That Good Part

I love this story. I'll miss Barney and his antics.

Be Not Afraid Be not afraid, ’tis I, ’tis I, Though the storm rages wild; In thy sore need I’m passing by, Off’ring to help thee, hear thy cry— Be of good cheer, My child.” “Be not afraid, ’tis I, Be not afraid, ’tis I”; Though wild winds blowing, My bark o’erflowing, God rules in earth and sky: “Be not afraid, ’tis I, Be not afraid, ’tis I”; The storm can’t harm my trusting soul, For Jesus walks the waves that roll; His voice I hear, which calms my fear, ’Tis I, be not afraid.” Be not afraid, ’mid pressing foes, Jesus is watching near; He all thy deepest sorrow knows, Walked every step thy pathway goes; Trust Him, then; do not fear. Be not afraid, He knows thy heart, And He doth care for thee; Of all thy grief He shares a part, Stands by thy side, He’ll not depart, If thou wilt faithful be. Be not afraid, O helpless one, Trust in His boundless grace; Say from the heart, “Thy will be done, Finish the work Thou hast begun, Bring me to see Thy face.” Words: Barney E Warren (1911)

"In the end God alone can save a nation. When God chooses to work in a nation, He always does it through the individual choice of people." Author Mary Farrar

I saw the most alarming item in our church bulletin yesterday: Daylight Savings Time ends this week. Words fail in the attempt to describe how great is the cloud of despair that gathers on the horizon. Sigh. I've tried to ignore the way October is speeding to a close. But alas, it can be denied no more, and with great trepidation I acknowledge my least favorite time of the year is just around the corner. So I am buying some new jammie sweats today and the giant vat of hot chocolate from Costco in what will surely be a vain effort to find comfort. Good thing I don't live in Minnesota. I should have seen it coming, since my yearly fall habits have begun to creep in. Some of them are.... I have begun to crave bologna. This stems from the fond childhood memory in which we drove to the only truly cold place nearby, Palomar Mountain, to play in the five minutes of snow that falls yearly. We would always take a thermos of hot chocolate and bologna on white bread with mustard. ...

Don'tcha just love Elisabeth Elliot? It would not be possible to exaggerate the importance hymns and spiritual songs have played in my spiritual growth. One of the latter, familiar to most of you, has this line: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer" (Joseph Scriven). Prayerlessness is one of many ways by which we can easily forfeit the peace God wants us to have. I've been thinking of some other ways. Here's a sampling: Resent God's ways. Worry as much as possible. Pray only about things you can't manage by yourself. Refuse to accept what God gives. Look for peace elsewhere than in Him. Try to rule your own life. Doubt God's word. Carry all your cares. If you'd rather not forfeit your peace, here are eight ways to find it (antidotes to the above eight): "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165 KJV). "Circum...

Mark 14:62- Jesus said, " I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven ."

Summer is officially over at 8:44 this morning, which happens to be the time I am typing this. It is fall, a season that brings out the best and worst of me. I like fall, for some reason this time of year always feels more like New Years to me than January. Maybe that comes from being five and walking to school with my mom in matching mother-daughter dresses for the first day of kindergarten. The most significant thing I learned that year-paste tasted good. September is the month of new, new school supplies, clothes and schedules. As I grew up and became a mom myself, my life revolved around the "new" in my daughters life: her new school supplies, her new clothes, her new running shoes for cross country and track, her new schedule. She's married now, so I'm back to my own season of "new" again. New ministry, projects, and studies. And since I'm on the far side of mid forties this year, a new physical weirdness about once a week. It's an exciting seas...