I wait.
Dear Lord, Thy ways
Are past finding out,
Thy love too high,
O hold me still
Beneath Thy shadow.
Is is enough that Thou
Lift up the light
Of Thy Countenance.
I wait -
Because I am commanded
So to do. My mind
Is filled with wonderings.
My soul asks "Why?"
But then the quiet word,
"Wait thou only
Upon God."
And so, not even for the light
To show a step ahead,
But for Thee, dear Lord,
I wait.
July 3 - Elisabeth Elliot
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Thoughts on Desire
Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
I’ve always thought of this verse as meaning that, if we delight in the Lord, He will give us what our hearts desire. In church this morning my head and heart got a little jolt. The associate pastor made a comment during the benediction, and he basically said that when we delight in the Lord, our desires are from Him.
Do you ever find yourself needing to just stop and breath and pray for direction? I find that to be more and more the case as I attempt to draw closer and closer to God. Nowadays I find myself constantly needing to search my heart and ask myself if the desires I find there are sown in the soil of this earth, or rooted in the truth of His Word.
Sleep. It’s about that time of night. I lay in bed and pray over the things that happened today, things that were good or not so good. I pray for tomorrow. I pray for wisdom. My mind strayed to what Mr. Peppers said, and I started to pray over my desires.
Maybe it was the coffee I had 8 hours ago, or maybe it was just the need to put my thoughts into words, but I sit here typing this and looking at what others have to say on Psalm 37:4. I think that what Spurgeon had to say on the topic was so interesting:
Verse 4. There is an ascent in this third
precept. He who was first bidden not to fret, was then commanded actively to
trust, and now is told with holy desire to delight in God. Delight thyself
also in the Lord. Make Jehovah the joy and rejoicing of thy spirit. Bad men
delight in carnal objects; do not envy them if they are allowed to take their
fill in such vain idols; look thou to thy better delight, and fill thyself to
the full with thy more sublime portion. In a certain sense imitate the wicked;
they delight in their portion—take care to delight in yours, and so far from
envying you will pity them. There is no room for fretting if we remember that
God is ours, but there is every incentive to sacred enjoyment of the most
elevated and ecstatic kind. Every name, attribute, word, or deed of Jehovah,
should be delightful to us, and in meditating thereon our soul should be as
glad as is the epicure who feeds delicately with a profound relish for his
dainties. And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. A pleasant
duty is here rewarded with another pleasure. Men who delight in God desire or
ask for nothing but what will please God; hence it is safe to give them carte
blanche. Their will is subdued to God's will, and now they may have what
they will. Our innermost desires are here meant, not our casual wishes; there
are many things which nature might desire which grace would never permit us to
ask for; these deep, prayerful, asking desires are those to which the
promise is made.
When I delight in the Lord, my only true desire is to do my Fathers will. Everything in my life should be an effort to do the will of God, to give Him glory. I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” I’ve always wondered how eating and drinking can bring glory to God, and I think I understand a little better now. When we weigh each action, seeking to bring glory to God, purposing to bring glory to God, each thing we do is specifically for Him. Of course, not everything we do will be glorifying, for we are humans and imperfect, but we can strive to glorify him.
As I was looking at Psalm 37 I noticed the beginning of the 7thverse, which says “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him.” I had to stop and think. I am at a time in my life where I have a few things I really want. I’m getting to the age where most people start wondering when I’m going to get married, I mean, I don’t blame them, cause I had this subconscious expectation that I would be married by the time I turned 20 or something. I’m finding I need to be waiting patiently on the Lord.
The Olympics are over, but I must point out something that I (and pretty much most Christians that I’ve been talking to) found to be strange. The skiing half-pipe gold medalist is David Wise. David is 23 years old, is married, and has a little girl. The articles on him all say he is leading an “alternative lifestyle.” What in the world does that mean? The fact that he’s married? Married at 23? Has a kid that young? I realize that so many things have changed in this world since even the last 100 years. People used to get married “young” you guys! Young people were encouraged to take on responsibility, get jobs, get married at a young age. Maturity isn’t expected from 18-25 year olds like it used to be expected. It’s not strange to see a 22 year old that would rather play video games in an alternate reality than be out working and earning a living. (I think this is a little off track, but I do wonder why society thinks this way.)
