"We saw the movie in IMAX. It was epic. We loved the experience and the movie wasn't too bad either."
The IMAX experience is larger than life. We saw a Sci-Fi movie last year in IMAX that I don't think would be as awesome on any other screen. When I was 18 I saw the Grand Canyon movie on the IMAX there. I saw more of the canyon in the movie than I did in person.
As fun and wonderful as the experience is it cannot match the real joys of life. Bigger and louder don't equal reality. There are small joys and soft words that far surpass any movie the world can write.
Some people serve a small God who they shove in a box called Sunday morning. He is there for insurance and comfort every now and then. I would venture to say they haven't met the real God yet. He is larger than life. He is bigger than the universe and His words resonate louder than any other. The whisper of God can change everything in a moment.
Next time your problems look huge or the world you live in seems overwhelming have a moment in the presence of God. Look up, He is higher than the heavens. Take a walk and look at the stars. God created them and named them all. What is too big for Him? Cast your care on Him because He cares for you. He can handle your problems and take care of your needs.
Have you had a larger than life experience with God? Has He ever whispered something to you that changed your life?
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perspective. Show all posts
Friday, November 27, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Day 196 - The Best View
"The view of the valley was better than the view of the crater."
Last year while on family vacation we hiked to a place called the Inyo craters. There are three in a row. The first one is large and has turquoise water in it from the volcanic activity there. The second crater is a little way up and has lots of trees in it and a little water. Not as good of a view as the first but you might as well see it because it is right next to the first one.
I had never been to the third one and had seen pictures but it never looked like anything. I decided to go for it and hike to the third crater. My brother-in-law and my nephew went as well. In fact a lot of the family wanted to go but the trail whittled down and eventually the little kids couldn't go any further. We eventually were on our hands and knees scrambling up the side of the cinder cone. We made it to the top of the third crater.
Inside the crater were some trees and bushes. Aside from a few squirrels playing there really wasn't much to see. Until we turned around. There was before us the whole valley. We could see the roads and resorts as well as meadows and trees for miles. It all headed towards the tall mountains in the distance.
I have found that there were goals that I have achieved that were not what I had hoped or expected. Places I wanted to go to, conferences I wanted to attend, people I have wanted to meet didn't turn out to be what I expected. In the midst of my pondering what is wrong with the picture I turn and see a different view.
One time I went across the nation for a conference where I thought we would learn about how to better minister to our youth at church and ended up hearing from God about transitions that were coming up in life. I was saying to God in my prayers, "Really God?! You had to bring me across the nation to talk to me about this?" The response was quick, "Yes, I finally have your full attention."
Let's look past disappointments to a different view. It could be there is something beautiful we haven't seen yet. Look around, and don't forget to look up!
Have you had an experience like this? What was the lesson?
Last year while on family vacation we hiked to a place called the Inyo craters. There are three in a row. The first one is large and has turquoise water in it from the volcanic activity there. The second crater is a little way up and has lots of trees in it and a little water. Not as good of a view as the first but you might as well see it because it is right next to the first one.
I had never been to the third one and had seen pictures but it never looked like anything. I decided to go for it and hike to the third crater. My brother-in-law and my nephew went as well. In fact a lot of the family wanted to go but the trail whittled down and eventually the little kids couldn't go any further. We eventually were on our hands and knees scrambling up the side of the cinder cone. We made it to the top of the third crater.
Inside the crater were some trees and bushes. Aside from a few squirrels playing there really wasn't much to see. Until we turned around. There was before us the whole valley. We could see the roads and resorts as well as meadows and trees for miles. It all headed towards the tall mountains in the distance.
I have found that there were goals that I have achieved that were not what I had hoped or expected. Places I wanted to go to, conferences I wanted to attend, people I have wanted to meet didn't turn out to be what I expected. In the midst of my pondering what is wrong with the picture I turn and see a different view.
One time I went across the nation for a conference where I thought we would learn about how to better minister to our youth at church and ended up hearing from God about transitions that were coming up in life. I was saying to God in my prayers, "Really God?! You had to bring me across the nation to talk to me about this?" The response was quick, "Yes, I finally have your full attention."
Let's look past disappointments to a different view. It could be there is something beautiful we haven't seen yet. Look around, and don't forget to look up!
Have you had an experience like this? What was the lesson?
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Day 163 - Contrasts
"Quite a contrast."
