"O Come, O Come, Emmanuel"

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

The words to this advent hymn have been around since the 1100s. Imagine that! Although originally sung in Latin, this hymn has been heard in churches great and small for 900 years. Not only do churches all over the globe sing this hymn on this first Sunday of Advent, but we are joining our voices with generations of saints who came before us. That's a comforting thought.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O, Lord, we are captives on this earth. We mourn in lonely exile at times. Feeling so alone. So not-of-this-world. Thank you for your presence in our midst. In our hearts. In our hopes.

Giving Thanks

God's grace.

Last Saturday, we had driven out into the country to glean the fields at Miller Farms and pick some free food. Unfortunately, so had 40,000 other people. The generous Miller family certainly didn't have that much parking space. They didn't have that much food either. So they had to call in a sheriff to direct traffic and turn people away.

Two nights ago, a friend from church called. Another friend of hers had been one of the fortunate few to pick some food last Saturday, and she had more than she could use. My friend brought us some of the excess food. Thanks to the generosity of others, we ended up getting food from Miller Farms after all! He provides!

I put the traditional five kernels of corn on everyone's plate yesterday as I finished up the last of the table setting. Thirty minutes later, I sat there, eating my fill of food, gazing at those kernels. Thankful for the perseverance of the Pilgrims. Thankful that I've never, ever had only five kernels of corn to serve my children. And knowing full well that it's nothing I have done to deserve this bounty.

It's just God's grace.

God's Divine Design

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the culture of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never allow that the haphazard is anything less than God's appointed order, and be ready to discover the Divine designs anywhere.

Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - November 14

Our son likes to take pictures of clouds and the sky, and every so often he'll send one to my phone from his. He took this one when he was in the mountains about two months ago. As one who appreciates the never-ending variety of skyscapes offered in Colorado, I am so pleased that he sees beauty in it, too.

He and I were in the car this afternoon, talking about the Stealth bomber, the cruising altitude of commercial jets, the elevation of Mt. McKinley vs. Mt. Elbert, and the unusual cloud shapes to the southwest, over the foothills. Typical 14-year-old boy talk, I suppose. But then, he said something that made me pause.

"I'd like to fly through a sunset."

It was something I'd never thought about. Imagine that. Flying through a sunset. It sounded so poetic. We wondered if the clouds were as colorful while you were in them, or if the colors were enhanced by gazing upon them from the ground.



This is a sunset photo he sent me last week. Not bad for something taken from a moving car! When he got home, he said,

"It looked better in real life."

Things often do look better in real life. And just as that sunset was God's Divine design, so is the fact that our son is our son, and so are his poetic statements about life. The sweet little details of life. Real life.

Shallow and Profound

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
1 Cor 10:31

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow concerns of life are not ordained of God; they are as much of God as the profound. It is not your devotion to God that makes you refuse to be shallow, but your wish to impress other people with the fact that you are not shallow... Beware of posing as a profound person; God became a Baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being wicked, nor is shallowness a sign that there are no deeps: the ocean has a shore. The shallow amenities of life, eating and drinking, walking and talking, are all ordained by God. These are the things in which Our Lord lived. He lived in them as the Son of God, and He said that "a student is not above his teacher."
Oswald Chambers - My Utmost For His Highest - November 22

Today, we took a little drive in the farmland north of us. We crossed the South Platte River at one point, and it looked pitifully puny. It's seldom roaring in our part of the state, but it was especially shallow today. Despite its looking seemingly insignificant; it joins up with the North Platte in Nebraska. Little streams continue feeding into it, and it widens and deepens until it feeds into the Missouri River just south of Omaha. It twists and turns through the state of Missouri, until it empties out into the mighty Mississippi in St. Louis; where, of course, the little trickle of water that started in the mountains of Colorado makes its way down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Just as God plans for little streams to feed into rivers and eventually empty into the oceans; we, too, spend our days with little pursuits, which accumulate into a full life. Without the shallow, we never get the profound. If we aim to seek God and please God in the shallow, we shall likewise seek and please Him in the profound.

Heroes

This morning, my husband sent me this picture from his phone to mine. Will Smith, the actor, visited the school where my husband teaches. Apparently, some of the students knew who he was and were pretty excited. The other teachers certainly did, and I guess some of the female teachers were all atwitter over having the celebrity at their school.

