Mercies in Disguise?

Laura Story - "Blessings"


We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

Expelled!

Last week we watched "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed", a documentary by Ben Stein. It was very interesting and we recommend it. Of course this documentary is controversial and I'm not sure from what viewpoint Mr. Stein hails, but the documentary looks into allegations of scientists being denied tenure and even fired if they even mention the possibility of there being an "intelligent design" behind the creation of our world. Mr. Stein questions why scientists would get so angered at this possibility.

I'm not going to argue whether or not these allegations (about the documentary) are true or false, however, I do know that there is a bitterness that comes up (and even hatred) if Darwin's THEORIES (yes, I believe they are theories, not fact) are even questioned. Last week while driving home from visiting my mom I tuned into a talk show where the host was saying how stupid Christians are who believe that the ALMIGHTY GOD created the world. He was saying "How can they be so stupid to believe such a thing?" I thought, "How can you be so stupid to not believe it?? To believe that a "big bang" created all of the awesomeness of this earth instead?"

But I know "why?". Because I have faith and, as scripture says, creation all around me tells of His awesomeness and that He IS the creator! The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. (Psalm 19:1).

And besides that, science itself declares that God is the "Intelligent Designer". You don't have to believe that. But all around us, and even in the intricateness of our bodies, there is proof. Science has come a long way over the years, but it still hasn't been able to stop death, sickness, and the sorrows of this world. We can get transplants, but we need many drugs to avoid rejecting those life-saving transplants. People are living longer but they are still dying. The bible says "The fool says in his heart "there is no God." (Psalm 14:1). And I believe that.

~~~
Our family purchased this DVD last year and it's really good. We highly recommend it. You can choose to believe Darwin's theories, but I recommend that you at least consider the science that Dr. Jason Lisle shows in this DVD. Here's a synopsis of Dr. Lisle's DVD:

In 1859, Charles Darwin published his infamous work On the Origin of Species. More than any other, this single work changed the way the world viewed the origin of life and relied heavily on natural selection and mutation to support its claim. In this new DVD, astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle (Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Boulder) systematically dismantles Darwin’s claims and shows that the very things Darwin used to propagate his ideas actually undermine them! Dr. Lisle also refutes the dating methods most commonly used to support the evolutionary timeline (billions of years). This DVD clearly shows that God’s Word is the final authority in all matters on which it touches—science included!

~~~

We highly recommend this DVD.

Answers in Genesis website

Donuts

I received this in an email the other day and thought that it was worth posting. Good thinking stuff!

"DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK"

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"

Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."

"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"

Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time."

"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.

"Well, I can try," said Steve.

"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.

Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."

Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?"

Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?"

Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."

Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr. Christianson said, "Look!, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christi anson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

The End of a Generation

Mabel's 105th birthday, 2006

Last night my mom called to tell me that my great-aunt had passed away. It felt strange to hear -- as if it was just a formality. I mean, Aunt Mabel was 106! We'd known that death was imminent for years. She wasn't sick -- hardly ever was. Just the fact that her body was old and weary. But she kept living. Many, many times she asked us why the Lord wasn't taking her. It became a joke -- how do you answer that question? Why is it that some die young and some live on and on, even when they'd rather be gone? Our world would tell us that it's because they ate well, or didn't smoke or drink, or some other thing that they did or didn't do. But the bible spells it out clearly in Psalm 139 -- "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed." (vs. 16)

106th birthday, 2007

Mabel came from very 'good stock' -- most of the women in her family lived to their hundreds, some beyond (Aunt Georgie -- her sister -- lived past 102 years *edited: actually, Georgie lived just past 100 years), some almost to 100 (my grandmother, their sister Lillian, lived until 3 weeks before her 100th birthday), and some well into their '80s (Mabel's twin sister, Winnie, died in her late '80s). As a family we got pretty good at celebrating these birthdays, many times with media coverage. We also knew all about the certificates given by the various government officials when one reaches certain age goals. Those plaques were in each of their homes!

I remember when Andrew & I were dating in the 1980s and I told him about my three great aunts and my grandmother. At that time the great-aunts lived together and looked after each other. The youngest was in her '80s and she was 'looking after' the older two!! I was used to the idea but it was hilarious to him! We'd go to visit them and Andrew would laugh at how they were Toronto Maple Leaf fans and how they could tell you how the Leafs were doing and how they could/should improve their game, who they should trade etc. In fact, at the nursing home that Mabel lived in during the last few years, they'd decorate with Toronto Maple Leaf memorabilia on Mabel's birthday, even bringing a Maple Leaf jersey for Mabel to wear! There was a Maple Leaf flag above Mabel's bed in her room!

