Sipping...

I think sipping was invented by tea.

Recently, I've been making tea from mint I planted in our very own garden. I drop a few of the dried leaves into the thermos or mug, pour in steaming hot water from the kettle, and add a little honey. After a few minutes, the flavour has diffused, and it's ready to drink.

It's still too hot to gulp down - what an unromantic word, gulp - so I wrap my hands around the warm mug and smell the fragrant steam. And slowly, I sip. Time seems to slow down. My eyes focus somewhere afar off as my thoughts transport themselves to more distant realms. I think of dear friends... Kristen, Nicole, Ervina, and others, who take great delight in a lovely cup of tea.

My tea is cooling steadily, but still I sip slowly. If I were to tip the cup and drain it all at once, the leaves would swoop into my mouth instead of staying at the bottom of the cup where they belong. I feel kinship with countless people, who, from ancient times and diverse cultures made and drank tea in much the same way as I have. Billions of people who have taken a moment to pause, cup in hand, to rest, to consider, to remember, to breathe a prayer of thankfulness for warmth and life. I'm grateful to be alive.

And I take another sip.

Thank You, Jesus.

Publishing...

I've been considering what the purpose of having a blog is. This is what I keep coming to: Psalm 26:7

That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

That is the standard I want to hold my posts to: that they would not be about me, but about Jesus Christ. Not to show off my thoughts or whatever writing skills I have, but to publish what God is doing. If what I write points to how glorious and awesome and beautiful He is, then I will count my efforts not wasted.

Only one life, 'twill soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last. 
(C.T. Studd)

Kenton

Can you believe it? As of 12:25 MST, October 29, 2012, my brother is a dad! Kenton weighed in at 7 pounds even and 20 inches long. He has a bit of light brown hair. Good job, Hannah!

 Chris & Kenton

I love the fact that he was born on the 29th - if you've ever heard Eric Ludy talk about Job 29 you know why. What I am even more excited about it that he did not come early as some had feared... praise God. The name Kenton means "royal town" or "royal possession", and as far as I'm concerned he belongs to the King from the very get-go. Please continue to pray for Chris and Hannah. The enemy still wants to speak defeat over their lives and marriage, but as saints we can stand in the gap with victorious faith in our Almighty God.

Quick Quote

"Everything will be okay in the end. If it is not okay, then it's not the end." - Paolo Coelho

The Joy of Salvation

    Avigail took a deep breath. This was it. This was her last hope, their only chance. If this didn’t work, all was lost. Slowly, carefully, she tipped her jar of oil, the only possession she had. Reuven and Benaiah, her two sons, watched in silence as she poured. They knew what was at stake. The oil was flowing, a steady stream disappearing into the much larger vessel. Avigail’s hand started to shake, making the stream of oil quiver. The little jar should’ve been emptied by now, but the oil was still flowing. The nature of the silence abruptly shifted from expectant to shocked as they all realized what was happening. The oil was not stopping! Suddenly, Benaiah cried out, “Mama! It’s going to spill over!” “Quick!”, Avigail called. “Another jar!” Reuven grabbed one of the dozens of vessels they had borrowed from their neighbors. Avigail filled that one too, and the next one, and the next. Jar after jar, and the oil just kept coming. Not until the very last jar was filled to the top did the oil cease. “We’re saved!” Avigail cried. “The LORD has saved us!” Because of this oil, their debt would be paid. Her sons would not be slaves. They were free! What joy!
    Have you ever known the joy of salvation? I remember the hour I first believed. I remember kneeling at my mother’s knees as she led me in prayer. I remember asking Jesus to forgive my sins. I remember saying, “Amen” and feeling a sudden rush of happiness. Although at age 5 I couldn’t put words to it, it felt exactly as though a load of bricks had been taken off my shoulders. What joy!
    King David knew something about this joy. In Psalm 51, when he is confessing to God after his sin with Bathsheba, he pleads, “Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation”. Sin always causes separation between us and God, and that eliminates joy. “In Thy presence is fullness of joy”. (Ps. 16:11) This is true not only in the eternal sense, but also as a principle in our daily lives. According to God, there are no problems outside of sin, and no solutions outside of Jesus Christ. David, in Psalm 32:1 says, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” The word “Blessed” literally means “happy”. So if you aren’t happy, if you don’t have joy from being in the presence of God, the reason is very simple: there is unconfessed sin in your life. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth, and the truth will set you free! In Psalm 32, David goes on to describe what life is like in that state: painful, peaceless, and dry as a desert. Then in verse 5 he unveils the solution: “I acknowledged my sin unto Thee...and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin”. It’s that simple! I’ve seen this borne out so many times in my own life. When I realize that my joy is missing, I’ll go to God and say, “Ok, what’s wrong?” and He is always faithful to gently and specifically show me where I have been disobeying. Maybe I’ve harbored a spirit of complaining, or spoken without kindness to someone. Maybe I’ve allowed an anxiety to roost in my soul, or been unthankful. Whatever it is, if I take it seriously and confess it as sin, God forgives me and cleanses me from it every time. Then comes my favorite part: our relationship is restored! I am reconciled to God and can rejoice in Him again!

Joy is not reserved for conversions and mountaintop experiences. It’s supposed to be a constant, daily reality, just like our walk with Christ. It is, after all, a fruit of the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit”. (Gal. 5:25) So how do we keep our joy when trials come? What do we do when the basement floods, when you have a headache, when your prayers haven’t been answered yet? Keep your focus on Jesus, and trust Him. Refuse to look at the enemy’s evidence, he’s a liar. Jesus is our source of joy, and if you remain clinging to Him, your joy will have no end, only increase. Blessings!

“Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you righteous;

And shout for joy, all you upright of heart!”

-Psalm 32:11

Written for Pathways To Serenity, Vol. 1, Issue 4: "Joy"

Life: Incoming

(PS: If the print is unreadable, try zooming in: [Ctrl] & [+] ).

Comic strip courtesy of www.fborfw.com.

I'm still here :)

Still living at home and loving my family...
Still helping with Awana...
Still teaching my "Hero-training" class...
Still sponsoring my two favorite African kiddos ever...
Still praying...
Still playing guitar with our worship team...
Still square dancing sometimes...
Still reading good books...
Still studying and cherishing the best Book...
Still growing... (only spiritually, ha!)

And yes, in case you were wondering, I am still working at the library.

Asking the Tough Questions