Merry Christmas!

I'm out of the office until Monday starting now for the Christmas holiday! Merry Christmas to all!

"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.'" Acts 17: 24-28

Lay Down Softly in Our Sorrow

But the God that sometimes can't be found
Will wrap Himself around you
So lay down, sister, lay down

Slower passing are the hours
To tell this tale that takes its time
The finest moment, no man can measure
Is to look your Savior in the eyes

-'Rita' by Bebo Norman

Hebrews 11:13-16

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country -- a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Give Me Jesus

In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus

And when I am alone
Oh, when I am alone
And when I am alone
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
Give me Jesus

And when I come to die
Oh, when I come to die
And when I come to die
Give me Jesus

Give me Jesus
Give me Jesus
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
You can have all this world
But give me Jesus

Labour and Watch

Morning and Evening Daily Readings

By C. H. Spurgeon

'The evening and the morning were the first day.' Genesis 1:5

Was it so even in the beginning? Did light and darkness divide the realm of time in the first day? Then little wonder is it if I have also changes in my circumstances from the sunshine of prosperity to the midnight of adversity. It will not always be the blaze of noon even in my soul concerns, I must expect at seasons to mourn the absence of my former joys, and seek my Beloved in the night. Nor am I alone in this, for all the Lord's beloved ones have had to sing the mingled song of judgment and of mercy, of trial and deliverance, of mourning and of delight. It is one of the arrangements of Divine providence that day and night shall not cease either in the spiritual or natural creation till we reach the land of which it is written, 'there is no night there.' What our heavenly Father ordains is wise and good. What, then, my soul, is the best for thee to do? Learn first to be content with this divine order, and be willing, with Job, to receive evil from the hand of the Lord as well as good. Study next, to make the outgoings of the morning and the evening to rejoice. Praise the Lord for the sun of joy when it rises, and for the gloom of evening as it falls. There is beauty both in sunrise and sunset, sing of it, and glorify the Lord. Like the nightingale, pour forth thy notes at all hours. Believe that the night is as useful as the day. The dews of grace fall heavily in the night of sorrow. The stars of promise shine forth gloriously amid the darkness of grief. Continue thy service under all changes. If in the day thy watchword be labour, at night exchange it for watch. Every hour has its duty, do thou continue in thy calling as the Lord's servant until He shall suddenly appear in His glory. My soul, thine evening of old age and death is drawing near, dread it not, for it is part of the day, and the Lord has said, 'I will cover him all day long.'

Only the Beginning of the Real Story

To my dearest Jean, or 'Grandma' as I liked to call you --

I can just picture you now, dancing and rejoicing at our Savior's feet. And I have to admit, I'm slightly jealous! What an unspeakably wonderful and amazing Christmas gift you have been given! If only we all could be so blessed one day.

Four years and three months was too short a time to only have had with you here on this earth, but it is time I will treasure always. I can't recall how many times you lifted my spirits at work with a smile, a hug, and a prayer for your 'grand-daughter'. There was the bug man, the klutz club and comparing bruises, dancing the Grecian-urn dance with Jan for you, your sneezes, flipping the light switch off on you, embarrassing emails, phone calls from cute-sounding guys, chocolate pie recipes, swing dancing at Jenna's wedding, the hot chocolate that I always 'borrowed' from your office, and sound effects galore.

You loved people, and you loved on me. You cared for everyone who came across your path. There was no question about it - if they needed help, you were more than willing to jump in and help to the fullest that you could. You loved meeting new people and experiencing new things and you loved to talk about the Lord and how much you loved Him and how He was 'all the world to me.' You encouraged me in my walk with God, to love Him with all that I am, to always remember that God is my portion and that to rest in the Lord is the safest place to be, and to wait patiently for His answers. For these, and for many other things, thank you. Thank you, too, for the timely reminder to never take a person for granted, but to always tell them that you love and appreciate them when you have the opportunity, for it might not be granted to you a second time.

