I’m not one for New Years resolutions, though I’ve made my share of them in the past. I’ve started (and discontinued) gym memberships, had a stint as a vegetarian, tried to read through the NY Times notable books list in a year, and made countless attempts at “self-improvement”.

I always fail, though. Life gets in the way and the motivation that I have during January slowly wavers until I have nothing left but good intentions. It’s natural, I suppose. But what happens when lost motivation turns into comfort and comfort turns into complacency?

This is what I’ve been mulling over lately. A couple weeks ago, I realized with a start that there was more to life than the way I’ve been living it. Work. Errands. Appointments. Email. Excel sheets. Digital calendars. I had been setting myself up for failure- rushing so fast through each day that I was overcome with weariness by the end of it. Instead of feeling refreshed after a “meaningful” (translation: busy) day, all I wanted to do was collapse. So I usually did.

For whatever reason, I’ve realized that “meaning” has transposed into “busy” for me. I hate that! What good is being busy if it’s detracting from genuine purpose in life? I spend more time than I care to admit wasting away the free moments I do have.

So what do I want out of my life? What do I want to strive for? These are a few things that have been on my mind that I really want to try to be more intentional about–

• I want to be part of an authentic community. I’m tired of surface conversation and friendships of convenience.

• I want to be a voice for those that are hesitant to speak up.

• I want to love even more, when I think that I’ve loved enough.

• I want people to hear “Detroit” and smile.

• I want to use art for good, to show the beauty in what our world sees as ugly.

• I want to be wholly authentic, honest and real.

I’m mad at people that can’t seem to grasp the concept that God never changes. I’m sure you may be thinking or even saying “Well I know that!” But do you? What happened to Abraham’s God? Did God take a break from His style of doing things in the Old Testament to seem all but just logical sense now? Is it the Word Old that makes us think that He is on some Va-K and won’t be back til the end of the Book. NO! and I say “Blasphemy!” for thinking such things.

To the best of my knowledge and from reading the scripture I see that God is unlike us humans that can’t help but change- He is a God that won’t change. He is the same God that created the universe, breathed life into us, flooded the earth, sent fire to devour Sodom and Gomorra, delivered the Jews, defended the Jews, poured out wrath on his Son for us, saved the day, and tormented evil. He will come again in power and glory. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says ” All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”

So did we become incompetent because the Old Testament was about breaking what logic says about God and the way the world works and stepping out on faith? God clearly calls Isaac to step out on faith and move toward a unfruitful land so when the people see him do well, they will know that it was God that blessed him. Or how about Peter and walking on water? Maybe if we took some steps of faith God would get a chance to show Himself and make an appearance. I can only speak for myself here but I want to see God move because I know when you ask God to move, He moves big. I want to see big changes; I want God to move.

If God is for us who can be against us? Of course we will face adversity but God is with us- the same God that delivered the Jews; the same God that died for you. Instead of a heart of fear, may we walk with confidence that our God is moving. And if we want to see the God of Old move, we need to make some bold moves of our own. God is waiting for you on the other side with arms wide open, pondering how long will it take for you to realize “I AM, Right Here, Right Now!”.

So the next time your pocket book is empty, the next time your car doesn’t start, the next time your bills pile high, may you call upon a God that saves and delivers, a God that creates and destroys and say to Him, “I beg you to move”.

As this group continues to grow, I realize that I don’t know as many of you personally as I would like to. I don’t know what music you listen to, what movies inspire you, what you are reading, or what God is doing in your life right now.

So, as a step in that direction, I have decided to share with you some of my current vices… This is by no means a best of list, just more of a sampling of what art is moving me these days.

Music
This weekend, I was introduced to the latest project to have the indie superstar Sufjan Stevens attached to it, The Welcome Wagon. I am smitten. If you dig Sufjan’s style and love to hear a lot about Jesus, check them out. Kristian Stanfill, former worship leader at Young Adults gathering 7:22, just released his second EP Attention this week. He is unbelievably gifted at crafting electric guitar driven worship songs – and when you combine this 6 song EP with his first 5 song EP, Hello, you have one of the most stunning full worship albums by anyone. Beautiful Jesus, Spring of Life, Jesus Paid it All, Lord of All and more put him at the top of the Lighthouse Sunday night setlist count. I have been listening to the Fleet Foxes as well, and my gut description is that if the Beach Boys had beards, flannel shirts, and drank strong coffee instead of Sunkist, they would have sounded like this. I have been following a small indie band from the Athen GA music scene for a few years now called The Modern Skirts. Their first album, Catalogue of Generous Men, is one of my all time favorite albums, so my expectations were sky high for their second album, All of Us in Our Night which dropped last week. Big disappointment. I keep listening to it, hoping that it will “grow” on me. No dice.

