Hello friends! Quick Wednesday morning post before work kicks up into high gear. Most grateful that my body was able to wake up so expeditiously this morning and I enjoyed a lovely long time of reading as I sipped my coffee. Read one of my all-time fav passages (Psalm 27! Always oh so encouraging) and also some beautiful words in Isaiah and Matthew. Bonus reading in John Owen Vol. 7 – still plugging away, I think I’m almost halfway done! Though the current material on apostasy isn’t quite as warming for my soul as some of the previous reading I’ve done in Owen, still good and needful words contained therein. Finally rolled on towards the office here and arrived only five minutes past six. I suppose that may be an absurd start time to some, but I do love mornings and getting an early start is never a bad thing. Now I take small sips of the slightly subpar work coffee and prepare for a busy day. I am tempted to sigh and fret as I consider what approaches, yet no. I lift my eyes to heaven and acknowledge the God who is and lift my voice to heaven and thank the God who cares. Let’s think on love and beauty this fine day. Have a lovely one, dear friends!
Tag: thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Around the table our voices raise as we sing before we pray. It’s a tradition that some may deride as old fashioned yet for us it stirs our souls and feels only right to worship as we start this feast that’s set before us. Our voices align in unity of purpose even with the voices that are dropped to sound in harmony. My eyes close as the last notes rise and fall and then resolve and then the amen sounds as is only proper when the doxology is sung. Then without even a word being said we raise our hands and join them together. I feel hers in mine and she squeezes slightly. And then my sister on the other side grabs mine and holds it lightly. And we bow our heads and then my father prays to the father of us all. There is thanks given and praise raised and of course mention made of each one of us that around that table stands and of the blessings that have rained down innumerable upon us. I sigh in my heart and let my own prayer rise silent but no less fervent to the invisible heights above where the risen one sits at the right hand of glory. The prayer goes on but only for a few more ticks of the clock, for of course while prayer is good, so is eating and to be sure it’s best to eat while the food is still hot. The amen sounds again and this time we turn to each other and smile and drop hands and pull our chairs back and sit with more or less commotion depending on who is sitting next to who. And then right when my fork is dug in and the perfect bite is about to be raised there’s a voice that pierces through. What about a toast she says? And though a part of me wants to just take a bite, I cannot say a word against so I take my glass of crimson red and raise it high and say my piece. Glory glory to our King. No matter what comes and no matter who goes, no matter the waves and no matter the storm, it is good for us to rest in the peace that comes with knowing our Lord. It is good for us to be here together in this place.
Let Us Sing in Harmony she Said Eagerly to Me
The vegetables have been chopped. The chicken thighs are roasting in the oven. Soon enough I will heat up the stove and begin the process which shall presumedly end in a delightfully yummy chicken and barley soup. For now though, I can sit here and blissfully rest. I say that as if I have been strenuously working all day, which is most certainly not the case. Still yet, I am grateful for this moment. Dani and I had a lovely walk here there and everywhere (a little over 4.5 miles I believe) and oh how wonderful was it to enjoy this early December day in all its shy beauty! The fading evening light washed over us as we walked and it did my soul good to breathe in the wintry air this day. Now I think perhaps a book is about to be opened. Multiple books even. The candle is lit, as is only proper. And soon enough the scents of chicken soup shall waft their way throughout our little home and I shall then – even as I am now – sing praises to my Lord. Too often do I forget that all these things that have been given me come from my God. On that note, I am away. My soul thrills to to read a few words now on Christ and his marvelous work for me. I sit at the foot of the cross and weep for love.
