AAARRGH!!!
There be Pirates Afoot Tonight!
(don’t fear for me, though…..it’s just my middle daughter, Sarah)
Uncategorized
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OK, A couple of newflashes here.
First, my musicplayer is (for now) located at the bottom
of my page, but it works the same as always.
Second, I finally figured out how to post a slideshow of some
pics from my Mexico trip(s), but it didn’t work when I tried to embed it in my post,
so it’s to the left (where the musicplayer was).
What artistry is in God’s hand,
How rich His colors flow!
His palette spills across the land,
and sets our lives aglow.
©james a. smallish 10/28/2006 -
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OK, call me a plagiarist; call me lazy! I’m actually really
busy getting ready for my son and grandkids to come for a week,
and was only going to read others’ posts, and maybe give a comment or two;
then I came across the following rumination on my daughter’s Xanga,
and thought it was worth sharing.
Here it is:
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
I had something very inspiring come to mind just now, and I got on here to write it
down immediately, so I wouldn’t forget it.
I just read an entry from a girl I know talking about how religion and Christianity is empty.
She looked for fulfillment…something to fill the hole caused by her pain..and didn’t find it.
All she found were hypocrites and lies. “The pain was still there.” she said. So I asked God,
“Why didn’t she believe? How is it that she didn’t find the answers?” Immediately rushed to
mind tons of thoughts…God inspired, for sure.
People seek religion for answers, they don’t seek Truth (ie. God). But on it’s own religion
will leave you empty. Only Divine Truth gives us any ease to our pain. However, even with
God, there is still pain. I experience pain, we as Christians experience pain. We never have
claimed, or at least never should claim, that a relationship with God means a pain-free life. It
doesn’t.
It reminds me of the quotation from…Princess Bride (??)
”Life is pain, princess. Anyone who tells you any differently is selling something.”
As long as we live on this earth, there will be pain. It’s part of the package. Christ Himself
experienced it. So what’s the difference in the life of a sold-out Christian? We know God.
Knowing God doesn’t mean no pain, it simply means our focus is elsewhere. We have hope.
Knowing the truth of life…that there is a Supreme Being, a God, a Ruler, a Divine Order to
everything, makes the pain seem much more trivial. God is life, pain is not. Pain is simply a
part of what we experience. When God becomes our ultimate focus, our Life, we still have
pain. Psh, we may experience more pain. But it’s not important.
We have somewhere to rest our pain…
and that is in our hope…our understanding that there is more to this life. More to this pain.
There is the Almighty King who loves us with all His heart. And no pain will ever get in the way of that.
noelle
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to
be compared to the glory that God has in store for us.
If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on
immortality, then will come about the saying that is written,
“DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.” ” (Rom 8:18 and 1 Cor 15: 19 & 54)
(by the way, if you scroll down so you can see the background pic,
you’ll get a glimpse of part of the view from my workplace recently) -
When I behold October’s fire
Alit within the trees,
And stand; bathed by the golden breath
Of Indian Summer’s breeze,
I think on Him Who lights the fires
Within the human heart;
Who ‘decks the world with tapestry
Unmatched in all man’s art.
How frivolous; extravagant
For God to give such gold:
A testament through which His love
And glory may be told.
I thank you, Lord for autumn’s glow
For fire You give, so free
To light the way and warm the hearts
Of small ones such as me.
copyright 10/2005 james a. smallish
jim
(Just had to bring this one out and dust it off.)
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Thanks
Oh, the untold grace of God !
To reach someone like me!
With gentle hand
His patient plan
Pursues to set me free!
The more I see my depth of sin
the more I understand
That I cannot set free myself;
A sin-scarred, broken man.
I’ve failed His law
So many ways,
Account I ne’er could take;
Much less could I,
Of human frame
Atonement for these make.
Yet He Who holiness defines,
With greater heart than I,
Has in His love
Wiped clean the slate
By giving Christ to die.
Each day I see anew His care
And each day need that grace.
Oh for the day
My soul is freed
To see Him face to face!
For untold debt of sin atoned,
For joy in darkened days,
Eternity’s not time enough
To thank and give Him praise!
© copyright 9/06 james a. smallish
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“For if, by the trespass of the one man,
death reigned through that one man,
how much more will those who receive
God‘s abundant provision of grace
and of the gift of righteousness reign in life
through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17)
”Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received reconciliation.” (Rom. 5:11)
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I FEEL AN AUTUMN MOOD COMING ON!
( MEANING I’M TIRED BUT WANTED TO GET STARTED…MORE LATER)
… Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name…Tell of His glory among the nations, … the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before Him, Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. ….. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; … Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy before the LORD…
(from Psalm 96, 1-16)
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Feeling thankful today for misty, grey-green fall days…
must be a bit o’ the Irish in my heart.
(edit 8:15 pm…..here’s the music I wanted to put with this mood
couldn’t access it earlier, from work)
edit#2..well that’s a little frustrating! The webserver where my music is
stored/hosted is down..I’ve put up Louis from another site, but this has happened before,
and I think I’ll start looking for a more reliable home for my music files
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Pursuit
I will pursue the Lord my God
Who gives me life and breath
Who came in matchless love
as man,
and broke the curse of death.
Sing out, oh, heavens;
Stars rejoice!
The One Who made all things
Does see us all
with eyes of love
And so creation sings.
He sees me in my Falt’ring way
He knows my ev’ry sin
And though His law would cast me out;
His mercy takes me in.
..to kingdoms un-perceived by man;
To treasures yet unknown;
To joy and love in knowing Him
Which year by year have grown.
So I’ll pursue
the Lord of all
Who paid my debt of death.
And seek to sing the star-sung song
With every pulse and breath.
©aug 2006…james a. smallish
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For a while now, I’ve had it in mind to share some of the self-published
poetry of a woman I met while in my 20′s. She was in her 70′s
at the time, and I had the privilege of meeting her, and performing
in a “poetic play” which she’d composed. Her name is Hazel Littlefield-Smith
DO NOT LOOK BACK
Night is a door locked fast on yesterday
Behind which half our woes are healed by sleep
And half are soon transmuted to the deep,
Pure rhythm of the earth-song when we pray.
But if some sleepless memory out-stay
The night or morning winds bring back again
Echoes of long-lost laughter and old pain,
Turn to the hills and take the steepest way.
Do not look back lest your remembering heart
Become a salty pillar of regret
That cannot be dissolved by tears and time.
Deciphering in dawn-lit skies the chart
Of daring distance you may journey yet,
Exult in your resurgent strength, and climb!
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As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
(Ps 103:12)
I press on (looking forward) toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 3:14; jimmish revised version)
Keep your eyes forward, friends! Blessings… Jim
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