On the Way

Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
~ Psalm 84:5

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Your Love Is a Song

Switchfoot Your Love Is A Song Lyrics



I hear you breathing in
another day begins

the stars are falling out
my dreams are fading now, fading out

I've been keeping my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my eyes wide open

your love is a symphony
all around me
running through me

your love is a melody
underneath me
running to me

your love is a song

the dawn is fire bright
against the city lights

the clouds are glowing now
the moon is blacking out

I've been keeping my mind wide open
I've been keeping my mind wide open

your love is a song

with my eyes wide open
I've got my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my hopes unbroken

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Auden "September 1939"

I first heard this from an Indian friend back at L'Abri in the summer of 1997:

Faces along the bar


Cling to their average day

The lights must never go out

The music must always play

Lest we know where we are

Lost in a haunted wood

Children afraid of the dark

Who have never been happy or good

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Psalm 67 - a prayer for revival (anticipating Lent)

67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 119:1-8 (psalm for the week)

Blessed are those whose way is blameless,


who walk in the law of the Lord!

2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies,

who seek him with their whole heart,

3 who also do no wrong,

but walk in his ways!

4 You have commanded your precepts

to be kept diligently.

5 Oh that my ways may be steadfast

in keeping your statutes!

6 Then I shall not be put to shame,

having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart,

when I learn your righteous rules. [2]

8 I will keep your statutes;

do not utterly forsake me!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

great quote from Bonhoeffer

"God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises...leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 I freely stole this from a young friend this evening.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

anger and the fool

A fool gives full vent to his anger,
       but a wise man keeps himself under control.
~ Proverbs 29:11

Trouble

Trouble...
Trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble
Trouble been doggin' my soul since the day I was born
Worry...
Worry, worry, worry, worry
Worry just will not seem to leave my mind alone
We'll I've been...
saved by a woman
I've been...
saved by a woman
I've been...
saved by a woman
She won't let me go
She won't let me go now
She won't let me go
She won't let me go now

Trouble...
Oh, trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble
Feels like every time I get back on my feet
she come around and knock me down again
Worry...
Oh, worry, worry, worry, worry
Sometimes I swear it feels like this worry is my only friend
We'll I've been saved...
by a woman
I've been saved...
by a woman
I've been saved...
by a woman
She won't let me go
She won't let me go now
She won't let me go
She won't let me go now

Oh..., Ahhhh....
Ohhhh
She good to me now
She gave me love and affection
She good tell me now
She gave me love and affection
I Said I love her
Yes I love her
I said I love her
I said I love...
She good to me now
She's good to me
She's good to me


~ Ray LaMontagne

Job's Confession and Repentance

Then Job answered the Lord and said: 2 “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 4 ‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’ 5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; 6 therefore I despise myself, and repent [1] in dust and ashes.”
[1] Or and am comforted

Proverbs 13

13:1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2 From the fruit of his mouth a man eats what is good, but the desire of the treacherous is for violence. 3 Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. 4 The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied. 5 The righteous hates falsehood, but the wicked brings shame [1] and disgrace. 6 Righteousness guards him whose way is blameless, but sin overthrows the wicked. 7 One pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. 8 The ransom of a man's life is his wealth, but a poor man hears no threat. 9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out. 10 By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom. 11 Wealth gained hastily [2] will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. 12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. 13 Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. 14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. 15 Good sense wins favor, but the way of the treacherous is their ruin. [3] 16 In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly. 17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing. 18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored. 19 A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul, but to turn away from evil is an abomination to fools. 20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm. 21 Disaster [4] pursues sinners, but the righteous are rewarded with good. 22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the sinner's wealth is laid up for the righteous. 23 The fallow ground of the poor would yield much food, but it is swept away through injustice. 24 Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him. [5] 25 The righteous has enough to satisfy his appetite, but the belly of the wicked suffers want.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Psalm 119 ~ Daleth

25 My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
29 Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!
30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;
let me not be put to shame!
32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart! [1]

Footnotes

[1] 119:32 Or for you set my heart free

Love

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
~ John 15:9-12

Friday, February 5, 2010

Daisy

Daisy, give yourself away


Lookup at the rain

The beautiful display

Of power and surrender

Giving us today

And she gives herself away



Rain, another rainy day

Comes up from the ocean

Give herself away

She comes down easy

On rich and debt the same

And she gives herself away



Let it go

Daisy, Let it go

Open up your fist

This fallen world

Doesn't hold your interest

It doesn't hold your soul

Daisy, let it go



Pain, give yourself a name

Call yourself contrition

Avarice of blame

Giving isn't easy

Neither is the rain

When she gives herself away



Daisy, why another day?

