Keep On!
In all circumstances find the love!
Category Archives: Uncategorized
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O Come, O Come Emmanuel!
Join us in the joy!
Why we follow Christ Jesus . . .
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness. That is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross that symbolizes divine suffering. ‘The cross of Christ … is God’s only self-justification in such a world” as ours….’ ‘The other gods were strong; but thou wast weak; they rode, but thou didst stumble to a throne; But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak, And not a god has wounds, but thou alone.”
― John R.W. Stott
Lost and Found
I think no explanation is needed for these words . . . the spiritual life is always about returning . . . all I am to Thee. “If you return to me, I will restore you . . . ” (Jeremiah 15:19).
Building a Cathedral . . . suddenlys
This poem was such a gift that there are hardly words to describe . . . Suffice it to say right now that the words were delivered, as is, to my soul at a time when truly my world had collapsed around me. I sat in a chair in my den completely lost and seemingly without hope to ever be restored. Yet, God gave me a “majestic vision” of what He was doing . . . and in doing so, He saved my sanity by His astonishing grace. The words came quickly. I grabbed a pen and started writing . . . here is what I heard, first with the lovely artwork of Elizabeth Tipton and another link to another scrappy version by me 
The scrappy version: Raising a Cathedral
Secret Life . . . secrets
This poem sort of captures the entire spiritual journey, but I’ll put it in the Secrets Signpost because it fits there well. I have many different artistic versions of it, beginning with the beautiful photography of Michael Seewald. These words were whispered into my soul many years ago as critical instruction as to the overall journey. A secret life does not always mean a dark life, although it certainly can. This secret life is hidden and inner and as it grows within the body is actually filled with more and more light, reflecting His own brightness and beauty. As the Scriptures say: “Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord” (Psalm 89: 15).
Here’s my scrappy version: Secret Life