Christmas Thoughts

Hello blog, my name is Mark. Sorry I've neglected you lately. I don't know if it's that I haven't felt inspired or if I've been too busy or what. But I'm here now. You are the place I can put my thoughts into words. Maybe that's it...I haven't been thinking. No, that's not it either.


This Christmas season has been good for us at the church. It has been sweet. We have 2 services this weekend. In the recent past we haven't been here for Christmas but in FL with family. Since Christmas is on Sunday, I thought it would be good to stick around and worship here. I am excited about both the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services. Christmas Eve is going to be contemplative as we go from the Manger to the Cross and share Communion together. Christmas Day is going to be celebrative as we talk about the gifts of Christmas. If you're in the Moberly area, join us at Carpenter Street Baptist Church at 6 pm on Christmas Eve and 10 am on Christmas morning.

One of the names for Jesus that is in the forefront in this season is Emmanuel...God with us. This is a very significant name and very precious to me. God...the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty One, the Giver of Life came to earth. Don't ask me to explain the Incarnation because I can't. It is beyond my brain's capacity. But I believe with all my heart that God in His perfect way and perfect time entered this world one not so silent night through a virgin. The Creator became the Created. He became one of us. Why? Because of His immeasurable love for us. Emmanuel...God with us. He is not God ahead of us pulling us toward Him. He is not God behind us pushing us toward Him. He is not God above us lording Himself over us and taunting us with His greatness compared to our insignificance. He is not God below us begging us to give Him our leftovers. He is God with us. God beside us. Listening, guiding, sharing, caring, loving, comforting, befriending, walking and living life with us. But this amazing companionship is not automatic. Just like accepting and unwrapping our Christmas presents, we have to accept Him and His gift of salvation. It is given to us unconditionally just like the gifts we give each other...out of His great love. 

4 Words That Change Everything

I haven't posted in a while...longest I've gone without posting since I began this thing and what I'm posting today isn't original, but it is good and it speaks to where I am. 

There are very few words that transcend circumstances. There are very few words that go beyond social, economic and marital status. There are very few words that hit all of us in the same way, at the same time and with the same potential for impact and change. But these 4 words do:

“I am with you.”

God is with us. Not distant. Not removed, but close. Not uncaring, but empathetic. Not far off, but living inside us. He is with us.

To the single mom working 2 jobs and still coming up short every month: I AM with you.

To the one filled with anxiety and worry in this moment right now: I AM with you.

To the unemployed: I AM with you.

To the one that hates the way their body looks and how they feel when they look in the mirror: I AM with you.

To the person that has no idea what their purpose or passion in life is: I AM with you.

To failure and the mess up that can’t see how they could ever recover from their mistake: I AM with you.

To the person that finds their value and identity in their career success: I AM with you.

To the insecure and unsure walking through life desperate for acceptance: I AM with you.

To the fake and the phony that has everyone believing that their life is more together than it really is: I AM with you.

To the depressed and the downhearted; the person that feels their is no light at the end of the tunnel: I AM with you.

To the single person that has a huge desire to get married and often feels loneliness and pain: I AM with you.

To the married person that wonders how their marriage drifted to such a lonely and painful place: I AM with you.

To the angry and resentful that have been rocked by hardship and hurt: I AM with you.

To the abused and the broken that have wondered why no one stepped in to stop the abuse: I AM with you.

To the isolated and lonely; the ones that feel left out and on the fringe: I AM with you.

To the ones that appear that they have everything, yet feel like all they have means nothing: I AM with you.

I AM with you. It is a game changer for all of us today.

Copied from thomrainer.com blog.

