Psalm 43 was his Psalm today. Verses 3 and 4, "O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; let them bring me to Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling places. Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise Thee, O God, my God."
God did lead him to His holy hill and Tim is in God's dwelling place.
My heart breaks for his wife Jeni and their three children, and I don't get it.
May 13, 2010
May 6, 2010
The waiting room
It's interesting the way we can suddenly be equalized. I have been coming up the the hospital to sit with a friend, the one from the last blog. It doesn't matter what people look like in a waiting room. The old or the young, the big or the small, the various languages spoken, the tattoo and pierced or the conservative, the bikers, hippies and preppies are all the same.
We smile nervously or compassionately at each other, listen (while we try not to listen) to intimate phone calls and conversations meant to update loved ones who have to be far away. We are all in the same place, especially in the ICU waiting room where loved ones are in critical condition. There is fear and faith, weeping and laughter, and prayer.
In times of crisis it seems as if prayer is no longer controversial, it's comforting.
It's the National Day of Prayer, so I will be praying with a grateful heart. I don't have to hide my prayers or find a secret place. I can pray openly in the waiting room and know that my Father in heaven is listening, and if others in the waiting room hear, it's okay, they don't mind.
We smile nervously or compassionately at each other, listen (while we try not to listen) to intimate phone calls and conversations meant to update loved ones who have to be far away. We are all in the same place, especially in the ICU waiting room where loved ones are in critical condition. There is fear and faith, weeping and laughter, and prayer.
In times of crisis it seems as if prayer is no longer controversial, it's comforting.
It's the National Day of Prayer, so I will be praying with a grateful heart. I don't have to hide my prayers or find a secret place. I can pray openly in the waiting room and know that my Father in heaven is listening, and if others in the waiting room hear, it's okay, they don't mind.
May 5, 2010
Friendship interuptions
I just read Ruth and got some new insights, which is good. Boaz was apparently not very handsome and significantly older than Ruth. You'll have to read it for yourself, but Ruth 3:8-10 may bring a smile to your face.
I also noticed that Ruth paid attention. She noticed which of Naomi's relatives were upstanding citizens before deciding where to glean. Boaz mentions twice for her to stay close to his women and then Naomi mentions to stay close to the women in Boaz's field because she will be safe, so it seems that there was real danger for a stranger off by herself gleaning the fields.
But for the past week, my heart has been with a friend who's husband is still not fully awake after surgery. It was supposed to be a short repair to his heart, but things went wrong and he was/is sicker than they thought. So I have been praying for them from home and then driving up to hang out when I can. I wonder at her composure, as have many. I am not sure I would have the faith and gentle spirit she has. I have listened to others and it is amazing to hear the different theories for what would cause a wife to remain so calm during a time of uncertainty.
I will work on being like Ruth, which is hard for someone who likes to talk. I will watch and observe and study so I may learn from Jeni. There is a depth in her, a calm certainty, and I want to learn from her. It may not be convenient to drive an hour and a bit each way, but it is more than worth it to be blessed, and hopefully be a blessing.
I also noticed that Ruth paid attention. She noticed which of Naomi's relatives were upstanding citizens before deciding where to glean. Boaz mentions twice for her to stay close to his women and then Naomi mentions to stay close to the women in Boaz's field because she will be safe, so it seems that there was real danger for a stranger off by herself gleaning the fields.
But for the past week, my heart has been with a friend who's husband is still not fully awake after surgery. It was supposed to be a short repair to his heart, but things went wrong and he was/is sicker than they thought. So I have been praying for them from home and then driving up to hang out when I can. I wonder at her composure, as have many. I am not sure I would have the faith and gentle spirit she has. I have listened to others and it is amazing to hear the different theories for what would cause a wife to remain so calm during a time of uncertainty.
I will work on being like Ruth, which is hard for someone who likes to talk. I will watch and observe and study so I may learn from Jeni. There is a depth in her, a calm certainty, and I want to learn from her. It may not be convenient to drive an hour and a bit each way, but it is more than worth it to be blessed, and hopefully be a blessing.
