Happy Birthday, DAD!

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -George Herbert

My father has taught me so many things. I'm very grateful for his influence in my life. Happy 70th to my father! I love you, Dad.

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

(Lamentations 3:22-23)

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

-Thomas Obadiah Chisolm (1866-1960)

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful--for he cannot deny himself." -2 Timothy 2:13

Husband and Wife

Photo by: Augustine Grace Photography (www.augustinegrace.com)

“Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” ~Ephesians 5:33

"God made Adam first and put him in the Garden with a job to do, a mission to fulfill.  In the heart of every fallen man is the self-doubt that wonders, “Am I man enough to climb this mountain God has called me to?  Can I fulfill my destiny?”  A wise wife will understand that question at the center of her husband’s heart.  And she will spend her life answering it, communicating to him in various ways, “Honey, I believe in your call.  I know you can do this, by God’s power.  Go for it.”  In this way, she will breathe life into her man.

God made Eve from Adam, for Adam, to help him follow the call.  In the heart of every fallen woman is the self-doubt that wonders, “Do I please you?  Am I what you wanted?”  A wise husband will understand that question at the center of his wife’s heart.  And he will spend his life answering it, communicating to her in various ways, “Darling, you are the one I need.  I cherish you.  Let me hold you close.”  In this way, he will breathe life into his wife."

Ray Ortlund, from http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/2010/06/12/1-husband-and-wife/

Pilot Blog: Explaining the Blog's name

July 1, 1838 a young preacher stood in a pulpit in Dundee, Scotland and preached a message entitled "A Time of Refreshing" from Isaiah 44:3-4,"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams." 

He said this about self-dedication to God...

"Oh! there is no greater joy than for a believing soul to give himself all to God. This has always been the way in times of refreshing. It was so at Pentecost. First they gave their ownselves unto the Lord. It was so with Boston, and Doddridge, and Edwards, and all the holy men of old. 'I have this day been before God,' says Edwards, 'and have given myself—all that I am and have—to God; so that I am in no respect my own. I can challenge no right in myself, in this understanding, this will, these affections. Neither have I right to this body, or any of its members; no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet, these eyes, these ears. I have given myself clean away.' Oh! would that you knew the joy of giving yourself away. You cannot keep yourself. Oh! this day try and give all to Him. Lie in his hand. Little children, O that you would become like him who said: 'I am God’s boy altogether, mother!' Write on your hand; 'I am the Lord’s.' "

Robert Murray M'Cheyene in Sermons of Robert Murray M'Cheyene (London, 1961), 19.