Just Thinking

The sun hasn't started coming up yet but the darkness has broken and you can see the outline of the NC mountains and the "smoke" that makes them the Smokeys. It's quiet and peaceful. Won't stay this way long. Within a few hours the kids will wake up and the activity will begin. Another vacation day with family. This is day 4. Yesterday was fun. We went to church as a family. I think each of us experienced something different during that hour. We went out for lunch...ate too much. Came back to the vacation house and had a lazy afternoon. We had an impromptu family worship time. Each of the kids shared something musical. It was truly great that they would share their talents with us. Each of them volunteering, no one was forced. Dad shared devotionally on how we are here to connect with each other. To help each other with the ultimate goal of helping them secure a place in heaven. We sang In Christ Alone and Dad ended by reading Phil. 4:8, Kayla's favorite verse. It was tearful but good. Then we played a musical game together and laughed and had a great time. After the game we had supper - a buffet of leftovers or whatever you could find. We had conversations about life and death and grief and life. We watched Toy Story 3 and laughed and cried during the ending, least I did. Silly Pixar sentementalism. This is all part of the eternal life that we experience together. It's not just about the hereafter...it's what we do with what we have here too.

My Days Are Numbered

Mark 16,891 (so far)

Kayla 6,751 

Alicia 6,337

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16)

How many days do I have left? I don’t know. No one does, except God. He knows the exact number of years, days, hours and seconds that I will occupy my address on Planet Earth; the exact moment that my death will occur.

Now that may not seem like a cheery thought to you, and in fact, most people would find that sobering, at best, and frightening, at worst. I find comfort and security in knowing that God has my life so ordered that I will neither die a day sooner nor live a day longer than what has already been recorded in his book. You see, life and death are far above my understanding, so I will happily let Father God take care of that department, thank you very much.

So if I truly and correctly understand this profound truth, then I am freed from the fear of death to fully live the life that God has planned for me. I can enjoy an intimate walk with the One who is intimately involved in each minor detail of my day (Psalm 139:1-4), who never lets me out of his sight (Psalm 139:5-8), whose fatherly hand guides my every move (Psalm 139:9-10), and who is never limited or intimidated by my circumstances (Psalm 139:11-12). In fact, God is so involved in my life that he was even there at the moment my mother and father conceived me in love, and while I was in the womb, he masterminded even the most smallest details of my formation.

God knows me! He knows everything about me. He planned me, built me, watches over me, can steer me back on track when I wander from his purpose (Psalm 139:23-24), can be completely trusted to keep me safe until the Divinely allotted numbers of days ordained have expired and then take me to the next life that he has prepared for me. And he has done such an amazingly great job with this life I can’t even begin to imagine what’s on tap for the next!

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand” (Psalm 13:6), but it won’t keep me from enjoying this day and praising the One who is in charge of it!

For Granted

Jeromy is home. He is glad to be home. There is something about home to be missed. As I was lying in bed this morning with Jeromy cuddled beside me, it occurred to me that even with all we've been through, I take things, important things, for granted. You would think that I'd be more observant. That I would long to make the most of every moment. That I would desire to create memorable times that can be replayed over and over in my mind. But instead I have my routine. Much of my routine is focused on me. Ok, so just because I'm putting this down on paper, well on world wide web paper, it doesn't mean that this revelation is going to change my reality. I know it should. Acknowledgement is the first step, right? This applies to so many facets of life; not just our physical but our spiritual as well. We observed the Lord's Supper last Sunday. "As often as you do this..." we are supposed to what? "REMEMBER." Do we just recall the price of ultimate love 4 times a year and at Easter? We take Christ for granted. We take God for granted. His grace, His mercy, His love, His EVERYTHING. Everything we do should be done in view of what He has done for us. If we did that then, everything we did would be to His glory and for His glory. Through so many of the songs we sing we declare our dependence upon and our unending love for Christ. But do we mean our words or are they just rote? Is there such a thing as robotic devotion? Have we become no more than a higher version of C3PO giving a head nod to our Creator but no heart behind it? A friend of mine posted just last week that she was tired of settling. I believe I am getting to that point, too, but, what does it mean? I don't change well. And therein lies the problem. I'm the one trying to do the changing instead of giving all my life to God and letting Him change me from the inside out. There is a foundation, a strong foundation, laid there in the depths of my heart almost 40 years. There has been some construction built on that foundation where God has begun building His kingdom in my life. I know that this walk is a life long journey. Shouldn't I be farther along though? So...now these thoughts are out. Now what? And the journey continues...

