For My Grandpa

A little boy left his home

Bound for somewhere new

With his Mother and Father

He entered the U.S. with one shoe.

His picture caught a lovely lady's eye

And when she saw him on the street

She introduced herself with a happy smile

Finally they could meet!

The lovely lady and handsome man

Were married 62 years

With 3 kids, 4 grandkids, and one great grandchild

They loved being near

Today we honor a faithful man

Who's resting from the race

Waiting for the trumpet blast

To call them both awake

So eagerly we await that day

When our hope is finally sight

Grandpa we will see you there

Thank you for your life of light.

-Kristen Harmon

April 9 2012

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us

How blessed beyond all measure

That he should give His only Son

And make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of seering loss

The Father turns His face away

As wounds that mar the Chosen One

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross

My sin upon his shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything

No gifts no power no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from his reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds had paid my ransom.

-Words and Music by Stuart Townend

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk-52Ci68CU&feature=related

The Final Four

March Madness is well underway for college basketball. Happily my husband's team made it into the Final Four this year!

It's an interesting concept to take multiple competing teams and through game after game narrow down all the teams to just four.

I wonder what would happen if we had a season of March Madness in our lives. If we took the things that compete for our time and one by one played them against each other to determine the most important pieces of our days.

What would be your final 4?

Would you have two distinct sets of winners, a weekend version and a work week version? Or would you find they all mesh together to produce 4 clear winners?

Also important to consider is what factors would you use to determine the winners? Would you consider amount of time spent or quality of time spent? Would you look at results gained by spending time in a particular area or perhaps the excitement you feel in those moments?

I know we all can have many different activities and priorities to juggle. It could be hard to focus on just 4 things. But I hope that we don't lose sight of what we hold most important in life no matter how many other distractions come our way.

Paul says, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

We Judge

Easy to say, easy to do

Compare you to me, compare me to you

My way seems clear, your way a mess

Are we searching for truth, or self righteousness?

Wisdom is good but how is our sight?

Is everything measured as wrong or as right?

Perhaps in the end, much will fade dim

But how we loved and followed Him.

-Kristen Harmon

The Basics of Life

Last week I started thinking about a song I hadn't heard in awhile. You might say it was from back in the day.

The chorus goes something like this:

'We need to get back to the basics of life. A heart that is pure and a love that is right. A faith that is fervently grounded in Christ. A hope that endures for all time. These are the basics. We've got to get back to the basics of life.' (Basics of Life by 4 Him)

As a side note if you youtube this song and then view some of the recommended other videos you can start an enjoyable journey through 90's Contemporary Christian music. Especially noteworthy are the outfits worn by Michael W. Smith.

Anyways. I really like this song. I like the reminder of faith that is fervently grounded in Christ and hope that endures for all time.

Sometimes its helpful to think big and enlarge our perspectives. But there are also times when its important to slow down and regain focus on the basics.

When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:37-39

So as we learn and grow and explore the dreams God plants in our hearts, let's remember to also stay grounded in the basics.

The abundant goodness of God

Psalms 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

¹ I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
⁴ One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
⁵ They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.^[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
⁷ They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

⁹ The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
¹⁰ All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
¹¹ They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
¹² so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.^[c]
14 The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
¹⁶ You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Psalms 145 NIV. BibleGateway.com

Love

If you google love today in .2 seconds you will get 8,910,000,000 results. That's an incredible amount of words about love.

Interestingly if you google God you get 1,940,000,000 results.

1 John 1:8 tells us that God is love. Thanks to BibleGateway.com and BlueLetterBible.org I was able to view this verse in different languages.

Dieu est amour.

Dios es amor.

Gott ist Liebe

Theos esti agape

The message is clear and simple throughout the translations.

God is love. Though love may momentarily appear to exist on google without God, in the fabric of reality and of eternity, it does not.

So if you find yourself, a friend or family member in need of guidance or help with a relationship or in need of love, I invite you to bring your requests before God. As the Creator of Love He is abundantly capable to provide beyond our greatest expectations.