Plotting For Our Joy

Our lesson on Ruth this Sunday turned to the Sovereignty of God. (Somehow with a group of rather reformed people that happens...) I always found Ruth a rather odd book, and the lesson really presented a different way of looking at things. If you think about it, God’s fingerprints are all over the book. The dance between God’s sovereign providence and Human Free Will is simply incredible to watch. You can’t even see where one ends and the other starts. Andrew, our teacher this week, read this quote from John Piper’s lesson on Ruth that I really loved:

God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do. For the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting to display the greatness of his power and wisdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10). The deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that it is not given over to trifles. Serving a widowed mother-in-law, gleaning in a field, falling in love, having a baby—for the Christian these things are all connected to eternity. They are part of something so much bigger than they seem.

What an awesome thought. The little things that make up our mundane lives truly have the potential to change the world.

And as we walk through trials that seem that they will never end, there is nothing more comforting then to know that there is a God in control of all that seems so senseless in this world. Something that I was struck with is this: Nomi suffered for 10 years, from the time she was forced to leave her home to find a life in a hostile country to the time that God chose to bless her with a grandson to bring joy to her old age. That is a very long time. Andrew made a statement that I really loved. “No matter what trials we face or how long they last that as His children God is plotting for our joy. We may not even see it this side of heaven, but he is plotting for our joy.” It invoked the image of God as a father, planning a surprise for his children. So often like a child we know precisely what it is that we want, and we pitch a fit when we don’t get it. But God knows that what he has is so much better, and is his mercy often puts what we want out of our reach, or simply teaches us not to touch. I always heard that children taught you as much as you taught them. I have been amazed at all the things to be learned form a 7 month old. I put Knox in his car seat and he SCREAMS. I look at him and think “You know, you have no way of even remotely understanding that this is really good for you. There is simply no way to convey this to you. Just trust me.” Then it occurs to me: I’m a human adult and this child has no way of seeing what I’m doing. How much farther is God above my understanding then I am above Knox’s? There is no comparison. And yet, I think that I should always be able to see what he is doing. How prideful is that? Yet through it all, He is preparing a place for us, and He knows the plans he has for us, plans to prosper and not to harm us. Plans to give us hope and a future. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9) In all the trails and detours and places we would never have chosen, he is plotting for our joy.

Here's the link to the Piper lesson I quoted, which the nice people at DesiringGod.com asked be included when you quote from their wedsite. http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1984/448_Ruth_The_Best_Is_Yet_to_Come/

I Surrender All

I found this song and it spoke to me. He is infinitely worthy of all that we have to give, and it is such an amazing honor to watch him take our broken, frail vessels of dust and work something beautiful in them, because "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.". Joni Erickson Tada said this "All God asks of you is everything. And all he offers you is the power to do just that."

I Surrender All
Clay Crosse

I have wrestled in the darkness of this lonely pilgrim land
Raising strong and mighty fortresses that I alone command
But these castles I've constructed by the strength of my own hand
Are just temporary kingdoms on foundations made of sand

In the middle of the battle I believe I've finally found
I'll never know the thrill of victory 'til I'm willing to lay down
All my weapons of defense and earthly strategies of war
So I'm laying down my arms and running helplessly to Yours

I surrender all my silent hopes and dreams
Though the price to follow costs me everything
I surrender all my human soul desires
If sacrifice requires
That all my kingdoms fall
I surrender all

If the source of my ambition is the treasure I obtain
If I measure my successes on a scale of earthly gain
If the focus of my vision is the status I attain
My accomplishments are worthless and my efforts are in vain
So I lay aside these trophies to pursue a higher crown
And should You choose somehow to use the life I willingly lay down
I surrender all the triumph for it's only by Your grace
I relinquish all the glory, I surrender all the praise
Everything I am, all I've done, and all I've known
Now belongs to You, the life I live is not my own

Just as Abraham laid Isaac on the sacrificial fire
If all I have is all that You desire
I surrender all

Good Friday

When talking theology with a friend Thursday night the conversation at some point turned to the unfathomablility of God’s ways. He is truly far above us and our finite minds. God’s plan on redemption was the epitome of “not our ways”. The Jews thought that they knew how God was going to save his people. As it happened, they where dead wrong.