Why another sunrise

Who will take the blame

For all redemptive motion

And every rainy day

When he gives himself away



Let it go

Daisy, let it go

Open up your fist

This fallen world

It doesn't hold your interest

It doesn't hold your soul

Daisy, let it go



Let it go

Let it go

Let it go

And you let it go, go

Let it go

Let it go

Let it go, go

Let it go

Let it go

the fatal wound

I am the crisis


I am the bitter end

I'm gonna gun this down

I am divided

I am the razor edge

there is no easy now



son of sorrow

staring down forever

with an aching view

disenchanted

lets go down together

with the fatal wound



this is the real thing

no rubber bullets now

this is the final bow

my breath avoids me

my chest is in my head

my stomach's upside down

down



son of sorrow

staring down forever

with an aching view

disenchanted

lets go down together

with the fatal wound

with the fatal wound

with the fatal wound



false guilt article

Here's one on 'false guilt' from Probe which I want to read.
True guilt and shame is a very real issue to deal with which is often discussed but the notion of false guilt is an important one as well, it seems to me.

verbal abuse - a good article on the phenomenon

This is written by Kerby Anderson of Probe ministries and is quite helpful.
"Using Words to Wound" by Denis Haack of Ransom Fellowship is another excellent resource on dealing with verbal abuse:  http://www.ransomfellowship.org/articledetail.asp?AID=385&B=Denis%20Haack&TID=2

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

don't grasp

A grasping person stirs up trouble,
   but trust in God brings a sense of well-being.
~ Proverbs 28:25

I discovered this verse this morning from a personality assessment.  It's convicting and encouraging.  The translation used is The Message.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

humility 101

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus
~ Philippians 2:1-5

constructive summer - hold steady

love this song---wish I hadn't lost the album awhile back (think it's in the old blue backpack I'm missing):

Me and my friends are like
the drums on "Lust for Life"
we pound it out on four toms
our songs are sing-a-long songs

this whole town is like this
been that way our whole lives (?)
just work at the mill until you die
work at the mill and then you die
we're gonna build something this summer
we'll put it back together
raise up a giant ladder
with love & trust and friends and hammers

we're gonna lean this ladder
up against the water tower
climb up to the top
and drink it up

me and my friends are like
double whiskey, coke no ice
we drink along in double time
might drink too much but we feel fine

we're gonna build something this summer
summer grant us all the power
to drink on top of the water towers
with love and trust and shows all summer
let this be my annual reminder
that we can all be something bigger

i went to your schools
i did my detention but the walls are so grey i couldnt pay attention
i read the gospel it moved me to tears
but I couldn't find the hate and couldn't find the fear
i met your saviour I knelt at his feet
and he took my ten bucks and went down the street
tried to believe all the things that you said
but my friends that aren't dying are already dead

raise a toast to st joe strummer
think he might've been our only decent teacher
getting older only makes it harder to remember
we are our only saviours
we're gonna build something this summer

Scriptures to live by & a nifty quote

"Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven, and you are on earth. So let your words be few."
- Ecclesiastes 5:2

"Do not be overrighteous,
       neither be overwise—
       why destroy yourself?"
-Ecclesiastes 7:16


Here's what the ESV Study Bible says about the latter verse:
"Be not overly righteous. The Preacher is not advocating moral laxity (cf. 8:12–13). Bearing in mind that he is using the term “righteous” in the sense of being “right in one's cause” (see note on 7:15), his counsel is a warning against the obsession of always being proved right in an argument or dispute. To insist on this is ultimately self-destructive: people who have to win every argument will eventually alienate everyone around them. See 1 Cor. 6:7 for Paul's advice on this."

17 Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them.
-Ecclesiastes 7:17-18
again from the ESV Study Bible (nice work by Max Roglund, a Cov Sem grad!):
"Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. By the same token (cf. note on v. 16), a willingness to suffer wrong, if not tempered with the wisdom to know when to insist on the justice of one's cause, can also lead to self-destruction. One must strike the proper balance between the two principles (v. 18)."


"Most men are not satisfied with the permanent output of their lives. Nothing can wholly satisfy the life of Christ within his followers except the adoption of Christ’s purpose toward the world he came to redeem. Fame, pleasure and riches are but husks and ashes in contrast with the boundless and abiding joy of working with God for the fulfillment of his eternal plans."
                                                      - J. Campbell White