But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
I came across this passage in my Bible study this week. It is reminiscent of Psalm 1, which I have always loved, and the image of the luscious, green tree planted near the cool, refreshing water keeps returning to my mind.
What does it mean to trust in the Lord, to have confidence in him? How do I send my roots towards the water? How do I face the blazing heat without fear? How do I withstand the drought without worry? How do I continue, without fail, to bear fruit, when all around me is drought and heat and despair?
Jesus referred to Himself as the Living Water, who permanently quenches all thirst. My confidence comes in Him. If I remain in Christ, I do not fear when the drought and the heat come. I know he will give me all I need, regardless of my circumstances. He does not change, and he does not fail. He will never leave me or forsake me, and he loves me with an everlasting love. So I can trust him. He is in control, so I can be confident in him.
Who are you trusting today? Where have you planted your tree? What nourishment do your roots chase after? Follow hard after Christ, the only one who can quench your thirst and help you grow.
The Music Lesson by Lord Frederick Leighton (1877).
I was struck, today, by Jeremiah 8:7 which reads,
"...But my people do not know the requirements of the Lord."
Let it not be said of my children that they did not know the Lord's requirements, for it is my responsibility to teach them. It is my job to place their feet on the path of truth, and point them in the way of the Everlasting God. If I don't teach them, who will? No one on this earth loves them as I do. I have been selected by the Almighty God to teach these precious souls to follow Him.
Deuteronomy 11 reads, "Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the Lord your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt...It was not your children who saw what he did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place...But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done...Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds...Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates..."
It is my responsibility to teach my children of the Lord, so that they may follow him with all their hearts, souls, minds and strength. May I never present to them a tame God who can be neatly illustrated in storybooks and understood by human minds. My God is omniscient, omnipotent, infinite and mighty. He hung the stars in the sky and wove the butterfly's wings. He created every particle of every atom in the universe, and it is His hand that holds them together, even now. He created gravity and the water cycle and centripetal force.
Yet, He cares intimately about tiny, selfish, stubborn me. He leans forward to listen to the cry of my heart. He loves me with an everlasting love. He is for me.
This is the god I want to pass on. What kind of God are you passing on to your children? What are you doing to make sure that they know?
When I first read Clay & Sally Clarkson's books in 2001, I felt the Lord speaking directly to my soul, "Here is a road map for how to raise children who thirst for me." Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this time of renewing! Sally Clarkson will encourage you, and she will show you how to inspire your children. This conference will change the way you see your children, and help you to be the mom the Lord has created you to be. Join me at the Dallas conference, February 18-19, 2011! Register before December 31 for only $79! (This is a fantastic Christmas present....hint...hint...hint!)
I wish I could crash like the waves Or turn like the autumn leaves In effort to praise You.
I wish I could smell like the forest, The fragrance lifting a mighty chorus In effort to praise You. In effort to praise You.
But I’m such a limited creature, And my word can only paint so many pictures. But somewhere I think I read that I am Treasured over all creation, So I know that I must try.
I wish I could roll like the thunder, To leave the earth below in wonder In effort to praise You.
I wish I could fall like the summer rain And every drop would sing Your name In effort to praise You. In effort to praise You.
But I’m such a limited creature, And my word can only paint so many pictures. But somewhere I think I read that I am Treasured over all creation, So I know that I must try.
Gloria! Glory in the highest! Forever I will hide myself in Thee.
