mighty wings of grace . . . June 21, 2008

oh wondrous love that will not let me go–

i cling to you, with all my strength and soul.

yet if my hope should ever fail

this wondrous love will never let me go . . .

oh wondrous love that comes to dwell in me–

Lord, who am I that I should come to know

your tender voice assuring me

your wondrous love will never let me go.

i rest in you, the everlasting arms, in the ever faithful heart, the shepherd of my life.

you carry me on your mighty wings of grace keeping me until the day I look into your eyes.

oh wondrous love, oh wondrous love, wondrous love, oh wondrous love . . .

oh wondrous love that sings of Calvary–

the sweetest song this sinner’s ever known–

the song of your redeeming Son,

whose wondrous love will never let me go.

oh wondrous love that rushes over me,

i can’t escape this river’s glorious flow!

you overwhelm my days oh Lord.

your wondrous love will never let me go.

will never let me go . . .

verbal blunders at the beach June 18, 2008

first of all, i would like to thank my sister for . . . well . . . just being herself. without her, this post would not be possible. (melissa, you know i love you.)

recently, my family and i spent some time at good ol’ myrtle beach. besides the 7 hour trip (which was supposed to take 4), a beach house filled to the brim with 19 people (a great source of activity, not so much with personal space), and it being senior week (i think every high school graduate was at the beach that weekend), we really did have a good time.

here are some verbal blunders and funny quotations that i particularly enjoyed in our three day stay.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

melissa (while chewing a rather large chunk of beef jerky): “mmm . . . i love beef jerky! (pause) is it made of ham?”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

melissa (while waiting for the elevator with my dad): “so, what room are we in?”

dad: “412.”

melissa: “so, is that on the third floor?”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

ben: “okay, that’s it. i’m NEED to find a bathroom . . . or a pier . . .”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

rachel (while running towards her 1.5 year old, who was heading towards the backend of the family yorkie with a strategically-pointed finger): “somebody grab ella! she’s about to give the dog a colonoscopy!”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

hee hee

where the skies are full of promises . . . June 18, 2008

augustine, in one of his more well-known prayers, accurately describes the dark places that we all face . . . i’m not talking about the days where we’re late to work, or our printer malfunctions, or we spill something on our shirt. he describes what it feels like when we are so burdened by our responsibilities, our circumstances, our lot, that we feel lost. he describes those “days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies grey and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage.”

our eye sight fails. our song is taken away.

we are afraid and alone.

i have sat in dark places. i see my friends sit in these places, putting on brave faces while they blink blindly in a providencially-placed night. but as we sit, the darkness hovering, the darkness covering, we have hope.

for darkness is not dark to Him. the night is bright as the day. the darkness is as light to Him.

it is there, in the dark when my eyes can’t see, that my soul sees the most. it is in the dark that my soul learns what my song should be. it is in the dark that i learn not to fear. where i learn, though i can see no one, that i am never, ever alone.

before the light shines on my circumstances, it shines in my soul.

the darkness teaches us that it is only Christ that can “flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age.” it is Him that must “quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life.”

so, if just so happen to find yourself sitting in darkness, know that i’ve journeyed there. know that He’s journeyed there. and know that it is there that your soul, knowing nothing but His promises, will learn true rest.