Archive for the ‘Remembering’ Category
A Servant’s Ambition
Posted in General, God Thoughts, Poem, Remembering, tagged God Thoughts, Poems, Remembering on January 26, 2010| Leave a Comment »
Like most anyone else I have experienced ambitions to succeed at this or try that or do the other. As the years have passed my thoughts of ambition have continued to some small degree though experience has quelled the impulse to apply action to those desires. The desires to do something noteworthy that have most bewildered me are those I thought to be directed at glorifying God. Evidently all too many of them were colored by personal ambition I did not understand. As I reflected on God’s goodness, my failure to take ahold of Him to the degree I desired or serve Him in the way I thought desirable, I saw in my mind’s eye what my ambition should be. I possess because of His gift a most precious resource. I don’t want misunderstanding of my poem so consider that holding the jug means to possess the gospel while raising it refers to witness, that is, offering the gospel, and pouring would equate with praying with someone to receive Christ:
Only a lowly servant holding a water jar
But oh, refreshing contents rescued the very same
Now to offer water to travelers near and far
Brings joy to him and to his Master fame
Standing by the seated Master pouring on command
As one by one thirsty souls file past the servant there
Water offered unto all, received by those pre-planned
Await the Master’s nod, then pour with flare
Why so rarely raised the jug Master offers to all?
Servant holding back more for self that supply not fail?
The joy is more when raised or poured, not one drop will fall
Every single draught will for sin avail
May I have a Word with you?
Posted in General, Poem, Random thoughts, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining, tagged Random thoughts, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining on January 23, 2010| 2 Comments »
One of the ways that God has given us to communicate with people is through words. Body language and acts of kindness, hatred, or neglect are other ways. Not only kind, encouraging words, but constructive criticism words and instructive and insightful words that build someone up and demonstrate concern are helpful. As the Proverbs say, “Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad,” (12:25) and “A man has joy in an apt answer, and how delightful is a timely word,” (15:23) and “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,” (27:6) and “Heed instruction and be wise,” (8:33) and “the tongue of the wise brings healing,” (12:18), and “he who forsakes reproof goes astray,” (10:17) and many more good words.
But I have observed that though the eargate be open and the volume be sufficient and distractions be few, many good words are not heard. In fact, the emotional baggage and relationship histories can shut a mind down to where it not only refuses to accept good words, rejecting them or twisting them to have some nefarious meaning or intentions, but such a mind can deny before witnesses that the words were ever spoken. Though this is an amazement to me, I have both observed it and commited this crime of unkindness to the speaker. So, I am resolved to hear better and attribute intentions as purer to words that are of benefit to me while understanding that discouraging or untrue words may well come from a speaker who does not fully understand the source of their own intentions. To this end I have composed a poem:
What is the need for a stern word From loved ones, colleagues, or stranger A cautionary note not absurd When it rescues one from dangerWhat is the use of a taught word Is it something you need to know Keep you from running with the herd Help your mind continually grow
What is the goal of a wise word Of discernment that penetrates So that on your life you may gird Tools for living, such worthy traits
What is the help of a kind word With regular sincerity Just like a beautiful song bird A seasonal sound rarity
Back to school prayer
Posted in General, God Thoughts, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining, tagged God Thoughts, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining on August 20, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Father, we look forward to a good school year, but we won’t have one without Your active presence. We acknowledge Your goodness, and request that Your hand of protection be upon us. We ask that You teach us truth so that we may communicate it to students and adults. And all of this we ask for the glory and in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Blessing the Name by Remembering the Benefits (Psalm 103)
Posted in General, God Thoughts, God's Word, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining, tagged God Thoughts, God's Word, Remembering, Strength, Sustaining on August 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Psalm 103 begins with both a call for the hearer to worship and summary of what the psalmist desires to communicate to himself and those listening to him. David is alerting his own soul to bless God’s name and His benefits. But names of God seem to be absent and even the word “name” only appears once in the psalm, so how is His name blessed? Consider, how do we know the greatness of God’s name? We know the greatness of it by what He has done. All works He has done are benefits to those who trust Him, and the greatness of His name is revealed through these benefits. Add the admonitions of verses 11,13, and 17 to fear Him and we see the summary teaching and application of the Psalm: Bless His name, remember His benefits, and fear Him. This application is not merely a spiritual ‘icing on the cake’, it is the means of survival amidst spiritual battle. David knew the value of it. In First Samuel 30:3-6 we observe a desperate situation for David and his men. Having just returned from following the Philistines, they find their hometown, Ziklag, burned down, their wives and children kidnapped to become slaves, and most of their possessions stolen. The men have wept over their families until they have no strength and are discussing stoning David because of the loss. The Scripture records David’s reaction: “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” (v.6). Now your plight and mine probably are not presently so severe. The danger is to ignore the need for strengthening ourselves in the Lord. We are thus rendered weaker for the lesser battles and ill-fit for the greater battles. And so David urged his innermost being to bless the Lord and not forget His benefits. May we practice the psalmist’s discipline and experience God’s joy.
Casting Cares
Posted in Beauty, General, Photo, Remembering, Sustaining, Why?!, tagged Photos, Remembering, Sustaining on August 16, 2008| 2 Comments »
Eagle Cliffs
I guess I wanted to blog while I was away. Hikers, particularly “through hikers” (also called “end to enders”), journal their experiences and keep in contact with other hikers by writing in spiral bound notebooks left in each shelter, most usually in a ziplock bag. I went backpacking 3 days and 2 nights in the Smoky Mountains National Park with 3 of my children and 2 of their friends. I had so much on my mind that my children commented on my exceptional quietness. A small amount of it came out at lunch time on the second day. My daughter laughed at the thought of me wanting to (as an afterthought) and being able to digitally copy it. You can read my thoughts by clicking on smokys-08-trail-journal-entry
Pecks Corner Shelter
I decided not take tents which meant we had to stay in shelters. This of course saved weight for us all and gave the young people the new experience of staying in a shelter. The first one, Laurel Gap Shelter still had the old design, dark with a chain link fence over the open side to keep out bears.
The Year of the Fir Cone
But Peck’s has the skylight and expanded front with picnic table and vulnerability to wildlife. Life is a balancing act.
I was once told that Balsam Firs only cone once every 7 years. I do see them rarely. I have a picture of me picking a cone from the top of a tree 14 years ago. The cones have a certain mystery to them since they come infrequently and the cones disentegrate (You’ve picked up pine, hemlock, and perhaps spruce cones but not whole fir cones unless it was a thrown green one.) My daughter commented that since she would be 21 years old this year she was born in the year of the fir cone. Time is marked in assundry ways.
CreatorWorship 