Thankful for 2016

        So this is how I began this final day of 2016--

        Nothing like a little time alone with the Lord of the universe...and welcoming it with a few feathered friends in the midst of God's glorious creation.  Thank You, Lord, thank You.
        The last  Psalm in the Bible for this last day of the year: "Praise the Lord!  Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens!  Praise Him for His mighty deeds; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!  Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!...Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!" (Ps.150)
        Tim Keller writes of this Psalm: "The psalms are, in the end, a miniature of life.  Every possible experience, if prayed to the God who is really there, is destined to end in praise.  Confession leads to the joy of forgiveness.  Laments lead to deeper resting in Him for our happiness.  If we could praise God perfectly, we would love Him completely and then our joy would be full.  The new heavens and new earth are perfect because everyone and everything is glorifying God fully and therefore enjoying Him forever."
        Lord thank You for this year You have so faithfully and generously and graciously brought us through...we praise You.  Thank You for all You have taught us.  Thank You for the hard, dark places and times where You showed us that You are our Light and our sufficiency.  Thank You for the sad and lonely times where You revealed that You are joy and our never failing Friend.  Thank You for the priceless gifts of dearly beloved family and friends.  Thank You for the glorious moments of seeing You in Your magnificent creation and in Your people and in Your mysterious but beautiful and perfect ways.  Thank You for Your patience, love, joy, grace, forgiveness, beauty, perfection, holiness, faithfulness...and thank You for Your Son, the incarnate One who is all of these and infinitely more.
       We ask to love You and worship You and glorify You more and more this year.  Might we know You far better and better everyday of this new year You give us, for as many days as You choose to give us.  Might we love You more and more deeply.  Might we delve into and loveYour Word with greater and greater insight and consistently and wonder this year.  And oh Lord, might we relentlessly thank and praise You more and more and more every day we breath on this earth until we step into heaven and breathe that celestial, wondrous air.
        "Lord, You have given so much to me.  Give me one thing more--a heart for praising You.  'Not thankful, when it pleaseth me; as if thy blessings had spare days; But such a heart, whose pulse may be Thy praise.'" (Tim Keller)  Amen and amen!
         We love You, Lord and to You, to God alone, be all the glory this last day of 2016 and every single day You give us in the days ahead.

Downton Abbey and remembering and rejoicing...

         "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.  (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)  And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.  And Joseph also went us from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David) to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, being great with child.  And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:1-7)

        Such familiar, beautiful words.  How many times have we heard them?  How many readings upon readings, years upon years, decades upon decades?  Yet they never lose their stunning and glorious wonder.  

        Every year we listen to the familiar, beloved carols.  We pull out the cherished old family ornaments and nativity sets.  We put up the same bows on windows and string that same roping on our staircases.  We hang those dear and precious ornaments made in preschool or elementary shop class.  We bring out the same worn plastic church my husband has loved since childhood that still faintly plays "Silent Night."  

       Year after year, we bake the same Alice Preyer candy cane cookies and Aunt Janie famous chocolate cake with marshmallow icing, and we savor Jane Preyer's yummy spinach artichoke casserole.  And we watch familiar old Charlie Brown, The Grinch, It's a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol.  And once again we tear up at the end, because any beautiful depiction of grace always does that, doesn't it? 

       "And it came to pass in those days" that Almighty God suddenly, shockingly intervened to save this desperate planet by sending His Son as a helpless infant to save and redeem mankind.  It's the old, old story that we never tire of hearing and experiencing every Christmas.  "And it came to pass" that we savor Christmas as little children, then as teenagers, then as grown children, and eventually, Lord willing, as parents and grandparents ourselves.  

       "And it came to pass" that our own dearly beloved parents and grandparents celebrate Christmas with us--year after year, decade after decade--until they inexorably depart this ragged earth to finally and truly go "home for Christmas" and rejoice with the angels.  

        Our memories of Christmases past are both bittersweet and beautiful.  The joyous memories of those we love and have loved, of those with us but also those who have moved on to heaven, and even of those yet to be born...all those memories and thoughts seem to intensify this time of the year and bring both a smile to our face and a tear to our eye.  

       Yes, indeed, those days do "come to pass," and only the perfect love of Almighty God and that of our dearly beloved ones remains.  Surely that's part of the deep joy and sweet nostalgia in bringing out the familiar decorations, cooking the familiar recipes, and singing the familiar carols.  Yes, it's all about Jesus and how He came down to earth to save us, but it's also a reminder of His precious gift of our beloved family and friends.  All gifts from His hand.  All gifts of His grace.  

        Every year at Christmas, we rejoice in Jesus...we remember the past...we recall that someday, we too, shall "come to pass"...and we repeatedly--decade after decade, for as many years as the Lord chooses to give us here--give thanks for all of it.  With a happy smile...and with a nostalgic tear.

         Richard, my dear husband, shared with me a quiet yet remarkable, scene from Downton Abbey that conveyed this in a unique but powerful way.  Lady Mary is preparing to marry for the second time.  She has recently betrayed her sister Edith and seemingly caused Edith to forfeit all chance of happiness with the man she'd loved.  Yet remarkably, despite this terrible betrayal, Edith ultimately chooses to come home to be with her sister for her wedding.  

        A now repentant and stunned Mary (grace always stuns, doesn't it?) asks Edith why she has come.  Edith answers: "Because, in the end, you're my sister and one day, only we will remember Sybil... or Mama or Papa or Matthew or Michael or Granny or Carson or any of the others who have peopled our youth... until, at last, our shared memories will mean more than our mutual dislike."    Eventually, after years and years of mistrust, sarcasm, hurtful comments, and deception, the sisters reconcile, largely because they recognize that what they shared--the people they loved--bind them together deeply, powerfully, and lastingly.  

         Richard said that's part of the bittersweet but beautiful nostalgia of Christmas.  Even as we rejoice, we remember.  We remember Jesus.  We remember Christmases past.  We remember our loved ones.  And in remembering, we recognize God's great grace in our past, His relentless goodness in our present, and His sure and certain faithfulness for the future.  

        Yes, someday our children will pull out our beloved old nativity sets, battered ornaments, and beautiful old stockings...and they will remember.  The wider world won't remember us...but they will.  How I pray that when these days come "to pass," our children and future grandchildren will remember and rejoice in our glorious Savior and His amazing grace, infinite goodness, and perfect faithfulness in their lives.  

        To God be the glory.  

        

           

The cold...and Christmas!

