Dear Lydia,
I woke up this morning with your "honey sticks" and hot tea on my mind. How hospitable you were to the lot of us on Sunday mornings who would file into your home, drink your hot beverages, and discuss the Word of God! I thought of those tall, Styrofoam cups of hot water steeping one of your gourmet tea bags and your generosity in letting us make ourselves at home in your kitchen, picking out a slender, plastic envelope of tantalizingly-diverse-colored honeys to empty into the hot liquid.
How well your kettle worked! Often I would sit holding my cup, glancing at it between comments around the circle, and watch the steam rise for almost half the class time, only to down the sufficiently-cooled drink as quickly as possible at class's end so as not to be late to church.
You mean so much to me. All those mornings spent pouring over the Scriptures as a class, all those weekdays learning from your skilled hands & knowledgeable words as you imparted to me the ability to play guitar, all those moments holding your babies or playing with them.
How I love you! How I miss you!
Today especially. As we moved in the next dear family it finally felt... final. They are here to fill the spot you and Bro. Nick left. They are the ones the Lord has brought us as He wisely and lovingly unfolded the next phase of His plan for you, moving you back to your familiar state, your familiar friends, your familiar family.
But, (may I say it?) I take a tearful joy in the fact that we had seemed to become your familiar place. We were your friends in place of those you had moved from. We became family when flesh and blood were so many miles away from you.
How I love you, my sister! My eyes are moist with the missing.
Yes, a new, wonderful family has arrived, but not to replace you. No, instead they come to be used by the Lord to lead us into a deeper relationship with Him, to teach us things we couldn't have learned from you, to grow and stretch us in ways in which you were not meant coach us. And His plan, (as hard as it is sometimes in living your absence), is delightful to me! For He devises with wisdom and I rest in Him with peace knowing that His plan for you is good, His plan for this church, this new family, and even me is good. He is our dear, loving Father and oh! how wonderful to know He keeps you (there where you are) & me (here where I am).
How I love you, my precious sister! Missing will one day be consumed (delightfully so!) in Heaven when we all get to be together with our Savior forever!
Dear Wynneth,
Hello, my new, dear friend! Your move today was filled with answers to prayers! Just having you in the neighborhood means our Gracious Lord did not overlook our plea for a youth pastor and his wife! How sweet our Savior is!
Added to that, His protection on the road as you were stalled at a wreck (I am so grateful that you were not part of it!), and His holding back the rain as your belongings were trekked inside your new residence. More blessings come to mind as I think, with humble thankfulness, that you and Bro. Herald were willing to accept the position that included such a small house.
How it blesses my heart to see your relationship with each other! Even though you were dog-tired, you both exhibited such a cheerfulness and respect & love for each other that blessed my heart!
Your five children delight me, even though I have only met three of them. I look forward, the Lord willing, to becoming very fine friends with them!
How sweet to hold little Ike, to look down into
his handsome, olive-skinned face, to relish his deep-brown eyes. He is a gift from our Father and I my heart bursts to see the love that our He has in placing outcasts into love-inspired families.
You've moved away from things dear and familiar, from places, from family, from friends. I hope that we can be to you new friends (not replacements), and additional family members to add to your "clan".
Your heart blesses mine. I appreciated hearing about your quiet time with the Lord, your sweet, childlike prayers as your petitioned our Father about keeping Ike should you & Bro. Herald come to fill our youth pastor & family position. I loved hearing that your oldest three have come to put their trust in Jesus Christ Who died on the cross and rose again so that sinners like me could be made right with Himself!
You are dear and I already love you! You come to fill a gap. I do not want to place expectations on you that you function, speak, act, etc., like our dear former youth pastor's wife. You are unique and precious and, with the Lord's help, I will grow to learn you and work with you and build you up and learn from you.
I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to bring you to us and I have been praying that we would be mutual blessings the one to the other.
I bless His Name that He takes such great care of us as He sees right to take our other family for special service elsewhere and to bring you here for the special service He has for you in this place. I know that all things work together for His great purpose and I am super-excited to see what He will do in the days ahead!
