Prayer for Courage

Two paths I see;
Which will it be?

One leads to foreign lands;
The other lies close at hand.

Grant us courage to choose today
To strive along the narrow way.

5-17-2014

Prayer for Courage

Lord, we ask Your shining  Light
   to guide our pilgrim steps.
Lord, we ask Your blazing Fire
   to burn the chaff we've kept.
Lord, we ask for grace today
   to humbly die to our selfish ways.
Lord, we ask for courage to live
   within Your Will always.

Lead us, guide us, grant us strength.
   May we truly honor You, O Lord.
Lead us, guide us, grant us courage.
   May we truly worship You, O Lord.

5-17-2014

Note:  We find ourselves at a crossroads, a place in our life where we have to make a decision between the good and the better.  We must choose one or the other, and both are good.  There is life in rural Kentucky which is so peaceful and beautiful.  I wake up to the sound of newly hatched chicks chirping in the hallway that are in a cardboard box with a bright light keeping them warm. Since it is a cool morning, I got the wood- stove woke up and warming the kitchen. Later, my husband will get up and milk our cow which brings us abundant cream, butter, cottage cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, whey - and plenty to share with whomever is interested.  Then we will all be getting ready to walk through the woods, over a homemade bridge my husband and son put over the gully, up the hill, to our wonderful church in the woods.  We are greeted by our church family, and we worship God together in this beautiful setting. I have the privilege to play banjo in this small church which is fun for me since I am a novice musician.  Doesn't the Lord want us to enjoy worshiping Him?  Yes!!!! So it is great to pick along with the more experienced musicians. Life is so comfortable and predictable here where we got married and bore six children.
   Then we are also being given the opportunity to return to Tanzania.  Our family was given the gift of a trip to Mwanza, Tanzania last year with a six month stay.  We had a lot of adjusting to do as we settled in a concrete floor house which requires mosquito nets on our beds because those little critters will not leave you alone at night.  In fact, often they got in the mosquito nets and tried to drive us batty.  At night, besides dodging mosquitos, you have to step carefully to avoid the cockroaches.  Also, it is often quite noisy into the night, then again in the very early morning hours.  The only quiet is between 2 and 5 a.m.. It really isn't a picture of comfort.  When we are tired and want quiet, it is quite hard to find.  There is no place to walk where there aren't loads of  people, and since our skin is white, we stand out like a cardinal on a snowy field. So why would we ever want to return??  It is the beautiful people we met that beckons our heart to Africa.  They so kindly welcomed us into their lives, forgave our awkwardness, and went a step farther to make us one of them, part of their families.  Children graced our home throughout the day, providing many friends for our children.  We had three big kids and three little kids who were regulars to our home,and they became part of our lives, forever changing our hearts.  I had the fun of trying to teach a couple of English classes, and this afforded the opportunity to get to know several of the students and some of their families.  Our son was adopted into an elderly couple's home since we ran out of bed space, and our daughters became part of our pastor's family so now our children  have a more extended family which includes African grandparents.  Isn't this a priceless gift!!!  
   The choice we face is between the good and the better.  It is not an easy choice.  It requires courage to give up the peaceful, quiet setting where we are currently residing, and take that other path which affords very little rest but an abundance of purpose and joy, to join hands with our Tanzanian brothers and sisters in the Lord and their children.  God is opening the door to this rugged path.  I need courage to walk through it to the warm welcome of the Tanzanian people calling out, "Karibu!" (which means welcome).    

Love Eternal

For love, brave love that ventureth,
   For love that faileth not I come,
For love that never wearieth,
   Nor findeth burdens burdensome.

I come for hope that springeth green,
   And burneth steadfast like a star;
For faith that pierceth through the seen
   To things eternal, things that are.

O Love, that lightenest all my ways,
   Within, without, below, above,
Flow through the minutes of my days,
   The sum of all my life be love.

by Amy Carmichael, from Edges of His Ways

Crown Him with Many Crowns

Crown Him with many crowns,
      The Lamb upon His throne,
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns
      All music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
      Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
      Through all eternity.

Crown Him the Virgin's Son,
      The God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won
      Which now His brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic rose,
      As of that rose the stem;
The root whence mercy ever flows,
      The Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown Him the Son of God,
      Before the worlds began,
And ye who tread where he hath trod,
      Crown Him the Son of Man;
Who every grief hath known
      That wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own,
      That all in Him may rest.

Crown Him the Lord of life,
      Who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
      For those he came to save.
His glories now we sing,
      Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring,
      And lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of peace,
      Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
      And all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end,
      And round His pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
      Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown Him the Lord of love,
      Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above,
      In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
      Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His burning eye
      At mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of heaven,
      Enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the King to whom is given
      The wondrous name of Love,
Crown Him with many crowns,
      As thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns,
      For He is King of all.