Homesick

Jeromy is on his way home from FL about 10 days early. The reason...he's homesick. I can relate.

Okay

It's weird how comparisons make memories flood in like a...flood. (Caught in a bad analogy. Thanks Tim Hawkins.) :) Missing our "dreamer" who dreamed big dreams and didn't do well when things didn't go her way. I usually had a hard time understanding that because I can adjust to Plan B or C or whatever as needed. We seem to be on Plan "Pick a Letter then Double It" now. And that's okay. It has to be okay. Not okay isn't okay. Okay is sufficient. It's not great nor is it awful. It's not really good or bad. It's just okay. Living in okay works for now. So please don't worry if asking how I am and I respond "okay." Because I am. *SMILE*...and *LAUGH*...okay.

There Stands a Cross

I just read this and had to share it with you. Thanks Randy!

For all those who say that Jesus was just a great teacher like the leaders of other world religions

- There Stands a Cross. 

For all those who say that there is no punishment for sin 

- There Stands a Cross. 

For all those who say that we can work our way into favor with God 

- There Stands a Cross.

AND...

For all those who seek a new beginning and cleansing from sin 

- There Stands a Cross. 

For all those who seek forgiveness forever 

- There Stands a Cross. 

For all those who seek to witness grace on display and love redefined 

- There Stands a Cross. 

Let the Games Begin

I know this is not a Summer Olympics year but it is summer or soon will be come June 21. The calendar is filling up quickly. Bonnie's summer is crazier than mine which is not unusual. We need your prayers all the time but summertime is critical. The biggest prayer is for lives to be changed, the second (at least on my list) is for safety. Bonnie will be taking our van with 5 or more girls in it across Central Missouri, up to Hannibal, down to Branson, up to Oswego, IL & up further to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada over the next 11 weeks or so. They will be sharing the Gospel with children through 8 - 10 local Vacation Bible Schools, a Pastor's Conference, Sports Camp and Backyard Bible Club on an Associational Mission Trip, and Vacation Bible School and Backyard Bible Clubs on an International Mission Trip. If that doesn't make your brain spin, maybe you should reread it a couple of time. God is doing great things in and through the high school and college-aged girls Bonnie has the blessing of mentoring. She is truly a blessing to me and although I may not see her much over the summer, I love watching what God does through her. Bonnie, I love you and want you to know that I'm praying for you every time I think of you, which is a lot throughout my day. God, please watch over her and the girls and may this summer be indescribable as You show Your love, mercy, grace, passion, compassion and strength in and through their lives. AMEN!

Familiar Territory

     We had to put our dog, Captain, down last night. He had congestive heart failure and when we got to the vet, we discovered he also had a large tumor hidden under all his fur. It seemed like he went downhill in 12 hours or less. OK, let me get this out upfront, the death of a pet is not the same as the death of a person. But it does hurt. It does bring back reminders of past losses. We've all cried and are sad. I think that's normal. I know pets are important. They become part of the family. We had Captain for 10 years. We still have Whiskers, our cat. Can't believe she's outlived them all. She'll be 14 this summer. I know some people love their pets as much if not more than their children and definitely more than their spouse. (: Death hurts. Whether it's a family member, a friend, or a pet. 
     This weekend we remember those, most of whom we don't know, haven't met, who gave their lives for freedom's sake. As we look back through time, over 1.3 million have given their lives in American history wars from 1775 - now. Now follow me here, I don't wanna make anyone mad. Any number is too large a count for war. But if you look at our present US population (307,006,550), 1.3 million is only .28% of our population. This doesn't cheapen the price paid for our American way, in my eyes it makes it even more precious. 
     Then we look at the Cross and one man, Jesus Christ, who died for freedom's sake. "If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed." (John 8:36) One man's life for almost 7 billion people (estimated world population today) to experience freedom from the bonds of the slavery of sin and to have a real relationship with their Creator, their Father God.  Thank you so much to all who sacrificed their lives for freedom. I am even more thankful, beyond words, for the extreme love and sacrifice of God, to give His "only begotten Son" not only for the whole world but for ME.

