My papa passed away in a sudden accident when I was thirteen.
This past Christmas grandma let us choose a couple of his commentaries and books to keep.
Books were what he was all about.
Books and gardening and fishing and hunting and serving God...
If it was outside, he loved it. If it was inside the pages of a book, he read it.
I like to think that we are kindred spirits.
While flipping through one of his books (a 1966 edition of "Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,") a folded up piece of notebook paper fell out containing writing in his cursive scrawl. Here's what it says:
Ps 128. FEAR
Reasons to obey God Love - Fear
Eccles. reason for exist fear & keep
Psalm Fear beginning of wisdom
Hebrew 10 fearful thing
How God would have us be - Read Ps 128
Really, it doesn't say very much. Likely it was the beginning of a sermon outline or just some jotted down little thoughts. But reaching forward from the past it reminds me of the man I love and teaches me a little more about who he was, and who he continues to be: one who fears the Lord.
Read Psalm 128. It's short.
And it really does tell us "how God would have us be."
If we fear the Lord and walk in His ways, we will be blessed and happy.
And thinking about how simple it really is, it's astounding.
Love God. Fear God. Obey God. Serve God.
And your life will be abundantly rich, overflowing with all manner of good things.
Why then, is it sometimes so hard?
Thankful for simplicity. Even when the simple things are the hardest.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Country roads, Take me home
Been a wonderful break! Here are a few phone-y photos of some of the winter happenings. *Disclaimer: a lot more interesting and exciting things happened than these pictures show! Unfortunately I'm not the best at remembering to take pictures all the time...working on that. :)
Favorite picture memories: Grandma getting a pistol for christmas, cute downtown coffee shop, quelf!, bananagrams, trees and leaves and trees and more trees, picnics, and family. Yep, I'm pretty blessed.
Current obsession: The oak tree in our front yard. Seriously. I think it's one of the most beautiful trees...ever.
Current obsession numero dos: My christmas bike. She needs a name. I'm in love.
Third current obsession: Warm fires, hot tea, and cold rainy days. Hey there winter, why don't you stay for a while?
Heading back to aggieland tomorrow! Whoop! Here's to a wonderful new semester!
"How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands, You will be happy and it will be well with you." - Psalm 128
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Help
"The thing is though, if I start praying for Miss Skeeter, I know that conversation gone continue the next time I see her. And the next and the next. Cause that's the way prayer do. It's like electricity, it keeps things going."
- Kathryn Stockett, The Help
Amen.
Is anyone else ever scared to pray?
Or am I the only one?
What will happen if I pray for this?
Will I have to change? Struggle? Work? Sacrifice?
But then,
What will happen if I don't?
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months." - James 5:17
"For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘ I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You." - 2 Samuel 7:27
Prayer is powerful.
"It's like electricity, it keeps things going."
It gets things started too.
Let's pray with purpose.
With thought, humility, and courage.
Praying for what we need to pray for,
Even if that need is not what we want.
Remembering to Whom we are speaking.
Both our Lord, Master, and King.
And our Friend, Brother, and Advocate.
Lord, grant me the courage to speak with You as I should.
Fearful and timid though I may be.
p.s. The Help = brilliance. Adding it to the list of all-time favorite books and falling in love with Aibileen. With Skeeter too. Oh, and the author. There's a lot of love at the moment for this little book.
- Kathryn Stockett, The Help
Amen.
Is anyone else ever scared to pray?
Or am I the only one?
What will happen if I pray for this?
Will I have to change? Struggle? Work? Sacrifice?
But then,
What will happen if I don't?
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months." - James 5:17
"For You, O LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have made a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘ I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to You." - 2 Samuel 7:27
Prayer is powerful.
"It's like electricity, it keeps things going."
It gets things started too.
Let's pray with purpose.
With thought, humility, and courage.
Praying for what we need to pray for,
Even if that need is not what we want.
Remembering to Whom we are speaking.
Both our Lord, Master, and King.
And our Friend, Brother, and Advocate.
Lord, grant me the courage to speak with You as I should.
Fearful and timid though I may be.
p.s. The Help = brilliance. Adding it to the list of all-time favorite books and falling in love with Aibileen. With Skeeter too. Oh, and the author. There's a lot of love at the moment for this little book.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay
2012.
Crazy.
One resolution this year is to write more.
