Happy New Year 2018

  A very happy first day of 2018!

  Thinking over the now-past 2017 year...  I know that most of the beautiful and worth-while things I was apart of would either never have been things I'd jump to do of my own accord, or would never be things I'd know to pursue for myself (usually due to fear of the unknown).  And if I had chased them on my own, none of the things I needed, whether wonderful or uncomfortable, could I have ever accomplished in anything more than a shadowy portion of the real thing.

The Lord has done great things for me.  And He always does.  And here’s to the next year of growing past -and through- a new set of my very Hobbit-like fears; and with God's help, growing into more courage and more trust.  Farther up and farther in!

  So now for 2018, I'll be pondering these reminders over next few weeks — and probably all this coming year.

                              Fear not,
                                   for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will uphold you, I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
                                                                                                           Isaiah 41:10

  Do not despise these small beginnings,
                for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
                                                                                            Zechariah 4:10

  For I am about to do something new. ...
                                                                                    Isaiah 43:19a

  "To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

  O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

...Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

  Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
...And give Him the glory, great things He has done."

                                                          (—Fanny Crosby, 'To God Be The Glory')

God Knows 

(The Gate of the Year)

by Minnie Louise Haskins

'And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night.
And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East. ...'

  What are some things you'll be pondering as this brand new year unfolds?

(All pictures, quotes, etc. belong to their original owners.  I claim none of them and place them here only for inspiration.  All other words, thoughts, etc. are my own.)

Merry Christmas 2017

  A very  Merry Christmas  to you!

(A beautiful art print by Fellowship For the Performing Arts )

  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born

                              to you;  He is the Messiah,

                                                     the Lord.

                                                                                                   Luke 2:11 

  This song has been the theme for me for Christmas this year.  David Phelps's beautiful 'Agnus Dei'.

  On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: fear not,

        O Zion, be not discouraged!  The Lord, your God,

                                           is in your midst.

                                                                                                   Zephaniah 3:16-17a 


  And though you won't be gearing up for Christmas after today, I wanted to leave you a thought to ponder even as we head toward a new year, and more Christmases to come.

  Beware of playing into cynicism during Christmas.

  It’s far too easy to get disgusted with and brush off traditions, and carols especially, in the name of their being “unrealistic” or “incorrect”. And something in many of them may be. But please have the grace to remember 3 important things;

  First — Most of us (even if a few might dabble in it) are /not/ songwriters. Rhythm, sound, etc. come into consideration as well as meaning; no, not an excuse for mistaken theology, but just remember that we don’t really know all that goes into it.
  Second — Remember that most transcendent carols were written in long-past centuries. Yes, they may have gotten some things wrong, but take note of, and learn from, their reverence, wisdom and insight - they had a great deal of it.
  Lastly — Don’t treat these songs as if they were written to make money or mislead people. Remember, these writers were trying to express an aspect of the wonder of what God has done that had captured their hearts, something that stirred them to praise and awe.

Just take the same amount of time this Christmas that you catch yourself noticing flaws in traditional carols, and appreciate and be awed by the heart of what the writer was trying to express.

  Only God is flawless. And the Lord has truly done great things for us!

'If Christmas Never Came' —David Phelps

(As always, all pictures, quotes, videos, songs, etc. belong to their ORIGINAL owners and are left with links where possible — I don't claim any of them, and they are here only for inspiration.  All other words, thoughts, etc. are my own.)

Happy Birthday C.S. Lewis

Happy 119th birthday, C.S. Lewis!

  One of the people I look forward most to meeting in Heaven.  Meanwhile, I am thankful for his thoughtfulness and insight into the workings of mankind and our patient, mighty Creator.

(All pictures, etc. always belong to their original owners — I don't claim them, and put them here ONLY as inspiration.)

500th Reformation Day

  Some reflections on this 500th anniversary of  when the momentum of  the Reformation  spun the comfortable on its head, as it turned men back to face the God who had been reaching open arms to them all along.

  Let them praise the Lord for His great love

and for the wonderful things He has done for them.

                       For He satisfies the thirsty

                               and fills the hungry with good things. 

                                                                                           Psalm 107:8-9 

  'We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.'

                                                   --Martin Luther 

  I am the Lord your God, who teaches you

                  what is good for you

                     and leads you along the paths you should follow. 

                                                                       Isaiah 48:17 

  'Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved.'

                                                         --Martin Luther 

  'So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know the One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!" '

                                                                    -- Martin Luther 

  I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of Your wonderful deeds. 

                                                      Psalm 9:1