Great blessings from each message today at church. It was especially fulfilling because last week I had a hard time concentrating the whole day. *blushes* I would like to share with you little bits and pieces of what I learned today.
Thoughts from Sunday School.
"Discipleship is a relationship between Christ and His followers... I need to strive to lead people to a connexion to God, not to myself."
This reminded me of an excerpt I read just this week from The Journals of Jim Elliot. Allow me to share it with you:
"Just now I was thinking of separation from the systems of men in their religion. The danger of those of us pretending to be outside the camp is to make a camp out of 'camplessness.' It is all right for God to say, "Come out from among them," but that is not my place to speak. He is outside and above all petty walls. My words to my brethren must be, 'Let us go forth unto Him,' taking my place as one who must go forth, not telling others to come out where I am." (December 10, 1948)
More from Sunday School:
"Rebellion, not ignorance, keeps man from God."
"Jesus didn't treat symptoms; He went right to the cure."
"We ought to be so filled with Christ that, like Him, we can touch the dirty world and not come out with leprosy." (Thoughts of him healing the lepers, forgiving the adulterous woman, etc., without being affected. This thought especially struck me!)
Thoughts from Sunday Morning Service.
"Jesus did not communicate as did the prophets ["thus saith the Lord"]; He communicated on His own authority, as God ["Verily, verily, I say unto you."].
More thoughts on Matthew's portrayal of Jesus' authority (Matt. 7:28-29) as Teacher, Christ, Lord (Master), Saviour, Judge, Son of God, and God.
Thoughts from Afternoon Service.
This one was packed! :-) The Lord really convicted me about my great need to allow myself to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Why do I gravitate to this or that worldly thing? What fuels my attitudes, speech, and actions? Are they fueled by love for MYSELF or by love for GOD and OTHERS? When I say, "I love God", do I actually show that in my life as well?
"Agape love is a choice love...a conscious love... a concrete love... and a Christ-enabled love."
"Love is a distinguishable fruit-- Love.
Love is a delightful fruit-- Joy (living above one's circumstances) and peace (enmity removed, order restored).
Love is demonstrative fruit-- Longsuffering (long-temperedness, unwillingness to revenge, steadfast patience), gentleness (kind sweetness), goodness (always aiming at what is good).
Love is a disciplined fruit-- Faith (faithfulness, trustworthiness, reliability), Meekness (controlled strength, submission, teachability), Temperance (without excess, mastery of our passions)."
"I must be as patient with others as God is with me." (Ouch!)
Now I am looking forward to a week of applying what I have learned today. It is something only God can do in my life; and praise the Lord, He has promised to!
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Ephesians 6:10)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Bleak House
London. Michaelmas Term lately over, and the Lord Chancellor sitting in Lincoln's 
Hall Inn.... Fog everywhere. Fog up the river... fog down the river... fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights... The raw afternoon is rawest,and the dense fog is densest, and the muddy streets are muddiest, near the laden-headed old obstruction, appropriate ornament for the threshold of a leaden-headed old corporation: Temple Bar. And hard by Temple Bar, in Lincoln's Hall Inn, at the very heart of the fog, sits the Lord High Chancellor in His High Court of Chancery.
Thus begins Charles Dickens' epic tale of the long-standing Chancery court case of disputed wills, dashed hopes, and damaged lives. Bleak House was originally published, over the course of nineteen months, in a magazine, Household Words, and was printed in volume form in 1853. It has remained a stirring classic ever since, and has been made by BBC into a phenomenal, 15-episode miniseries.
At the very heart of the fog stands the High Court of Chancery. At the heart of Bleak House lies the "monument of Chancery practice"-- Jarndyce and Jarndyce-- a 53-year-old case of several wills upon which no one can agree. And at the heart of Jarndyce and Jarndyce stand cousins Richard Carstone and Ada Clare, taken in by a distant cousin, Mr. John Jarndyce, one of the kindest and most benevolent ficti
onal characters of Dickens' creation. A young lady of obscure birth, Esther Summerson, also finds herself drawn into the confusing case when called upon as a companion for Ada. Against Mr. Jarndyce's recommendation, Richard throws himself into the pursuit of his interests in the Chancery case, while Esther searches to know her hidden ancestory.
According to his own distinctive style, Dickens builds his plot around a wide variety of places, people, and circumstances. We find ourselves familiar with the depressed slum, Tom-All-Alone's; the great Lincolnshire house, Chesney Wold; the center of despair and misery, Lincoln's Hall Inn; and the cheerful haven, the house oddly enough called Bleak House, after which the book is named. We grow to love-- or hate-- Dickens' colorful characters: ice-cold Lady Dedlock with her haunted past; the hilarious clerk Mr. Guppy and "the image imprinted on his 'art"; the clever, indefatigable sleuth, Mr. Bucket (said to be one of British Literature's earliest detectives); the evil, prying, power-obsessed lawyer, Tulkinghorn; preoccupied Mrs. Jellaby and her
Borrioboola-Gha project; the poor, illiterate crossing-sweeper boy, Jo; the eccentric but endearing Miss Flite, who looks forward to the "Day of Judgment" when all her little birds will be set free; the crooked, self-serving free-loader Skimpole... Rising above them are some of my favorite fictional characters ever: Esther Summerson, whose sweet humility, constant love, and selfless service are a model of a godly woman; and Alan Woodcourt, a doctor whose life is marked by Christlike character and unswerving love and compassion.