The Suffering Servant and the Victorious King are one. The Lion of Judah is also the Lamb that was Slain.

It is finished! The price is paid.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me...
Because a sinless Savior died my sinful soul is counted free
For God the Just is satisfied to look on him and pardon me.

Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord!

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well,
because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.
The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem.

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them.
Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, "Who is this?"

And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant, and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"

And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, "'Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise'?"

His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.
The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. So the Pharisees said to one another, "You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, the world has gone after him."

John 12:9-12, 16-19, Matthew 21:2 7-16

How Beautiful...

The pure, spotless bride of Christ is an awesome image. The concept of the Church Universal, of those form every tongue, tribe and nation being one body is something so vastly glorious that I cannot really get my mind around it.

How Beautiful the hands that served
The Wine and the Bread and the sons of the earth
How beautiful the feet that walked
The long dusty road and the hill to the cross
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How Beautiful the heart that bled
That took all my sins and bore it instead
How beautiful the tender eyes
That choose to forgive and never despise
How beautiful, how beautiful, how beautiful is the body of Christ

And as He lay down His life
We offer this sacrifice
That we will live just as He died
Willing to pay the price

How Beautiful the radiant bride
Who waits for her Groom with His light in her eyes
How Beautiful when humble hearts give
The fruit of pure love so that others may live
How beautiful is the body of Christ

How beautiful the feet that bring
The sound of good news and the love of the King
How Beautiful the hands that serve
The wine and the bread and the sons of the Earth
How beautiful is the body of Christ

-Twila Paris

In meditating on this I am reminded of the admonition that we are giver over and over again to love one another as Christ loved us. In the message this morning the minister read several passages where Paul tells us what he prays for the church in various places and I thought "What better example of how to love and pray for the church than those given to us in Scripture?"

I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of your Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit if wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believed, according to the working of His mighty power, which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavens, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
Ephesians 3:15-23

For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you according the the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts my faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath, and length , and depth , and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge and that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly about all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world with out end. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

For this cause we also, since the day we heard of it do not cease to pray for you and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened what all might, according to his glorious power unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father which hath make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath make us meet ti be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: who has delivered us from the power of darkness and had translated us to the kingdom of his dear Son; in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.
Colossians 1:9-14

This, my dear brothers and sisters, is my prayer for you.

Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills form which cometh my help.
My help cometh form the Lord which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved,
He that keepeth thee shall not slumber,
behold He that keepeth Israel shall not slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day or the moon by night,
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil,
He shall preserve thy soul,
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth and even forever more.

Friendship.

This is a tribute to all those that God has given to me as friends, but it is especially in honor of my friend Tiffany, whose birthday it was when I started typing this tonight...

This year has been a crash course in friendships, how very precious, very rare and very fragile they are. A few mouths ago I was reading the Four Loves by CS Lewis and I was struck by his description of friendship... read it, it's really good. The value that he placed on friendship coincided with what I have come to recently. He said that "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one!' " and that they will continue only as long as they have something in common, be it as trivial as stamp collecting or as serious as faith or as simple as shared memories "True friends... face in the same direction, toward common projects, interests, goals.” Another interesting quote is this: "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival". I feel that I am not doing justice to it... like I said, read it.

I regularly come up with a new best description of what differentiates a friend of the sort that you enjoy being with and the sort that is like family, the ones that you would die for. I can however, only remember three of them. They must have been really profound... Here are the first two:

A true friend is someone that you have spent untold hours laughing with and at least a few hours crying with (and over)
A true friend is someone that you have spent more time that you can count praying for.

I came across these quotes on friendship and thought that they where just too good to be left out
“Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget.”

A good friend is cheaper than therapy.

A friend accepts us as we are yet helps us to be what we should.

