I am reading through the Bible again, currently in Deuteronomy. The Old Testament is not often people's favorite place to read. And yes, I admit, there are some hard passages to get through. But, every time I read the OT, I am reminded of many things, though one thing sticks out the most. God is so patient. Time and again, Israel, HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE, those that He loved, turned away, completely disobeyed, forgot the Lord, etc...God is just and has to punish wickedness, but He never forgot His people. He was patient and forgiving.
It is easy to say, "Oh those terrible Israelites! Why would they complain? God brought them out of slavery and delivered them! They respond with complaints about something so lame, like manna?!?!" or "Dumb Israelites, they knew God had saved them from harm in the past. God said not to fight, so why would they fear, or fight battles they were told to avoid?"
As thoughts like this enter my mind, I must remember:
God has delivered me from _____(many things!) .
He has provided richly.
Why would I complain against a holy God?
(That is exactly what we are doing when: God has provided pizza for supper and we get mad that Papa John's was out of pepperoni so we had to get bacon, OR we have plans that require sun and we get frustrated when it rains. What about when everyone you know is getting engaged or married, is that jealousy discontentment- which is distrust in God's plan? What about when I'm annoyed that the radio in the nice car that was given to me doesn't work, even though the heat/air, seat warmers, automatic everything else does? Some people are worried about winning wars, sometimes I worry about winning a little basketball game. We make plans, but do we rejoice at the opportunity to change them to serve someone who just needs to talk, or needs other help?)
Rather than complain against the Lord for a change of plans, become greedy when others get different blessings than us, getting upset when we don't get our way, we should be thankful to the Lord.
The Israelites sometimes acted like two-year-olds. So do we.
Remember the Lord. Remember God's faithfulness to provide all we need and more. Remember His patience. Imagine giving a Christmas gift to someone, and them saying "I would have liked this if it were bigger/a better brand/a different color." OR "Ya know, this isn't what I asked for, I'd prefer something else."
If that happened, we would feel hurt or angry with the ungrateful person. But, this is what we do to God--the greatest gift giver ever. He gives us life and salvation, and we complain against Him.
We deserve to be thrown out and forgotten, never to receive blessings from God.
But, God is patient.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
"Human beings have very little real power over their lives. Ninety-five percent of what sets the course of their lives is completely outside their control. This includes the century and place they are born in, who their parents and family are, their childhood environment, physical stature, genetically hardwired talents, and most of the circumstances that they find themselves in. In short, all we are and have is given to us by God. We are not infinite Creators, but finite, dependent creatures."
- Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
, page 110
- Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
, page 110
Friday, December 25, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sometimes when the phone rings, you just know something is wrong. It's either an odd time or someone you don't expect, etc...The other day I was sitting in class and my phone vibrated--I checked it as I was leaving--three missed calls and a voicemail. As I listened to the voicemail, I learned that my best friend, my horse, was sick and dying. Of course, I have other best friends, humans, but horse friends are special in different ways.
I made a beeline from my class to my car and straight to Nana Jarrard's house as fast as possible. I was scared. She had Wolfgang out, standing, but he looked sick. I took the lead rope, biting back tears. After a few minutes, he lie down. We tried to keep him up, tried to keep him from rolling. Why had the vet not arrived? Nana and I decided we thought he had colic. If that was the case, we could not let him roll. His stomach could twist into knots. We tried walking and jogging him to keep him up. He kept falling down. If he just stayed still, we let him lay there and rest. If he tried to roll, we did everything we could to get him up. Where was the vet? At this point, I'm panicking, trying not to let it show. FINALLY, the vet arrives (around 4PM). He listens, trying to hear gut sounds through the stethoscope. Nothing. Bad sign. It is getting harder and harder to keep Wolfgang up. We get him sedated and into the barn. An ultrasound shows that his spleen is enlarged- part of the intestines likely wrapped around it. Good sign. Relatively easy cure. We take him back outside, the vet begins putting a tube up his nose to his stomach, to pump mineral oil through. Most sedated horses would just stand there. Wolfgang was in so much pain he kept falling down and rolling.