Oh! I just remembered where I was going with that last thought. In Christian circles, we are expected to marry younger. Not that we are expected to get married at 16 or 17 and start a family right away (although many young Christian girls have this as a goal for some reason) but starting a family at 23 isn't an "alternative lifestyle" to a Christian. Or is it? The pressure from the other side is that the world does question your sanity when you get married any younger than, say 25, and having a kid before that?!? Don't you need to take that time as a young adult to enjoy yourself and have the freedom you were "meant" to have. Oh my lanta!? Seeing the difference in how the church as a whole views something and how the world views something always puts everything into a little better perspective. Anyways...
You ask how this all connects? Well, here’s what I think. We are told to delight in the Lord. When we delight in the Lord, the desires of our heart will become more fully aligned with His. When our wills are more fully aligned with our Father’s will, it becomes easy to “be still” and “wait patiently for Him.” When we are in His will and being patient and seeking to delight in Him, we can find ourselves doing all for the glory of God. Even eating and drinking is done for His glory because it sustains our lives so we can continue to serve Him.
I finish with the desire to know Him better, and the words on my lips saying “Father, Thy will be done.”
Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone be the Glory)
Monday, October 21, 2013
Little Weeds
A few people think I need to be better about writing on my blog, so I'm going to try. It's an interesting thing, this idea of putting your thoughts on the internet for anyone to see. It's like letting other people into your mind and not knowing who is in there. Maybe I should stick to crafts. *winks*
Today I spent an hour in a garden with my mom and brother. We were pulling weeds. Some of them were thin and dry and came out of the ground when you touched them. Other weeds were not even coming up when we yanked and pulled. I started thinking about weeds.
Want to hear what I think about weeds?
I have a garden. We actually have a number of gardens.
We water those beautiful gardens so the plants will grow.
The problem is, that the plants are not the only things that grow.
Weeds grow, too.
I don't want weeds.
The weeds start out small, like the plants that I want to grow.
Seedling weeds look a lot like intentional seedlings.
The thing about weeds? They don't stay small.
If you don't take the time to pull them out by the roots they get bigger....and bigger... and BIGGER.
If you catch a weed even when it is getting a little bigger, you are able to pull it out.
But, eventually, they will get too big.
Too big to pull.
Too big to handle.
Too big.
This weed that is "too big" will eventually go to seed.
These seeds will fall.
Those seeds will grow.
It is a vicious circle.
The way to solve this problem?
Stop.
Take time to pull those little weeds before they have a chance to take root.
To grow.
To get out of hand.
There's more to this whole topic than you think.
Sins are a whole lot like weeds.
Sins start out small. Good actions start out small.
Habits. Actions. Words.
If these little sins are not caught while they are small.
If these sins are given a chance to grow, unchecked.
If these sins get any larger, any more ingrained, they continue to grow.
They will get so large, that it will be even harder, and take more time and work, to extract them.
The "trick" is, catch them while they are small.
Keep working.
Never stop.
Always pull even the smallest weeds, or they will grow.
They will grow out of hand.
We need to work.
We need to strive.
... ... ...
We need to weed.
Proverbs 24:30-34
30 I went past the field of a sluggard,
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
We will be ruined if we sit and let the weeds grow.
(Just a note: I had a hard time trying to figure out what scripture went best with this idea I had. I had the idea, but it wasn't so much with a scriptural application as much as a spiritual analogy. These verses had the same idea, of the laziness, and not weeding out those sins in your life, so I chose Proverbs.)
Today I spent an hour in a garden with my mom and brother. We were pulling weeds. Some of them were thin and dry and came out of the ground when you touched them. Other weeds were not even coming up when we yanked and pulled. I started thinking about weeds.
Want to hear what I think about weeds?
I have a garden. We actually have a number of gardens.
We water those beautiful gardens so the plants will grow.
The problem is, that the plants are not the only things that grow.
Weeds grow, too.
I don't want weeds.
