A shameful, senseless, rhyme.

Have you ever noticed Cupid's always alone?
He's never with a lady, he's always on his own
But this valentines day I wrote him a song
It's far from perfection, so I won't make it long

This is my love song for Cupid
He never really had a chance
Now he's missing out on romance

Cupid doesn't have a valentine, I'm lonely too
Me and Cupid would get along, like a sock and a shoe
I've never really met him, but I can tell
Because socks and shoes go together so well

This is my love song for Cupid
He never really had a chance
Now he's missing out on romance



Remember, there are no single people on valentines day...only vingles. V for valentine! Vingle people! Yeah!

-James

What does it say about our spiritual maturity if we pray but do little? I will embellish...

I live in the south...or perhaps more specifically I live in the bible belt. There are three churches that are within a five minute walking distance from my house. All my life I have gone to church, I've been around Christians, many of my friends are Christians, all of my immediate family are Christians, I'm a Christian, I listen to podcasts from Christians, I read books from and about Christians. Being raised in such an environment, it should not be surprising that I can't tell you how many times I've heard the words "I'll pray for you".


Before I say anything, let me tell you what I believe about prayer.

1. It works.
2. It's communication to God almighty, through Jesus Christ who intercedes for us day and night, by the power of the Holy Spirit. (John 15:26, Romans 8:34)
3. Prayer moves the heart of God. (Matthew 15:21-28)
4. From what I know of Church history, all global/national spiritual revivals have been hinged on prayer (Acts 2, Exodus 3:9-10, The Reformation)
5. Prayer connects us even when geographical distance attempts to divide us. (Revelation 1:9-10)

I would go on, but my main purpose is not to define what prayer is, but to give you an idea of how high I hold prayer in importance. I LOVE prayer. I have GREAT faith in prayer.

When one grows up around Christians, and hears the term "I'll pray for you" as often as I have, the words tend to lose meaning. It becomes part of a auto response to someones pain, hardships, or trials. It's the easy way out.

"Oh, I'll pray for you...once you're gone...and I'm alone, and don't have to get emotionally involved in your situation. I won't have to sacrifice. I won't have to personally give you anything but a few moments of thought. Maybe I'll even consider myself to be compassionate."

That is what prayer became for me. An automatic fix-all sort of easy button.

I did, on occasion take action. If there was a situation that continually confronted me, sometimes I'd slowly consider about doing something about it, but never the spontaneous stuff. Never the guy you meet at lunch who just lost his job, his wife divorced him, and he's having trouble putting food on the table for two young children. He'd walk out to his car all I muster is "I'll pray for you".

A kid's parents get divorced. "I'll pray for you"

Someone get's cancer. "I'll pray for you"

Your friend's heart gets broken by a jerk who lied. "I'll pray for you"


I just get the feeling that Jesus never meant for me to be a religious person who prayed for the poor before dinner, while the homeless starved outside my doorstep. I don't want this to be a guilt trip, but I REALLY want to consider what my heart motivation is for saying the words "I'll pray for you". Is it because that's what I think will help the most, or is it because I don't want to invest in the person? YES people need prayer. YES prayer works, but so do we. The BODY of Christ.

I know I'm not saying anything new. We've heard these principles from Pastors, Evangelism Speakers, and Casting Crowns songs. These principles are grained into our minds, but have we grasped the reality of the effects? What does it say about our spiritual maturity if we, as Christians, only pray?

Do you notice that the people in the bible who pray tend to do things? The Godly people who sincerely ask God for something tend to already be doing something about it. I don't think it's that they don't trust God, it's that they care.

I just sometimes get frustrated in modern day America where we have our neat little prayer times carved out for us at every meal, and right before we go to sleep. I think sometimes we forget of the awesome splendor and GLORY that God is described with, and we forget that we are supposed to CHANGE when we encounter God. That our heart is BROKEN for what BREAKS HIS. If we're praying but not changing, I must beg to ask the question, what number are we dialing?