Now, I've never seen a Will Smith movie, so forgive my "Bah, humbug!" attitude. But, as the kids and I sat in our family room reading this morning, I couldn't help but be underwhelmed at the significance of the surprise visit to the public school. Now, granted, Smith, in town to promote a new movie, didn't have to visit the school. He didn't have to give them $2,000. But the fact that we, as a society, go so ga-ga over entertainers really bugs me.

I sat there, reading about ancient Greece, and thought about who I'd like our children to see. The veterans who were at the Veteran's Day program last week came to mind. How about someone who can build a house from the ground up? What about having a missionary stop by for a visit? A rancher. A farmer. A pastor. A fireman. An abortion clinic protester. A believer who worships clandestinely in a country where Christianity is forbidden. These are some of the heroes I want my children to learn from and look up to.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 7

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis
Chapter 7
Of Fleeing From Vain Hope and Pride

"Trust not in thy learning, nor in the cleverness of any that lives, but rather trust in the favour of God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble."

I love books. I love reading. I love learning. Yet, I am not to trust in my learning. Surely, God is pleased when I read my Bible. What does Kempis mean by this?

When I look more closely, I see two things. First, Kempis is telling us not to trust in our LEARNING. We are to trust in the Lord. We should be looking for His favor. We are not to make an idol of our learning.

Secondly, Kempis says not to trust in THY learning. We have to be careful not to trust only in what we glean. We could be wrong in our conclusions. We need to seek Godly counsel. Pray for discernment. Test everything against scripture.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 NKJV

('Solomon dictating wise sayings' from Bible Picture Gallery)

"Please tell the world what is happening here."

I've not been a huge Prince Charles fan, but I appreciate what he's doing to help these farmers in India. The quote in my title doesn't come from him, but from a farmer in India, where genetically modified seeds are being used.

Please take the time to read this article. It is well worth your time. Being the suburban gal that I am, I am not real knowledgeable about this topic, but I've been reading about it for quite some time, and am appalled at what is going on.

"Come, Ye Thankful People, Come"

The words to this Thanksgiving hymn were penned in 1844 by Henry Alford (1810-1871). The music was written in 1858 by George Job Elvey (1816-1893), who was the boys' choirmaster and organist at St. George’s Cha­pel in Wind­sor, Eng­land, for almost 50 years.




Come, Ye Thankful People Come
(click here for hymn melody - no need to silence the blog music)

Come, ye thankful people, come, raise the song of harvest home;
All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin.
God our Maker doth provide for our wants to be supplied;
Come to God’s own temple, come, raise the song of harvest home.

All the world is God’s own field, fruit unto His praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown unto joy or sorrow grown.
First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear;
Lord of harvest, grant that we wholesome grain and pure may be.

For the Lord our God shall come, and shall take His harvest home;
From His field shall in that day all offenses purge away,
Giving angels charge at last in the fire the tares to cast;
But the fruitful ears to store in His garner evermore.

Even so, Lord, quickly come, bring Thy final harvest home;
Gather Thou Thy people in, free from sorrow, free from sin,
There, forever purified, in Thy garner to abide;
Come, with all Thine angels come, raise the glorious harvest home.

(watercolor of St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle)

Labour at Prayer

The way fruit remains is by prayer, but remember it is prayer based on the agony of Redemption, not on your agony. Whichever way God engineers circumstances, the duty is to pray. You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint.
Oswald Chambers

I took our son fishing late this afternoon. Nothing was biting. Too cold, he thought. It didn't matter really, it was so nice just to be outside where it was peaceful and quiet. I snapped this photo of him with my phone (I still marvel at that capability!), and thought about how big his is, and how nice he is. I remembered how long we waited for our first born, this boy, who will in a few short years be leaving home. I am not ready. I will never be.

So I pray to God that He will continue to guide us in raising our son into a godly young man. And I pray that He will fill in the numerous empty spaces left by our ineptitudes.

You labour at prayer and results happen all the time from His standpoint.

