From the Quiver

The Bible compares children to arrows --drawn from the quiver they should be polished, sharp, straight and true. And when "released", to fly with purpose, to strike where it counts. The Lord has given us two "arrows" and today I was reminded of how one of them has grown upward! Today was Tim Jr's first day of his senior year of high school. This morning I kept my annual ritual of taking their picture before leaving for the first day of school. Here is the picture of his first day of 12th grade and, going back to the beginning, the first day of 1st grade. Yes, time, like an arrow, flies swiftly! May the Lord help him to fly with purpose and to strike where it counts --for His glory!

I Miss the Music

Today is Tim Jr's 17th birthday which he is spending in China. He and Sarah have been gone for 2 weeks and over 4 weeks remain before they are home. I'm very glad they are serving the Lord over in Asia and the reports from the "frontlines" so far have been very encouraging, but the house is too quiet. Especially at night. When they're home in the evenings, after we've had our coffee, Tim often takes up his guitar and sings and plays. Some songs are fast, some fun, some are ballads and some beautiful hymns.
At times Sarah will join in the music-making and together they will belt out The Sharing Song or a simple meditation on the Gospel. In the quietness of this evening --I miss her smile, I miss his song. I miss the music.

Give of thy sons (and daughters)

Tomorrow morning dark and early Sarah and Tim board a plane to begin about a 30 hour transit --chasing the sun westward to the farther shores of the Pacific. This will be their first "solo" trip. They will be involved in street evangelism in Singapore, slum outreach in Indonesia and English camp in China. They will be gone for 6 to 7 weeks and we will miss them very much --but we are also very glad that they want to go, were willing to work to go, and the Lord has opened up such doors for them. Tonight we had a good time of prayer and of reading Psalm 91. We especially rejoiced in the closing verses where the Lord is speaking: "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him, I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation" And so when they board their United flight and "take the wings of the morning" ...even to "the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall His hand lead them and His right hand shall hold them!"

Please pray for them. The next time I see them, Lord willing, will be somewhere in northern China in late July.

"Give of thy sons (and daughters) to bear the message glorious;
Give of thy wealth to speed them on their way;
Pour out thy soul for them in prayer victorious;
And all thou spendest, Jesus will repay."

My Princess

"Sarah" in it's Hebrew origin means "princess" and so my Sarah is to me. My daughter turned 20 today --a milestone and a celebration of the gift from the Lord that she has been all these years. I pulled out a few pictures that remind me of the times, places and adventures we have shared together. Happy Birthday Sarah!

The Rocks Were Ready!

Today, Palm Sunday, is the Lord's Day that we especially remember Christ is King! Tonight I spoke on this passage from the Gospels:

And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. ~Luke 19:35-40

Our King was rejected, though. He suffered and died on the Cross to redeem His enemies --slaves of the Dark Country. Christ died that they might live --that we might live-- and make us citizens of His Kingdom. This remarkable work was confirmed by His resurrection and its message is the message of the Gospel, which when received by others they too become subjects of the Great King. Christ's Kingdom crosses every ocean and continent, and every barrier --political, geographic, ethnic, economic --you name it! He is gathering servants from every "kindred and tongue, and people, and nation"! But we must never forget the price of our precious citizenship --Christ's death on the Cross. The following is an old hymn with powerful imagery of Calvary Love.

There was no crown for Him of silver or of gold
There was no diadem for Him to hold
But blood adorned His brow and proud its stain He bore
And sinners gave to Him the crown He wore.

He did not reign upon a throne of ivory
But died upon the cross at Calvary
For sinners there He counted all He owned but loss
And He surveyed His kingdom from a cross.

A rugged cross became His throne
His kingdom lives in hearts alone
He wrote His love in crimson red
And wore the thorns upon His head

No purple robe He wore His bleeding wounds to hide
But stripes upon His back, nail pierced and riven side
And from the wounds there flowed a crimson, cleansing stream
That was the cover for the soul unclean.

As the passage in Luke reminds us, even the rocks were ready to give praise to their Creator-King --how much more then should we for His great Love?

Spring Bouquet

Especially for my friends in the North Country --the northern US and the north of China-- I send a bouquet of Spring flowers picked from around my doorstep. The season isn't official until next week, but as you can see (and almost smell) Spring has already sprung here! But before the posy a poem. Ogden Nash has one about the start of Spring done in rambunctious rhyme which is best read at a run. I have several Nash favorites, like:
The Lama
The one L lama, he's a priest.
The two L llama, he's a beast.
And I will bet a silk pajama
There isn't any three L lllama.

or the one called The Catsup Bottle ...first a little, then a lottle!

Send me your favorite Ogden Nash poem, but for now enjoy his celebration of the season, and then a bright bouquet.

Spring Song

Listen, buds, it’s March twenty-first;
Don’t you know enough to burst?
Come on, birds, unlock your throats!
Come on, gardeners, shed your coats!
Come on zephyrs, come on flowers,
Come on grass, and violet showers!
And come on, lambs, in frisking flocks!
Salute the vernal equinox!
Twang the cheerful lute and zither!
Spring is absolutely hither!
Yester eve was dark despair,
With winter, winter, everywhere;
Today, upon the other hand,
“Tis spring throughout this happy land.
Oh, such is Nature’s chiaroscuro,
According to the Weather Bureau.

Then giddy-ap, Napoleon! Giddy-ap, Gideon!
The sun has crossed the right meridian!
What though the blasts of Winter sting?
Officially, at least, it’s Spring,
And be it far from our desire
To make the Weather Man a liar!

So, blossom, ye parks, with cozy benches,
Occupied by blushing wenches!
Pipe, ye frogs, while swains are sighing,
And furnaces unwept are dying!
Crow, ye cocks, a little bit louder!
Mount, ye sales of paint and powder!
Croon, ye crooner, yet more croonishly!
Shine, ye moon, a lot more moonishly!
And oh ye brooklets, burst your channels!
And oh ye camphor, greet ye flannels!
And bloom, ye clothesline, bloom with wash,
Where erstwhile quudged the grim galosh!
Ye transit lines, abet our follies
By turning loose your open trolleys!
And ye, ye waking hibernators,
Drain anti-freeze from your radiators!
While ye, ye otherwise useless dove,
Remember, please, to rhyme with love.

Then giddy-ap, Napoleon! Giddy-ap, Gideon!
The sun has crossed the right meridian!
What though the blasts of Winter sting?
Officially, at least, it’s Spring!

Happy Birthday George and Keith

Today is the birthday of two great Americans: George Washington and my brother, Keith, who turned 50 today. We shared many adventures growing up, from building a raft out of porch railings which sank on its maiden voyage, catching minnows in Dead Man's Creek, playing baseball, pulling seemingly unending rows of tobacco in the dusty red fields of southern Virginia, backyard campouts complete with grocery bags of popcorn and stacks of Superman and Sgt. Rock comic books, a few cracked bones and flared tempers during Sunday afternoon football scrimmages, to double-dating in his '61 Volkswagen Beetle. Even though we live miles apart now he is a blessing to me. Happy Birthday, old man!


Headed for the big league...


With my old brother.