You had the voice of an angel (especially when helping lead us on Tuesday mornings in our times of singing!) and loved to sing and share that gift of music with so many others. Your performance last week in the Christmas cantata was beyond breath-taking. You also loved your family, and I would just love hearing you brag on all that Tori, Matt and Kristi were doing; you would be giddy at the thought that Herb was on the other phone line, just wanting to talk to you! I think of all these memories and so many others and laugh and smile because they were all so very wonderful times. I am glad my last memories of your are good ones - seeing you smile over a silly candle and chocolate, and wishing you a 'Merry Christmas' and giving you random hugs and love.

And while I am happy for you, please understand that I have been left sadden, as have many others. It will be hard. Walking by your office on Wednesday to not see you there, but instead to help set up your home-going party, will probably be one of the very hardest things I will have to do in my time working at the church thus far. But regardless, it is good to know where you are and that I will see you again, one day.

God gave me a verse yesterday, shortly before I heard about what happened, and God saw fit to bring it back to mind yet again today. "He is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:25-28)." When I heard it yesterday, it seemed like a perfect verse for this time of year. Christ Himself, one Man, coming to give all men life, making us all one, and doing this so that men would reach out to Him. Today, it has a new meaning now in addition to the one I took it for yesterday - your place was determined and your time was set. You fought your fight, ran your race, and kept your faith well.

Got also gave me Job. Yes, I know a not-so-very nice book to be reading when already sad, but Job's attitude towards what happened to him is what has been giving me peace these last two days, and the promise that I will be what I cling to these next few weeks. "The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21)." The more I thought of it, the more I wondered if the sadness I feel at your leaving might not have been felt by God Himself when He sent His Son to the earth, knowing full well the pain that would have to be inflicted on Him, and knowing that He would one day have to turn His ear to Jesus' cry when He was dying on the cross. It is a comfort to think that even our Lord was sad, and cried over the loss of loved ones.

At this time of year, a lot of the focus turns to giving to others, and more importantly, of giving back to God. I think your grand-daughter said it best when, of all the gifts to give back to God, you are one of the best we could give. I know I can go and celebrate the birth of our Lord with joy tomorrow because you wouldn't want me to be sad at the gift that has been given through you and your life.

I fully expect to see you when I get there, just waiting for me there with those of my loved ones who have gone before as well as many others, and I'll be wanting the grand tour of Heaven. And then maybe a good cup of tea together so we can catch up.

I love you so very much, and I will see you later (I refuse to say 'good-bye,' even now, for with followers of Christ, there are no good-byes).

Love,
Your adopted grand-daughter

Right or Wrong, I Sing Either Way

Come they told me, ba-rump-bum-bum-bum
A newborn king to see, ba-rump-bum-bum-bum
Our finest gifts we bring, ba-rump-bum-bum-bum
To lay before the king, ba-rump-bum-bum-bum
Rump-bum-bum-bum
Rump-bum-bum-bum

Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we’ll see
We’ll see the day of glory
We’ll see the day when men of good will live in peace
Live in peace
Live in peace again
Peace on earth
Can it be

Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can

I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He’ll see the day of glory
He’ll see the day when men of good will
Live in peace
Live in peace again
Peace on earth
Can it be?
Can it be?

Pretty thing, isn't it?

Stories

"So many of us have been conditioned to think our faith as solely an issue of us and God. But faith is a communal experience. A shared journey. I have often heard people say that their stories are not exciting. I can only imagine how deeply offended God is with comments like this. Not exciting? If the story is about me, then, yes, it is only exciting to a certain degree. But the point of our stories and our faith journeys is that they are about something much bigger."

Life in Grey

I just saw some of the first colors in the sky this week.

We've had nothing but grey and rainy and cold weather all week. Wednesday was nothing but a blanket of grey and white.

And then I was in the workroom and glanced out the window and saw a stretch of orange and pink clouds out in the west and it was absolutely breathtaking.

At this point, any color is heavensent. It was gone within a matter of moments, but it was one of those precious gifts from God that you enjoy to its fullest while you have it.

And so I now look for that next gift from God, for I know they can be found in abundance.

