy, innocent, child, idol, factory, during, pie, awesome, tree, idolater, context, transparency, christmas, food, worshipping, generosity, faithfulness, incarnate, radio, sung, churches, severe, shortage, bottom, tis, faced, week, thankful, blessings, hungrily, scroll, momentary, happiness, trundle, rapidly, approaching, purposed, aside, normally, external, processor, cluttered, serves, clarity, conviction, yours, closing, faint, shadow, points, committed, massively, important, brokenness, inside, human, strength, families, hardest, provide, forgiveness, unthinkable, sending, sacrificing, adopted, daughters, forever, galatians, fullness, sent, forth, woman, adoption, devotion, sacrifice, show, admirable, emulate, jest, disagree, theme, mean, willing, pivotal, point, speech, she, believes, connecting, facing, threatens, divide, destroy, futuristic, acting, pedro, pascal, reed, richards, vanessa, kirby, nailed, husband, grown, cosmic, threat, trope, slight, twist, provided, existence, threatened, bonds, stressed, interplay, realms, engaging, directed, matt, shakman, delves, 1960, era, futurstic, 828, beloved, destruction, clearly, relationship, robot, drones, appear, heartless, strangling, band, white, shark, suppressed, restore, balance, arguing, bad, identity, argues, leveling, indictment, caring, greater, hints, ocean, rejected, resonance, clear, fifth, swarms, waters, verses, later, fruitful, birds, heavens, moves, opening, chapters, vice, regents, called, creating, mandate, image, wise, loving, holy, therein, flourish, twisted, abusing, destroying, carelessly, thoughtlessly, pushing, aspect, rightly, colorfully, depicts, groaning, apparent, solution, falls, practice, oceans, seas, notice, preserve, eagerly, awaiting, culmination, redemptive, plan, plummeted, due, rebellion, savior, certainly, steward, done, speaks, cares, stoke, desire, redeemer, biggest, arresting, solving, advancing, quest, maybe, critique, player, use, strategies, linear, drives, conclusion, measuring, fast, swam, destroyed, contemplate, relate, terms, overall, offer, gripped, meets, murals, civilization, interactions, hidden, longer, walking, err, simulator, stations, term, allow, release, ecosystem, meditation, spots, scan, area, gaze, larger, ride, solve, move, water, teeming, approachable, dive, pun, intended, beginning, matter, grasp, stunningly, diversity, represented, color, palette, flexibility, camera, angles, impressive, additionally, musical, score, sumptuous, changes, mood, scene, draws, giant, squid, 505, drops, diver, discovering, freeing, technological, overcreep, communicates, sight, sound, fellow, blogger, enthusiast, selected, johnnybgamer, grateful, artifacts, choose, consume, result, consistent, happens, upbeat, style, cautionary, music, forrest, frank, handy, track, plays, graphs, intoroduced, workout, benefited, straightforward, workouts, tom, peto, lift, tmnt, generally, spin, gave, teenage, ninja, mayhem, super, hero, rocks, kung, panda, david, mathis, spiritual, disciplines, left, encouraged, sharpened, motivated, turnau, burnett, moore, thoughtfully, parent, sledge, unflinching, honesty, regarding, heroism, brutality, war, highly, listening, audiobook, breed, accessible, tactically, ww2, boardgame, undaunted, normandy, small, box, relatively, rules, origami, cool, salt, paper, cheap, flip, highlights, west, ham, united, quick, solved, user, picked, switch, couch, faithful, saw, engaged, rose, draft, revisit, consumerism, entices, indulge, skimming, surface, sit, nostalgia, discoveries, delights, perhaps, record, keeping, exercise, guessed, note, project, periodically, update, link, section, clarify, spheres, generating, witnessed, privilege, passable, rises, above, special, sharpen, intersects, minds, funny, henry, stickman, marvel, overlooked, guardians, galaxy, fps, 254, destructible, environments, battlebit, remastered, clean, invisible, inc, blew, xbox, halo, evolved, knew, creepy, horizon, chase, turbo, racers, tracks, deluxe, booster, pass, managing, drivers, pit, crew, motorsport, plotting, scheming, conquering, grand, crusader, kings, class, developer, coach, college, banner, saga, cry, rakuen, weird, legitimately, te4, tennis, elbow, 2013, submarine, sim, wolfpack, 1990, pilot, career, aces, pacific, 1992, city, builder, traffic, cities, skylines, roguelike, slay, spire, universe, battletech, matches, version, ncaa, 2014, below, computer, links, articles, updated, projects, skip, menu,
Text of the page (random words):
n god created swarms of living creatures to fill the waters and multiply on the earth genesis 1 20 23 and then just a few verses later god calls humanity to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth genesis 1 28 this verse and the opening chapters of genesis see mankind as god s vice regents who are called to both fill the earth and care for it in creating and using technology humanity can carry out its god given mandate to subdue and have dominion over the earth yet we are made in the image of a good wise loving and holy god so we should seek to care for god s world and the creatures therein in a way that shows respect for our good creator and helps his world to flourish sadly though sin has twisted all of that so that we often see mankind abusing and destroying the earth and its creatures carelessly and thoughtlessly abzu is pushing against this aspect of fallen order and fallen humanity it rightly and colorfully depicts both the beauty and groaning of this fallen created world romans 8 20 22 yet the game s apparent solution falls short of biblical truth yes humanity must practice better stewardship of the oceans and seas yes humanity must take more care to notice appreciate and preserve the underwater beauty god has created but from a biblical perspective the one who does the ultimate saving is not technology or humanity rather creation is eagerly awaiting the second coming of christ the culmination of the redemptive plan god has been working since the world plummeted into sin and death due to man s rebellion romans 8 23 only then will all things be made new revelation 21 5 only christ is the savior of mankind and the created order and those who know him should certainly care about this world he has created and seek to steward it well for his glory so when it s all said and done abzu is so much more than just a beautiful swimming adventure game it s a game speaking of creation technology and