pour out

i'm committed to blogging more frequently
so that my posts are shorter quicker reads for you

i hope you are friends with me on facebook
because there are more frequent/brief thoughts that land there
and never make it here
maybe they should
perhaps i could/should post my status updates at the end of each week
so i can look back and remember them someday

Easter has been great!
the sunshine
convincing all 3 of our sons to wear a collared (non-athletic) shirt to church
the rocking music
the children singing (C. included) - "I Just Wanna Be A Sheep!"
the video clip - "A Very Special Sunday" resurrection story told by children
the sermon
the lunch with family and new friends
the egg hunt
the movie date with C this afternoon (A. lost his privilege)

My journaling this morning was powerfully brief
question is
"Has it gone so deep that it can't help but come out?" -RDW
the personal transformation that is
the condition of the heart
the fact that the answer, to anything, is always Jesus

reminds me of my 2007 spring break trip to New Orleans
where for devotions one morning i was given a piece of clay
and no specific direction
over time it was clear i had molded that clay into a vessel/pitcher
and i was so convicted
why was i personally not pouring out and sharing and giving more?
is it because i wasn't being filled often enough? full enough?
or was i too content to be a container storing
rather than a vessel pouring
and being refilled

when your HEART is TRANSFORMED by JESUS
"...who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty..." (portion of The Apostles' Creed)
you do become so deeply filled
that IT CAN'T HELP BUT BE POURED OUT!

Phil 1:2-9
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.