Revolution in the Clay

Live in such a way: The world is your neighborhood, your taste-buds are tiny explorers, and your possessions fit in a suitcase. Seek truth objectively: Know God personally. Live to Impact

[catchabeene]

Life’s Escape Room

What if we saw the world as Life’s Escape Room. A planet that is riddled with clues for us to find, questions for us to ask, and answers for us to know. So many keys, so many locks, so many options, but only one way to freedom! What if life’s pain, pleasure, love, and loss, were actually signs meant to lead us to the remedy by showing us the sickness?

Clue #1: There is two opposing forces of good and evil all around us. There are two sides to this game, this fight, this war, this life. The greatest human error would be to mistake them for the same: to confuse the cure with the cancer, the light with the darkness, the friend with the enemy.

Clue #2: There is a ticking clock within the chest cavity of every human being to remind us of the gift of life and the urgency for Truth. Time: it’s either our friend or our enemy, depending on the questions we have asked and the answers we have found.

HINT #1: Your enemy is using the one flaw True Love is dependent on: free-will. Ultimately, eternity rests in our hands. He has vowed to make war against our souls with the same fury God has poured out to save us. His greatest tactic will be to try and get you to confuse the journey with the destination, the Truth for bondage, and Ignorance for bliss. Sounds comfortable enough, until our souls outlive our bliss? Here lies his trap: time is not our friend, it’s his. He will have us believe that Freedom is ignoring the questions, instead of finding the answers.

[I am honestly curious: Do you feel free not asking the questions burning inside? Do they not hang over your head and beat you daily with Fear of what Death will uncover?]

HINT #2: Your friend is in fact the Author of Life; your soul was inherited from the image He created you in: Himself. He wants family. Creation is where He shows us His heart. The cross is where He paints a picture of perfect Love: ultimate sacrifice: laying down His life for His enemies. “I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”-Jesus (Jn 10:11)

I should tell you: you don’t have to play, but you are never exempt from the game. So long as we live on, we play on. The line of Truth will always be uncovered in the end, either inviting you in or excluding you out, based off of one choice, one decision: Did you find the Door?

PLOT TWIST: There are 2 Game-Overs here. The first is if your clock runs out, and death knocks on your door. The second is a promise Jesus spoke before ascending into Heaven. “..as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.”-Matthew 24:27

“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved..”-Jesus

[catchabeene]

Tick-Tock

Just because there can be fragments of truth found in other religions, it does not qualify them all to be right! Try that in the school system, or on a lie detector test; it would fail us all day long! That theory wouldn't hold up in any area of life, much less in regards to the foundation of Life itself. Ghandi, Mohammad, Jesus, Krishna, (to name a few) all contradict each other in regards to Gods identity, character, and the path in which we are to reach Him. Islam: Allah is indifferent towards humanity. Christianity: God wants us to be in His family. Ghandi: We are our own god: self-enlightenment is nirvana(nothingness). Krishna: one of 300 million gods, with multiple personalities. While many religions have left open doors for other paths to exist, Jesus did not. We should pause before agreeing with the crowds who try appease everyone by saying “all paths lead to God” and in the same breath try to include a man who claimed to be the “ONLY way, the truth, and life. No-one comes to the Father except through Me.”-Jesus (John 14:6) Can you see how both cannot be true? So that we aren't the fools left standing alone before our Creator God who longed for us to know Him as Father, we need to do our research on the claims of Jesus Himself. If He really was an extension of God’s hand of mercy towards mankind and through His cross we are saved, we don’t want to be the ones who passed that opportunity up! Give Him a chance to show you who He is before you try to re-write His words to fit this temporal life bound by a clock. The fate of our souls depends on us asking for God to show us Truth, and then having the courage and humility to surrender to it. [Keep this in mind:] Opinions depend on the popular vote of the people to remain alive: Truth stands on its own regardless to who believes it or not. It is in our best interest to not build our lives on what will prove to be popular, but empty ideologies when death touches our soul. ONE MORE THING: Unless you are open to Truth costing you everything you have ever believed, you approach all research with loaded dice and your journey is compromised from the beginning.

[catchabeene]

Riddle me this..

There is a global currency in which we all operate. No fortress can hold it, no bank can guard it, no market can sell it. This currency cannot be traded, Though some would waste it faded, It cannot be sold: it cannot be bought So readily given, so desperately sought,

Priceless are these sands, So rapidly running through our hands, Where Truth is measured and trust is built, We waste it away with no remorse or guilt,

Not a tough bargain, we easily sell out: Temporal pleasures for lasting pains, Tangible kingdoms for empty remains, Physical satisfaction for our souls exchange,

Trading time for whatever is Now, We never ask the Who and How. Who made me? How did I get here? It has to be more than birds and bees, And mom and dad kissing in trees,

We’d rather roll a dice, then reckon with the price, We’ll take our chances with the clock, And build on anything but “the Rock,”

Should we have weighed out in gold, The treasure of time that we now hold, There would be no measure of gain that could make us exchange, The investment of knowing God by His name, With the depths of His love that came with a cost, All would be vain, all would seem lost, In comparison to knowing Christ and His cross.