In Christ Alone

You never can go wrong with this song.

Another Day

Why is it that lately I am on the verge of tears? Life gets a little busy and all of a sudden I am overwhelmed. This is not impossible but it seems improbable. I just need to remember to breathe. That's the advice I give everyone else, now it applies to me. I feel like King David sometimes...How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O LORD my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed over him," lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD,because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalm 13) Maybe I haven't fully trusted in God's love. Although I want to be like David, I'm far from that. I am supposed to imitate Christ but I'm farther from Him than David. So maybe David is a good start. I believe that this is the key...Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8) Gotta submit, resist, draw near, cleanse and purify. Why do these things seem so scary? I think it has to do with control. It may not seem like much but it's my own little world. It's a little chaotic but it's familiar. Why do I like the familiar so much? Why do I color inside the lines; think inside the box? It all stems back to the familiar. Contentment and complacency are not the same. Unfortunately, we have blurred the lines between these two or at least I have. I gotta let go. Why is it so easy to pray that for someone else and so hard to do myself? I pray that people will let go of whatever they are holding on to and cling fully on God, yet I keep clinging to the good things and putting off the best. God, please help me.

Seeing myself in the story

Just found this and wanted to pass it on...thanks dianne.

There I am, amidst the fickle crowd, praising Jesus for His miracles one minute, demanding He be crucified the next.

There I am, clothed in my self-righteous knowledge, clinging to my position and power.

There I am, at that last Passover meal, not willing to let Him wash my feet.

There I am, in the garden, struggling to keep awake long enough in my Lord’s darkest night.

There I am, coming to Him in the dark of night with those who would kill Him. With a simple innocent kiss, I betray Him.

There I am, warming my hands at the fire with the others. Three times I deny that I ever knew this Jesus.

There I am, in the Praetorium, trying to wash my hands of His blood.

There I am, mocking Him, twisting thorny branches into a crown to press upon His brow and tossing in my lot for a piece of His garment.

There I am, hanging on the cross next to Him, spewing my bitter hatred His way.

There I am, at the edge of the crowd, unable to do anything but watch.

Yes, there I am, in all my sinful rags.

But there He was, fully aware of each and every transgression ever committed against Him, past, present and future. Still, He endured. His love never wavered, surpassing the sum of humankind’s sinfulness. And though I often avert my eyes from His, I cannot escape His loving gaze.

Redeemed

"Redeemed how I love to proclaim it. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Redeemed through His infinite mercy, His child and forever I am."


We, the ones who turned our back from God, have been redeemed! 


REDEEMED: to exchange for something of value.  That price was the life's blood of God's only Son, Jesus.  

"Amazing love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me. Amazing love, I know it's true and it's my joy to honor You in all I do, I honor You. I'm forgiven because You were forsaken. I'm accepted, You were condemned. I'm alive & well, Your Spirit is within because You died and rose again."


Thank you so much for setting us free! 

Are you thirsty for God?

Are you thirsty for God? Do you have an insatiable desire, a craving, a yearning for Him? When you don’t spend time with Jesus, do you find yourself deficient and lacking? I hope your answer was “yes” to both of those questions.  
 
While we are on the subject of thirsting and we’re leading up to the events of the cross and the resurrection, let me remind you that one of the phrases uttered by Jesus on the cross was, “I thirst.” Studying this a few minutes ago, here’s something I hadn’t noticed before. There were actually two times where Jesus was offered something to drink. The first, He refused. The second, He requested. In Matthew 27:33-35, you find an account where Jesus has just made it to Golgotha, and He was offered wine mixed with gall to drink. “Tradition says that the women of Jerusalem customarily furnished this pain-killing narcotic to prisoners who were crucified.” Jesus refused to drink this, because He wanted to be fully conscious until His death.
 
