Spring Break

Overheard in our house this week...while one parent was lying on the couch reading and sipping wine, and the other one was 'slaving' in the kitchen..."When do home school moms get spring break?"

Then, I ran across this from Peter Kreeft's The God Who Loves You:
We moderns often tend to forget eternal necessities since our lives are surrounded by human artifices, changing and changeable things.

I thought, Aha! This is why I desire to live a simpler life in the country. I want to get away from a life full of human artifices. I want to flee these 'changing and changeable things' and be closer to that which does not change. That which is of God and IS God.

Spring Break is a human artifice. Now, I'd like a Year of Jubilee as much as the next guy. But, Spring Break is not guaranteed in Scripture. Instead of grumbling that I don't get a vacation I need to be thankful for my many God-given blessings.

(By the way, I look NOTHING like this when I am in the kitchen!)

Simplify?

Simplify. It's a common refrain among people these days. It makes sense.

Today I was shopping at our neighborhood craft store for school supplies with our son. I came across a wooden sign, about 20 inches across, made up of the letters: S I M P L I F Y.

If you're trying to pare down, why would you want to buy a sign to clutter your house that reminds you to simplify?

Simplify.

He Is Risen

I stayed home from church today, to be with our dog, who had surgery on Friday. After reading the Resurrection story in my Bible, I listened to our classical radio station and got to hear lots of wonderful Bach music. Here is a snippet of Bach's Easter Oratorio.

(Remember to silence the music on the sidebar to the right before listening to the Bach piece.)

Bach's Easter Oratorio

Good Friday

This past Sunday, our Bible readings included the portion of scripture where the crowd shouts, "Crucify Him!" The congregation was to read that part, but I just couldn't bring myself to say the words. Even though I knew my sins were heaped upon His head, I simply couldn't utter the words. I sat there and softly cried instead.

After the sermon, we were instructed to come forward and each take three nails to remind us of our sin and God's mercy. As I held these nails in my hands during the remainder of the service, I noticed my hands slowly turning grey. The nails were staining my hands. Even though I hadn't been able to bring myself to join in on the words condemning Jesus to death, I had the remnants of His suffering on my hands anyway.

St. Patrick

"Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,
Christ in the eye that sees me,
Christ in the ear that hears me.”

(from “The Breastplate of St. Patrick”).

"All Glory, Laud, and Honor"

Theodulph of Orleans (760-821), born in Italy, was appointed as a Bishop in France at the age of 21. When a new ruler came into power, Theodulph was suspected of maintaining a secret loyalty to Italy, and was thus imprisoned in 818 (where he remained until his death three years later). Theodulph was sustained by his faith while in prison, and wrote the words to this inspiring Palm Sunday hymn.

"All Glory, Laud, and Honor"

Refrain

All glory, laud and honor,
To Thee, Redeemer, King,
To Whom the lips of children
Made sweet hosannas ring.

Thou art the King of Israel,
Thou David’s royal Son,
Who in the Lord’s Name comest,
The King and Blessèd One.

Refrain

The company of angels
Are praising Thee on High,
And mortal men and all things
Created make reply.

Refrain

The people of the Hebrews
With palms before Thee went;
Our prayer and praise and anthems
Before Thee we present.

Refrain

To Thee, before Thy passion,
They sang their hymns of praise;
To Thee, now high exalted,
Our melody we raise.

Refrain

Thou didst accept their praises;
Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
Thou good and gracious King.

Refrain

Company With Jesus

I love to read, but I don't remember nearly as much as I'd like. When, however, I seem to read similar thoughts in different sources (and I remember the comparison), I figure God is trying to tell me something.

Here are two things I've run across recently:

"There is only 'one thing necessary'...always ask what God wants me to do and then do it."

from The God Who Loves You
by Peter Kreeft

"Think of the satisfaction it will be to hear Jesus say--'Well done, good and faithful servant'; to know that you have done what He sent you to do. We have all to find our niche in life, and spiritually we find it when we receive our ministry from the Lord. In order to do this we must have companied with Jesus; we must know Him as more than a personal Saviour."

from My Utmost for His Highest (March 5)
Oswald Chambers


Life is hard, but we (more accurately, I) make it more difficult than it need be. We ask God what He wants us to do, and then we do it. We company with Jesus. People don't talk like that any more. But, the words company and companion come from the Latin com-, meaning with or together + panis, meaning bread or food. I suppose we could take that literally to mean availing ourselves of the Lord's Supper regularly. But, I think we can also take it to mean that we live a life so close to Jesus, that it's like we share every meal with Him. Which, of course, we do, if we would but recognize it.