If You Remain Silent

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"
Esther 4: 12-14

I love the story of Esther. Upon each rereading, I am struck by Mordecai's admonition, and I wonder what speaking up I should be doing in my own life.

Lord, help me to listen to You. I crowd you out with my other so-called important daily tasks. Show me where You want me to speak up. Show me those places for which You have raised ME up for such a time as this. Give me the strength and wisdom to turn my back on remaining silent.

(photo from internet site: mausoleum in Iran which may contain the tombs of Esther and Mordecai)

Veteran's Day 2008

Morning. Our town's USS Indianapolis survivor, sat on the stage, waiting to lead us in the pledge. I watched his shoulders shake and his face pucker during the National Anthem. What memories he must harbor, which flow unbidden on days such as these.

It was standing room only this year. The kids and I, among the standees. We could only catch a fraction of the stage from our vantage point in the balcony. But on a day when you remember the blood, sweat, and tears of soldiers; how can you complain about that?

I watched my snippet of the stage and thought of soldiers in fox holes. Doing their duty in one small part of a teaming battlefield. Not knowing what was happening elsewhere. Just doing their jobs. Following orders. Painfully aware of their little snippet of the world. Trying to stay warm. Stay alive.

Evening. I brought in James's flag. It was quiet. No cars going by. No dogs barking. No words uttered. Just fabric gently cracking in the breeze. I looked up at those Stars and Stripes bathed in moonlight and prayed for him. For his parents. They, passing another Veteran's Day in America's heartland. Wishing their son had been sitting on the stage in their auditorium. Leading his family and friends in the pledge. And crying when the National Anthem was sung. Thankful he was home.

Instead, a dream lost. Hopes shattered. On a dusty road in Afghanistan, four long years ago.

Thank you James for your sacrifice. Thank you, Jim and Theresa, for yours. May God bless and comfort you. May you feel His arms around you when it seems like a million years ago. When it seems like only yesterday.

(photo of James's flag, taken by me at noon, and cropped by my son)

Worth It

Doing some goofing around here at the blog this evening. It's fun. I added another blog to my blogroll on the right (last one on the bottom - nice photographs, cheery author, light reading for the most part). I got to thinking. I'm pretty sure that the authors of some would not enjoy reading some of the others. But, that's OK. I like my variety. They all inspire me for one reason or another.

So,... after dinner we all played Pictionary for a little while. Daughter and I (the winning team!) did great until I had to draw "whisper". Then, tucking her into bed and praying with her, she asked if she was worth it. Judging by the look on her face...I knew exactly what she was thinking.

You see, she watched Extreme Makeover on Sunday evening while I was at a Bible study. We've never seen it before, but this episode made quite an impression on her. One of the makeover recipients was a man with cerebral palsy who needed his coffee shop made wheelchair accessible. This same man had been thrown into a dumpster when he was a baby. His story made our daughter wonder in amazement, a) how his mom could throw him in there, b) how he survived, and c) how nice he is, with no trace of bitterness. "Mommy, if you had seen the show, you would have cried."

So, tonight, our daughter wondered if she was worth it. Worth saving. Worth keeping. Worth living.

I held her close, buried my face in her hair, and kissed the top of her head over and over. Then I told her those comforting words she needs to hear so often.

Yes, honey, you're worth it. We love you so much. God loves you so much. He planned it all before you were born. He brought you here. You are our precious daughter.

I love you.

You are worth it!

(photo of our Worth It Girl, doing some goofing around of her own, with lip gloss)

Cheer Up - Part 2

Here's a comment from another reader of Blog and Mablog, concerning the domino theory post.

We shouldn't wait until our families and churches are just where we need them before effecting local politics, though. Perfection is not achievable in an imperfect world. Family and Church should be a priority in the sense of attention, not in the sense of first this, then everything else.
David Henry - 11/10/2008

This is a good point. Just as in falling dominos, the second and third dominos begin falling before the first one has finished its "job". But, they won't fall unless the first one is on target, close enough, and strong enough to push them over.

As a home schooler, I have a tremendous responsibility, don't I? But, I like this analogy to help guide me.

Cheer Up!