Dickens also mixes a huge variety of genres, as only Dickens can do; in Bleak House, we find the legal thriller, mystery, romance, tragedy, adventure, and satire. We see philanthropy and poverty, secret pasts and scandal, comedy and crime, and the undying virtues of love, humility, generosity, and true righteousness.
While Bleak House features a phenomenal storyline and cast, it requires a determined reader who is willing to undertake eight hundred pages of Dickens' very unique writing style which often consists of very long des
criptions (for instance, nearly the whole first chapter describes the fog and the operations of the Court of Chancery, which I abbreviated at the beginning of this review) and confusing rabbit-trails (such as the discourse on Sir Leicester's political views in Chapter 28 and elsewhere). One of this novel's further singularities is that it alternates between two narrators: an unnamed narrator who writes in third person and in present tense, and Esther Summerson, who writes in first person and past tense. While at the same time entertaining, it can also be confusing and does disallow the interchange of scenes from all points of view. These challenges are gladly overlooked, however, in light of a wonderful, heart-stirring story.
When Dickens wrote this novel, the Court of Chancery was just as real, as controlling, and as ruinous as it appears to be in the story. At the time of writing, a suit stood before the court which had commenced nearly twenty years earlier, the costs of which had amounted to seventy thousand pounds (according the author's Preface, page 5). In addition, Dickens saw all around him the poverty and despair of places much like Tom-All-Alone's and of people much like Jo, the crossing-sweeper. Like Dickens' other novels, Bleak House shows life as it really was an
d is: it is not a bed of roses or a rag-to-riches existence; there are the very wealthy and there are the unbelievable poor; there are righteous people who choose to bless each life they touch, and there are cruel people who are determined to control or ruin the lives of everyone around them; there are the wrongs of this world, and there is "the world that sets this [world] right." Bleak House met with a society in desperate need of reform, and indeed, it succeeded in causing its readers, then and now, to consider what is important in life. I highly suggest you put this book on your list for winter reads. It is an adventure you will never forget.
For those who are still wary of undertaking the reading of such a long book, or who simply enjoy a good film adaption of a classic work, I recommend BBC's outstanding television adaption of Bleak House. With a screenplay written by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Wives and Daughters), this phenomenal miniser
ies runs over 450 minutes and features stunning cinema- tography, a thrilling music score, and a star- studded cast which includes Gillian Anderson (PBS's Masterpiece Theater), Anna Maxwell Martin (North and South), and Carey Mulligan (Pride and Prejudice 2005). Guppy is absolutely slapstick hilarious; and Tulkinghorn's puffy eyes, low voice, and sinister looks are perfectly done. This adaption mixes and matches some of the scenes for a better and more understandable flow of the story line, and eliminates some of the unimportant events and characters (such as Mrs. Snagsby's suspicion of her husband regarding Jo, and the silly, painted cousin of the Dedlocks, Volumnia.) The book, however, sheds more light on some details, particularly on backgrounds and thoughts that are hard to express on film. Overall, it is an excellent adaption of an excellent story and I recommend it as highly as I do the book.
Hall Inn.... Fog everywhere. Fog up the river... fog down the river... fog on the Essex marshes, fog on the Kentish heights... The raw afternoon is rawest,and the dense fog is densest, and the muddy streets are muddiest, near the laden-headed old obstruction, appropriate ornament for the threshold of a leaden-headed old corporation: Temple Bar. And hard by Temple Bar, in Lincoln's Hall Inn, at the very heart of the fog, sits the Lord High Chancellor in His High Court of Chancery.Thus begins Charles Dickens' epic tale of the long-standing Chancery court case of disputed wills, dashed hopes, and damaged lives. Bleak House was originally published, over the course of nineteen months, in a magazine, Household Words, and was printed in volume form in 1853. It has remained a stirring classic ever since, and has been made by BBC into a phenomenal, 15-episode miniseries.