Life is full of contrasts. Life and death. Light and dark. Joy and sadness. Adventure and boredom. I enjoy contrasts. It would be quite monochromatic without them.
I enjoy photography and part of a good composition is contrast. Think about the best picture you have seen in black and white. I would bet it wasn't blurry and hard to see the edges. The contrast made it interesting and kept your eye moving or focused it into a certain part of the picture.
Life's contrasts will do that as well. You may not remember the blurry days filled with activity and much of the same. You do however remember the extremes. You remember the anger, the sadness, the joys and the peaks.
I think that is why it has been a good thing for me to journal every night. This process of looking at last year and seeing the contrast has given me a perspective I wouldn't have had otherwise. I see the growth and the changes of life. I see how we overcame in times of trial and how God's hand was working behind the scenes. They say hindsight is 20/20. Yes, sometimes it is. Sometimes you need a bit of contrast to show you where the focus was.
Do you enjoy contrast in life? How can we get a greater perspective?
Life is full of contrasts. Life and death. Light and dark. Joy and sadness. Adventure and boredom. I enjoy contrasts. It would be quite monochromatic without them.
I enjoy photography and part of a good composition is contrast. Think about the best picture you have seen in black and white. I would bet it wasn't blurry and hard to see the edges. The contrast made it interesting and kept your eye moving or focused it into a certain part of the picture.
Life's contrasts will do that as well. You may not remember the blurry days filled with activity and much of the same. You do however remember the extremes. You remember the anger, the sadness, the joys and the peaks.
I think that is why it has been a good thing for me to journal every night. This process of looking at last year and seeing the contrast has given me a perspective I wouldn't have had otherwise. I see the growth and the changes of life. I see how we overcame in times of trial and how God's hand was working behind the scenes. They say hindsight is 20/20. Yes, sometimes it is. Sometimes you need a bit of contrast to show you where the focus was.
Do you enjoy contrast in life? How can we get a greater perspective?
Friday, January 16, 2015
Day 17 - Blessings
"I went for a walk by myself after lunch to look around our campus and the sun was warm on my back. What a blessing to live in California. I don't care what anyone says I live in paradise. Even in the Inland Empire it is better than the winters I have spent in Tulsa and the summers in the desert."
Too often I overlook how blessed I am. To live in California, the U.S.A., with the family that I was raised with and now the family that I am raising...I am super blessed.
In my early twenties I wrote a song called "It could be worse". Sounds like a Billboard top 40 right? I could just hear Ryan Seacrest saying "And now coming in at number 38 "it could be worse"! The premise of the song was that no matter how bad we think we have it we don't encounter the things that people all over the world do every day. That is a blessing.
I don't fear bombs going off outside my house, I don't have militant people shutting down our church services or throwing me in prison for my faith. I am blessed.
We had a missions conference last year at the church and on the Friday night session they brought in Brother Yun. His story was amazing. I think it wrecked us all in the best way possible. Many of us shared the sentiment "Are we even saved?!" All that aside what was overwhelming about this man who had been imprisoned, tortured and shunned was his smile and simplicity of faith in a Jesus that loves us. He was blessed. I was blessed by him because I don't want to overlook or undervalue what God has given me. I am blessed to be a blessing.
What blessings do you enjoy that maybe have gone overlooked? How can we show the value of our blessings?
Too often I overlook how blessed I am. To live in California, the U.S.A., with the family that I was raised with and now the family that I am raising...I am super blessed.
In my early twenties I wrote a song called "It could be worse". Sounds like a Billboard top 40 right? I could just hear Ryan Seacrest saying "And now coming in at number 38 "it could be worse"! The premise of the song was that no matter how bad we think we have it we don't encounter the things that people all over the world do every day. That is a blessing.
I don't fear bombs going off outside my house, I don't have militant people shutting down our church services or throwing me in prison for my faith. I am blessed.
We had a missions conference last year at the church and on the Friday night session they brought in Brother Yun. His story was amazing. I think it wrecked us all in the best way possible. Many of us shared the sentiment "Are we even saved?!" All that aside what was overwhelming about this man who had been imprisoned, tortured and shunned was his smile and simplicity of faith in a Jesus that loves us. He was blessed. I was blessed by him because I don't want to overlook or undervalue what God has given me. I am blessed to be a blessing.
What blessings do you enjoy that maybe have gone overlooked? How can we show the value of our blessings?
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