I thank God often (but not often enough) for those that he has placed in my life as my friends. God has used my friends challenge me and cause me to think, to work with me, to laugh with me, and sometimes just to have someone to cry with. Overall, I think that a real, true, friend is one who either because of what they say or just who they are cause you to look up and seek the face of your Father. A real friend is someone who helps to make you more holy.

Robin's Birthday

My sister has always been one of the dearest people in the world to me, but this year I have realized just how indispensable a sister can be. I made a discovery: I find that when I am separated from her my max for staying off the phone "just to check in" is about two hours (okay so maybe that is a little of an extradition, but not much) I have further more concluded that Solomon was on to something when he said that two was better than one.

This year I have come to value her as more than a sister, I have really, truly come to appreciate her as my best friend. True friendship is a rare and precious gift, a gift that sold never be taken for granted or lightly esteemed, and God has been so gracious as to give the best and most precious of friends to be the best and most precious of sisters.

Each year I look at my sister and think what a beautiful young women she is becoming, this year is no different. As each year brings it's trial and tribulations, I see sanctification at work in her life and I think that God is truly making a breathtaking work of art in her. There are many things that I love and admire about my sister, but I asked myself what the thing that I most admired about her was, and my answer was this: Her passion for God. I look into her eyes and see a overwhelming desire to be holy. That is the sum of everything that I love and admire about her. She is a picture of a life that is sold out to being what God has called her to be, whatever that means. Her passion for godliness is always a challenge and an inspiration to me and she is one that always spurs me on toward godliness. Through thick and thin, she is my better half.

Robin, what would I do without you? You are my hero. I love you sooo much. Happy birthday, my dear.

Happy 200th birthday to Robert E Lee

Just in case you where not aware, today is indeed the 200th birthday of the late great General Lee, who was one of the most noble and Godly soldiers that this country has produced.
Being far to fond of quotes, I have collected a few in remembrance of a truly great American:

“My chief concern is to try to be an humble, earnest Christian.”

“Duty is the most sublime word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more. You should never wish to do less.”

“I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing, than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity.”

“I have fought against the people of the North because I believed they were seeking to wrest from the South its dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and have never seen the day when I did not pray for them.”

“The war... was an unnecessary condition of affairs, and might have been avoided if forebearance and wisdom had been practiced on both sides.”

“We made a great mistake in the beginning of our struggle, and I fear, in spite of all we can do, it will prove to be a fatal mistake. We appointed all our worst generals to command our armies, and all our best generals to edit the newspapers”

“They do not know what they say. If it came to a conflict of arms, the war will last at least four years. Northern politicians will not appreciate the determination and pluck of the South, and Southern politicians do not appreciate the numbers, resources, and patient perseverance of the North. Both sides forget that we are all Americans. I foresee that our country will pass through a terrible ordeal, a necessary expiation, perhaps, for our national sins.”

“We failed, but in the good providence of God apparent failure often proves a blessing.”

“So far from engaging in a war to perpetuate slavery, I am rejoiced that Slavery is abolished. I believe it will be greatly for the interest of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this that I would have cheerfully lost all that I have lost by the war, and have suffered all that I have suffered to have this object attained.”

“Get correct views of life, and learn to see the world in its true light. It will enable you to live pleasantly, to do good, and, when summoned away, to leave without regret.”

-Robert E. Lee

Happy New Years.

Well, we brought our new year with a bang. Literally. I have never heard so many bangs in all my life as we heard last night. We are all burned, bruised and swollen, but we had lots of fun. For all of you who think that I am preppy, you are in for a shock.

Last night a friend from church invited us over for their simi-annual firework war. Now, I come form a family that is very cautious when it comes to anything involving fire. When you light the fireworks you instantly get at least ten feet away. And ABOVE ALL, if something lands in the dry leaves you must track it down and stomp it out. Well, I now know that you can shoot off 2000 bottle rockets in a three hour time frame and that nothing worse than catching one or two people on fire is likely to result.

