Kirk Haven

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Friday, January 15, 2010

Seduced into Irrelevance

"...I suspect that the greatest weapon in Satan's arsenal is the trick of teaching us to cherish nothingness-- and most people buy into his lies." -- Calvin Miller, The Power of Letting Go

How many people do you know that are pouring their lives out for things that don't matter? My wife and I have been following the ministry of Matt Chandler, a pastor recently diagnosed with a serious form of brain cancer. We'll listen to his messages online and I've had the privilege of seeing him speak in person as well. He recently echoed the above quote in a video address to his church when he said that his cancer has reminded him of what's important in life, and that "most men are wooed and seduced into lives that don't matter."

Satan is a deceiver, and he will try to get you to find your fulfillment, joy, and happiness in things that do not matter. I believe this specific deception is extremely prevalent in the Church. Satan has other tactics for non-believers, but for Christians this is one of his favorite. He will get you to think "going to church" is the extent of your relationship with and calling by God. For those who work within the church he will get you to focus on the tasks, administration, and programming side of your work as he tries to crowd out the very spiritual source and relational fabric by which and for which we pursue our vocations.

It seems like God will show me what's "next" in my walk with him, and I'll begin moving that way, and after awhile I end up "going through the motions" instead of putting my heart and soul into his will. That's when the stirring comes, and God whispers, "focus..."

Have you had that stirring from God lately that you really need to focus? That you need to reevaluate every area of your life-- work, home, free time-- and begin focusing in on his will and what truly matters?

Satan will try to keep you in a place of complacency or acceptance when you being to hear God's calling to focus. But I challenge you to not be content with going through the motions. Don't be seduced into irrelevance. Make the tough decisions that will re-focus you on the will of God in your life.

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."

-- 1 Timothy 4:8

APK

Thursday, January 14, 2010

distastic!

I decided to resurrect an old homemade bread recipe that I haven't made since we lived in Indiana. Its Aron's favorite - a very fluffy, sweet bread - and I had Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup recipe that I've been wanting to try.

Isabelle LOVED the process...

but unfortunately

HATED the smell of the yeast.

It gagged her, infact.

"Mommy, what is that smell? Its DISTASTIC!"

The entire day the scent of rising bread filled the house.

Isabelle kept a towel over her nose, reminding me every few minutes

of "that terrible, distastic smell".

She loves rolls, but refused to even try our finished bread bowls.

Apparently one too many gag reflexes in one day (it was pitiful, but I had to laugh as she literally gagged at the smell).

She sure missed out on a yummy way to warm up a January day.

much love

ejk

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

tender moments at dawn's first light

Both babies have been awaking early, early in the morning...around 5 am, and subsequently ending up in our bed. (Probably a bad habit, but its so close to time to get up, we don't want to waste those precious last minutes coaxing them back to sleep.) This has created some special moments in the early morning light.

This morning I nursed Judah at 5:00, and after finishing up, I layed him on my chest (his perferred sleeping position). With eyes closed and tummy full, he proceeded to sing the sweetest song for about 5 minutes. Immediately a verse I've shared several times on our blog flooded my mind:

Nursing infants gurgle chorus about you... psalm 8:2 (the message)

At 5:20 Judah and I had just drifted to sleep, and I awoke to a little Belle snuggling in next to us. Sometime later, I felt a tiny finger tracing the features of my face, then a delicate hand stroking my hair. What a treasure to a mommy's heart.

I will miss these moments when my babies are grown.

Do you think they'll still crawl in bed with me when they're 15? I hope so.

ejk

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Oh to make much of Him

Oh to make much of Him.

That is the cry of my heart.

Somewhere in my comings and my goings

Nestled between rushed morning make-up

Dishwasher loading, diaper changing

feeding frenzy, laundry loading,

facebook friending, podcast preaching,

I lose sight.

My heart allegiance swerves

And subtly, my day becomes

Making much of me.

Oh the disgust at the thought,

What a heartbreaking conclusion

To such glorious potential.

The sin of all mankind -

Of the deceiver, himself.

To claim for oneself the glory that belongs

To the One and Only.

To crown Self at the center of the universe.

Father,

I confess my daily idolatry.

My feeble attempts to validate my worth.

For prostituting the crown of my heart

for fleeting fulfillment and self-righteous gain.

Humbly I offer you your rightful place.

The center of my being.

Be the air that fills my lungs,

The blood that runs through my veins.

May every breath,

Every heartbeat,

Make much of You.

ejk

Thursday, January 7, 2010

sibling love

These two babies crack me up. I never dreamed what joy they would bring one to another. Isabelle can hardly stand it when Judah is sleeping; she wants him with her at all times.

And she only needs to look his way, and he lights up to the point of giddyness.

I hope they always find this much joy in one another

ejk

Untitled from Aron Kirk on Vimeo.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

New Year Pruning.

¹"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

Ouch. God is pruning a lot of people I know. Ouch. He just pruned me. It was a branch of laziness--sleeping in later than I should-- I really liked that branch, it made me feel good. But I guess it wasn't producing much fruit. Well, I know it wasn't. (That's my time in the morning to spend with God before anyone else wakes up. The time when he can plant the most seeds, and I sleep through it. And I wonder why I don't have much to give throughout the day? Perhaps because I'm missing my time to be filled and fueled).

How is he pruning you? I'm going to guess (an educated guess, of course) that the hardship you're facing right now is FORCING you to do things that you know you SHOULD have been doing all along. Things like praying, being responsible, considering others before yourself, budgeting, etc. Well, that's exactly what pruning is. It forces a tree to quit spending valuable energy and resources on branches that don't produce anything.

I think God prunes us sometimes, and we accept it, but then after it's over, we try to go back and find the branch he cut off and put it back on. Any tree would tell you that's ridiculous. And yet we do it.

This is a new year. Perhaps you just faced the hardest year ever in 2009. Perhaps 2010 is looking daunting. I challenge you to accept God's pruning, let the unfruitful branches die, and focus your time and energy on the things that will produce fruit.

For me it's going to be reading the Word. Studying the Bible. Waking up early to let it permeate me. That lazy branch is going to have to wither and die, but I'm cool with that. 2010's going to be a lot better without that dead weight, and I can't wait till harvest time.

God, prune me. I give you permission. And help me let the old branches die. Help me to love as you have loved.

APK