All of this is taking place out in the grassy area in front of the barn. He falls down again, this time next to the vet's truck. He rolls under, gets stuck. We aren't strong enough to fight him to prevent this. Thankfully, Wolfgang doesn't panic or fight, just freezes helplessly under the truck. Blood makes everything seem worse. The vet is able to free his legs and pull him to where he can stand up, which he quickly does. We move to an area clear of everything. The vet begins again the fight to get the tube down. After a long battle, he begins pouring mineral oil down. Doesn't seem to help. We try to keep him up, running him. One of us leading, another chasing behind to keep him moving. We are all tired. Wolfgang, now on the ground just lie still. Constant pain killers and sedatives have him still, but they had not lasted long in previous hours.
An IV is put into his neck. He's dehydrated and needs fluids. The vet calls other doctors to get advice. Why can't we get the pain under control? What normally would help has no effect. Why has nothing worked? No one knows.
My strong, beautiful Arab friend is helplessly lying flat on the ground hooked to fluids. He lets out an occasional groan. I'm about to lose it. What can we do to make him better? The vet returns as he silently helps us get the horse up, to no avail. No one seems hopeful, but I just wait for the vet to speak.
"I don't know what else to say or do. All we can do is take him to UGA." (They have a great vet hospital.)
Here come the tears. UGA is not an option. There is only a 10% chance their surgery will be effective, there is no way I can afford the thousands of dollars it would cost to try. Decision time. Of course I will do anything I can to make him well. I think of all the great times I have had with this dear friend.
In middle school, he kept my busy and focused so I didn't have to even think about boys with all the other girls. In high school, he was a source of peace and quiet after a crazy school day, or a car wreck. We have experienced countless hours on trails, or galloping through a field. He has even played "tag" with me. He gives hugs and kisses. He listens to me, he's been there through the joys and tears of my life. I can't give up trying. I can't lose my dear friend.
We decide to sedate him through the night, and hope for the best.
My parents at Mary come at 6:45, just as the vet leaves to go get more sedatives/pain killers. We stand and cry and pray. After a little while, he rolls and pulls out the IV. Blood is pouring out. We don't know what to do, so we cut the stitches and take the needle out. More blood. Thankfully, he got still so we plugged his neck with pressure from fingers and gauze. Finally, he stood up and the blood stopped. When he stood, we started walking/jogging him again. We all took turns, me, my mom, dad, Nana, Caleb. After about 45 minutes, he still had not layed down. This restored some hope. The vet came back, and he lie down again. With a new IV, he seemed to feel better, and stayed standing for the next hour. Daddy and Nana cleaned out a stall for him to stay the night. We weren't sure whether to leave him in a paddock to graze, or if eating would hurt him. Conflicting advice from various people/vet left making a potential life or death decision really hard. We went with the stall, figuring we could move him during the night if necessary. 10 PM-still standing. Everyone went home, Nana and I went in the house to get cleaned up and rest a bit before the next shot at midnight. At 12, he was down again, not looking good at all. It was then that I prayed and asked God to either heal him or end the suffering quickly, either way I would trust and praise Him. At 4AM, I was scared to even look in the stall. Things seemed to be going downhill earlier. He was standing, and had gone to the bathroom for the first time! An amazing improvement. He was cheerful at 8AM, I walked him for an hour, then took him to the stall to rest. He layed down, but only to rest, no pain evident to me.
I went to eat breakfast, when I returned, he jumped up to greet me. I made a little mash, which he gobbled up. The first time really eating or drinking much. However, things got worse for the next hour and a half. We brought other horses into the barn. That got him standing and moving. By 12:30, he seemed totally well. We let him graze 15 minutes every hour. By mid-afternoon, he totally cleaned out his system and seemed completely well. And, he is still healthy and doing great! The next day he grazed out in the sunshine, trotting to the gate when I called for him, like nothing had ever happened!
Other than old age, colic is probably the leading cause of death in horses. None of us thought he would live through this severe case. I can't imagine not having him, or even owning a different horse. God was merciful and good to us. He showed His power and granted a gift no one expected! Praise him for being so kind!
