Our Son, Happy Birthday!

 

I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess.  

Martin Luther

Happy 20th Birthday, Son!! 

We are soo very thankful you are our son, God’s Gracious Gift to us and everyone!  You have always been a very fun-loving presence in our lives! 

You are a daily reminder to us in our “old age” that the LORD is Able, Faithful, and True! 

Thank you for trusting us, for being loyal to us as your God ordained authority.  Thank you for intentionally seeking out God’s counsel while you honor us.  You are the last of our four children, at home, alone (as I sometimes, sadly 😞, think), but I know the LORD has soo wisely ordained and timely provided to help me understand that He knows what He is doing!!  You have so generously and lovingly supported us as we transition to an emptier, more quiet nest.  Just as we remember asking when each of you were born, “How have we lived our lives and years without you?”, we are now exclaiming, “Wow! The LORD has SOO magnified Himself, and multiplied blessings to us through each of you!”  He has been very generous to me/us through you!  I am soo very thankful!! Thank you for being YOU!  

Letting go has been hard in ways I/we did not anticipate, but you have so tenderly refreshed us to remember, “The LORD is at work!  He’s not finished with us yet!”  

We trust Him, and we are thankful He will use what He wills to mature you into His likeness!  He continues to grow and mature us up as parents.  I’m thankful He is a loving, most gracious and patient Heavenly Father!  

Please pray for us as we pray for you.  We will do our best to always lead you to the perfect and wise counsel of God’s faithful and firm, foundational word to build your life upon. Please do not underestimate the treasures in Christ that are there to be mined!  

By God’s rich mercy and sufficient grace, you will be given measures of faith so that you may also shepherd and lead well!  I look forward to watching God’s graces grow in your life!! 

He leads in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3b).

I am thankful the LORD has knit our lives together as Mom and Son.  The LORD has given you a tender heart!  It’s no wonder!  You have tender hearted parents who love you very, very much, and we consider it a privilege to come along side you as your family to love and support you through life!  We will always pray for you! 

The LORD is indeed very gracious!!

We pray the years ahead for you will be fruitful to show how you’ve grown up as Jesus grew, in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).  That’s always been my special prayer for you! 

I love you, more and more…

Mom~

The Route to Glory

The routines of housework and mothering may be seen as a kind of death, and it is appropriate that they should be, for they offer the chance, day after day, to lay down one’s life for others. Then they are no longer routines. By being done with love and offered up to God with praise, they are thereby hallowed as the vessels of the tabernacle were hallowed.  A mother’s part in sustaining the life of her children and making it pleasant and comfortable is no triviality. It calls for self-sacrifice and humility, but it is the route, as was the humiliation of Jesus, to glory.

Elisabeth Elliot 

Love Has a Price Tag

Bring Us Daily Nearer

This time of year, I love to go outside to see our “Old Fashion Lilies” in bloom, beautifully aligned on the westside of our house!!  My Aunt Faye shared them with me many years ago from her yard in Middleburg.  They originated from the lawn of my Grannie Thelma’s south Georgia farm house.  I am thankful for these token reminders of the LORD’s steadfast love to generations that fear Him. 

I am thankful this bed of beautiful lilies bloom so generously, and encourage me to be content where the LORD has placed me, year after year. 

When I think of fellowshipping with the LORD, there have been many days of quiet bowing and hiding away on my bed to read and pray, sometimes cry (and cry!!) out my pleas to the LORD for His steadfast mercy to continue.  

He has been faithful throughout the brightest and grayest of days, and I believe He will continue to be!  I am thankful for Paul’s encouragement in Colossians, 

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 

7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.  

 I pray and trust the LORD will continue to help me, help us as parents, and help our children, to be built up in Him.  I pray we will live out our days, LORD willing, in communion with Him and one another;  I pray we will seek to know Him better, not just in the happy, good times, but through our struggles and sufferings seek to fellowship with Him. 

He is Faithful and True. He is not fake, has not faltered, nor will He, ever, because He is changeless, not seasonal, nor annual!  

He is Constant! Unconditional! 

He will always be the enduring FAITHFUL ONE! 

He cannot be compared!  

He has graciously given me this bed of lilies for reminder that I am planted here, where He  wants me to be.  Though recent feelings of disconcerted aimlessness (with empty nesting) has caused me to wrestle, and feel sad, this is my place. I am here not simply because of my own choosing, but because of His divine and sovereign plan!  I want to enjoy His beauty in this place of my calling, and trust that one day He will bring forth fruit in His season, delightful blooms as these lilies bear, as He wills, for His glory, in His perfect time.

