“And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God], that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” Ezekiel 11:19-20 ->me: Today was a travel day so lots of time for reading and work. I spent almost the whole second leg of my trip (from Chicago, Il -> Richmond, VA [~3 Hours]) reading the new book for my Men’s Bible study called Side by Side by Ed Welch. The book focuses on our need for each other. One of the quotes from the book really made an impression on me -> “Who we love above all else is who we worship, and who we worship controls us”. This is such a simple yet true statement. Since the distraction of this job has come, I have put more focus on the job than on God and that has become a set of opaque scrims that “I” have put between God and myself. Then I will have a moment where the Holy Spirit prods me and it is as if I have retained some vague awareness of the love songs that God sang to me before I received the new job position, and when I hear those songs again (the prod), they evoke something familiar and right but then that feeling flees. So what has happened?? My heart has grown distant because He stopped being “who I love above everyone/everything else”. Those scrims…the problem -> I can put them there but I can’t remove them. Only God, through my confession and asking forgiveness can remove them…but Oh, when He does, He is so faithful to let me right back by His side, arm clutched around me. THAT is the feeling of peace, contentment, love, and hope that I have come to miss when I put other things before Him.