At the very heart of the fog stands the High Court of Chancery. At the heart of Bleak House lies the "monument of Chancery practice"-- Jarndyce and Jarndyce-- a 53-year-old case of several wills upon which no one can agree. And at the heart of Jarndyce and Jarndyce stand cousins Richard Carstone and Ada Clare, taken in by a distant cousin, Mr. John Jarndyce, one of the kindest and most benevolent ficti
onal characters of Dickens' creation. A young lady of obscure birth, Esther Summerson, also finds herself drawn into the confusing case when called upon as a companion for Ada. Against Mr. Jarndyce's recommendation, Richard throws himself into the pursuit of his interests in the Chancery case, while Esther searches to know her hidden ancestory.According to his own distinctive style, Dickens builds his plot around a wide variety of places, people, and circumstances. We find ourselves familiar with the depressed slum, Tom-All-Alone's; the great Lincolnshire house, Chesney Wold; the center of despair and misery, Lincoln's Hall Inn; and the cheerful haven, the house oddly enough called Bleak House, after which the book is named. We grow to love-- or hate-- Dickens' colorful characters: ice-cold Lady Dedlock with her haunted past; the hilarious clerk Mr. Guppy and "the image imprinted on his 'art"; the clever, indefatigable sleuth, Mr. Bucket (said to be one of British Literature's earliest detectives); the evil, prying, power-obsessed lawyer, Tulkinghorn; preoccupied Mrs. Jellaby and her
Borrioboola-Gha project; the poor, illiterate crossing-sweeper boy, Jo; the eccentric but endearing Miss Flite, who looks forward to the "Day of Judgment" when all her little birds will be set free; the crooked, self-serving free-loader Skimpole... Rising above them are some of my favorite fictional characters ever: Esther Summerson, whose sweet humility, constant love, and selfless service are a model of a godly woman; and Alan Woodcourt, a doctor whose life is marked by Christlike character and unswerving love and compassion.Dickens also mixes a huge variety of genres, as only Dickens can do; in Bleak House, we find the legal thriller, mystery, romance, tragedy, adventure, and satire. We see philanthropy and poverty, secret pasts and scandal, comedy and crime, and the undying virtues of love, humility, generosity, and true righteousness.
While Bleak House features a phenomenal storyline and cast, it requires a determined reader who is willing to undertake eight hundred pages of Dickens' very unique writing style which often consists of very long des
criptions (for instance, nearly the whole first chapter describes the fog and the operations of the Court of Chancery, which I abbreviated at the beginning of this review) and confusing rabbit-trails (such as the discourse on Sir Leicester's political views in Chapter 28 and elsewhere). One of this novel's further singularities is that it alternates between two narrators: an unnamed narrator who writes in third person and in present tense, and Esther Summerson, who writes in first person and past tense. While at the same time entertaining, it can also be confusing and does disallow the interchange of scenes from all points of view. These challenges are gladly overlooked, however, in light of a wonderful, heart-stirring story.When Dickens wrote this novel, the Court of Chancery was just as real, as controlling, and as ruinous as it appears to be in the story. At the time of writing, a suit stood before the court which had commenced nearly twenty years earlier, the costs of which had amounted to seventy thousand pounds (according the author's Preface, page 5). In addition, Dickens saw all around him the poverty and despair of places much like Tom-All-Alone's and of people much like Jo, the crossing-sweeper. Like Dickens' other novels, Bleak House shows life as it really was an
d is: it is not a bed of roses or a rag-to-riches existence; there are the very wealthy and there are the unbelievable poor; there are righteous people who choose to bless each life they touch, and there are cruel people who are determined to control or ruin the lives of everyone around them; there are the wrongs of this world, and there is "the world that sets this [world] right." Bleak House met with a society in desperate need of reform, and indeed, it succeeded in causing its readers, then and now, to consider what is important in life. I highly suggest you put this book on your list for winter reads. It is an adventure you will never forget.~*~*~*~*~*~
For those who are still wary of undertaking the reading of such a long book, or who simply enjoy a good film adaption of a classic work, I recommend BBC's outstanding television adaption of Bleak House. With a screenplay written by Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, Wives and Daughters), this phenomenal miniser
ies runs over 450 minutes and features stunning cinema- tography, a thrilling music score, and a star- studded cast which includes Gillian Anderson (PBS's Masterpiece Theater), Anna Maxwell Martin (North and South), and Carey Mulligan (Pride and Prejudice 2005). Guppy is absolutely slapstick hilarious; and Tulkinghorn's puffy eyes, low voice, and sinister looks are perfectly done. This adaption mixes and matches some of the scenes for a better and more understandable flow of the story line, and eliminates some of the unimportant events and characters (such as Mrs. Snagsby's suspicion of her husband regarding Jo, and the silly, painted cousin of the Dedlocks, Volumnia.) The book, however, sheds more light on some details, particularly on backgrounds and thoughts that are hard to express on film. Overall, it is an excellent adaption of an excellent story and I recommend it as highly as I do the book.
Instead of Pulling Your Hair Out....
This quotation comes as a refreshing spring when people misunderstand, judge, and gossip about you (which is painfully common!)
“As to the harsh judgings of the world, or the more painful misunderstandings of Christian brethren, I generally feel that the best plan is to go on with our work and leave God to vindicate our cause.”
-Maria Taylor
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
If You're Afraid of People, You Have Anthropophobia.... If you have fear of Bridges...
