Adrian Plass Encounters Temptation

Time Well Wasted

I've spent 2½ hours online, reading blogs, posting my own, and catching up with friends/family on Facebook and Twitter. It's okay. It's Saturday morning and nothing else is pressing. I was going to sleep in today but this is Plan B for the insomnolent.

As I reviewed my Twitter feed over the last few weeks, I only have one word:

Diverse.

Rights and Wrongs

I looked forward to sleeping in today but I slept all of 20 minutes extra. Habits die hard. At least I don't need to make breakfast and pack lunches, so I logged in to review a poem I'm writing. Before I got to it I checked email. Habits die hard.

I receive a devotional thought daily by email excerpted from Elisabeth Elliot's work. Today comes this quote from George Macdonald. It echoes what I wrote in my last post. There seems to be a theme this week.

"Man has a claim on God, a divine claim for any pain, want, disappointment, or misery that will help to make him what he ought to be. He has a claim to be punished, and to be spared not one pang that may urge him toward repentance; yea, he has a claim to be compelled to repent; to be hedged in on every side, to have one after another of the strong, sharp-toothed sheep-dogs of the Great Shepherd sent after him, to thwart him in any desire, foil him in any plan, frustrate him of any hope, until he comes to see at length that nothing will ease his pain, nothing make life a thing worth having, but the presence of the living God within him; that nothing is good but the will of God; nothing noble enough for the desire of the heart of man but oneness with the eternal. For this God must make him yield his very being, that He himself may enter in and dwell with him."

"nothing...but the presence of the living God within him."

And that is the greatest right and privilege of all.
Who needs to sleep in?

Bring on the sheepdogs.


.

Reason

For all the ways you are weakened
For all the days you are sore
For all the things you’ve been seeking
The Lord has given you more.

For all the nights you are broken
For all the times you feel lost
For all the words left unspoken
God paved the path to the cross.

In suffering there is a reason
A purpose for feeling alone
Your tears may last for a season
His arms will carry you home.

© Joyce Harback

Feel free to link to this post but if you copy or reprint please ask first.

For the Brokenhearted

Psalm 130: 1,2,5

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 69:20

Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one (Jesus) who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

excerpts from Psalm 13 (A Lament)

How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? …Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes…I trust in your unfailing love…

The Mind of Christ*

All I knew as the glass slipped out of my hand was how tired I was.

It shattered and scattered, throwing splinters, splatters and shards of glass, sticky soda and ice in a hundred directions. Across the hardwood floor, under the fridge and sofa.

Taking care of a household by myself (where normally three people contribute) had worn me down. Add to that the heightened concern of a mother trying to assess and monitor my son's flu, getting up several times in the nights since Monday to make sure his fever is not out of control. Powerless to assist my husband who was suffering from an intestinal bug. Pressure to complete all the interviews, writing assignments and leadership roles of the week.

I stood staring at the mess for a moment, calculating the damage and the time for cleanup. It was just too much.

I sat down and wept. Wailed, really.

Then I heard my husband as he takes paper towel to sop up the pop, pulls the vacuum out, moves the furniture, begins picking up the broken fragments. When the job was nearly done, he covered his mouth and ran for the washroom. Dear man. Sick as a dog and he gets up to help clean my mess.

That's love.

The mess of my heart isn't quite so shattered any more.

*Philippians 2: "Have this mind in you that was in Christ Jesus... who became a servant"

Housekeeping 101

Just do it.

I am now going to empty the dishwasher, load it, sort the laundry and start it. Any guesses on how long that will take? Back in a flash.

When It's Hard to Pray

Elisabeth Elliot's writings almost always strike a nerve for me, what follows are her thoughts from Keep a Quiet Heart:

Be Honest With God

Since God knows our thoughts even before we think them, isn't it absurd of us to hesitate to tell Him the straight truth about ourselves? When we feel we ought to try to cover our spiritual nakedness it is good for us to open up Psalm 139: "O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.... You perceive my thoughts from afar.... You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.... You created my inmost being" (Psalm 139:1-4,13, NIV).

There are times when I hesitate even to pray, knowing how far short I fall from God's standard.