When we where changing before heading out to the White’s I asked Mom if she thought if was okay if a certain pair of jeans got damaged. “Damaged? What are we going to do?”

“Um, shoot fireworks... at each other”

“Ooohkay” was the tentative reply.

I think that about the time the first bottle rocket headed in her general direction Mom headed inside, not to emerge again until the war was over.

I can claim the first, if not the worst injury of the night, which involved a Roman Candle that was a little too close and resulted in a swollen lip. I retreated to the house for a few minuets just to make sure that I was not really hurt. I wasn’t, so the first thing I did when I came out of the house was go after Mr. Randy with a bottle rocket. As he headed back to the other side of the house I heard him say “Well, I guess she wasn’t hurt too badly.” At which point I told Brooke that I might be a wimp, but I didn’t intend to announce it to the whole world. I wondered aloud last night what I’m going to tell all the little old ladies at the dress shop tomorrow... I think that I’ll leave it at “I got hit with a firework.”

We ended with the rather unfair division of guys vs. girls, their being six guys and five girls, one of which retired to the safety of the basement after about fifteen minuets. But I have to say that in spite of the unfair odds we almost held our own. I hit more people than I was hit by, so I felt that I had accomplished something.

At one point we where in the basement loading our rocket launchers and when we opened the door that lead up the stairs and out of the basement we discovered that the boys had put down the awning over the exit leaving us in something of a predicament. If we opened the trapdoor the boys would be waiting outside for us, no doubt with ammo ready, but there was no other way out. So Brooke resorted to “You guys, it’s not FAIR!” Cole took pity on us and let us out without a barrage of Roman Candles aimed at us. (If you want to talk about not fair, I’m not sure that claiming girl privileges is precisely fair, but hey, whatever works...)

And be on the lookout for Robin’s adventures in the firework war... it will be worth reading.

And to assure those that are worried about the safety of all this, we where wearing goggles. Just in case you where worried. ;-)

We spent the afternoon at the Walkers eating the New Year’s musts: black-eyed peas and cabbage, and after Lunch we broke out Taboo, which proved great fun. At first the guys did very badly, but the ended up beating us by about five points. Did I mention that none of the guys had ever played before? Yep, they really enjoyed that one.

So, I hope that your New Years was a happy as mine was.

I always wonder what people think of me. What do people say about me when they are talking about me? How do I come across to those that know me well and those that don’t? I know how I see me, but experience leads me to believe that how someone sees themselves is not necessarily the way that they are seen by others.

I’m not sure how I am perceived by those around me, but I feel that I likely have a reputation for being rather strange, which does not bother me. I think that some people dislike the idea of being strange. I don’t. So in keeping with that supposed reputation, I’m posting on the perception that we have of ourselves. Hey, I never claimed to be normal.

I think that how you perceive your personality and character must be similar to the way that you perceive your voice. I am perfectly accustomed to the way I speak, but when I hear a recording of my voice I, (not being pleased with what I’m hearing) ask “is that really what I sound like?”

And everyone looks at me like “Well duh. Of course that’s what you sound like.”

So what is the “real you”, the one that you see, of the one that others perceive? Whose view is the legitimate one? Or perhaps it is neither is. Perhaps the real you is the one that neither you of others see, but the one that God sees. To see what we all look like to Him would be a real eye-opener, I think.

Merry Christmas!

Well, our Christmas was lovely. We stayed home this year, which was kind of strange, but we spent the afternoon and evening with some friends that are becoming very dear. The walkers have been such a blessing since we moved here in May, and it was a pleasure to spend the Holiday with them.

This morning we read the account of the birth of Christ by the glow of all five candles in our Advent wealth (the last of which is supposed to be lit on Christmas eve, but whatever) had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and opened our Christmas gifts form each other. I received the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe extended version DVD set from my dear sister and a Piper book and Beyond the Gates of Splendor along with a promise to pay the difference for the i-pod I'm planing to buy from my mom.