Every breath I breathe, Every moment in my history Is an effort to praise You. An effort to praise You
Gloria! Glory in the highest! Forever I will hide myself in Thee,
My Child ~ You may not know me, but I know everything about you ~ Psalm 139:1 I know when you sit down and when you rise up ~ Psalm 139:2 I am familiar with all your ways ~ Psalm 139:3 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered ~ Matthew 10:29-31 For you were made in my image ~ Genesis 1:27 In me you live and move and have your being ~ Acts 17:28 For you are my offspring ~ Acts 17:28 I knew you even before you were conceived ~ Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned creation ~ Ephesians 1:11-12 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book ~ Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live ~ Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalm 139:14 I knit you together in your mother's womb ~ Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on the day you were born ~ Psalm 71:6 I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me ~ John 8:41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love ~ 1 John 4:16 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you ~ 1 John 3:1 Simply because you are my child and I am your father ~ 1 John 3:1 I offer you more than your earthly father ever could ~ Matthew 7:11 For I am the perfect father ~ Matthew 5:48 Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand ~ James 1:17 For I am your provider and I meet all your needs ~ Matthew 6:31-33 My plan for your future has always been filled with hope ~ Jeremiah 29:11 Because I love you with an everlasting love ~ Jeremiah 31:3 My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore ~ Psalm 139:17-18 And I rejoice over you with singing ~ Zephaniah 3:17 I will never stop doing good to you ~ Jeremiah 32:40 For you are my treasured possession ~ Exodus 19:5 I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul ~ Jeremiah 32:41 And I want to show you great and marvelous things ~ Jeremiah 33:3 If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me ~ Deuteronomy 4:29 Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart ~ Psalm 37:4 For it is I who gave you those desires ~ Philippians 2:13 I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine ~ Ephesians 3:20 For I am your greatest encourager ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles ~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you ~ Psalm 34:18 As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart ~ Isaiah 40:11 One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes ~ Revelation 21:3-4 And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth ~ Revelation 21:3-4 I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus ~ John 17:23 For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed ~ John 17:26 He is the exact representation of my being ~ Hebrews 1:3 He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you ~ Romans 8:31 And to tell you that I am not counting your sins ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled ~ 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you ~ 1 John 4:10 I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love ~ Romans 8:31-32 If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me ~ 1 John 2:23 And nothing will ever separate you from my love again ~ Romans 8:38-39 Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen ~ Luke 15:7 I have always been Father, and will always be Father ~ Ephesians 3:14-15 My question is ~ Will you be my child? ~ John 1:12-13 I am waiting for you ~ Luke 15:11-32 Love, Your Dad, Almighty God
If your computer is having trouble with the video, click here for a "sound-only" version (no video) A Father's Love Letter is owned and copyrighted by Barry Adams. Copyright 2001 by FathersLoveLetter All rights reserved. No Reprint Without Permission Narration: Roy Lamont Music: Robert Critchley
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, The emblem of suff’ring and shame; And I love that old cross where the dearest and best For a world of lost sinners was slain.
Refrain: So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross, Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross, And exchange it some day for a crown.
Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world, Has a wondrous attraction for me; For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above To bear it to dark Calvary.
In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see, For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died, To pardon and sanctify me.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true; Its shame and reproach gladly bear; Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away, Where His glory forever I’ll share.
"Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride. Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair. Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance because He shows us both God and our own wretchedness." - Blaise Pascal
Note: I saw this quote on a friend's blog, and posted it here so I can find it later. Thanks, Queen!
I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Okay it's not really a secret, but here it is: we don't do "normal school" between Thanksgiving and New Year's. (gasp!)
For math, we will be working on our math facts. Our new girls really need to work on number concepts, and don't have any facts memorized. For the older girls, they are learning new concepts and can certainly brush up on their facts, as well! Baloo will finish up his math book and get ready to move to Alg. II in January.
We will take a break from science & history, but will replace them with more Bible time (which really is history), artists & composers, hymns and Christmas music. There will still be lots of learning taking place, but it will be focused, as much as possible, on the birth of Christ.
We will also be spending lots of time with friends & family, so please stop on by!
We raised the cross of Christ over our new church building today. It was a moving and beautiful experience.
We prayed over this new facility, that as we lift Christ up to this community, He will draw others to Himself. We prayed for those who will walk through these doors, that each would experience a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Then we held hands and sang Oh, The Wonderful Cross and The Old Rugged Cross. It was a moment to be remembered.
We hope you find the time today, amid bunnies and candy eggs, to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the true reason for Easter. He is the reason for our spilled laughter!
This is my favorite tree on our land. It was even more awesome blanketed in snow.