Tidbits
A lovely Thanksgiving morning here. Slept in past 630am, which is almost unheard of these days. Showered, got the coffee going. And then although usually I would sit in my cozy corner chair and have my quiet time, could I pass up an early morning Thanksgiving walk when it’s as glorious outside as it is? A beautiful 48 degrees when I stepped outside, coffee mug in hand. Down the street I went and then meandered my way down the MKT trail heartily enjoying the fresh crisp air, breathing deep and feeling gloriously vibrantly alive. I confess I don’t enjoy many things more than an early morning walk in the cold, sipping fresh hot coffee as I go. And there’s something about the early morning walks that bring out the best in people. Usually when I walk this trail, though the people watching is superb, one doesn’t address people as they pass. But early morning times feel special, as if we are all part of a private club that knows these times are the best times to be out and about and walking and that everyone else is missing out, really. So down the trail I walk, exchanging smiles and good mornings with the people I pass. There are many joggers of course, and a few dog-walkers (like the young mom and child that I pass as they let their dog sniff and take his time) but there are also walkers like me, enjoying the excuse to wear a warm hoodie and walk down the trail this lovely Thanksgiving morning. Eventually I reached my usual turning point and I turned around and began walking back home. I was stunned anew by the beauty I saw above and around me, seeing the leftovers of the sunrise strewn across the eastern sky. Homeward now! No less beautiful was this leg of the walk even though now my heart felt full to bursting. Prayers were said and more smiles were exchanged with the walkers that I passed. Soon enough, my legs found their way back inside the house, where somehow the apartment had done such a good job holding its residual heat that I felt I was stepping inside an oven! A 20-degree differential will do that, I suppose.
Now I finish the remnants of my coffee and think it’s time to brew another cup. Soon enough the Dani will wake and then we will begin to think of walk round 2. But for now, I will enjoy the flickering candle on the table, the Tchaikovsky playing in the background and soon a book upon the lap and a hot mug in my hand. I have oh so many things to be thankful for this day.
Sunward
A lovely Thankgiving Eve is at hand! Finally oh finally a cold front approaches and it appears we will have near perfect weather the next few days. Highs in the 60s and lows in the 40s? Yes please. And the sun shines! It very well may be a bit silly how happy such glorious weather makes me, but I will not deny such. Many long walks await!! And now I enjoy sipping on my coffee and preparing for another day of work, knowing that work is good and all that but…also grateful that this is my last full day of work for a good few days. Looking forward to a Thanksgiving holiday here with Dani in which we shall make far too much good food and enjoy wonderful rest and the bountiful gifts we have been given. At times we all over-complicate our lives, do we not? So in this Thanksgiving season, I long to pull back a bit and spend unhurried time on that which truly matters – devoting myself to those whom I hold most dear and luxuriating in quiet times of prayer and praise to the God whom I love so. Praise God from whom all blessings flow indeed.
A Severe Mercy
It truly is remarkable how wonderful the love of God is.
Oft times it seems that difficult and trying times are ours for no good reason. We can easily shiver as the cold winds of tribulation blow. Yet, do we understand the love of God? Do we truly know in our heart of hearts that we have a Father in heaven? If we do, these chill winds should be as but a passing shadow and a quickly vanishing vapor. Naught more.
And still more, our Father knows what is good for us. We think we do. How wrong we usually are! Our Father God longs to make us shine e’er brighter with the glory that He has bestowed on us through His Spirit. Our Father God desires to draw us closer to Himself. And what is better than that? What is of greater value than being with our God? Is there any jewel that can compare? To know our God and to be known by Him – there is nothing better than this. And it is worth the cost. Our lives – our earthly desires and passions – are as nothing compared to the glory that awaits us when we shall see our Lord face to face. Remember that.
It truly is remarkable how beautiful the mercy of God.
Final Straw
Happy Monday, friends!! I’m sipping on my delicious monday morning coffee and about ready to start work here. First – thought I’d dash out a quick few sentences. I have recently been trying to “purge” my music/movie/book collection of any unworthy or undesirable works. Some of this purging is quite painful, but it must be done. I’ve let my collection get alarmingly big and my (somewhat) minimalist self cringes at that. During the music section of the purge(which was entirely unsuccessful as I think I only got rid of 7 CDs!!), I found some stuff that I’d forgotten I had…stuffed it into my car and now I’m enjoying listening to Dominic’s sermons again(oh how I miss Gilc at times!!) and then today listened to one of Snow Patrol’s albums again. Wow I forgot how full of raw emotions their songs are…such a delight to listen to this morning as I drove to work in the dark. And listening to their songs brought back memories of listening to the same music as I drove to work back in Aberdeen…driving along the North Sea and seeing the sun slowly rise over the horizon. The clouds whirling and retreating from the relentless march of morning, the wind dancing through the surf of the sea. And that is enough nostalgia for this day. Ever up and ever in, my friends. Let us grasp hold of this day, remember the hope to which we were called and go forth and conquer. Peace and love.
