Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
When they come I will stand my ground
Stand my ground I'll not be afraid
Thoughts of home take away my fear
Sweat and blood hide my veil of tears
Once a year say a prayer for me
Close your eyes and remember me
Never more shall I see the sun
For I fell to a German's gun
Lay me down in the cold cold ground
Where before many more have gone
-Sgt.MacKenzie
Monday, May 26, 2008
memorial day
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
algonquin
"The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display His craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make Him known."
Psalm 19:1-2 NLT
Last weekend was our annual canoeing adventure to the Canadian backcountry. We traveled over 18 miles by paddle and portage through Barron Canyon, Algonquin Provincial Park. Four days of wilderness quiet, a retreat to rest and rejoice in God's awesome creation.Why do we do this? Awaking with the birds on a peaceful morning with the mist burning off into the warm sunny breeze. The calm evening as the waters still, the sun sets and the moon rises. The echo of the loon. The sight of moose. Wildlife and trees, mountains and hills, cliffs and valleys, ragging rapids and spectacular waterfalls. The splash and bubble of a paddle pulling through the cool water as gentle waves lap along the canoe. The crunch of the path under our boots with everything strapped to our backs. Trail mix. Freeze dried meals. Sleeping on the ground in a thin nylon tent feeling "safe" from the bears. Campfires and euchre. The fellowship of hanging the bear bag. And the experience of the "necessary box" in the woods.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
faith & forgiveness
“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, to die; to plant, to harvest; to kill, to heal; to break down, to build up; to weep, to laugh; to mourn, to dance; to cast away stones, to gather stones; to embrace, to refrain from embracing; to gain, to lose; to keep, to throw away; to tear, to sew; to keep silence, to speak; to love, to hate; war, peace.”
Ecc 3:1-8
Change is constant. Change is the fabric of life. In spite of ourselves, our success, our age, experience, preparation or position, no matter what, the storms of change come. The winds blow and the floods rise. Our lives are constantly stirred up, never settled completely, even when things appear calm. Change is usually outside of our control, against our will, effected by circumstance, influenced by others, never what we fully expect, good or bad.
Change sometimes happens when we least expect it or least want it. Or change does not come soon enough. We may anticipate change and work toward it, but the results and reasons always surprise us, maybe bringing exceeding joy, expectation and hope. Or catching us completely unprepared and devastating us; leaving us weary and heartbroken.
God never changes. He is always faithful. “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” Deut 7:9
In the midst of change, we must remember “…the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Ecc 12:13
Faith: the foundation that we trust will either prepare us for the storm or destroy us. “…whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49
Forgiveness: the command required in the emotional conflict of change. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts” Col 3:12-15
In faith and forgiveness, we trust that God has something to teach us, to change in us; we understand who we really are and what God calls us to be. Change encourages growth in our faith and forgiveness. Therefore, understand that change happens for a reason. Trust that God is good and sovereign. And He uses change to accomplish His Will through us.
Through faith, facilitate positive change by initiating forgiveness, build kindness into relationships, treating others the way you want to be treated (Matt 7:12, Luke 6:27-31), make the wise choice (Prov 1:5) and trust God no matter what. (Prov 3:5-6) No matter what the change.
Ecc 3:1-8
Change is constant. Change is the fabric of life. In spite of ourselves, our success, our age, experience, preparation or position, no matter what, the storms of change come. The winds blow and the floods rise. Our lives are constantly stirred up, never settled completely, even when things appear calm. Change is usually outside of our control, against our will, effected by circumstance, influenced by others, never what we fully expect, good or bad.
Change sometimes happens when we least expect it or least want it. Or change does not come soon enough. We may anticipate change and work toward it, but the results and reasons always surprise us, maybe bringing exceeding joy, expectation and hope. Or catching us completely unprepared and devastating us; leaving us weary and heartbroken.
God never changes. He is always faithful. “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” Deut 7:9
In the midst of change, we must remember “…the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” Ecc 12:13
Faith: the foundation that we trust will either prepare us for the storm or destroy us. “…whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49
Forgiveness: the command required in the emotional conflict of change. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts” Col 3:12-15
In faith and forgiveness, we trust that God has something to teach us, to change in us; we understand who we really are and what God calls us to be. Change encourages growth in our faith and forgiveness. Therefore, understand that change happens for a reason. Trust that God is good and sovereign. And He uses change to accomplish His Will through us.
Through faith, facilitate positive change by initiating forgiveness, build kindness into relationships, treating others the way you want to be treated (Matt 7:12, Luke 6:27-31), make the wise choice (Prov 1:5) and trust God no matter what. (Prov 3:5-6) No matter what the change.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
patience
"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD"
Psalm 27:14
patience = waiting until later for what you want now
Psalm 27:14
patience = waiting until later for what you want now
It's not fun to wait! Sometimes it's frustrating to do the right thing, especially when we don't see any results for a "long time". We want others to have patience, but sometimes we are not interested in exemplifying it in ourselves. This month, we learn the benefits of waiting patiently.
- God created patience and He models patience as He waits for us to take our eyes off all the worldly things that distract us and make Him our focus and priority.
- God instills patience in us as He shapes us to be more like Him. When we understand God’s patient nature, we become "big picture" people who don’t become tired of doing the right thing.
- God uses patience in us to influence and impact our families, friends, and neighbors. As others notice patience being lived out in our lives, we have more opportunities to tell them about Jesus. As they come to trust Jesus, they’ll influence others as well.
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