just one of her idiots...

"one who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches." galatians 6:6

gram was born on august 27,1919 - which would make her 88 today. why do i enjoy studying the Word with others and helping them memorize? a big reason is because gram was faithful to study with me. i wonder just how many thousands of verses she read to me to help me memorize them or how many hundreds of hours i spent on the floor of her trailer tossing a ball and quoting.

what a blessing to have had a grandmother who loved Jesus as one of my best friends. THANK YOU, LORD! help me to carry on faithfully.

"i am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother lois and your mother eunice and now, i am sure, dwells in you as well. for this reason i remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." 2 timothy 1:5-7

the heavens declare the glory of God

but we're too enthralled by the glow of our cell phones to notice......

God, help us to overcome the distractions! Captivate us with YOUR glory!

"As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!" Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Lord," they answered, "we want our sight." Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him." matthew 20:29-34

the next steps

just got back from camp and i really was feeling like listening to "rest for the weary" by cool hand luke... it drips emotion... so good, so good.

Hey, it’s me
I’m sorry it’s so late
I can’t sleep
I knew You’d be awake (Psalm 121:4)
You’re always home
Waiting by the phone
For nights like these
When I’m feeling all alone

I wish it didn’t always
Have to be this way
I wish that I could talk to You
Face to face
But nothing compares to the way
You always listen and know just what to say

Hold my hand
I can’t stand alone
Here I am
Waiting for You to take me home

Oh, I just want to sing
I only wish there was a word
For what You mean to me
I would only say it once
In hushed tones
So it would not grow old
But all I have
Is “I love You”

You’re my Jesus, You’re my hero
Everything I wish that I could be

You’re the one who comforts me
When everyone is gone away
I can’t stand alone
Here I am
Waiting for You to take me home

And I will keep on singing
Because You hear me
And I will keep on smiling
Because You’re near me

I’ll sleep well on a promise tonight.

i'm full of ideas for what comes next for teen world... and me. it was a week of frustration, but a good week. birth pains? my "once alienated" boys. the calls about quizzing - God, help the excitement last! "shallowness persists, i must resist." i want to study prayer in the pauline epistles - i want to help kids go deeper! too many rules? lol - i read galatians today!(law and Spirit - freedom) HAHA - this blog entry is like my brain right now... so much going on, little bits and pieces, scattered... collecting 'em and ordering 'em will be sooooooo important.

competing allegiances

so i was walking outside tonight... looking at the stars - praying... haven't done that in awhile... and the mostly full moon was rising reddish on the horizon... and i started to sing a rich mullins song "there's more that rises in the morning than the sun, and more that shines in the night than just the moon..." well, when i got to the phrase "the stuff of earth competes for the allegiance, i owe only to the Giver of all good things" it stopped me cold

that is EXACTLY what it keeps coming back to with all this "don't waste your life" and "desiring God" stuff... what is my real treasure? and i was reminded again of 2 corinthians 4 "we have this TREASURE in jars of clay" (HAHA - it just hit me, jars of clay covers "if i stand" on the rich mullins tribute cd) - so i want to meditate again on just what "this treasure" is...

"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

say that again: THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!

as i meditate and ask God to prepare my heart for camp - as i think about how we will spend saturday evening as counselor guys - OH GOD - let me see THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF JESUS CHRIST - that i may be transformed by that glory (2 cor. 3:18) - and may those around me be transformed as they see that glory reflected in me!!!!

"therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart."

And there's a loyalty that's deeper
Than mere sentiments
And a music higher than the songs
That I can sing
The stuff of earth competes
For the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver
Of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That You will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

... oh Lord, set me free from the "stuff of earth"