        "Baby, it's coooooold outside!"
        Can I just say that I am not terribly fond of the cold...correction, I despise the cold.  Gee whiz, winter's just plain tough, don't you think?  No wonder Dave Barry said that "The problem with winter sports is that — follow me closely here — they generally take place in winter."  Amen to that one.
         But oh my, we're to be thankful in all things (I Thess.5:18),  and I don't recall any biblical exceptions for frigid temps, so here goes--
       Thank You, Lord that: 1)winter doesn't last forever;  2) You sovereignly chose to place my family below the Mason-Dixon line;  3) bracing frigid air certainly wakes us up and gives our cheeks a rosy glow; 4) Mr. Bingley loves freezing weather;  5) there are lots of wonderful things that accompany cold weather, such as, hmm, roaring fires, hot chocolate, cozy thick sweaters, super hot baths at night (ahhhh), steaming mugs of tea, skiing (if you don't mind freezing your tail off), snow days (if you don't mind endlessly cleaning up the kitchen and running the dryer with wet gloves and socks 24-7)...oh golly I'm clearly going downhill and running out of ideas for winter gratitude...
        BUT NO!  There's the greatest, most glorious reason for cold weather rejoicing: celebrating CHRISTMAS!
       So in case you need a little thankfulness booster, or even a complete attitude transformation, on a cold, gray day, here are some words from Tim Keller's wonderful little book, Hidden Christmas that rocked my world: 
       "In Jesus the ineffable, unapproachable God becomes a human being who can be known and loved.  And, through faith, we can know this love.  This does not stun us as much as it should.  Look at the Old Testament.  Anytime anyone drew near to God it was completely terrifying.  God appears to Abraham as a smoking furnace, to Israel as a pillar of fire, to Job as a hurricane or tornado.  When Moses asked to see the face of God, he was told it would kill him, that at best he could only get near God's outskirts, his 'back' (Ex.33:18-23)...
        Can you imagine, then, if Moses were present today, and he were to hear the message of Christmas, namely that 'the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son' (John 1:14)?  Moses would cry out, 'Do you realize what this means?  This is the very thing I was denied!  This means that through Jesus Christ you can meet God.  You can know Him personally and without terror.  He can come into your life. Do you realize that's going on?  Where's your joy?  Where's your amazement?  This should be the driving force of your life!'"  Amen, amen, amen!
       Forgive us, forgive me, Father, for how prone we are to take this astounding, destiny-altering, joy-overflowing Truth for granted!  You--the almighty, omnipotent, omniscient, ineffable, eternal Lord of Lords and King of Kings--came to earth so that we might know You personally and experience Your infinite love and boundless grace through the God-Man Christ Jesus.  The Almighty Lord in a manger.  Hallelujah!!
      Lord, please give us fresh eyes and renewed hearts this Christmas season so that we're not just amazed, but super-abundantly filled to overflowing with wonder, praise, joy, and hope.  No matter what's going on in our lives and in our world, You came and You are here!  Immanuel--God with us, God before us, God behind us, God beside us, God for us, God in us.  
       Thank You, thank You, thank You, Lord Jesus!  Might we live this day in the happy and certain hope, peace, joy, and astonishment at Your wondrous and eternal presence with us.
      Cold weather?  Ha, bring it on!  We're celebrating Jesus--the Light of the world--and there's no light and warmth and wonder like Him.  To God be the glory, glory, glory!

         
       

Christ was born to save...

          Sitting in front of a warm fire on a chilly Saturday and thinking of--and praying for--a number of dear friends who've lost loved ones over the past couple of weeks and days.

         I gaze at the stockings hanging there, and I remember my own dear Mama and Aunt Janie who were responsible for nearly every one of those colorful stockings.  And I smile, thinking of Mom, Janie, Daddy, Kacky, and many loved ones in heaven...surely meeting and rejoicing with so many other moms and dads of my friends.  What wonders, what joys must they be experiencing right at this very moment?  Gloriously imponderable.
         Just last week I shared about this very thing--loss in the face of Christmas.  Somehow Christmas can both magnify our pain, yet also move it into beautiful, soul-strengthening and hope-filling perspective.  Yes, we can have deep sorrow in our hearts and yet also a song in our soul...all because of the priceless, glorious gift of Jesus.  Because Jesus came, conquered sin and death on our behalf, and rose to new resurrection life, we too, will live forever in heaven with Him, as His redeemed children.
        Look at how many Christmas carols mention this great and glorious truth--
       From "O Come O Come Emmanuel"--"O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here.  Disperse the gloomy clouds of night and death's dark shadow put to flight.  Rejoice!  Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
         O come, Thou key of David come, and open wide our heavenly home; Make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery.  Rejoice!  Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to Thee, O Israel."
       Or from "Once in Royal David's City" (one of my Daddy's favorites) "All our eyes at last shall see Him, through His own redeeming love.  For that child so dear and gentle is our Lord in heaven above. And He leads His children on to the place where He has gone."
       Or one of my favorites, "Good Christian Men Rejoice"--"Good Christian men rejoice with heart and soul and voice; now ye need not fear the grave; Jesus Christ was born to save.  Calls you one and calls you all, to gain His everlasting hall.  Christ was born to save!  Christ was born to save!"
       Or "Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing"--"Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace, hail the Son of Righteousness.  Light and life to all He brings, risen 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!'"
       And that's just a few of them.  The carols are rife with the astounding, encouraging, wondrous news--Jesus is born...and that means death is defanged and defeated.  "Now ye need not fear the grace, Jesus Christ was born to save.  Calls you one and calls you all to gain His everlasting hall.  Christ was born to save.  Christ was born to save. 
       If you've lost someone you love, remember that  Christ was born "that man no more may die."  Christ was born to "raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth."  Christ was born to "make safe the way that leads on high, and close the path to misery."  Christ was born to lead "His children to the place where He has gone."
         Christ was born to save...and so we can sing, even when there is sorrow in our hearts.  Might you really gaze at the baby in the manger this Christmas...remember the Savior on the cross...recognize that He now reigns in heaven and on earth forever...and rejoice that He did all this for you, for me, for your loved one.  Christ was born to save, so that you might be reborn to salvation.          O come let us adore Him.  To God be the glory forever.        

Because Jesus came...

       
        He told me on the greenway early this morning...on a gray, damp, chilly Sunday morning.  "My wife just died," he whispered.  
       It took me a moment to register his words.  You see, I run into him regularly as I walk Bingley, and although he doesn't know my name, he always greets me with a "Good morning to you both!"  I'm usually listening to a podcast of some kind, but I always love seeing him and wishing him a good morning, or, as he often says, "a blessed day."  You can just tell he's a truly remarkable and wonderful man, and I feel privileged and grateful to see him and say hello.  
      This morning seemed like all the others, so as he approached, I smiled and cheerfully declared, "Have a wonderful Lord's day!"  But this day was different.  He paused, turned around, and said something.  At first I couldn't hear, so I took out my headphones.
    "My wife just died," he gently repeated.   You could see the deep sorrow etched on his face, and after embracing him, I walked down the greenway in tears.  Tears of great sadness over the pain, disease, and death in this often dark world.  Tears over the terrible, deadly effects that Adam and Eve's sin brought into the world.  Tears over my own selfishness and self-preoccupation that all too often causes me to miss God's opportunities to share His love and reflect His grace.  Oh forgive me, Your faithless child, Father.
      But also tears of overwhelming gratitude--because Jesus came, this world, this life is not the end.  Because He came, death does not, not, not have the final word.  Because He came, our loved ones in Christ are never, ever lost.  No, because He came, our loved ones in Christ cannot be lost, because we know exactly where they are: with Jesus, in heaven, forever, and we will see them again one glorious day.  Because He came, death and sin have been defeated.  Because He came and went to the cross to die for our sins, we are redeemed.  Because He came, we can live each day by His resurrection power, so that He alone is glorified.
     Because He came, we can go...go to our heavenly, eternal, perfect, and glorious Home in heaven.
       And because He came, my friend's wife is truly "home for Christmas."
       I remember thinking the same thing 17 years ago when my dear Mama suddenly and unexpectedly died on December 12th.  Such deep pain in my heart and yet a song in my soul.  Oh how I grieved and missed my Mama, but how I also rejoiced that she was truly home for Christmas and was worshipping with the angels.  All because He came.
     Today, the second Sunday in Advent, we light the peace candle.  Because Jesus came, we can have peace with God.  The peace of God.  And the supernatural peace that passes all understanding...even in darkness, even in despair, and even in death.
       Zechariah prophesied it in his song before Jesus was born: He would "give light to those who sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." (Lk1:79)
      Thank You, Jesus, for coming.  Thank You for coming as a baby and dying on a cross.  Thank You for giving us the wondrous, priceless-beyond-all-imagining gift of salvation.  Thank You for being our light in the darkness and our perfect peace.  And thank You that because You came, we can go to live with You forever in heaven.  
      To God be the glory.      