Movies
I have seen a lot of movies lately, most of them very good (Defiance, Frost/Nixon, Gran Torino among others), but there is only one that has continued to haunt me and impact me deeply. Slumdog Millionaire moved me so deeply at my first viewing that I had to physically leave the theater and go splash water on my face at the Main Art Theater in Royal Oak. I was so stirred, so pierced by the story that I could barely contain my emotion. I wasn’t afraid of a tear gently trickling down my cheek, I was trying to hold in an uncontrollable explosion of broken blood vessel weeping. I felt it coming up from the very depths of my heart. Watching the story unfold, watching the unstoppable love of Jamal toward Latika, and then watching the final moment of “the kiss”… Even now my heart starts to get dizzy and forgets how to beat properly… Let’s talk more about it after you’ve seen it… If I write more I will spoil a lot.

Books
I am finishing up Malcolm Gladwell’s latest offering, Outliers, which although infinitely interesting, I found to be a little uneven. It is definitely the weakest of the Gladwell trilogy, (The Tipping Point and Blink) but yet still full of facts that can dazzle your friends at a party. While sputtering to the finish of Outliers, I grabbed a copy of Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover. Now on a literary scale, this rates somewhere on the level of an athlete memoir (translation: poor), but in regards to content, it is revolutionary. It is profound in its simplicity, yet if I follow Dave’s sage financial advice, I have no doubt that what he promises will come true. What he suggests is only innovative because it is so outdated in our credit obsessed culture. Dave tells us to pay cash. For everything. No credit cards. No 36 months financing on a flat panel television. Save. Deny yourself. His credo “Live like no one else so that you can live like no one else” will be etched into your cerebral cortex by the time you finish the book. It worked for me. I have stopped spending like a Hilton and started living like a Ramsey.

What I’m up to…
I am gearing up to begin another Lighthouse Collective book project in time for this summer, as well as dreaming about what the future looks like for all of us… Pray that we can risk and reach and dream dreams as big as God, so far out of our reach that only He can make them happen.

Thanks for listening,

Cliff

“If you return, O Israel,
declares the LORD,
to me you should return.
If you remove your detestable things from my presence,
and do not waver,
and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’
in truth, in justice, and in righteousness,
then nations shall bless themselves in him,
and in him shall they glory.”
Jeremiah 4:1-2

I don’t know where to start with this. The Bible has many promises for us from God, and this is one of them.

God said to Israel, if they return to Him, and get rid of all their crap, and do not waver but live for the one true God, OTHER nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory.

This LITERALLY means that the conversion of the nations will be the consequence of Israel’s conversion.

This is an invitation and promise to us today. We must constantly return to Him, get rid of our crap, and not waver. In doing this and getting rid of all other idols, then those around us will see us as nations may have seen Israel, and perhaps by our conversion, they will be converted as well.

Father,
Thank You for Your unconditional love.
Thank You for loving me when I am ugly and unlovable.
Teach me how to love unconditionally.
Give me empathy for others.
Help me to serve like Jesus served, motivated only by love and expecting nothing in return.

Written in the journal from the Prayer Room during 40.

Once I met a pretty girl
who took my world
She made it all beautiful, just like her
And one night, as I fell asleep
I realized she’d been a dream
Still every time I blink I see her face

Now every night
I pray we’ll meet behind my eyes

I hope that dreams are something more
A hint of things yet in store
I’ll find you here, in this world of stone
Or maybe I could visit you
In a world all our own
But I’ll still wake… and I’ll wake alone

And every night
I search her world with all my might

Maybe in a bed of her own
She falls asleep and dreams of me
Maybe we were meant to be in love
In dreams

Branded by a love like no other and surrounded by a force so great, You give us peace. Created from the dust in the ground, you made us whole and complete- complete not only in life form, but in likeness of you.

