I'm shutting down for awhile

Due to feeling pressure to update, and not wanting to, I'm shutting the blog down for awhile.  If you keep the blog on some sort of feed you'll notice if I start up again.  But, don't hold your breath.

morning class, a haiku

When I looked at it

a sadness came over me:

coffee cup empty.

Resurrection thoughts or It's not about the damn bunny

In some ways I'm revisiting an earlier post in writing this, but I think it is worthwhile as Easter is upon us.  In my mind I have been thinking over and over again that if the resurrection hadn't happened, then Christ's death wouldn't matter, because he'd be dead.  I'm not trying to downplay the significance of Jesus' s death by any means.  But, the fact that after he was dead and buried, he inhaled and came back into life matters tremendously.  His inhalation means that everything prophesied about him in the Old Testament is true.  Everything he told his disciples is true.  That he is God and man at the same time is true.  That he is prophet, priest, and king is true.  But, the resurrection had to happen.  It is through the resurrection that I can draw near to God.

What this means for me who believes in it all, is that I can push back against the darkness in this world and in my life, because he inhaled.  I can fight for my heart and the hearts of others, because he inhaled.  I can believe that I'm worth fighting for, because he fought for me and he won when he inhaled.  I can fight for hope, live in hope, pursue hope with vigor, because he took a breath after dying on a cross, shedding his blood, carrying everything wicked, thoughtless, indifferent, shameful thought our deed I will ever think or do with him.  He made life possible for me.  The resurrection means he won.

Another shout out to Andrew Peterson's High Noon

When Jesus took in that breath 
And shattered all Death with his life 
So long, you wages of sin 
Go on, don’t you come back again 
I’ve been raised and redeemed 
You’ve lost all your sting 
To the victor of the battle