As the hours of the crucifixion progressed, John 19 says this, “Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty’. A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips.” This type of “wine vinegar” was basically equivalent to cheap wine, the drink of ordinary people.  John was paying attention to every detail, and when Jesus uttered these words, He remembered the prophecy of Psalm 69:21, which says, “They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.” Psalm 69 was known to be a prophetic psalm, which is why John added the words, “so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.”  Don’t you love connecting the dots of God’s Word?!
 
So Jesus refused the sedative drink, but received the drink of the common man. There’s an entire sermon in that! John 19:30 says, “When He had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’”
 
Perhaps it’s just me, but maybe when Jesus spoke the words, “I thirst,” He was not only physically thirsty in that moment but also spiritually and emotionally thirsty. It’s interesting to note in Matthew 27:45-48 that before He said, “I thirst,” He said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He was feeling alone and isolated, detached from His Father. Thirsting for God’s love and comfort and presence. I’m sure there was truth in the physical side of Jesus being thirsty, but His heart and soul were thirsting, too.
 
So let’s go back to my question again. Are YOU thirsty for God? Do you have longings and desires that only He can satisfy? Are you parched and empty without Him? Then take a drink of His living water today. Ask Him to quench your thirst and allow you to know “His love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19)
 
“Whoever drinks this water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

GPS

     We have a GPS. His name is Sean. Sean is good, most of the time. I took Sean with me to St. Louis this weekend for the Dare2Share Conference. We got lost at least twice with Sean. Apparently Sean wasn't lost but the address I entered into Sean wasn't fully correct. The guys and I got a little aggravated with Sean but again he wasn't at fault. If I had read the complete address we probably would have reach our desired destination sooner.We did get to where we were supposed to be and we were never late but I am unsure how many miles out of our way we went and with today's gas prices that's probably not a good thing.
     Don't you wish your life had a GPS. You're strolling through life and everything's cool then you make one wrong turn and the next thing you know you find yourself lost and you aren't sure how you got there. Sometimes we adjust to our surroundings and simply adapt usually leading to additional wrong turns. And although we know where we are isn't home, we begin to act like it is. But we're still wandering around like sheep without a shepherd. Hey, that sounds Biblical. "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matt. 9:36)  Isaiah reminds us of our true identity. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Is. 53:6)
     Our life DOES have a GPS. It is God's Word. Everything we need for direction in life we find within those pages. "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Heb. 4:12) We have to go back to the Source of our life and ask Him to recalibrate our directions. "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." (Ps. 119:105) 
    So are you feeling lost? Cry out to God, He knows exactly where you are because He is right there with you. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

Forget It

Not mine...thanks Mel Tunney!


Forget: fail to remember, lose sight of, think no more of, overlook
 
He remembers our sins no more . . . 
Isaiah 43:25 says, “I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” And we read in Jeremiah 31:34, “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” This is stated in the New Testament as well, in Hebrews 8:12 ~ “For I will forgive their iniquities and will never again remember their sins.”
 
Does that mean that Almighty God actually can’t remember something?  I mean, He is GOD.  Does He have a bad memory?  Of course not! But by His grace, and because of the all-encompassing sacrifice of Jesus, God chooses to forgive and forget.  That is why, when you read Hebrews 11 and you see the champions of faith that are listed there, none of their sins are listed!  People like Moses, Abraham, David are remembered for their faith.
 
Taking that a bit further, in Ephesians 4:32, we are told to forgive as the Father has forgiven us.  So, if someone wrongs us and we tell them they are forgiven, we must do the same.  Remember their sins against them no more.
 
Psalm 103:10-12 says this, in the Message:
“He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.”
 
 
Forget the former things . . . 
In Isaiah 43:18-19, we read these words, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” God wants us to let go of the past and look toward what He will do. 
 