Some have chosen to reject You as their creator, their almighty, sovereign one. How could this be? You are God, Jehovah, and Redeemer. You gave me life even though I was a sinner. I did not deserve this life. I did not deserve to be given the chance to live freely, unchained with complete ability to make decisions. If today, on this cold night, I decided to be upset with You, even hate You, You would still love me with a love so deep it goes beyond the ends of the earth.

This love is what I desire to have more than anything. You created me in the image of Your son, breathed life into me and promised me a life forevermore. Earth is but a moment compared to eternity in your pure and majestic kingdom. You left your kingdom to come be with us, to teach us, deliver us from our transgressions. You came to save me from the depths of darkness and death. You are the light of my life, and lead me to a path of pure joy.

Lord, I have sinned against You, spoken wrong things, looked at impure images, and ran from You when I was scared to talk to you. Yet you gave Your one and only Son for me to clean me of these downfalls. I do not deserve this love, this gift. I am unworthy of all it is You have to offer me. All you ask of me is my life, my heart and my love. Father, I offer up everything that I am for You. My life, dedicated for one cause, Your glory. My heart beats with the drums of a thousand armies all for your name to be lifted up. My love is all Yours, given up completely for You. I believe, I believe, I believe. You gave me hope, you gave me a choice. I choose You because You asked of me all that I can give. I dedicate my life to You—yesterday, today and forevermore. I want to be the son of a king, the servant of your majestic and beautiful throne, at your feet singing the songs of David with the angels in all of heaven. Glory to God in the Highest! Water’s cannot quench this love you have for me. I will swim the deepest oceans and climb the highest mountains for Your glory to be heard across the earth. I will sing songs of praise for all to hear. Come be the fire inside of me. Ignite the deepest part of my soul to cry out for you. Stir up a hunger for a nation of young people to be leaders, not followers. Let us, as a collective of believers, brothers and sisters in arms, go forth to be the light in a world full of darkness—a lit flame, so bright it cannot not be extinguished. You are our Father, our Savior. We seek you in this time to be our leader. From the first breath of life till the day we die, we will live for You.

Through prayer, faith and communion our everyday steps will leave a footprint of your love. A footprint for others to see, a footprint for others to follow. They will know of Your great and amazing love. A footprint is what we will set. This is our day, for You, forevermore. Amen

The picture below is of my adorable niece Esther. It’s not the most spiritual of inspirations but I think it’s just the most precious captured moment. And at least for me, I think sometimes it’s hard to see God as someone who sees me as precious. It’s easier to feel guilt than forgiveness because it’s what we deserve. However, that kind of thinking is of the enemy- we are so dear, so precious to Him. I think even in our sin He can love us because that was the point of sending His son to die- to bridge that gap of sin between us and God.

Plus, this made me see that God has a sense of humor!
“Stolen water is sweet;
food eaten in secret is delicious!” Proverbs 9:17

God never made a nobody, especially you
If you have struggled, you have purpose to pursue
Get connect & save yourself from this world
God gives us the strength, so lift the weight & curl
We all have walked from good & bad homes
Left to wander these streets, place to place we roam
We will all greet a tomb stone; no one is immortal
Your body dies on this earth’ your soul uses a portal
Life lies between the boundaries of death & birth
The challenge is; living & discovering a passionate worth
I guarantee you will ride the wave onto the mountain
Just as I guarantee you will be washed at the valley of a fountain
Once you have learned the lesson from your own mistake
Don’t let it cross your mind to look back; never a double take
It will creep up on you; but as long as you can walk straight
The past will never hurt you again, your future becomes great
Trust in God during your brightest day & even the darkest hour
You are only tossed into the furnace to be saved; don’t cower
You never walked a second alone, God has always been there
Even my heart is guilty of questioning; His presence & His care
The validity of these words can be felt in the heart
Because I speak the truth, you can read it from the start
There’s many more thoughts; my book will never be complete
Get out there & live your life; enjoy the suffering of defeat

I long for the moment to see His beautiful face,
To marvel at my maker, my Savior, the God of Grace.
Heavenly trumpets will sound as the angels sweetly sing,
“Glory, Glory, to God in the Highest, the King of Kings.”
He’s the hand of hope, the lover of my soul,
Take my heart Jesus, I am wholly Yours.
Marvelous maker, Marvelous One,
You are The Trinity—Father, Holy Spirit, Son.
You’re the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
For all of eternity, You are my father, You are my friend.