Brady Quarles Art

Welcome.

 Remember your Creator 
   in the days of your youth, 
before the days of trouble come 
   and the years approach when you will say, 
   “I find no pleasure in them”— 
 before the sun and the light 
   and the moon and the stars grow dark, 
   and the clouds return after the rain; 
when people rise up at the sound of birds, 
   but all their songs grow faint; 
when the almond tree blossoms 
   and the grasshopper drags itself along 
   and desire no longer is stirred. 
Then people go to their eternal home 
   and mourners go about the streets.

-Ecclesiastes 12

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 Remember your Creator    in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come    and the years approach when you will say,    “I find no pleasure in them”—  before the sun and the light    and the moon and the stars grow dark,    and the clouds return after the rain; when people rise up at the sound of birds,    but all their songs grow faint; when the almond tree blossoms    and the grasshopper drags itself along    and desire no longer is stirred. Then people go to their eternal home    and mourners go about the streets. -Ecclesiastes 12

“The tragedy of sin is not that you did something wrong, but that you left God”

The ultimate goal of Christianity is to know, follow, and worship God. The relationship between God and ourself is freeing, and intimate, and encouraging, and convicting, and purifying. It’s wonderful, and it’s terrible that many Christians, myself included, can turn our relationship with God into something that brings us shame and guilt. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, but instead of focusing on the love of God, many Christians use feelings of condemnation a motivator to live a holy life.

I pray we have the same attitude as Paul; “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

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“The tragedy of sin is not that you did something wrong, but that you left God” The ultimate goal of Christianity is to know, follow, and worship God. The relationship between God and ourself is freeing, and intimate, and encouraging, and convicting, and purifying. It’s wonderful, and it’s terrible that many Christians, myself included, can turn our relationship with God into something that brings us shame and guilt. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, but instead of focusing on the love of God, many Christians use feelings of condemnation a motivator to live a holy life.I pray we have the same attitude as Paul; “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.”

“When He talks of their losing their selves He only means abandoning the clamor of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back their personality, and boasts that when they are wholly His they are more themselves than ever.”
 
-Screwtape #13
 
I believe things about myself that aren’t true. 

God is teaching me who I really am. He is teaching me what really satisfies and how to love myself. 

Filed in: art pen watercolor God Bible C.S. Lewis Screwtape Theology Jesus Christ

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“When He talks of their losing their selves He only means abandoning the clamor of self-will; once they have done that, He really gives them back their personality, and boasts that when they are wholly His they are more themselves than ever.” -Screwtape #13 I believe things about myself that aren’t true.  God is teaching me who I really am. He is teaching me what really satisfies and how to love myself. 

Filed in: Christianity God religion Bible

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Anonymous asked: How would you suggest I maintain my faith, outside of going to church? I already read the Bible and "pray" everyday, but I feel like my prayer has gotten somewhat superficial and repetitive, and I was wondering if you had any tips as to how to reconnect with God/maintain a better relationship with Him?

Sure!

Going to church is an awesome opportunity to meet with and learn about God, but one of the biggest reasons for it is to meet with other believers. Church is supposed to be a community of people who love each other and love God. I think one of the biggest ways to connect with God is to connect with His people. Find a church you love and get plugged in. Find people in the church you get along with and who would be good influences. Most churches have “small groups” that meet together to talk about God and to live life together. 

One of the biggest reasons people get pulled away from God is because of bad relationships.

So find some Christian friends; or if you have some, try to deepen your relationship with them.  Pray with them, talk with them, have fun with them. 

Other ways:

-Find some good podcasts. (Mark Driscoll, Andy Stanley, R. C. Sproul all have some rockin podcasts)

-Serve people. Maybe it’s in children’s church, or feeding the homeless, or working at a domestic violence shelter. I can not express how important it is to serve, love and minister to other people.

-Keep a journal. Write your prayers in it. 

-Good Christian music. Find anything that you like that is encouraging. I like Enter the Worship Circle, The Welcome Wagon, Sufjan Steven’s Seven Swans, So Long Forgotten, John Mark McMillian, Jon Foreman and many more. 

-Read books. There are tons of terrible Christian books out there so be careful. I enjoy C. S. Lewis, Donald Miller, and Shane Claiborne.

-Find something you truly, purely, enjoy. God shows up in strange places, and very often in the things we were created to enjoy. Maybe it’s poetry, or art, or music, or film, or sex with your spouse, or nature, or tacos. 

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Understand at the end of the day that God wants to know and love you. Ultimately it’s God who draws us to Himself; we just have to be willing purposeful in setting time aside to meet with Him and study the Bible. 

Proverbs 5:15-23

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Proverbs 5:15-23