Economics and Snow and God's Grace

"Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters;

and you who have no money, come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare...

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

'For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord.

'As the heavens are highter than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

and do not return to it without watering the earth

and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, 

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire

and achieve the purpse for which I sent it.'"

--Isaiah 55:1-2, 6-11

I've recently been looking at some of the Psalms on here, and I realize that the above passage is not a Psalm...but it seemed appropriate for today.  Or at least, it caught my attention for a couple of points that are are relevant to my life recently...but they are not necessarily related to each other, so forgive me for this rambling blog of mine.

The first reason is the very beginning of this passage.  The invitation is to come and buy things without cost.  Tonight I probably should have been in my Economics class, where my professor would say that there is no such thing.  Everything has a cost.  There is no such thing as free.  And yet, I'm reminded of one of the opening lines of one of my new favorite movies, the 2010 re-make of "True Grit", in which the young heroine Mattie states that "there is nothing free in life...except God's grace."  I think it's because of this fact that the next few lines of the above passage were written, encouraging people not to spend themselves for things that don't satisfy.  Rather, "seek the Lord while He can be found...for He will freely pardon."  I've had Mattie Ross's search for vengeance and her statement about God's grace on my mind this past week, as I've enjoyed listening to the soundtrack for that movie.  It's got some of the most beautiful instrumental renditions of "What a Friend We Have In Jesus", "Glory-Land Way", "Hold to God's Unchaniging Hand", and of course, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms".

The other reason this passage seemed appropriate for me today is because it talks about God's thoughts and ways being higher than ours.  To make this point, it uses the analogy of God sending snow/rain for a purpose.  In the same way, His words and actions will, indeed, serve His purposes.  This was fitting today because we actually saw a little bit of snow here this morning.  We don't see a whole terrible lot of snow down here in Arkansas...usually just a couple of times a year.  Those couple of times a year are times that are looked forward to by many, as a possible chance of a snow day off work, or a chance to play in the snow.  But it is already mid-February, and Arkansas had not seen snow this winter...until today.  Many schools closed, simply as a precautionary measure.  I was even a little hopeful that I might get some time today to get a headstart on my spring cleaning here at the apartment.  But when I left for work this morning, there were just a few flurries starting to fall.  Snow fell heavily for about an hour or so while I was at work.  But most of it melted and was gone by the time I went to get lunch.  Instead, it was just a cold, dreary, blah kinda day.

And as a result, I felt cold, dreary, and blah on the inside too.  I drug myself through the hours at work, constantly thinking to myself (and occasionally expressing to my coworkers) that "I don't wanna be here..." and "I'm ready for this day to be over with..."  After work, I came home, skipped my Econ class, and have been here just catching up on some reading, and trying to recover from my cold, dreary, blah day.

Now, this is gonna be weak, but I'll try to tie these two points together as best I can.  My today was spent focused on what I had planned, and I spent my thoughts on what I wanted but didn't get, when instead I could have focused on seeking the Lord.  After all, He's always near.  And it's Him and His thoughts and His ways that truly satisfy.  He's the One that offers the invitation to come and drink...to come and eat...to delight in the richest of fare.

And His invitation is free.

Regardless of what my Econ professor might say about that.

An Opinionated Birthday Post for an Opinionated Person

You all may know that my dear friend Ellen is an opininated person...as evidenced by my list of blogs to the left.  In fact, the title of her blog is "Ellen Has An Opinion".  One of my favorite things that Ellen occasionally does over at The Opinions is writing birthday blogs, listing out 5 favorite things she loves about her family/friends on their birthdays.

What you might not know, my dear readers, is that I am also an opinionated person, and, yes, I also have an opinion.  I am of the opinion that after all the time spent writing about those she cares for on their respective birthdays, Ellen deserves to have someone write about her on her big day!  So...I present, for your reading pleasure (and in no particular order), five of my favorite things about Ellen!

5.  As a journalism-teacher-turned-librarian with a degree in English, Ellen loves to both read and write.  Obviously her love of writing is evidenced by The Opinions, where her writing is more witty or clever than anything you might find here.  And her love of reading manifests itself in all different kinds of works.  These are two hobbies that I also share, and although our tastes in reading material are different, I always appreciate someone who can appreciate a good book.  Thanks for your love of the language, and for entertaining me at The Opinions!

4.  Ellen likes to be in charge.  As you can see in the vintage S-Games photograph below (please forgive the blurry-ness), Ellen is walking around with a clipboard (a sure sign of someone in-charge) and giving what are probably some very pertinent instructions in order to win whatever S-Game is about to be played.  Ellen  might tell you that she doesn't like being in charge...she claims she's not bossy.  And I agree with that statement, as being "bossy" definitely has a negative connotation, so Ellen is not that.  However, sometimes things  have to get done, and decisions have to be made.  And while someone like myself is likely to stand around over-thinking all the possibilities and ultimately deciding that it doesn't really matter, Ellen is quick to make a decision and share it with others.  Half the time, we might not make it to dinner on Sunday night if it weren't for Ellen...so thanks for being a good decision-maker!

3.  Ellen is a very crafty person.  She admittedly likes to be doing stuff with her hands often (claims she even listens better when she is doing something like a Sudoku puzzle with her hands!), and this desire sometimes tends to manifest itself with craft projects.  Some of her craft projects are big, HGTV-worthy projects like restoring an old dresser.  Some are smaller projects like knitting or crocheting.  I'll be honest and admit that I'm not sure exactly what she's making in the photo below, but it is obviously something fun for the children in the youth services department of the library, where she works.  (My guess is a George Washington- or founding father-type character, but I don't remember...)  Anyway, I have personally benefited from Ellen's crafting abilities as I am the complete opposite of a crafty person.  I'm craft-deficient.  And yet, Ellen was able to teach me how to crochet!  (Nothing fancy, mind you, just a simple, single-crochet--we're talking about me, remember...)  But I have been able to use those new-found crocheting skillz to participate in a ministry at our church, which will provide sleeping mats for some people in Haiti.  Ellen, I bet you didn't know your craftiness could reach all the way to other countries and touch others who desperately need it.  Thanks for sharing that gift!