I made a beeline from my class to my car and straight to Nana Jarrard's house as fast as possible. I was scared. She had Wolfgang out, standing, but he looked sick. I took the lead rope, biting back tears. After a few minutes, he lie down. We tried to keep him up, tried to keep him from rolling. Why had the vet not arrived? Nana and I decided we thought he had colic. If that was the case, we could not let him roll. His stomach could twist into knots. We tried walking and jogging him to keep him up. He kept falling down. If he just stayed still, we let him lay there and rest. If he tried to roll, we did everything we could to get him up. Where was the vet? At this point, I'm panicking, trying not to let it show. FINALLY, the vet arrives (around 4PM). He listens, trying to hear gut sounds through the stethoscope. Nothing. Bad sign. It is getting harder and harder to keep Wolfgang up. We get him sedated and into the barn. An ultrasound shows that his spleen is enlarged- part of the intestines likely wrapped around it. Good sign. Relatively easy cure. We take him back outside, the vet begins putting a tube up his nose to his stomach, to pump mineral oil through. Most sedated horses would just stand there. Wolfgang was in so much pain he kept falling down and rolling.
All of this is taking place out in the grassy area in front of the barn. He falls down again, this time next to the vet's truck. He rolls under, gets stuck. We aren't strong enough to fight him to prevent this. Thankfully, Wolfgang doesn't panic or fight, just freezes helplessly under the truck. Blood makes everything seem worse. The vet is able to free his legs and pull him to where he can stand up, which he quickly does. We move to an area clear of everything. The vet begins again the fight to get the tube down. After a long battle, he begins pouring mineral oil down. Doesn't seem to help. We try to keep him up, running him. One of us leading, another chasing behind to keep him moving. We are all tired. Wolfgang, now on the ground just lie still. Constant pain killers and sedatives have him still, but they had not lasted long in previous hours.
An IV is put into his neck. He's dehydrated and needs fluids. The vet calls other doctors to get advice. Why can't we get the pain under control? What normally would help has no effect. Why has nothing worked? No one knows.
My strong, beautiful Arab friend is helplessly lying flat on the ground hooked to fluids. He lets out an occasional groan. I'm about to lose it. What can we do to make him better? The vet returns as he silently helps us get the horse up, to no avail. No one seems hopeful, but I just wait for the vet to speak.
"I don't know what else to say or do. All we can do is take him to UGA." (They have a great vet hospital.)
Here come the tears. UGA is not an option. There is only a 10% chance their surgery will be effective, there is no way I can afford the thousands of dollars it would cost to try. Decision time. Of course I will do anything I can to make him well. I think of all the great times I have had with this dear friend.
In middle school, he kept my busy and focused so I didn't have to even think about boys with all the other girls. In high school, he was a source of peace and quiet after a crazy school day, or a car wreck. We have experienced countless hours on trails, or galloping through a field. He has even played "tag" with me. He gives hugs and kisses. He listens to me, he's been there through the joys and tears of my life. I can't give up trying. I can't lose my dear friend.
We decide to sedate him through the night, and hope for the best.
My parents at Mary come at 6:45, just as the vet leaves to go get more sedatives/pain killers. We stand and cry and pray. After a little while, he rolls and pulls out the IV. Blood is pouring out. We don't know what to do, so we cut the stitches and take the needle out. More blood. Thankfully, he got still so we plugged his neck with pressure from fingers and gauze. Finally, he stood up and the blood stopped. When he stood, we started walking/jogging him again. We all took turns, me, my mom, dad, Nana, Caleb. After about 45 minutes, he still had not layed down. This restored some hope. The vet came back, and he lie down again. With a new IV, he seemed to feel better, and stayed standing for the next hour. Daddy and Nana cleaned out a stall for him to stay the night. We weren't sure whether to leave him in a paddock to graze, or if eating would hurt him. Conflicting advice from various people/vet left making a potential life or death decision really hard. We went with the stall, figuring we could move him during the night if necessary. 10 PM-still standing. Everyone went home, Nana and I went in the house to get cleaned up and rest a bit before the next shot at midnight. At 12, he was down again, not looking good at all. It was then that I prayed and asked God to either heal him or end the suffering quickly, either way I would trust and praise Him. At 4AM, I was scared to even look in the stall. Things seemed to be going downhill earlier. He was standing, and had gone to the bathroom for the first time! An amazing improvement. He was cheerful at 8AM, I walked him for an hour, then took him to the stall to rest. He layed down, but only to rest, no pain evident to me.
