Dear God, so far today, I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, and I haven't lost my temper.
I haven't been grumpy, nasty or selfish, and I'm really glad of that!
But in a few minutes, God, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm probably going to need a lot of help.
Thank you! Amen.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Dividing Pecans
On the outskirts of town, there was a big old pecan tree by the cemetery fence. One day two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me," said one boy. Several were dropped and rolled down toward the fence.
Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was. "Oh my," he shuddered, it's Satan and the Lord dividing the souls at the cemetery. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.
"Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard. Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' the truth. Let's see if we can see the devil himself."
Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan.
At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. And one last one for you. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence, and we'll be done."
They say the old guy made it back to town five minutes before the boy.
Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was. "Oh my," he shuddered, it's Satan and the Lord dividing the souls at the cemetery. He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.
"Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe what I heard. Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls."The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to walk." When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me." The old man whispered, "Boy, you've been tellin' the truth. Let's see if we can see the devil himself."
Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan.
At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. And one last one for you. That's all. Now let's go get those nuts by the fence, and we'll be done."
They say the old guy made it back to town five minutes before the boy.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
John Wesley on struggling against sin
May 24, 1738, Wesley's Journal
I having been ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, which, by a living faith in Him, bringeth salvation "to every one that believeth," I therefore sought to establish my own righteousness, and so, I laboured in the fire all my days.
I was now properly "under the law". I knew that "the law" of God was "spiritual; I consented to it that it was good". Yes, "I delighted in it, after the inner man". Yet I was "carnal, sold under sin".
Every day I was constrained to cry out, "What I do, I allow not: for what I would, I do not; but what I hate, that I do. To will is" indeed "present with me: but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good which I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me:" Even "the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind," and still "bringing me into captivity to the law of sin."
In this vile, disheartening state of bondage to sin, I was indeed fighting continually, but not conquering. Before this, I had willingly served sin, but now it was unwillingly; but I still served it nevertheless. I fell, and rose, and fell again. Sometimes I was overcome and in heaviness. Sometimes I overcame and was in joy. When I was in the former state (being overcome by sin), I had some foretastes of the terrors of the law. Likewise when I overcame sin, I had the comforts of the Gospel.
During this whole struggle between nature and grace, which had now continued for over ten years, I had many remarkable returns to prayer, especially when I was in trouble. I had many sensible comforts, which are indeed none other than short anticipations of the life of faith. But I was still "under the law," not "under grace" (the state most, who call themselves Christians, are content to live and die in). For I was only striving with, not freed from, sin. Neither had I the witness of the Spirit with my spirit, and indeed could not, for I "sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law."
I having been ignorant of the righteousness of Christ, which, by a living faith in Him, bringeth salvation "to every one that believeth," I therefore sought to establish my own righteousness, and so, I laboured in the fire all my days.
I was now properly "under the law". I knew that "the law" of God was "spiritual; I consented to it that it was good". Yes, "I delighted in it, after the inner man". Yet I was "carnal, sold under sin".
Every day I was constrained to cry out, "What I do, I allow not: for what I would, I do not; but what I hate, that I do. To will is" indeed "present with me: but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good which I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. I find a law, that when I would do good, evil is present with me:" Even "the law in my members, warring against the law of my mind," and still "bringing me into captivity to the law of sin."
In this vile, disheartening state of bondage to sin, I was indeed fighting continually, but not conquering. Before this, I had willingly served sin, but now it was unwillingly; but I still served it nevertheless. I fell, and rose, and fell again. Sometimes I was overcome and in heaviness. Sometimes I overcame and was in joy. When I was in the former state (being overcome by sin), I had some foretastes of the terrors of the law. Likewise when I overcame sin, I had the comforts of the Gospel.
During this whole struggle between nature and grace, which had now continued for over ten years, I had many remarkable returns to prayer, especially when I was in trouble. I had many sensible comforts, which are indeed none other than short anticipations of the life of faith. But I was still "under the law," not "under grace" (the state most, who call themselves Christians, are content to live and die in). For I was only striving with, not freed from, sin. Neither had I the witness of the Spirit with my spirit, and indeed could not, for I "sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law."
Monday, March 06, 2006
A Prayer out of Tennessee
For times when my heart grows heavy lately, I've found comfort in the most unlikely of places - Arrested Development's Tennessee. Anyone remember that song? Haha. I think I was in Jr. High when it came out. I love it. Unlike so many other modern rap acts, it's so simple, so honest, so innocent. The song is sung in the form of a prayer, and although much of it doesn't apply to me (e.g. I'm not black and proud, I don't live in Tennessee, etc. ), I still am uplifted by the singer's honest yearning... Here are the lyrics, enjoy:
Verse One: Speech
Lord I've really been real stressed
Down and out, losin ground
Although I am black and proud
Problems got me pessimistic
Brothers and sisters keep messin up
Why does it have to be so d*** tuff?
I don't know where I can go
To let these ghosts out of my skull
My grandma's past, my brother's gone
I never at once felt so alone
I know you're supposed to be my steering wheel
Not just my spare tire (home)
But lord I ask you (home)
To be my guiding force and truth (home)
For some strange reason it had to be (home)
He guided me to Tennessee (home)
Chorus
Take me to another place
Take me to another land
Make me forget all that hurts me
Let me understand your plan
Verse Two
Lord it's obvious we got a relationship
Talkin to each other every night and day
Although you're superior over me
We talk to each other in a friendship way
Then outta nowhere you tell me to break
Outta the country and into more country
Past Dyesburg into Ripley
Where the ghost of childhood haunts me
Walk the roads my forefathers walked
Climbed the trees my forefathers hung from
Ask those trees for all their wisdom
They tell me my ears are so young (home)
Go back to from whence you came (home)
My family tree my family name (home)
For some strange reason it had to be (home)
He guided me to Tennessee (home)
Chorus
Verse Three
Now I see the importance of history
Why people be in the mess that they be
Many journeys to freedom made in vain
By brothers on the corner playin ghetto games
I ask you lord why you enlightened me
Without the enlightenment of all my folks
He said cuz I set myself on a quest for truth
And he was there to quench my thirst
But I am still thirsty...
The lord allowed me to drink some more
He said what I am searchin for are
The answers to all which are in front of me
The ultimate truth started to get blurry
For some strange reason it had to be
It was all a dream about Tennessee
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