When It Was Over

When it was over and they could talk about it
She said there's just one thing I have got to know
What in that moment when you were running so hard and fast
Made you stop and turn for home
He said I always knew you loved me even though I'd broken your heart
I always knew there'd be a place for me to make a brand new start

Oh love wash over a multitude of things
Love wash over a multitude of things
Love wash over a multitude of things
Make us whole

When it was over and they could talk about it
They were sitting on a the couch
She said what on earth made you stay here
When you finally figured out what I was all about
He said I always knew you'd do the right thing
Even though it make take some time
She said, Yeah I felt that and that's probably what saved my life

Oh love wash over a multitude of things
Love wash over a multitude of things
Love wash over a multitude of things
Make us whole

There is a love that never fails
There is a healing that always prevails
There is a hope that whispers a vow
A promise to wait while we're working it out
So come with Your love and wash over us

Oh love wash over a multitude of things
Love wash over a multitude of things

Jesus, save us from a multitude of things
Make us whole

-Sara Groves

God Moves In A Mysterious Way

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm

Deep in unsearchable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break in blessings
In blessings
In blessings on your head

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face

His purposes will ripen fast
Unfolding every hour
The bud may have a bitter taste
But sweet will be the flower

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break in blessings
In blessings
In blessings on your head

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
For God is His own interpreter
And He will make it plain

In His own time
In His own way

-Song by Jeremy Riddle
Text taken from William Cowper's "Light Shining Out of Darkness"

Anywhere Is

I walk the maze of moments
But everywhere I turn to
Begins a new beginning
But never finds a finish

I walk to the horizon
And there I find another
It all seems so surprising
And then I find that I know

You go there, you're gone forever
I go there, I'll lose my way
If we stay here, we're not together
Anywhere is

The moon upon the ocean
Is swept around in motion
But without ever knowing
The reason for its flowing

In motion on the ocean
The moon still keeps on moving
The waves still keep on waving
And I still keep on going

You go there, you're gone forever
I go there, I'll lose my way
If we stay here, we're not together
Anywhere is

I wonder if the stars sign
The life that is to be mine
And would they let their light shine
Enough for me to follow

I look up to the heavens
But night has clouded over
No spark of constellation
No Vela, no Orion

The shells upon the warm sands
Have taken from their own lands
The echo of their story
But all I hear are low sounds

As pillow words are weaving
And willow waves are leaving
But should I be believing
That I am only dreaming

You go there, you're gone forever
I go there, I'll lose my way
If we stay here, we're not together
Anywhere is

To leave the thread of all time
And let it make a dark line
In hopes that I can still find
The way back to the moment

I took the turn and turned to
Begin a new beginning
Still looking for the answer
I cannot find the finish

It's either this or that way
It's one way or the other
It should be one direction
It could be on reflection

The turn I have just taken
The turn that I was making
I might be just beginning
I might be near the end

-Enya

The Magician's Nephew

"Then two wonders happened at the same moment. One was that the voice was suddenly joined by other voices; more voices than you could possibly count. They were in harmony with it, but far higher up the scale: cold, tingling, silvery voices. The second wonder was that the blackness overhead, all at once, was blazing with stars. They didn't come out gently one by one, as they do on a summer evening. One moment there had been nothing but darkness; next moment a thousand, thousand points of light leaped out - single stars, constellations, and planets, brighter and bigger than any in our world. There were no clouds. The new stars and the new voices began at exactly the same time. If you had seen and heard it, as Digory did, you would have felt quite certain that it was the stars themselves who were singing, and that it was the First Voice, the deep one, which had made them appear and made them sing.

"'Glory be!' said the Cabby. 'I'd ha' been a better man all my life if I'd known there were things like this.'"

****

"'Child,' he replied, 'that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after.'

"'Oh I see,' said Polly. 'And I suppose because she took it in the wrong way it won't work with her. I mean it won't make her always young and all that?'

"'Alas,' said Aslan, shaking his head. 'It will. Things always work according to their nature. She has won her heart's desire; she has unwearying strength and endless days like a goddess. But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want: they do not always like it.'"

- The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

No. Nononono. NO.