Can you see the snow on the shore across the lake?
The temperature here was in the 70s this weekend, and the trees started to bud. It was 80 degrees on Monday, and the Bradford pears started flowering. It's so strange to see the flowers covered with snow....And every thing in time and under heaven finally falls asleep. Wrapped in blankets white, all creation shivers underneath. Still, I notice You when branches crack And in my breath on frosted glass. Even now, in death, You open doors for life to enter. You are Winter...
And every thing that's new has bravely surfaced, teaching us to breathe. And what was frozen through is newly purposed, turning all things green. So it is with You, and how You make me new With every season's change. And so it will be, as You are recreating me... Summer...Autumn...Winter...Spring.
---Every Season by Nicole Nordemann
Thank you, Lord, for recreating me. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty of Winter and the promise of Spring.
Disturb me Lord to see the plight of millions, Homeless, starving and fighting for life each day. Disturb me Lord when I complain about my lack When I have no idea what lack really is!
Lord, disturb me, so that I can see past myself And venture forth being Your hands and feet. Help me to dream big dreams only You can bring to pass.
Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves, When our dreams have come true because we have dreamed too little, When we arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, Lord, when with the abundance of things we possess We have lost our thirst for the waters of life; Having fallen in love with life, we have ceased to dream of eternity, And in our efforts to build a new earth, We have allowed our vision of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture on wider seas Where storms will show your mastery; Where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. We ask You to push back the horizons of our hopes; And to push into the future in strength, courage, hope and love.
Goals for 2008? I'm not good with goals. Mainly because I tend to get bored and move on.
Hmmm.......let's see.......
“But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
That's my starting point. Let me know when you think I have mastered the above list.
One of our pastors spoke today about the meaning of Christmas (okay this was no surprise since it's Christmas Eve-Eve). Instead of the traditional Birth of Christ passage from Luke 2, Dr. David McKinley taught from Hebrews 12:1-2. (This was the 2nd in a 3 part series):
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NIV)
I have read this passage many times, yet today I gleaned new truths from it. Have you ever been caught in tangly weeds? We get them down by the lake in the summer, long vines with thorns on them. If you accidentally walk through them, you're stuck! Escaping requires precision and patience, or you end up quite scratched and frustrated!
Do I really throw off the things that hinder, and/or the sin that so easily entangles? Sometimes, honestly, it is easier to just remain entangled. Even when I do escape it, I don't know that I really throw it off. Sometimes it's more like I sneak away when I think it's not looking. Actually throwing something off, especially if it's tangled and thorny, implies a violent action. And sometimes I just don't want to put in the effort. But I need to be leaning on Christ, and allowing his Holy Spirit inside of me to do the work. I guess I just...lose focus.
Also, I was reminded that the only race I have to worry about is the one that is marked out for me. And I am to run it with perserverance. Endurance. Excellence. I think I am really missing the mark here... I have always been like Aesop's hare of Tortoise infamy, I run quickly ahead, then lie on the side of the road and take a nap. That's not how a race is run. Every runner knows you are supposed to establish a steady rhythm, a pace, and stick to it. I am praying for a steady pace.
Dr. McKinley taught at length about what it means that Jesus is the author (originator, founder) and perfecter (finisher) of our faith. Our faith comes from Christ - it originates with him. But also it is he who completes our faith. Without Christ, our faith is imperfect, unfinished. Through Christ we are complete. The Greek word used in the text for "perfecter" is totelestai meaning paid in full. This was a common term used in the marketplace when a transaction of goods occurred. Through Christ, our sins are paid in full, because "for the joy set before him [he] endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." In fact, the same word, totelestai, is what Christ said when he died. It is often translated, "It is finished" but it could also be translated, "Paid in full."
I pray you realize, this Christmas, that Christ has stamped "Paid in full" on your life, washing away your sins and opening up the gates of heaven for you. All you need do is accept this free gift of salvation, turn from your sins and follow Him. Your life will never be the same.
