God's Success

Dying to live, giving to have, surrender to conquer, and choosing to leave the choice with God are all part of that life that measures with the life of God... the life of human failure that allows God to succeed. Such a life can be rightly called an ultimate success, because it is not human success. It is a success of the power of Heavenly transformation. 

Our usefulness and destiny 
Depend not on our birth,
And beauty is no guarantee
Of what a life is worth.

The genius, or the master mind,
Speak not of moral weight.
Too often those of brilliance find
They've learned it far too late.



It isn't chance or incident
That tells us who we are.
One failure does not represent
Our aptitude and par.

It's rather in the daily choice
That we can see our make,
Our habits tell with candid voice
If we're a fraud or fake.



But even habits can be changed
And molded by our Lord.
Our filthiness can be exchanged—
His heart in us restored.

It's work that only He can do—
To carve in us His face.
Each blow is shaping us anew,
Each stroke another grace.

He will not strike us needlessly,
He knows our feeble frame,
And how to make us fully free
Of sin and all its shame.



So no it isn't prettiness
That makes a girl like gold,
Nor is in strength the manliness
That makes his worth untold.

But in yielding up the will,
Despite the cost and pain,
Is found the one essential skill
For true success and gain.

Sensing His Presence...

I have liked this quote for a long time, and I thought it would be nice to make it a rhyme. :)

"Only the sense of God's presence can banish the fear that, for the timid child, would make life a burden...Let him read that wonderful story of Elisha in the mountain city, and, between him and the hosts of armed foemen, a mighty encircling band of heavenly angels. Let him read how to Peter, in prison and condemned to death, God's angel appeared... Let him read of that scene on the sea, when to the tempest-tossed soldiers and seamen, worn with labor and watching and long fasting, Paul the prisoner, on his way to trial and execution, spoke those grand words of courage and hope: “Be of good cheer....

These things were not written merely that we might read and wonder, but that the same faith which wrought in God's servants of old might work in us. In no less marked a manner than He wrought then will He work now wherever there are hearts of faith to be channels of His power." Child Guidance pg. 42-43.

Only the sense of God's comfort and presence
Can banish the fear of the timid and shy,
That knowledge alone to them is a defense,
Removing fear's burden that grows up so high

Let them remember the angel from heaven
Who camps round about all the children of Light,
Let them remember the promise that's given—
He's there to deliver them by day or night

Let them reread of that wilderness prophet
Who was with his servant behind Dothan's gate,
Though horses and forces surrounded them, yet,
God's army was bigger, the Scriptures relate

Let them review how from heaven to Peter,
Though chained, and though guarded, and deep in his cell,
Was sent a strong angel, to safely deliver
The servant of God from that dark citadel

And then there's the scene on the tempest tossed sea,
Of Paul telling sailers to 'Be of good cheer',
Revealing to them and to us heaven's key
For weathering storms and for conquering fear

You see, God had spoken a word unto Paul
That there would not even be one loss of life,
And so when in fear on God's promise we fall,
We'll find safe at last a strong tower in strife

Whenever, wherever we become afraid
We have but to turn to the Tower of Christ,
For faith cast upon Him cannot be betrayed
Nor trust at all placed on His Word sacrificed!

God Rules Above

Though most of the time spent near this little garden was full of very wearying pursuits, the pictures paint portraits of peaceful moments spent in the garden. How often are we very near to the garden, but not there, still not with the Gardener. Those moments with Him are better than the "necessities" of life. The word is life to those that find it. Burdens lighten, stresses dissolve, for humanity can see that there is One who orders the affairs of men. One who orders things right. 

God rules above.

Why be anxious oh my soul?

God rules above.

And He holds supreme control,

Yet reigns in love.

For the times when all seems grim,

Let us only look to Him,

And those troubles will grow dim,

God rules above.

Circumstances may look bleak,

But trust His hand

For He leadeth still the meek,

To better land.

All we have may be too small,

But 'tis then we must recall,

That One ruleth overall,

God rules above.

When confusion weighs the mind

Which way to go,

When the eyesight seems so blind

It cannot know,

Then on bended knee behold,

As our Guide will there unfold,

All the map that we can hold,

God rules above.

Impossible Prayers & Morning Miracles

Birds sing. Red and gold streak across pastel blue as if crowning a miracle. The coolness and freshness of morning air caress sleep from my eyes. Today dawns a miracle, but another miracle captivates now. 

Not that God gives good gifts… He does. 

Not that God cares for temporal necessities… He does. 

Not that He owns hills of gold, and cattle times thousands… He does.

It’s that…  He rules in the impossible. 

That a child’s prayer is heard by the King of the Universe. That He finds no complexity in our perplexity. That unfeasible realities, farfetched dreams, impossible hopes- to human sight, look very different to Omnipotence. 

A miracle times two, but really beyond numbering floods my heart with wonder. Two and half years ago, two and a half really solid impossibilities stood in my path. And really, it doesn't matter what impossibilities face us. Today, the answer is two inches from my eyes: God rules the impossible. 

  God’s working is miraculous. 
  His storehouse is sufficient.

  His answers to prayer are as sure as His name. 

...and that's present tense.

Simple Song - Unfathomable God// Part llll 7 Minute Layover

My God is so great, so strong and so mighty,

There’s nothing my God cannot do.

It could end there, but it doesn’t. 