No builder builds without its laws, No painter paints without a cause, No poet writes without a rhyme No Creator created without a design.

Don’t let convenience become what you seek, Don’t let your comforts become what you keep, Don’t let your hearts hunger be denied, The burning of answers it seeks inside,

In a world rich with Gods beauty and full of His truth, Your heart has a home, it’s under His roof, Let the evidence lead you, there is living proof.

A journey to where? A path towards what? Luckily your time has not quite run out, You still have breath: What is life about?

There is a reason why your still here, God’s love is trying to cast out all fear,

He says, “Ask and it will be given,” “Seek and you will find.” There is a reason why you still have time. Your being pursued by the Divine.

[catchabeene]

His Call: My Banner

“I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power, my die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of Jesus.

I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, BUT my Guide is reliable, and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me- My banner will be clear. I am My Beloveds And He is Mine.”

-Unknown

[jessneedsanap]

I don’t want my life to be explainable without the Holy Spirit. I want people to look at my life and know that I couldn’t be doing this by my own power. I want to live in such a way that I am desperate for Him to come through. That if He doesn’t come through, I am screwed.

Francis Chan, Forgotten God (via toloveandlivejess)

[catchabeene]

[Engagement snapshot] It all started on this mountain top: He skipped school, we packed lunch, and went to "find" a lookout point. What I didn't know is that he had already come up here, spoke with the land owners, downloaded special tunes for the day, hung a hammock over the edge, and we rested. After almost three hours just us, to really stop my mind from speculating, we started packing up, and he pretended to have to go to the bathroom (he even brought toilet paper to make it look legit!) Had the paragliders hiding in the trees, snuck my speakers with him, called me over to see the what he pretended to have stumbled on (the landing sight of the gliders,) danced while he shared his heart about my heart, and then dropped to one knee. The guys then jumped out with cameras (relieved that I had said yes! Haha) and to my already shocked, teary eyed face, Jared said "Oh yea, and how we are getting down is actually off that cliff!! The cutest part is that he hand carved a wooden ring a month ago so he wouldn't have to wait on shipping! I'm still floating. Oh yea, and invited my family to surprise me at the landing with a huge sign that said "Forever and ever." #Weareengaged #Godspick #Loveistheauthor #heartsandsails #foreverandever #quepeladoguate

[littlethingsaboutgod]

Remember why you started in the first place. What was the original reason you married your spouse, started in ministry, tried to get healthy or moved to a new city? Without a consistent connection to our why, we will falter when times get hard. And they will get hard. God said to Joshua, “I promise you what I promised Moses, everywhere you set your foot you will be on land I have given you.” (Joshua 1:3 NLT) That sounds awesome, until we read about the giants, the battles, and the challenges of leadership. Joshua had to constantly return to the word of God, the promise, the why, to take the ground He had been given. Already facing some opposition in 2015? Return to your why and keep pressing on.

[catchabeene]

Why do some people ‘find’ God in a way that others do not?…. The will of God is the same for all. He has no favorites within His household. All He has ever done for any of His children He will do for all of His children. The difference lies not with God but with us. The difference from the average person is that when they felt the inward longing, they did something about it. (Psalms 27:8)

The Pursuit of God: A.W Tozer

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[✨Happy Anniversary✨] For months, three little words hung on my lips, they burned in my heart, but I couldn't say them. They made me too vulnerable, too exposed, too committed. If he said it, could I repeat it? Three weeks ago he said it: "Kayla, I love you." My heart skipped a beat. I studied his face, his eyes, then I whispered it back and asked, "forever and ever?" And we laughed, he grabbed my face, "Forever, and ever, and ever, and ever.." _______________ All I can say? Let God write your love story. He is the Author of Romance, the Life to our Existence, the Fountain from which Love flows. He spoke Wonder into being. The best part is that He has chosen us as His center piece, showing no sacrifice too great, nor cost too high, to make us His. The counterfeit will never fill- you might fool your emotions with temporal fixes and detour your mind with busy schedules, but your heart is not so easily tamed or silenced. It has felt the intimacy of Gods breath breathe it into life: it knows the intent dream of purpose and meaning and depth from which it was formed. It longs to beat to the rhythm of Heavens choir, to get lost in His gaze, to be apart of something that will last, to surrender to His reign, until all within us is consumed by Him. Relationships with eachother are meant to spill-over from a heart so overwhelmed, complete and filled with God, it needs outlets to catch the overflow. __________________________________________________ Jared, following your heart has carried me deeper into Gods. I can't wait for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Forever and ever and ever.. #iloveyou #heartsandsails #Onceuponatime

