What does it mean to prosper?

Recently I heard a talk on Psalm 1:1-3.  The last verse reads (ESV) "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."  While the talk was on the importance of mediation, which I am still learning and will always continue to learn how to do, a question has stuck in my mind: What does it mean/look like to prosper during times of trial or grief?  Is there such a thing?
Other questions of a similar note flow from this:
What does it mean to prosper when you are out of a job?
What does it mean to prosper when all that you put your energy towards seems to come to nothing?
I have a feeling that what our culture defines as being prosperous is not how God seems to define it in the context of this verse.

Importance of Background

I'm have been watching a course called the Fundamentals of Photography produced by The Great Courses.  During one of the lectures I viewed today, the instructor emphasized the importance of having a good background.  A good background is one which encourages the viewer to focus on the subject, rather than what lies behind the subject.  What is behind the subject can be interesting and can most certainly add to the photo, but it should not take the focus away from the subject in a way that makes the subject seem less important.  The instructor of the course encouraged the viewer to take time to focus on the background before bringing in the subject.
What about the times when we don't have a camera in our hands?
We go around viewing the world capturing many "photos" in our memories throughout the day.  Take a brief moment to reflect on the memories you have today.  Are they clear, sharp, and focused on a particular moment?  Or do you struggle to bring to mind a clear picture?  Maybe if you are struggling, it means that the background to a particular moment overpowered the moment itself.  If your mind is wandering throughout the day, how can you expect to remember what you did as you reflect upon your day that evening?  To have a clear photo, we must strive to clear up the background so that the subject could be in focus.  One of my professor's recommends always keeping a list of the things you remember that you need to do or get at the grocery store.  Writing these random thoughts down helps you to relax and focus on the present moment rather than cluttering it up with all of these other thoughts that could potentially cause you to worry or have stress unnecessarily.
Whether or not we have a camera in our hands, we should realize the importance of the background whether it be physical or mental.  To let the subject shine in our photos or our memories, a complimentary background is essential.

Back to the blog

During my second trip to my local library this summer, I picked up a book that had the name Lewis on it (I'm a huge C.S. Lewis fan).  The book I checked out was not actually written by Lewis, but contains hundreds of quotes from George MacDonald edited by Lewis.
Here is one quote that appears early on in the book:
"But herein is the Bible itself greatly wronged.  It nowhere lays claim to be regarded as the Word, the Way, the Truth.  The Bible leads us to Jesus, the inexhaustible, the ever unfolding Revelation of God. It is Christ 'in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' not the Bible, save as leading to Him."

Just something to ponder.

T.V. shows

Thinking through life, as I sit watching one of my favorite t.v. shows on my iPhone through my headphones.  Is this what I was meant to do with my life?  Answer: nope.
I tried to justify this unproductive habit by saying that it is a means of escape from the busyness that surrounds me.  It's a chance for me to relax and focus on something that I can watch, then think about, maybe even have a conversation about with friends, then move on to tackle another task.
But, in the midst of this seemingly happy bliss of escaping from the busyness, I asked myself the question, 'Would I want God to take a break to escape the busyness to watch a t.v. show alone?'.
God created a day of rest, and I believe that rest is beneficial.  We need to know how to rest though in a way that is truly restful, and remember that in order to rest and get the most out of that rest, we need to work (I would encourage you to look up John 14:12 to catch a glimpse of what God has intended for us to be doing as work).
Am I saying that you should never watch another t.v. show again?  No, even I will watch t.v. shows again.  They do serve a purpose of connecting us to each other (for example my room-mate and I both share a common interest in Dr. Who, which has bound us together).  It is my hope, thought, that the next time that I or you go to turn on another t.v. show, movie, or youtube video, that we would take the time to think if this is serving a purpose or if we are just filling ourselves with entertainment as a substitute for another, deeper rest that is only found in God.

Waiting to be healed

The other night I was listening in on a conversation which involved the family member of a young child battling cancer.  The family member expressed the sentiment that it is God's will to heal this child, it's just a matter of whether He does it instantaneously or over the long-term.  I didn't speak up at the time, which I still don't know if I should have given the situation, but I believe that this is an incredibly dangerous view for several reasons.
The first has to deal with God's will.  I do strongly believe that some Christians can sense God's will and that it is our joy and duty to strive after it.  From what I heard in the conversation, however, the family member of the sick child was basing this sense off of the idea that God did not create cancer.  It was not what He wanted and thus He would fix the problem.  To this, I would simply respond that God did not want death to ever occur to anybody.  Yet as we all know, death does occur in this world, even to Christians who have prayed for healing.  Sometimes, focusing on what we think is God's will can cause us to lose our sight on what He is doing in and through the situation.
A few weeks ago, my pastor expressed that death is not the worst thing that can happen to your child.  Death is not the worst thing that can happen to any Christian, losing our faith and relationship with God completely is.
What happens then, when we hope and pray for healing, wait for it, and death sometimes occurs?  If we hold to the examples of Jesus healing, and of other miraculous healings since then, and hold onto those while forsaking those who were not healed in this world what then?
Let us remember that the Lord has given, and the Lord takes away.
Our death on earth is not the end of our story by any means.

The Love of God

I dropped out of a Christian, non-profit choir several years ago in order to pursue debate.  The lyrics of some of the songs that we sang still pop into my mind from time to time.  Last night was one of those times.  I remembered a line from a song called 'The Love of God'.

"The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen could ever tell.  It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell."

As I reflected on these lines, it occurred to me that the love of God is greater than what writing or speech can convey because it requires action.  It goes beyond just telling the high end business leader and the homeless person on the street that God loves them.  God's love is manifested in action.
Are we telling about God's love, or are we showing God's love?

One out of many

Today the e-mails have started rolling in.  Along with other pursuits, I am trying to sell some of my photos online this year.  One of the sites that I spent hours loading onto the other day is finally getting back to me, however it is rejecting the high majority of my photos.
What I find strange, is that the photos I think have a high chance of making it in usually don't.  For example, I had two very similar pictures, between which I had a definite preference.  This one photo site said no to the one I loved but yes to the other.
Yet again, another photo website has accepted photos that the other would not (both a a screening process).
Different people see potential in different things.
For example, I can see some areas for potential in my own life from time to time, while my mom is able to point out different areas of potential that I hadn't even thought about before.
Having others give input to where we can grow can be painful because it means that they don't see us as being perfect.  But, as we all know, none of us are perfect.
Take input with a grain of salt, keep looking, keeping asking for advice, and keep yourself in line with God's will.  You never know when something that has been rejected in one area may be accepted in another (like my photos).  All it takes is different perspectives.
This is why I believe that having a church community is important.  We will not all see God working in the same way in the same place.  It does take testimonies and another set of eyes to see God at work sometimes.