Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

Our definition of humility must be biblical and not simply pragmatic, and in order to be biblical it must begin with God. As John Calvin wrote, “It is evident that man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he has previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into himself.”

That’s where the following definition can help us: Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.

That’s the twin reality that all genuine humility is rooted in: God’s holiness and our sinfulness. Without an honest awareness of both of these realities, all self-evaluation will be skewed and we’ll fail to either understand or practice true humility.

[C. J. Mahaney, Humility]

Quote from…

Right now I’m listening to…

…Your love breaks through and reminds me of the hope that I have in You…

The Arms of My Savior

When I’m all alone / And the weight of the world / Is more than I can bear on my own / When all my plans have failed  / And I suffered defeat / I’m down on my knees / I can’t get to my feet

Your love breaks through / And reminds me of the hope that I have in You / That I have in You

There’s no other place / That I’d rather be / Than safe in the arms / The arms of my Savior / There’s no other place / Where I can be free / So I run to the arms / The arms of my Savior

When I’m feeling overwhelmed  / Like I can’t take anymore / I’ve thrown up my hands / All I see is the floor / I’ve looked to the north / The south, the west, and the east / But as far as I can see / I can’t find any peace

Your grace breaks through / And reminds me of the hope that I have in You / That I have in You

There’s no other place / That I’d rather be / Than safe in the arms / The arms of my Savior / There’s no other place / Where I can be free / So I run to the arms / The arms of my Savior

Life shouldn’t be something to dread / ‘Cause I know You still know / How many hairs are in my head / And so I run to You / And so I run to You

…I will fight for you, would you fight for me, it’s worth fighting for…

My wife is my best friend, who I love dearly, and she loves me. But isn’t it fascinating that two people who love each other so much can cut one another so deeply? When you let issues build up in a marriage, the smallest thing can trigger a war, and pretty soon you can lose sight of your love and commitment to one another. We had a night where something as trivial as spilled pretzels forced into the open things we had left unsaid. Once everything had calmed down, I wrote this song. In that moment, I fully realized my duty, as my wife’s husband, was to wrap my arms around her. To love her more than my pride, more than my desire to be ‘right,’ and to find a way to move through life’s good and bad times together. That will be a struggle at times, but love is worth the fight.

I wrote “Love is Not a Fight” about my marriage and my commitment to my wife. I’ve been performing it at my shows now for about six months, and after every show I am overwhelmed by the many different ways the song is affecting other people. I heard a story the other day about a man who has an adopted daughter. He said at times the challenges seem impossible to struggle through, but my song reminded him that Love is Worth the fight. The song has proven to be more than just a tune I wrote in my living room about my story, it is song about all of our relationships.

It’s easy to just skim by on the surface of life. The challenge is to go beyond the shallows into deeper relationships with the ones we love. At times this can be uncomfortable. It means we have to take the time to invest in their lives. It means we will have to be vulnerable and honest about who we really are. This will likely result in some pain. But it’s the kind of pain that carves out space in our souls for more joy than we could have ever experienced before.

More “things” will not bring you the full life that we all crave. It is time we make the important things important again and seek deeper relationships with our Maker and the people we share this space with. Love is not a fight, but it is something worth fighting for.

–Warren Barfield

“Love is Not a Fight” is the first single off of Warren Barfield’s third studio recording WORTH FIGHTING FOR scheduled to release MAY 20th 2008.

Love is not a place / to come and go as we please / It’s a house we enter in / then commit to never leave

So lock the door behind you / Throw away the key / Work it out together / Let it bring us to our knees

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Some love is a word / that they can fall into / But when they’re falling out / keeping that word is hard to do

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Love will come to save us / If we’ll only call / He will ask nothing from us / but demand we give our all

Love is a shelter / in a raging storm / Love is peace / in the middle of a war / If we try to leave / May God send angels to guard the door / No, Love is not a fight / but its something worth fighting for

Cause I will fight for you / Would you fight for me / It’s worth fighting for

[Warren Barfield, Love is Not a Fight]

