Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together;
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell in unity.
It is like the precious oil
Upon the head of Aaron
Running down his beard
And the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon
Descending on the mountains
Of Zion.
For there the Lord has commanded
The blessing,
The blessing -
Life forevermore,
Life forevermore.
Note: I love this psalm and the metaphors used to describe the blessing of Church unity. When the Church unites, the blessing of God descends upon the Body of Christ, just as the oil of God's anointing runs down Aaron's beard and the dew descends upon the mountains. We rejoice with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ who share the blessing of Life eternal in Christ Jesus. Let us strive to be unite our hearts and lives with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ, for we are all part of the Body of Christ.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Sing I Must
Lover of souls, Thee have I heard,
Thee will I sing, for sing I must;
Thy good and comfortable word
Hath raised my spirit from the dust.
by Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways
by Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Seeking the Truth
To travel this world over;
This desire burns in her heart.
She wants to experience,
to learn,
to grow.
Yet the flame is smothered by fear.
She becomes dizzy as she gazes
Over the steep climb she has managed,
overwhelmed
by the thought of falling.
Sure enough, she begins to fall,
Tumbling downwards
On this well established slide.
Looking up, she can hardly believe
She was just near the crest
Only an eye's blink ago.
Everything is fuzzy as she peers out
Through tears
That will not shed.
Heaviness weighs her down,
And it takes some time
Even to stand up.
Once on her feet,
She wonders if it is worth trying again.
Her dreams seem lost.
Up over the crest,
A ray of light is shattered
By the thick mist.
It seems so far away,
But essential for life;
So she begins her journey
once again.
by Julie St. John, January, 1986
Note: I wrote this as a young, single person. I had a desire to work overseas, to give my life for the poor of this world. Yet, I lacked confidence and stability. Many years have passed, and now I am a middle-aged mother of six children who are growing up so fast. The Lord, in His kindness and love, has provided opportunity for us to work overseas, to give our life for the poor of this world. We thank Him for opening the way to return to Tanzania for a two-year period. We pray that we will be of use to the Lord in sharing Christ with our African brethren. We pray that our grown children will know the vocation that God is calling them to pursue, and that He will guide their lives step by step just as He has guided our lives through these many years. It is not easy to leave our home here in rural Kentucky, but we are thankful for this opportunity to be a blessing to the African church in the Diocese of Victoria Nyanza (Lake Victoria).
This desire burns in her heart.
She wants to experience,
to learn,
to grow.
Yet the flame is smothered by fear.
She becomes dizzy as she gazes
Over the steep climb she has managed,
overwhelmed
by the thought of falling.
Sure enough, she begins to fall,
Tumbling downwards
On this well established slide.
Looking up, she can hardly believe
She was just near the crest
Only an eye's blink ago.
Everything is fuzzy as she peers out
Through tears
That will not shed.
Heaviness weighs her down,
And it takes some time
Even to stand up.
Once on her feet,
She wonders if it is worth trying again.
Her dreams seem lost.
Up over the crest,
A ray of light is shattered
By the thick mist.
It seems so far away,
But essential for life;
So she begins her journey
once again.
by Julie St. John, January, 1986
Note: I wrote this as a young, single person. I had a desire to work overseas, to give my life for the poor of this world. Yet, I lacked confidence and stability. Many years have passed, and now I am a middle-aged mother of six children who are growing up so fast. The Lord, in His kindness and love, has provided opportunity for us to work overseas, to give our life for the poor of this world. We thank Him for opening the way to return to Tanzania for a two-year period. We pray that we will be of use to the Lord in sharing Christ with our African brethren. We pray that our grown children will know the vocation that God is calling them to pursue, and that He will guide their lives step by step just as He has guided our lives through these many years. It is not easy to leave our home here in rural Kentucky, but we are thankful for this opportunity to be a blessing to the African church in the Diocese of Victoria Nyanza (Lake Victoria).
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
Teach Us to Pray
Saviour, in Whom we have access with confidence,
Lead us in prayer to-day;
Here at Thy feet we lay
All our desires; do Thou
Direct us now.
O loving Comforter, help our infirmities,
That which we know not teach;
Fashion our mortal speech
That we may know how to pray
The Heavenly way.
by Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways
Lead us in prayer to-day;
Here at Thy feet we lay
All our desires; do Thou
Direct us now.
O loving Comforter, help our infirmities,
That which we know not teach;
Fashion our mortal speech
That we may know how to pray
The Heavenly way.
by Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways
Sunday, June 8, 2014
We are Your Shadow
We are Your shadow, O Lord
Led by the Pillar of Cloud
That leads Your people through desert country;
A passing shadow are we.
Bright and happy and free,
Free in Your loving care.
Bright and happy are we,
The Bread of Life we all share.
We are Your breeze, O Lord,
A cooling breeze, indeed;
The wind is the Wind of Your Spirit, Lord.
A puff of wind are we.
Bright and happy and free,
Free in Your lasting love
Bright and happy are we,
O lead us, Holy Dove.
by Julie Dunlap, May, 2014
Note: Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church. The Holy Spirit brings us comfort, counsel, and strength to go on living as Christians. We often neglect the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and try to figure things out ourselves. However, we come to the realization that we need the Holy Spirit in order to grow in our faith in Christ. "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Note: Today is Pentecost Sunday, the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit to the Church. The Holy Spirit brings us comfort, counsel, and strength to go on living as Christians. We often neglect the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and try to figure things out ourselves. However, we come to the realization that we need the Holy Spirit in order to grow in our faith in Christ. "'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts." Zechariah 4:6
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Noble Love
How often, Love, our grateful eyes
Have seen what Thou hast done,
How often does Thy love surprise
From dawn to set of sun.
How often has a gracious rain
On Thine inheritance,
When it was weary, wrought again
An inward radiance.
Thou Who upon the heavens dost ride,
What miracle of love
Brings Thee more swiftly to our side
Than even thought can move?
Our love is like a little pool,
Thy love is like the sea,
O beautiful, O Wonderful,
How noble Love can be.
by Amy Carmichael, from Edges of His Ways
Have seen what Thou hast done,
How often does Thy love surprise
From dawn to set of sun.
How often has a gracious rain
On Thine inheritance,
When it was weary, wrought again
An inward radiance.
Thou Who upon the heavens dost ride,
What miracle of love
Brings Thee more swiftly to our side
Than even thought can move?
Our love is like a little pool,
Thy love is like the sea,
O beautiful, O Wonderful,
How noble Love can be.
by Amy Carmichael, from Edges of His Ways
Sunday, May 18, 2014
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).
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).
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