In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul lists his spiritual resume.  It’s interesting to note that he’s relaying this information, not to boast, but to acknowledge who he was before meeting Jesus.  Remember, Paul was known as a persecutor of Believers.  He’s not proud of his past, which is why several paragraphs later, he says he will “forget what is behind” and press on toward what God has for him in the days to come.
Phil. 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”.  In my study Bible, the footnote for this section says this, “Paul is not losing all memory of his sinful past, but leaving it behind him as done with and settled.” In other words, if God forgives and forgets, so should we!
 
A story is told of a church who was hiring a new pastor. Evidently, the pastor had a past he was ashamed of, the details of which he was not desirous of sharing. The committee continually tried to dig deeper and find out what he may be trying to hide. One member of the committee in particular had decided he was going to get to the bottom of this and shared that his plan of discovering the information would be to just ask God to show him the sins that this pastor may have been trying to cover up.  So the man prayed. Several days later, he reported to the committee that God had answered his request. With eager listening ears, the others awaited his response. The man shared these words, “God said He didn’t remember”. 
 
May we also let go of our shortcomings and our past sinful actions and attitudes. Forgetting what is behind and pressing on!
 
“We don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at Him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with Himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what He is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you. How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.”
(2 Corinthians 5:16-21, The Message)

Pondering

Pondering things today...

• what is heaven like? 
• if we know the truth and the truth will set us free, then why do we live in bondage?
• why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
• why are grace and roast beef & mashed taters both described as amazing?
• did you know that God warned Cain about the sin that was crouching at his door BEFORE he killed his brother?
• why does God ask rhetorical questions...God to Adam, 'where are you?' and God to Cain, 'where is your brother?' Jesus to the man by the pool, 'do you want to be healed?'
• i wander if the animals that Noah sacrificed as soon as they got off the ark were the ones that had been the most annoying?
• although we bear the image of the earthly man we shall bear the image of the heavenly man (1 Corinthians 15:49). how cool is that?
• why are some people surprised, almost disappointed, to learn that our glorified self is NOT as angels in heaven, no wings or halos? 

sometimes i think i don't think much compared to others. sometimes i'm wrong.

This Is Our God

Read this on someone else's blog and wanted to pass it along today. (Thanks Shawn Craig.)


This is something I wish I'd said:

It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping God may wake someday ... (Annie Dillard in Teaching a Stone to Talk)


Renew our vision of the true and living God:


....the still small voice (1 Ki 19:12)
... Presence that melts the mountains like wax (Ps 97.5)
... a God who is jealous (Deu 4.24)
... His voice splits the cedars (Ps 29.5)
... the One who makes the clouds His chariot (Ps 104.3)
... the One whose eyes are blazing fire and on His head many crowns (Rev 19:12)


This is our God.

It Is Well with My Soul

Well, on this day in 2008, we had the girls' visitation at the church. We were overwhelmed at the outpouring of love that night. The night ended with a God moment. After most everyone had left we were still milling around the sanctuary. I was looking at the picture collages that Regina had put together. They were amazing. As I was heading back toward the front of the church, I found myself surrounded by a family we met through homeschooling. The father put his arm on my shoulder and they began singing IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL. It was an incredible moment because that was the song that was on my heart as I rushed to the accident site 3 days earlier. It was also the song I couldn't seem to sing. I didn't sing any songs in those 3 days. But as the harmonies swelled throughout that beautiful sanctuary, I was able to join in on the 2nd verse through to the end. Our voices blended together perfectly. You could hear each breath in between phrases and the words echoing off the walls. It was one of the most moving moments of worship I have ever experienced. As the last note faded, it was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Then we wiped our eyes and went home. 

Here's Selah's version of the song...it's not acappella but it's one of the best arrangements I've heard.

