Lyrics to Life: Holiday Edition

"Silent Night, Holy Night
All is calm, All is bright..."

I love this carol. When I arrived home to the farm, I got out of my car and immediately stared at the sky in wonder. I love the city, but I also love the feeling of smallness and grace that comes from looking up into a black sky filled with millions of points of light. Stars and planets, each and everyone with a name that the Lord of the heavens knows, and yet, this same God, responsible for this mass beauty and awe-inspiring grandeur, knows my name and every detail about me, down to the number of hairs on my head. How's that for a reality check?

The silence of the night and the beauty of the stars in their brightness remind my soul to take heart and to keep the peace and calming assurance found only in God's plan. How can a night like this be anything but holy?

The Geography Cup

Everyone should do this. It's setup so that you can and should take the quiz several times so check it out and test your skills.

Good Reminders

This is GRRRRRREAT!

David Kuo spoke at AU spoke at American University a few weeks ago and the above link leads to one of the responses he received. It's a wonderful testimony while also being a challenge to the church to stop the pettiness that is turning people away from Christ's love. If you've not read Kuo's book, Tempting Faith, I highly recommend it. In a city where politics are the life's blood, it is an especially poignant reminder that we need to refocus on God's plan for us rather than our plans for God's focus.

Just for Fun!

Lyrics to Life: Hell, Mountains, and Walkin' On

There are two songs currently on the country charts that strike me each and every time I hear them. Their popularity makes me think that the ideas of pushing on through trials is a common factor for the human race. I think it safe to safe that at some point in everyone's life, we feel like we need to continue to push through what ever struggles we have because;

"If you're on your knees you might as well be prayin'...
If you're goin' through Hell, keep on moving.
Face that fire.
Walk right through it.
You might get out before the Devil even knows you're there."
~Rodney Atkins, If You're Goin' through Hell

Now, I don't know about being able to get out of tough times before the devil knows your there, because most likely the devil is well aware of our struggles and exploits them to bring out the worst in us and in our attitudes. After all, if one really is in Hell, then it is too late to try to escape. However, for those figurative hell on earth moments in life, an attitude of perseverance and looking past the flames and pains are crucial. Life requires courage to face problems and strength to keep walking. I love what Paul says in II Timothy 4:16-18

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul fills Second Timothy with reminders to endure and persevere through personal hardships, attacks, false doctrines, and persecution. So, if God stands beside and strengthens His children, then why does He allow them to face hardships? While I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that God really does not want any of His children to suffer, I also believe that He has given man free will. This means we are not puppets and must make our own decisions concerning beliefs and spiritual matters. This is a rant I'll continue on at a later date, but in reference to God providing strength and encouragement, it means that when we are facing hard times we have the choice to turn to God and lean upon His strength or we can choose to try to find our own way. Sometimes our way works and we can find something to fill in the gap where we have left God out of our lives. Eventually though, that gap will catch up with us. See, I don't think that God puts trouble in our lives, but He uses such troubles to teach us, strengthen us, encourage us and to pull us together. I love the way another popular song puts it:

"There are times in life when you've got to fall,
Lose your grip, trip and fall,
When you can't lean on no-one else
That's when you find yourself.
I've been around and I've noticed that
Walking's easy when the road is flat
Those danged old hills will get you every time
Yeah, the good Lord gave us mountains
So we could learn how to climb"
~Lonestar, Mountains

Yes, I am well aware of the double negative, but the message is still a great one. God allows us to faces trouble and struggles so that we can grow stronger and learn how to climb higher and harder. Like good parents eventually have to let their children dress themselves even if it means mismatched socks, God allows us to learn through experience as well. He gives us the wisdom of those who have gone before us and hopes that they will share their insights and furthermore that we will learn from their insights rather than having to face such pain. Unfortunately there are often circumstances such as illness, injury, attack, death of loved ones and other uncontrollable events that must still be faced. And that's when it is crucial to turn to God to learn how to find the strength and encouragement to continue. Rodgers and Hammerstein put it well in the concluding reprise from their musical, Carousel.

"When you walk through a storm
hold your head up high
and don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of the storm is a golden sky
and the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind.
Walk on through the rain,
though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on. Walk on with hope in your heart
and you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone."
~You'll Never Walk Alone

A Haiku Favorite*

I'm an elitist.
Stupid people bother me.
Pretentious, sorry.

*From Hughes Hall contest in 2004.