Advent...coming and waiting

        All righty--who's ready for Christmas?!  Because ready or not, here it comes.  And I say, praise God!
        Sure, we're all sad to bid Thanksgiving goodbye.  What a gloriously happy, uncomplicated, and important holiday.  We get to spend time purposefully being thankful--thankful to the Lord for His relentless goodness in our lives and in our world.  I truly believe that no habit is more transformational than gratitude.  Choosing gratitude and expressing it in thankfulness.
       But while we need to continually hold on to that crucial habit of gratitude, it's also time to move our thankfulness into a new arena, a new time: Advent.   Advent is a time of waiting--waiting and preparing for the coming of Christ.
        The word Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which means "coming."  So in Advent we proclaim the coming of Jesus in two ways--first in celebrating Christ's coming as the long, long-awaited Messiah, and second in anticipating Christ's return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
        Even as we wait, we prepare.  And even as we wait and prepare, we celebrate.  After all the long years of waiting in the Old Testament, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to save His people.  No wonder we can celebrate that the Messiah has come!  But we also still wait for His second coming when all things will be made right, and Jesus will reign as our perfect, glorious King of Kings.
       God had first promised the coming Messiah way, way back in Genesis 3:15 when God Himself prophesied that One would come who would "crush [the] head" of satan and defeat evil.  But it would be thousands of years, while the Jews waited and waited, before the angel would come to Mary to tell her of the child she would bear--this long promised Messiah was finally coming!
      We cannot imagine how long, how arduous, how difficult all those years of waiting and wondering must have been for God's people.  Indeed, the four hundred years right before Jesus' coming, no prophets whatsoever were sent by God, and thus those dark years are often referred to as the "silent years."  Had the Lord forgotten His people?  Had He finally determined to reject them forever?  It seemed the promised Messiah would not be coming....
       ...and then Jesus came.  In the fullness of time, at just the right moment in God's calendar, Jesus came.  God's timing may not be our timing...indeed, it almost never is, is it?  But His timing, His plans, His ways are always, always, always "good, pleasing, and perfect." (Rom.12:2)  
       Tim Keller writes, "God may take His time, but He keeps His Word...You cannot judge God by your calendar. God may appear to be slow, but He never forgets His promises.  He may seem to be working very slowly or even to be forgetting His promises, but when His promises come true (and they will come true), they always burst the banks of what you imagined."  Amen!
       So if you're waiting on something right now, well, you're in mighty good company.  Welcome to the human race, for each of us are always waiting on something.  In your hard or lonely or frightening waiting, remember adventus--"coming."  At just the right time, at the darkest and most desperate moment, God came as an infant Savior...and He's coming again as a glorious Sovereign.
     We can wait just a little bit longer...but in our waiting, we remember.  In our waiting, we trust.  In our waiting, we prepare.  And in our waiting, we even celebrate...for the King has come and is coming again.
      Thank You, Lord, for Advent.  Thank You for coming.  Thank You for the glorious, unshakable, and certain promise that You are coming again.  And thank You that as we wait, You are with us.
     To God be the glory.      

Always, always, always

         "May my lips overflow with praise, for You teach me Your decrees...Let me live that I may praise You, and may Your laws sustain me." (Ps.119:171,175)
         Oh to have lips that "overflow with praise" for God...and to live to praise Him!  That means that an occasional "thank You, Lord," nor even a daily listing of blessings for which we're grateful should be enough. Rather, our conversation should be overflowing with praise and thanksgiving to our gracious, generous Father.
        With what does your tongue overflow?  Words of thanksgiving...or words of complaining.  Words of gratitude...or words of gossip.  Words of rejoicing...or words of nitpicking.  Words that benefit...or words that belittle.  Words that relentlessly search for God's gifts and then thank Him...or words that simply follow along with the flow of our often sarcastic, caustic, ever-discontent culture.
          If it's the latter rather than the former, then we're following the perfect recipe for irritability, fear, dissatisfaction, and ultimately despair.  But if we choose--because it's always a choice--to have lips that overflow with praise, we will find anxiety, discontentment, and discouragement dissipate.  Instead, they'll be replaced with deep down, soul-sustaining peace and joy.  
         My sweet friend, Maria, dropped off this wonderful gift at my house the other day--

        I have it hanging in our kitchen as a reminder that this is how to have lips that overflow with praise!  This will help us to live to praise God.  Because it's so true--no matter how dark or uncertain the circumstances, there truly are always, always, always myriad reasons to thank and praise our Father.  And if we choose (there's that word again) to look for reasons for thanksgiving and then to consciously thank the Lord, we will be transformed.  Yeah sure, the circumstances may not change one iota, but we are changed.  Dramatically changed.
         I learned this most powerfully when Janie was in the ICU four years ago.  The doctors and nurses were unable to awaken her from the coma, and her body struggled to battle not just the traumatic brain injury, but also fever, infection, and severe lung problems.  Unconscious and unresponsive...day after day after day, while we waited and prayed, prayed and waited.
        But after we'd been there about a week and a half, a middle-aged man was admitted to the room next to Janie.  He, too, had suffered a brain injury, and he, too, was unconscious.  Through the thin ICU walls, we could hear the same protocol we'd heard countless times with Janie.  Every hour, the nurses would lower the medicine and attempt to awaken the patient.  "Mr. so and so.  Mr. so and so. Can you hear me?," they'd shout.  "Wake up!  Can you hear me?"                
         Day after day, every hour of every day, they'd been attempting this same thing with our daughter.  "Janie, wake up!  Janie, wake up!  Janie, can you hear me?"  But still, after ten days, nothing.  Nada.  To say it was hope crushing would be an understatement--every hour your hopes would rise, as you'd think, "Maybe this time!"  But then nothing.  No response.  Yet here was this man, who after being admitted to the ICU less than 12 hours earlier, had apparently begun to respond and awaken.
          I shared this at the time, but I'm still ashamed to admit that my first thought wasn't joy for this man and his family.  Oh forgive me, Lord.  No, my first thought was, "Why not Janie, Lord?  This man's been here less than a day.  She's been here nearly two weeks. Why not her?"  You can probably imagine the dark, twisted paths my mind would have gone down had I continued thinking like that.  I shudder to even ponder it.
       But praise my gracious, forgiving, forever-faithful Lord that He stopped me in my tracks.  Somehow in His mercy, the Holy Spirit immediately spoke to my heart--"Stop!  Choose to find reasons to thank Me.  Right now, choose to praise your Heavenly Father."
        And thank the Lord, that's exactly what I did.  Can I just say that even that was all by His grace?  I'm so often disobedient, or at best, sloooow to obey.  And thanking God was surely the last thing in the world that I felt like doing. Yet this time, by God's mercy and grace, He enabled me to obey that which He directed.
       So I began to write down, in that very moment, every blessings for which I was thankful--some big, some tiny.  "Thank You, Lord, for the amazing nurses and doctors...for this excellent hospital...for our incredible friends who are helping us in every way possible...for my dear brothers and sisters who are constantly with us here...for Janie's friends praying...for Courtney and the Young Life leaders...for the Starbucks downstairs...for the recovery of the other girls in the accident...
         Yes, it was awfully difficult and painful at first, but slowly, slowly, not only did counting those blessings grow easier, but the deadly vise-grip of fear and bitterness on my heart began to loosen.  In it's place, well, God gave a deep down peace and even the beginning of joy.  I will never forget it, and the experience changed me forever.  That's the power of praise and the blessing of Thanksgiving.   When we thank Him--even in the hardest places--we not only please God and bring Him glory, but in the process, we experience blessing, peace, hope, and, yes, even joy.
         That's a lot of words to simply agree with Maria's beautiful little hand towel that there are always, always, always reasons for thanksgiving.  Might each of us, no matter our circumstances, choose to daily, even hourly, look for those gifts--those reasons for thanksgiving--and then express our gratitude with lips overflowing with praise.
         Oh Father, we ask that You would enable us to live to praise You and that our lips will overflow with that praise.  For in You, there's always, always, always reason for rejoicing.  To God be the glory.