Among the more memorable events of Christmas 2006 were the possum that was served for Christmas dinner. One of Pastor Bart's parishioners had given them possum and he insisted that everyone who came in today at least try it. And I think that with the exception of his wife and perhaps a few others everyone did. For the record, it is not bad, but it is rather fatty. I would not sign up to eat it again, but I could eat it if I ever needed to.

I don't know if all their holidays are like this, but that house was practically a revolving door. And since we had brought our instruments we got to Christmas carols for everyone who came. The other notable event of the evening was this: One of our friends got a kilt for Christmas, and after much coercing the was persuaded to put it on for us, and Robin and I happened to be wearing our Scottish tartans... so we had fun with that. I would post pictures, but the condition for taking them was that we where not to post them on myspace, so I won't. We got some great video footage form the diverse group of people that included, but was not limited too: us, the Walkers, Cole (the kilt wearing friend) and Dr. Ackenwalllie, the Nigerian family friend (you should hear him try to say "y'ont too?", as in the Mississippi version of "Do you want too").


Well, we had a good time, but that did not keep me form doing a bit of pondering this morning, and here are some of the things I was thinking about:

The Incarnation has to be the most mind boggling event in human history. God in the form of man. How awesome is that? How impossible for our finite minds to really grasp.

The child in the manger was at one time much more and much less than they where looking for. The Jews where waiting for a Messiah to deliver Israel, someone like Judas Maccabees, only successful. They wanted another David or Moses, someone to reestablish their beloved nation. They wanted a warrior, and they got a baby who grew to be a man that we have no record of ever even holding a sword, much less wielding one. They wanted a king, and they got a man how would not take the kingship when it was offered. But what they could not see was that that man of Peace would some day come with a sword coming form his mouth and judge the whole world. They had in mind the Kingship of Israel, and they got the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. I do wonder if those that stood beside the manger that night had any inkling of what was happening. Here was God, and he was with us.

I would not be me if I posted a holiday post without quoting someone else, so that is the next order of business. Though I have to say that implications of the words that Charles Wesley wrote are really staggering when you think about it. What truly awesome God we have!

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled"
Joyful, all ye nations rise
Join the triumph of the skies
With angelic host proclaim:
"Christ is born in Bethlehem"
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Christ by highest heav'n adored
Christ the everlasting Lord!
Late in time behold Him come
Offspring of a Virgin's womb
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see
Hail incarnate Deity
Pleased as man with man to dwell
Jesus, our Emmanuel
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"


Hail the heav'n-born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings
Ris'n with healing in His wings
Mild He lays His glory by
Born that man no more may die
Born to raise the sons of earth
Born to give them second birth
Hark! The herald angels sing
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Well, merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Christmas Eve

1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
10 "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."

Isaiah 11

Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Rev 22:20

Baking woes

I just make a batch of divinity, and it is not divine. Think of a strong antonym for divine an you will have the idea. Perhaps if leave it out overnight it will be more agreeable in the morning...

Advent

Today is the first day of Advent, the season preceding Christmas. Traditionally Advent has been a time to reflect on the working of God in the years preceding the birth of Christ and to try to grasp the anticipation of the ancient Israelites awaiting their Messiah. It is also a time to remember that we are awaiting the return of our Lord.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel is an old Latin hymn of praise and expectation. One can almost hear the cry of the oppressed people of God, beseeching God by many of his glorious names to send their Messiah.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height
In ancient times did gave thy law
In cloud and majesty and awe.

Every few days during Advent I plan to post some of the Prophecies concerning Christ, so here is one for today:

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned... For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and this government shall be on his shoulder. And his name shall be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:2,6,7.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuell.
Isaiah 7:13,14

Thanksgiving

Okay, okay! So I'm way behind times, but though I've been busy, I just couldn't let Thanksgiving go by unobserved by my blog.

So here it is: the classic American Thanksgiving. I tried to get a picture of the First Thanksgivng, but alas! I couldn't, so I hope ya'll like this one.

During the Thanksgiving season I was thinking about this passage:

Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:16-18

Rather striking, isn't it, that thanksgiving is one of the few things that is stated as God's will for us?

