Brian

“61 LITTLE BOY FISHING   Little boy with pole so new Walking down the road Whistling on a song or two Stops to shift his load.   Takes his shoes off and his socks Barefoot – oh how grand! Opens up his tackle box Sitting in the sand.   Now I’m ready, fish beware My how far I cast. I’ll retrieve with utmost care Slowly first, then fast.   What is that, it reels so queer Could it be a bass? But maneuvering it near Found ‘twas just some grass.   Here’s a fancy lure I’ve found I’ll have luck, you’ll see. But in whirling it around Snarled it in a tree.   Then quite hungry, also wet, Trudges on his way Better luck will always come On another day.     Arthur T. Elfstrom November 1974”
― Arthur Elfstrom, A Country Life: A Collection of Poems

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
― A.W. Tozer

“American culture is probably the hardest place in the world to learn to pray. We are so busy that when we slow down to pray, we find it uncomfortable. We prize accomplishments, production. But prayer is nothing but talking to God. It feels useless, as if we are wasting time. Every bone in our bodies screams, “Get to work.” When we aren’t working, we are used to being entertained. Television, the Internet, video games, and cell phones make free time as busy as work. When we do slow down, we slip into a stupor. Exhausted by the pace of life, we veg out in front of a screen or with earplugs. If we try to be quiet, we are assaulted by what C. S. Lewis called “the Kingdom of Noise.” 1 Everywhere we go we hear background noise. If the noise isn’t provided for us, we can bring our own via iPod. Even our church services can have that same restless energy. There is little space to be still before God. We want our money’s worth, so something should always be happening. We are uncomfortable with silence. One of the subtlest hindrances to prayer is probably the most pervasive. In the broader culture and in our churches, we prize intellect, competency, and wealth. Because we can do life without God, praying seems nice but unnecessary. Money can do what prayer does, and it is quicker and less time-consuming. Our trust in ourselves and in our talents makes us structurally independent of God. As a result, exhortations to pray don’t stick.”
― Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life: Connecting With God In A Distracting World

“After all, he is the great evangelist; we’re merely the tools that he uses to fulfill his mission of redeeming the world, one individual at a time.”
― Lee Strobel, The Unexpected Adventure: Taking Everyday Risks to Talk with People about Jesus