       

Always thankful...in the ordinary

        "I will extoll the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips." (Ps.34:1)
        Extoll Him at "all times."  His praise "always on my lips."  Not just for the big, splashy blessings...but also for the common, everyday graces of our regular old ordinary--yet infused with the extraordinary--lives.  Thanks and praise to Him in the highs and lows...in the routine and the chaos.
        So today, here's a few ordinary--yet extraordinary--gifts from God.  Thank You, Abba!
        The beautiful mum my dear sister, Mary Norris, gave me that is still blooming to beat the band.  Thankful!  From glory...

    ...to glory, in the back set of our car.
  Mr. B enjoying a trip to pick up his little "brother."  Thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, in the Target parking lot.
Everywhere you look, God's dancing paintings stun you, even in parking lots! Thankful.
From glory...

 ...to glory, remembering "Hamilton" with my girls.  So,so,so thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, with the joy of these amazing girls and their mamas.  
Friendship.  So very thankful.  From glory...

 ...to glory, sitting with God's Word, hot tea in a beloved mug, and a blanket made for us when Janie was in ICU.  Reading, sipping, and remembering...and overwhelmingly thankful, thankful, thankful.

        How about you?  What ordinary (yet extraordinary) gifts has God showered upon you today?  Have you noticed?  Have you thanked Him?  Might His praise be "always" on our lips.  He is forever worthy.
         To God be the glory.

Do it for the pilgrims!

        "I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." (Phil.1:3-5)
        Today, Lord, thank You so much for the gift of friendship.  And oh what a priceless gift it is!  And here's how I was reminded--a note from a dear friend.  Let me explain.
        Early this morning, I awoke with a heavy heart.  I don't really know why, but I just felt anxious and a bit downhearted.  As soon as I walked into the kitchen to greet Mr. B and make some hot tea to enjoy with the Word, my eyes fell upon an unopened envelope addressed to me.  It'd been such a busy couple of days that I had somehow missed seeing and opening it.  This was the card's cover--

 Yes sir, I was feeling better already! And then inside--

Amen!  Now that's a cause I can really get behind...or should I say, that I can really sink my teeth into...literally.
        My dear friend, Joan, sent it to me, and she shares my love and admiration for all things "pilgrim."  How can you not adore and respect those courageous, persevering, hardy souls?  They traveled to our shores to freely worship the Lord, and they endured such unimaginable tribulation.  There was so much death and pain and sorrow.  Yet they persevered...and gave us a beautiful, in-living-color example of praise and Thanksgiving even in the face of relentless adversity.
        So yes sir, we can all dig into our Thanksgiving meals--and carb up (I'm looking for you dressing, squash casserole, chocolate cake, and pumpkin anything!)--with joyful abandon, because, we've gotta "Do it for the pilgrims!"  Aren't you feeling better already?
        But back to my original point--my sweet friend, Joan, had no earthly idea I'd need to laugh at her card and enjoy her encouraging words on the morning of November 16th.  Nope, she just acted on the prompting of the Holy Spirit that gently nudged her to send a little note of encouragement to her buddy.  And she did.
        That's the point--she did.
        So how about you?  Has God put someone on your heart recently?  Do you have a friend whose name has suddenly come to your mind for seemingly no apparent reason?  Write them a quick note.  Have you thought about that small cadre of friends that you've not visited with in a while--organize a get-together via email.
        Folks, we need each other!  The Lord gave us friends and family to savor, to laugh with, to learn from, to love (duh), and to encourage.  You don't know but that your brother or sister in Christ or your friend from work or your out of town sibling or simply your bygone buddy needs a word of hope, or a reminder of God's love,  or simply a "don't quit--you can get through this!" cheer from you. 
         Don't put it off till tomorrow or when you "have  more time" (which is never).  Do it today!  If God's put them on your heart, make the call, write the letter, and go ahead and do. it. today.
         "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.  If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." (Ecc.4:9-10) 
          Maybe you're a lot stronger than me.  Maybe you never fall down or grow disheartened or feel defeated...but I do.  And truth be told, we all do at times, right?  So praise God for the priceless, wondrous gift of friends and family!  Ah boy, today I'm so thankful for dear friends like Joan...or like my wonderful sister, Jane, who just called me for lunch out of the blue.  Thank You, Lord, for my husband, my children, my siblings, and my friends.  Gifts straight from Your hand.  Please, Father, help me to love them well.  Help us to love and encourage one another even in life's mundane or messy moments...which is all of them!
          Today, thank the Lord for the wondrous gift of friends and family.  And then tell them or show them how grateful you are for them...do it for the pilgrims!
          To God be the glory.         
       

Turning the corner to Thanksgiving!

         Yes, yes, the election.
         No matter which side you found yourself on, weren't you just weary of the whole thing?  Weary of the worrying.  Weary of the ugly, harsh rhetoric.  Weary of the divisiveness.  Weary, now, of the endless analysis of what happened and why.  Whew.
        How I pray that by the grace of Almighty God, He will make a way for our nation to move forward in healing.  Healing of the many wounds.  Healing of the fear.  Healing of the loss of hope.  And healing of the misplaced faith in things that were never meant to bear the brunt of our ultimate faith and hope.
         To once again quote Chuck Colson, "The Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air force One."  So matter whether you're elated or devastated right now, remember your hope, your salvation, and your joy will never be found in any political party or candidate or any other thing this world applauds or promotes.  Your hope, your never failing Rock, your deep down soul satisfaction, your perfect peace is in Christ alone.  And that's the greatest news of all--because Jesus, our Hope, can never be destroyed or defeated or diminished in any way, ever!
        "Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."  
          So time today to turn the corner, refocus on the Savior, and choose gratitude.  Praise God for the gift of Thanksgiving!  Did you know that just two days ago--November 11--was just a few years shy of the 400 anniversary of the signing of the Mayflower Compact?  Yay pilgrims!
        As those courageous, godly men, women, and children arrived in the harbor off the coast of Cape Cod, William Bradford recorded: "Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven."  Oh yes, time to turn the corner to Thanksgiving!

