Talk it to Walk it!

Martyn Lloyd-Jones once wrote: "Avoid the mistake of concentrating overmuch upon your feelings. Above all, avoid the terrible error of making them central." Rather, he goes on to urge us, to stop doing so much listening to yourself and start speaking to yourself: "Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself."

Boy, how true is that! I get into trouble every time when I start cogitating over my feelings and emotions, rather than meditating upon the Truth of God's Word. My feelings and emotions vacillate like the tides at the beach: one moment rising, the next ebbing, leaving the sand ever shifting and uncertain. Is that really what I want to base my life upon--the ebb and flow, up and down, certainty and doubtfulness of my feelings?

Nope--no thank you... though I need to remind myself of this daily--in His Word. James 1:5-8 described it this way: "If any of you lacks wisdom [hello--that would be me: major lacker of wisdom!], let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Won't that always be the result when we keep listening to and dwelling upon our emotions and our own limited knowledge and understanding? I don't know know the whole story, so how can I possibly make an informed, fully wise decision without all the facts? But I know and worship One who knows ALL and can do ALL. He never runs low, never acts in haste, never lacks every possible facet of information, and never chooses based upon selfish or impure motives of any kind.

So for each of us, rather than listening and acting based upon me, myself, and I, we must choose to start speaking the Truth to ourselves based upon the Truth of God's Word. I've often heard (and repeated) the phrase, "We need to walk our talk," and that is so true. Save us, Lord, from hypocrisy and shallow faith that merely talks a good game but then doesn't live it out on a daily basis.

BUT, maybe we need to add: "We need to talk the Truth first in order to walk it." We need to talk to ourselves and remind ourselves of the Truth of the Gospel on a daily basis before we can then remember to walk it--to live it out in our actions and attitudes. That doesn't necessarily mean "talking" it to everyone else. Rather, we need to first talk about it to ourselves! Speak the Word out loud. Sing it. Recall it. Memorize it. Meditate upon it. And then choose, by the grace and power of the Savior, to live it out, one moment at a time. I can't live it out if I don't remember it. And I can't remember it, if I don't speak it to myself. Out loud, if possible!

Today, might we stop listening to our complaining, our rationalizing, our fretting and instead start speaking the Truth. "Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." (John 8:32) To God, the One who always speaks the perfect and powerful Truth, be all the glory.

He Leads, He Sings

Happy Birthday yesterday to our baby--our 11 year old baby, Peter! 11 years ago yesterday, the youngest of our 5 eternal treasures was born. My wonderful Daddy had advanced cancer at the time of his birth, but I thank the Lord that he was still alive to celebrate the birth of the youngest of his 13 grandchildren. One of our most precious pictures is of Daddy holding Peter in his arms and surrounded by one of my nieces and our children. Daddy went home to be with the Lord (and with Mama and so many beloved friends and family) just a few weeks after Peter's birth. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; blessed be the name of the Lord. Thank You for all our gifts, Lord--some come wrapped in shiny, vibrant paper and are easily recognized as the joyous gifts they are. Some, however, are a bit more muted, even disguised and wrapped, perhaps, in sorrow or struggle, but they are gifts, nonetheless, that You allow and use in our lives to ultimately bring a different kind of joy... a harder, but often deeper joy that transcends our circumstances. What a difference when we know it all--ALL--passes through Your perfect, nail pierced hands.

So thank You for the gifts we hold in our hands today--like our precious Peter--and those gifts we have released to You, trusting that the Giver of all good gifts knows best and holds best and loves best.

Just one other note: Today I was rushing around like a madwoman (something new and different). A very very very long wait at a doctor's office with Peter had resulted in my being late to an important meeting. My stomach was in a knot as I pushed the pedal to the metal in a futile attempt to cut a minute or two off of my late arrival. As I inwardly griped and fumed and worried, something told me to cut on the radio. And the very first word of a song I had never heard until the other night came on the radio. It was a song my daughter had played for me the night before last--her singing group at church would be singing it, and she wanted me to hear it. And I had loved it--upbeat, fun, and a great message. Well, wouldn't you know it, at that very moment, as I drove along in a knot of nerves, the song began the exact moment I turned on the radio. The first words: "I've got waves that are tossing' me..." Yeah, I got the waves crashing over me, down pat!