The weeds start out small, like the plants that I want to grow.
Seedling weeds look a lot like intentional seedlings.
The thing about weeds? They don't stay small.
If you don't take the time to pull them out by the roots they get bigger....and bigger... and BIGGER.
If you catch a weed even when it is getting a little bigger, you are able to pull it out.
But, eventually, they will get too big.
Too big to pull.
Too big to handle.
Too big.
This weed that is "too big" will eventually go to seed.
These seeds will fall.
Those seeds will grow.
It is a vicious circle.
The way to solve this problem?
Stop.
Take time to pull those little weeds before they have a chance to take root.
To grow.
To get out of hand.
There's more to this whole topic than you think.
Sins are a whole lot like weeds.
Sins start out small. Good actions start out small.
Habits. Actions. Words.
If these little sins are not caught while they are small.
If these sins are given a chance to grow, unchecked.
If these sins get any larger, any more ingrained, they continue to grow.
They will get so large, that it will be even harder, and take more time and work, to extract them.
The "trick" is, catch them while they are small.
Keep working.
Never stop.
Always pull even the smallest weeds, or they will grow.
They will grow out of hand.
We need to work.
We need to strive.
... ... ...
We need to weed.
Proverbs 24:30-34
30 I went past the field of a sluggard,
past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;
31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.
32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:
33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
34 and poverty will come on you like a thief
and scarcity like an armed man.
We will be ruined if we sit and let the weeds grow.
(Just a note: I had a hard time trying to figure out what scripture went best with this idea I had. I had the idea, but it wasn't so much with a scriptural application as much as a spiritual analogy. These verses had the same idea, of the laziness, and not weeding out those sins in your life, so I chose Proverbs.)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Partying
Quotable Quotes:
"I'm the church guy!" *starts crushing chips on his plate* "I mean the pastor of course." - Jonathan
"If you could be any fish, what would you be?" - Tim.1
"A mermaid." - Tim.2
"What are you guys? Hummingbirds?" - Joe (referring to our love of Icees)
"Where are my brothers?" - Me
"I ate them." - Tim
"All three of them?" - Me
"I ate four hot dogs last night." - Tim
"Oh...well then." - Me
"Are we lost?" - Joe
"Did I take a wrong turn?" - Nick
"I psyched him out." - Nick
"You're going all vintagey on me!" - Hannah
"I'm the church guy!" *starts crushing chips on his plate* "I mean the pastor of course." - Jonathan
"If you could be any fish, what would you be?" - Tim.1
"A mermaid." - Tim.2
"What are you guys? Hummingbirds?" - Joe (referring to our love of Icees)
"Where are my brothers?" - Me
"I ate them." - Tim
"All three of them?" - Me
"I ate four hot dogs last night." - Tim
"Oh...well then." - Me
"Are we lost?" - Joe
"Did I take a wrong turn?" - Nick
"I psyched him out." - Nick
"You're going all vintagey on me!" - Hannah
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Tattoos
Tattoos. I've never been a fan.
Not that there's anything wrong with tattoos I guess, but I just wouldn't get one.
I was reading a blog post about tattoos. The writter was expounding on how she was dating this "great" guy for a bit, but it never went anywhere, and she found out it was because he didn't think his family would approve of her tattoos. Here's what she said:
warewolf... vampire... no, he was the warewolf, whatever[2]. A conservative young man might not date a less conservative young woman who dresses immodestly, no matter how nice or funny she tends to be. Nor is he going to date that girl that flirts with all the guys.
Here's the thing. There are a lot of people that aren't dating a lot of other people for some reason or another. Some for really good reasons (*cough* warewolf *cough* vampire *cough*) but others are just preferences. We all judge our friends to some extent, wondering if they are spouse material or not, and in most cases, for some reason or another, we decide it's a "no". It's not Colleen's fault that she has red hair, and she might have an amazing personality to go with it.
Here's another thing. Just because Jim doesn't like Colleen's hair, does NOT mean that Jeremy isn't going to come along and love Colleen for her amazing laugh, mathmatical abilities, her heart for God, AND her red hair.