A Little Bit of Sunshine
Happy Saturday, friends!! It’s a gorgeous afternoon here in Houston…and by gorgeous, I mean extremely hot and humid – it is the first day of July after all. But I’m enjoying an afternoon inside after a most productive and enjoyable morning…nice to relax a bit, just saying!!
This morning, after sleeping in shockingly late(I don’t think I got out of bed until a little before 8AM!!), I had a nice breakfast of fried eggs and tea…then I made my way over to the Texaco to get my annual inspection done. Figured I’d stop by Starbucks and enjoy a nice iced mocha while I waited. It’s my old Starbucks that I used to go to all the time when I lived down in that area, so…it was a pretty great feeling to have several of the baristas(props to Laura and Katie!) so excited to see me make my grand return! Anyways…I read a bit of my “Sermon on the Mount” by Lloyd-Jones(and enjoying that heartily – but no worries – I shan’t quote a large portion of it on here today!). Eventually, the mechanic called and told me they had to replace my awkward third brake light in order to pass inspection, which meant it’d be another 3-4 hours. Joy. Fortuitously enough, Julie was also nearby(well, within 3 miles!) getting her own car worked on! So I grabbed some water and walked down to meet up with her. Totally unplanned…but it worked out rather well – we got to hang out at the shop for a while before eventually going to grab lunch at Adair. Such a fun time with such a dear friend! We talked about all manner of things, serious and not…before finally my car was ready. Julie dropped me off there, I went to HEB and did some shopping…and now I’m back here at the flat, doing laundry and enjoying a restful Saturday afternoon. God is good to me, of that I am forever reminded.
Anyways, this was an extremely random summary of my day thus far…I shall bore you no further with an account of my workweek(really, who wants to hear about that!?) and sign off. Have a most lovely day, my friends – remember to lift your eyes to the heavens this day and thank our Lord God for all He has given us. Peace and love.
Day of Days
Hello friends! It’s Sunday evening here and I’m enjoying my chamomile tea and a little MLJ reading and really should get ready for bed momentarily. Quickly then…just know that today was a simply wonderful day. From being at church with my brothers and sisters and worshiping God together…to having some wonderful chats with friends old and new…and then getting home today and realizing after I finished my workout that I simply could not stay indoors as it’s been gorgeous all day!! After lying by the pool and finishing Steelheart(Brandon Sanderson) – I went for a walk…then thought how nice it would be to read outside at EQ. So walked back to the flat, picked up Lord of the Rings and walked back to EQ and sat on the porch with the sun warming my face…truly, this has to be one of my favorite days of the year. Blissful. I got many chapters of LotR read(from Bree to Rivendell!) and then finally walked back home to make my salad for dinner. Now…I prepare for the upcoming week. Knowing that God is good and has set my path in front of me, I cannot wait to walk in it. Give me the strength, Lord. Give me the strength. Sometimes I feel I know not why I take the steps I do…nonetheless, I trust my God. May this week be blessed of the Lord – only for His glory. Always. Now, I take my leave. Before I do…might as well write out a few of my favorite words from my latest chapter of MLJ:
What hope is there for the world? There is none. There is no comfort for the world now. But for the Christian man
who mourns because of sin and because of the state of the world, there is this comfort – the comfort of the blessed hope,
the glory that yet remains. So that even here, though he is groaning, he is happy at the same time because of the hope
that is set before him. There is this ultimate hope in eternity. In that eternal state we shall be wholly and entirely
blessed, there will be nothing to mar life, nothing to detract from it, nothing to spoil it. Sorrow and sighing shall
be no more; all tears shall be wiped away; and we shall bask for ever and ever in the eternal sunshine, and experience
joy and bliss and glory unmixed and unspoiled. ‘Happy are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ How true it is.
Unless we know that, we are not Christian. If we are Christian, we do know it, this joy of sins forgiven and the knowledge
of it; the joy of reconciliation; the joy of knowing that God takes us back when we have fallen away from Him; the joy
and contemplation of the glory that is set before us; the joy that comes from anticipation of the eternal state.
-Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, page 50
Thus sings my soul.
A New
It is Friday and I have my peppermint Mocha and I have decided it will be a simply Grand day. Even though I have also realized that it will be a most Busy work day. Still – I shall not complain. This is the Day the Lord has made. Indeed, I rejoice. Have a most Lovely day, dear friends!!
Something Weird 