      "I will give thanks to You Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of Your wonderful deeds." (Ps.9:1)
      "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever." (I Chron. 16:34)
      "Rejoice always; Pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (I Thess.5:16-18)
        Amen and amen!  We thank and praise You, Lord, for Your never failing goodness and for Your relentless grace to us. Thank You for pilgrims.  Thank You for Thanksgiving.  Thank You for the gift of life and breath.  Thank You for the beauty of Your creation.  Thank You for crisp fall days and magnificent trees dressed in autumn's finest.  Thank You for the priceless gift of family and friends.  And thank You for Jesus--our true and ultimate and never failing Hope.
         Yes, we echo the words of George Herbert: "Oh Thou, who has given us so much, mercifully grant us one more thing--a grateful heart."  To God--and God alone--be all the glory.

       

One more day...

         I can hear the stirring notes from the musical, "Les Miserables," echoing in my brain: "One more day..."
         Oh mercy, praise God just one more day.   One more day and no more mud slinging, no more robo calls, no more piles of flyers, no more back-to-back ads slamming the other candidate, no more endless polls and political commentary.
         I don't mean to make light of all this (but it's either laugh or cry!), because clearly our nation's in trouble, and this old world is a mess.  But boy, there have been moments over the past few months when I've been nearly overwhelmed with discouragement and fear over all that's going on in our country and the vitriol and ugly words that have been hurled about.  It's tempting to throw your hands up in despair regardless of which side of the political spectrum on which you find yourself.  
         But here's the thing: despair is a sin.  Fear is a failure to trust God. And sticking our heads in the sand or lashing out in fury are NOT the responses of anyone who follows the Sovereign King who gave His life to redeem this fallen world.
         As I thought about tomorrow, the Lord suddenly brought this verse to mind: "This--THIS--is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Ps.143:24) And here's why we an rejoice--because God is still and forever on His throne, and nothing will ever change that.  Our hope is not in any political candidate or political system.  Our hope is in Christ alone. And nothing and no one will ever thwart His plans and purposes for His people.  That doesn't mean we won't endure plenty of hard times ahead, but it does mean He's fully in control and working all things out for our good and His glory.
         And here's my prayer: that God will bring healing to our land.  Oh how we need it.  That He will heal the divisiveness.  That He will replace the harsh, hurtful words with words of hope and healing.  That He will bring revival and restoration among His people.  And that believers will lead the way in shining the light and love of Christ in a dark world.
         No, that doesn't mean we all agree or acquiesce.  But it means we listen.  We seek to understand.  And we talk and share the Truth in love, remembering that those with whom we disagree are made in the likeness of God and are people Christ loves and for whom He suffered and died.  
          Just today, I read these words, and they speak powerfully to this moment:
          "I remember once hearing Bishop Whipple...utter these beautiful words: 'For thirty years I have tried to see the face of Christ in those with whom I differed.'  When this spirit actuates us we shall be preserved at once from a narrow bigotry and an easy-going tolerance, from passionate vindictiveness and everything that would mar or injure our testimony for Him who came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them."  (W.H. Griffith Thomas)
          Heavenly Father, please by Your infinite grace, enable us to see the face of our Savior in those with whom we disagree.  Help us to forgive as You forgive.  Help us love as You love.  Help us to serve as You serve.  Remind us anew that the ground is level at the foot of the cross, for we are all sinners saved solely by Your grace.  Thank You for the hope and promise of the Gospel--that we are far worse than we ever dared imagine, but we are also far more loved by You than we ever dared dream.  It's all, all, all grace, Lord.  Keep us humble.  Keep us grateful.  Keep us listening.  Keep us loving.  Keep us shining the Light of Christ--and never hiding it under a bushel--wherever we go, whatever we do, that the world may know how good and great You are.  Thank You, Father.  In Jesus mighty and merciful name we pray.  Amen.
          To God be the glory.

The real deal!!

         Well, it's been a little over a week since Chicago.  And can I just say, "Wow."  What a city!   What a wonderful group of moms and daughters!  What eating!  What architecture!

What biking!

 What shopping! (don't tell my husband)  What a "lake"--which, for my money, is an ocean--Huuuuuuge!   Oh, and did I mention, what EATING?!

 Oh my, my, my.  Our trip was just one happy, never-to-be-forgotten moment after another, and you could put our whole crew at the  top of the Chicago fan club--ah, except during the winter.
        But let me get to the ultimate, shining highlight of our trip: "Hamilton."  Yes, that's right--the musical based upon Alexander Hamilton's life.  I've already recounted this in an earlier blog post, but just to briefly recap:our daughter, Janie, has been obsessed with "Hamilton" for a good long while.  She could--and I mean this literally--understudy every single role in the musical, because she’s memorized every single word of every single song and every single rap.  
 She played the musical score so many times that I’m sure all her housemates were ready to scream!  She watched the pirated version of an undercover video of the musical.  She’s researched all the in’s and out’s of about every aspect of the show and it’s unbelievably talented author and composer—Lin Manuel-Miranda.  Janie’s desperately wanted to see Hamilton for a good long time, but there was a problem: the tickets in New York were sold out till the rapture…and if by some chance you could get your hands on one, they cost an arm and a leg.
But Janie remained undaunted in her single-minded quest to see Hamilton, and her extraordinary love for the show was contagious.  So after learning that "Hamilton" was opening in Chicago in October, well, that was it.  Time for a senior year fall break road trip with moms and daughters (and for a few of us, also for our older daughters as well.  Yay!).
  Of course, priority numero uno was to buy tickets to "Hamilton."  My girls and I had no idea what hotel we were staying in or when our flights were scheduled to depart and arrive, but you can bet your britches we were totally on top of buying those tickets.  And as soon as we did, I was informed in no uncertain terms by my daughters that I MUST learn and be completely familiar with the complex story, because I absolutely, positively--under pain of death--was NOT permitted to ask questions during the musical!  (Which is a bit of challenge for me.)  So for a solid month, I listened intently to the 1000 page book on CD on which the musical is based.  In my car, it was ALL Hamilton, ALL the time.  And we all listened to the music...and listened and listened.    
Okay, enough background.  Fast forward to weekend before last.  By the time we arrived in Chicago, most of us were incredibly familiar with Hamilton—his real life story and his musical.  And we were all super excited to finally get to see this show that has garnered universal acclaim.  We all totally loved the sight-seeing, shopping, and eating…but unquestionably the most highly anticipated moment would be our last night in Chicago when we’d see “Hamilton.”
After such a build up, I wondered if anything could possibly live up to all the hype and excitement.  Well guess what?  It didn’t meet our ultra-high expectations…it blew them out of the water.  Listening to the music, reading the book, and learning about the composer all PALED in comparison to actually going to it and seeing it in person.  It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!