So I was thinking of the things that I am most thankful for. At the top of the list is God's amazing grace choosing a me to be his own. If nothing good ever happened to me again, I would still be in everlasting wonder at His mercy. I'm so grateful for his Sovereignty in the valleys and mountains of my life and for his being my Rock through them all.

I have been blessed beyond all telling in my family. What more can I say? My sister is my best friend (see below), my mom is my hero, and my dad has given me so much. My extended family is always there for me and they add a little spice to life.

I have found some wonderful friends along the road of life. When we moved a dear friend gave us a print with these words: Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while and leave footprints in our hearts and we are never the same.
I'm thankful for the friends that have laughed and cried with me, for those that have challenged me, for those that have agreed with me and those that have debated with me (you know who you are). You have insured that I would never be the same.

I'm thankful for my life, my liberty and my happiness, and I am thankful for my homeland where I truly do have a freedom form want.

And to end on, here are some of the most apt thanksgivings ever penned:


1Ch 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

Psa 30:4 Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Psa 75:1Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare.

Psa 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

Psa 118:1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.

Psa 119:62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

Rev 11:17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Amen!

Robin and the minor prophets

I thought you would be amused by this exchange between Robin and myself this morning (which Robin allowed me to post, since I thought it was humorous).

Robin had just received a text message, and when I asked what it was about, the following dialog took place: “Cole just had a test on the prophets in Old Testament class.”

“Oh really? How did he do?”

“He said he did fine until he got to the minor prophets. I told him that they all get mixed up in my head too, which isn’t true but I was trying to make him feel better. Of course, I thought it was true when I said it, but after I sent it I thought ‘that’s not true, I know my minor prophets.’ ”
“Really,” I replied “so what is the major theme of Joel?” “Ummmm... Hum. I dunno. Why did you ask about Joel? Couldn’t you have asked about Lamentations or something?”

“Lamentations is a major prophet, it’s written by Jeremiah.”

“Oh yeah, but it’s so short, I get it confused with the minor prophets! But anyway, I remember the one who married the harlot. What’s his name again?”

“Somehow I don’t think that that would help on a test.”

“Sure it would, if it where multiple choice. Hmm, I do know about Jonah though.”

“Um, Robin, I think he probably answered all of the answers about Jonah correctly.”

Oh, probably so...” At this point she started to leaf through her Bible, than said with a rather bewildered look that is all her own: “I’m really convicted. I don’t know my minor prophets.”

Happy Reformation Day!

On this day in 1517 Martin Luther Nailed these 95 points of debate to the door of the Wittenberg church. This act utterly commonplace and no one had any way of knowing that this perfectly orthodox Catholic dissertation would be the spark that lit the flame that we know as the Protestant Reformation.

Instead of posting the whole 95 thesis I decided to post the 20 most relevant to the point of the whole. The whole thing is available here if you are interested

Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Wittenberg, under the presidency of the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and of Sacred Theology, and Lecturer in Ordinary on the same at that place. Wherefore he requests that those who are unable to be present and debate orally with us, may do so by letter.
In the Name our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1. Our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, when He said Poenitentiam agite, willed that the whole life of believers should be repentance

5. The pope does not intend to remit, and cannot remit any penalties other than those which he has imposed either by his own authority or by that of the Canons.

8. The penitential canons are imposed only on the living, and, according to them, nothing should be imposed on the dying.

11. This changing of the canonical penalty to the penalty of purgatory is quite evidently one of the tares that were sown while the bishops slept.

32. They will be condemned eternally, together with their teachers, who believe themselves sure of their salvation because they have letters of pardon.

45. Christians are to be taught that he who sees a man in need, and passes him by, and gives [his money] for pardons, purchases not the indulgences of the pope, but the indignation of God.

50. Christians are to be taught that if the pope knew the exactions of the pardon-preachers, he would rather that St. Peter's church should go to ashes, than that it should be built up with the skin, flesh and bones of his sheep.