The last few days have been major lessons in learning to say no. It's really hard, especially when the opportunities that come up are all good things. There are so many things that I'd like to do or be involved with, and I can see myself getting involved with each of them, but it would be at the expense of my health and what little sanity I do have. And so instead, I have been learning that:

• there are other people who can get things done just as capably as I could.
• I just need to focus right now on the tasks I've been given.
• everything will turn out alright.

Ezekiel 28:2-10

" 'In the pride of your heart
you say, "I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
in the heart of the seas."
But you are a man and not a god,
though you think you are as wise as a god.
Are you wiser than Daniel?
Is no secret hidden from you?
By your wisdom and understanding
you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
in your treasuries.
By your great skill in trading
you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
your heart has grown proud.

" 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says:

" 'Because you think you are wise,
as wise as a god,
I am going to bring foreigners against you,
the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom
and pierce your shining splendor.
They will bring you down to the pit,
and you will die a violent death
in the heart of the seas.
Will you then say, "I am a god,"
in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a man, not a god,
in the hands of those who slay you.
You will die the death of the uncircumcised
at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "

On Thumbs

Other possible titles for this entry included:
-Ouch.
-Well, that hurt.
-Warning: This Entry Involves Blood.
-We'd never know what's wrong without the pain.
-You don't appreciate something until you find that you can't use it.
-I never really knew how much I used my thumb until my thumbnail decided to come off.

To tell the story -

Back in Morocco, one evening towards the end of the trip, I was getting ready for bed. Brushed my teeth, and then proceeded to grab the mouthwash bottle. Being that my hands were wet, my right hand slipped on the bottle cap and my thumb jammed into the lid. We then proceed to typical gasping of pain, some bleeding underneath the nail and soreness and bruising around the right side of the nail. Took some painkillers and didn't think much of it. Soreness continued during the remainder of the trip. Had to think of creative ways to trim my fingernails and play my guitar.

Back home, it didn't come to mind much; after all, I was in the midst of helping get all of my brother's wedding details worked out, and then I got my nails painted for the wedding. True, it still hurt, especially whenever I bumped it, but that was to be expected.

I finally noticed it after the nail polish had come off the week after the wedding. It was a yellowish bruise on the entire right side of my right thumb nail. And I had lots of fun commenting to whoever noticed that it was my Morocco bruise. I mean - it's not every day you get to go to Morocco and you get a really cool bruise that will most likely stay with you for a really long time (for, having acquired my fair share of bruises underneath nails, I can accurately testify to their persistence).

That was the middle of July. Fastfoward about a month, and I notice that it's starting to chip right in the middle of my nail. I start wearing a bandaid quite frequently in the hopes of avoiding any further chippage, but that is not to be. A month later (i.e., mid-September), it is now almost halfway ripped off, for despite my best intentions, it still gets caught and pulled on all sorts of things. And just darn hurts.

And then, last night. I was trying to pack some clothes for an overnight trip to my mother's. Sounds simple enough, right? Nope. I bent down to pick something up and my thumb accidentally hits the corner of a cardboard box. My thumb was covered at the time, but this did not prevent it from ripping off completely. Now, it's extremely sore.

But I don't mind. I really don't. I see it as a physical reminder of my time in Africa. There were lessons learned there that I do not want to forget. Ever. Lessons such as God's provision and His perfect timing. A deeper understanding of what an eternal perspective looks like, and being awed and humbled and overjoyed at being able to labor side by side with some of the best people I have had the privilege of knowing. Lessons such as trusting that God really does have me in the palm of His very capable and very large hands, and that He does have a plan for me, a much bigger plan that I ever dreamed possible. Lessons such as forgiveness and letting go and reconciliation. A reminder that I am not perfect yet, but one day I will be.

So I smile at the bandaid on my thumb, and laugh at myself as I clumsily attempt to take off my necklaces or type or write with a pen. And I thank God for the pain. What is a little pain in my thumb when I am reminded daily of how very big God is? And what is a little pain compared to the pain He went through for me and for the people I served over there and who need His love more than anything?

