abigail vera

Lord God of nations unite us yet

By thy law, the Moral ABC of the free

Lest we forget, lest we forget!

For foolish heart that puts its trust

In manmade tube and iron sharp,

All passing dust that builds on dust,

And guarding it, calls not You to guard,

For frantic boast and foolish word —

Have mercy on thy people Lord!

A man and not a monkey, a man! Amen.

Oswald Chambers, Dec 12th

Personality is that peculiar, incalculable thing that is meant when we speak of ourselves as distinct from everyone else. Our personality is always too big to grasp… Personality is like an island, we know nothing about the great depths underneath, consequently we cannot estimate ourselves. We begin by thinking that we can, but we come to realize that there is only one Being Who understands us, and that is our Creator…

… If you give up your right to yourself to God, the real true nature of your personality answers to God straight away. Jesus Christ emancipates the personality, and the individuality is transfigured; the transfiguring element is love, personal devotion to Jesus.

(The title comes from an Emily Dickinson poem of the same name. Good stuff.)

Churches are on every corner.

…But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. -Psalm 1:1-3

“Learn to associate ideas worthy of God with all that happens in Nature - the sunrises and the sunsets, the sun and the stars, the changing seasons, and your imagination will never be at the mercy of your impulses, but will always be at the service of God.”

- Oswald Chambers

(Thank you to Fiona for the magical growing bulbs.)

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

From John Wesley’s commentary

6:38 Into your bosom - Alluding to the mantles the Jews wore, into which a large quantity of corn might be received. With the same measure that ye mete with, it shall be measured to you again - Amazing goodness! So we are permitted even to carve for ourselves! We ourselves are, as it were, to tell God how much mercy he shall show us! And can we be content with less than the very largest measure? Give then to man, what thou designest to receive of God.

Sheldon Vanauken