I guess all of this is just to say one thing...with a caviate.
The "One Thing": Don't let the fact that one person doesn't like something about you make you try to change for them. It might just be them.
The caviat: When someone (anyone, guy/girl you like or just a friend) gives you instructive criticism, really look at yourself and determin if it's true or not. It might really be who you are, but it could be something you have put on because you're afraid someone won't like the "real" you.
Some of our traits are choices we have made, such as a red colored hair dye bottle or a tattoo, but many of our traits are birthmarks. Something God created us with.
The end.
[1] By "date" I mean pursue a deeper relationship with the intention of trying to determine if the other person is going to be your spouse. Another word options is courting (which in and of itself can have many meanings), another option is "dating with a purpose," and yet another option is "dorting" which is a mixture of dating and courting (whichever meaning for courting you choose).
[2] As you can see, I have never read the Twilight books. Hence the confusion about whether Jacob was the vampire of warewolf.
Not that there's anything wrong with tattoos I guess, but I just wouldn't get one.
I was reading a blog post about tattoos. The writter was expounding on how she was dating this "great" guy for a bit, but it never went anywhere, and she found out it was because he didn't think his family would approve of her tattoos. Here's what she said:
If a few illustrations on my body were enough to detract from my intelligence, great legs, and winning personality, then there probably wasn’t a deep and meaningful connection there anyway. And honestly, as much as I’d like to judge him as being a materialistic, nitpicking, backwards conservative snob, I can’t fault him for feeling turned off. Getting to know and judging someone are parts of dating, and if my handful of tattoos was the catalyst to dooming our romance, that’s fine by me.Funny thing was, it really made me think. Everyone has their own sort of "tattoo" in a way, to at least one other person. Jim might not date[1] Colleen because she has red hair. Garrett might not date Georgina because she is a vegetarian. Bella might not date Jacob cause he's a
Here's the thing. There are a lot of people that aren't dating a lot of other people for some reason or another. Some for really good reasons (*cough* warewolf *cough* vampire *cough*) but others are just preferences. We all judge our friends to some extent, wondering if they are spouse material or not, and in most cases, for some reason or another, we decide it's a "no". It's not Colleen's fault that she has red hair, and she might have an amazing personality to go with it.
Here's another thing. Just because Jim doesn't like Colleen's hair, does NOT mean that Jeremy isn't going to come along and love Colleen for her amazing laugh, mathmatical abilities, her heart for God, AND her red hair.
I guess all of this is just to say one thing...with a caviate.
The "One Thing": Don't let the fact that one person doesn't like something about you make you try to change for them. It might just be them.
The caviat: When someone (anyone, guy/girl you like or just a friend) gives you instructive criticism, really look at yourself and determin if it's true or not. It might really be who you are, but it could be something you have put on because you're afraid someone won't like the "real" you.
Some of our traits are choices we have made, such as a red colored hair dye bottle or a tattoo, but many of our traits are birthmarks. Something God created us with.
The end.
[1] By "date" I mean pursue a deeper relationship with the intention of trying to determine if the other person is going to be your spouse. Another word options is courting (which in and of itself can have many meanings), another option is "dating with a purpose," and yet another option is "dorting" which is a mixture of dating and courting (whichever meaning for courting you choose).
[2] As you can see, I have never read the Twilight books. Hence the confusion about whether Jacob was the vampire of warewolf.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Walk on Water
Matthew 14:22-33 (ESV)
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
I tend to think I'm pretty good at trusting God. I trust Him to provide for my family. I trust Him to keep me healthy. I trust Him with my future. I just trust Him because He is my help and my salvation.
But every once in a while, I notice the wind.
I start to sink.
I see my dad working hard. I see my mom's frustrations. I see my brothers annoyed with each other. I find myself annoyed with others, with my situations in life, looking at my future wondering when things will happen.
I cry out to God, "Why, Lord? Pull me from this ocean of worry and care and distrust. Lord, save me!"
