Keeping the Fire Burning

"Writing helps you 'think yourself clear'" is something my preaching professor Haddon Robinson often talked about in our classes. It's easy for us to be unclear in communication, but learning to write well will help us become better and clearer communicators. Through my thesis I got a glimpse of that truth and now through blogging [especially in the Inklings section] I'm learning to maintain this discipline of writing in order to "think myself clear". Thanks to email and SMS texts, our generation is developing a very 'relaxed' form of written "kOmUniKaYshUn" and I've been finding my own writing becoming less refined as a result.

But I realized that if I am unrefined in my writing, then I have become unrefined in my thought life. And if my thought life is not refined, then my life will only follow. Writing is a reflection of what’s in our minds and reveals the condition of our minds. My thoughts will determine my actions, and so if I want my actions to change, my thoughts much change. And one of the ways to influence my thoughts is to meditate and write upon what I want my life to be a reflection of. If I want “more of Christ” in my life, then it needs to begin with what I think about. And if I want to think more about God in my life, one way I can do this is through writing – writing about Him, His Word, and His goodness in my life. Paul commands us to “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Him” [2 Corinthians 10:5] and he also commands us to think thoughts that are excellent, lovely and praise-worthy [Philippians 4:8].

So in writing about lessons learned through His Word and what we see God doing in our lives, it will naturally lead to a chain-reaction of our lives becoming more refined into the image of Christ. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” [Romans 12:2]. So may our writing, thinking, blogging, and living become more and more a reflection of Christ in us.

So I'm hoping to keep up this new hobby, as a discipline for personal growth and spiritual refinement, as well as for keeping in touch with loved ones. And at least for now, it's still pretty fun too. =)

Currently Listening Carried Me: The Worship Project By Jeremy Camp Empty Me (Holy Fire)

What's New: A new video of me and Eddie Bang warming up at a "fire" during our retreat. I also added RSS links for the site. We're almost ready to launch an RSS MP3 subscription service for our sermons as well; it should be ready within a week or two.