But you know what I realized?  Before we went to Hamilton, we could appreciate the story.  We could savor the music.  We could admire the composer.  But until we jumped in and experienced the actual show, we couldn’t imagine how much we were missing.
        There’s nothing like the real deal, is there?  Its like the difference between looking at a photograph of the ocean versus actually sitting on the beach and enjoying the sun, waves, and salt air!  Well, in an infinitely greater, more destiny-altering, life-changing, and joy-filling way, that’s the radical difference between "religion" and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Religion essentially says “If I perform and obey, I’m accepted.”  But the Gospel says, “I am fully accepted in Jesus Christ, and therefore I obey.”  Religion says “Be as good as you possibly can and then maybe you can come into God’s kingdom.”  The Gospel says, “Come on in, you’re welcomed into God’s Kingdom, because Jesus was perfect in His goodness for you.”  Religion can mean little more than knowing something about Jesus, but the Gospel means knowing Jesus personally as Savior.
It’s all the difference in the world, because religion leads to endless striving, self-effort, and self-righteousness while the Gospel leads to freedom, joy, and Christ’s righteousness.  With religion, we can feel prideful or anxious, but with the Gospel, we’re humbled and grateful.  And with religion, obedience is a burden, but with the Gospel of Jesus obedience is a blessing.
       Religion is a little like dutifully listening to the book on CD about Hamilton, because you desperately want to understand the plot; but the gospel is joyfully experiencing the real deal when you watch the actual musical and are overcome by the beauty of the story and music.  Like I said, it’s ALL the difference in the world!  
I say all this, because how often have you heard people say something like, "Oh I hear you're religious."  I always want to shout, "No,  no!  It's not about being religious.  It's all about being in a living, breathing relationship with the Savior who made you, loves you, and died for you!"  
       Jesus is the Gospel!  He’s the real deal—the glorious reality of God incarnate giving us His righteousness in exchange for our sinfulness.  Praise God that because He came, died for our sins, and rose to new life, we can rejoice rather than living enslaved to our fears or frustrations or feelings of either pride on the one hand or despairing inadequacy on the other.  None of us will ever be good enough...but that's okay, because Jesus was and is and always will be.
        So today, if Jesus is your Redeemer, rejoice that you have the real deal, and He will never, ever leave you, nor forsake you.   Because "there's nothing like the real thing, baby!"
        To God be the glory.

Chicago...and God's sovereignty

     

        Chicago.  Wow.
        We arrived last night for a moms and daughters trip, and this is our first visit to the Windy City.  And let me just say, based on the drive from the airport and the walk to a late evening dinner, "Wow" about covers it.  Broad boulevards, beautiful buildings, wide glittering river...not to mention priceless daughters and moms with whom to enjoy it all!  All good gifts come from Your hand, so thank You, thank You, Father, for allowing us to be here!

                (A few of the girls...not everyone is here yet...and, boy, dinner was some kind of good!)
         But here's my very short, very limited point for this early morning before exploring the city: praise God that He is here.  He is in Raleigh.  He is in eastern North Carolina where folks struggle to recover from hurricane Matthew.  He is in Aleppo...and Paris...and Dubai...and Detroit..and Addis Ababa.
        Abraham Kuyper says "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"  Amen!
       Sovereign over elections and politicians.  Sovereign over hurricanes and earthquakes.  Sovereign over every person and every place.  Sovereign over our fondest hopes and our greatest fears.
       And so, as we begin this new day in this new place with new friends, Father, we thank You that You are here, and You are back home with those we love so dearly.  You are with those struggling to recover from pain and loss, and You are with those worried about simply making it through the day.  You are with those in some kind of storm..with those about to enter a storm...and those thankfully exiting the storm.  You are with us in our rejoicing and celebration...and with us, often even more dearly and intimately, in our weeping and sorrows.
          You, our Sovereign King, are with us no matter what.  No matter where.  No matter who.  We praise You and thank You, our Rock and our Redeemer.  Remind us of Your powerful presence, Your unconquerable love, and Your supreme-over-ALL-things sovereignty in the days ahead.  As the world grows darker, preserve us from despair--which is a sin--and discouragement.  You are still--and always and forever will be-on the throne of the universe.  No election, no storm, no sickness, no failure, no nothing, nothing, nothing will ever change that one iota.  You are God and there is none other.
         With You and in You there is always hope, joy, peace, grace, strength, forgiveness, love, and ultimate glory.  In You we have all that now, but even more especially in the glorious future You  have prepared for those who love You.  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Rom.8:28)  Those aren't just familiar words on a page...they are Your God-breathed out, supernaturally powerful words of eternal and unconquerable Truth.
          Yes, "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!"  Amen, Lord, amen.  To You, Almighty God of heaven and earth, be all the glory.
       

Praying

                                        A little food for weekend thought on prayer--
         "And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place and there He prayed." (Mark 1:35)
         "And they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." (Rev.5:8)
         John Piper says, "It is as though God has a favorite food.  When we pray, He smells the aroma from the kitchen as you prepare His favorite dish.  When God hungers for some special satisfaction, He seeks out a prayer to answer.  Our prayer is the sweet aroma from the kitchen ascending up into the King's chambers making Him hungry for the meal.  But the actual enjoyment of the meal is His own glorious work in answering our prayer.  The food of God is to answer our prayers.  The most wonderful thing about the Bible is that it reveals a God who satisfies His appetite for joy answering prayers.  He has no deficiency in Himself that He needs to fill up, so He gets His satisfaction by magnifying the glory of His riches by filling up the deficiencies of people who pray."
         After an unimaginably full and busy day that stretched from early morning until deep into the night with Jesus teaching and healing countless individuals, what does our Lord do?  He arises in the predawn darkness to be alone with His Heavenly Father to pray.  To enjoy His Father's presence.  To lay all His needs before His Father.  To simply soak in His Father's love, peace, joy, wisdom, and strength.  If the Sovereign King of Kings, the Creator of heaven and earth needed this time alone with His Father to be empowered and equipped for all He had to do, why on earth would we think we need it any less?  I keep asking my lazy...or rushed...or self-sufficient...or misplaced priorities self that question.  If the Lord Jesus needed and wanted prayer, who do I think I am to skimp on it?  How much am I missing?  Forgive me, Father!  Oh how I want to be a woman of prayer.  A prayer warrior for God's kingdom.  Help me, help us, Father, to be Your prayer warriors.  
         In John Piper's words, we want our prayers to create those sweet aromas that bring You, our Father, satisfaction.  We ask that in Your grace, You would teach us to pray.  In your love, You would enable us to persevere in our prayers.  And in Your power and for Your glory, You would answer our prayers.
       And, Lord, right now we lift up those in dire need because of Hurricane Matthew.   Raise up an army of Your people to help and serve and love those who are struggling...and might You receive all the glory.  Lord, strengthen the weak.  Heal the sick and injured.  Comfort those dealing with terrible loss.  Encourage the downhearted.  Bring the light and love of Christ to bear in every dark and desperate place.  Overwhelm the darkness with Your Light.  Father, we know You are able, so we ask all this in Jesus mighty, good and glorious name.  And to You be all the glory.  Amen.
       

A change of plans...