And do you want to know something? He does. I remember verse 31 "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'"
He may not give me calm waters, but I can feel His hand holding mine. I know that He is in control. God loves me and He allows trials, frustrations and tears because of His love. I am God's child. When a father loves his child he disciplines them. I am reminded of a passage in Hebrews.
Hebrews 12:7-8 says: "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children, and not sons."
When we are disciplined it shows that we are His true children. Hebrews 12:9 talks about how we respect our fathers after they discipline us, then in verse 10 it says; "For they discipline us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness." When God disciplines us, it is for our best interest and helps us to grow in our maturity.
I just wrote a sweet little paragraph about how god holds my hands once I ask Him and all that, but I had to erase it. You know why? Because not only does He hold my hand, but He also holds me. I am in His tender loving care no matter what, and He continues to protect and watch over me even when I am completely distracted by the winds of life. I am still His child.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
A Legacy
It's been a while since I have posted on here, and it's probably because I haven't had much of anything to post about, but I have now.
This morning my grandfather passed away into glory to meet his Savior.
This past June all of us kids that are still living at home were able to take a trip with my parents to go visit some of our relatives on the eastern side of the US. We made a point to see my grandpa and grandma while we were there. Grandpa was doing pretty well and we all really enjoyed cracking up at his still hilarious "Grandpa" jokes.
Some of the things he said and did were so funny:
- "Kamatanah!" *slaps forehead*
- "He's a baaaad boy."
- *makes chair move up... then makes chair move down*
This morning, hearing he died, made me think more on his life and my memories of him. My sister reminded me (all of us in an e-mail) of how much he loved the song "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder."
Here are the lyrics
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
By James Black
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
I remember the time when he was visiting and we were all sitting around having a hymn sing and he told us how much he loved that song. The last verse in particular describes my Grandpa well. He labored for his Master, raising his children to truly love God and furthering the kingdom of God. He also spoke of God with reverence, sharing His love with almost everyone that he met. Now, his work is done on earth and he has gone into glory. I am so happy when I think of how he is now safe from pain and cares with his Lord.
Leaving behind Grandma Dorothy, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Grandpa Parke has gone forward to meet his heavenly Father, to spend eternity praising God.
I am sorry for those of us that Grandpa leaves behind. For the great-grandchildren that won't remember his smiles or his jokes or his sweet words of encouragement. But I am excited. Excited that my Grandpa Parke is finally getting to meet his Lord and Savior
This morning my grandfather passed away into glory to meet his Savior.
This past June all of us kids that are still living at home were able to take a trip with my parents to go visit some of our relatives on the eastern side of the US. We made a point to see my grandpa and grandma while we were there. Grandpa was doing pretty well and we all really enjoyed cracking up at his still hilarious "Grandpa" jokes.
Some of the things he said and did were so funny:
- "Kamatanah!" *slaps forehead*
- "He's a baaaad boy."
- *makes chair move up... then makes chair move down*
This morning, hearing he died, made me think more on his life and my memories of him. My sister reminded me (all of us in an e-mail) of how much he loved the song "When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder."
Here are the lyrics
When the Roll is Called Up Yonder
By James Black
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Refrain:
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of His resurrection share;
When His chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun,
Let us talk of all His wondrous love and care;
Then when all of life is over, and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there.
I remember the time when he was visiting and we were all sitting around having a hymn sing and he told us how much he loved that song. The last verse in particular describes my Grandpa well. He labored for his Master, raising his children to truly love God and furthering the kingdom of God. He also spoke of God with reverence, sharing His love with almost everyone that he met. Now, his work is done on earth and he has gone into glory. I am so happy when I think of how he is now safe from pain and cares with his Lord.
Leaving behind Grandma Dorothy, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, Grandpa Parke has gone forward to meet his heavenly Father, to spend eternity praising God.
I am sorry for those of us that Grandpa leaves behind. For the great-grandchildren that won't remember his smiles or his jokes or his sweet words of encouragement. But I am excited. Excited that my Grandpa Parke is finally getting to meet his Lord and Savior
Grandpa in uniform
Grandpa visiting in '92 I think
This was in '95 or '96
Our trip out to PA in 2010
Our trip this past June
Me with Grandpa and Grandma
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