Maybe it's not simple as a beggar at your door, but it may be as simple as someone who just needs to know you care about them, and you want to listen to them. When God tells Moses that he is going to deliver the Israelite from Pharaoh's hand he says that he is INTIMATELY acquainted with their suffering. Maybe before we try and fix peoples problems we should become intimately acquainted with them first.

Maybe it's not as simple as a starving child, but it is as simple as a guy who has just run out of money, and you can give him the little extra grace he needs.


-O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open. I have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, grant us mercy. Forgive me for my selfishness. Forgive me for the times I've over looked those who were in need. My disgrace is before me all day long. When people needed Your love I gave them a church service, when they needed grace, I gave apathy. I have been indifferent. Woe to me for I am complacent. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this mind of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Who, by His death has purchased my soul and freed me from myself! He heard my cry for help, and rescued me. As I lay kicking in my own blood, He came by and said to me "LIVE! Now in abundance of grace he has freed me from sin, to be an agent of mercy in this life.

By YOUR grace, O Lord, I am able to give grace
By YOUR love, O Lord, am I able to love
By YOUR strength, O Lord, am I able to support others
By YOUR words, O Lord, will I encourage
By YOUR compassion, O Lord, I am compassionate
and by YOUR eyes, O Lord, will I see the broken hearted and downtrodden.-



James 2:14-17
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.


-James

How does she knooooowww...*musical notes*

So I REAALLY hope that this isn't inappropriate, or mean or anything....but...well here we go...

I stumbled upon this quote today:

"The best and most Beautiful things in life can't be seen nor touched but are felt in the heart."

Many of you have probably seen this quote on some myspace header, facebook bumper sticker, or some other medium popular amongst teenage drama queens. (I wonder if this quote shows up in Twilight. *snicker* >:-D ) What I found out today is that this is actually a quote from Helen Keller. Now...don't get me wrong, I think Helen Keller was a brave and wonderful woman, and very likely had more character than myself...however...one must beg to ask the question: how on earth does she know?

I don't necessarily disagree with her...but...I mean really...

-James

The basis for hope

The basis for optimism is sheer terror. We are too scared to admit our lives are not what we'd like them to be. We wrap ourselves in the blankets of illusion and compromise, hoping to avoid the cold of reality. The truth is we've all fallen at some point. We've all woken up in the middle of the night and wished we were somewhere, or even SOMEONE else. Yet, that, I think, is the problem. That we ARE someone else. Most people are other people. Our thoughts are someone else's opinions, our lives a mimicry, our passions a quotation.

"We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

That's the main thought I want to emphasis in this blog. We all get hurt, we all get beat down, we all become a facade, and we all are brokenhearted. The key difference is where we place our hope.

"But, Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The Sky, not the grave is our goal...
...Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say:
It is well, it is well with my soul!"

P.S.
To add a little bit of irony to this post, I must tell you many of these thoughts rely heavily on, if are not direct quotes from the written work of Oscar Wild. I do not find a major problem in this. Mr. Wild and I end up in two very different places of thought. I think it is safe to say my thoughts are not his opinions. Rather my life is the feeble reflection of Christ, in whom I have all confidence and trust, and am unashamed to imitate. Again, our defining characteristics are in what or who we place our hope. Hope: the key I sometimes ponder Mr. Wild lost.

-James

The part of me that breathes when you breath is losing time. (The God of all comfort)

I lost a friend tonight. It's been a long time coming (five years) so it wasn't totally unexpected...but there is sort of this...totality to it that I had forgotten about. I say "forgotten" because it seems I've been down this road so many times before.

I can remember a time in my life where I couldn't name a single person that I knew who had struggled with cancer...now, it's happened so often, and within such close proximity of my family, it's like a personal enemy.

Be still...
Let your hand meld into mine
The part of me
That breathes when you breathe
Is losing time

I can't find the words to say
I'll never say goodbye

I saw a host of silent angels
Waiting on their own
Knowing that all the promises
Of faith come alive
When you see home
Hold still and let your
Hand melt into mine

Shed your heart and your breath
And your pain and fly
Now your alive
Now your alive

I found out tonight through a short text message right before Water's Edge (a college, church ministry) started. I had a few moments to breathe and then the band went into a time of worship. They sang one song that I didn't know very well at all, but as it turns out one of lyrics was very meaningful tonight.