…forgive us we have made You small…

great God greater than us all / forgive us we have made You small / God open our eyes to see / great God greater than us all / let Your people stand in awe / God we will rise up and say great God!
[Daniel Doss Band, Great God]

i’ve caught myself way too many times lately making more of me…and less of God…i lean harder on MY knowledge, on MY skills, on MY desires…striving for what I want…and in the process i find that i’m ignoring what God is doing in and around me and i end up putting Him back in the cool little box i’ve made for Him…no wonder i’ve been so “blah” lately…no wonder i haven’t been able to look up and see the glory of it all and just be struck by awe…

it really frustrates me that i keep telling myself things like, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.” [john 3.30, nlt], and reading books like Louie Giglio’s i am not but i know I AM, and C.J. Mahaney’s Humility, and i still miss the point…everyday i miss it. ugh! ha…it’s just so frustrating…i want my life to matter…to mean something…to be bigger than me!

my friend Patrick just got back from Passion where Louie Giglio and many others just straight up brought the truth…you can read in Patrick’s blog where he talks about Louie, saying:

“the 1st night (Friday) Louie talked about each of us leveraging our lives for “the most important thing of everything” = the Name & Fame of Jesus (Revelation 5). We each get a little match that burns (life) for a bunch of years & then it dwindles down & goes out. But, I wanna throw my little match in with the eternal, glorious flame of Jesus & make that flame as bright & famous as I can. Because once my match (life) has burned out, that’s the end. Just a simple talk, but a great reminder that living my life for Jesus’ fame is all that matters.”

what would Christianity look like if we considered ourselves less and less and Christ greater and greater in our lives? what would it look like if we would mean it when we say, “i know i am not, but i know I AM”? what would it look like if we all took our little matches and threw them into Christ’s glorious flame?

God, forgive us for making you so small…for glorifying ourselves when all glory and honor and majesty should be yours…all yours and only yours…let us live our lives in continual awe of you…let us rise up and say great God!

     

…i pray you’re not at all in love with someone else…

 

Hey, uptown girl
Can you hear this downtown song?
Wrote a couple of words to tell you
Right here is where you belong

I bet you walk the streets
Wondering who you’re thinking of
Hope you’re looking for someone to hold
And not at all in love

And I wonder if you can relate
To nights upon my pillow case
Eyes wide open middle of the night
You’re the last thing on my mind

Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
What nights like these do to me, yeah

I keep asking myself
If our hands were meant to be
I know this town is busy,
But I live on Public Street

We can get out of here
If only for just tonight
Ride like some Rollin’ stone
That’s forced to waste your life

And I wonder if you can relate
To nights upon my pillow case
Eyes wide open middle of the night
You’re the last thing on my mind

Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
What nights like these do to me

When I’m under (when I’m under)
Is it me you’re thinking of?
With this light (get on your knees)
I pray you’re not at all in love

With someone else
(With someone new)
With something other than me and you
Just wanna be where you are
(Just where you are)
If ever you’re lonely I won’t be far

Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know

Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
What nights like these do to me, yeah

Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
Only the lonely know
What nights like these do to me

[Anberlin, Downtown Song]

…and for the moment you can hardly breathe…

 

When you’re dreaming with a broken heart
The waking up is the hardest part
You roll outta bed and down on your knees
And for the moment you can hardly breathe
Wondering was she really here?
Is she standing in my room?
No she’s not, ’cause she’s gone, gone, gone, gone, gone…. When you’re dreaming with a broken heart
The giving up is the hardest part
She takes you in with your crying eyes
Then all at once you have to say goodbye
Wondering could you stay my love?
Will you wake up by my side?
No she can’t, ’cause she’s gone, gone, gone, gone, gone….

Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh

Now do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand
Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Baby won’t you get them if i did?
No you won’t, ’cause you’re gone, gone, gone, gone, gone….

When you’re dreaming with a broken heart
The waking up is the hardest part

[John Mayer, Dreaming With A Broken Heart]

once again…someone else has been here where i am…freakin good cd…

ct

…but i must confess you’re so much more than i remember…

 

so let me get this straight
say now you loved me all along?
what made you hesitate
to tell me with words what you really feel
i can see it in your eyes you mean all of what you say
i remember so long, see i felt that same way
now we both have separate lives and lovers (and lovers)
insignificately enough we both have significate others

only time will tell
time will turn and tell

we are who we were when
could’ve been lovers but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when
who knew what we knew now
could’ve been more but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when

but thoughts they change and times they rearrange i don’t know who you are anymore
loves come and go now and this i know i’m not who you recall anymore
but i must confess you’re so much more than i remember
can’t help but entertain these thoughts
thoughts of us together

we are who we were when
could’ve been lovers but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when
who knew what we know now
could’ve been more but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when

my day late friend

so let me get this straight
all these years and you were no where to be found
and now you want me for your own
but you’re a day late and my love, she’s still renowned
we are who we were when
could’ve been lovers but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when
who knew what we know now
could’ve been more but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when

so let me get this straight
all these years and you were no where to be found
and now you want me for your own
but you’re a day late and my love, she’s still renowned
we are who we were when
could’ve been lovers but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when
who knew what we know now
could’ve been more but at least you’re still my day late friend
we are who
we are who we were when