Or actually just to write.
I stopped for a while.
It takes courage to write.
And time.
Neither of which I had ample amounts of.
2011 was...amazing.
I didn't think it was possible to change so much in one year or to learn so much in such a short period of time. But it happened.
The first part of 2011 was filled with such anticipation. Preparations for the upcoming summer filled my mind and dreams and I was a bubbling mixture of anxiety and nerves and overwhelming excitement.
2011 really was the year of Costa Rica.
And then I went. And lived. And loved. And learned.
And left.
And while I feel such contentment and peace where I am in life, at times a piercing aching longing travels straight through my heart and makes me breathless for the people I left. It hurts to love. It hurts to be away from those to whom you gave your heart. Those who gave their hearts to you.
Yet many times when I sing a certain song or remember the Lord's death, I think of those who just south of us are doing the very same. And I smile. I feel their hugs and kisses. Their bendiciones y sonrisas. And am so thankful to know such sweet and hospitable hearts. Apart though we may be.
Last semester was rough. It was busy and sleepless and crazy.
I went from a summer of absolute relaxation and growth and peace and plunged straight into reverse culture shock and the heaviest workload I've ever had coupled with mornings in Ms. Early's fifth grade bilingual class.
I didn't do very well with the transition.
Fifth grade was fun and a blessing in so many ways.
Twenty eight precious and exhausting Spanish-speaking blessings to be exact.
Looking back over the semester, I see a hard one but one that is coupled with pockets of joy and happiness and learning.
I love teaching. :)
God gives us some incredible blessings. Especially in His people.
I am blessed. abundantly.
And while I see so many areas where I need to grow and where I frankly failed last semester, the nice thing about a new semester and new year is that...it's new.
New things are nice.
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus"
So thankful for beginnings and newness and looking to the uncertain future made certain in His promises.
I already know that 2012 will bring specific challenges.
But it will also bring specific blessings, though in the form of challenges they may be.
And I'm ready.
God is with me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercies who through life has been my guide?
So happy 2012 everyone! Can't wait to see what wonderful things God will do with this new year. Let's live it for Him.
And, as always, Pura Vida!
Crazy.
One resolution this year is to write more.
Or actually just to write.
I stopped for a while.
It takes courage to write.
And time.
Neither of which I had ample amounts of.
2011 was...amazing.
I didn't think it was possible to change so much in one year or to learn so much in such a short period of time. But it happened.
The first part of 2011 was filled with such anticipation. Preparations for the upcoming summer filled my mind and dreams and I was a bubbling mixture of anxiety and nerves and overwhelming excitement.
2011 really was the year of Costa Rica.
And then I went. And lived. And loved. And learned.
And left.
And while I feel such contentment and peace where I am in life, at times a piercing aching longing travels straight through my heart and makes me breathless for the people I left. It hurts to love. It hurts to be away from those to whom you gave your heart. Those who gave their hearts to you.
Yet many times when I sing a certain song or remember the Lord's death, I think of those who just south of us are doing the very same. And I smile. I feel their hugs and kisses. Their bendiciones y sonrisas. And am so thankful to know such sweet and hospitable hearts. Apart though we may be.
Last semester was rough. It was busy and sleepless and crazy.
I went from a summer of absolute relaxation and growth and peace and plunged straight into reverse culture shock and the heaviest workload I've ever had coupled with mornings in Ms. Early's fifth grade bilingual class.
I didn't do very well with the transition.
Fifth grade was fun and a blessing in so many ways.
Twenty eight precious and exhausting Spanish-speaking blessings to be exact.
Looking back over the semester, I see a hard one but one that is coupled with pockets of joy and happiness and learning.
I love teaching. :)
God gives us some incredible blessings. Especially in His people.
I am blessed. abundantly.
And while I see so many areas where I need to grow and where I frankly failed last semester, the nice thing about a new semester and new year is that...it's new.
New things are nice.
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus"
So thankful for beginnings and newness and looking to the uncertain future made certain in His promises.
I already know that 2012 will bring specific challenges.
But it will also bring specific blessings, though in the form of challenges they may be.
And I'm ready.
God is with me, what have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercies who through life has been my guide?
So happy 2012 everyone! Can't wait to see what wonderful things God will do with this new year. Let's live it for Him.
And, as always, Pura Vida!
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