living a "bare-minimum" life

sometimes i take easy way out in my relationships and daily interactions in general. 
most of the time it's a lot easier to sleep in rather than meet small group girls for a 7:00 am breakfast  (when you don't have a meeting until 11:00). most of the time it's easier and more comfortable to plan personal time in lieu of having coffee with someone who needs a non-judgemental ear.


what a shame that i can tend to leave such a self-centered life. do i not realize that these moments i'm living are merely a season and i won't ever have THIS time and THESE relationships EXACTLY AS THEY ARE ever again.  if i truly grasped this wouldn't i live each day in desperate, passionate, fervent pursuit of every person who came across my path?


if i'm not careful, i realize that i'm living a bare-minimum life. 

"you will be ever hearing but never understanding,

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

for this people's heart has become calloused;

they hardly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

understand with their hearts

and turn and i would heal them"

(matthew 13:14-15)

i never want it said of me that i heard,

but was never understanding.

that i heard but was never able to

  hear in between the lines and understand

i never want it said of me that i saw,

but never perceived.

that i was shallow in view of other people

and their circumstances.

i was challenged today to not live a shallow, self-centered, bare-minimum life.

dig deeper today, this is the only MARCH 8,2011 that we will ever have.

get outside of yourself!

"be very careful then,

 how you live-not as unwise but as wise,

 making the most

of every opportunity"

(ephesians 5:16)