Thank You

As this day comes to a close, we want to thank everyone who lifted us up in their thoughts and prayers. We had a good day but that doesn't mean it was easy. There are no easy days. We call it our 'new normal'. Each day we choose how we will live. This is true of all of us regardless of our life circumstances. We have chosen to lean on God's faithfulness, His grace, mercy and love. Sometimes it's a subconscious choice, other days (most days) it is a very deliberate choice. We are not superhuman or super spiritual or super anything. We are nothing without Christ. If you have read some of my other posts you know there are days of questioning, longing, searching and days of peace, joy and celebration. The amazing thing is God isn't taken back by any of that. The up days, the down days, they are all the same for Him. He never changes. Our need for His strength never changes. Our need for your prayers also never changes. As you lift us up, we lift you up as well. It's all part of being the body of Christ. So, as I close today, my thoughts drift back to 3 years ago when the bottom completely fell out. There at the bottom was God and family and friends. We are blessed. Thank God for who He is and for what He has done for us and thank God for you all. Good night! U R loved!  

PS. This Rich Mullins song is my constant, well, near constant, prayer. mc

Celebrate

Today we celebrate life...we celebrate Kayla and Alicia's life, the 17 and 18 years they had here and the eternity they are enjoying now. A couple of friends have birthdays today, it's a reminder that life is precious, exciting and good. Remember what Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” John 14:1-7

More Than You Know...

    Recent conversation..."I don't know what to say to you or even if I should say anything. I just want you to know that I'm thinking about you and your family and I'm praying for you." I want you to know that that means more to us than you may know. 
    Bonnie and I both have our places for expressing what we're thinking, mine is here, hers is on Facebook. We don't post to get reactions, we post to get thoughts out and to hopefully encourage others.We all face death. Either we've been through it, we're going through, or we will go through it. That's the reality of life.We don't like talking about it though. We may or may not be "scared" of death; that depends on our experiences. Sometimes I think with all our "reality" media that we are numbed to the reality of death. But we know that it happens. No, it's not easy. No, it's not fun. But, yes, it is real. If there is a "cool" side to death it's when people we know and love have a real relationship with Jesus Christ. It's only then that death loses it's sting.
    Then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 15:54b-57
  

Thinking Out Loud

3 years...36 months...156 weeks...1,092 days...26,208 hours...1,572,480 minutes. These are just numbers. This was yesterday. The 3rd Thursday in February crept up on me. I had been focusing on the date, that I almost forgot about the day. Yesterday was "wait at HuHot for over an hour to be seated for Janelle's birthday" day, "drive Mark's mom's car all over tarnation" day & "drive Sarah to work and go back to the party" day. 'Least that's what it was in 2008. Bonnie and Jeromy got haircuts yesterday which is the same thing they did 3 years ago along with Alicia. I don't remember much about the accident. I remember rushing out of the house...pulling up to the curve...meeting Sue...her telling me about Kayla...looking in the ambulance for a moment as they worked on Alicia...seeing Kayla in the back of the truck they'd placed her in...I don't remember the car...couldn't remember if it was right side up or upside down...did I even look down that hill?...I vaguely remember taking the phone from Sue 'cause she couldn't tell Bonnie what was going on and telling her that Kayla was gone, hearing her scream and all I could think was I gotta get back home. Mac drove me back home. I think I pounded on the dashboard a time or two. I tore up a Styrofoam cup and then apologized making some crack about it being a favorite cup or something stupid like that...I remember jumping when a hand touched my shoulder from the back of the truck. I didn't see Bulldog back there, how could I have missed Bulldog? We got home, got Bonnie and turned around to head back to the curve. As we arrived, the ambulance was leaving for the hospital. That 30 minute trip to Mexico seemed to take forever. When we got to the ER, they couldn't confirm if Alicia had arrived and asked us to wait. Crazy, crazy. Why can't I vividly remember details, at least those I think should be more important than Styrofoam cups? Have I blocked them out? Is God protecting me? I know others are haunted by the memories. I've never had a nightmare. Guess that was nightmare enough. One thing I remember though is the outpouring of love we received from our family and friends. I remember James and Nathan coming to the funeral home while we were making arrangements asking if they could do anything. We said they could make coffee, 'course they had to borrow a coffee maker from someone 'cause we don't drink it. I remember all the people who came to the church for the visitation. They re-routing the line like a ride at 6 Flags. The people on my right who were waiting to talk to us, hug us, cry with us, looked so sad, while the people who had gone through the line and to my left were talking and laughing some. It was like day and night. Then I had Tim and Wes and Raquel making funny comments and making me laugh. People must have thought we were crazy or in denial or something. Enough rambling for now...will continue throughout the weekend. 