The mountains are His,

The valleys are His,

The skies are His handiwork too.

Ding! 

“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated with your seat belts securely fastened. We are still in active transit to our gate. Thank you.”

My flying companions ruefully settled back into their seats for the few remaining moments of our “active transit.” We were all in the same boat, or rather, we were all on the same plane. Wintertime travel + plane de-icing = —time. It is impossible to roll toward takeoff exactly an hour after schedule, and not make for subsequently tight connections. 

We jerk to a stop. I had been tracking our tardiness beside the schedule. By that word, our arrival would be 5 minutes after the door of probation would shut. I look at my phone: 12:48. This left room to hope. 7 minutes of it.That’s 7 minutes for our door to open, everyone in front of me to wrestle their bags out of the overhead bins, and me to get to the other end of the opposite terminal. This is impossible. …But… 

The mountains belong to God. Those things that tower over us in massive defiance, threatening to topple upon us any moment. Those things that we cannot conquer, though we try. Those things, belong to God. In the face of sure defeat, we are to put our trust in Him who owns the mountains. 

Though He is well able to, God does not give us eagle’s wings to soar away from our difficulties in blissful flight. What He gives us is strength as our days. Strength to climb the mountains. Every ounce of our will power may be taxed, but the strength of God is as sure as the mountain. So we must run. 

And run I did. The whole way. My best efforts alone could not guarantee that flight, but neglecting the little humanity could do would guarantee failure. I have half a mind to leave the story there. The rest doesn’t matter. God has a plan for your life, and for mine. If He sees best that we miss a flight, that our plans get messed up, or that our hopes must find their rest deeper in Him, what difference is it? God’s plan is better. 

But I won't do that. :) Catching my breath in seat 31F, 7 minutes later, I marveled at the greatness of my God. 

The mountains.really.are.His.

Simple Song - Unfathomable God // Part ll Of Strength and Mountains

My God is so great…

Really now! Mental image pops up: wide-eyed, awestruck youngster, stretching his arms wide for all he’s worth. My daddee's bigger dan dat! The words ring with finality, perfect confidence, perfect trust. 

Yup! Buddy, you’re right. Far more right than many who are rich in years. For that simple, that child-like faith knows: My Father’s bigger than that.

MmmHmm. And it doesn’t end there.

…so strong… Yes?

When my thoughts take to flight like an army of horses, I need a strong God. When selfishness rises up as an unconquerable mountain, I need a strong God. When love must come out of my most unlovely heart, I need a strong God. 

You do too. I don’t know your mountains, but I know your need.  

Courage my friend: A horse -even an army of them- is a vain thing for safety, but God is our refuge and strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary when climbing high mountains, but they that wait upon the Lord… shall mount up with wings as eagles. Even the strongest in this life cannot conquer the grave, but love is strong as death.*

And God.is.love.

For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48:14

Simple song...

Unfathomable God...

...to be continued...

* Ps 33:17, Ps 46:1, Is 40:30-31,Ecc 8:8, Song of Solomon 8:6

Simple Song - Unfathomable God

      There are certain childhood lyrics that ought to stay in childhood, or perhaps never make their mark at all. But there are those words that still come to mind, after however many moons, richer with meaning, fuller of thought. 

My God... Stop.

      Whose God? Not Paul’s God. Not Peter’s God. Not the God of the faithful Daniel, the immoveable Joseph, the meekest man Moses. Little, timid, me. My.God. 

...Is so great. Stop again. 

      Is what? Understatement if I ever heard one. He who placed the sun where it would keep the earth from turning to ice, yet not burn it to a barren waste; the One who directs atoms, yet space cannot contain, language cannot describe, and time cannot limit; He to whom mountains are small, and oceans as dry land to walk upon, He is great. Exactly. 

      The Same, took the form of humanity, lived upon this spec of matter called earth, bought us from darkness by His own Light, and bridged the chasm between nothing and everything. Yes, that One. 

Words so simple, so small, but so utterly broad.

My God is so great…

Simple song. 

Unfathomable God. 

The Son-beams Perspective

Perspective: that powerful placer of situations and stressors. These spectacles are neither rose-tinted, nor mal-adjusted. They simply put life in it's proper sphere. 

As wonderful as it may be, perspective does not change the object of attention. It expands the picture frame. Cloudy disturbances may float their way across life's screen no matter how big a frame you hammer out. 

Therefore, look higher. 

      There are still Son-beams in the sky. :)

There's one cloud in the sky-
A little one at that,
And yet it draws the eye
As if a flying cat.

How often what we see
Is where we choose to turn.
Our view may be cloud free
If only this we learn.

So turn toward the light
And catch those golden gleams.
For clouds are even bright
When glowing with sunbeams :)

Seedtime and Harvest

Leaves sprinkle themselves outside. Trees are showing twinges of red. Why talk of planting when Autumn is nearly here? 

The lessons of seed sowing are timeless.  

•  •  •  •  •

Year by year the farmers take

The best of all their seed,

And by appearance make mistake

Discarding what they need.

But only when the grain is cast

Into the field of needs,

Is there preserved and saved at last

A harvest of more seeds.

Just as the grain is thrown away

Christ came to earth to die,

And yet His faith beheld the day

When more would meet His eye.

For He saw then, as we must see,

The great joy to be had.

When all to God is given free

The harvest will be glad!