I came across this list of phobias in my Health book. Assured that I am not the only one who wants to memorize Lucy's list of Phobias in Charlie Brown's Christmas, I have decided to post them here. :-)
Acrophobia: Fear of Heights
Aerophobia: Fear of air or flying
Agoraphobia: Open Spaces
Androphobia: Fear of Men
Anthropophobia: Fear of people
Apiphobia: Fear of Bees
Astraphobia: Fear of storms, lighting, and thunder
Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed spaces
Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions
Entomophobia: Fear of Insects
Ergophobia: Fear of Work
Gynephobia: Fear of Women
Hemophobia: Fear of Blood
Hydrophobia: Fear of Water
Microphobia: Fear of Bacteria
Monophobia: Fear of being alone
Necrophobia: Fear of death or corpses
Nyctophobia: Fear of darkness
Ochlophobia: Fear of crowds
Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes
Phonophobia: Fear of speaking aloud
Sophophobia: Fear of Learning
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of Number 13
Xenophobia: Fear of Strangers
Zoophobia: Fear of animals
Well, what do you think about that? (The only one missing is Fear of Everything. ;-) ) I "fear" that I am a very phobiatic person. :-) I tend towards androphobia, anthropophobia, astraphobia (that's my biggest phobia), claustrophobia, necrophobia, nyctophobia, ochlophobia, and xenophobia!! What phobias do you tend towards?
Praise the Lord that, if we are in Christ, we do not have to be bound by fear. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). We know that the God who created all things continues to control all things and watches over us at all times. He will give us courage to face our fears and strength to do what is right, regardless of our fears! What a great God we serve!
"Fear and faith are not fellow travelers." -Nate Saint
"There are reasons and reasons for hope and for happiness, and never one for fear." -Amy Carmichael
"Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there."
Acrophobia: Fear of Heights
Aerophobia: Fear of air or flying
Agoraphobia: Open Spaces
Androphobia: Fear of Men
Anthropophobia: Fear of people
Apiphobia: Fear of Bees
Astraphobia: Fear of storms, lighting, and thunder
Claustrophobia: Fear of enclosed spaces
Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions
Entomophobia: Fear of Insects
Ergophobia: Fear of Work
Gynephobia: Fear of Women
Hemophobia: Fear of Blood
Hydrophobia: Fear of Water
Microphobia: Fear of Bacteria
Monophobia: Fear of being alone
Necrophobia: Fear of death or corpses
Nyctophobia: Fear of darkness
Ochlophobia: Fear of crowds
Ophidiophobia: Fear of snakes
Phonophobia: Fear of speaking aloud
Sophophobia: Fear of Learning
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of Number 13
Xenophobia: Fear of Strangers
Zoophobia: Fear of animals
Well, what do you think about that? (The only one missing is Fear of Everything. ;-) ) I "fear" that I am a very phobiatic person. :-) I tend towards androphobia, anthropophobia, astraphobia (that's my biggest phobia), claustrophobia, necrophobia, nyctophobia, ochlophobia, and xenophobia!! What phobias do you tend towards?
Praise the Lord that, if we are in Christ, we do not have to be bound by fear. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7). We know that the God who created all things continues to control all things and watches over us at all times. He will give us courage to face our fears and strength to do what is right, regardless of our fears! What a great God we serve!
"Fear and faith are not fellow travelers." -Nate Saint
"There are reasons and reasons for hope and for happiness, and never one for fear." -Amy Carmichael
"Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there."
Monday, August 24, 2009
Can't Figure Out This New-Fangled Technology!
A funny video my mom sent me. :-) It is so like Kitty! :-P
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Four Girls at Chautauqua
Rain.... mud.... crowds.... tents.... sermons.... lectures.... chalk talks.... Chautauqua, NY, 1875. A memorable year it was for those who took two weeks out there summer to come to this Christian camp for Bible teaching and ministry training. Among one of those people was Mrs. Isabella Alden, a talented writer and pastor's wife who would capture the events of that partic
ular year in a heart-searching novel that is still read today.
In Four Girls at Chautauqua, we see the Chautauqua meetings of 1875 through the eyes of four girls who are very similar in many ways, and yet alike in one particular: their need for the Savior. Ruth Erskine is the only daughter of a very wealthy American couple; she is a rich, respectable, fashionable young woman with the personality of a leader. Eurie Mitchell is an exuberant, indifferent, fun-loving, middle-class Hedonist. Flossy Shipley is a petted and spoiled, mousie girl who always does things because "they're doing it." Marion Wilbur is an independent, no-nonsense pragmatist and a "self-professed infidel".
The four girls decide to retreat to Chautauqua Bible Institute, just for fun. Of course, they could care less about the preaching and the lectures, but the thought of getting away and camping in the woods together sounds exciting to them. Once they arrive, however, they find themselves totally out of their elements. Not only do they lack the comforts they are used to at home, but also they also feel obliged to attend the meetings and lectures that everyone else seems so eager to hear.
Mrs. Alden tactfully and colorfully follows the events of that year at Chautauqua as she shows the work of the Holy Spirit in each girl's heart. Through the preaching from the pulpit or through the quiet ministry of private individuals, God draws the girls to Himself, one by one.
For years my mom and Amanda had been trying to convince me to read this book. Perhaps it was disinterest, per
haps it was my silly quirk of not caring for the late 1800's writing style (the woman with the ruby lips and the face like the moonlight; the sainted child's dying words; that stuff); perhaps it was a combination of the two. However, I finally decided to read it and found the 19th century "sentamentalism/emotionalism" very, very limited, and the message of the Word of God very, very exalted! I was extremely blessed! To read examples of how God works on the different heart "soils" was exciting and encouraging. We may easily become discouraged when a person sits under the preaching of God's Word regularly and remains untouched, but Four Girls at Chautauqua is a reminder that God can change anybody's heart, even the most dormant, even the most skeptical, even the most distracted by fashion and friends. His Word never comes back void!