[Anberlin, A Day Late]

ha…that’s all i can get out right now…too worn out to comment any futher…just ha!

ct

…we both know that I could think myself dizzy…

I’d be lying through my teeth if I told you
That I’m ok
July came, I thought I had it all together
Until you said
“I need some space”
Truth be told
It’s so hard to wait

One eye on the clock
And one on the phone
It’s 5:19….
I’m feeling alone
If I could talk to you
I’d want you to know
that holding loose
Ain’t letting go.

We both know that I could think myself dizzy
Right now I’m spinning around
You said, “baby, don’t worry”
But I just miss you right now
I said, I miss you right now

One eye on the clock
And one on the phone
It’s 5:19….
I’m feeling alone
If I could talk to you
I’d want you to know
that holding loose
Ain’t letting go.

Baby, take all the time you need
I just want you to know
I’ll be here, waiting

With one eye on the clock
And one on the phone
It’s 5:19….
I’m feeling alone
If I could talk to you
I’d want you to know
That holding loose
Ain’t letting go.

…Ain’t letting go

[Matt Wertz, 5:19]

just a good song… and the title line to the blog fits me a little too well… i’m closing tonight and bored… no time to blog tho… oh well, back to work!

ct

…you wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be…

Look around what could i do
This place is unfamiliar and new
So i try to look beyond what’s right in front of me
Hope to be found how could this be true
Comfort came and left in such a hurry
So then what’s on the other side of this tragedy

You wake up to find that you’re right where supposed to be
Trapped in uncertainty each day’s a mystery
You wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be
The past is unveiled and you see you’re right where you’re meant to be

Look behind oh how we’ve grown
All the places we’ve been
The places I’ll never never go back again
If I had only known that all was not lost
It always comes around again round again round again
Patiently waiting just waiting

til one day you find that you’re right where supposed to be
Trapped in uncertainty each day’s a mystery
You wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be
The past is unveiled and you see you’re right where you’re meant to be

Now I see the reasons for all of those seasons wondering just how my life would connect
My life would connect but you knew all along all along

You wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be
Your heart’s running wild and free each day’s a mystery

You wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be
Trapped in uncertainty each day’s a mystery
You wake up to find that you’re right where you’re supposed to be
The past is unveiled and you see you’re right where you’re meant to be

[Jadon Lavik, Meant To Be]

lately i’ve been randomly listening to music i don’t listen to much on iTunes when i’m sitting here at the computer playing spider solitaire and this song came on and really fit my post from earlier tonight so i figured i’d share it… good song for any hard time in life you may be facing… God’s got you right where He means for you to be…

i’ll try to post more often during this time of transition and let everyone know how i’m doing and all that’s going on and developing around me….

before i go for the night, our pastoral staff is having a meeting tomorrow for the better part of the day just planning and brainstorming, bouncing ideas off each other and so it would be really cool if anyone reading this tonight or in the morning or whenever would just pray for West Cabarrus church and the transition we are in as a church body there… a lot of awesome things are in store for us i’m sure, God works big, we just need to show up, be available and willing to be used to paint this masterpiece He has been painting…

goodnight!

ct

…In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied…

 

The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love

A deep deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep deep love, yeah it’s filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied

[Phil Wickham, Divine Romance]

even though i can’t say that my life is going really well right now, i’m unsatisfied in my job/career (my job’s not really career material), my relationships, my car, my finances, upon many other things, big things in life, even though i’m unsatisfied in all of these areas and they seem to be far from me, there is still once thing that remains, one thing in which i can be consistantly and completely satisfied… Jesus Christ, my savior, my God, the one who set me free from everything that could possibly weigh me down… that satisfaction far outweighs anything or any number of things that i could ever become unsatisfied with… there is no weight big enough, heavy enough to bring me down with my God’s loving arms holding me up… nothing… my chains are gone… for good

ct