Date Night.

How much time do you dedicate to your friends both in person, on the phone, and through social networking sites? The answer is: quite a bit, most likely (unless you're a hopeless introvert, in which case my point has been ruined. thanks a lot).

Now, how much time do you dedicate to God, period? For most of us, the answer to this question is frightfully embarrassing. Why is it that we treat the Creator of the Universe and the Lover of our souls so much like a goldfish? We thrust our grimy fingers into our cans of time and resource doling out occasional pinches of dedication. On Sundays, we might even exchange a few words. Religiously permeated, half-hearted words at that:

"God thank you for your love, now bless me for the week!"

In Acts 17:27-28, God's word tells us that it is His will that we "would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being"

This word seek directly translates from the original Greek psēlaphaō which means to "handle, touch, and feel". God isn't someone we experience second-hand; He is someone that we should strive to be close to. Someone we should touch.

One of our most valuable resources is time. Why are we so stingy when it comes to our Lord and Savior? Is it because we have grown so comfortable with the idea of a Pocket-God that we can pull out to pray to whenever we are afraid or feel we deserve something? This should not be. It is God's will for us that we spend time in his presence. That we feel out his character and become more like him. At the end of John 14, Jesus speaks of the Comforter he will send: his Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 states: "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

This keep in step, stoicheō, directly translates as "to march to like a soldier" and "direct one's life according to". How can we march if we don't listen?

Last week I decided to dedicate concerted effort to listening. I decided to go on a date with God.

I began the evening by turning down and invitation to go somewhere with friends (how ironic) by triumphantly announcing that I was going on a date with Jesus (which had made it's way onto my calendar, it was so official). This outburst was met by some hesitant, but reassuring smiles and "well you two have fun then!" As I strode proudly from the house, the question, "Where are you guys gonna go?" trailed behind me. I paused only a moment to toss, "I don't know, we haven't decided yet" back over my shoulder.
I got into my car and shut the door. I voiced the question again to God: "So.. Where exactly are we going to go, Lord?"
"Turn the car on and start driving."
I blinked. And started the car, "Can you at least tell me which way I should turn to get out of the driveway?"
"Turn right."
Another curveball. "Right? But.. God, I always go left! I don't even know what's to the right? How will we get coffee if I go right?"
"You asked me where to go..."
So I turned right. As soon as I obeyed, Jesus revealed exactly where he had in mind for me to go. A beachy little ice cream shop right along the beach. It was perfect! But what to order? No problem! God had me covered there too. A pineapple vanilla float. I'm a moody eater, but God told me exactly what to get and I loved it. I spent the next two hours praying, listening, reading, and thanking as the Spirit led me. It was beautiful. The week that followed was so refreshing because I had opened my heart to a more subtle, constant communication with the Spirit. I've been listening and obeying, even when it's uncomfortable or doesn't make sense.

I've decided to go on weekly dates with God, because it's a concrete reminder to me that relationships don't build themselves, and God deserves all my time anyway. Tomorrow we're going out again. I'm not sure where yet, but I do know that I'll love it. Because God loves me.

 I challenge you to try it too! 

Get out of the house, out of your environment with all its habits and distractions. Let God take you somewhere you've never been. Sit across the table from him and look into his eyes. Let him tell you more about himself.

I know he will:)

Beginning.

I'm an artist. Every now and then I get the urge to write something really witty and fantastic. But not often. Mostly I write about the revelations I have, or the things that have been revealed to me - however you want to say it. Recently I did just that and shared what I'd written with a friend. She responded by enthusiastically assuring me of how encouraged she was by it, and that I should "be one of those blogger people". So here I am.

I never really got into "those blogger people" because I didn't understand how anyone could have the time to sit down and blog. What's more, who actually takes the time to sit down and read what someone else has had the time to blog about? Certainly not I, said the cat. However, I've found that writing can be therapeutic. It helps me to sort my thoughts out, and, as a matter of fact, sometimes I quite amuse myself in the process. So I've decided to blog. Because the things I find worth writing about are things I think are worth reading about as well, even though I may be the only one to ever look back over the glowing print. Then again, I might not be.

So if you find the things I say worthwhile, I appreciate your time!

Here I am.

One of those blogger people.