Not Forgotten

Eight years later it is still fresh in my mind and emotions. My heart picks up the pace and feels like it is rising in my throat every time I see the images. If it is still painful for me after all this time, what must it be like for those who actually lived through the nightmare at ground zero or who lost loved ones? I am praying for them today.

I have not forgotten that America still has enemies in this world who are plotting more evil against us. I thank God we have men and women who are fighting that battle every day. I am praying for them today as well.

BFF

This fall it will be 29 years since God in His sovereignty plucked this scared little girl out of the public school system and graciously filled a painfully empty desk at a local Christian school. As a clueless 14-year-old, I had no idea that the somewhat hostile and cold demeanor of the girl sitting in the seat next to me was due to the recent crushing heartache of losing her best friend to a drunk driver. Her friend happened to be the former occupant of my desk, in fact, of most of the desks I now sat in, as well as the books I carried and even the Bible I was given.


But God...don't you love those two words? But God in His grace and mercy brought us together and has kept our friendship throughout the years. Becky, I thank God for you and for your faithfulness to me. Thank you for driving all the way up here to visit me and my family. I truly enjoyed my time with you!

My sweet husband watched the kids on Saturday while
Becky was here so she and I could have a day to ourselves.
We went to the Rose Garden, out to lunch, and had a
wonderfully relaxing day of visiting.

Prayer Request

Earlier this week Ed's 25-year-old nephew committed suicide. Ed left a short time ago to drive to Wyoming to be with his sister and her family and for the memorial service to be held this weekend. Please pray for him as he travels and for his family as they grapple with the heartache and pain. I don't know if his family are truly believers or not, so that is my biggest prayer request. However, I pray they will be able to one day sing this song from the depths of their souls:

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

What Now?

I doubt anyone who reads my blog will be surprised to learn that yesterday's election didn't go the way I had hoped, not even remotely. This is the only part of living in Oregon I don't like, the wildly independent, often quirky, and mostly liberal ideologies. (But what can you expect from the least churched state in the country?)

So what now? I have been praying this morning and laying my hopes and fears before the Lord, and I ran across an article by Eric Redmond. The whole article is worth reading, but one paragraph was especially pertinent to me.

The question for me at this time is this: Can I continue to live Soli Deo Gloria under a President whose moral judgment already is questionable before he takes the oath of office?

Yes I can, for I can be obedient to Scripture, praying for the one in authority (I Tim. 2:1-8), honoring the one in authority (1 Pet. 2:13-18), submitting to the one in authority (Rom. 13:1-7; Tit. 3:1), and seeking righteousness for the entire citizenry (Prov. 14:34). These I will seek to do by grace. I will "honor the good appointment of God.

Thank God for Government

As our nation casts their votes today, I am mindful of how grateful I am for the country God has placed me in and even for the government we have (run amuck though it often is). Along those lines of thought, I really appreciated this blog post from Desiring God this morning.


Grateful for (Almost) Any Government
November 4, 2008 By: John Piper

How does the Bible instruct us to pray for “all who are in high positions”? It says,

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-4).

A few observations:

1. Giving thanks “for kings” is hard when they are evil.

And, as Calvin said on this passage, “All the magistrates of that time were sworn enemies of Christ.” This shows us that anarchy is a horrible alternative to almost any ruler.

We should give thanks for rulers because “non-rule” would unleash on us utterly unbridled evil with no recourse whatever.

Again Calvin: “Unless they restrained the boldness of wicked men, the whole world would be full of robberies and murders.” The better we understand the seething evil of the human heart that is ready to break out where there is no restraint, the more thankful we will be for government.

2. The effect we pray for is “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly, and dignified in every way.”

Dignified means “serious and reverent,” not stuffy. I suspect what Paul means is not that we can’t live godly and serious lives during times of anarchy. We can. I suspect he means that peaceful and quiet lives, which are the opposite of anarchy, are often wasted in ungodly and frivolous actions.

So he is praying for a government that would give peace and quiet (not anarchy), and that Christians would not fritter away their peaceful lives with the world, but would be radically godly and serious about the lost condition of the world and how to change it.

3. Using our peace for radical godliness and serious action will lead to more effective evangelism and world missions.

This last observation is confirmed by the hoped-for outcome Paul mentions. Paul says that the reason God delights in such peaceful, Godward, serious action is that he “desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

More people will be saved if our government restrains the horrors of anarchy, and if Christians use this peace not to waste their lives on endless entertainment, but seriously give their lives to making God known.

Thorns or Treasure?

I stood a mendicant (beggar) of God before His royal throne
And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart
I cried, "But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me."
He said, "My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee."
I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore,
As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace,
He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.

By Martha Snell Nicholson