eager expectation.

Sons and Daughters of God - Arise and Shine 

"For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed." 

Romans 8:19

a quest to understand purity. [part 1: questions]

What is purity?
How does it impact and influence us?
Why does it matter?

I'm incredibly intrigued by these questions lately and I am officially on a quest to answer them along with many more.

I've been curious about mindsets regarding purity...starting with my own. What do I think or believe about purity and what it means to live a pure life? (Reflections will come in future posts. Stay tuned.)

What about you?

What is your current mindset regarding purity? What kinds of things come to mind when you hear that word? What do you think it means to live a pure life?

Okay, now let's step outside our individual mindsets.
  
What is the current mindset about purity in our family or community of friends?
In our workplaces?
In our cities?
In our countries?
In this world as a whole?

Lastly, though not of least importance just because I'm mentioning it last, what is heaven's mindset about this? What is God's perspective about purity? Truly?  

Note that my question isn't what I (or you) think God's heart may be regarding purity. I want to know the answer to that question as if sitting face to face with God and him speaking straight from his mouth what his heart and mindset is regarding this.

So yep - lots of questions...stirring things up a bit...getting us to think...  

This is just the beginning - much more to come about something that I'm increasingly believing is a big deal in our lives and in our world...

a large man in flannel and his (also large) blue ox.

I have 24 blog post drafts so far. At one time or another, I had a burst of inspiration to write about something going on inside or around me. Some of these posts only made it to the title life stage of a blog post. Others have a few smatterings of sentences underneath the title. I just spent awhile looking through them thinking maybe tonight was a night to dive back into one of them.

  

Nope. Not feelin' it.

  

So here's another burst of inspiration of a post that I'm believing won't become the 25th in my list of drafts... 

  

Today was great. Full. Eye opening. Challenging at moments. Emotional at others. Inspiring. Lots of thoughts, ideas, hopes, and questions floating around me right now. I know that things will filter into place in God's timing. So much is happening in this city. And inside of me.

  

Out of numerous reflections from the day, here's one: 

  

It's incredible how many people not from the area pass through Bemidji. 

  

Seriously.

  

I heard someone say the other day that the Paul and Babe statues are one of the most photographed touristy...things...in the country. (I apologize for my lack of correct words to describe this right now. It's late. Ha.) I had a hard time believing that, honestly. I could see that being a possibility for the state of Minnesota. But the whole country? It got me thinking.

  

Could there be some truth to that (possible) "fact"?

  

Today I met and prayed with a beautiful gem of a visitor from out of state who had never been here before and asked how to pronounce "Bemidji." I sat on a bench and talked with another visitor from out of the country who had never been to Bemidji and was just passing through as well.

  

For at least an hour, I watched as numerous people posed by Paul and Babe to take their picture with the large man in flannel and his (also large) blue ox. I have a growing curiosity about where everyone is traveling from to spend an hour, a day or two or more in Bemidji, MN. And what's drawing them here?

  

I have a few ideas. But that's maybe for another time and for another blog post. Or at the least a draft with a clever title of sorts.

  

Oh, and the word I was looking for earlier was tourist attraction. Ha. Figured that out as I did a little research to either confirm or deny the statement about Paul and Babe's popularity with cameras.

  

Wikipedia did have something to say about this. Maybe there's some truth to their being known around the country?

  

Regardless of just how many people come and take their picture with the dynamic duo on the left, I'm thankful people are setting foot in this city, even if just for an hour or two.

  

There's a reason...