I am still grieving the outcome of Tuesday's election. Not that I was wild about McCain. I wasn't. I just can't believe that so many people would think it's OK to vote for someone who promised to make it a priority to make it easier to kill unborn babies. Even the ones who lived through an abortion. That alone is chilling. And don't get me started on the myriad of other problems with Obama.

This comment from a reader at Blog and Mablog (see sidebar) really cheered me up.

May it do the same for you!

It has been pointed out several times on this blog (quite rightly) that the answer is in Christ, not in politics, and that the solution is to begin with right worship to the Living God. But at some point, the leaven permeates the actual government. At some point, the solution can be seen to have taken affect politically. So how does it get from point A to point B?

If right worship is the first domino, perhaps local politics (and I mean really local) is the third or forth domino. When the leaves wilt, you water the roots, not the leaves -- and then the leaves are rejuvinated.

So perhaps, as we begin to get our churches in order, and our houses in order, we should next seek to get our towns and cities in order, with a long view toward national politics. Any thoughts?

Charles Long - 11/9/2008 3:49:12 PM

I have plenty to do to "get my house in order." I'll focus on that tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. Thank you, Mr. Long.

What to Think...

We've had the flu floating around our house this week, so I've been a bit out of touch. While strolling around the blogs this afternoon, I ran across these posts that I found interesting. Although there are some disagreements among them, I find them all to be insightful.

I've never heard of this blog before, but it was linked at A Quiet Simple Life. The Thirsty Theologian blog writes Further Thoughts on the Election.

This post from Biblical Christianity blog, A Lament for America, was linked at the previous blog. I can't vouch for anything else at the site, but I found this article interesting.

Finally, this article, Conservatives Lost More Than an Election, is written by Chuck Baldwin and is linked at Tennessee Farmgirl.

It took all of my energy to make these links, so that's all for now.

Blue, This Time

I voted and all it got me was a free Chai at Starbucks.

I saw my formerly red state sitting there on the map. Blue, this time.

I saw the tears in Chicago. I can't seem to shed any of my own. And if I did, it'd be for a different reason anyway.

I strolled around my favorite blogs. It helped to commiserate that way. This post at Blog and Mablog is worth reading if you feel so inclined.

You know, I suppose I got more than a free Chai. I exercised my freedom to speak my mind. That's very important. I was an example for my children. That's very important, too. And tomorrow I'll tell them, quoting Doug Wilson, "God is still Father, Christ is still at His right hand, and the Holy Spirit is still abroad in the world, recreating that world according to the image of Christ. When the nations conspire against Him, He laughs at them." (Go to the link above to read more election day thoughts from Pastor Wilson.)

The Imitation of Christ - Part 6

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis
Chapter 6
Of Inordinate Affections

"Whensoever a man desireth aught above measure, immediately he becometh restless. The proud and the avaricious man are never at rest; while the poor and lowly of heart abide in the multitude of peace."

I hate going to the mall. Yes, hate. I see things I want. I see things I never knew existed. I see pretty things. Useful things. Clothes I'd love to wear. Furniture I'd like to put in my home. Gifts I'd like to purchase for others.

But it's all stuff I don't need. It's stuff that makes me ungrateful. Discontent. Greedy. Resentful. Restless.

I come home and I know that I already have far more than I need. I have so many books, I'll never read them all. Most of them aren't "stylish" anymore, but I have more than enough clothes to keep me warm. My mom stopped by today to get two loads of clothes to wash for me, while our washing machine is broken. My children did their math totally on their own while I took a short nap, being a little under the weather today. I had time to read my Bible and ponder God's watchcare over Israel. Over me.

I want to abide in the multitude of peace. I want contentment and gratefulness to reign. So I'll count my blessings. And just continue staying away from the mall.

(Photo of St. Petrog's church in North Wales from this site.)

"For All the Saints"

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give me grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living...
The Divine Hours



I would have loved to sing this hymn today in a church with a pipe organ. Not any church building, but an old cathedral. The kind with marble and intricately carved oak. And not just any organ, but the kind that can make your insides rumble.

Go here to read all of the verses and hear the music.

Many people will be familiar with this first verse:

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!


Here is verse #7 (of 11!), which I thought appropriate for election week:

O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Ths photo is of a bell tower in England, near where Ralph Vaughn Williams (hymn's composer) lived.