Eyes ever open

"Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!"

Psalm 144:15

I have had opportunity to travel quite a bit this year:

To the South Carolina beach in the winter.

To beautiful Northern Ohio in spring

To the NC/TN Smokey Mountains in the late summer.

To eastern Virginia surrounded by history! :)

Something that occasionally strikes me is how alert my senses are when visiting a new place:

the white fences against the emerald grass of Virginia plantations,

the salty, sandy scents of Hilton Head,

the roaring of heavy rain in the mountains.

And then I come home.

Back to the daily routines and daily work.

My eyes fix on my feet, and off the magnificent creation around me that shouts out the Creator's beautiful name, and calls me to worship my infinitely creative Father.

What's even worse is that I often treat the tremendous treasure of Jesus Christ--

His life, 

His love, 

His sacrifice, 

His salvation

as ordinary things that I've looked at so long that they've lost their wonder.

I don't THANK Him for bearing my sins and giving me life.

I don't TREASURE His Word of Truth.

I don't TAKE His promises by faith and live by them.

I don't TRUST with my life, the One who gave His life for me.

Or if I do, not NEARLY to the extent that He deserves!

Oh to see myself for who I am.

And God for who HE is.

Oh to have a LOVE that matches His WORTH!

To marvel at the very LEAST of the blessings He gives me, because, as a sinner, I am utterly undeserving of the SMALLEST demonstration of His love!!

(I know, lots of capitals! Bear with me!)
:)

I say with Jacob:

"I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant...'" Genesis 32:10 

And with David:

"'Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" 1 Chronicles 17:16

It's astonishing to contrast these mens' lives with the blessing the Lord poured out on them.

Jacob was a liar and cheater--

yet the Lord gave him increase and prosperity and blessing without measure.

David committed adultery and murder--

yet the Lord set him directly into the line of Christ.

And I belong to this same God who has "searched me and known me!" (Psalm 139:1)

He knows the depths to which my sinful nature goes. Even deeper than I myself could ever know. After all, He bore that sin for me--and suffered its consequences.

"Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away."

Isaiah 64:5-6

"For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 

BUT

when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 

he saved us, 

not because of works done by us in righteousness, 

but according to his own mercy, 

by the washing of regeneration 

and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 

whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Titus 3:3-7

This is blessing heaped upon blessing to one SO VERY unworthy of it!! Even my good deeds done in righteousness are worthless and filthy when compared to the holiness and holy expectations of God.

Oh to see this mercy and blessing in every breath I take, 

every sunset my eyes see, 

every hug I get from baby sister.

Oh to see it in every illness, 

every heartache, 

every need.

"Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?" 
Job 26:14

Lord, may I never become accustomed to Your wonderful ways of dealing with me. Or become so proud as to think I know how you ought to bless me. Keep my eyes ever open to Your great mercies! And my mouth full of thanks and praise!

"Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!"

1 Chronicles 16:34

May we all live lives of Happy Thanks-Giving!!
:)

Minor matters...

Yet another wonderful quote to ponder by J.C. Ryle...and one I've especially been chewing on in light of Romans 14: "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." (v. 4)

---

J.C. Ryle:

"We must not expect all believers in Christ to be exactly like one another. We must not set down others as having no grace, because their experience does not entirely tally with our own. The sheep in the Lord's flock have each their own peculiarities. The trees in the Lord's garden are not all precisely alike. All true servants of God agree in the principal things of religion. All are led by one Spirit. All feel their sins, and all trust in Christ. All repent, all believe, and all are holy. But in minor matters they often differ widely. Let not one despise another on this account. There will be Martha's and there will be Mary's in the Church until the Lord comes again."


---
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." (John 13:34)

Psalm 138

Psalm 138

"I give thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart; 

before the gods I sing Your praise; 

I bow down toward Your holy temple 

and give thanks to Your name for  

Your steadfast love 

and 

Your faithfulness, 

for You have exalted above all things 

Your Name 

and 

Your Word. 

On the day I called,  

You answered me; 

my strength of soul You increased. 

---

All the kings of the earth shall give You thanks, 

O LORD, for they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, 

for great 

is the glory of the LORD. 

For though the LORD is high, 

He regards the lowly, 

but the haughty He knows from afar. 

 ---

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, 

You preserve my life; 

You stretch out Your hand 

against the wrath of my enemies, and  

Your right hand delivers me. 

---

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; 

Your steadfast love, 

O LORD, 

endures forever.

Do not forsake the work of Your hands."

To Warm You Up

 Recipe from my sister-in-law's mother...a most wonderful cook!

Chai Tea

10 whole green cardamom pods, crushed 

(or...use about 1/2 tsp ground cardamom)

5 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 piece fresh gingeroot (2") peeled and quartered

(or...use about 1/2 tsp ground ginger

4 bags black tea

1-1/2 c. milk

1/3 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Place 3 c. water and spices in saucepan. Simmer 15 minutes. Add honey and tea. Warm milk (don't boil.) Strain the tea into a warmed teapot and add warm milk and vanilla.

If you don't drink it all right away (though trust me, you'll want to!), you can refrigerate in a pitcher and re-heat as needed.

Yum.

Yum.

YUM.