But this faithless, worried heart began to sing along:

"And this world may push, may pull, but your love it never fails,

You lead, I'll follow, Your hands hold my tomorrow,

Your grip, Your grace, You know the way,

You guide me tenderly,

When you lead, I'll follow,

Just light the way and I'll go,

Cause I know what you got for me is more than I can see,

So lead me on, on, on, and on,

Just lead me on, on, on, and on."

Aren't you glad He leads, and we follow? Aren't you glad it doesn't all depend upon you, upon your puny efforts, your vacillating strength, your inadequate wisdom?

Nope, if we're late to the meeting, the world will not spin off it's axis. And if our child misses the mark or our loved one disappoints or we fail... again, our Lord's not stunned or crushed or at a loss. 'Cause His plans are perfect, and His love never fails, and His grace covers, and He keeps leading on and on and on and on. Our job: just keep following. He leads; we follow. And trust that He knows the way... all the way home. And while we're following, He'll put a song in our soul like He did with me today.

One of my very favorite verses: "The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious Warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." (Zephaniah 3:17) He is singing over you! He is singing with you! With joy, with love, with rejoicing... and all as your Victorious Warrior. Boy, you gotta love that! His song changes everything!

By the time I got to that meeting, every knot of worry was gone as I sang along at the top of my voice--"You lead, I'll follow, Your hands hold my tomorrow.... Just lead me on , on, on, and on...."

And He will... all the way home to our eternal Home with Him. Just keep following and listening for His song. To our Savior, our Song, be all the glory.

7 Days

"What if you knew you only had 7 days until Christ returns?" I heard David Jeremiah ask this question this morning, and it really struck me. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds. What if that was how long you knew you had left. Not one hour or one minute longer.

What would change?

Who would you ask for forgiveness?

Who would you forgive?

What would you eliminate from your schedule? What would you add?

Who or what would be your top priorities? Would it be your stuff, your things, your appearance or would it be your family and your friends and your relationship with Christ?

What would you be worried about? Your bank account? Your accomplishments... or lack thereof? Would you really be focused upon whether you are appreciated or applauded or would you be fixed upon applauding and glorifying the God of all glory?

Who or what would you spend your time and effort in worshipping?

And if the answer would change based on the fact that you knew, without a doubt, that He would return in exactly 7 days (or actually now about 6 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes), why not change TODAY? For which of us is guaranteed tomorrow? And how do we know but that He could return next week, or tomorrow... or tonight.

I don't know about you, but I want to be ready. I want to be faithful. I want to be worshipping Him and not any other infinitely lesser thing in this world. I want to be busy loving the people He has so graciously placed in my life and loving Him. I want to be making much of Jesus, rather than much of myself. And seeking to encourage and comfort others in the few days that God has given me to make an eternal difference. I want to be a conduit of forgiveness and mercy and love in a desperately dark world. I want to be fully present, fully alive, fully thankful and grateful for His extraordinary goodness and grace in my life.

Ask yourself: what if all I have left is 7 days till He comes back? Whatever needs to change... by the grace and power of God, do it today. TODAY--for it may be all you have.

To God, the eternal I Am, be all the glory.

The Note

Thank You Lord for this beautiful day! I was not going to write anything today--too much to do! But how can you not give God glory when He sends a blessing your way? It was a tough morning. I just felt a bit tired and ragged. The clean laundry lay in mountainous piles on our bed. The house was a bit messy (something new and different). I had failed to read a devotion with the children before they left--hate that. Just a bunch of little minor things that had me feeling a bit down and discouraged. But then the bigger thing--my 15 year old son who plays golf hurt his foot last night. He jammed his toe, and it hurt so badly he couldn't play in his city league basketball team's playoff game last night. Bummer. And it still really hurt today--going later today to see the orthopedic doctor (whom we love and practically have on speed did, but still! Rats!). And golf season has just started. And this past summer, on the 2nd day of sumer break, in the middle of a golf tournament, he broke his foot and was in a boot virtually the whole summer--couldn't swim, couldn't play golf, couldn't go to camp, squat! And I just felt so sad--why Lord? Why would You allow something like this to happen to him again?