I love this beautiful reminder to wait and rest, embedded, in Him! 

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.  Psalm 90:17

It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 

They are new every morning:

great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

New every morning is the love

Our wakening and uprising prove,

Through sleep and darkness safely brought,

Restored to life and power and thought. 

New mercies, each returning day, 

Hover around us while we pray,

New perils past, new sins forgiven, 

New thy thoughts of God, new hopes of  heaven. 

If, on our daily course, our mind

Be set to hallow all we find,

New treasures still, of countless price, 

God will provide for sacrifice. 

Old friends, old scenes, will lovlier be. 

As more of heaven in each we see;

Some softening gleam of love and prayer

Shall dawn on every cross and care.

We need not bid, for cloistered cell,

Our neighbor and our words farewell,   

Nor strive to find ourselves too high

For sinful man beneath the sky. 

The trivial round, the common task,

Will furnish all we ought to ask, 

Room to deny ourselves, a road

To bring us daily nearer God. 

Seek we no more; content with these,

Let present rapture, comfort, ease, 

As heaven shall bid them, come and go; 

The secret this of rest below. 

Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love,

Fit us for perfect rest above, 

And help us, this and every day, 

To live more nearly as we pray. 

John Keble (1792-1866)

The Life-Giving Tree

 

No tree however deep the roots,
However high and green the shoots,
However strong the trunk has stood,
Or firm the fibers of the wood,
No tree was ever meant to be 
A never-ending shade for me
Or you.  Save one: where Jesus died
With bleeding branches spread as wide
And far as faith, for sinful men.

But there was shade, especially when 

The tree was old: the leaves were thick
With life, and though the root was sick,
The bark deep-creased with age, the limbs
Were laden down with love, and hymns 
Were heard beneath when wind bestirred
The bowing branches with the Word
Of heaven.  O there were years of shade!

And more: there was the fruit he made,

Or better, bore, when all the ground
Seemed dry, we turned again and found
The branches heavy with some rare
Well-watered food and sweet, called Care.
There must have been a river there 
Beneath the arid earth somewhere
Deep-flowing up around the tips
Of dying roots, and giving sips
Of everlasting life for him
To share with us while every limb
Gave up its own.  O, there was fruit!
Life-giving from the dying root.

And more.  Much more.  There was the wood  

And it was strong.  It had withstood
A thousand storms, and everyone
More firm.  And now for every son,
Grandchild and every daughter here
He lies a fallen tree and dear,
And leaves in you the solid wood
And bids you stand where he has stood
Beside the river of the Word,
And that you keep what you have heard,
And sing with him in one accord:
"My fruitful house will serve the Lord."

John Piper, June 15, 2008

Written in honor of their fathers.

Reflections on Psalm 1 and Joshua 24:15

Photo: Our fathers with John as a newborn. 

Love Like Thine

 

My song is love unknown,

My Savior’s love to me,

Love to the loveless shown

That they might lovely be

O who am I

That for my sake

My Lord should take fresh flesh and die?

He came from His blest throne

Salvation to bestow

But men made strange, 

And none the longed for Christ would know:

But oh my Friend, my Friend indeed,

Who at my need

His life did spend. 

Sometimes they strew His way

And His sweet praises sing;

Resounding all the day, 

Hosannas to their king:

Then “Crucify!!” 

Is all their breath

And for His death 

They thirst and cry. 

Why, what hath my Lord done? 

What makes this rage and spite?

He made the lame to run,

He gave the blind their sight, 

Sweet injuries! 

Yet they, at these,

Themselves, displease 

and ‘gainst Him rise. 

They rise and needs will have

My Dear LORD made a way

A murderer they save

The Prince of Life they slay

Yet cheerful He

To suffering goes

That He His foes 

From thence might free

In life, no house, no home, 

My Lord on earth might have;

In death, no friendly tomb,

But what a stranger gave, 

What may I say? 

Heav’n was His home, 

But mine the tomb 

Wherein He lay. 

Here might I stay and sing,

No story so divine, 

Never was love, dear King, 

Never was grief like Thine, 

This is my Friend,

In Whose sweet praise, 

I all my days 

Could gladly spend. 

Samuel Crossman, 1662

Photos:  

1st- A precious captured moment when our granddaughter moved Poppy’s old Bible from the ottoman to the couch, and opened it up as if to read it. 

