A Severe Mercy

I read a book this weekend that was absolutely time well spent. It is called A Severe Mercy.

It was written by an American who became friends with C.S. Lewis while he lived in Oxford, England. The author's name is Sheldon Vanauken.

It's a love story. A love story between a man and a women. Then between a man and a women and their Creator who they learn to recognize as their Lord and Savior. Then it becomes an ongoing love story between a woman, a man and their God.

One of the reviews on the back of the book says, "...that delievers an extraordinary impact on the reader." I think that may be an understatement.

On a different note...

God has foreordanied the works
which He has called you.
He has been ahead of you
preparing the place
to which you are coming and
maniupulating all
the resources
of the universe
in order that
the work
you may do may be
a part of HIS whole
great and gracious
work.

Poem by G. Campbell Morgan

I received this from a friend after I confessed to having a moment when I was once again getting impatient with God's sense of timing. As I was sitting there asking for God's help because I clearly needed patience and endurance from Him I suddenly began to chuckle as I had an image of God half seriously and half jokingly say to me, "You know I have a lot going on up here right now. What I want to do for you requires some cooperation on the part of a few others. Since I chosen not to override their will. I would appreicate if you would stop blaming me." :)

I have no idea if this was divine imaginiation or a coping mechanism but it did make me laugh. Maybe it put a smile on the Lord's face too. That's a fun thought.

So hears to great books, beautiful and hopeful poems and sense of humor! Cheers!

The Giver of all good gifts

Do you know that your Father in heaven wants to give you gifts? What kind of gifts you say? The kind of gift that only He could come up with. The kind of gift where it so deeply touches your heart it could only come from someone who knows you inside and out. The kind of gift that humbles you in its deep expression of love for you. The kind of gift that says WOW! He really does love me!

I just want to encourage you today. Hang onto those unspoken or quietly prayed for desires of your heart. And watch and wait with a humble heart. If what your heart wants is in His will, God might just throw you a surprise party!

I hope you have a great day!

Grief before change.

There are common themes when you read the words of the prophets. An author who has spent a great deal of time thinking about many themes found in the books of the prophets has opened my eyes to some things. I have found some of those themes to be overwhelming in many ways. I've been asking the Lord help with all that I am encountering.

But one theme in particular has stuck with me. It is the theme that grief must always come before change. We can not change what we do not grieve. I have lived this one. I have lived this one in many areas of my life.

Synonyms for grief are anguish, heartache, woe, misery; sadness, and melancholy. What strikes me this morning is that disappointment is not enough to motivate change. It may be a stepping stone on the path towards grief but it is not the same as grief. Are you frustrated about something in your life and you've wanted change for a long time now but it just doesn't seem possible? I would invite you to ask God to bring you to a place where you are able to greive over what ever it is that is bringing something other then God's goodness into your life. Is it a possession? Is it an obsession? Is it a way of life? Is it an attitude?

So other then change why would I invite grief into my life? Because the opposite of grief is JOY!

Shine

What does it mean to let our little light shine?

A book I've been reading defines the the "glory of the Lord" for men and women to be "in His likeness".

What are the actions, attitudes, truths and encounters with the Lord that need to take place in order for us to discover what it is to shine? Can we be aware of the light? When others identify the light how do we respond? What response is appropriate? Does the response change with the circumstances or environment? Relationships don't fit very well into formulas.

These are questions I have been asking. God has been answering. I love how God has been answering. As seems to be at least one of His patterns in my life, He brings Himself, scriptures, people through books, people through music and people through life to answer my questions or at least teach me what questions to be asking.

Newsboys in their song "Shine" identifies what has been the hardest question to ask and to hear the answer to which is "What's my motivation?"

Asking yourself honestly what your motivation is for letting your little light shine can be very informative. If the answer doesn't match what you know God wants your motivation to be then you've discovered a list of new questions.

Dear Lord,

Thank you allowing us, your children, to play a part in allowing your light to shine. Give us courage to explore our questions and most of all to recieve the answers. Thank you for loving on us so richly and so well. Help us to receive your love so that we will also be able to respond in obedience and love to what ever you decide to show us. Lord increase our faith.

Amen

Daniel's Dream

I've been studying the book of Daniel with some ladies at church. In chapter six we learned that Daniel had a habit of praying three times a day facing Jerusalem. This habit in combination with a few people with evil motivations landed him in the Lion's Den. God saved Daniel from the mouth of the lion when he was in his 80's. Amazing!

Yesterday we were listening to a teacher share with us details about the dream that Daniel witnesses/becomes a part of in Daniel 7. This dream/vision takes place in Daniel's 60's. The dream is of God, The Ancient of Days on his Throne and victorious over evil and the history of mankind.

When I took in and tried to imagine all the Daniel had seen in his vision it made so much sense to me why Daniel would be inspired to be on his knees three times a day worshipping, thanking and praying to the God of the universe. Holy, Holy, Holy. Worthy, Worthy, Worthy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is and Who is to come.