Summer. It's on its way! When I think of the summer months I look forward to so many things:

• Seeing my friend Caia marry her lover in West Virginia.
  
• Finally getting to see my sister Jana again and meeting her boyfriend Sammy for the first time! Sammy was recently approved for a 10 year, multiple entry visa! PTL!
• Turning 30!
• The birth of my new niece or nephew.
  
• Reaching our 5 year anniversary.
• Going to the zoo- several times, I hope.
  
• Vacationing with family in the Outer Banks.

The list could go on, but one possible event is missing. Seeing Jesus with my eyes. Sunday morning the church sang, "Then with golden harps we'll sing, 'Glory, glory to our King!" and I realized how little I anticipate this event. More certain than any of my summer plans is the reality that Jesus is coming back. I will see him, perhaps to the exclusion of these other plans. As Grandma Martha used to say, "Lord willing we will. . ."

Some snapshots from the last few days:

Maria surprised us by driving from Lancaster and bringing her happy self to Larisa's baby shower. I love the next picture of Mom and Larisa full of joy at the shower.

Tristan shrieked happily as he ate his first Hank's frozen custard cone. We don't have a picture of the broken down car on the way home. The alternator gave out and we had to walk the last several blocks.

My niece Kylie gave her first dance recital. She was so pretty and happy. Very cute to see those little girls dancing around the stage in front of a large audience.

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14

Erin: "Oh, Tristan, it's so good to see you again."
Tristan: "You too, Erin! You look so pretty!"

"Here, let me fix your hair."

"Ok, Tristan, let me wipe that drool off your mouth."

Erin sings while Tristan accompanies her on the sound tube.

Ready or not, here I come!

 

Thankful for the coming of warm weather and these dear women in my backyard today.

Meditating Mercy

Some thoughts upon reading Madeline L'Engle's book, A Live Coal in the Sea:

“But all the wickedness in the world which man may do or think is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal dropped in the sea.” William Langland (167)

When I first read that quote I squirmed. For, it seems like the atrocities of Hitler and those who persecute Christians can’t be so quickly quenched by God’s mercy. Maybe my hesitancy came because too often I think mercy equals permissiveness. As L’Engle says, “Mercy and permissiveness are not the same thing.”

“Mercy. It didn’t mean that everything was okay, could or should be condoned. But we can’t move out of ourselves and our own self-justifications until we look in the mirror and know, yes, I, too, could have done this. Or worse.” (170)

“Papa had lived a long, full life, and he had come to terms with more than most people can begin to imagine. He was able to be merciful to himself, and to teach us to be merciful, too. He believed that God’s redeeming love can come into the most terrible things, and while I do not have the kind of radiant faith that Papa had, I believed him.”(285)

Because of my atrocious sins Christ died on the cross. How can I say it must take more mercy to forgive another person (i.e. Hitler) than it takes to forgive me? Lord, have mercy on me! The song “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” speaks profoundly to this: “But we make his love to narrow by false limits of our own.”

Fanny Crosby says it well: “Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies with parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky.” I believe this to be true!

Hooray for Spring!

Sing hey! for the bath at close of day
that washes the weary mud away!
A loon is he that will not sing:
O! Water Hot is a noble thing!
Sung by Pippen in The Fellowship of the Ring