51. Christians are to be taught that it would be the pope's wish, as it is his duty, to give of his own money to very many of those from whom certain hawkers of pardons cajole money, even though the church of St. Peter might have to be sold.

52. The assurance of salvation by letters of pardon is vain, even though the commissary, nay, even though the pope himself, were to stake his soul upon it.

62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God.

73. The pope justly thunders against those who, by any art, contrive the injury of the traffic in pardons.

74. But much more does he intend to thunder against those who use the pretext of pardons to contrive the injury of holy love and truth.

80. The bishops, curates and theologians who allow such talk to be spread among the people, will have an account to render.

81. This unbridled preaching of pardons makes it no easy matter, even for learned men, to rescue the reverence due to the pope from slander, or even from the shrewd questionings of the laity.

82. To wit: -- "Why does not the pope empty purgatory, for the sake of holy love and of the dire need of the souls that are there, if he redeems an infinite number of souls for the sake of miserable money with which to build a Church? The former reasons would be most just; the latter is most trivial."

86. Again: -- "Why does not the pope, whose wealth is to-day greater than the riches of the richest, build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers?"

90. To repress these arguments and scruples of the laity by force alone, and not to resolve them by giving reasons, is to expose the Church and the pope to the ridicule of their enemies, and to make Christians unhappy.

91. If, therefore, pardons were preached according to the spirit and mind of the pope, all these doubts would be readily resolved; nay, they would not exist.

92. Away, then, with all those prophets who say to the people of Christ, "Peace, peace," and there is no peace!

94. Christians are to be exhorted that they be diligent in following Christ, their Head, through penalties, deaths, and hell;

95. And thus be confident of entering into heaven rather through many tribulations, than through the assurance of peace

Various things, mostly music

(Note: I wrote this during the summer after a week in New Orleans for Suzuki training. I never posted it, and I'm not sure why. I came across it and decided that it was not to time-sensitive to post now. So I did)

Well, I have spent a week learning how to teach the piano. I think I learned as much about how to play the piano as how to teach it. I have been inspired to practice 3 hours a day. Let's see how long it lasts.

Awhile back I was listening to some really good music. I guess we have gotten rather out of the habit of listening to music as much as we used to. As I was swept away by the beauty of what I was hearing, I remembered "oh yes, this is why I am a musician. Because I love it." funny, isn't it, how sometimes we lose sight of the forest for the trees? I have spent so much time recently practicing because it's what I have to do that I had lost sight of why I was doing it in the first place. Music is a gift, and I'm in the business of sharing it. You know, I think that perhaps that could be said of many of the things I do. Sometimes I get so caught up in 'doing the right thing' that I forget the big picture. I'm a child of the King, chosen and blood bought. God's love and his grace are gifts, and I'm in the business of sharing them. What would my life look like if that where always first and foremost on my mind? By God's grace, we'll see.

You know, music is many thing to many people. To some it is a waste of time and energy. To some it is a nice venue of entertainment that they could live with or without. To some, however, it is a positive obsession. Robin's horn teacher went off on a tangent at one of her lessons about people who are so "into" music that it is almost a religion. "It's like music is the god and we are all priests of something. I think that some of them would like us to shave our heads and bow worship it" I didn't quite know how to take that statement when it was made, but then, I had never met someone who fit that category. Well, I have now. My instructor this past week is passionately and obsessively devoted to music.

Beethoven is universally acknowledged as one of the great masters of Classical music, yet he was an altogether disagreeable person, not to mention being quite miserable. Music did not even make him happy. It is all rather disturbing, if you ask me. Schumann went positively insane, Wagner was a vehement anti-Semitist and form all accounts insufferably arrogant, and they and many like them lived and died very unhappy. Music, which was given as a gift from the giver of all good things, when in becomes the gift, and from there proceeds to be venerated as the great good and the highest that man can attain, becomes a terrible master. Beethoven, when he lost his hearing lost the only thing that made the world worth living in to him. What a tragedy! What will it profit a man if he gain the world and lose his soul?

