The new school season started today, and yesterday was promotion Sunday.  As I walked into my class, I found a nice present from our Family Minister: Walking with Christ Every Day: 365 daily devotions for men

I wasn’t expecting it, but with the summer winding down, and a few more classes on my schedule (Sunday and Wednesday, and participating in Sunday evening and some blurry Men’s-ministry-that’ll-happen-someday-soon) I’ve been really dwelling on the fact that I’m not that great at two things I used to enjoy immensely: Blogging, and spending time with God. (not necessarily in that order)

So this welcome present, presents an opportunity for me.

1. Get reconnected with my Savior.
2. Wonderful blog fodder.

So while I may not actually blog about my daily reading, I’ll keep up my daily reading, and if the spirit moves, I’ll blog about it with the above title — Daily Walk 365 – Day # (If any of my two readers are bored enough to search for this later).

I blog in bursts, so don’t get too involved in reading these that you don’t suddenly get whip-lash reading another post on Survivor strategy, or Lost mysteries.  I blog for myself, you know.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy, Day 1, below the fold

Living Righteously

Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. — 2 Timothy 2:22 (HCSB)

I’m 40 now.  I should really flee my youthful passions.  Though they are a bit like stray puppies that get a bite to eat, then hang around the door waiting for another morsel.  Tiresome.  So I’ll flee them, let them find another door to hang out around. My door needs to stay closed.  I need to pursue righteousness.  I need to call on the Lord, with my heart, as He purifies it.

To become the man, that God wants me to be, and quit trying to pretend.

Bobby used an interesting analogy this week in his sermon, transforming our “anchors into rudders”.  Since I come from a nautical background, my mind made a couple of connections.  Its often thought that an anchor’s weight holds the boat to the bottom.  That isn’t entirely true, it is more the weight of the anchor chain, and the anchor itself that hold a vessel steady in the winds and currents.  Rudders are small things used to steer sometimes huge vessels.  The motive force from a rudder requires that water be moving over the rudder.  Usually, this is by the motion of the vessel through the water, but when the boat is at a standstill, the rudder is still used to rotate the boat, by the motive force of the propellers moving water past the rudder.

Okay, Jon, thanks for the nautical lesson.  Application?

Okay – When we want to drop our anchors, and press on, we need to also loose the chain that ties us to the anchor, so we can freely move.  And in order to change direction, we need to first be moving.

I’ve been standing still too long, time to get underway.  My prayer is that a daily walk will help me loose the anchor, and turn more effectively.

Peace.