stupid blogs

i thought it would be a good idea to shop around on different blog hosting sites, just to make sure I was getting a "good deal," and something occured to me - its just a blog. plus, blogger is pretty dang easy to use. so everyone, the address changed. sorry.

quick update:

due to the fact that my cell phone took a free fall from the Batman ride at Six Flags Over Texas on Saturday, I will be out of communications until my phone arrives in the mail - thats right, they found the beast and are mailing it to me as I type. Give me a few days and I can call all you people who have been dialing and dialing...

keep jessica and I in prayer - we are looking at some transition. the Lord has made it evident that we need to move. nothing major, just a new place that will save us some coin. we have some options on the table, but we need some serious clarity.

also, pray for me. as our marriage progresses and I become more aware of the role I am to play, I am taking on more and more responsibility for the direction our life takes. it is such a blessing. I started to see how my laziness and apathy drove our relationship down some lonely roads. thankfully, this awareness, as unpleasant as it could be, broke down some tremendous walls spiritually, even walls that were built around my heart and will. I started to get little tastes of what life could be like if I started living it intentionally - rejoicing in the gospel daily. it was a taste that I did not want to deprive myself of. i was reading this evening and came across a scripture that just works:

Luke 12:32

"Fear not little flock, for it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom"

(emphasis mine)

listen to what that says. this scripture is explicity saying that Christ receives pleasure when he gives us morsels of the kingdom. read that section thoroughly and you will also find the context of how this verse plays out. but listen, if we, with a whole heart, choose to dwell on the gospel, focusing on how it changes our hearts, desires, motivations - who is to say that christ will not impart to us flavors of the kingdom, tastes of future riches, sensations of what lies beyond the gate?

i love you guys.

beginnings

a good friend once told me that I should start a blog. I didnt really know what to think about blogging, because all of my writing took place in my journal with pencil and paper. plus, blogging has of late, been the thing to do - and I have resisted long enough. it can function for many reasons - spiritual reflections - personal schpeel - and of course other various rants and raves. this I hope can be a healthy fusion of the two first reasons. I fear that if I started a purely spiritual blog that my inconsistent heart would shine through and my fervor would fade. well, I take that back. this can be a Christ centered blog becuase I am indeed human and therefore broken, sinful and fleeting - what a better place for the healing hand of christ. who cares if I am down trodden, stressed or broken hearted? this is my life. i have a sweet bride and we live life with christ. this means tears, joys, highs, lows. this little blog can capture those moments. so without any further explanation - its time to write.

An introduction to Easter.

this year I have found myself very aware of the depth behind easter. the same good friend who suggested that I start a blog gave me a little booklet called "a gospel primer," and it functions as a guide, well, a lesson on how to preach the gospel to yourself - daily. while reading through, the real gravity of the gospel started to weigh heavily on me. not just salvation and the atonement of sin - but a life lived for the glory of another - a perfect one being the atonement for the imperfect - the daily war waged between flesh and spirit. to me, that is where I see the easter message this year - moreover, the gospel.I can make this thing rather long, but I can sum up my thoughts pretty quickly. the more I have been focusing on the gospel in my life - through the help of friends, gods word, and simply being married, things started to change. I started feeling like myself. the things that I did that hindered gods work and other things in my life started to go away. but again, the daily war between flesh and spirit wages much harder when we lay our lives against the gospel. these changes inside my heart triggered a real awareness of what Christ did for me. the whole thing is real. easter is more than eggs, and chocolate bunnies - its about transformation and learning - and pressing into the unseen. so I can leave you with that thought. tell me what easter means to you. I will be excited to hear what you think.with hope, clay