A Puritan Prayer

O God of the highest heaven,
   Occupy the throne of my heart,
   Take full possession and reign supreme,
   Lay low every rebel lust,
   Let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
Manifest Thy mighty power
   And make me Thine forever.
Thou art worthy to be  
   Praised with my every breath,
   Loved with every faculty of soul,
   Served with my every act of life.
O help me then to walk worthy of Thy love.
                                      -A Puritan Prayer
                                                        
 

Christmas: God's Pursuit Of Man

"At the heart of the Christmas message is the wonderful truth of God's pursuit of every one of us."      -J. Stowell (Our Daily Bread)

"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman,
born under the Law, 
so that He might redeem those 
who were under the Law,
that we might receive
the adoption as sons. 
Because you are sons,
God has sent forth the Spirit
of His Son into our hearts,
crying, Abba! Father!” 
                         -Galatians 4:4-6 (NASB)


How thankful I am for God's relentless pursuit of me. He did His utmost to provide for my salvation, to bring me to Himself. What love! What grace! What an unspeakably beautiful gift!


Every December I am saddened and gladdened all at the same time. The beautiful truths of the Christmas story are more than enough to gladden the heart and soul of all who take the time to think of it. But the ignorance and neglect of those truths are so very obvious as we mingle with the Christmas shoppers, watch TV or even look for items that refer to the real meaning of Christmas! However, we don't need to dwell on the sadness but, rather, on the joy of the Good News of salvation which is for all.


A Merry and Blessed Christmas to all who are reading this!

Miscellaneous Moments

These days are rather busy for us as we prepare to travel to our homeland for a year of furlough. So much to do, so little time. However, I've been amazed (cough, cough) at how I seem to have time for other things. I mean, should I really be taking the time to make a bookmark out of 3 things that I found and couldn't bear to part with? A rectangle of cardboard with rounded corners, a paper with a 5-line quote, a pretty picture that I'd torn out of a magazine who-knows-when. It made a very lovely bookmark, in my opinion. Anyone need a bookmark?

Our lives are made up of moments, moments of every shape, color and flavor. God, in His grace, mercy and love gives us these-to do, to speak, to think, to be and...to notice.

In my "spare" moments recently, I have noticed different things which prompted me to take a picture so that I could record it "forever".

Here are a few of them...
                       The reflection of the basketball backboard behind the drops of water on top of the car.

Morgan soaking in some morning sunshine.

Bubbles that I (yes, I) was blowing. I'd found the little bubble-blowing bottle left from a daughter's wedding of over 9 years ago...

The moon. Need I say more?

Three vultures flying high. Did you know that vultures are graceful?

And every sunny morning I notice the bright colors of the green cedar and pink rose as the first rays of sun hit them. I'm restraining myself by only posting ONE of the several pics I've taken of this one scene, I want you to know. For some reason, I seem to think that I'll get a better photo and truly capture what it really looks like. Crazy, no? But beautiful, yes!

I can't speak of "moments" without thinking of the hymn "Moment By Moment":

Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;

Moment by moment I’ve life from above;

Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;

Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.

                                 -Daniel W. Whittle

I Shall Not Pass This Way Again

I have been consumed with memories these days as I sort through old slides, look through photo albums, and just...remember. There are memories of when our kids were little (we were a bit smaller, too!), memories of good times and bad, memories of interesting people and rough places and perfect days and...pink roses, lots of them. Yes, blessings and gifts from the Lord.

However, I know that I can't dwell in the past forever, I must concentrate on the present for there is a future to consider. Whatever was said and done in the past must be left there, nothing can be undone, nothing can be changed. "There are places to go and things to do" as someone has said.

I CAN decide what to do with my present! The Lord helping me, "this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3: 13,14)

I reread this morning something that I had written in my Bible several years ago. It seems quite appropriate for my thoughts here...

I expect to pass through this world but once;

Any good thing therefore that I can do,

Or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature,

Let me do it now, let me not defer or neglect it,

For I shall not pass this way again. 

                              -Stephen Grellet (1773-1855)

The Excellence Of The Devoted Life

I love to read biographies. Not only do I simply find PEOPLE interesting but I can learn so much from their lives! I just finished a biography about the life of Robert Jaffray, a missionary to China of several decades ago.  The author of this book is one of my favorites. He writes in a way that flows smoothly, looks at things from a different angle and holds the reader's attention. Here is an excerpt from this book:

"The life of a consecrated man is never his own. To sit back in selfish composure and plan his future is never given to him once he has made the great committal. He is at the call of Another, and at any time he may receive orders to pick up and move on. This is one of the penalties he must pay for the high privilege of serving God, and if seen from a low point of view it looks like a hard and unsatisfatory way to live.
But the truest appraisal of a way of life is always made from the end of our days. Who that has placed himself at the disposal of God and the human race has ever been sorry at the end of his life that he did so? Not one, and that is the best argument for the excellence of the devoted life."

(A. W. Tozer-"Let My People Go")

"What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

(I Corinthians 6: 19, 20)

A Prayer For Japan

In light of the current tragedy of the earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan, I would like to share this touching and powerful prayer by John Piper that I read today...                                                                                                                     

 A Prayer For Japan

Father in heaven, you are the absolute Sovereign over the shaking of the earth, the rising of the sea, and the raging of the waves. We tremble at your power and bow before your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. We cover our faces and kiss your omnipotent hand. We fall helpless to the floor in prayer and feel how fragile the very ground is beneath our knees.

O God, we humble ourselves under your holy majesty and repent. In a moment—in the twinkling of an eye—we too could be swept away. We are not more deserving of firm ground than our fellowmen in Japan. We too are flesh. We have bodies and homes and cars and family and precious places. We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you.

And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy.

Have you not encouraged us in this? Have we not heard a hundred times in your Word the riches of your kindness, forbearance, and patience? Do you not a thousand times withhold your judgments, leading your rebellious world toward repentance? Yes, Lord. For your ways are not our ways, and your thoughts are not our thoughts.

Grant, O God, that the wicked will forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Grant us, your sinful creatures, to return to you, that you may have compassion. For surely you will abundantly pardon. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, your beloved Son, will be saved.

May every heart-breaking loss—millions upon millions of losses—be healed by the wounded hands of the risen Christ. You are not unacquainted with your creatures' pain. You did not spare your own Son, but gave him up for us all.

In Jesus you tasted loss. In Jesus you shared the overwhelming flood of our sorrows and suffering. In Jesus you are a sympathetic Priest in the midst of our pain.

Deal tenderly now, Father, with this fragile people. Woo them. Win them. Save them.

And may the floods they so much dread make blessings break upon their head.

O let them not judge you with feeble sense, but trust you for your grace. And so behind this providence, soon find a smiling face.

In Jesus’ merciful name, Amen.

(John Piper)

A Spurgeon Quote

"Some of your graces would never be discovered if it were not for your trials. Do you not know that your faith never looks so grand in summer weather as it does in winter? Love is often like a glow-worm, showing but little light unless it is in the midst of surrounding darkness. Hope itself is like a star-not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity and only to be discovered in the night of adversity." (Charles H. Spurgeon)

Raindrops On Roses

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
 Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
 Brown paper packages tied up with strings
 These are a few of my favorite things..."

I was reminded of this song when I saw my roses this morning, deliciously drenched after last night's heavy rain. For sure, this is one of my favorite things! I've taken many photos of raindrops on roses but I just had to take yet another one...

"I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works." (Psalm 9:1)