So, all combined, I just felt discouraged and deflated. I started desultorily cleaning up the kitchen, and then as I picked up piles of mail, I saw it. A note addressed to me. Always nice to get a letter, isn't it--unless it's a bill or a solicitation. The note had arrived yesterday, apparently, but it had been such a busy afternoon and evening for me, I never saw it. Now, yesterday was a great day, I need to add. The world seemed marvelous--sunny, warm, all the kids were healthy (no messed up feet)... life was good. But this morning, well, even though the day is gorgeous, the kids are still healthy (minus one messed up foot), not to mention all the myriad blessings God has bestowed upon me from my husband to my family to my friends to my home to my faith...and on and on... I somehow didn't or couldn't see it. Isn't it funny how self-pity and self-preoccupation blinds us to the countless daily blessings and treasures in our lives?

Anyway, back to the letter. I opened it and discovered a sweet little note of encouragement from a sweet friend who took the time and effort to stop all her busy activities for a few moments, act on the prompting of the Lord, and write words of encouragement to someone else. When I read her words, I wept. Both because of her thoughtfulness, but also because of the grace and goodness of our Sovereign Lord. How could my friend know I would need those words this morning? She couldn't, of course. But our Lord sure did. And He also knew just the perfect timing--after all, He is the God who created the heavens and the earth and sustains them all in perfect unison by His power, and He is never too early or too late. He knew exactly when I would need to read those words and thereby be strengthened and encouraged. And He is not too busy with infinitely more important matters to still care about a tired, discouraged Mama.

Let me tell you, one simple little note changed everything! How could it not--it was a reminder that God sees, God knows, God upholds, God loves. And God forgives even a faithless, shallow, preoccupied heart like mine. Who could deserve such a Savior?

I couldn't help but think of the words to one of my favorite songs by Nicole Nordeman, "You are Good:"

When the sun starts to rise

And I open my eyes
You are good, so good
In the heat of the day
With each stone that I lay
You are good, so good

With ever breath I take in
I'll tell you I'm grateful again
When the moon climbs high
Before each kiss goodnight
You are good

When the road starts to turn
Around each bend I've learned
You are good so good
And when somebody's hand
Holds me up helps me stand
You are so good

With every breath I take in
I'll tell You I'm grateful again
'Cause its more than enough
Just to know I am loved
And You are good

So how can I thank You
What can I bring
What can these poor hands
Lay at the feet of a King
I'll sing You a love song
It's all that I have
To tell You I'm grateful
For holding my life in Your Hands

When it's dark and it's cold
And I can't feel my soul
You are so good
When the world is gone gray
And the rain's here to stay
You are still good

So with every breath I take in
I'll tell You I am grateful again
And the storm my swell
Even then it's well and You are good

God had used "somebody's hand" to "hold me up and help me stand," because He is good, so infinitely, eternally good. It was such a small thing--a little note--but God used it to remind me of His love and His grace and His goodness in my life. Suddenly the mess in my house didn't seem so bad--it all reflected a full, busy life full of the blessings of children and activities. And that laundry--really, would I let a pile of clothes representing the greatest treasures in my life steal my perspective and my joy?? And my precious son's foot--well, doesn't the God who made him and redeemed him with His blood and who has a wonderful plan for his life, love him more, infinitely more, than we ever could, so we can trust the Lord with this too? He is good even on those days when "it's dark and it's cold and we can't feel our soul," or when we are selfish and petty and small minded, or when we are at our wit's end. He is always always always good.

So, thank You Lord! What a blessing to be able to give You glory. Like Nicole Nordeman, I have nothing to lay at Your feet. What can these poor, old hands bring to lay at the feet of the King? I have so few talents, so little influence or power... but I give You what I do have--the ability to love, to praise You, to write these few words, and, I pray, to encourage someone else.

Be reminded today, God loves you beyond all reason and thought and imagination! And He loves you on your very best days, your pretty mediocre days, and your totally wretched days. For He is GOOD, so so so so GOOD!