Love to you both,
~"Trissy"
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Five Minute Friday: Pass
Teaming up with Kate Motaung and the bunch at http://katemotaung.com/2016/04/28/five-minute-friday-pass/. It's been far too long and I just couldn't pass up today's word: Pass.
Go:
Recently my family has encountered many different media with emphasis on witnessing, Scripture memory, and the persecuted church. As a result, I've had many thoughts and prayers swirling inside my heart.
One of the biggest players in the emphasis on the persecuted church has been a set of DVDs my Mother purchased for our family to watch together called Dispatches from the Front by Dr. Tim Keesee.
Dr. Keesee is a Christian journalist who travels to the world's difficult places meeting with missionaries in those areas and getting to see what the Lord is doing in those nations. It has been truly encouraging to see just a small part of what the Lord has been doing behind the scenes. (I say behind the scenes, because most of these people are ones I have never heard about and it is absolutely exciting to see the way the Lord's Kingdom is quietly, steadily being built!)
It has sparked so much emotion and longing in me and I find myself praying often during a viewing: "LORD, use me. Send me. Don't pass me by."
The words to that dear old hymn have come to mind frequently as a result: "Pass me not, O Gentle Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by!"
One of the dearest stories in the Bible to me is that of Samuel being taught as just a child to respond to the Lord's calling with, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth" and similarly Isaiah's response to the glory and plea of God, "Here am I, send me."
So with these ancient saints and these modern-day ones, I plead, "Lord, pass me not. Use me, too, to further Thy Kingdom."
Go:
Recently my family has encountered many different media with emphasis on witnessing, Scripture memory, and the persecuted church. As a result, I've had many thoughts and prayers swirling inside my heart.
One of the biggest players in the emphasis on the persecuted church has been a set of DVDs my Mother purchased for our family to watch together called Dispatches from the Front by Dr. Tim Keesee.
Dr. Keesee is a Christian journalist who travels to the world's difficult places meeting with missionaries in those areas and getting to see what the Lord is doing in those nations. It has been truly encouraging to see just a small part of what the Lord has been doing behind the scenes. (I say behind the scenes, because most of these people are ones I have never heard about and it is absolutely exciting to see the way the Lord's Kingdom is quietly, steadily being built!)
It has sparked so much emotion and longing in me and I find myself praying often during a viewing: "LORD, use me. Send me. Don't pass me by."
The words to that dear old hymn have come to mind frequently as a result: "Pass me not, O Gentle Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by!"
One of the dearest stories in the Bible to me is that of Samuel being taught as just a child to respond to the Lord's calling with, "Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth" and similarly Isaiah's response to the glory and plea of God, "Here am I, send me."
So with these ancient saints and these modern-day ones, I plead, "Lord, pass me not. Use me, too, to further Thy Kingdom."
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Hold Me
“I wan’ you ta hol’ me!”
My little student’s nasally words were hard to refuse.
“We’re fixing to say the pledges, so I need to you stand up here by me, okay?” I whispered into his ear, my cheek brushing his smooth brown hair.
Not even a minute passed before it came again: “I wan’ you ta hol’ me!” His big, brown eyes below distressed eyebrows made my heart melt.
“I want to, too, but we can’t right now. We’re fixing to sing.”
Briefly, in the bedlam that constitutes my church’s Awana song time, little Claude forgot his desire. But seconds later as I stood there facing the big screen, singing and clapping, he came to stand in front of me with the plea again. His desire was one I would have gladly granted had it not hindered his need to learn discipline, patience, and maturity--and mine to employ it.
There’s a time and place for everything, but after I’d gotten home from church, I wondered if I had ever gotten around to holding him on my lap throughout our evening together.
I love “my children” as I call them. They are each precious, special, and unique individuals made by our detail-oriented Creator.
One of the sweetest parts about teaching the Cubbies class (3-5 year olds) is the cuddly-ness so many of them exhibit. I sit on the floor for only seconds before one (or three!) of them decide to plop down in my lap. I love it! I love that they feel comfortable with me. I love getting to tousle their hair as I pass them, look into their specific-to-them pairs of eyes, comment on the toys they bring or their color sheets & crafts, pray with them, and give and get big bear hugs from them.