What is music? not a end in and of itself. Bach said that all music should be none other that to the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul. Bach's life was not wound up with his music. He was a full time church organist and a father of 20 (several of whom chose music as their profession). And he seems to have died happy and contented.

"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent"

I don't know who said it, but I like it.

Reflection

Robin and I decided to take a different route than we usually do for out morning walk today. We typically walk along the river and down below the bluff, but today we decided to head in the direction of the city cemetery. Perhaps a little strange, but we never claimed to be normal. We discovered that it is not the place for a brisk morning walk.

Parts of the cemetery are very old, dating back to the mid nineteenth century. The oldest tomb stone we saw was dated 1835. Looking over the acres of hills covered with markers of all shapes and sizes I was struck with the brevity of life. Each of these short epitaphs was the simulation of a life. “Thy will be done” was a rather common phrase, as was the eloquent “for of such is the kingdom of Heaven”, carved in stone as a memorial of a lost child. For many of these people, this is the only mark that they leave on the world. They are forgotten, and the vases that loving family had graven into the headstones are empty. Than there where the ones that where so weather beaten that their inscription is no longer even legible. How sad, to be forgotten by all that walk the earth.

Yet each one of these where once just as alive are I am right now. They had their petty cares and worries, their triumphs and defeats, and their joys and their sorrows. Was life was sweet to them, as it is to me, and did death seem almost unreal and avoidable to the last? Often, in our heart of hearts I think that we who live think that we shall cheat death, but in the end she will not be thwarted. Each lives the days allotted to him, than when his Maker sees fit, he takes away their breath and they die. Reflecting on the brevity of live I think with the Psalmist “what is man that Thou art mindful of him?”

This is what I see from the vantage point of this earth, and if that where all I had, I would despair. I would say with the Teacher “Vanity, all is vanity!” for indeed, all seems vain. Pleasure, pain, joy and wisdom, what does it profit? All die. We are dust and we shall return to dust. None that come after shall even remember that we ever even existed, except perhaps to comment on the merit of our epitaph. As the Romans commonly had it, “non fui, fui, non sum, non caro” “I was not, I was, I am not, I care not.” Who cares? Life is pointless, death is pointless.

But I know better. I know that when we sleep the sleep of death we shall wake to life eternal. That is beyond comprehension. In Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale the Little Mermaid longs for an immortal soul. The first time I read that I was struck- the soul that lives forever is a gift. And what a gift! Yet it is also a great responcability.

We walked through that Jewish section and I wondered, what happened to these people who rejected their Messiah in life? It is sobering. For all these, Christian, Jew and Atheist, it is to late. Their die is cast and they have chosen their path. They have met their Maker, the Just and the Merciful. What urgency this should give us! Life is passing by! It is precious and it is short. There are lost souls that will spend eternity, not beneath the earth is oblivion, but in a place where the fire is never quenched. May God have mercy on them and may he use me as a tool to bring them in to His kingdom.

I did not intend to get quite that somber. But I suppose that the subject of death lends itself to solemnity by its very nature. But our conversation this morning was melancholy, but not really somber. We spoke of the sadness of dieing with neither children nor deeds to carry on your name. We spoke of those who came before us, whose flesh blood we are. We spoke of the colossal tragedy of abortion, which claims the lives of so many. We where struck by the frailty of man, and his smallness. We each think that the universe revolves around us, and it doesn’t. We think that we are really something, don’t we? But we’re not. But yet, for all man’s seeming insignificance, the Creator and Master of all that is and ever shall be became one of us and saved us from ourselves. What grace!

In conclusion, I leave you with the self-written epitaph of Ben Franklin and a quote from Poor Richards Almanac:

The Body
of
Benjamin Franklin
Printer
(Like the cover of an old book
Its contents torn out
And stript of its lettering and gilding)
Lies here, food for worms.
But the work shall not be lost
For it will (as he believed) appear once more
In a new and more elegant edition
Revised and corrected
by
The Author.

If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten,
Either write things worth reading,
Or do things worth the writing.