Whew! It’s been hectic around here…

 

Noelle is finally home from Spain (for a couple weeks), and
we’re in the throes of  last-minute preparations for Christmas
(which include assembling a “care package” for Noelle to
take to her sister, Rachel, when she visits her Dec. 30th).

Certainly not the least of our attentions have been diverted by
the arrival of Emma and Braden Smallish;
twins born to my daughter-in-law and son..

super kudos to Matt’s wife, Kristy..
it was a tough pregnancy, capped off
by Emma turning breech AFTER her brother was born,
and necessitating a C-section.

Mega kudos to God, for keeping
Kristy and the twins safe.

I should have some time to “Xanga” now.
will be stopping by all your sites to say hi…

blessings…jim

(by the way; more Christmas music has been added )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Just Got a new Christmas album…It’s by
Bebo Norman. I was going to put a couple songs into my music player from it…
but I like it so much
(his renditions of even the traditional hymns are
original, heartfelt, and  unique),
that I’ve included 
the entire album save one instrumental.

If you want to listen to only these songs, (they’re the last 12 on the list)
disable the shuffle mode
of the music player by “clicking off” the shuffle button,
then select the first of his songs (no. 57),
and click the “play-pause” button,
which will start that song and the rest
to play consecutively.

.

enjoy…jim 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you may know, I recently went to
Pearlington, Ms., with a team to continue the
work of repairing and rebuilding which is ongoing
in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Pearlington, and the Pearl River which looks so
placid in my background and profile pics, was “ground zero”
for the landfall of the eye and stormwall of that event.

I worked at the home of one 81 year-old delight, “Mrs. D.”,

who told us her story of loss and survival, and whom you see below.

 

I saw the face of God today;
framed in silver,
ring’d in gray

and listened of a stormy day
When lives and trees
were rent by seas
Which washed them all away.

 

 

I saw the eyes of God today
in wordless blue
I heard Him pray

and watched the tears there wash away
the aches and fears
of storm-tossed years
In which such sorrow lay.

 

I found the heart of God today
in hands that ache
and backs that sway
and watched His people work and pray;

rebuilding hearths
and homes and hearts
by giving theirs away.

I saw God conquer death today
with painted walls
and decks of gray

and praised Him for the precious way
He’ll use the meek
to lift the weak
and heal with “jars of clay”.
copyright 11/2007 james a. smallish

Mrs. D.

 

 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,”
but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
James 2:14

 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

  …we have this treasure (God’s Spirit within us) in jars of clay
to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
2Cor4:7

 

 

 

 

 

edit/update, Sunday, Nov. 4th

I’m on a trip with a group from Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.
We’ll be in Mississippi for a week, repairing , building and rebuilding homes
damaged or lost in Katrina.
(here’s A LINK to our camp’s website, with pics)

will update when we get back

be God’s…jim 

 

 

 

  

 

God said, “Let there be lights … in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so.  God made two great lights (for us)–the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, ..and to separate light from darkness (for us). And God saw that it was good.
Psalm 1:14-18
(parenthetical comments are mine)

 

 

 

The moon was AWESOME last night!

sooo…..I had a little fun with the camera;

nothing professional,

but fun nonetheless.

 

 

 

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?  You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.  You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:  all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,  the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalms 8:3-9

 

What is mankind; what are we small creatures (humans), indeed?

Behold, what (an incredible) manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the children (offspring and full heirs)
of (the almighty, infinite, holy
and unfathomable)  God?
1 John 3:1

What love, what love!

 

 

 

 

 

it’s MONDAY; today, why don’t you

“Make like a TREE, and leave!” 

 

Relax; I just got thinking about trees while doing some fall photos this morning.

It’s remarkable what we can learn from trees.

Of course you know that all a tree’s growth and life ultimately depend on the light of the sun.

Some of you even know that,
as they grow, trees “leave” in a pattern that provides maximum exposure to the sun’s rays.
They stretch out their branches, reaching to gather all they can.

The tree also needs roots.
A plant’s root system is designed to get to the water,
and trees wither and die if their roots are not deep enough to reach that resource.
Interestingly, the giant Sequoias and redwoods of the western coast
do not have particularly deep root systems,
The water is plentiful where they grow. The problem with this is that the roots not only
obtain water and nutrients from the soil,
they anchor the tree in “solid ground”.

From time to time these giant trees have been known to topple of their own weight,
lacking adequate anchorage.

To draw things together, God is our light, our ground, our “Living Water”.

We flourish when we continually reach out to Him, drawing energy from
the light of His word and His Spirit within us;
anchoring ourselves in His precepts, His Body,
His Word and loving relationship with Him.

So today….
Make like a tree and LEAVE…….

and branch and root and grow
in the knowledge and love of
God in Jesus.

…jim

(from)Psalm 1.. Blessed is the one who(se) .. delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

 Friday Update: MATT”S HOME!!! (for good) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Wednesday..home at last…aaaahhhhhhh (ie, relaxed sigh)
the rest of “Psalm 139 poetically rendered”
is below 

 

 from Psalm 139

Oh Lord, You know me through and through
You know my every way.
My thoughts You’ve read before they’re mine;
You hear ‘ere aught I say.

Where could I run from You, Oh Lord?
where You’d not there still be?
Not highest heaven, nor lowest hell;
Not in the deepest sea.

(For e’en in blackest space, oh, God
Your hand yet comforts me)

Tho’ black as pitch may be my way;
though cloak’d in utter night,
You see it as the brightest day;
I’m ever in Your sight.

Oh, wonder, God of Wonders!
I’m wonderfully made!