Crown Him the Lord of lords,
      Who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth the incarnate Word,
      For ransoned sinners slain,
Now lives in realms of light,
      Where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night,
      Their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of years,
      The Potenate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
      Ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
      For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
      Throughout eternity.


written by Matthew Bridges and  Godfrey Thring, nineteenth century
music by George Job Elvey,  nineteenth century

Note: This hymn was originally written by Matthew Bridges, a devout member of the Church of England for forty-eight years, who then converted to Catholicism.  He wrote the poem three years after becoming a Catholic.  Then George Job Elvey composed soaring music to fit the poem.  He named the music 'Diademata", Greek for "crown". Elvey was a close friend of the British crown.  Later, Godfrey Thring, an Anglican priest, was asked to create a new version of this song.  Thring prayed, read Bridges' original words and studied the Bible passages relating to Christ as King.  When the song was published in 1874, the hymn publishers studied both versions and felt both works had great substance and character, so they combined the two versions.  This great Easter hymn is unique in that it is the work of three men who didn't know each other, but shared the most important element in common, faith in Jesus Christ as King. (Found in Stories Behind the Traditions and Songs of Easter, by Ace Collins, copyright 2007, pages 97-104)

     
     

O Lord Beloved, Thy Calvary Stills Us

Home of our hearts, lest we forget
   What our redemption meant for Thee,
Let our most reverent thought be set
   Upon Thy Calvary.

We, when we suffer, turn and toss
   And seek for ease, and seek again;
But Thou, upon Thy bitter Cross,
   Wast firmly fixed in pain.

And in our night, star-clusters shine,
   Flowers comfort us, and joy of song;
Nor star, nor flower, nor song was Thine,
   But darkness three hours long.

We, in our lesser mystery
   Of lingering ill and winged death,
Would fain see clear; but could we see,
   What need would be for faith?

O Lord beloved, Thy Calvary
   Stills all our questions; come, O come,
Where children wandering wearily
   Have not yet found their Home.

by Amy Carmichael,  Edges of His Ways
  

Awake, O Sleeper, Arise

Awake, O Sleeper, arise;
   Arise from the dead.
Awake, O Sleeper, arise;
   Arise to new life

For Christ is the Light,
   The Light of the world,
So walk in His Holy Light,
   A flag unfurled.

Walk carefully, redeeming the time.
   Give thanks for all things to God,
          Our Father Divine.

Speak gracefully, esteeming God's Word.
   Be salt in this weary world
          For Jesus, our Lord.

Think soberly, unceasing in prayer.
   Conform your mind to God's design;
          His Spirit, we share.


by Julie Dunlap  3-30-2014,   4th Sunday of Lent

Note:  The Lord gave me this song from Ephesians 5, one of the readings we had at church on Sunday.  This is an encouragement to live intentionally for Christ, being mindful of our walk, speech, and thoughts, that our life will be a testimony of God's love for all mankind.  May our lives bring glory to God.

Love of my Heart

Love of my heart, my streams runs dry;

   O Fountain of the heavenly hills,

Love, blessed Love, to Thee I cry,

   Flood all my secret hidden rills.

Waters of love, to Thee I cry,

   Flood all my secret hidden rills.

Waters of love, O pour through me,

I must have Love:  I must have Thee.

Lord, give me love, then I have all,

   For love casts out tormenting fear.

And love sounds forth a trumpet call

   To valiant hope; and sweet and clear

The birds of joy sing in my tree,

Love of my heart, when I have Thee.

by Amy Carmichael, from Edges of His Ways

Fill Me, O Lord

As I think upon Your love, Lord,
   Fix my mind to trust Your Word.
As I think upon Your cross, Lord,
   Help me to obey Your Word.

For the Word of God is mighty;
For the Word of God is true;
For the Word of God is mighty to save.
   It's Jesus - He'll see us through.

Holy Spirit, come and fill me;
Holy Spirit, set me free.
Holy Spirit, come and heal me.
   I'm Yours throughout eternity.
For Your Light and Fire shall consume me.
   It's Christ I long to see.

For the Word of God is mighty;
For the Word of God is true;
For the Word of God is mighty to save.
   It's Jesus - He'll see us through.

by Julie Dunlap  3-23-2014

Note:  God gave me a simple song today at my request.  I was working on it for an hour or so before church, and then after church was able to finish it up.  It is the Holy Spirit that will fill us, heal us, and enable us to live the Christian life.  Daily we must avail ourselves of His Light and Fire to consume the dross, that we will clearly see Jesus, and follow His calling.