I went to eat breakfast, when I returned, he jumped up to greet me. I made a little mash, which he gobbled up. The first time really eating or drinking much. However, things got worse for the next hour and a half. We brought other horses into the barn. That got him standing and moving. By 12:30, he seemed totally well. We let him graze 15 minutes every hour. By mid-afternoon, he totally cleaned out his system and seemed completely well. And, he is still healthy and doing great! The next day he grazed out in the sunshine, trotting to the gate when I called for him, like nothing had ever happened!
Other than old age, colic is probably the leading cause of death in horses. None of us thought he would live through this severe case. I can't imagine not having him, or even owning a different horse. God was merciful and good to us. He showed His power and granted a gift no one expected! Praise him for being so kind!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
"The quest for a contemplative life can actually be self-absorbed, focused on my quiet and me. If we love people and have the power to help, then we are going to be busy. Learning to pray doesn't offer us a less busy life; it offers us a less busy heart. In the midst of outer busyness we can develop an inner quiet. Because we are less hectic on the inside, we have a greater capacity to love...and thus to be busy, which in turn drives us even more into a life of prayer. By spending time with our Father in prayer, we integrate our lives with his, with what he is doing in us. Our lives become more coherent. They feel calmer, more ordered, even in the midst of confusion and pressure."
- Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life
- Paul E. Miller, A Praying Life
Friday, October 9, 2009
Education before Legislation
Compare these two sites. The facts are there. The truth is obvious.
abort73.com and planned parenthood.org
Compare these two sites. The facts are there. The truth is obvious.
abort73.com and planned parenthood.org
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Quotes for today
*Bird crashes into our window, 2 cats attack and chow down.
"I sure hope that bird was a Christian!" -Lydia
______________________________________
"Lydia, repeat after me 'I do solemnly swear to say this every day as long as the sun and moon shall endure." --Mary
"I do solemnly swear to say this every day as long as the sun and moon shall endure." -Lydia
"Um, Lydia, do you know how long the sun and moon will endure?" -Hannah
"AH! I do UNsolemnly swear not to do that!!!!!" -Lydia
_______________________________________
"Rachel, look at my handwriting today! Everyone said it was really good. And I think it is really good too! But, I don't want to be vain about my own writing!" --Lydia
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Josh Harris Sermons
Every day on the way to and from school, I try to listen to sermons. This week I have listened to three really good Josh Harris sermons. I thought I'd pass on the link so everyone else could listen, too!
Radical Selflessness
Courtship Shmourtship (part 1)
Courtship is a Community Project (part 2)
(Find lots of free, downloadable sermons from Josh Harris and the other pastors at Covenant Life Church at www.covlife.org)
Radical Selflessness
Courtship Shmourtship (part 1)
Courtship is a Community Project (part 2)
(Find lots of free, downloadable sermons from Josh Harris and the other pastors at Covenant Life Church at www.covlife.org)
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Back to School
Here is a great article I found from the girltalk blog:
School days are upon us again.
There will be broken pencils and slow computers, late night study-sessions and pop-quizzes, classmate conflicts, “light bulb” moments, and more than a few tears.
And there will be lots and lots of reading.
But there’s something more certain than all the predictable aspects of the school year:
“Surely [not maybe] goodness and mercy shall follow me all [not some] of the days of my life” (Ps. 23:6, emphasis mine).
"With God these qualities are not merely solid and dependable” explains Derek Kidner, “but vigorous--for 'follow' does not mean here to bring up the rear but to pursue.If you are a Christian, goodness and mercy follow you “always” says Charles Spurgeon: “the black days as well as the bright days. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins.”
Goodness is shadowing us, in the halls of school or the kitchen table at home, to provide all we need—strength, wisdom, perseverance and patience—to help us glorify God.
And Mercy’s right behind, to pick us up when we fall: bringing pardon for our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.What a promise to take with us into the first day of school--and all the school days thereafter!
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