Happy New Year....

And now

let us believe in the new year

that is given us—

new, untouched,

full of things that have never been.

–Rainer Maria Rilke

For this reason I kneel before the Father...

I pray that out of His glorious riches

He may strengthen you

with power through His Spirit

in your inner being,

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

may have power...to grasp how wide and long

and high and deep is the love of Christ,

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge

—that you may be

filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to Him Who is able

to do immeasurably more

than all we ask or imagine,

according to His power that is at work within us,

to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.

~Ephesians 3:14-21

this is my prayer for you today

for the new year ahead...

(for what more could one ask??!)

* * * * * * *

Happy New Year!!

celebrate the Sabbath...in song...

The Solid Rock

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name

When darkness veils his lovely face
I rest on his unchanging grace
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil

On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

His oath, his covenant, his blood
Supports me in the whelming flood
When all around my soul gives way
He then is all my hope and stay

When he shall come with trumpet sound
Oh may I then in him be found
Dressed in his rightousness alone
Faultless to stand before the throne

* * * * * * *
The song was written in 1832 by Edward Mote,
and the tune in 1863 by William B. Badbury.

...written so long ago and yet, like God Himself,

because of His unchanging nature,

it still holds so true today.

under construction...

I saw this sign recently and fell in love with it. For some reason, I felt I could relate to it. Perhaps, it is because it describes ME.

I am not a finished project. I am a work-in-progress...being built, shaped, molded, reworked, upgraded, restored.

Yes, I am Under Construction. And I am glad the Master Craftsman is heading up the construction crew. He thoroughly knows and understands this project called "Me," for He was also the Designer. He knows the best way for repairs, reconstruction, and restoration to be handled. And He knows who else to enlist as part of the Crew.

I know one day this project will be complete, but I think that completion date may be a looooong way off in the distance! So, until that time, God and I are working on me together. And until then, I think I'll just keep this sign posted...

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

~Psalm 139:14

shake, rattle, & roll!

Though I'm a couple of days behind in talking about 'the earthquake' on Tuesday here in California, it has still been on my mind. All the rest of that day, and even yesterday as well, a common topic of conversation was "where were you when the earthquake happened?" It was definitely the excitement of the week, though it was met with varied emotions at the time: newbies to the earthquake experience were a bit shaken up (if you'll pardon the pun), while veterans were more calm and collected in their responses.

I was talking with someone in Florida yesterday, and he inundated me with questions about what it was like. I, having lived in California for 22 years now, consider myself somewhat experienced at riding out earthquakes and told him it was just a "whole lot of shakin' goin' on." No big deal, really; no buildings collapsing with this one, and no one hurt. It was, overall, a relatively easy E-ticket ride. His final comment to me was that he couldn't imagine the very ground moving under his feet; he felt that would be just too much to "get a grip on."

When you think about it, that is a pretty strange concept--something so solid and 'dependable' in our daily lives, the very ground itself, moving, shaking, throwing us off balance. We walk around every day trusting that the ground will stay solid under our feet, counting on the fact that the sun will rise and set, that the stars and planets will stay in their courses. And yet, we have absolutely no control over these daily happenings. Normally, we don't even give them a second thought; however, when they don't behave in their proper manner, it is disconcerting and frightening. It is a reminder to us of our mere humanity--that we are truly not in control and that we cannot put our trust or confidence in the things of this world. For, even the earth proves itself to be a faulty foundation for us to stand upon.

Though they can be frightening and even devastating, I find earthquakes to be a good reminder that the only truly FIRM foundation upon which we can stand is that of God Himself. He alone is immovable, unshakeable, and unchanging--the one Constant in our ever-changing and ever-shifting world. He alone set this world into motion and placed the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set. He alone is the One in Whom we can place our trust and our confidence. I think it is a good thing when this ol' earth reminds us who we are and Who He is!