Kneeling down and gathering His sustenance, while it is yet dark.

O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant and the child of your handmaid; you have freed me from my bonds. Psalm 116:14

But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said, ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.’ Luke 10:38-42

Day after day, His manna and the admonitions and encouragement of His followers, is found waiting, perfectly formed from heaven for me, this very moment, to satisfy the hunger of my soul. 

O GOD, who of Thy love and pity didst send us Jesus Christ for the illumination of our darkness, give me wisdom to profit by the words He spoke and grace to follow in the steps He trod. 

·       When ye stand praying, forgive, if you have ought against any.

·       It is more blessed to give than receive.

·       Enter ye at the strait gate.

·       Judge not.

·       What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? –John Baillie

Lord our God, we thank you for giving us Jesus Christ, whose words remain living to this very day. You will make His words continually alive so that in the name of Jesus Christ joyful praises are sung to you, Almighty God and Father in heaven. Remember us all. Remember the particular needs of each one of us. Come to the world through the words of Jesus Christ. May His words come as your strong angels to the hearts of many to comfort and restore, to help and do miracles for those in need. May your name be praised through the great and mighty Word, Jesus Christ! Amen. - Christoph Friedrich Blumhardt

And as I turn to eucharisto, thanking Him for His thousand gifts, today those from which I can see from my window, From my window, it is still dark outside. But You are there. And I know that the stars shine overhead, and the Catalinas loom in presence, and the fresh breeze of a new season swirls, even if I cannot see them yet. It is always darkest just before dawn. 

Glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, so it is now and so it shall ever be, world without end. Alleluia. Amen.

Never ever ever ever get into a political discussion on Facebook. Ever.

In Your righteousness, deliver and set me free. Psalm 71:2

I am Your servant and the child of Your handmaid; You have freed me from my bonds. Psalm 116:14

In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the serving by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said, ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her. Luke 10:38-42

The distracted fretting of Martha. The contrasted freedom of Mary.

The one thing.

Incline my heart, O God, to Your ways. Turn my eyes from longing after vanities. Psalm 119:36-37

And yesterday’s verses included my pilgrimage verse.

Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Bitterness,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

And what a gift it was from God my St. James pilgrimage, twice, so I could really get what it is about. One thing, really.

And I am part of this almost silly Facebook group, American Pilgrims. Silly because the whole bunch of them really get it. Over and over, it is about this one thing. Over and over again, it doesn’t matter about the blisters. It doesn’t matter about the type of jacket. It doesn’t matter about the snoring. Even if they haven’t wrapped the words “Lord God Almighty” around the Presence, He is there.

The Way of the Wall, Gary Stokes: The Middle of the Oreo

Often when we seek His will, His purpose, we are attacked from all sides and from within.

Nehemiah 5 is all about hard times. The very hard times being suffered by the Israelites as they labored to rebuild the wall. And they cried for mercy.

The cry for mercy is always answered by God.

Nehemiah reacted with anger, anger that led to godly action. He paused and pondered. And he ruled his heart within himself.  He noticed the root problem and gathered the leaders and contended with them over a very actionable step: you are charging interest from your own people. The leaders minimalized the consequences of their actions, slavery of children. (Exodus 22:21-27) If you lend money, do not treat it as a business deal; charge no interest. When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. 

Israel’s national identity is “We were slaves, and when we cried out, He redeemed us.” We are not The People Who are Better, but We are the Redeemed People. This is all about, Will we be redemptive or will we be blind?

All men and women are created equal in the eyes of God. We, the Church, need to step into actively protect each and every child, our flesh and blood.

It is different to be religious rather than reverent. Let us not buy into doing what our culture does. The Way of the Wall means living a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Jesus taught us, saying: “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. Get yourselves purses that do not wear out, treasure that will not fail you, in heaven where no thief can reach it and no moth destroy it. For wherever your treasure is, that is where your heart will be too.” Luke 12:33-34

the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking

Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the LORD directs His love; at night His song is with me–a prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:7-8

Last night I sat and stared at a poster of Argentinian waterfalls on the wall of Adriana and Robert’s home and tried to glue it into my soul.

In the course of their journey he came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha, who was distracted with serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do all the serving by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said, ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part, and it is not to be taken from her.’ Luke 10:38-42

And lately everyone in my life has made darn sure that I am not distracted by serving, but I can clearly hear my Lord saying, “Christy, Christy, you worry and fret about so many things.”  And mostly what I am worried about is me. And what I long for is sit at His feet, To stare into His eyes, And see the love He has for me. Put my head upon His shoulders, And feel the love He has for me.

Come near to the holy men and women of the past and you will soon feel the heat of their desire after God. They mourned for Him, they prayed and wrestled and sought for Him day and night, in season and out, and when they had found Him the finding was all the sweeter for the long seeking. A. W. Tozer

And let the heat of my desire be after God. That my prayers and wrestling and seeking will be for Him day and night, in season and out. That His waves and breakers may sweep over me, By day the LORD directs His love; at night His song is with me.