Eternity Contemplated


I think that Dan Phillips over at http://www.teampyro.blogspot.com/ has to be in on what is going on in my life, though Phil Johnson is in a position to know more than Dan does. Why do I say this? Another post by Dan last Thursday--"Brothers, sisters--don't drop the ball"--dealt with how we respond to others experience of bereavement.


Why is this significant? It is not only because my husband and I recently became involved with a ministry to the bereaved, but also because we have family members facing such losses.

I don't think I'm putting matters very clearly. Let me try again.


Eternity

FOREVER will not be long enough
To worship Him
To know Him
To serve Him
To please Him
FOREVER will not be long enough
To walk with Him
To sit at His feet
To hear His voice
To do His will
FOREVER will not be long enough
To know Him fully
To worship Him rightly
FOREVER will not be long enough

In Light of Eternity


In light of eternity,
What should my priority be?
How should I plan my days?
How should I seek His ways?
In light of eternity,
What should my pleasure be?
In what should I seek my joy?
For what should I lay out my ploy?
In light of eternity,
For whom should my living be?
At whose feet should I lay my life?
To whose ends should I serve as wife?
In light of eternity,
O Lord, may I ever live, ever serve, ever grow,
That Your joy I may forever know.



Contemplating Death


When death comes,
When a Christian dies
I feel both envy and sorrow--
Envy that they are
In God's Presence,
Sorrow for those left behind,
Whether Christian or not;
Grief for the unbelievers
Who don't know what they,
If they continue in their unbelief,
Will miss, do miss;
Joy for the Christians remaining,
Knowing there will be
A Great Reunion,
And no more sorrow,
Nor parting,
Then.
That Great Promised Then.
So there is sorrow and joy,
Envy and grief,
When death finally comes.



Finally Home


Last heartbeat, last breath,
Some will think that this is death,
Tremble at the cold expected
Not realizing with God connected
Death for believers brings them
Finally home.


Finally home to thank their Father
Finally home to serve their Brother
Finally home to honor the Spirit
Finally home--
All earth-work done.


Finally home
No longer struggling with world
Finally home
No longer wrestling with flesh
Finally home
No longer bedeviled
Finally home
First breath, first heartbeat
Eternity entered.

Essentials of This Christian's Convictions


So Sunday the verse for my fellowship group was 2 Timothy 2:15: "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."


In my youth, "Study to show thyself approved" is how I recall that verse starting.


Then, over at http://www.teampyro.blogspot.com/ I read a so-called rant by Dan Phillips which he titled, "Getting by on Christian vapors: a rant," and was again reminded of how easy it is to not be diligent but to be routine in Bible reading rather than study.


Our small group Bible study has been reviewing the subject of prayer. I came across this verse in Colossians 4:2: "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." I had to admit that too often my prayers are perfunctory rather than passionate--not unlike my reading rather than studying of Scripture.


So this week had its double whammy--which I am thankful for. There are times God needs to slap me upside the head, in a manner of speaking, to bring me to my senses.


How about you? What has He done with you lately?

A Prayer to Walk By


Originally written while involved with a small group Bible study, see if you can find where these Scriptures are reflected: Prov. 6:23; Titus 2:12; Eph. 6:16; Ps. 1:1-3; Ps. 119:105; Gal. 5:16,22-25; Phil. 1:27; John 15:1-11.


A Prayer to Walk by


Eternal Father of my Lord Jesus Christ,
How do I want to walk?
First, I have to get up right, upright.
Then, make sure my feet are shod with peace.
Then, make sure I am watching where I put those feet.
That will require a regular use of the word of light,
And the discipline to put one foot in front of the other on
That day's path.
How do I want to walk?
With care and with wisdom,
With humility and for service,
Coming alongside to help,
Never faster than the Lord gives me light.
How do I want to walk?
I want to walk in such a way as to be fruitful,
Bearing the fruit of the Spirit,
Glorifying You in that,
Willing to be pruned by Your hand,
Willing to be in whatever season of life You put me.


Comfort Food

Ps. 92:12-15
The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Aging--another post regarding aging and middle aging


Recently I again picked up LOST IN THE MIDDLE Midlife and the Grace of God by Paul David Tripp. I am about half way through that again. Then I read posts at two of my favorite blogs regarding experiences of aging. Today, I went to the dentist. Later, I am scheduled to be seen by the periodontist.

So where am I going with this post?


What is the difference between growing old and aging? Between growing old and only becoming old? Growing while old or just becoming old? Growing while aging or just aging? Is it between rage and resignation or passive and active or denying reality or joyfully living in reality?


Facing and facing up to change I can rearrange only so much of detour and delay before I have to pay reality's price. No cards to hold or dice to toss against this loss. Only two hands--shall I cover my ears or block my eyes? There is no prize or altered fact. The season in fixed in each element. Crows chide my attempt to hide, deride and raucous sound forth truth. Of all created, man alone embraces lies and, fallen, causes all created to die. Sounds rather glum--at least to some.


But that is not my final choice.


Midlife Archaeology: Digging for Dreams


Unearthed:
Empty pots of common unmarked clay,
Cracked here, broken off there,
Any one-time contents long gone, dried away;
So, pitch the pots,
Hear the tinkle of smashing,
The tinkle of smithereens,
Grab broom and dust pan,
And make both past and future clean.


Did these once hold dreams?
Any dreams once contained evaporated
In the heat of day in and out life.


Or, is there a residue in a protected corner?
No, there are no corners in a pot's roundness,
And the handle's cracks
Rivered away any that play
Thesis carried
Drained in the sands of
Inevitable time.


"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us"


[inspired by reading LOST IN THE MIDDLE by Paul David Tripp and 2 Corinthians by the apostle Paul]


A Prayer at MidLife


God, whatever dreams
Are in my heart or mind,
Be formed and conformed
To your heart and mind,
Be fashioned to fit
As you would have it,
Have them, have all, in all;
And may I first stand back
And watch you do
And then do with you,
And give you the glory
And praise and honor
Whatever your chosen dreams
For me, the good deeds
You have with my name on them
May I embrace with all my heart
Fulfill whatever you would start,
Father God, whatever,
For your glory
Is my will,
And I shall be still
Waiting on you,
And then to do.

Do you give much thought to what it means to fear God? To fear Him as the Bible requires? Do you give much consideration to the outcome of rightly fearing Him? When I have, it has brought me to my knees in wonder and in breathlessness.

When We Fear God

When we fear God we
Tremble before His holiness
Are grateful for His sacrifice (which involved the Godhead),
Repent and obey and disobey and repent,
Revel in His Fatherhood once adopted into His eternal family,
Repent over and over of sin for all sins are ultimately against Him,
Enjoy His forgiveness,
Experience His discipline,
Rest in His infinite unchangingness,
Bow before His throne in service in worship and in praise in Christ
When we fear God