2.  Ellen loves to laugh!  Beyond that, she loves to make other people laugh, too.  She prides herself in being very funny, and rightfully so, as her sense of humor is part of what makes her fun to be around.  She knows that there is "a time for every activity under heaven..." and that it includes "a time to laugh" (NLT).  Thanks for bringing joy to others through your humor!

1.  Pictured below is Ellen and her siblings.  She is the 4th of four, the youngest of the family.  She's got a Momma and a Butch that she loves, along with two older brothers (Shane & Josh), an older sister (Michelle), a brother-in-law (Will), a sister-in-law (Susan), and a handful of nieces & nephews, and a slew of aunts, uncles, and cousins that I'm sure she's extremely close to.  I know this, because she talks about them and/or goes to see them all the time.  They are about as tight-knit a family as I've ever seen; she loves them, and they love her, and it's a beautiful family.  But Ellen's love doesn't end with her family.  It spills over to her friendships as well, as she is about as devoted of a friend as I've seen, willing to maintain friendships throughout many years and many miles.  I hope that, regardless of how many years go by, or how many miles may separate, I will be always be able to consider Ellen a friend.  "Thank you for being a friend!"

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy Birthday, Dear Ellen!

Happy Birthday to You!!!

And Many More...  :)

The Gift

It's almost Christmas, and like it or not, one of the first things most people think of at Christmas time is presents.  Gifts.  Gifts for kids, gifts for spouses, gifts for parents, gifts for all kinds of friends and loved ones.  (Gifts from loved ones, as well!)  Gifts in big boxes.  Gifts in small packages.  Gifts in bags with ribbons and bows.  They're all so beautifully wrapped then placed under a tree, waiting for just the right time to be opened.  It's an exciting time, folks.

But it's not ALL about the gifts.

Another one of my favorite things about the holidays is the music.  I can never seem to get enough of it...from Silent Night to Deck the Halls, and everything in between.  But I wanted to mention one of my particularly favorite Christmas songs...

It might be surprising, given my specific religious upbringing...but I love "The Little Drummer Boy".  Part of me identifies with this song simply because I'm a musician, and I play an instrument.  But on a deeper level, I can identify:

• With the desire to offer a gift to the King...
• With the realization that I have nothing fit to offer Him...
• With the attempt at offering Him the best that I can anyway...
• And with the understanding that my gift, meager though it may be, is still enough to make the King smile.

Because, you see, God is pleased with a gift that is offered in sincere and loving response to the gift He's given us, one that the Apostle Paul says was given "in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves."  Paul goes on to further explain that this gift is the gift of God's grace.  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

This gift of God is better than any gift that has been wrapped in beautiful paper and ribbons and bows and put under a tree only to be opened in the next few days, in order to bring some measure of joy to the recipient.

Because instead, this Gift of God was wrapped in swaddling clothes and eventually put on a tree only to be raised in a few days, in order to bring an eternity of joy to all who would receive.

That, my friends, is what Christmas is really about.  Not the gifts, but the Gift.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"

Prayers of the Bible, Part14--David & the Psalms

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...



Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while men say to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.

By day the Lord directs his love
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God my Rock,
"Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?"
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.



Psalm 46
 
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
 
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
 
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
 
Come and see the works of the Lord,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he burns the shields with fire.
"Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth."
 
The Lord almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
 
 
 
Psalm 51
 
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
 
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
 
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
 
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
 
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burn offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
 
In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
then there wil be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 13--David & the Psalms

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...



Psalm 32

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord"--
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you
while you may be found;
surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in him.

Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!



Psalm 34

I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

A righteous man may have many troubles
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.



Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord.

Blessed is the man
who makes the Lord his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, O Lord my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come--
it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O Lord.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord;
may your love and your truth always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

Be pleased, O Lord, to save me;
O Lord, come quickly to help me.
May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The Lord be exalted!"

Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 12--David and the Psalms

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...



It was my intention to simply share some of my favorite psalms in numerical order.  But today I want to deviate from that for just a bit.  A few years ago, there was a lady who was a long-time member at my church who lost a long battle with cancer one Saturday morning.  Though I did not know her, many in our family did.  So the next morning, our minister abandoned his pre-planned sermon, in favor of sharing some more appropriate thoughts.  He began his sermon simply by reading this psalm (this one is actually not a psalm of David), which asks some hard questions.  The psalmist talks about the unfairness of life and the fact that the wicked prosper.  Basically, he asks, "So is it in vain, then, that we trust in the Lord?" 

I like the answer to his question.  And I felt like this was appropriate for today...


Psalm 73

Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

But as for me, my feet has almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
They are free from the burdens common to man,
they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"

This is what the wicked are like--
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.

If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

Prayers of the Bible, Part 11--David and the Psalms

Here I will share with you some of the Psalms that have spoken to my spirit over the past several months. I would welcome you to spend some time with them...and to allow your own thirsty soul to drink of His Spirit...


Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.



Psalm 24

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord Almighty--
he is the King of glory.


Psalm 27

The Lord is my light and my salvation--
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life--
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me
to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
though an army besiege me,
even then will I be confident.

One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

Hear my voice when I call, O Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
O God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, O Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing out violence.

I am still confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.