Gourmet Living on Overdrive

Yesterday evening I made this delicious artichoke and goat-cheese pizza as part of my ongoing "Gourmet initiative." It was a busy day all around. Today's blog talks about some of the overload and how things tend to work together for good.

- DEREK

[The boy's father said to Jesus] "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

"IF I can?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately he cried out, "Lord, I do believe! Help me with my unbelief..."

(Matthew 9:22-24)

Yesterday was a perfect microcosm of my life right now. Full, challenging, creative, interesting... and - quite possibly - just a little too much!

I spent the morning at Hyde Park Presbyterian, working on retreat planning with their pastor; I met Rebekah for lunch; I drove down to Lithia, where I spent half the afternoon interviewing a Lutheran pastor for a Tribune article; I searched high and low for the exact ingredients and then made an amazing artichoke and goat-cheese pizza for this week's gourmet initiative; and I was the keynote speaker for the Brandon Christian Writers' Guild during the evening.

Meanwhile, during odd moments of the day and then after I returned home around 9:30, I have been (and will be for the next few hours) concentrating on a critically important writing/consulting project for an organization whose work I highly value.

To be honest, I feel a little stretched right now. But, at the same time, I am 100% confident that the focus of my life and the work I'm involved with is exactly what God wants me to be doing. So I feel strength, and purpose, and encouragement coming from the source of all creativity and the author of life itself.

I wrote yesterday that "belief is a powerful thing: and so is unbelief." So today I feel challenged to engage the truth of that statement by stepping into belief. Because belief as a purely academic - or emotional - exercise is inadequate for the task of living the kind of life that embraces all that God intends for me. Belief more often involves taking the first step, and following the word with some action.

So here it is: I believe that God will use me and my gifts today, and I'm going to approach my work with the confidence that comes from my knowledge that God is not only faithful, but generous too.

Have a great Friday!

- DEREK