Not only was I encouraged in this manner, but I was also challenged, as were the girls in the book. For instance, after Flossy's conversion, she comes under conviction for wasting her time, money, and mind on useless things-- kid gloves, for instance-- instead of using those things for the Lord's purposes. At first when I read it, I thought, "Kid gloves? So what?" Then the Lord opened my eyes and helped me to understand the lesson-- these days we probably wouldn't waste money on kid gloves because those don't mean anything to us, but we might waste money on a Starbucks frappachino, new movies, or the latest namebrand fashion. Anythin
g besides the Lord can become an idol to us-- so it has been in every era. I realized, with Flossy, that I must put God first before those things; I must embrace His purposes and follow His will, rather than wasting it on things that do not matter, things that will fade away, things that will one day "collect dust and be forgotten".
Like the four girls at Chautauqua, we eat have to make a choice: will we serve and die with the world, or serve and live with our Creator and Redeemer? I highly encourage you to read this book! You will be blessed and encouraged as I was to live a life fully devoted to Jesus Christ!
Four Girls at Chautauqua has been reprinted by and can be ordered from Keepers of the Faith.
ular year in a heart-searching novel that is still read today.In Four Girls at Chautauqua, we see the Chautauqua meetings of 1875 through the eyes of four girls who are very similar in many ways, and yet alike in one particular: their need for the Savior. Ruth Erskine is the only daughter of a very wealthy American couple; she is a rich, respectable, fashionable young woman with the personality of a leader. Eurie Mitchell is an exuberant, indifferent, fun-loving, middle-class Hedonist. Flossy Shipley is a petted and spoiled, mousie girl who always does things because "they're doing it." Marion Wilbur is an independent, no-nonsense pragmatist and a "self-professed infidel".
The four girls decide to retreat to Chautauqua Bible Institute, just for fun. Of course, they could care less about the preaching and the lectures, but the thought of getting away and camping in the woods together sounds exciting to them. Once they arrive, however, they find themselves totally out of their elements. Not only do they lack the comforts they are used to at home, but also they also feel obliged to attend the meetings and lectures that everyone else seems so eager to hear.
Mrs. Alden tactfully and colorfully follows the events of that year at Chautauqua as she shows the work of the Holy Spirit in each girl's heart. Through the preaching from the pulpit or through the quiet ministry of private individuals, God draws the girls to Himself, one by one.
For years my mom and Amanda had been trying to convince me to read this book. Perhaps it was disinterest, per
haps it was my silly quirk of not caring for the late 1800's writing style (the woman with the ruby lips and the face like the moonlight; the sainted child's dying words; that stuff); perhaps it was a combination of the two. However, I finally decided to read it and found the 19th century "sentamentalism/emotionalism" very, very limited, and the message of the Word of God very, very exalted! I was extremely blessed! To read examples of how God works on the different heart "soils" was exciting and encouraging. We may easily become discouraged when a person sits under the preaching of God's Word regularly and remains untouched, but Four Girls at Chautauqua is a reminder that God can change anybody's heart, even the most dormant, even the most skeptical, even the most distracted by fashion and friends. His Word never comes back void!Not only was I encouraged in this manner, but I was also challenged, as were the girls in the book. For instance, after Flossy's conversion, she comes under conviction for wasting her time, money, and mind on useless things-- kid gloves, for instance-- instead of using those things for the Lord's purposes. At first when I read it, I thought, "Kid gloves? So what?" Then the Lord opened my eyes and helped me to understand the lesson-- these days we probably wouldn't waste money on kid gloves because those don't mean anything to us, but we might waste money on a Starbucks frappachino, new movies, or the latest namebrand fashion. Anythin
g besides the Lord can become an idol to us-- so it has been in every era. I realized, with Flossy, that I must put God first before those things; I must embrace His purposes and follow His will, rather than wasting it on things that do not matter, things that will fade away, things that will one day "collect dust and be forgotten".Like the four girls at Chautauqua, we eat have to make a choice: will we serve and die with the world, or serve and live with our Creator and Redeemer? I highly encourage you to read this book! You will be blessed and encouraged as I was to live a life fully devoted to Jesus Christ!
Four Girls at Chautauqua has been reprinted by and can be ordered from Keepers of the Faith.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
From Jim Elliot
Here is a bit of free-verse that I read in The Journals of Jim Elliot; I believe he wrote it.
What is this, Lord Jesus, that Thou shouldst make an end
Of all that I possess, and give Thyself to me?
So that there is nothing now to call my own
Save Thee; Thyself alone my treasure.
Taking all, Thou givest full measure of Thyself
With all things else eternal--
Things unlike the mouldly pelf by earth possessed.
But as to life and godliness-- all things are mine
And in God's garments dressed I am
With Thee, an heir to riches in the spheres divine.
