San Diego!
We came, we saw, we conquered!
The animals were magnificent, the weather was superb, the food was good overall,a nd we even had live entertainment which Lucy and I liked to bounce our heads to, and Bowden consented to a dance. (Being twirled around is always appealing to a 3 year old.)
WE had a lot of fun. Sarah, Rosie, Bowden, baby Lucy, and I were all over that zoo. And up for more the next day. Lucy ruled the 1st night, we all rued it. Poor baby, with her light sleep and constant wheeze, her impassioned cry of misery. The miracle of it is that when I awaken the next morning at 7AM, she is all smiles and ready to go. Sarah is amazing, being the one taking care of baby all night, up for the day at 5, and so excited to go when we finally rouse ourselves. Even the trip to Target for some needed items was fun, thanks to her. And my impatience to get going was forgiven by my girls as we waited here and there. Bowden's excitement was contagious, in the midst of it all.
I have much to be grateful for. I feel, however,as I read my last post, that I got carried away with the "Fluctuations of life's light" and sometimes lost my spiritual moorings. Somewhat like little Bowden, who, in his excitement to see so many amazing sites in this wonderland, would wander off.
Maybe we can all thank God that He is always watching us. That even when life, whether in trials or in it's joys, blurs our focus, God's eye is clear, and His angels are there.
Not that I want to cop out and not do my part. But thank God our Daddy understands. And that He refocuses us, redirects us, and so often, just blesses us anyway!
In the midst of it all.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Your Light has come...
I got a Word in Jan. It was Isaiah 60:1 "Arise and shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you..." Then some total stranger gave it to me again in April. It has come up periodically this year. This morning I revisited it and meditated on it. These are my thoughts:
It's time to walk it out; to access the light, to dip into the pools of living water from deep within my being.
Jesus (John 1:14) said, "Indeed, the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life."
But then, as I read on further in Isaiah 60, a new Word came to me! This is one that describes heaven, but suddenly spoke of something of heaven coming down to earth for me now. As Jesus directed us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." And His proclamation that the Kingdom is upon us.
This Word is hard to receive in it's fullness, for violence is heard all around us, but there is a promise, one that all creation travails for. (Rom. 8:18)
That word is this: " No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders,but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates, Praise. The sun will not be yhour light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you (that is not the light that God it referring to in the first verse- the new light that has come) for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory" Isaiah 60:18
This light, this glory, is the glory that transcends all pain and suffering; all the darkness of the world.
It's the glory that rose up in Watchman Nee in his prison cell in China, that would enable him to lift his arms in praise to God after being cruelly tortured.
It's the glory that filled the prison where Paul lay beaten and bruised in the night, the glory ushered in on the wings of His praises, that broke the chains and set him free.
It's the glory that burst out of the grave, the glory of the cross that shines eternally- giving hope to the hopeless, forgiveness to the condemned, and redemption and healing to the broken.
It's the seeing in the dark. It's the flower that pushes it's delicate way up through the cracks in the hardened, man-made cement.
It's the light that I access in the hidden garden of His presence. In the darkness of my prayer closet.
In the midst of it.
Come Lord Jesus, bring Your light and let me live in it. In your kingdom, rather than being ruled by the fluctuations of earth's light. Thank you for hope.
Funny thing happened today. I wrote this in the morning. In the evening, I got an email. In it was an exortation to move into the new things that God has for you. The scripture they gave was, you guessed it:
"Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." In it they said that the Lord promises that if we will get up and move into Him, that He will shine on us.
Col. 1:13 "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins."
I want to move into that Kingdom. How about you?
It's time to walk it out; to access the light, to dip into the pools of living water from deep within my being.
Jesus (John 1:14) said, "Indeed, the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water, welling up to eternal life."
But then, as I read on further in Isaiah 60, a new Word came to me! This is one that describes heaven, but suddenly spoke of something of heaven coming down to earth for me now. As Jesus directed us to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven." And His proclamation that the Kingdom is upon us.
This Word is hard to receive in it's fullness, for violence is heard all around us, but there is a promise, one that all creation travails for. (Rom. 8:18)
That word is this: " No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders,but you will call your walls Salvation, and your gates, Praise. The sun will not be yhour light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you (that is not the light that God it referring to in the first verse- the new light that has come) for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory" Isaiah 60:18
This light, this glory, is the glory that transcends all pain and suffering; all the darkness of the world.
It's the glory that rose up in Watchman Nee in his prison cell in China, that would enable him to lift his arms in praise to God after being cruelly tortured.
It's the glory that filled the prison where Paul lay beaten and bruised in the night, the glory ushered in on the wings of His praises, that broke the chains and set him free.
It's the glory that burst out of the grave, the glory of the cross that shines eternally- giving hope to the hopeless, forgiveness to the condemned, and redemption and healing to the broken.
It's the seeing in the dark. It's the flower that pushes it's delicate way up through the cracks in the hardened, man-made cement.
It's the light that I access in the hidden garden of His presence. In the darkness of my prayer closet.
In the midst of it.
Come Lord Jesus, bring Your light and let me live in it. In your kingdom, rather than being ruled by the fluctuations of earth's light. Thank you for hope.
Funny thing happened today. I wrote this in the morning. In the evening, I got an email. In it was an exortation to move into the new things that God has for you. The scripture they gave was, you guessed it:
"Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." In it they said that the Lord promises that if we will get up and move into Him, that He will shine on us.
Col. 1:13 "For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption,the forgiveness of sins."
I want to move into that Kingdom. How about you?
Monday, August 07, 2006
A nice back yard
I have a really nice back yard. The back wall is finally mostly covered with those Morning Glories that, up til this year, mostly adorned the trees and bushes of my neighbors. But this year, the beautiful lavendar trumpet-shaped flowers are profuse. My Jasmine is letting loose with it's fragrance to the left and the Honeysuckle that Sarah picked out is huge and beginning to travel the fence in front of the Hibiscus. Did I mention Hibiscus?
But really, I think, what makes it so beautiful are the trees. Two giant somethings, spreading around, my fig tree is proudly waving it's big, beautiful leaves and dipping it's arms down to give me fruit. And the Mulberry- with it's branches full and spreading out over the lawn. It did what we wanted it to do.
I need to have a backyard party.
Anybody want to come? The birds have come already. We even have some of our urban parrots coming to visit. They have already started the party.
And, of course, God is there. In my backyard garden.
But really, I think, what makes it so beautiful are the trees. Two giant somethings, spreading around, my fig tree is proudly waving it's big, beautiful leaves and dipping it's arms down to give me fruit. And the Mulberry- with it's branches full and spreading out over the lawn. It did what we wanted it to do.
I need to have a backyard party.
Anybody want to come? The birds have come already. We even have some of our urban parrots coming to visit. They have already started the party.
And, of course, God is there. In my backyard garden.
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