April 21, 2010
We have the same roots
All of us make messes; some of them are in our own lives, and worse, some are in the lives of others. I'm reading Romans now and it is comforting and convicting to read that "all have sinned." So who am I to judge?
But, how do you respond when falsely accused? Besides the Bible I am reading a great book, "The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham." I had no idea how many people attacked him, but what I am really impressed with is how he responded.
Me, I'm Irish and I fight, not as much or as quickly as in my youth, but it is my preferred and natural reaction.
I am going to put this quote on my desk and try to remember it, "His seemingly preferred mode (of handling criticism) is to go directly to the people causing him the most pain and basically say, 'Teach me." Lon Allison on Billy Graham.
But, how do you respond when falsely accused? Besides the Bible I am reading a great book, "The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham." I had no idea how many people attacked him, but what I am really impressed with is how he responded.
Me, I'm Irish and I fight, not as much or as quickly as in my youth, but it is my preferred and natural reaction.
I am going to put this quote on my desk and try to remember it, "His seemingly preferred mode (of handling criticism) is to go directly to the people causing him the most pain and basically say, 'Teach me." Lon Allison on Billy Graham.
April 19, 2010
It's been a long long time
I feel like I am starting over. I've been reading through Joshua most recently and what keeps coming back to my mind is history, personal history, family history, my heritage. It saddens me that my parents were so un-forthcoming about their histories. I know very little about my heritage. I wonder how they came to be Christians. Could knowing how they battled sin, help me win a battle or two, or even protect me from having to fight now and then? How did Mom and Dad experience God's faithfulness? Who mentored them when times were tough?
Steve's family has done better and I am blessed by the rich heritage my children have, but I wish we knew more. I want to write so my grandchildren know family stories and history. There are so many stories of God's faithfulness to us that can be recounted to build their faith, that they must be recorded. If you know stories of your history, write them down, recount God's faithfulness to future generations. It is more priceless that gold, and more precious than stocks.
I am leaving out the pictures because Grandma Yola can't read through them yet, but I am looking forward to a few stories from her!
Steve's family has done better and I am blessed by the rich heritage my children have, but I wish we knew more. I want to write so my grandchildren know family stories and history. There are so many stories of God's faithfulness to us that can be recounted to build their faith, that they must be recorded. If you know stories of your history, write them down, recount God's faithfulness to future generations. It is more priceless that gold, and more precious than stocks.
I am leaving out the pictures because Grandma Yola can't read through them yet, but I am looking forward to a few stories from her!
March 5, 2010
Just kill me now!
This is a picture taken at the Hubbard Glacier in Alaska, so it's not the dessert and these are not Israelites, but it is wilderness and there were a lot of people.
As I got ready to read Numbers I wasn't very excited, but I am loving the relationship between God and Moses. It reminds me of Fiddler On The Roof. They almost banter back and forth.
Reading this morning in chapter 11 the people are complaining because they have no meat and Moses goes to God and says,"Why have you dealt ill with your servant? ... Did I conceive all these people? ...If you will treat me like this, kill me at once." I cracked up. I could just hear Moses, "Really God? Am I actually responsible for this crowd? If this is what you have in mind, just kill me now."
My favorite part comes in chapter 12:6 & 7 after Miriam and Aaron have been bad-mouthing Moses, God responds to them with this, "Hear my words; if there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the Lord." Mouth to mouth with God. Picture that. It's close. Friends around the table, honest, real ...
March 1, 2010
The guest of sinners
That's Jesus. Maybe it's the new version, but I hadn't seen it quite this way before. After Jesus calls Zacchaeus out of the tree, Luke 19:7 says, "And when they saw it, they all grumbled, 'He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.'"
I can hear the disgust and see the sneer. The spiritual people of the day judged both Jesus and Zacchaeus, because Jesus dared to be the guest of a sinner, not just a guest even, but a self invited guest.
I'm glad, because he could come to my house.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)