humanity s role in all of it all of this the bible speaks to all of this god cares about and all of this can stoke our desire for the true redeemer to come again and make all things new let s watch fantastic four first steps december 5 2025 december 5 2025 keep thinking 1 comment fantastic four first steps is a 2025 superhero film directed by matt shakman which delves into the 1960 era retro futurstic world of earth 828 where beloved superheroes the fantastic four must save the world from complete destruction i really enjoyed the retro futuristic look and feel of this film i also really appreciated the great acting particularly from pedro pascal reed richards and vanessa kirby sue storm who really nailed their role as not only superheroes but also husband and wife while i ve grown weary of the cosmic threat trope in superhero films i appreciated the slight twist this film provided where not only is earth s existence threatened but also the bonds of love and family are stressed as well the interplay between those two realms was engaging and even thought provoking ultimately the movie s central theme is family what does it mean to be family what are and should we be willing to do for our family how do we truly love one another as family without giving away too much at a pivotal point in the movie sue storm gives a brief speech and says what she believes about family it s about fighting for something bigger than yourself it s about connecting to something bigger than yourself it s about having something bigger than yourself according to sue and the movie family is about being together about facing and fighting what threatens to divide and destroy us from a christian perspective there is much to commend here family is a good gift from god the devotion care and sacrifice that the fantastic four family show for each other is admirable and something we should seek to emulate in our relationships while the characters may jest and disagree with one another at times they truly do love one another however from a biblical perspective the good gift of family is not our final hope working together and being committed to each other is massively important but it cannot save us from the brokenness inside us or outside of us ultimately we have to look outside ourselves we have to look to the one who created family and human relationships he alone can rescue and redeem us he alone can give strength to love our families well even in the hardest of times and provide forgiveness for all those times we haven t and he did that by doing the unthinkable by sending and sacrificing his only son so that we might life so that by faith in christ we might be adopted as sons and daughters into his forever family the apostle paul put it like this in galatians 4 4 5 but when the fullness of time had come god sent forth his son born of woman born under the law to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons in closing fantastic four first steps is a fantastic superhero movie it s one of the best superhero films i ve seen in a long time but it s even more fantastic when you realize that the truth and beauty in this movie is just a faint shadow of the solid reality to which the bible points and for which our hearts long for deals riches true joy november 25 2025 november 25 2025 keep thinking 2 comments with the holidays rapidly approaching i purposed to set aside some time to think and write in all reality because i m normally an external processor i will be thinking as i write so welcome to my cluttered mind hopefully the rest of this post serves to bring a bit of clarity and conviction to my heart and yours so what s on my mind these days deals deals deals tis the two faced week of thanksgiving where we seek to both be thankful for god s many blessings but also hungrily scroll sites and stores looking for that next purchase to give us a hit of momentary happiness before we trundle into december now in all transparency i love thanksgiving and christmas this is probably my favorite time of the year food family fun and focused times of worshipping god for his generosity faithfulness and incarnate grace some of the best worship songs ever written are played on the radio and sung at churches across the world at this time of year though thanksgiving has a severe shortage of good songs save this one at the bottom of my heart i do love this time of year and i want my kids to experience all the good of it yet as the years have gone by and i ve gained more disposable income my mind and heart are a bit more harried and foggy now i m not saying i was some idyllic innocent child i m sure as a kid my idol factory heart found all kinds of things to worship instead of the lord during the holidays if i could just get that next piece of pie or if i could get that awesome lego set under the tree all would be well i was an idolater back then and sadly still am yet my waywardness and the context of my waywardness looks a bit different these days nowadays i have access to the internet i have a smartphone i have youtube i have so many more options and discounts vying for my attention than i did as a kid as a kid i remember looking at lego catalogs and imagining all of the wondrously creative possibilities frankly i still enjoy some toy catalogs yet there were only so many pages in those catalogs eventually i got tired of the catalog and just got back to the legos i already had but today feels vastly different my three big hobbies currently videogames boardgames and reading books are all awash with multitudinous options thousands upon thousands of options and discounts there are sites and forums dedicated to aggregating deals on these items i should know because to my chagrin i check the ones for games almost daily sometimes they re really helpful and alert me to some great bargains or even free stuff yet if i m being brutally honest with myself they re often just stoking discontentment is it necessarily wrong to visit these sites no but when you have as many games and books as i do do i really need to know about another sale and don t get me started on youtube content creators hobby sites reddit or old school forums podcasts etc while i enjoy some of it for example the backlog breakdown so much content out there is just marketing by another name it feels like it s always about the latest and greatest thing to wishlist and pine for but give it three months and the ravenous