Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying,“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty—the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” (Revelation 4:8) In reading today's devotion by Matt Redman, I was reminded of the holiness, the 'otherness' as Matt puts it, of God. When those around the throne worship God with 'Holy, Holy, Holy', it isn't because they are at a loss for words and are simply repeating themselves. To me, they are saying God is holy, layered with holiness and bond by holiness. It's sorta like God is holy cubed. In reality, He is holy to infinity and beyond. I know this is a very feeble attempt at explaining the holiness of God but since I am a feeble man that's ok. Here is a link to Steven Curtis Chapman's arrangement of Holy, Holy, Holy sung at First Presbyterian Church in Lakeland, FL http://youtu.be/R62yy-HRn0I
These words came to mind after listening to a webinar with Keith Getty... When the world crumbles beneath my feet When all I've known is shattered When yesterday is just a dream And tomorrow doesn't matter When I stumble and lose my way And my tearstained face is... When... You are my hope You are my peace You're the One who breathes life into me You are my joy You are my love Without You... You hold me together I'm secure in the palm of Your hand When it makes no sense to me I know it's all part of Your plan To be continued...
Today is October 17, 2012...22 years ago today (on a Wednesday, too) in Raleigh, NC Alicia Grace Carter was born. What would we be doing today if she were still here? Would we have planned a trip to Hannibal to surprise her at HLG or would we have planned a party last weekend or this weekend for her? She may have been getting ready to graduate (WOW! can't imagine being the father of a college graduate) and spreading her wings in the REAL world. I wonder what career she would have finally landed on? She talked about music and fashion designing, what a combo. Or would God have steered her in another direction while in school? These are things we will never know. But there are things we do know. We do know she is in her Father's presence worshiping Him. She is spending time with Jesus, doing whatever brothers and sisters do in heaven (She is a joint heir with Christ, which makes her Jesus' sister). She is sharing eternity with Kayla and other family and friends who have gone before us. Sounds like a pretty sweet birthday to me. Can't imagine imagining the heavenly choir singing 'Happy Birthday' to her. I wonder if they celebrate two birthdays a year in heaven. One for their natural birth and one for their spiritual rebirth. Course, since there is no time in heaven, this is probably all silly in the scope of the everlasting. Tears well up, tears of happiness and of sorrow mixed in together. Guess that's why it's called 'bittersweet'. Tears of hope and of joy. Tears of anticipation and longing (kind of the same thing, I guess). Tears of love. One day...one day...one day we will be together again...FOREVER. That one day can't come soon enough! Happy Birthday, Alicia! I love you! Can't wait to hear you say those beautiful five words to me again. I LOVE YOU, TOO, DADDY.
Wow...I can't believe I haven't blogged in over 3 months. Well, a lot has happened, too much to mention here. I have recently had a fresh encounter with God's mercy and grace. It's been like having new life breathed into me. How people live life without Christ is beyond my comprehension. If not for Christ, I'd be a total wreck. Here's a classic song that sums up the last 3 months.
It has happened again...another student from Paris, MO has lost her life. Another car accident. Again, I have questions that will probably remain unanswered. In the almost 15 years that we have been in MO at least a half a dozen Paris area students have lost their lives as a result of car accidents. This doesn't include the 3 or 4 I can think of that died from cancer or some other kind of disease. Once again, the student who is gone had a connection with FBC, Paris. The last 5, 2 brothers, 2 sisters and now Mary, participated in children's and/or youth activities within the church. What is God trying to say to us? Do these things keep happening because we aren't listening? These are just a couple of the unanswerable questions bouncing around in my head. I was reminded today that ONE DAY we will know and understand; which is true. But in light of eternity, will these temporary earthly problems even be a memory or will they flee away like a bad dream?
These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18, The Message)
My prayers go out for the Anglen family. I remember how the unceasing prayers of others helped us, are continuing to help us, through this time in our lives.