Now, today, go out and encourage someone else! Write that note; send that email; make that phone call; bake those cookies; pray that prayer--ask Him to show you how and then be a conduit of His love and goodness to someone else. Who knows how He may use it? To our God of all love and encouragement and blessing, be all the glory.

Packages of Love

The other night most of our family went to see "Les Miserables," the inspiring, beautiful musical based upon the book by Victor Hugo. I think it was my 5th time seeing it--they could practically use me as an understudy! My husband and daughters have seen it several times as well, but our 2 youngest sons had not. My sons were not exactly overwhelmed with joy and gratitude at having to go to a musical. In fact, at intermission there was much weeping and gnashing of teeth. My daughter said that our 15 year old son had turned around about 10 minutes into the first act and asked her incredulously, "Is there not any talking?" When she whispered "No, all singing," he responded with much disgust and despair: "O NO!" My first thought upon hearing this was despair as well, figuring if my children didn't love musicals--and especially this one--I had utterly failed as a mother. But my second thought was to laugh and think "Lord, I love that boy! Thank You!"

I will never forget the first time I saw Les Miserables--at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. I was living up there at the time, and my older sister had gone to see this brand new musical no one had ever heard of with the congressional office where she worked. We all thought it sounded like just a terrible idea: a depressing french novel put to music? What on earth?! Who would want to see that?

But my dear sister was so moved that she went the very next day and bought our whole family tickets to see this remarkable show. Again, I was a bit dubious. After all, my sister, Mary Norris, is without a doubt the sweetest, kindest person walking on this planet (seriously, she is!), so I figured this had to be a bit of an exaggeration, and she was just being her usual sweet self. The night finally arrived, and our family was spread out all over the theater, since we couldn't get tickets together.

And here's what happened: I bawled my eyes out for almost 3 hours, as I sat next to a total stranger. But I bet she was probably bawling her eyes out as well--I didn't notice since I was trying desperately to find something with which to wipe my nose and eyes. I think that pretty much reflected my whole family's response to this incredible tale of love, forgiveness, and redemption. For that really is what it is--it is, in a way, a depiction of God's love and forgiveness and grace in the Gospel, as set to music at the time of the French Revolution.

You know, there is just nothing more powerful than love and forgiveness, is there? Whenever we see such love and forgiveness displayed, we just have to stop and be awed by the beauty and glory of it. And of course, it is displayed most perfectly, most powerfully at the cross: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) May we never get over the wonder of that! But sometimes it just helps to see it displayed in a different context--as Aslan laying down his life on the table of stone in Narnia, or, here, in Les Miserables, with so many characters in so many different ways, but especially with Jean Valjean. It is a story just dripping with grace upon grace, and when we see such grace displayed, it just overwhelms you.

John Newton had it right: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see." Grace is just amazing!

But what really stuck me this time around was the depiction of friendship and love. There are countless examples of men and women and even children loving and sacrificing for one another. My daddy always loved the song all the students sing as they sat around, sharing a mug, the night before they know they will probably die at the barricade. It is a bittersweet song about the profound joy of friendship with words like "At the shrine of friendship never say die; Let the wine of friendship never run dry; Here's to you and here's to me."

My favorite words about love and friendship, however, occur near the very end of the play when Jean Valjean sings, as he dies, "To love another person is to see the face of God." I have thought a lot about that, for isn't that so true? God calls us to love one another, and when we love others, we see a tiny glimpse of the heart of our relentlessly loving Lord. What a gift, what a privilege, and what a joy it is to have dear friends and family to love.

There truly is nothing more powerful in this world than love. Love created this universe, love sent a Savior, love redeemed the souls of the lost. And love brings hope to the hopeless. Love causes the unforgivable to be forgiven. Love prompts acts of service and sacrifice from the battlefield to the mission field to the everyday field of our daily lives. Love brings color and laughter and warmth to our sometimes drab and monotonous world.

How thankful I am for the myriad treasures of love God has bestowed upon me--my husband, my children, my brothers and sisters, my dear friends. They are all like little gifts, wrapped up in so many different colors and patterns of paper, all so unique and individual, and all bringing such joy and wonder into my utterly undeserving life. O, to love another person is to see the face of God!

