Java for the Spirit: Fueled by Faith, Fitness and Coffee Grounds

"Many will say, 'Who will show us better times?' Let your face smile on us Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, will keep me safe." Psalm 4:6-8, NLT TEXT: Psalm 3 and 4 I am continually amazed at how David was always able to find the rays of joy in his life, even in the darkest hours, simply by focusing on the faithfulness of the Lord. Whenever he reflected on his blackest times in the Psalms, he always, it seems, coupled it with an expression of gratitude and trust for the Lord's constant protection and provision. Even when circumstances beat David down, he always clung to his hope and trust in a mighty and faithful God.  It amazes me, considering all he endured, even when the trouble was self-inflicted, through his sometimes sinful choices. He knew God's loving hand would never abandon those who cry out to him in humility in t...

“ Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,   nor sits in the seat of scoffers;   but his delight is in the law [ of the  Lord   and on his law he meditates day and night.   He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3, ESV So, it’s Ash Wednesday, and unlike any other I’ve faced in the last ten years. Having distance running removed from my life has left me with, on one level, a great void of physical activity, and on the other, an incredible overload of mental and emotional clutter with one of my primary sources of clearing the clutter removed. It’s like the drifts of snow sitting outside, there’s piles of thoughts in my head to deal with, and it feels like not a lot of places to push it away right now. The mental plows are wo...