The Joy of Answered Prayer

Last Sunday we picked up this little guy on our way home from church... quite literally. He was ON the way home from church - a little street urchin and we rescued him. It has been an up and down week for Gracie in particular as she has been praying almost hourly that our little friend would have a clean bill of health from the veterinarian. Well, four days and a few hundred greevnas later... it's official!

We've adopted Jack Stripe Barnhart into the family... Gracie couldn't be happier!!

This I Know...

I have spent alot of time this week thinking about faith... and what I am sure of. This song, like the one I posted yesterday, says it so well. These things I KNOW...


I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be

My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior



~Aaron Shust, 'My Savior My God'

I Will Lift My Eyes

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
You're all that I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

~ Bebo Norman, 'Between the Dreaming and the Coming True'

...and still more photos!

More America Photos

Pondering...

I read a post yesterday over at Pastor Phil's blog , which I find myself in thought about today. In this post, he reflects on our tendency to prefer the created to the Creator. I don't have any wise profundity to add to Pastor Phil's post, just appreciating the perspective it forces me to.

As we were saying an uncountable number of goodbyes during our last week in the States, there were a few that were painful beyond anything I can put words to. I described it once as the feeling of searching for some piece of myself to leave with that person, and some part of them to carry along with me...

... would that I felt so desperate to be near my Savior every day. For it is His Spirit Who IS with me every day, and by Whom I am carried from one moment to the next.

O, Father forgive me for my failure in this way. O, friend pray with me that I would find rest and peace and an almost desperate hunger and thirst for Christ.

Preacher Man

One of my favorite things all summer was listening to Kevin preach. Yes, I know I'm biased! Here's a picture and you can listen to the sermon at Calvary EFC.

glimpses

I can't begin to write about all of the wonderful memories we made this summer... so I will simply try and post a few pictures at a time...