How can we deserve such a privilege--to love and be loved? Sure, it's messy sometimes. It's exhausting sometimes. It's just downright hard and uncomfortable and irritating sometimes. And sometimes the wrapping paper on these gifts gets a bit tattered or worn or unappealing.

But then we remember who the Giver is, and we see His nail scarred hands as He holds each of these gifts out to us. And we just have to stop and say, "Thank You, thank You, thank You!" Help us, Lord Jesus, to love as You love, to forgive as You forgive, to treasure as You treasure, these priceless, eternal packages of love You have bestowed upon our lives. What irreplaceable gifts are these friends and family! How inexpressibly joyful to love another person--another sinner just like you and just like me--and to see the face of the God in all that love. To the Source and the Sustainer of all that love--the Son, the Savior--be all the glory forever.

Our eyes are upon Thee

"We know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee." 2 Chronicles 20:12

This was one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's favorite verses. And now that I am an official and fanatic Bonhoeffer groupie, it is one of my favorite verses! Seriously, what a simple, yet profound truth--that is what it means to seek the Lord (see yesterday and Amos 5:4 and 6). We don't know what to do, we don't know how to respond, we don't know the best answer, we sometimes don't even know what to think--but our eyes are upon Thee.

My dear friend, Joan, shared with me a wonderful illustration of what that means--to keep our eyes fixed upon the Savior. (I'm probably remembering this a bit clumsily--since I have the memory of a gnat.) Early one morning, she was sitting out on her deck overlooking the sound and the marsh at the beach. She heard a loud whistle and watched as a man was carefully training his lab. He would throw the little... O rats, what is it called? well, the little throwie thing people throw when they are training a dog (can you tell we have never ever trained Moses?!). Anyway, he was throwing the whatever-you-call-it-thing into the water. The dog would leap into the water and bring it back to his master and then wait excitedly for the next throw. Then the man threw it toward the marsh. This time the dog rushed into the swampy waters and began floundering around. Joan said she watched, worried that the oyster shells would cut the sweet lab's feet as he wandered around looking for the "thing." (this is a disaster).

But suddenly, the dog heard a whistle and, immediately, while still in the middle of the marsh, the lab stopped and looked up at his master. The master pointed in the right direction, showing the lab where to go--and the dog was able to go straight to the spot and retrieve the "thing" (Lord have mercy--just try to go with me here).

Isn't that just like us, though? We jump out--busy, hurried, preoccupied--and then we find ourselves flailing around in the swamp of all our activities and uncertainties and worries. We fight discouragement and doubt and exhaustion, all the while refusing to stop long enough to look to the One who has the answers, the comfort, the encouragement. It's funny, we tend to do a much better job of seeking the Lord on the really huge issues in our lives. It's in all the seemingly "little" or insignificant places that we tend to rush out on our own and suddenly find ourselves adrift and alone. How often have I've made hasty decisions about such "minor" issues as children's activities or purchases or the use of my tongue (ouch)... I could go on and on. It's the little foxes, Song of Solomon says, that spoil the vine.

So, bottom line, might we determine, by the grace of God, to say: "We know not what to do, but our eyes are upon Thee" in every arena of our lives. He always knows the way that is best. Might we learn to take it, one step at a time. To God be the glory.

Moses--and the Seeking Savior

Holy cow, it's been a while since I've been on here! I'm baaaaack--hmm, isn't that from the movie, "The Shining," or something similarly uplifting and edifying? Sorry about that. But, gee whiz, I'm so thankful to be back on here, having the opportunity to give God glory in my little corner of the world! My sweet daughter somehow or other figured out how to configure this blog thing so you can actually subscribe to it by email (isn't technology something? More importantly, aren't our children something since they can actually navigate through all this mysterious maze for us old folks?). And, wow, the background has a new picture and everything! I'm just feeling downright spiffy and up-to-the-minute... well, until even the slightest computer glitch arises and I'm once again lost out in a sea of confusion and frustration.