[catchabeene]

[Anniversary pre-game) __________________________________________________ Jared, following your heart has carried me deeper into Gods. I can’t wait for tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. Forever and ever and ever.. #iloveyou #heartsandsails #Onceuponatime #heartsandsails

[catchabeene]

Jesus did not sit in heaven talking about His feelings for you. His love went way beyond words and feelings. Jesus was all about action. All about sacrifice. Way before you were even born He has been pursuing you—aggressively! He left the glory and comforts of heaven for you. He endured torture and ridicule for you. He endured the Father’s wrath for you. No one will ever love you that much nor endure that much pain for you. He didn’t sit passively in heaven criticizing you. He zealously came after you... We cannot display Christ’s love without hurting. Jesus “gave himself” for the church. This speaks of His death. There was nothing He withheld from His bride.

Francis Chan: You, Me, and Forever

[pureblyss]

Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God’s story never ends with ‘ashes.’

Elisabeth Elliot  (via littlethingsaboutgod)

[spiritualinspiration2]

God wants you to live with passion! You weren’t meant to live a stagnant, ordinary life. You serve an extraordinary God, and you are called to be a reflection of Him.

The truth is, most of life can be very routine. We have to work to keep things fresh. We have to put forth effort to stay passionate about our jobs, relationships, and our walk with the Lord. I believe every day we need to stir ourselves up. Just like the apostle Paul told Timothy, today I’m telling you to “fan your flame!” In other words, don’t let the fire go out. Stay passionate about your life so you can move forward and embrace the dreams God has placed within you!

[catchabeene]

[#Nofilter I sped home from the soccer fields to climb to the roof of our dorms and capture what God was laying out before me.] In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him."-A.W Tozer (The Pursuit of God) #Thisisbeauty #Mastermind #sunsets_oftheworld

[catchabeene]

["Dear God, umm, yes! You can write my story!"] Driving across that bridge in front, Jared and I decided to explore a way to get on these abandoned tracks. I felt like I had stumbled on a backstage pass of God's workshop and He was giving the tour! #BucketList? Check✔️ _______________________________________________________ When your purpose, identity, your life isn't wrapped up in this world, you can actually enjoy it for what it is: a scenic detour of your promised horizon. #Godsworkshop #backstagepasses #masterpiece #Guatemala #awakentheadventure #slightlyterrified

[catchabeene]

[Our day started with a 5:30am alarm. We joined a organization here in the city called #FundacionSomosUno , loaded a truck with masks, gloves, water, and tools, and made it through the security checkpoints to the site. Climbing over the buried village, we found an area with the twisted tin of a home sticking out and began digging. When a whistles would blow everyone would stand in silence as somewhere across the rubble somebody was trying to hear voices of people still alive, a body was found, or the officials were directing the human traffic.] Guatemala needs prayers: they need to know that God is the first responder to their pain, and most importantly, to realize that this life is too fragile to let hang in the balance of luck and chance. May this pain stir us from our slumbering silence and challenge us to stand on the only truth that was, is, and will forever remain: the Bible. #Guatemala #firstresponders #standunited #standforTruth

[catchabeene]

#BeLight

We cannot be the sickness and the remedy, the problem and the solution, the darkness and the light. My question: Can there be a source deeper than our self-willed, self-effort, behavior modification plan? Is there something stronger than our strengths and more authentic than our performance, to change the very identity of who we are? If the brokenness comes from beneath our skin, the healing must come from beyond it. 

What if I told you #BeingLight was not dependent on positive vibes, karma, or morning yoga rituals? What if I told you Life was never about our performance, or perfection, but our posture before God in our hearts. When we surrender, God moves in, and we become channels for His Love to flow. #BeingLight isn’t something we carry, its something that carries us. When our eyes are off ourselves and on God, we become reflections, as the moon is for the sun, of God’s Light shining through the darkness to draw hearts home. This is our role in this life, to step aside and let His Love shine through us.

We have been offered an exchange: our healing through Jesus’ brokenness, our freedom through His chains, our life through His death! When we accept this free gift, a Light, a Love, a Peace that is not anchored to ourselves, so it cannot fail and will not waiver, moves into our hearts and transforms the very depth of who we are. 

“God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.”-2Corinthians 4:6

It Starts Here. Your destiny, if you should choose to accept it, is to be a vessel, a doorway, a channel, a bridge, a reflection, of a Love that heals, a God that saves, and Hope that holds. It is to be the moon, dependent on the Son to: Be Light.