Yours Truly, Angry Mob

I can prove anything
I'll make you admit again and again
That I can prove anything
The way that it's read again and again

And it's only 'cause you came here with your brothers too
If you came here on your own, you'd be dead
It's only 'cause you follow what the others do
It's no excuse to say you're easily lead

You can choose anything
You choose to lose again and again
You could do anything
Why should you do anything again

And it's only 'cause you came here with your brothers too
If you came here on your own, you'd be dead
You're winding yourself up until you're turning blue
Repeating everything that you've read

So here we go with the letter
Well, can you fix it for me
Because we need entertainment
To keep us all off the streets
So tonight you'll sleep softly in your bed

You can try anything
And no one would know apart from you and me
You can stop anything
It starts with just one and turns to two then three

It's only 'cause you came here with your brothers too
If you came here on your own you'd be dead
You raise a glass until
You raise a fist or two
And get a shopping basket wrapped round your head

So here we go with the letter
Oh, can you fix it for me
Twenty-four hour drinking
To keeps us all off the streets
So tonight you'll sleep softly in your bed

We are the angry mob
We read the papers every day
We like who we like
We hate who we hate
But we're also easily swayed

We are the angry mob
We read the papers every day
We like who we like
We hate who we hate
But we're all so easily swayed

We are the angry mob

-The Angry Mob, Kaiser Chiefs

Where Were You When...

I can remember it like it was yesterday. I didn't know anything had happened. By an odd coincidence, I didn't have the radio on at all while I was driving to my classes. I didn't pay any attention to the radio on the bus ride into campus - I was too busy finishing up my Literature reading and studying for a Latin verb quiz. I walked to my 9:30 class in silence, by myself. I remember vaguely hearing a girl in my English class mention something about the World Trade Center to another classmate before the professor came in. She asked us if any of us knew anything about what was happening in New York City, something about a plane hitting one of the Towers of the WTC. No one really knew anything, and the impression she gave was that some small plane hit grazed the top of the tower, or something small like that. She just waved her hand, and started in on Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntley like nothing was wrong. After class, I pulled out my Latin notes and started reviewing them as I walked to class and happened to pass through the Trabant Center. It was then that it hit me that something was really wrong, for the entire placed was packed, people crowded around all the TVs. I took a few minutes to check out what was going on, and in one fell swoop learned that both towers had been hit, both had fallen, the Pentagon had been hit and a plane had gone down in a field in Pennsylvania. I didn't want to leave, but had to get to my other class. I passed a girl who was shrieking into the payphone, trying to make sure a loved one was okay. One of my friends who was in RotC was ready to leave that very day to start dishing out paybacks. I got to my Latin class, and our professor carried on like everything was normal, for she had no TV at home and didn't pay any attention to the news. After about 10 minutes of her mindless chatter, a classmate asked in frustration if we could just get the bloody quiz over and done with and get out of there, and then we had to explain to her what had happened. She understood and gave us the quiz and let us leave. I went home, found out from my parents that my uncle had up until earlier that year worked in one of the towers, and spent the rest of the day numb. I was very fortunate not to have lost family that day, or have to suffer through the pain and loss that day brought, and so today I say a prayer for those who are still dealing with this tragedy. My heart goes out to you.

The night is gone and the dawn has broken

Do you ever wonder what's been buried under your shoes?
Do you ever wonder why troubles come in twos and threes and still-

All of our days are filled with joy and laughter
It's just a taste of the sweet, sweet hereafter
Where all of our names will be spoken
Like a dream that we awoke in
When the night is gone and the dawn has broken

Do you ever wonder what's been carried over your head?
Do you ever wonder why we don't just sleep the day away in bed?

Do you ever wonder what's been hidden behind your back?
Do you ever wonder why we want the things we lack and still-

All of our days are filled with joy and laughter
It's just a taste of the sweet, sweet hereafter
Where all of our names will be spoken
Like a dream that we awoke in
When the night is gone and the dawn has broken

Do you ever wonder what's appeared before your eyes?
Do you ever wonder why we can't just break the ties that hold us here where-

All of our days are filled with joy and laughter
It's just a taste of the sweet, sweet hereafter
Where all of our names will be spoken
Like a dream that we awoke in
When the night is gone and the dawn is broken

-"Sweet, Sweet Hereafter" by Clive

Malachi 3:10

"Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."