Archive | June 2016

magical

Jun27

magical

“As a child, one has that magical capacity to move among the many eras of the earth; to see the land as an animal does; to experience the sky from the perspective of a flower or a bee; to feel the earth quiver and breathe beneath us; to know a hundred different smells of mud and listen unself- consciously to the soughing of the trees.”
Valerie Andrews, A Passion for this Earth

Photo Courtesy of the Garrigues Family Album

In Remembrance

Jun26

Remembrance

The lyrics to this song go far beyond a communion service. I hope our readers take time to read or listen to each verse and think about all the things we can do each day In Remembrance of our Lord and Savior. What a better world it would be if we could all follow the advice in the verses below.

This is My body which is given for you; this do in
remembrance of Me. Luke 22:19

In Remembrance

In remembrance of Me, eat this bread.
In remembrance of Me, drink this wine.
In remembrance of Me, pray for the time
When God’s will is done.

In remembrance of Me, heal the sick.
In remembrance of Me, feed the poor.
In remembrance of Me, open the door
And let your brother in.

Take, eat, and be comforted;
Drink and remember too,
That this is My body and precious blood
shed for you, shed for you.

In remembrance of Me, always love.
In remembrance of Me, search for truth.
In remembrance of Me, don’t look above,
But in your heart look in your heart for God.

Do this in remembrance of Me.

Hymn: Ragan Courtney (1972)

Music: Buryl Red
Audio: Stephen Sollars
Photo Courtesy of Four Mile Christian Church

tears

Jun24

tears

Weep for a time, My dear child;
Your tears are a gift from My hand,
If you place all your cares on Me,
I’ll help when you don’t understand.

When earthly losses assail you
And your sad heart aches with despair,
I’ll dry your tears and comfort you ~
I, your God, will always be there.

Sharing Your Tears With God

My love will warm like a sunbeam;
I’ll listen for your deepest sighs.
My hand will be on your shoulder,
Giving you the strength to arise.

In the echo of your heart’s cry,
You’ll find renewing rest within,
As the trials you shed tears o’er
Gradually soften and grow dim.

And ever, as I hold your hand,
I’ll walk you through your vale of pain;
You’ll learn I can carry your burdens
And bring your soul true peace again.

“Oh, my Comforter in sorrow,
My heart is faint within me.”
(Jeremiah 8:18)

Poem by Connie Faust
Photo by Diane Domigan

magnify

Jun21

magnify

O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt HIS name together. Psalm 34:3

I have decided I would not make a very good spy. My sister let me borrow her binoculars so I could spy on the birds in my back yard. I have a nest or two in my lilac bush near the back porch. One morning I heard some birds making a bit of noise in that direction so I thought I would try to see if I could get a closer look. I grabbed the binoculars and ran to the bedroom window but the angle was not right so I thought a better view might be the next window down which is above my tub. Binoculars in hand I hopped into the tub. In my haste to get to the window my foot hit the water faucet and turned it on. The next thing I knew my slipper was full of water. A towel was just out of reach but I lunged for it and as I did I dropped the binoculars (luckily, they were ok). I guess I was too loud because by the time I got my foot dried off and binoculars picked up the birds were long gone or maybe they decided to stay quiet so as not to disturb the crazy lady inside the house. Thinking about this little episode and the role of binoculars (to magnify) I realized that I had the tool (binoculars), I had the desire (I wanted to see the birds up close) but still I was not able to magnify anything at that time. Obstacles got in my way.

I started thinking about the desire of Christians to magnify the Lord. We have the desire (we want to do zero in on our Lord). We have the tools to help us focus (the Bible, Worship Songs, Prayer) but at times obstacles gets in the way and we miss opportunities to focus, see more clearly and exalt His name. Just as I will not let my morning mishap stop me from trying again with my birds, we must not let little setbacks and worldly obstacles stop us from refocusing and seeking daily to magnify the Lord. We must not let circumstances, anxieties, busy schedules, doubts, questions or past failures stand in our way. Let’s heed the advice found in Psalm 34:3 and magnify the Lord. Let us exalt His name together.

Devotional and photo: Marge McCoy