zeitgeist will be on to something new shiny and momentarily satisfying all of this feels like riding a carousel that never stops and goes around and around i m starting to get a little nauseous paul says in 1 timothy 6 17 as for the rich in the this present age charge them not to be haughty nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but on god who richly provides us with everything to enjoy there is so much in this one verse for starters it s speaking to me and likely to you if you re reading this given the reality of global poverty we are the rich in this world we have so much even if this year hit my family with more medical and car bills than i would have liked i still have plenty of disposable income to spend on non essential things like games and books the problem with the rich like us is not necessarily that we have a lot of money and stuff but that we get haughty we get proud we begin to set our hearts and hopes on our riches on our reserves of hard earned cash on our backlogs on our over flowing shelves of stuff we are tempted to look to these riches for solace for comfort for security in this present age none of us can control the future or stave off the suffering of living in a fallen world but riches are a fool s gold they give the appearance of something satisfying and secure but the mirage doesn t last first wearily our sinful hearts always want more as the author of ecclesiastes puts it all things are full of weariness a man cannot utter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing eccl 1 8b and second none of it lasts unless jesus comes back soon each of us have an unavoidable appointment with death all those deals we snagged all that stuff we smashed into our closets basements and garages all of it gone and then one day this present age will be over and jesus will come back 1 tim 5 14b riches are very uncertain and yet we spend so much of our time effort and mental energy on how to spend and get more there has to be a better way thankfully paul shows us that better more certain way in the same verse he calls us to set our hope on god who richly provides us with everything to enjoy v 17 with that as the foundation paul then goes on in verse 18 to talk about doing good being generous and being rich in good works paul s vision of the good life is radically different than what i see in commercials malls and many websites instead of telling us to buy now while supplies last or the opposite everything is worthless paul calls us to trace the goodness and joy we experience in this life back to its ultimate source if there is anything good in games and books and there is much it ultimately comes from the good hands of our lavishly generous creator we need to set our hope on him he will always come through he will not disappoint he doesn t require an upgrade or expansion pack he is not going to sell us a false bill of goods he is enough he is where true life is found but applying this truth and living it is harder than writing it when i finish writing this post and when you finish reading it the current habits of our lives will carry us along without thinking and prayerfully and persistently implementing new patterns of behavior we will likely find ourselves browsing the sites again frequenting the stores and shelling out more cash for uncertainty i m not saying it s wrong to shop or buy something for yourself this holiday season i know i will but i want to go about it differently i want my heart to be in a different place if godliness with contentment is great gain 1 tim 6 6 then i want that kind of gain in my life don t you so what do we do now for me it looks like moving toward less acquisition and more thoughtful consumption although not necessarily from a christian perspective videos like this have been helpful to me lately instead of scrambling around acquiring and shallowly experiencing vast quantities of games and books i want off the commercial carousel i want to slow the purchase train down i want to go deeper i want to think more and i want to be more conversant with god through it all i m planning and hoping to continue using tools like notion and this blog to help me organize and process my thoughts and habits this coming year i encourage you to find something that helps you do the same ultimately all the riches and good things i have and will experience this holiday season are from the hand of my marvelous maker i want him to be my chief and lasting joy and that s not something i m ever going to find in a sale let s read the waiting soul by william cowper november 15 2025 keep thinking leave a comment i recently ran across a beautiful poem by william cowper a contemporary and friend of john newton in this kindle collection i wanted to share the poem the waiting soul and a few brief thoughts on it i wish thou know st to be resign d and wait with patient hope but hope delay d fatigues the mind and drinks the spirit up help me to reach the distant goal confirm my feeble knee pity the sickness of a soul that faints for love of thee cold as i feel this heart of mind yet since i feel it so it yields some hope of life divine within however low i seem forsake and alone i hear the lion roar and ev ry door is shut but one and that is mercy s door there till the dear deliv rer come i ll wait with humble pray r and when he calls his exile home the lord shall find me there my thoughts cowper appears to be in a situation where he feels spiritually cold he feels forsaken and alone like an exile away from home his spirit is drying up because he has been waiting but it s hard to do so he is waiting for his deliverer to come he is asking for god to open his word to him and cheer his hurting soul yet he has not abandoned his hope in god he is calling out to god after all and he wants to wait patiently despite his troubles and feelings though he knows that god is still merciful all other ways of escape or relief may be gone but mercy s door is still open so he will continue to call out in humble prayer as he awaits his lord to come and take him home at last to me this poem is a beautiful example of hopeful lament cowper is not hiding the fact that he is troubled of soul he is distressed of mind he is tired of waiting his options are all but exhausted all he has is the lord and his mercy but that is exactly what he needs and wants and that is exactly who he goes to in his trouble it s hard to wait wat...
|