I’m thankful her Mommy and Daddy open God’s word and read to her. 

Her visit yesterday was a timely and gracious gift from the LORD!  

She is always a blessing to enjoy!  

I pray her heart will one day be captured by Christ’s pursuit of her, and that she’ll know His all sufficient, steadfast, sacrificial, enduring, perfect LOVE!

2nd- Her eager approach towards Papa when he returned from running errands.  🥰 Soo thankful to capture this priceless moment of their affection.  

The Word of the LORD

"The Word of the Lord is...

a light to guide you, 

a counsellor to counsel you, 

a comforter to comfort you, 

a staff to support you, 

a sword to defend you, 

and a physician to cure you. 

The Word is a mine to enrich you, 

a robe to clothe you, 

and a crown to crown you."

Thomas Brooks

Happy Heavenly Sunlight Day

 

11 

If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 

12  

Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee. 

13 

For Thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 

14 

I will praise Thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. 

15 

My substance was not hid from Thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 

Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 

17 

How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 

18 

If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee. 

Psalm 139:11-18

On this day, 24 years ago, June 11, 1997, our fourth baby, Jewel, “Precious Treasure”, was untimely born, but timely delivered from my womb.  I like the word “Treasure” because it denotes something of great value, searched for, found.    

We learned at a scheduled doctor visit that our much loved and longed for baby had died before 10 1/2 weeks of pregnancy.  😭 

In God’s wise and sovereign plan, we waited almost three weeks for the LORD to naturally deliver our baby at 13 weeks gestation. Those days and weeks were long, but mercifully filled with prayer and the reading of God’s Word.  Because of this, we had time to accept and embrace God’s will.  I gained His comforting presence, timely help, and glorious purpose!  The LORD was very present and personal to me during that time of grief and loss.  I cried a lot, but I gained Him, my Greatest Treasure! 

In Psalm 139, David tells us who God is!  He contrasts His infinite greatness with the delicate and finite  baby within a mother’s womb…

In verses 1-6, God is Omniscient, All knowing.  “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.”

In verses 7-12, God is Omnipresent. He is always near!  “Where shall I go from your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from your presence?” 

In verses 13-16, God is Creator!  He created Jewel!  “For You formed my inward parts;  You knit me together in my mother’s womb.” 

 In verses 17-18, God is Eternal.  His love endures forever!  “I awake, and I am still with you.”

In verses 19-22, God is Holy and Just.  I can trust His goodness and purposes for giving and taking our baby.  “They speak against You with malicious intent; Your enemies take Your name in vain.”

In verses 23-24, God’s purposes are glorious!  “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

(Notes taken during our Sunday evening prayer service on 04/04/21, taught by our elder, Alex, from Psalm 139.) 

The ESV translation of verse 16, says, 

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

The LORD ordained that our baby would accomplish His purpose, His glory! 🥰

I am awed that the LORD allowed me to be a vessel, or chalice, as Elisabeth Elliot has described, to carry this baby for even a brief time. 

I am also mindful of a hymn I learned as a child, which gives me pause to consider the brighter side of what God allows… 🤗

Heavenly Sunlight

Walking in sunlight all of my journey

Over the mountains, through the deep vale,

Jesus has said, I’ll never forsake thee

Promise divine that never can fail. 

Chorus:

Heavenly sunlight, heavenly sunlight

Flooding my soul with glory divine, 

Hallelujah, I am rejoicing, 

Singing His praises, Jesus is mine. 

Shadows around me, shadows above me

Never conceal my Savior and Guide

He is the light, in Him is no darkness

Ever I’m walking close to His side. 

Chorus

In the bright sunlight, ever rejoicing

Pressing my way to mansions above

Singing His praises, gladly I’m walking 

Walking in sunlight, sunlight of love.  

Chorus

Words: Henry J. Zelley, 1899

I’m thankful to remember our baby, Jewel.  Though the loss was hard, the LORD taught me through  it the disciplines of reading His Word, praying, and singing, and even greater, that I can trust Him when He gives and when He takes away. 

Happy Heavenly Sunlight Day! 

Worthy Manner of Life

 

"Christ is building His kingdom with earth's broken things.  

Men want only the strong, the successful, the victorious, the unbroken, in building their kingdoms;  

but God is the God of the unsuccessful, of those who have failed.