Over the past few weeks, little Claude has really changed. At first, I didn’t expect as much of him as I probably should have, (I guess partly because of his personality, partly because of his home life, and partly because I’m not the firm disciplinarian that I should be all the time), but I have noticed when I have “stuck to my guns” with him, eventually he has been persuaded to obey and now exhibits a love for me that I did not feel previously.
After I thought the evening over, I concluded that I did hold Claude at some point, but not as long as I would have liked. What was on his mind? Was he feeling threatened or did his day go badly for him? Was I the security he felt he lacked and, in his own way, he was asking for? And, did I miss giving him the love and attention that Christ would have given?
Sometimes, like Claude, I look up to my Heavenly Father and say, “I wan’ you ta hol’ me! Life is too hard right now. These challenges are too tall to jump over and my legs are too tired to go around. Please just hold me in Your arms.” The Lord is never constrained by “principles of decorum” or time restraints or busyness to refuse me.
I love the words from Deuteronomy 33:27a that say, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms:"
He is available and eager to hold His children and never refuses to gather me up and show me how strong He is.
Friday, February 19, 2016
A Love like Jesus'
It wasn't very long ago that I first "met" Roger Flournoy Jr. via a short documentary of sorts produced by the Austin Stone Community Church.
Mr. Flournoy has cerebral palsy, but despite the challenges that this presents, he is a passionate and convicting example of choosing to have faith and be joyful in the Lord.
Today as I was reading some of his tweets, I found this excellent quote:
"My goal for this year is only to love people the way that Jesus loves them."
Mr. Flournoy's goal challenges me.
In a world that knows "love" primarily as "showing affection (or doing whatever it takes) to gain whatever I want", the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ is completely baffling.
If I were to passionately, honestly pursue this goal, what a drastic change would take place! Of course, it is necessary to find out what the love of Jesus Christ really looks like; therefore, a continual taking in and meditating on Scripture is key.
Recently, I've been reading through Matthew and Mark and have seen many of the things that Jesus did during His time on earth in a physical body. From the Gospel books, I gain so much understanding of Jesus' type of love. From reaching out to diseased and despised women to socially-terrifying lepers, Jesus showed His unconcern for social stereotypes or physical contaminants. One of the most striking examples to me of Jesus' lack of self-awareness and love and concern for others is illustrated in Matthew 14:3, 10, 12-14,
"For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick."
Despite the sorrow He must have felt at the death of His cousin (as a Man) and the death of His holy servant (as the Son of God), despite the sadness over the depravity of mankind that would lead to such a murder, Jesus instead focused on the needs and hurts of those around Him. That is a love like no other. That is a love that the world doesn't understand, can't offer, and, too often, doesn't experience from believers.
This is the year for that to change. With the Lord's help, I will pursue this goal.
Mr. Flournoy has cerebral palsy, but despite the challenges that this presents, he is a passionate and convicting example of choosing to have faith and be joyful in the Lord.
Today as I was reading some of his tweets, I found this excellent quote:
"My goal for this year is only to love people the way that Jesus loves them."
Mr. Flournoy's goal challenges me.
In a world that knows "love" primarily as "showing affection (or doing whatever it takes) to gain whatever I want", the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ is completely baffling.
If I were to passionately, honestly pursue this goal, what a drastic change would take place! Of course, it is necessary to find out what the love of Jesus Christ really looks like; therefore, a continual taking in and meditating on Scripture is key.
Recently, I've been reading through Matthew and Mark and have seen many of the things that Jesus did during His time on earth in a physical body. From the Gospel books, I gain so much understanding of Jesus' type of love. From reaching out to diseased and despised women to socially-terrifying lepers, Jesus showed His unconcern for social stereotypes or physical contaminants. One of the most striking examples to me of Jesus' lack of self-awareness and love and concern for others is illustrated in Matthew 14:3, 10, 12-14,
"For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife.