These women were funny, witty, and very healthy. My grandmother lived in her own home away from her sisters, and she was in her '90s at that time (for a long while my aunt lived with her and then she lived alone). I don't think that Andrew had ever seen so many old relatives in one place! The family gatherings were loud, boisterous occasions -- certainly not somber, quiet affairs!

One thing that I remember about visiting my grandmother and aunts when I was much younger is that, at that time, they all lived one street over from one another. Both of their backyards had an alleyway behind them with a little garage-type building so you could go from one backyard, across the alleyway and into someone else's backyard! It was pretty neat to me as a child. I was always impressed at how they took frequent jaunts to visit one another, admire the flowers growing in their backyards and have a cup of tea together. What a life! They weren't stuck up, serious women but rather funny and fun women. They enjoyed life.

Another memory is how they dressed. Usually they were in simple dresses, "house dresses" if there's such a thing today, but they had strands of pearls (fake I think) or other 'jewels' around their necks. If they liked it, they wore it. It didn't matter if it was in style or not! Often in winter we'd see them with fur coats or some sort of dressy coat. Aunt Georgie especially always had bright nail polish on and red rouge cheeks. Her cheeks were like those countryish dolls that you see, with two round dollops of rouge on each cheek. I'm sure they would have been a cosmetician's nightmare, but they were Aunt Georgie through and through.

Their houses weren't overly fancy but they were cozy. And I'm pretty sure that tea was always on or would be put on whenever someone popped by. It seemed to me that they didn't care how they looked or what they were busy with -- there was always time for a cup of tea.

So now that generation is completely gone. Many families don't have generations lasting for as long as we did and we're so very thankful. It feels strange that all of these ladies have gone on to their eternal lives.

One thing that I didn't see in these ladies lives was a love for the Lord. Not that they didn't love the Lord, but it wasn't evident to me and it wasn't something that jumped at you from their lives. I know that Mabel professed to be a Christian and my grandmother and Aunt Georgie said that they loved the Lord too. But it wasn't something that you heard them speak of or that you saw from their lives. It wasn't something that was unmistakable. I didn't see opened bibles in their homes, but that doesn't mean that they weren't there. I don't ever recall eating a meal there, so I don't recall praying at their homes. They lived moral lives, and grew up in an era where most people were moral, at least from the outside. As far as I know, they all belonged to churches and attended when they were younger, but I don't know how much. I didn't hear them speak of an active church life. From what I remember, these ladies spoke of knowing the Lord and of going to heaven, and we have to rest in the comfort of that.

I just read this prayer on a friend's blog and it really spoke to me -- this is what I wish my life to be. I hope and pray that there may be no mistake about Who I serve. And may there be no mistake about where I'm headed when I die. I always say that I want to know that I know that I know -- about everything, especially spiritual things. And if I become known as a fanatic for Jesus -- what better compliment can there be?

May God bless you in your life. Enjoy it. And know where you're going -- it has eternal consequences.

Lord of immortality,

before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces,

enable me to serve Thee with reverence and godly fear.

Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth in the inward parts,

help me to worship Thee in spirit and in truth.

Thou who art righteous,

let me not harbour sin in my heart,

or indulge a worldly temper,

or seek satisfaction in things that perish.

I hasten towards an hour when earthly pursuits and possessions will appear vain,

when it will be indifferent

whether I have been rich or poor,

successful or disappointed, admired or despised.

But it will be of eternal moment that I have mourned for sin,

hungered and thirsted after righteousness,

loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity,

gloried in His cross.

May these objects engross my chief solicitude!

Produce in me those principles and dispositions

that make Thy service perfect freedom.

Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame,

so that with firmness and courage

I may confess the Redeemer before men,

go forth with Him hearing His reproach,

be zealous with His knowledge,

be filled with His wisdom,

walk with His circumspection,

ask counsel of Him in all things,

repair to the Scriptures for His orders,

stay my mind on His peace,

knowing that nothing can befall me without His permission,

appointment and administration

~~Puritan Prayer