… and tunes them to His will.
Sometimes he does, you know.
No matter how crazy they sound to others, we find the things He calls us to beautiful.
So beautiful that we almost can’t stand it.
“Can’t stand what?”
The joy.
When God Molds Our Dreams October 30, 2009
Love So Amazing October 26, 2009
“My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away’”
Song of Solomon 2:10
And my Beloved is altogether desirable.
Nothing Ordinary October 24, 2009
“Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.” Mark 1:16-18
Press on, Christian, take heart! “Nothing ordinary is equal to this new call.” (Amy Carmichael) – and yet it is so “normal”, so natural, it seems like it should be so “natural” that a child should follow his Father- his loving, perfect Father- about where ever and to whatever He calls- won’t we follow freely out of love? Don’t kick your feet and scream, you have no idea of the joy He has prepared for those who with their whole hearts follow.
And really, that is why nothing ordinary is equal to it- because of the joy. Nothing ordinary is equal to a Babe born of a virgin. Nothing ordinary is equal to His sinless life. Nothing ordinary is equal to His redemptive death. Nothing ordinary is equal to His saving work in sinners souls. And so we are compelled to ask “can anything be equal to following His call?” No, nothing.
Can we imagine beforehand the depth of the treasure-house of delight our Beloved has in store for those whom he is not ashamed to call “brother”? Now we do not follow to some abyss of emptiness- in the sense that where ever we are, whatever we do, we are never left empty when we call for Him to fill us. Now we follow to joy on joy, joy instead of joy. “Rude, crowding little children type of [joy]*” Not that there will never be sorrow, pain, hurt- but for believers, those things do not have to cancel out joy. Sometimes it may be a quiet, sad type of joy that it doesn’t look like [to others] you should even have. But if to live is Christ, then surely there is always joy. Surely there is great joy in following.
Also, nothing ordinary, I think we’ll find, is equal to the love- the Love of God from which it flows and the love to others which flows from this Greater Love. The type of love that makes your heart jump up and start screaming at the mere thought of your loved ones- the type of love that fills and flows over- but words fail.
And if humans, sinful man, is capable of such love, compare it now to the to the Love of God to His children. There is not even a comparison here. Nothing ordinary is equal to this, no nothing. The comparison fails: our families, our dear friends, add so much- can give so much to us. What can we add to God? There is nothing in us. What does He ask of us through the power of His Son? He calls for our lives. He calls for our all. He calls for us to serve Him through serving others. He calls for our love-our hearts.
And nothing ordinary is equal to this new call.
*Pastor John in reference to grace.
Have you ever thought September 13, 2009
That these really must be the best years of your life?????
When you find that God has actually been very good to you- maybe you wonder why- but we don’t have to wonder why, because we know- we know He loves us. We find out that He is with us, and that He fills our lives with Joy
in ways we wouldn’t have thought- or ways we’ve never noticed. His love is so amazing and indescribable. Have you ever thought they were the best years, and realised that they would only get better as you pressed on to a deeper knowledge of your Beloved? Have you ever wondered why He says “my beloved” because you know that it isn’t you- then realised it was all Him? Have you ever thought that these we’re such lovely times, but didn’t want to grasp & hold on to them because you are excited about what comes next too?
Because every moment was a gift from Him? More than all these gifts you see pictured, though, is this one pevailing thing that makes even the hard things not so hard: Christ is mine, and I am His.
And you find out that He is beautiful & the one who not only gives us all the beautiful things, but the very one Who makes them seem beautiful- you realise He’s everything, and for some reason He loves even you.
And He is enough.
And He is beautiful.
And somehow its not words anymore- its true.
And He delights in giving his children abundantly more than they ever imagined.
Like eyes.
To see that every good and perfect gift is from Him.
Where the fire has already been September 13, 2009
What an amazing thought! For those of you who have not listened to Mr. Davies’ sermon series at Christ Church New Albany this past week+, you are encouraged to do so (click here).
One illustration he used (which I am thankful to Jennifer for reminding me of) was that of a family in Australia who lit a fire behind their house in order to be saved from the fire which was rushing toward them. By standing where it had already been burned, they escaped from the fire that was coming- and that’s where we are in Christ.
Hallelujah.
What a Saviour.
since, of courrse, your just dying to see pictures of my adorable siblings (& friends adorable kids!)… May 19, 2009
or even if you’re not, you might look anyway…
- Sweet Josiah
- Mercy Kate
- Isaac
- Isaac & Mercy
(((Isaac & Ellie are friends Anthony & Hannah’s children: *http://matheniafamily.blogspot.com/*))
The Incredible Josiah January 15, 2009
This boy is entirely amazing. We have been discovering lately that though all people think their baby is smart, this boy really is exceptional. Really. He has incredible powers of observation. He is developmentally way beyond expectations for his age (eight months). This morning Momma was changing him after he got up and he was actually playing peek-a-boo with his blanket: he’d grab it with his two chubby fists and pull it over his head. Momma would say “Where’s Josiah?” and little giggles would be heard from under the blanket until finally he pulled it off and revealed the grinning face of a boy who perfectly understands the concept of the game. He’s also starting shaking his head no when he actually means it. He does it if you’re feeding him and he doesn’t want anymore, he does it if someone he doesn’t want reaches for him, and today, he did it when Mercy asked Momma for some of his gerber cereal snacks. As Momma said those big boy’s had beter look out, because this boy is so quick, he’ll soon have them all licked with his lego creations 
. I think the main reason for him being so smart is, he is firmly persuaded that if he thinks of something, he can do it. His thoughts are quickly translated into action. For instance, at least once each day he will see Mercy or Annie run by and think he can just go right after them. So he’ll let go of whatever furniture he’s been ‘cruising’ around and try it, but he CAN’T STAND INDEPENDENT YET- and he falls down. Maybe he knows that eventually he’ll let go of the couch and run and every day he has to try it, he thinks “maybe today is the day.”
But I think it just hasn’t occured to him yet that there is anything in the world that he can’t do.
