Welcome, Jesus

The following quote, from Samuel Rutherford, is from a friend's blog (she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and has had surgery recently):

Welcome, welcome, Jesus, what way soever Thou come, if we can get a sight of Thee! And sure I am, it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to the bedside and draw by the curtains, and say, "Courage, I am Thy salvation," than to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be visited of God."


~ Samuel Rutherford, 1600-1661, an excerpt from a letter

Re: News Regarding Planned Trip / (Moving)

Please see post dated September 25 (about 4 or 5 posts down) about "News Regarding Planned Trip" (which, as written about here, has been cancelled). Travis explains in this post.

"Learning the Father's Love" by Elisabeth Elliot

"Learning the Father's Love"
by Elisabeth Elliot

and

"The Time to Trust"
(A Poem )


"When my brother Dave was very small, we spent a week at the seaside in Belmar, New Jersey. In vain my father tried to persuade the little boy to come into the waves with him and jump, promising to hold him safely and not allow the waves to sweep over his head. He took me (only a year older) into the ocean and showed Dave how much fun it would be. Nothing doing. The ocean was terrifying. Dave was sure it would mean certain disaster, and he could not trust his father. On the last day of our vacation he gave in. He was not swept away, his father held him as promised, and he had far more fun than he could have imagined, whereupon he burst into tears and wailed, "Why didn't you make me go in?"

"An early lesson in prayer often comes through an ordeal of fear. We face impending adversity and we doubt the love, wisdom and power of our Father in heaven. We've tried everything else and in our desperation we turn to prayer--of the primitive sort: here's Somebody who's reputed to be able to do anything. The great question is, can I get Him to do what I want? How do I twist His arm, how persuade a remote and reluctant deity to change His mind? "

"When the people of Israel were encamped in Pi-hahiroth and saw the Egyptians coming after them, they felt they were looking death in the face and it was all Moses' fault--"as if there weren't enough graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die!"

"Don't be afraid," said Moses. "Stand by. The Lord will fight for you if you'll just be quiet."

"You know the story of deliverance--the sea was rolled back, Israel marched through it dry shod, and when the Egyptians pursued them the sea swamped their horses, their chariots, and the whole army. "Not even one of them remained." The song of victory Moses and Israel sang reveals their recognition not only of the strength, majesty and wonder-working of the Lord, but of His loving-kindness, immeasurably beyond anything they had dared to hope."

"Poor Dave! His father could have forced him to come into the water, but he could not have forced him to relax and enjoy it. As long as the child insisted on protecting himself, saving the life he was sure he would lose, he could not trust the strong love of his father. He refused to surrender. In this simple story we hear echoes of the most ancient story, of the two who, distrusting the word of their Father, fearing that obedience to Him would ultimately bar them from happiness, chose to repudiate their dependence on Him. Sin, death, destruction for the whole race were the result. "

"Learning to pray is learning to trust the wisdom, the power, and the love of our Heavenly Father, always so far beyond our dreams. He knows our need and knows ways to meet it that have never entered our heads. Things we feel sure we need for happiness may often lead to our ruin. Things we think will ruin us (the chariots of Egypt, the waters of the sea, or the little waves in Belmar!), if we believe what the Father tells us and surrender ourselves into His strong arms, bring us deliverance and joy. "

"The only escape from self-love is self-surrender. "Whoever loses his life for Me will find it" (Matthew 16:25, NIV). "Dwell in my love. If you heed my commands, you will dwell in my love, as I have heeded my Father's commands and dwell in His love. I have spoken thus to you, so that my joy may be in you, and your joy complete" (John 15:9-11, NEB). My father knew far better than his small, fearful, stubborn son what would give him joy. So does our Heavenly Father. Whenever I have resisted Him, I have cheated myself, as my little brother did. Whenever I have yielded, I have found joy. "


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The Time to Trust

"When is the time to trust?
Is it when all is calm,
When waves the victor's palm,
And life is one glad psalm
Of joy and praise?"
"Nay, but the time to trust
is when the waves beat high,
When storm clouds fill the sky,
and prayer is one long cry,
"O help and save!"

"When is the time to trust?
Is it when friends are true?
Is it when comforts woo,
And in all we say and do,
We meet but praise?"
"Nay, but the time to trust
is when we stand alone,
And summer birds have flown,
and every prop is gone,
All else but God!"

"When is the time to trust?
Is it some future day
When you've tried your own way,
And learned to trust and pray
by bitter woe?"
"Nay, but the time to trust
is in this moment's need.
Poor broken, bruised reed.
Poor troubled soul, make speed
To trust thy God!"

"When is the time to trust?
Is it when hopes beat high,
The sunshine gilds the sky,
And joy and ecstasy
fill all the heart?
"Nay, but the time to trust
is when joy is fled,
When sorrow bows the head,
and all is cold and dead,
All else but God."

Author Unknown

The Heritage of Faithfulness

I'm considering keeping this blog, and using it as I continue the faith journey . . . still A Journal of my Journey. Hence, the following post:

Both of my parents have passed away, and, at my age, I have thoughts of my years also "being numbered". What am I leaving for my grandchildren and children to hold on to after I'm gone? It won't be great wealth, but I hope my life attests to the grace and faithfulness of Jesus, my heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit's direction and help, as I live my life.

I came across a hymn recently titled "Find us Faithful", and am sending below verses 2 and 4. This expresses my prayer that I may be found faithful!

2. Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
Let us run the race not only for the prize,
But as those who've gone before us,
let us leave to those behind us,
The heritage of faithfulness
passed on through godly lives.


4. Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
May the fire of our devotion light their way --
May the footprints that we leave
lead them to believe,
And the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.

Jon Mohr

Thanksgiving

I'm posting this poem a little bit early for the Thanksgiving holiday, but I r-e-a-l-l-y like it. I hope you do, too.

Elaine

p.s. I "think" the poet of this poem is Elisabeth Prentiss (she also wrote the words to the hymn, "More Love To Thee" ....)

(I'll try to find out in the next couple of days if she was, in truth, the poet of the following poem.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thank Thee, O my God, that through Thy grace
I know Thee, who Thou art;
That I have seen the beauty of Thy face
And felt Thee in my heart.

I thank Thee, O my Savior, who hast deigned
To stoop to even me;
Within my inmost soul hast ruled and reigned,
And will my ransom be.

I thank Thee, Holy Spirit, that Thy wings
Brood o'er my wandering mind;
Bringing to my remembrance sacred things
To which my eyes were blind.

I thank Thee, Triune God! But oh, how cold
The warmest words I speak;
For love and goodness strange and manifold,
All human words are weak.

O teach me, then, to praise Thee with my life,
With stern obedience;
To make the atmosphere about me rife
With silent eloquence!