colossians 2 and a little more

this probably should be 2 posts, but it isn't ..so hang on this could be long. i am trying to spend time with the Lord early in the morning. why? is there something magic about spending time with the Lord in the morning vs. any other time of the day? no, not really. but, for me...here is what happens. i oversleep, i choose not to get up or to just lay back down for one more minute...then i tell myself, i will open my bible first thing when i get to the office. then, i get to the office and the onslaught of the list i have compiled in my head hits. so, the rush is on to finish the list, before the meetings start and before the phone starts ringing. all the while, some where down deep i am trying to figure out where i will fit God into my day. so, 2:30 it is....

i admire people with enough discipline to start their day, every day, with God first. i think it says a lot about their view of their saviour... so, here at 2:36 now, i will do my "quiet time"...

colossians 2
v. 1, i want you to know how much i am struggling for you and those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally... it has been a while since i struggled for anyone, much less for those who have not met me personally. struggle... God, forgive me for living in the mirror. give me a passion for those that you have a passion for. a passion to struggle, to work, to, according to dictionary.com, to advance with a violent effort!

i'm stuck here...but i struggle on...

so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
how cool is that? the full riches of complete understanding! wow, i want that! fullness, i feel like my life lacks fullness. i get focused on one tiny aspect of life and i miss the fullness of complete understanding. in verses 6-8, Paul talks about how to achieve this. by continuing in the way we came to know Christ. through faith! that is how i came to know Him, by believing in Him. by His grace and my faith! and i love this, do not let human traditions and the basic principles of this world dictate how you live! how many times do we do this? this is religion...it isn't life giving or inspiring. live free in Christ, through faith in Him and be filled with joy! shouldn't by that statement, christians be the happiest people on the face of the planet? but we aren't. unfortunately i'm not.

but i will hold onto this when i am down or feeling defeated...verses 13-14...could be my favorite passage in all of scripture...
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

live in that for a little while... words that pop out to me are, dead, alive, God made, you, forgave, ALL, canceled, took it away, nailing it to the cross, disarmed, made a public spectacle of them, triumphing, by the cross!

grace...