White as Snow

This morning I sit drinking my cup of coffee and see the sun reflect off the snow. Its very bright. The world is very calm. Its not moving. Its being still. It reminds me of Isaiah 1:18 "Come, let us discuss this," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool"

I am probably not the only one who is reminded of this verse when it snows, or at least I hope I'm not. But maybe, maybe there is more to them being "white as snow" than just the color. Perhaps there is a peace, a calm, a being still that occurs when we recognize the truth of this passage. Maybe our hearts are brighter as they now reflect the Son.

White as snow--Its about more than color.

He doesn't Have to...

Instead of making resolutions each new year, I make a "wish list". On this list are items that I hope will be accomplished in the current year. Some items listed I have to activity pursue accomplishing and others that only happen because of prayer. My list for 2010 has only eight items on it, but most fall into the "only happen because of prayer" category.

We're 25 days into the new year and I am see evidences of how four of the eight are already being answered. There is something very sweet about the time when you pray and immediately God opens your eyes to see how He is answering. He doesn't have to show me anything, yet because of His great love He chooses to give answers in abundance.

Patience..

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In Rememberence

In the Struggle...

In the struggle for the freedom of my people, I have known very few quiet days in the last few years. I have been imprisoned 12 times; my home has been bombed twice, I have been the victim of a near fatal stabbing. At times...I have felt that I could no longer...bear such a heavy burden..., and have been tempted to retreat. But ev'ry time that temptation appeared something came to strengthen and sustain my determination.

To our most bitter opponents, we say:

"We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical forces with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. Throw us into jail and we shall still love you. Bomb our homes! Threaten our children! We shall still love you! Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hours, and beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you! One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so apeal to your heart, that we shall win you, and our victory will be a double victory!"

It may get me crucified. I may die. But I want it said, even if I die in the struggle, that, "He died to make me free!"

~Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mess-imony...

Last week I was listening to a video testimony of a woman from my church. She made this statement "I knew I had a soul, I didn't know if I had a heart". She had been through a lot of hurt in life and lost sight of her heart. That's a very haunting statement to me. "I didn't know if I had a heart."

She goes on to speak of how Christ found the pieces of her heart and brought them back together. I believe her to know Christ as Healer in a way I may never know. I have known sorrow and the pain from that sorrow reminded me that I had a heart--that I was still feeling...something.

I imagine her to relationship with Christ to be much richer for knowing that He can, and longs to, put the pieces back together. That He isn't a God who is around when you lose your heart, but He is the God who carries you through the nasty to show you He's had your heart, complete and whole, all along. You thought pieces fell away. He's always had them.

"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever." ~Psalm 73:26

Washing Dishes and Mashing Potatoes

In a few moments I'm off to begin (or continue) my contemplative/reflecting day. We all have one of these days around January 1, don't we? Its time to write down the hopes, dreams, and goals I would like to accomplish in 2010. This also requires reminiscing about the past year and more specifically the last couple of weeks. Not to mention thinking through the last decade and realizing it was 10 years ago this month I was with the college choir in Hawaii. 10 years!

I am a journal-er, and hadn't made it to writing about my trip to MI yet. As I thinking about my favorite family moments,I surprised myself. One of my favorite moments was Christmas Eve when I was doing dishes with Kathleen and Laura. I was in charge of putting the items away because "I knew where things went at mom's house". In one of my many attempts to figure out exactly where mom's "fancy" dishes actually went, I turned around and stopped for a moment. I watched two groups of family members working on the puzzles mom had given us, I saw another texting and, of course, dishes being done. We were just being. And it was real, genuine, honest. For a too brief moment all was well.

Another favorite moment was Christmas day. Christmas morning I help my grandmother get ready for the arrival of the rest of the family. Mashed potatoes and stuffing are on my to-do list when I arrive. This has become a very sweet tradition to me. I get my own "grandma" time without anyone interrupting. She lets me in on family updates, and more importantly--on her secrets. If I listen carefully I can hear heart and see how she's really doing. Its not often she lets people in enough to see her heart. I am forever grateful for these moments.

Washing dishes and mashing potatoes--its not as trivial as you may think.