George MacDonald writes:

"If I felt my heart as hard as a stone; if I did not love God, or man, or woman, or little child, I would yet say to God in my heart, 'O God, see how I trust Thee, because Thou art perfect, and not changeable like me. I do not love Thee. I love nobody. I am not even sorry for it. Thou seest how much I need Thee to come close to me, to put Thy arm round me, to say to me, MY CHILD: for the worse my state, the greater my need of my Father who loves me. Come to me, and my day will dawn; my love will come back, and, oh! how I shall love Thee, my God! and know that my love is Thy love, my blessedness Thy being.'"

We may pray the prayer that closes Psalm 139: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24, NIV).

"Be persuaded, timid soul," writes Archbishop Fenelon, in his SPIRITUAL LETTERS TO WOMEN, "that He has loved you too much to cease loving you."

Make Love, Make War

A book for contemplation: thoughtful, incisive, about relational living. Authored by the man who wrote, "Come, Now is the Time to Worship" and many other familiar worship songs

I sat down with author Brian Doerksen yesterday to interview him for Maranatha Newspaper (one of my jobs as a freelance writer). Then I had the privilege of hearing his live concert and a sneak peek at his upcoming fully-staged mammoth theatrical musical Prodigal God (in process for 2010 release). Wow.

Brian has so much to say to us from the heart of a worshipper. You should read this book. Here's a review.*

*My review will come next week after I've met my deadline for an article on the Covenant Awards.

Bedside Manner

I'm rarely in my son's room, but tonight I sit by his bed, checking influenza symptoms on the internet and running through the checklist with him.

I call Healthlink, the government phone line staffed by registered nurses with whom I can consult about my son's condition.

"Is he with you?" she asks, after I waited on hold for 15 minutes.

"Yes," I reply.

"May I speak with him?" she requests.

Sigh. He's growing up. I guess it's a help to him, learning how to describe his condition to a third party with some clarity. So now she's gone through the checklist, and I'm fairly certain he will soldier it out at home as just another one of the thousands of students who caught the flu from a classmate. His fever isn't high enough, but I'm worried about his headache.

I know that's way more that you really wanted to know, and if you're still with me, you are likely a mom who has had a similar experience. If you're just a sympathetic bystander, well, thanks for your support.

Can you pray for both of us? Pray he doesn't get worse. Pray I will have wisdom to care appropriately for him. Pray we both get the rest we need.

These are the days I really miss not having any family around.

These are the nights I really miss my mom.

But when he asks for a backrub... then I realize he might be doing this with his child someday because he knows what comfort is.

Glad I could help. :-)

Changing the World

In June, I attended the Glen Eyrie Writers’ Summit in Colorado Springs (in a castle – seriously) along with Susan Plett (ICWF Board member and poet extraordinaire). We were inspired and encouraged while gaining practical skills from authors Angela Hunt, Nancy Rue, Katherine Mackel and Alton Gansky. This is one of the most reasonable cost summits (2009 fee was $288 plus accommodation). But to tell you the truth, I was sitting there thinking, “Who am I kidding? Trying to start a writing career at age 51?”

One of the questions posed by another new writer was something like this: "I know God has called me to write, but how do I discover what I should be writing and where I should be submitting?"

The simple but profound answer from Alton Gansky was this: “Go where God is blessing.”

In our church, we’d been challenged to 100 Days of Prayer and Journalling – asking God what He wanted to do in, through and for us. About four days into that process, I woke up with the urging to write a news article. I told God I didn’t write journalistic pieces and he said, “You do now.” He blessed the process through a series of providential events that proved to my fainting heart He was in this, so I wrote the article and it was published in the Calgary Herald (June 20, 2009). Another article was spun off of this exercise and was published on the front page of City Light News (Calgary’s Christian Newspaper) in their July edition.

At the same time, God was working in another area and I was contacted by Maranatha News. This week my first articles have appeared in their October edition, available online here and here.

While these are not the passionate, world-changing poems I dreamed of publishing, they represent obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. I’ve been asked to do articles for future issues. This is me, going where God is blessing.

In the meantime, I continue to strengthen my skills, taking classes to hone the craft of writing and studying to show myself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth (2 Tim. 2:15). I also keep trying to do laundry, clean house, cook meals and care for my family. Not that I am perfect (sigh...in my weakness He is strong) but I press on.

