Spurgeon Reads My Mind

From, Morning and Evening
INTO YOUR HAND I COMMIT MY SPIRIT; YOU HAVE REDEEMED ME, O LORD, FAITHFUL GOD.
-Psalm 31:5

Though Thou slay me I will trust,
Praise Thou even from the dust,
Prove, and tell it as I prove,
Thine unutterable love.
Thou may chasten and correct,
But Thou never can neglect;
Since the ransom price is paid,
On Thy love my hope is stayed.

Everybody Want to Go to Heaven But Nobody Want to Go Now

Last night on my drive home I was listening to the radio (yes, country again) and a new song has the lyrics, "everybody want to go to heaven but nobody want to go now." Now, I'm not one to get my theology from country music, but there is something very profound in that statement. And there's truth in it.

As believers we talk about how wonderful heaven will be, and how we can't wait to get there. But nobody wants to go there NOW! We hold on to earth so tightly--even the good things--friends, family, work and we don't want to give it up. There is so much we want to do before we "go." We talk about heaven, and we're afraid of death! But death is the vessel the Lord has chosen as the catapult into the heaven we so long for.

I'm starting to see death as a beautiful thing, not as the scary and unknown. Dear beloved brethren, may we all long for heaven and long for it NOW!

A Date With Dad

My dad came along to my friend's wedding in Sacramento. He didn't come for the entire time, but I had him all to myself for 2 days, so I got to spend a little time with him. My dad is a wonderful man and I love him very much. I've always known he is great, but my high opinion of him has only increased over the past several years as time passes and I've gotten to know him deeper. I appreciate him, respect him, and cherish him.

Here are 10 things I love about my papa:

1. He is a VERY hard worker.

2. He loves his wife, my mom, :) sacrificially.

3. He is always smiling, and has one of the best smiles ever!

4. He deals with trials like a saint. Nothing seems to shake him.

5. He listens faithfully to talk radio.

6. He is humble.

7. He lets me control the T.V. clicker, well, most of the time.

8. He is gentle.

9. No matter where he goes, everyone just LOVES my dad.

10. He always answers his phone, "pops, here," when I call.

Get Away

Do you ever feel like you have to just get away? That's kind of how I feel right now. And funny thing, I am "getting away" this weekend. My friend Donnette is getting married on Friday (8/8/08). I've known her since preschool and we did gymnastics together for a while too. While we haven't stayed in touch as much as I would have liked, Donnette has always been a special person in my life. I'm excited to see her (it's been years). And I'll be flying to Sacramento for the wedding.

It's funny, before I left for Israel I was thinking about her and trying to figure out how to get in touch with her again. And when I got home, I had a letter from Donnette asking me to be part of her wedding! Talk about God's providence. As far as I know, Donnette is not a believer and so I'm praying this weekend will give me the chance to have gospel-paving conversations, and even if I'm not able to directly share the gospel at this point, I pray that my being part of this special time will open the way for future conversations and opportunities. Please pray for me if you think of it. I'll post pictures when I get back for sure!