And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.
And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick."
Despite the sorrow He must have felt at the death of His cousin (as a Man) and the death of His holy servant (as the Son of God), despite the sadness over the depravity of mankind that would lead to such a murder, Jesus instead focused on the needs and hurts of those around Him. That is a love like no other. That is a love that the world doesn't understand, can't offer, and, too often, doesn't experience from believers.
This is the year for that to change. With the Lord's help, I will pursue this goal.
Five Minute Friday: Forget
Finally rejoining my fellow-writers at Kate Motaung's mighty-Friday link-up! Today's word, forget, is just right for sharing some great thoughts I caught at Desiring God today!
So, without further ado, here we go!
Why is it so easy to forget something that is so vital to life? In his article, "Rest in the Prince of Peace," Jon Bloom talks about the power and blessing of prayer when we come to the Lord with all that is on our mind and let Him take the weight for us.
Bloom indicates that prayer is like a natural exhalation for the faith-filled believer and further says that "prayer is the native language of faith" a quote which I fell in love with. Maybe the reason I relate to it so much is due to the topics that are on my mind of late.
Namely: missionaries who are ministering to tribes in their own "heart language", the issue of worry that at least three of my friends have noticed in me (a fault that sneakily has flown under my radar for far too long!), and various needs and decisions that have seemed to swamp me in my mental "quiet place".
Yet if, as Bloom encourages, taking "every thing to God in prayer" is the way to the blessed and peaceful life, I want to do it!
I want to be that follower of Christ who "breathes out prayer" like the continual intake and export of air.
I want Jesus Christ and the pure,good, best!, solutions of my Father to be my first thought.
I want the advice and wisdom I can find in the true Word of God to be the things I live by. I don't want to forget.
As people ask me to pray for their needs, as decisions crop up in my life which need "urgent attention", may I forget my own "plan of attack",
or ideas,
or solutions,
and remember to take each need humbly to my Loving Heavenly Father Who cares and can help.
So, without further ado, here we go!
Why is it so easy to forget something that is so vital to life? In his article, "Rest in the Prince of Peace," Jon Bloom talks about the power and blessing of prayer when we come to the Lord with all that is on our mind and let Him take the weight for us.
Bloom indicates that prayer is like a natural exhalation for the faith-filled believer and further says that "prayer is the native language of faith" a quote which I fell in love with. Maybe the reason I relate to it so much is due to the topics that are on my mind of late.
Namely: missionaries who are ministering to tribes in their own "heart language", the issue of worry that at least three of my friends have noticed in me (a fault that sneakily has flown under my radar for far too long!), and various needs and decisions that have seemed to swamp me in my mental "quiet place".
Yet if, as Bloom encourages, taking "every thing to God in prayer" is the way to the blessed and peaceful life, I want to do it!
I want to be that follower of Christ who "breathes out prayer" like the continual intake and export of air.
I want Jesus Christ and the pure,
I want the advice and wisdom I can find in the true Word of God to be the things I live by. I don't want to forget.
As people ask me to pray for their needs, as decisions crop up in my life which need "urgent attention", may I forget my own "plan of attack",
or ideas,
or solutions,
and remember to take each need humbly to my Loving Heavenly Father Who cares and can help.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Five Minute Friday: Focus
Today joining Five Minute Friday after long last! The word is Focus. (Why don't you come along with me and see what my fellow FMF writers have to say about focusing?)
Start.
"I have trouble focusing sometimes," he said. I smiled; I had noticed. But then, I had trouble with getting distracted easily myself, so who was I to judge? Still though, inside I thought, "Just focus."
In life, besides getting distracted with irrelevant movement and noise, we're bombarded with irrelevant information, even faulty news that can have a damaging affect on our lives if we're not careful.
Recently I got a jolt to realize that, spiritually, I was looking pretty bankrupt. I began to take in large chunks of Scripture, trying to focus again on Christ, trying to get back into alignment with my Lord.
Mercifully, it is working. The Lord has worked (and is working) to "regain my full face" that was pulled away and not focusing on His wonderful face.