Strange, I say, that suffering loss
I have so gained everything in getting
Me a friend who bore a cross.
What is this, Lord Jesus, that Thou shouldst make an end
Of all that I possess, and give Thyself to me?
So that there is nothing now to call my own
Save Thee; Thyself alone my treasure.
Taking all, Thou givest full measure of Thyself
With all things else eternal--
Things unlike the mouldly pelf by earth possessed.
But as to life and godliness-- all things are mine
And in God's garments dressed I am
With Thee, an heir to riches in the spheres divine.
Strange, I say, that suffering loss
I have so gained everything in getting
Me a friend who bore a cross.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Deliverance
I wrote this poem before we left for VBS and hadn't had a chance to post it yet. I wrote it when I was disappointed in myself for wasting so much time on things that do not draw me closer to God or further His kingdom. Peter says that "of whom [or 'what'] a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage" (2 Peter 2:19). My prayer was, and is, that I might be enslaved to the freedom of Jesus Christ, and not to the things of the world.
I don't know but the poem might be a little strange, so I am publishing it at the risk of criticism, but really, please share your thoughts; let me know what you think.
Is it any good??
Along the path of living
Is ever-present death,
And sin, however subtle,
Can snare my very breath.
The "good" and "wholesome" pleasures,
Though "innocent" they be,
By stealing time and talent,
Can soon be gods to me.
Dear Saviour, Jesus, capture,
O capture me, I pray,
And bind me in the freedom
Of life and glorious day.
Remove each rock of stumbling;
Tear ev'ry barrier down;
Extinguish every taper,
That I may win the crown.
I don't know but the poem might be a little strange, so I am publishing it at the risk of criticism, but really, please share your thoughts; let me know what you think.
Is it any good??
Along the path of living
Is ever-present death,
And sin, however subtle,
Can snare my very breath.
The "good" and "wholesome" pleasures,
Though "innocent" they be,
By stealing time and talent,
Can soon be gods to me.
Dear Saviour, Jesus, capture,
O capture me, I pray,
And bind me in the freedom
Of life and glorious day.
Remove each rock of stumbling;
Tear ev'ry barrier down;
Extinguish every taper,
That I may win the crown.
"O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 7:24-25a)
"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith"
(Hebrews 12:1b-2a)
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord"
(Romans 7:24-25a)
"Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith"
(Hebrews 12:1b-2a)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
We're Back!
We are back home and I will try to start posting interesting things again tomorrow. I finished Four Girls at Chautauqua so hopefully there will be a book review on that... and a recap of VBS perhaps... and other this and that. The Lord is faithful and always teaching and guiding, and of course, you know me-- never don't have enough to say. *serene smile* *goofy smile following*
:-D
:-D
Monday, August 10, 2009
Treasures :-)
Yesterday we went to the M's house, and I came back with two sweet little treasures.
One says "To: Meleny", with a big heart under the words. On the other side of the page are pictures of hearts, stars, and people, and in big, childish writing, the words, "Love ... I love you"... below a face "Maddy"... "Make u smile".... "From: Maddy". And it did make me smile!! Oh boy, didn't it! :-D
The second is a folded paper. On the front is a picture of a horse. On the inside it says "To: Amanda, Bethany, and Melany". There is a picture of three horses, "Moonbeam-- Lead Mare; Cloud Dancer-- a stallion; Strider-- a batchler"; it is entitled "A fight for a herd." This is from Olivia. On the back is a picture of flower.
Hannah E., whose family also came to the M's last night, said that her mom made a portfolio of all the cards and pictures her kids had given her when they were little. What a phenomenal idea! I have innumerable cards and pictures from little kiddos and they're all lying in desk drawers and tubs and random folders. So when I get back I am going to start my own portfolio so I can have them all in the same place. :-)
I love love love love love little kids!! As I enter my senior year, I am praying about what the Lord would have me do after I graduate, and I am really praying towards some kind of ministry with kids because I just love them to pieces, as Daniel Hadley would say. :-) Exactly how, where, when, and who is unknown to me though. Can you all please pray for me as I seek God's will for my life? Please pray that my heart would always be attuned to Him and that I would discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
When I get home, I might edit this post and put my favorite picture of me with the M. girls and Rebecca last year but alas I'm not on my own computer right now. :-)
One says "To: Meleny", with a big heart under the words. On the other side of the page are pictures of hearts, stars, and people, and in big, childish writing, the words, "Love ... I love you"... below a face "Maddy"... "Make u smile".... "From: Maddy". And it did make me smile!! Oh boy, didn't it! :-D
The second is a folded paper. On the front is a picture of a horse. On the inside it says "To: Amanda, Bethany, and Melany". There is a picture of three horses, "Moonbeam-- Lead Mare; Cloud Dancer-- a stallion; Strider-- a batchler"; it is entitled "A fight for a herd." This is from Olivia. On the back is a picture of flower.