And part by part,
from head to heart
Your plans for me were laid…

…so ev’ry day that I would live
God; ev’rything I’d do
was seen before the dawn of time;
completely Lord by You.

Oh God, how precious are Your thoughts;
beyond the mind of man!
More numerous than all the stars,
or all the ocean’s sand.

Rise up, oh God; defender be!
Crush those who hate Your name.
May those who life would take from me;
whom I’ve despised for sake of Thee;
be put to utter shame.

Look through me, God; search out my heart,
my mind, my thoughts and ways.
Lord cleanse me, train me, make me whole;
be with me all my days.

©copyright james a. smallish oct., 2007

(edit note: Wednesday..parts of the second to last stanza
may sound harsh to us of “contemporary sensibilities”, but I believe they are
faithful to the intent of the Psalmist, and further,
reflect the ardor for His ways God desires in us
 

love, jim

 

 

edit #2: I’ve  changed back to the usual musicplayer, but left the McFerrin songs at the end.   

Wednesday edit: Matt (my son) let us know last night that he’s in Kuwait, on his way home,
and should be back (from his year in Iraq) in about a week….yeeehah! 

 

‘nother Mellow Monday is here!
Have a cup of whatever starts your day, and relax.

Question…
what do Eric Liddell ,

Bobby McFerrin,

most kids 

and you have in common?

I believe the commonality is the ability to enjoy the uniqueness God made of each of us as His creations.
We not only tend to forget that, we actually can believe that to serve God means denying anything
that gives us pleasure.

How far from the truth!

God not only makes each of us unique, but rejoices when we rejoice in what He has given us.

Eric Liddell, the Olympic Champion sprinter, celebrated in the movie, “Chariots of Fire”,

put it this way;

  ” I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure. “

I believe wholeheartedly that God has done the same in everyone. Part of the search we all embark on when born into God’s world,
is to find the unique treasures God has implanted in each of us, then to polish those in a way in which God is pleased and glorified.

Bobby McFerrin is, quite literally, “the Human Musical Instrument”.

He uses his voice, hands and body as a one man band (or orchestra). His uniquely-ranged voice, sense of pitch, rhythmic ability, and a remarkable talent for multitasking all come together in a truly one of a kind way. More than this, though, is the fact that he has not only found his “gift from God”, but that he REVELS in it! (Listen to him in the song I’ve included on the left titled, “I Hear Music”.) He LOVES being Bobby McFerrin.

“Most kids” naturally enjoy exploring their own uniqueness, and get great enjoyment in discovering even simple things God has given them the ability to do

                           …and will pursue them with relish.

 

So, what are the things you love to do .. what has God given you in which you can delight; and in so doing enjoy yourself while “feeling His pleasure”?

Few of us are world-class sprinters or one-man-bands, but we each have things we do or would love to do..I absolutely love being kind to others…I mean it..it gives me a deep joy, and it doesn’t have to be anything big..any gesture invokes the opening of that rivulet of happiness.

Enjoy thinking today on what God has put in you which will make both you and Him happy in its expression.

..and then rejoice in being you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,  your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13-16

God created man in his own image,  male and female he created them.  God blessed them… 
 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Gen 1:27-31 (in part)

 

edit: I’ll be leaving the “mellow music” up a little longer this first week;
probably another day or two, then the usual player will be back…jim)

It’s “Mellow Monday”

What, you may ask, is mellow Monday?
The answer?..”not much..I just decided to put up some
soft, “ease into the week ” music on Mondays to help you all with that transition…enjoy!

It was recently commented to me that I seem to be conquering the world,
one family member at a time, since at the moment I have children on
4 continents…

Matt , as most of you know, is in Iraq,
holding down Asia

(okay, Asia Minor)

Rachel’s in Ghana , so her realm is Africa

Noelle  is in Spain, handling Europe

and Sarah  is taking care of things
in Michigan/N. America.

Although I find this humorous, it reminds me of an
important point.

We all extend far more influence in
this world than we realize..
the people we touch may travel far and wide,
and may, indeed carry the seeds of our actions to them,
and interactions with them; to others
whom we’ll never meet.

The reassurance we can give (or withhold), sometimes in as
simple a form as a silent hug or smile,
may translate to love and reassurance given to another;

 hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

Social commenters have observed that each individual in our society
is in more or less regular contact with about 500 others
through family, school, church, work, and such.
The words we give, the honesty and love
we show, and the Jesus we bear
can be sent to the world in an untold number of ways..

So THIS monday, remember that you are an ambassador of an
amazing, loving God;
and give Him to someone nearby to pass on
to the world.

love, jim

 

AHHH…once again Autumn graces us with her warmth and
luminescent flair 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Psalms 96:1-9 1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. ……. Remember to notice God’s splendor and glory today; it’s all around us.

 

Sooo…in thinking about my summer,
I have come to the 3-week time I spent working
in Mexico, As some of you already know, I work there each summer
through a border ministry building homes for those who wouldn’t have them
otherwise.

 

I am always touched by many of the people I meet, and many have become my friends. 

 

However, as I thought/looked through my photos, I realized that it’s
the children who really take hold in my heart.

Their faces, like their hearts, are open books.

And they, like open books, stand,

ready,

waiting  …

Waiting for their stories to unfold; for those around them to

lead, guide and show them the way to discover

the fullest potential of what those stories might be.

I see them, feel their call, and am re-charged for another go (next year, ha,ha).

 

…and Jesus said, ” Let the children come to me…”

 

Let us be freely willing to go to the children

…jim