Yes...I know. I didn't follow through on my blogging promise. Somehow this has to become a habit. Blogging needs to be added to my list of things "to do." I intend to blog but then life interrupts. There is work that needs to be done. Then there are family duties that take up a large share of time. Finally, it is time to go exercise followed by rest. Before you know it, the blog gets last place in the schedule. What is sad is that this truly is fun for me. Writing is something that is enjoyable. It just hasn't been as high in reality as it feels in priority.

Discipline is not something that comes easy. If it were easy, then everyone would live better lives. The older that I get, the more discipline is needed to avoid being stuck in ruts. I will admit to only one thing that is disciplined about me. Exercise is the one thing that will cause schedules to shift in order to do it. Working out became a priority about 15 years ago. Even today, I went out to the school to lift weights and run. Part of that discipline is so that I can play with my children without needing therapy afterwards. Some of this regimen is to avoid heredity with physical ailments. To be brutally honest, I get cranky if too many days go by without a visit to the gym.

Can you see where this is heading? Perhaps the one thing that I wish to get across to people is that spiritual life is not a mere discovery. Healthy spiritual living is a discipline. Jesus Himself did not fall into faith by accident. The gospels record His diligence in the habits of a holy life. Church membership rolls are flooded with people who made some choice to connect to a congregation but never chose to be disciplined. There would be so much less need for the extravagant display of God's presence if we learned to put God's purpose first. Do not misunderstand me however. God would indeed make His presence known in dynamic fashion if we lived with holy diligence. Instead of it being something we prayed for as a rescue it would be something we knew as daily reality. My prayer for myself as well as you is that we share the same desire for discipline as modeled by Jesus. If He needed it, how much more do we?

Bro. Trey