Time to close this chapter…

I’ve been blogging on “Through the Sea…” since June of 2006, several months after following God’s call to leave our church and student ministry to enter a long three years in the wilderness.  It’s been awesome to see how God has moved me over that time, the ebbs and flows of a faith grounded in Christ, yet shaken by this world.  Now that we’ve connected with a new local church community, and as the season of my faith, family, career and future turn to the unknown, I feel like it’s time to open up a new avenue of journaling.

I’ll be stopping the posts on this blog and picking up with my new spot on tumblr.com.  Don’t know where this will go, but it’s a physical representation of change (via the web) which also mimics the change God is doing in my life.  Hang on, here we go, 3…, 2…, 1…, launch - nakielny.tumblr.com

Clarity…

Saw the Hillsong movie last night.

And with great anticipation, I eagerly sat, awaiting God to speak some clarity into my life.  See, lately, I’ve been really struggling to find some peace between my current place in life and the dreams that God has implanted into my soul before the foundations of the world.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 says that “He has set eternity in our hearts. And no one can fathom it from beginning to end.”  This is the very thing I find myself desperately trying to resolve.  The fact that I cannot fathom what He’s doing, even with my time on this planet, yet I so deeply desire to be connected to that very plan.  I have a good life.  The “American Dream”. I’m doing my part to contribute to a society full of abundance.  Yet I find a holy discontent burning inside me that cannot sit still, that knows I was made for more, that wants to exhaust my every breathe on His purposes.  I’ve been wrestling with God, and I’m tired.

So, I prayed and asked God for clarity, and here’s what’s come forth so far:

• We were made for “this moment”. Some people live their moments without water or food or shelter; and some live their moments in developing countries with no hope; and some live their moments in the sheer selfishness of abundance and wealth; I’m living my moments right here, right now, right where I find myself – and that’s part of His plan.
• He’s not called me to sell everything and become a pauper with the poor. He has called me to Himself, through Salvation and has invited me to love.  To take responsibility for what He’s given me, my family, my children, my job, my home – and use that to love.  As He continues to make me aware of need (both across the globe and in my own backyard), He calls me to invest and use what I have, just because.  To give from love, to feed from love, to do my best (with love) to level the ground of  humanity.
• Connections are important. So I won’t be quitting my job, selling my home and moving into the slums of the inner-city to be “one” with the needy.  I’ll continue to try to be “love” at my workplace. I’ll continue to work hard at serving and loving my wife like Christ loved the Church.  I’ll continue to strive to impart God’s love into my kids life so they know that life is much bigger than them and that they have an active part to play in His reconciliation of all things to Himself.  And at the same time, I can begin to align myself to those causes that God opens my eyes to.  I can begin to partner with those who are already “on the road”.  I can use my passion, in the things He makes me passionate for, to influence and lead others along in their journey.  Ultimately, I can continue to “use what’s in my hands, to match what’s in my heart”.

God is so intentional.  May He continue to clarify this vision for my journey.

Using what’s in your hands…

I’m getting excited to see what God is doing in my heart.  He’s beginning to put things in my path that continually wake me up to the larger causes on this planet, on OUR planet, on His planet!  And as I search through the plethora of ways to connect to organizations with vision, organizations that are impacting our world for those who can’t do for themselves – I’m constantly amazed at how God continues to intertwine people who identify that “charitable” bent deep inside their soul.

I love the vision of Charity:water. So simple, so effective, so very powerful.  And as I pray, intently, at how to begin my part in this effort (knowing that I don’t have thousands of friends with capabilities to raise millions), and I realize that this is my very first look in this direction – God sends an email to me that affords me an opportunity to use what’s in my hands to begin to realize what’s in my heart.

A rep from HotelsCombined.com dropped me a note regarding their sponsor of charities in return for some promo.  HELLO!  Through twitter and blog mentions, they’re willing to send some cash towards a charity of choice. BAM! God says, “I’m still clearing the glass for you to see a little further into my dream, but as I do, use what you already have to move one step closer”.

I tweet, I blog, and HotelsCombined.com will donate to Charity:water just for my mentions.  God is so intentional!

Charity:water!

Just stumbled across this organization on the web called Charity:water – and I love it! God has been moving my heart towards this basic of needs for quite some time now and I’m totally stoked to see how others are beginning to live this out.

Meanwhile, between reads, I continually walk five steps down the hall to fill my cup with yet another, crystal clear, 16 oz. of water (my fifth one today). How easy it is to take something as simple as a cup of water for granted.  My heart breaks, once again…

God, match the dream in my heart – with what’s in my hands – for your Glory!

Charity:water

A Walk with God…

Decided to spend lunchtime with an ol’ friend and dropped down to a spot where “me and God” hang out.  Snapped a couple shots along the way to remember how sweet our meetings are.  God is so faithful, and patient, and persistent, and… (need I say more?)

Artistry!

Snapped this photo from my cellphone on the way home the other night, and as I was looking at it, I couldn’t help but be amazed at the artisty I was seeing.

I’m amazed at how we spend hours walking through museums, looking at the great works of art by skilled humans that have made a lasting impression on this world through their unique vision.  How we study them in school and honor them in galleries.  How their use of varying mediums have etched a place in time, forever.

Yet, as I look at this picture, I can’t help but notice that the sky above the busy road, is perhaps one of the most brilliant paintings I’ve ever seen.  Crafted beautifully, not with brushes and oils, but with wisps of clouds sprayed through rays of sun, mixed with varying hues of dusk and day and swirled together with the foundational color of infinite space.  A painting, so grand, so glorious, so demanding of our attention, yet gone within minutes.

God is so absolutely amazing!  This picture displays only a quick glimpse of His power – to paint such a beautiful picture, His medium is the very heavens He commands, for the world to see.  If He can do that, so effortlessly, so quickly, so beautifully – think how much more He could do, in and through you, over your lifetime.  Whoa!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever!  Amen” Ephesians 3:20,21

Love and the church…

“…I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Glory to God in the church!”. Eph 3:14-21

Wow! What a powerful voice for LOVE. We don’t have to be right, or win the argument, or put others down because of what they believe; we just have to love (past our pride) and experience a full life, fully trusting God that He will bring about the truth and conviction on hearts.

How cool would it be if “with all followers”, we could actually work together in love? What if we quit trying to be “right” all the time? Will that ever be a reality in the church?

Hillsong: I Heart Film

Love and roots.

“Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, long, how high, and how deep the love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”  Ephesians 3:17-19

Seems our chief goal is to understand, by God’s power, the absolute, unending love that God has for us.  And when we begin to comprehend, by experiencing love through God’s Church and the “human-Jesus’ ” that He puts in our lives, it will make us complete, with all the fullness of life (John 10:10).  Love wins!  Grace abounds!  And we don’t have to save the world anymore!

Dunkin Donuts has a new crew member!