        So it wasn't quite the weekend any of us had planned.
        Our plans included all kinds of events for our daughter's senior year parent's weekend--from brunches to tailgates to fun football games. There was our youngest son's first dance on Saturday night...complete with tux.  There was another son's golf team tournament which we all planned to attend in between all the other events. There were children coming from out of town for a good, long, happy visit to enjoy all the festivities together.
         Those were just our family's plans...think of how many others had all sorts of plans.
         Then there was Hurricane Matthew.
         And old Matthew, he had mighty different ideas.  The tailgate got moved indoors.  The golf tournament played in the rain and then the last round cancelled.  Lots of dashing to and fro to various events in the pouring rain and gusty winds.  And the football game...well, let's just call it "character building."  The tux--

        It never even got taken out of the bag--dance cancelled.
        Brunch for our boys--with no electricity, we toasted bagels on the gas stove--

 (which, for the record, they said was delicious.  Hunger is a wonderful flavor enhancer!)
         The water rose high, almost to the road--

And trees were down, blocking the roads--

 But when the rain finally stopped, the sun rose glorious and bright with a clear blue sky on an achingly gorgeous October Sunday morning.  And the sticks, oh, the sticks...it was Bingley paradise--

        When our power came back on a day or so later, my, it was wonderful.  We drove up and saw the lights shining outside, and our little banner said it all--

      Isn't it something how much we take for granted?  How terribly prone we are to ignore or assume the joys of hot water, clean laundry, reading lights at night, and warm food?  Or the blessings of people to love and chores to do for them, eyes to see October's beauty, hands to hold, mouths and noses and ears to speak and smell and hear.
      God daily showers gift upon gift upon gift, yet how often we ignore His relentless generosity.  How frequently I fail to simply acknowledge His goodness and say "Thank You, Father."
       He is so good, so faithful even when we are faithless and fickle.  I read these words the other day from Tim Keller: "Our unfaithfulness in light of His faithfulness makes ours more heinous. But His faithfulness in light of our unfaithfulness makes His more wonderful.”  No wonder they call it "amazing grace."
        Thank You, Abba, thank You.  You know if we could only say two prayers, maybe a good place to start would be "Forgive me" and "Thank You."  Forgive us for our faithlessness.  Forgive us for forgetting Your goodness.  Forgive us for failing to see You as the Creator and Giver of every single good gift in our lives.
        And thank You for it all.  Thank You for the commonest graces of food, water, clothing.  Thank You for extraordinary gifts of love, forgiveness, joy, hope, fellowship, peace, grace.  Thank You for plans made...and interrupted.  Thank You for the gifts we want...and for those we don't.  For we know and trust You will use it all for our ultimate good and Your greater glory.
         “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).
          Thank You, Father for everything. Thank You.  To God be the glory.
 

October!

                                A little food for weekend thought on the first day of a new month--
        First, did you know that October is National Pasta Month?  Yes sir, that should put a spring in your step.  Not only is it October, surely one of the loveliest months of the year...not only is it time for pumpkin cakes, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin anything and everything (yum!)...not only is it the start of the Thanksgiving season (I believe in kicking off Thanksgiving on October 1) which is surely one of the most wonderful seasons in the whole year...not only is it the time to bring out your pilgrims and be reminded of all we have to be thankful for...but now we learn that it's National Pasta Month!  What's not to love?  If you're prone to complaining, just contemplate the month of October, and you'll surely find ample grounds for gratitude!
         Thank You, Lord, for October...and pumpkins...and pilgrims...and football...and the state fair...and fall skies...and crunchy apples...and sweater weather (but not yet coat weather, thank goodness).  
         And here's another totally unrelated thing I'm thankful for--the gift of insight and wisdom from God's Word and from great books.  I guess a perfect fall moment might be eating pumpkin pasta, followed by pumpkin cake, all while sitting in front of a blazing fire with your family and reading a great book together.  Throw in some chocolate and a few pilgrims and you've got autumnal paradise.           And speaking of good books,  I read these words the other day from one of my favorite authors, Paul David Tripp.  Some mighty good stuff, so here's a little food for weekend thought--
         "It is not biblical faith to try to convince yourself that things are better than they actually are.  It is not biblical faith to work to make yourself feel good about what is not good.  Biblical faith looks reality in the face and does not flinch.  On the other hand, there is a crucial difference between facing hard realities and allowing those realities to dominate the meditation of your heart.
           Here’s what biblical faith does: it examines reality, but it makes the Lord its meditation.  It is only when you look at life thru the window of the glory of the One who has been the source of your meditation that you see reality accurately.  The more you meditate on your problems, the bigger and more insurmountable they seem to be. Meditating on God in the midst of your trouble reminds you once again that the God to whom grace has connected you is magnificent in His grandeur and glory.  He is infinitely greater than any problem you could ever experience.  Then your responses are shaped by HIs glory and not by the seeming size of your problems."
           Thank You, Father, that as we meditate on You and Your Word--and thereby on Your goodness, greatness, and grace--we not only see Your infinite glory and grandeur, but we also see our problems in relation to who You are and what You've done.  And suddenly the astounding beauty of our Savior far, far, far outstrips any and all of our paltry problems.
         Thank You for the treasure of Jesus, for the joy of our salvation, and for all the other daily gifts You sprinkle along our paths...and today that means starting with October's blessings. To God be the glory.
               

Starting anew

        Gee whiz, it's been ten days since I've written here.  How on earth did that happen?  What is happening to my days that seem to zip by at warp speed...only to leave me wondering why I haven't crossed off any of the twenty-seven items on my to do list?  Sigh.
        Well, I could sit here and bemoan my lack of organizational and time management skills (which is sadly part of my problem.  Double sigh.)  Or I could chalk it up to laziness and inertia (which, let's face it, we're all afflicted with from time to time.)  Or I could look for excuses to justify my busyness...like the hectic start of the school year, the beginning of Bible study (and lecture writing--a total privilege and joy, but an awful lot of time and work), the new season of "Dancing with the Stars" and "Poldark" (Okay, not really...or at least I'll only blame Poldark.)  Or I could simply throw up my hands in surrender to all of the above, give up the whole shebang, and go eat large quantities of chocolate.
         Anybody understand the feeling?  Anybody feel like making excuses for failing to do that which you want to do and know you should do...but haven't done?  Anybody experiencing an attack of the lazies...or the laters (as in "I'm fixin' to think about possibly doing it tomorrow...or the day after")?  Anybody tempted to quit in discouragement?    
          Okay, maybe not, but just in case, maybe we need to do a little preaching to ourselves. If God's called us to do it, He will help us to complete it.  God's callings are always His enablings.
         And one thing I know for sure--we serve a Lord who perseveres and never, ever quits.  Lest we ever forget, all we need to do is look to the cross.  "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself so that yo may not grow weary or fainthearted." (Heb.12:1-3)  Amen!
           I tell you what--we can quit as soon as Jesus quits, alright?...which is NEVER, EVER!
           How about some food from the Word to feed our hearts and strengthen our souls--
           "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Gal.6:9)
           "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken." (Ps.55:22)
           "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor.4:16-18)
           "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Dt.31:8)
          "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil.4:19)
           And finally, "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil.1:6)
          Alrighty then.  We can trust in our never-failing, all-powerful Almighty God and His always true, life-giving, strength-infusing, supernatural Word...or we can trust in our ever-vacillating, unpredictable, and unreliable emotions.  One way leads to hope, joy, peace, perseverance, divine empowerment, and deep soul satisfaction.  The other leads to discouragement, ineffectiveness, stress, and soul emptiness.  Hmm. Not a tough choice.
           Time to look to the Lord, trust in His faithfulness, rely on His power, and then, get busy doing what He's called us to do!   And yes, it's ALL HIM.  All by His power.  All by His grace.  All for His glory. But He does call us to do what we can do...and then He does ALL that we cannot do.  (Although, here's the amazing part: even what we think we can do, well, that's really only because He's the One who enables us to do it!) 
            Whatever that "thing" is that you know God's putting His finger upon right now, why don't you ask Him to enable you to get up off the couch, ask for His forgiveness for procrastinating till now, pray for His enabling power and wisdom,  trust in His perfect provision and presence...and then get going!  It's never too late to start anew.
           To God be the glory.
           

