From the Abundance

There's a popular reality show called the Biggest Loser where people compete to lose the most weight and win a prize.  My question today is, are you the biggest loser? How much weight have you lost??  I'm not talking pounds, but burdens, sins, weights of life and the world... Hebrews 12:1-3  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Simply put, lay down everything that's heavy on you.  Those worries that are burdening your heart, the sin that's holding you hostage, the bad habi...

It's always amazed me to watch an artist create. To watch the individual components come together to make something beautiful, to tell a story, give the piece depth, character and value, to see chaos come into purpose is absolutely inspiring. One of my favorites is blown glass. The skill, patience,lung power, strength, and strategic planning that goes into it reminds me of how God transforms us.  Although we we made from dust the actual process is much the same... glass starts from dirt as well. The artist begins with a chunk of molten glass.. nothing spectacular, pretty much shapeless and without design.  But before there's ever one breath blown into the rod, the artist has a plan for the blob of glass... it's purpose has already been determined and it's destiny already established before it was ever formed. Once the molten glass is gathered on the pipe it begins the process of being made into the artist's vision (reminds me of Jeremiah 1:5). The next step is a...