Crazy Love

August 29, 2009

Recently Bill and I listened to Francis Chan's book- Crazy Love. Life came to a screeching halt when listening. Have you ever had one of those experiences? You're speeding thru life- days turn into months- months into years then something happens (at least temporarily) to give you pause? This is one of those books that wonderfully begs us to 'wake up'.

"Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts- it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything."

This is from their website- http://www.thecrazylovebook.com/

You can read Chapter 1 for free here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13672622/Crazy-Love-Chapter-One

May the Lord awaken us to all He has for us in this life- amen?

His Special Work...

August 26, 2009

A quick update over here! After Jon left we went into hyper mode- getting ready for Special Olympics, preparations for a family reunion, trip to DE for the reunion, tooth problems- long story :), a quick trip to GA for Miri's neuro testing and hours preparing to begin my fall teaching schedule. I find during busy seasons that I am more tempted towards anxiety. I am hungry for Truth to quiet my soul!!

Today's quote is quite a bit longer than usual but oh so good! May the Truth encourage your souls as it has mine!

Spurgeon says...

"The Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit." John 14:26
This age is especially the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, in which Jesus cheers us, not by His personal presence, as He shall do in glory—but by the indwelling and constant abiding of the Holy Spirit, who is evermore the Comforter of His people. It is His office to console the hearts of God's people. He convinces of sin; He illuminates and instructs—but still the main part of His work lies . . . in comforting the hearts of the renewed, in confirming the weak, and lifting up all those who are bowed down.

He does this—by revealing Jesus to them! The Holy Spirit consoles—but Christ is the consolation. If we may use the figure, the Holy Spirit is the Physician—but Jesus is the medicine. The Holy Spirit heals the wound—but it is by applying the holy ointment of Christ's grace. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter—but Jesus is the Comfort!

Now, with such rich provision for his need, why should the Christian be sad and desponding? The Holy Spirit has graciously engaged to be your Comforter. Do you imagine, O weak and trembling believer, that He will be negligent of His sacred trust? Can you suppose that He has undertaken what He cannot or will not perform? If it is His special work to strengthen you, and to comfort you—do you suppose He has forgotten His business, or that He will fail in the loving office which He sustains towards you? No! Do not think so harshly of the tender and blessed Spirit, whose name is "the Comforter." He delights to give beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Trust in Him, and He will surely comfort you—until the house of mourning is closed forever—and the marriage feast has begun!

God's Presence!

August 23, 2009

"Troubles will be no troubles, distresses will be no distresses, dangers will be no dangers--if God's presence is with you. Mountains--will be molehills; stabs at the heart--will be as scratches upon the hand; if God's presence is with you. God's special presence will turn . . . storms into calms, winter nights into summer days, prisons into palaces, weakness into strength, poverty into plenty, death into life. Just so, while a Christian enjoys the singular presence of God with him, he will make nothing of this affliction and that affliction, of this trouble and that trouble, of this loss and that loss. God's presence makes . . . heavy afflictions--light, and long afflictions--short, and bitter afflictions--sweet." Thomas Brooks

Sufficient Grace

August 18, 2009

Seek to realize your dependence on grace every moment. "More grace! more grace!" needs to be your continual cry. But the infinite supply is commensurate with the infinite need. The treasury of grace, though always emptying, is always full. The key of prayer which opens it, is always at hand: and the Almighty Bestower of the blessings of grace is always "waiting to be gracious." The recorded promise never can be cancelled or reversed- "My grace is sufficient for you." JR MacDuff

Bring Your Heart~

“Bring your heart with its profoundest emptiness, its most startling discovery of sin, its lowest frame, its deepest sorrow, and sink it into the depths of the Saviour’s love. . . . Christ’s love touching your hard heart, will dissolve it; touching your cold heart, will warm it; touching your sinful heart, will purify it; touching your sorrowful heart, will soothe it; touching your wandering heart, will draw it back to Jesus. Only bring your heart to Christ’s love.” - Octavius Winslow, The Sympathy of Christ

Believe!

August 10, 2009

We have need of Him . . .
when we are dark—to enlighten us;
when we are dull and lifeless—to quicken us;
when we are weak—to strengthen us;
when we are tempted—to support us;
when we have fallen—to raise and restore us;
when we are disquieted with fears—to encourage us;
when we are full of doubts and perplexity—to comfort us and give us peace;
when we are staggering at the promises through unbelief—to increase our faith.
As none but Christ can do these things for us—He must be precious to our souls. "Yes, He is very precious to you who believe!" 1 Peter 2:7 John Fawcett

Oil and Water

August 5, 2009

"And remember, there are two things that are more utterly incompatible than even oil and water, and these two are trust and worry. Would you call it trust if you should give something into the hands of a friend to attend for you and then spend your nights and days in anxious thought and worry as to whether it would be rightly and successfully done? And can you call it trust, when you have given the saving and keeping of your soul into the hands of the Lord, if day after day, and night after night you are spending hours of anxious thought and questionings about the matter? When a believer really trusts anything, he ceases to worry about that thing which he has trusted. And when he worries, it is plain proof that he does not trust."
- Hannah Whitehall Smith, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life

Family shot

August 2, 2009

Jon came home this weekend to get a few more of his things. Here's a quick shot right before he headed back down to sunny Florida :). Safe trip my son- we love you!!