If anyone is reading this who is Saltshakers Bible study, my apologies for boring you again, but I wanted to include here one of the things that really convicted me this past week. I had the privilege of giving a talk on Amos 5 and 6 today, and I can honestly say this little book of the Bible has so challenged and convicted me. But once again, our sweet old black lab, Moses, has taught and encouraged me in my faith--who knew a dog could be so wise?! Well, but if you knew Moses: he is just a remarkable dog. Okay, that might be a bit strong--let's just say he's mighty lovable... though 99% of the day he is "resting" (aka sound asleep and snoring). One of these days I need to write a book about Moses and all the lessons he has taught us. Here's just a few: never let a piece of chocolate go to waste and other valuable insights into food of all kinds; or slow down, really really slow down and smell the.... whatever; or love the one you're with; or be thankful in all circumstances; or love people, not things; or if you stay near the table or counter when food of any kind is involved, you never know when you might get lucky; or corollary--never ever leave the presence of anyone consuming food of any kind; or show your appreciation--don't just "feel" it--express it!; or sometimes you just need to go with the flow--if your family forgets to give you your afternoon snack, it's not the end of the world; or if the end of the world is at hand, make sure you somehow remind your family to give you your afternoon snack; or life is always better after a brief nap on the living room sofa; or be sure Daddy doesn't see you napping on the living room sofa; or corollary--moms are almost always a soft touch, so don't worry about napping on the living room coach if only mom is at home, after all, life is short; or never miss an opportunity to show your love and appreciation; or it's the simple joys in life that mean the most--an early morning walk, sitting quietly at the feet of someone you love, greeting and playing with your buddies, and, of course, eating; or be content in all circumstances--life truly is so good...

I've really just barely scratched the surface, but lest this post go on and on and on, I wanted to share a bit of what sweet Moses taught me just this week. As I said, we've been studying the book of Amos, and God, through the prophet Amos, urges us in Amos 5:4 to "Seek Me and live" and in v.6 "Seek the Lord and live." I contemplated what it meant to seek the Lord and live--especially in light of all our sin and selfishness and pride. (If you are a Saltshaker girl, feel free to stop reading now since this will be repetitive!):

The other day, during a family discussion, my daughter, Janie, exclaimed that our dog, Moses loved food more than people! “No way,” I remonstrated! “He loves us, he loves people” (and he really does)! He’d rather sit at our feet and be with us than anything. But Janie persisted--”Mom, if you put Moses in a room with people at one end and a big hunk of meat at the other end of the room, he’d go for the meat every time!”

Well, maybe, I had to admit, because he’s a dog. And He’s not just any dog, he’s a lab. And let me tell you something about labs, they LOVE food! And Moses always appears to be starving--even after just eating--because, like I said, he’s a dog and a lab and his nature is to love food (which frankly I can relate to). He can’t help it. Given his natural tendency, as much as he adores people, he’d choose food every time.

That’s our sin nature! We want to do good. We want to seek God. We want to love others and not be so unrelentingly selfish or self-indulgent or small-minded. But try as we might, our old sinful selves rise up so that, as Paul says, we “do what we hate.”

Early the next morning after this discussion, however, it suddenly dawned on me: sure, if some stranger was in that hypothetical room with Moses, he’d go for the food every time. But what if it was one of the members of our family--of his family--in that room? And what if we were calling his name--with love and enthusiasm and welcome?

That would change everything! You see, Moses knows our voices. He loves us--even more than food, I think (though, that’s saying a lot!) I know he’d come to us every time! We’d win out over that food, not only because of Moses’ love for us but because of our love for him, and because we’re calling his name.

O how I love Jesus, because He knows how much I want to seek Him and obey Him and forsake my selfishness, but He also knows the allure of sin in my life. So while I’m seeking Him, He’s seeking me and calling my name in love and grace. And how is He seeking us? How about we let Paul answer that? Remember Rom.7?--“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Paul answers it with--”Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

From the opening words of Genesis to the final syllable of Revelation, the Bible reveals God’s eternal, perfect answer...and His name is Jesus! “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16

So thank You thank You thank You, Lord Jesus, for coming to seek and to save the lost--that would be me and all of us! (Luke 19:10). How thankful I am that we seek the Seeking Savior. And those whom He seeks, He always always always finds. To our Seeking Savior, be all the glory.

p.s. I have no idea why the font size suddenly decided to change. Okay, so maybe technology isn't so terrific.