Where is God leading you, blessing you, to change the world? Even if it is only one small life or one short word at a time?

The Last Supper from an artist's perspective

In 2007, I was privileged to visit several famous art galleries, sculptures and exhibits in Europe. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo's David in Florence; the Louvre, Paris; The Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, Rome. Standing in front of many of the famous works of art was a privilege. Nothing else has given me an adequate appreciation of the great masters and unsurpassed artistic genius.

However, here is an article by an artist that comes very close. It is lengthy but well worth an unhurried, thoughtful read-through. I believe I will return to this article a number of times to absorb all the author's conclusions. May the eyes of your understanding be enlighted as you enjoy this articulate explanation of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci.

click here: Refractions 21

O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

by George Matheson, 1882
-------------------------------

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.

O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
my heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
may brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
and from the ground there blossoms red
life that shall endless be.


Matheson (whose fiancé left him upon learning he was going blind) once wrote that his was “an obstructed life, a circumscribed life… but a life of quenchless hopefulness, a life which has beaten persistently against the cage of circumstance, and which even at the time of abandoned work has said not “Good night” but “Good morning.”

Click here to watch a YouTube version of this great hymn.
Picture Credit: "I Will Not Fail Thee" by Derek Hegsted

Some things get better with age

Well, knock me over with a feather. My eyes have improved.

I've worn glasses since age eight. At every exam my vision was worse. Terms like "near sighted" and "astigmatism" were tossed around like frisbees in the park. Five years ago my lenses were at their worst: coke bottle bottoms of .6 (diopter?) requiring very expensive high index imported lenses to make them light enough to sit gouge-free on my nose. In addition, progressive bifocals were also deemed necessary. Sigh. Kachink kachink. $$$

Two years later, my near-sighted vision improved slightly. Today, three years further along, it's even better. In five years, my eyes have moved from .6 to .45 - wow. The doctor says that is frequently the case for aging patients. I don't know what that means in technical terms, but I've decided getting old is not entirely a negative. Now if the senior's discounts would kick in on the cost...

Perhaps (dare I even hope?) the "eyes of my heart" are improving as well.

Prayer for Today

"Grant, O Lord my God, that I may never fall away in success or in failure; that I may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let me rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May I strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except Yourself. May I seek always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May I shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may I delight in any work I do for You and tire of any rest that is apart from You. My God, let me direct my heart towards You, and in my failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment."

--St. Thomas Aquinas

Back to Basics

The brow furrows, the logic stalls, the blood boils, the teeth grind. Sounds like the hot place, but happens every day on Facebook. Those wrestling with issues of money, sex and power and/or faith and doubt won't accept poetic words. Sometimes that crowd includes me.

Back to basics: "Be still and know I am God."



Picture: depositphotos.com #9838079, standard license

Solution for the Energy Crisis: Living With Teenagers

Talk to the Hand

by Sue McMillan*

Paula Poundstone is a comedian and a mother. I always enjoy her comedic status updates on Facebook and today’s was so close to home, I thought I’d share the quote and the follow up comments from her Facebook friends.

Paula said:

“Why do we need oil, coal, or windmills? Can't we harness the power of the dramatic, despondent sighs of our teenagers?”

Comments:

Or the energy of their angst and temper flares? And everything it takes out of them when the world is coming to an end.

-Jean Crankshaw

I tried but the wires kept falling off...and cabling them up in parallel just leads to ... liberties. –Fin Time

I only wish! Our energy crisis would be solved. -Howie Ledford

Unfortunately, no. Scientifically speaking, that energy is offset by physical lethargy and internal apathy. Known also as "moms are such a drag" phenomena. -Dennis Vander Houwen

Just my two kids alone could power the DFW metroplex for the next 3 years. -Jim Cardenas

I’ve nearly completed my Angst/Ennui Hybrid. -C. Todd Mccormick

PMS power could work...Less whining and no lethargy/apathy problems. Just pure anger and energy! -Jackie Hodes Belcher

The other problem, of course, is what powers those sighs in the first place? You have to keep that engine stoked with all the contents of your fridge. -Skip Mendler

And if we could harness the kinetic energy of the eye rolls…

-Bobbee Lyn Gerson

*Art by Sue McMillan. Print available for purchase here.