Hannah E., whose family also came to the M's last night, said that her mom made a portfolio of all the cards and pictures her kids had given her when they were little. What a phenomenal idea! I have innumerable cards and pictures from little kiddos and they're all lying in desk drawers and tubs and random folders. So when I get back I am going to start my own portfolio so I can have them all in the same place. :-)
I love love love love love little kids!! As I enter my senior year, I am praying about what the Lord would have me do after I graduate, and I am really praying towards some kind of ministry with kids because I just love them to pieces, as Daniel Hadley would say. :-) Exactly how, where, when, and who is unknown to me though. Can you all please pray for me as I seek God's will for my life? Please pray that my heart would always be attuned to Him and that I would discern what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
When I get home, I might edit this post and put my favorite picture of me with the M. girls and Rebecca last year but alas I'm not on my own computer right now. :-)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Hi :-D What a Name for a Post! :-P
Just wanted to drop a note and say "hi". :-) We're housesitting for some friends in Holmes County this week and have to use their computer, since they don't have wireless internet. Plus we'll be busy with VBS and such so I won't have much time to post.
But the Lord is teaching me things, and He has been sending special answers to prayer. Being down here for the week is an answer to prayer in itself. We had wanted to help with VBS, but didn't think we'd be able to because of the long drive. Well, a month or so ago, the S. family said, quite out of the blue, "We're going to be out of town from [such and such date to such and such date; what day is it today anyway?] and you're welcome to stay at our house that week." We looked at each other. "That's the week of VBS, isn't it?"
So here we are, and praising the Lord for knowing our needs and supplying them.
Another special answer was a little more material, but still very, very exciting. I had been praying for a way to make a little extra money because there were so patterns I wanted very much to buy. Well, in the meantime, I posted pictures of my Romantic Era dress on the forum, and Mrs. Chancey liked it so much that she included it in her most recent e-newsletter. Then I got an email from her, saying that I got a gift certificate for Sense & Sensibility patterns, because she had featured me in the newsletter!! Isn't God good to fulfil even those small desires of our hearts? :-D
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. <3
~M
But the Lord is teaching me things, and He has been sending special answers to prayer. Being down here for the week is an answer to prayer in itself. We had wanted to help with VBS, but didn't think we'd be able to because of the long drive. Well, a month or so ago, the S. family said, quite out of the blue, "We're going to be out of town from [such and such date to such and such date; what day is it today anyway?] and you're welcome to stay at our house that week." We looked at each other. "That's the week of VBS, isn't it?"
So here we are, and praising the Lord for knowing our needs and supplying them.
Another special answer was a little more material, but still very, very exciting. I had been praying for a way to make a little extra money because there were so patterns I wanted very much to buy. Well, in the meantime, I posted pictures of my Romantic Era dress on the forum, and Mrs. Chancey liked it so much that she included it in her most recent e-newsletter. Then I got an email from her, saying that I got a gift certificate for Sense & Sensibility patterns, because she had featured me in the newsletter!! Isn't God good to fulfil even those small desires of our hearts? :-D
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend. <3
~M
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Jesus-- Our Light, Our Life, Our Righteousness
Quatrain found in The Journals of Jim Elliot:
"My soul is night, my heart is steel.
I cannot see, I cannot feel:
For light, for life, I must appeal
In simple faith to Jesus."
-James Proctor
Verse that has been going through my head incessantly the past day or so:
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3,4, emphasis mine)
"My soul is night, my heart is steel.
I cannot see, I cannot feel:
For light, for life, I must appeal
In simple faith to Jesus."
-James Proctor
Verse that has been going through my head incessantly the past day or so:
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:3,4, emphasis mine)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Another Prayer by Jane Austen
Another Day Now Gone
Father of Heaven! whose goodness has brought us in safety to the close of this day, dispose our hearts in fervent prayer. Another day is now gone, and added to those, for which we were before accountable. Teach us almighty father, to consider this solemn truth, as we should do, that we may feel the importance of every day, and every hour as it passes, and earnestly strive to make a better use of what thy goodness may yet bestow on us, than we have done of the time past.
Give us grace to endeavour after a truly Christian spirit to seek to attain that temper of forbearance and patience of which our blessed saviour has set us the highest example; and which, while it prepares us for the spiritual happiness of the life to come, will secure to us the best enjoyment of what this world can give. Incline us oh God! to think humbly of ourselves, to be severe only in the examination of our own conduct, to consider our fellow-creatures with kindness, and to judge of all they say and do with that charity which we would desire from them ourselves.
We thank thee with all our hearts for every gracious dispensation, for all the blessings that have attended our lives, for every hour of safety, health and peace, of domestic comfort and innocent enjoyment. We feel that we have been blessed far beyond any thing that we have deserved; and though we cannot but pray for a continuance of all these mercies, we acknowledge our unworthiness of them and implore thee to pardon the presumption of our desires.
Keep us oh! Heavenly Father from evil this night. Bring us in safety to the beginning of another day and grant that we may rise again with every serious and religious feeling which now directs us.
May thy mercy be extended over all mankind, bringing the ignorant to the knowledge of thy truth, awakening the impenitent, touching the hardened. Look with compassion upon the afflicted of every condition, assuage the pangs of disease, comfort the broken in spirit.