Heaven is filling with earth's broken lives, and there is no bruised reed that Christ cannot take and restore to glorious blessedness and beauty.  He can take the life crushed by pain or sorrow and make it into a harp whose music shall be all praise. He can lift earth's saddest failure up to heaven's glory."

J. R. Miller

I’m thankful for my husband who doesn’t give up on me.  

He stands firm to come along side me when I am weak, broken, and needing time for restoration. 

I am thankful he is not quick to throw things away because something is worn, torn, broken, or in disrepair from heavy use! 

In recent months, our couch has shown signs of weakness.  The legs had shifted around, so Dad purchased some metal brackets this week to restore them, strengthening and securing their connection to the main frame.  I’m thankful for his frugal and resourceful response to make the necessary repairs.  This eased my concerns before friends would come and join us for Bible study 🤗.

The last time we flipped this couch over was when a cross board cracked and separated upon being plopped down upon.  Come to discover, that board had a knot in it, a weak spot, so when it was tested, it broke. 

Dad restored the board by adding another board to come along side it to provide strength and support to secure it’s position to the main frame.  This second hand couch was given to us in 2006, so I’m thankful Dad has added years to our enjoyment and use of it. 

I pray our come along side support as: 

•children to our widowed mothers, 

•parents to our grown children, 

•husband and wife to one another, and 

•members of the Body of Christ

will be helpful to secure and strengthen one another to grow in the faith. 

I pray we will allow others to come along side us, to help us to live worthy to endure for the progress and joy in the faith we share, even through hard and trying times! 

Whatever happens, I pray we will stand firm with one mind striving side by side for faith in Christ our humble example, not frightened by anything that opposes us.  I pray Christ is honored by our desire and living example, that we will continue together, for the work and advancement of the gospel 

25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 

26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 

28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.

Philippians 1: 25-28

Mount Up, Rush

In Loving Memory:

Rush Hampton Smith

12/18/01-06/04/21

Finally, brethren, farewell. 

Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 

2 Corinthians 13:11

There are watercolour ponies

On my refrigerater door
And the shape of something
I don't really recognize
Drawn by careful little fingers
And put proudly on display
A reminder to us all
Of how time flies

Seems an endless mound of laundry
And a stairway laced with toys
Gives a blow by blow
Reminder of the war
That we fight for their well-being
For their greater understanding
To impart a holy reverance
For the Lord

But, baby, what will we do
When it comes back to me and you?
They look a little less
Like little boys every day
Oh, the pleasure of watching
The children growing
Is mixed with a bitter cup
Of knowing the watercolour ponies
Will one day ride away

And the vision can get so narrow
As you view through your tiny world
And little victories can go by
With no applause
But in the greater evaluation
As they fly from your nest of love
May they mount up with wings
As eagles for His cause

Words: Wayne Watson, 1987

“We don’t feel cheated. We believe God accomplished His purpose through Rush’s life…”

Deborah, Faith-filled Mom and Mother of ten, one of which is our John’s love, Rosemary.

Big Brother Birthday Blessing

 

This is a memorable and meaningfully endearing Happy Birthday text I received from my big brother on my birthday, almost two weeks ago…Preserved here “for safe keeping”!! 

“Happy Burfday to my dear sister Karen [C...] Gray on this Landmark Burfday... Day...

In 1960 I ordered her from the Sears Catalogue because that's how we got stuff back then in Stephenville, Newfoundland. You ordered it from the Sears Catalogue... The next May 26 she came... Late as usual but welcome still the same... I have never regretted it and never looked back.  She does tend to talk a bit much but she understands me and buys me t-shirts that says stuff like... "do me a favor and stop talking" and "like a good neighbor stay over there"... I would do it all over again... but that doesn't make her any less aggravating. 

Happy Burfday Sissy!”

🥰

For Our Children

 

Father, hear us, we are praying,

Hear the words our hearts are saying,

We are praying for our children. 

Keep them from the powers of evil,

From the secret, hidden peril,

From the whirlpool that would suck them,

From the treacherous quicksand, pluck them.

From the worldling’s hollow gladness,

From the sting of faithless sadness,

Holy Father, save our children.

Through life’s troubled waters steer them,

Through life’s bitter battle cheer them,

Father, Father, be Thou near them.

Read the language of our longing,

Read the wordless pleadings thronging,

Holy Father, for our children.

And wherever they may bide,

Lead them Home at eventide.

From Toward Jerusalem, by Amy Carmichael