Reflections on Valentine's Day

In our culture we love everything!  We love a pair of shoes or we love a movie or we love a favorite song or we love a puppy or we love a milkshake!  Sometimes I catch myself over-using this word “love,” and I have a hard time finding a different word to express what I’m feeling.  In the New Testament, there are several words used for love:
Philiais friendship, brotherly love
Erosis passionate love, with sensual desire and longing
Storgeis natural affection, like that felt by parents for their children
Agapeis a deep, self-sacrificing love
 
1 Corinthians 13 is commonly known as the “Love Chapter.”  The word “agape” is used in this passage.  Yesterday, I read that chapter inserting Jesus’ name in place of “love,” for as we read in God’s Word (specifically in 1 John 4:8 and 16), God IS love.  With each adjective, I tried to picture particular stories found in the Gospels that would back that attribute up.  Let me give you some examples:
 
Love is patient . . . Jesus was patient
I think of many stories where Jesus was patient with the disciples.  So often, they just “didn’t get it” when it came to spiritual issues.  And Jesus didn’t get frustrated with them, but he was patient and kind (the second adjective in 1 Cor. 13) as He dealt with these friends. Patience is also shown in God’s desire for all to come to know Him.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  (1 Peter 3:9)
 
Love is kind . . . Jesus was kind
Jesus loved children, loved lepers, loved tax collectors . . . He loved the lowly and despised.  People desired to be around Him.  Crowds followed Him.  Men left their jobs and families to follow Him.  People are not drawn to the unkind.  Jesus was kind. 
 
Love does not envy . . . Jesus did not envy
Jesus wasn’t about storing up material things.  In fact, He instructed those who listened to Him NOT to do that.  He lived a simple life, telling His followers to take nothing for their journeys.  Not even “a staff, bread, a bag, money, or an extra tunic”.  (Luke 9:3).  When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, one of the devil’s offerings to Him was for Jesus to rule the world.  He modeled for us that the things of this world will not satisfy.
 
Love does not boast . . . Jesus did not boast
In fact, there were many times that Jesus healed a person and would tell them NOT to tell anyone about it!  Think of the many miraculous deeds that Jesus could have boasted about!
 
Jesus was not proud
He washed His disciples feet. 
He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2)
 
Jesus was not rude
Even when He was misunderstood. Even when He was mistreated.
 
Jesus was not self-seeking
How many times do we read that Jesus said, “I am about my Father’s business”?
 
Jesus was not easily angered
Yes, there are times when Jesus displayed righteous anger.  He turned over the tables of the moneychangers in the temple.  But He was not easily angered, and in His anger, He did not sin.
 
Jesus kept no record of wrongs
Think of the woman caught in the act of adultery.  Jesus did not condemn her.  He forgave her.  He LOVED.

Jesus did not delight in evil, but rejoiced in the truth.
He IS the way, the TRUTH and the life.
 
Jesus always protected, always trusted, always hoped, always persevered. 
 
Love never fails.
Jesus never fails!
 
And our attitudes should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5).  Don’t you appreciate how God reveals Himself through His word?  Jesus didn’t just say He was love and leave it at that.  No, He demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, He died for us!  (Romans 5:8).
 
May I encourage you to dwell on the One who personifies love to us,  Jesus Christ.  And may we look to Him as our example of what love really is.