More particularly do we pray for the safety and welfare of our own family and friends wheresoever dispersed, beseeching thee to avert from them all material and lasting evil of body or mind; and may we by the assistance of thy holy spirit so conduct ourselves on earth as to secure an eternity of happiness with each other in thy heavenly kingdom. Grant this most merciful Father, for the sake of our blessed saviour in whose holy name and words we further address thee.
Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
This prayer and that of the previous post were taken from this site. I enjoyed the glimpse into Jane Austen's spiritual life.
A Prayer by Jane Austen
Almighty God!
Look down with mercy on thy servants here assembled and accept the petitions now offered up unto thee. Pardon oh! God the offences of the past day. We are conscious of many frailties; we remember with shame and contrition, many evil thoughts and neglected duties; and we have perhaps sinned against thee and against our fellow-creatures in many instances of which we have no remembrance. Pardon oh God! whatever thou has seen amiss in us, and give us a stronger desire of resisting every evil inclination and weakening every habit of sin. Thou knowest the infirmity of our nature, and the temptations which surround us. Be thou merciful, oh heavenly Father! to creatures so formed and situated. We bless thee for every comfort of our past and present existence, for our health of body and of mind and for every other source of happiness which thou hast bountifully bestowed on us and with which we close this day, imploring their continuance from thy fatherly goodness, with a more grateful sense of them, than they have hitherto excited. May the comforts of every day, be thankfully felt by us, may they prompt a willing obedience of thy commandments and a benevolent spirit toward every fellow-creature.
Have mercy oh gracious Father! upon all that are now suffering from whatsoever cause, that are in any circumstance of danger or distress. Give them patience under every affliction, strengthen, comfort and relieve them.
To thy goodness we commend ourselves this night beseeching thy protection of us through its darkness and dangers. We are helpless and dependent; graciously preserve us. For all whom we love and value, for every friend and connection, we equally pray; however divided and far asunder, we know that we are alike before thee, and under thine eye. May we be equally united in thy faith and fear, in fervent devotion towards thee, and in thy merciful protection this night. Pardon oh Lord! the imperfections of these our prayers, and accept them through the mediation of our blessed saviour, in whose holy words, we further address thee.
Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Elegant Economy
Due to some reason that I don't really understand, the cost for electricity has nearly doubled, so we are trying to economize on electricity, use daylight as much as possible, not run the AC, etc. :-P It reminded me of this cute scene from Cranford. :-) So sorry about the Japanese/Chinese/whatever writing on it and the terrible pixelation (?); I tried downloading the scene off of our DVD but couldn't figure it out, so I just got the clip off of YouTube, pieced it together on Windows Movie Maker, and added the title and credits. :-)
My version of elegant economy:
hand-sewing the waistband lining of my dress in the bright, hot summer sun :-)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Another Tag :-) They're so much fun :-)
I am: a wretched sinner saved by God’s grace
I think: God’s ways are absolutely amazing!
I know: that I am safe and secure in Christ—nothing can harm me
I have: lots of books on my bookshelf, and tons more on my wish list
I wish: I had some children to babysit! And that I had some kind of income
I hate: that fleshly nature that hangs on and continually tries to trip me up. UGH! :-/
I miss: the Hadleys
I fear: being “left to myself”
I feel: like this has been the most traumatic year of my life
I hear: Beth and Amanda playing Vivaldi!
I smell: nothing just now, but earlier Mommy was grilling chicken, and oh my! Did it smell good! :-P
I crave: holiness
I search: the Scriptures—it is they which testify of Christ
I wonder: what God has planned for me in the next couple years
I regret: not establishing a good relationship with my younger sister from the start
I love: my family—physical and spiritual!
I ache: when I think of Leah, Harrison, and Sophia, and their family :-(
I am not: hopeless or despondent
I believe: God’s promises of salvation, of sanctification, of His presence, and all His other awesome promises! :-D Woohoo!
I dance: Jane-Austen style—with my sisters :-P
I sing: for God’s glory, I hope; usually harmonizing with my family, but sometimes solo :-)
I cry: about everything, from tragedies in the family to happy endings in a movie to beautiful music :-)
I don't always: respond as Jesus would
I fight: my sin nature :-S
I write: everything, all the time!! Novels, stories, poems, essays, blog posts, everything! :-P
I win: Hand and Foot if I’m playing with a good partner :-)
I lose: “Who’s the Tallest?” :-)
I never: go through a day without quoting Austen and Gaskell
I always: try to spend time with God in the morning
I confuse: pink and yellow. Strange, huh?
I listen: to Christian music and soundtracks :-D
I can usually be found: on my computer, reading a book, sewing, or talking
I am scared: of fire and electrical storms!—I was getting better about it until May, when the Wagoners’ house caught fire in a T-storm
I need: Jesus—every hour! Every moment!
I am happy about: this school year being my last! (In grade school that is)
I imagine: with every spare moment I have! :-)
I am wearing: my John 3:16 shirt from the Creation museum. I was last time I did a tag too. :-)
I look forward to: growing in Christ and glorifying Him with my life—and publishing a book, getting married, and having kiddos of my own :-)
I tag: whoever wants to participate!
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