He's also teaching more about trusting Him.
For years I have know that He is trustworthy, but there was always that nagging thought in the back of my mind, "But can /I/ trust Him?" Not that He is worthy of being doubted, but am I able to trust? to put my full weight against Him and know that He will hold me up? Do I have that ability or am I hopeless?
Yes, I am hopeless. Without Christ, I am hopeless. But through Christ, I am the victor as He patiently teaches me to focus on Him and put my full weight and all my trust in Him.
Tonight I am stretching out my hand, reaching toward focusing on the gloriousness of my Savior. Will you join me?
End.
Start.
"I have trouble focusing sometimes," he said. I smiled; I had noticed. But then, I had trouble with getting distracted easily myself, so who was I to judge? Still though, inside I thought, "Just focus."
In life, besides getting distracted with irrelevant movement and noise, we're bombarded with irrelevant information, even faulty news that can have a damaging affect on our lives if we're not careful.
Recently I got a jolt to realize that, spiritually, I was looking pretty bankrupt. I began to take in large chunks of Scripture, trying to focus again on Christ, trying to get back into alignment with my Lord.
Mercifully, it is working. The Lord has worked (and is working) to "regain my full face" that was pulled away and not focusing on His wonderful face.
He's also teaching more about trusting Him.
For years I have know that He is trustworthy, but there was always that nagging thought in the back of my mind, "But can /I/ trust Him?" Not that He is worthy of being doubted, but am I able to trust? to put my full weight against Him and know that He will hold me up? Do I have that ability or am I hopeless?
Yes, I am hopeless. Without Christ, I am hopeless. But through Christ, I am the victor as He patiently teaches me to focus on Him and put my full weight and all my trust in Him.
Tonight I am stretching out my hand, reaching toward focusing on the gloriousness of my Savior. Will you join me?
End.
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
"The Proof of Your Love"
I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary Christian music, yet there are some songs I hear from time to time that stir something within me beyond what I can put into cognitive phrases. "The Proof of Your Love" is one of those songs.
Performed by the band For King and Country, it is the song-form of the well-known "love passage" of 1 Corinthians 13. It impacted me when I first heard it, but days and years have a way of making me forgetful. I find that that song has taken its place among hundreds of beloved songs I wish I could remember all the time, but which sadly are waiting for me to unearth them from the complicated filing system of my brain.
Today, something or Someone (my Lord, Who does best at reminding me of important things), made me think of this song, so I looked it up on youtube to see what I could find.
King and Country's official video of the song dramatically portrays the power of love. I pulled back a bit at first, both intrigued and uncertain as to what the characters and plot were really depicting. After watching it over and over, I find that I am touched by the drama almost as much as I was originally touched by the words. If you aren't "into" this kind of thing, excuse my ramblings, please. But if you take a look, maybe you'll be as positively impacted as I am being. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-2dKOfbC9c.
I am including the full chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 (found from Biblegateway.com) that my mother taught Kyrie and myself when we were children. These words never grow old.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Performed by the band For King and Country, it is the song-form of the well-known "love passage" of 1 Corinthians 13. It impacted me when I first heard it, but days and years have a way of making me forgetful. I find that that song has taken its place among hundreds of beloved songs I wish I could remember all the time, but which sadly are waiting for me to unearth them from the complicated filing system of my brain.
Today, something or Someone (my Lord, Who does best at reminding me of important things), made me think of this song, so I looked it up on youtube to see what I could find.
King and Country's official video of the song dramatically portrays the power of love. I pulled back a bit at first, both intrigued and uncertain as to what the characters and plot were really depicting. After watching it over and over, I find that I am touched by the drama almost as much as I was originally touched by the words. If you aren't "into" this kind of thing, excuse my ramblings, please. But if you take a look, maybe you'll be as positively impacted as I am being. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-2dKOfbC9c.
I am including the full chapter of 1 Corinthians 13 (found from Biblegateway.com) that my mother taught Kyrie and myself when we were children. These words never grow old.
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And
though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
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