Because Christ has paid it all, 1. I have nothing to complain about this Christmas. (Nothing - I really messed up here!) 2. I need not compare myself with those around me. 3. I cannot improve upon what Christ has done for me.
Dr. McKinley closed with this "Christmas song," which isn't a Christmas carol at all, but a familiar hymn, "Jesus Paid It All":
I hear the Savior say, “Thy strength indeed is small; Child of weakness, watch and pray, Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I Whereby Thy grace to claim, I’ll wash my garments white In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
And now complete in Him My robe His righteousness, Close sheltered ’neath His side, I am divinely blest.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
Lord, now indeed I find Thy power and Thine alone, Can change the leper’s spots And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
When from my dying bed My ransomed soul shall rise, “Jesus died my soul to save,” Shall rend the vaulted skies.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
And when before the throne I stand in Him complete, I’ll lay my trophies down All down at Jesus’ feet.
Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.
I much enjoyed our sermon on Sunday. Our pastor, Jack Graham, discussed the ever-present question: How do I know the will of God? His main point was that "the Holy Spirit leads us to know and do the will of God confidently, every day." I will attempt to summarize his message.
We know we are to follow Christ & listen for God's voice through the Holy Spirit, but how do we hear God's voice? Pastor Graham said we can hear God's voice through His Word, and by walking with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Oh, how I do desire to keep in step with the Spirit! It's just that my feet are so clumsy and slow...
The Will Of God sometimes seems so elusive, the unicorn that we chase after but can never catch. We wonder, daily, a million things...
Should I buy that new car? Take that job in Atlanta? Marry that man? Let my kids see that movie? Stay home sick today? Vaccinate my children? Buy a dog?
And on and on, ad infinitum. Dr. Graham gave 3 tips that he uses every day:
1. Offer your life to Christ each day. Even if you did it years ago, you should daily surrender and yield your life to Christ. Recognize the Lord's presence & reign in you. (Romans 12:1, Matthew 6:33)
2. Open your heart each day to new possibilities. God's will may not be what you expected. (Proverbs 4:18)
3. Obey the will of God that you know, and wait on the rest. Sometimes you must obey, and perfect, the step you are on, before you can move to the next one. He gave an illustration that apparently there is always much discussion in golf over which shot is the most important - the long drive or the putt. When reporters asked Jack Nicklaus what was the most important shot in golf, his reply was, "The next one!" This certainly applies to our lives. We may not know what God wants us to do next week, but we do know what we are to do in the next five minutes. Sometimes we must just do what we know for now, and wait for the rest to be revealed.
Here he reminded us that, if you fail, you should repent and move on!
Pastor Graham also gave us 10 ways to test every decision. I think these are golden!
1. Is it in accord with the moral will of God? (1 Thess. 4:3) 2. Is it in harmony with the commands, the truths and the principles of God's Word? 3. Have I sought Godly advice? (Proverbs 15:22, Romans 12:2) 4. Does it help me fulfill the Great Commandment (Matthew 22: 37-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) in my life? 5. How will it affect my immediate relationships? 6. Will the ultimate outcome of my decision bring glory to God? 7. Will the result of my decision be in keeping with my priorities? 8. What is my motivation? 9. Am I totally committed to whatever, whenever, however God leads me? 10. Do I have true peace in this decision? (Note: Sometimes faith is required & we may not have total peace, yet we still have true peace.)
I love my church!! And I thank God that his mercies are new every morning...
Praise be to God!!! Lil Yoda was baptized today, as a testimony to her acceptance of Christ as her savior over a year ago. She has wanted to be baptized for quite some time, so we are glad she was able to do so today.
Thank you to all of our friends and family who came to make this day special for Lil Yoda. Having you all there meant a great deal to her.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for offering salvation as a free gift to all who would turn from their sins and follow you. I pray your blessings upon this, our youngest child, as she makes this first public profession of her faith in you. I pray it would be the first step in a life of obedience to you. Thank you for sharing her with us.
Send "Gloria" Ringtone to Cell
...And every thing in time and under heaven finally falls asleep.
