I’ll let Dan, a friend of mine from Kansas City do the heavy lifting today. Here’s what he sent me this morning and I loved his thoughts on freedom and Christmas letters!
This time of year we receive many of the Christmas letters from friends and family recounting the year’s busyness and major accomplishments. It seems everyone’s ordered lives are perfect – but hectic – very, very hectic. The letter I would really like to get from each of them would be a recount of this past year and the walk with Father, the things He is teaching them and how they are different because of them. I wondered if I was to write that kind of letter, what would I put in it about the past year’s journey? I think the key word throughout the letter would be “freedom”.
It would be two kinds of freedoms. Freedom from and freedom to. Freedom from the many structures, systems and understandings that limited Father in my life. After 35 years of following a system, believe me, I had a bunch. Layer on top of layer.
But the years real excitement and joy came from “Freedom To…”. Freedom to enjoy Him unobstructed. Freedom to enjoy Him in others without denominational lines. Freedom to love the people in front of me each day as Father gives them, with no agenda for them. Freedom to consider an alternative thought, thanks to you and Brad and Kent. Freedom to be his son.
I love that. Freedom is never freedom if it is just a reaction to something else. It really takes on depth when it allows us to live as God’s kids in the earth without expectation or agenda.
And here are two fun things!
Todd, a God Journey listener from the Phoenix area wrote song, inspired a bit by some of my writings along with Jim Palmer’s and Bill Dahl, called Mr. Nobody! It’s quite a catchy tune with a powerful message. You can listen to it here.
Finally, many of you ‘met’ my daughter Julie when she worked for us over the last two years handling book orders and other office items. She’s ‘retired’ now after the birth of her second child. If you’d like to share her joy (along with Sara and mine) she just uploaded a new view gallery of pictures of those lovely two girls. It’s the Kodak site, so if you don’t have an account they make you sign up. But it is free if you want to have a peak at our Christmas joy this year! These are some lovely photos.
Hi Wayne,
I love Dan’s input as well as your following quote: “I love that. Freedom is never freedom if it is just a reaction to something else. It really takes on depth when it allows us to live as God’s kids in the earth without expectation or agenda.”
God bless everyone’s families during Christmas and this new upcoming year.
Also, thanks for linking this post up to my tune, “Mr Nobody.” I’ve decided that if there are folks out there who like the tune, they can contact me through http://www.toddbaio.com with their info and I’ll mail them one of my cds if they want.
In Father’s care,
Todd
Hi Wayne,
I love Dan’s input as well as your following quote: “I love that. Freedom is never freedom if it is just a reaction to something else. It really takes on depth when it allows us to live as God’s kids in the earth without expectation or agenda.”
God bless everyone’s families during Christmas and this new upcoming year.
Also, thanks for linking this post up to my tune, “Mr Nobody.” I’ve decided that if there are folks out there who like the tune, they can contact me through http://www.toddbaio.com with their info and I’ll mail them one of my cds if they want.
In Father’s care,
Todd