When your focus gets blurry.

When my focus gets blurry, it is usually because I have become nearsighted. I put on my glasses to read what is before me, but that disillusions my ability to see far and limits my awareness of hindsight because I am so intently focused on the immediate story before me.

Extravagent Devotion

Mary, with an alabaster vial of perfume, poured it over Jesus' head. Standbyers saw and scoffed and scolded her publically. The story is told to the world as provocation: This is the type of devotion that is required of us! It looks stupid to the world.

Extravagent Devotion is the evidence of the gospel's work in our life. Extravagent Love can not be concealed. It is expressed! Serving! Loving! Witnessing! It is the increasing experience of the converted.

How can I become more like Mary?

Conversion doesn't leave the conflict of sin. Before conversion there is no conflict because we are ignorant of our offense.

It was the day before I left on a plane to study in Taiwan for a semester; the day before the one that would be known as 9/11. It was September 10, 2001, mom and dad gave me an NIV pocket Bible and Oswald Chambers’, “My Utmost for His Highest”. Here it is Sunday, January 01, 2006.

I praise God for whose wing I have been covered by. He has kept me His when I have fought for my own will. I have seen His care and protection and many blessings. Today, the urging from OC is, “Let us keep to the point.” Philippians 1:20 “My eager desire and hope being that I may never feel ashamed, but that now as ever I may do honour to Christ in my own person by fearless courage.” It begins with an absolute and entire surrender of our will for His.

OC frankly states, that “God’s order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we will not heed the gentler way. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him, and we begin to debate; then He produces a providential crisis where we have to decide- for or against, and from that point the ‘Great Divide’ begins.”

I choose you, Lord.