"We will sing, sing, sing
and make music with the heavens"

It reminded me of the David Crowder Lyric

"Turn your ear to heaven
and hear the noise inside"

When someone dies we often have that chilling realization of how real death is...Tonight was no different, but in addition to that, as we sang that line and I turned my mind towards heaven..it was just sort of a moment of realizing how real Jesus, and heaven is. I don't think I could' have thought of a better way to start this process. Not coming to Him and trying to not think about the pain, or the loss, but rather coming with everything, full on, and just being honest...

Do You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth?
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down
here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread?
Did You forget about us after You had flown away?
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know is

Did You ever know loneliness?
Did You ever know need?
Do You remember just how long a night can get?
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted?
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

Our God is real. He is a real God to real people. Real people have real problems. They really struggle and hurt and get depressed and need real help. Only a real God with real love and real compassion can really help really troubled people.

Joy and sorrow are this ocean
And in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened
That all Hell could never close
Here I'm tested and made worthy
Tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury
That they call the love of God

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Tonight as I look at the light of the stars I think of how some of them at this very moment have passed, but their light still shines on. So it is with you, my friend. You have run your course, you have finished and are no longer here…but your light shines on. You see, just like love, starlight never dies. I'll miss you my friend. I still carry so much of you with me. You will be part of the days yet to fill.

-James Legg

The second advantage to playing the guitar...

Not only will the ladies love you, but you'll UNDERSTAND THEM AS WELL!


Let me explain…no…is too much…let me sum up.

I once read this book called "For Men Only". It had a chapter about men needing to listen more. It made the point that women need guys to listen first, fix problems later…or perhaps the problem is not the facts or the situation, but that the lady needs her feelings on the matter heard. They don't always need our "brilliant" advice, they just want us to know we've LISTENED to them, and care about them.

Now, if that much isn't true, Ladies, go ahead and skip the rest and just comment "You're a moron, James Legg" and we'll go on with our lives.

However, if that much is even REMOTELY true, then we might be on to something here gentleman. As I sat and pondered this point, I tried to think of some avenue of a gentleman's life that would in SOME way parallel. I think I may have found one.

If any of you play guitar, you've been in this scenario. You and your friends are jamming around, playing riffs, favorite songs, etc. You then decide to share with the guys a new chord progression you came up with late last night at 2:00 am. "Hey guys, listen to this…" you say as you begin playing the slow but elegant ballad. All goes well for the first thirty seconds or so, until one of the other punks with a guitar starts playing little melodies over it. Now, depending on who you are, you may or may not say anything but every guitarist FEELS the EXACT same way. "PUNK! Can you not just listen for just two minutes!?"

It doesn't really matter if what they were playing fits the music or not. In it could even be a relatively good melody for the chord progression, but unless it's the music of heaven it just ticks us off a wee bit. It means that they can't keep their own guitar from going off for an incredibly minute amount of time, and just listen. It means while they may have HEARD our chord progression, they weren't LISTENING. We don't want them to add on, we don't want them to make it better, we don't want them to give us advice on what the chorus should be, we just want them to listen for a minute.

I don't think it's that much different with women. When they come to us with something that's troubling them, they don't want us to fix the circumstances. They want to know that we not only HEAR them, but we're attentively LISTENING to them.


Practical ways to do this:

Don't offer advice, LISTEN to them first.

Physically let them know you're listening, don't play a video game, instrument, watch the TV, read the newspaper, or blog while they're speaking. Make Eye contact.

Affirm their emotion. While you may not always understand or agree with everything they say, chances are, the emotion has a legitimate root, and can be affirmed without you lying to them.

Gentlemen, what do you think? Or more importantly…Ladies, what do YOU think?

-James