Of valleys, singing, and Hallelujah

        You can count on it: right after the mountain peak, the valley's sure to be just around the bend.  
       We began Bible study this morning, and it was pure joy to see all those dear, smiling faces together--ready to study God's Word together...to hear the Father whispering His love and revealing His treasures to strengthen and teach...and to grow together and encourage one another through this joyful, sorrowful, challenging, amazing journey of life.
       So it was a mighty good morning, and I was, and am, mighty thankful.
       But then, sure enough, here it comes.  That valley of opposition...or discouragement..or fear...or failure...or heartache...or misunderstanding...or whatever lies the enemy throws at you.  For me, that valley most often tends to be discouragement.  Discouragement with myself and all my many failings, discouragement over our seemingly hopelessly divided culture, discouragement over the brokenness of this planet.
       Yep, after the mountain peak comes the valley.
       Yet here's the thing: despair is a sin.  Wallowing in discouragement accomplishes nothing.  And let's face it--self-pity is nothing but self-centeredness coated in despondency.
       So I decided to cancel that old useless party and instead pulled out the Word and put on Handel's "Messiah" blasting on the CD player (yes, we still have a boom box that plays CD's.  Can you believer that?!)
         Because God's Word tells us to address "one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph.5:19-20)
          Singing.  Making melody to the Lord.  Giving thanks always and for everything.  
          Gratitude,  God's Word, music, choosing to sing our praises to the One worthy of all honor and glory--it's amazing how they transform not just the very atoms and atmosphere of the very air we breathe, but they also change us.  They remind us of God's extravagant goodness and grace.  They help remake us on the inside, transforming us from grumbling to grateful, from discouraged to joyful, from fearful to faith-fueled.      
         I read the other day that when Handel moved to England in 1712, life as a composer and musician was hard and discouraging.  He struggled financially.  The various monarchs were wildly unpredictable--one day you're in...and the next you're out.  He was attacked for various reasons and finally by 1742 his health began to deteriorate, and he faced debtor's prison.  Clearly a long, dark valley.
         But one day a friend gave him a libretto on the life of Christ with the words taken directly from God's Word.  On August 22, 1741 Handel sat down and began composing.  In fact, it's said that for three weeks, Handel never left his room, not even pausing to eat, as he composed and completed one of the most magnificent pieces of music ever written: Messiah.
        At one point during that three week period,  a friend stopped by to visit him and found him sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion.  He had just written the "Hallelujah Chorus."  And when the Messiah was performed for the first time in London, as the choir began singing the Hallelujah Chorus, the king--himself overcome with emotion--rose to his feet and the whole audience followed his lead.  That's the power of "singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart."  Oh thank You, Lord Jesus, for these gifts!
          So today, if you're in a valley, or facing a valley, maybe it's time to pull out the Word and sing to the Lord.  Crank up the music.  Make melody in your heart.  And do it with thanksgiving--always and for everything.  Not many exceptions in there.  When thankfulness reigns, joy returns!
         And oh my, He is so infinitely worthy.
         In the words of the old Puritan in The Valley of Vision: "Teach me to laud, adore, and magnify thee, with the music of heaven, and make me a perfume of praiseful gratitude to thee."  Amen and amen.
         To God be the glory.
       

All about Hamilton

         Okay, I don't want to brag or boast...but WE'RE GOING TO "HAMILTON!!"
         You know what I'm talking about, right?  Hamilton...as in the musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton.  As in the founding father who, until this play came out, was in danger of being removed from the ten dollar bill.   As in the sold out musical on Broadway.  As in our daughter's total obsession, since she already knows every single word to every single song and rap in the entire play.  Seriously.  She could understudy the entire cast.  As in--our girls and I are going to see it in Chicago in late October.
         Now, here's the thing.  I've been informed--by my girls--that: 1)the musical is quite complicated; 2) you have to understand the story; 3) you really need to be familiar with the words to the songs and raps so you'll understand what's going on; and 4) UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES--INCLUDING A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY--AM I ALLOWED TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS DURING THE PERFORMANCE.
          Apparently, I have earned a somewhat poor reputation amongst my family for asking questions about whatever is going on during movies or TV shows or football games or, well, you get the idea.  I'm fond of questions.  Like, "Why would he do that?"  Or "What's gonna happen to her?" Or "Why did they call that penalty?"  Or "What didn't he shoot the ball?"   I reckon they grow a wee bit irritated, although I really can't imagine why.  I've always heard the only bad question is the one you don't ask.  My family does not seem to share that perspective.
           So the point is, I've got to get it in gear and be very, very familiar with the story of Hamilton so I won't need to ask any pertinent and important questions like, "Why on earth is the distinguished 'Father of our Country,' George Washington, rapping?" I just don't think my girls will appreciate my quest for understanding in that regard.
          Hence, I recently bought on Amazon both the abridged audio version of Ron Chernow's one thousand page book about Hamilton's life (no way, no how,  I can read that long of a book in two weeks time--too much pressure) as well as the CD's of the actual musical itself.
             Which means if you happen to jump into my car anytime over the next couple of weeks, let me warn you--it's all Hamilton, all the time.  Literally.  I'm all about Hamilton for the next twenty-five days.  Somehow, someway I'm gonna absorb this book and musical so I can be familiar enough with it that: 1) I will understand what's going on; 2) I will enjoy it more since the tickets cost a small fortune and I want to try to get my money's worth; and 3) I won't drive my daughters insane with my questions (not necessarily in that order).
           And all this got me to thinking.  Here's comes another question...or two.   Is that my consistent attitude towards God's Word which far and away is the most important,  most life-shaping, most attitude-altering, most wisdom-giving, and most hope-infusing Book in the universe?  Seriously, do we read and think about God's eternal and supernatural Word like our life depends upon it?...because it does.  Do we listen to it, read it, meditate on it, sing it, share it, and love it?
           Because if we do, oh my, what innumerable blessings and joys await us!  As D.L. Moody said, "The Bible was not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives."  And Martin Luther declared that "He who wants to hear God speak should read Holy Scripture."  The words of Almighty God.  Think of it!  Why on earth would we let a day go by when we don't listen to what God has to say for us that particular day?  What wisdom, what strength, what joy, what hope are we forfeiting when we fail to come to Him to hear His words and sustenance for our daily bread?
           Yep, that which we soak in, we will absorb.  And that which we absorb, we will be filled with to overflowing.  And that which overflows will affect not just us but all those around us.  Whether it's "Hamilton" or gossip or the news or sports or fashion or the latest whatever OR God's Word--whatever we put in our hearts and minds will be that which fills us...and transforms us for good or for ill...and overflows from within us and onto others.
           Might we choose wisely and well.  And might our daily prayer be, Lord, "Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law." (Ps.119:18)  That's a prayer our Father will always answer.
           To God be the glory.