Lent Day 8: Just pretending, or Liar Liar

This is a repost of an earlier blog, even as I'm examining my own life during Lent for integrity and truth-telling. Hope you enjoy it. RK

---

Do you ever feel like your whole life is one big hideout? Like you're just pretending to be a real person? "Could you live unveiled? Or do you feel forced to pretend?" That's what I've been asking myself.

I read this in the morning:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
And we all, who with unveiled faces reflect the Lord’s glory,
are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, 

which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NIV

That got me thinking about what it would be like to live "unveiled." 

I found a few interesting studies about living untruthfully:

• All of us lie. 
• We lie often.
• Kids learn to lie from watching their parents.
• We invent many excuses for telling lies.
• Lying becomes easier with practice.
• Books on lying have become best-sellers: the subject is compelling and universally practised.

Are you comfortable telling the truth? With having others know everything about you?

My college roommate is one in a million. She decided a few years ago to be honest about everything. Spending time with her is refreshing.

Though she's very nice about it, she's willing to be known as herself, rather than hiding behind PC assumptions. She's not mean, but if she isn't interested in seeing something, she'll let you know. If she doesn't agree, she says so. If she wants to do one thing and not the other, eat a particular food and not another, go here but not there ... just ask her. She'll tell you.

"What do other people think about you being so honest?" I asked her.

"Some people like it and some don't," she admitted. "But I live to please God, who is Truth. This is who I am. Who God made me. And I am willing not to be liked when I tell the truth."

What liberty! How would my unveiled face look to my family? To my neighbor? My coworker? My friends at church? The teammates where I volunteer?

In what ways have you told the truth or concealed it? What were the consequences?

Read more: 

*The Lord is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. Psalm 98:9 NLT

*My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth. Psalm 108:1-5 NIV

*I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2 NIV

*Jesus said, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work." John 4:34 NLT

*See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 ESV

---

An anonymous poem found in her mom's old Bible, shared by my friend Sylvia Stewart: 

I am not strong till Thou has clasped my hand,
I am not fit till by Thy side I stand,
I am not brave till Thou hast come to me;
Till Thou has bound me fast, I am not free.

Moravian Prayer: Lord, we wait for you. We know you are coming for us. We know that all things come from you. We are thankful for your presence surrounding us. Grant us wisdom to see your work in us today and every day. Amen.

Lent Day 6: Please rock the boat

How is God rocking your world? Is your little ship in squalls of health, job, or finances? You on the move?  God is the one who can set you safely on the next shore. (Maybe it's even time to jump ship entirely and learn to swim!) For a start, let's take a deep breath, say a prayer of thanks, and trust that the one who made the waves will calm the storms and see us through.

W and I are on a mini-vacation, catching our breath during W's Spring Break. We treasure time together, staying on a friend's boat for two nights. We've had a few tiring weeks and full weekends between. We love itineration, and are overwhelmed by the kindness and welcome of the churches.

Our mission coworkers who are also on itineration do this full time, visiting church to church, contact to contact, asking for help in going to missions. However, W's still teaching at Northwest U through May; we only have weekends to enlist partners.

It's interesting to hear how many people are maxed out on giving. Givers give and find it a glorious privilege to invest in God's mission, to plant a legacy in places we may never go. But some have never made mission giving (investing in God's mission with our hours at work =salary ) a part of their lives.

At this point, W and I are coming to the wire. We see the finish line of our Seattle life as we're prepping for a new life. We're getting our vaccines, paring down the final stuff, and thinking about the move to Indonesia, now just 3 months away. Our departure is one season away ... when summer comes, we'll be gone.We can start applying for visas once we have pledges for merely $1500/month more. We're almost there!

We're asking all those who are excited about this calling, who have encouraged us, and who have thought about supporting us to step forward now. To rock their boats, cast aside complacency, and throw out their nets to see what's in them. How has God provided for you? How are you part of his mission?

Will you help send us to the unreached, to those who swim in uncharted waters? We trust that God is laying on many hearts the burden we feel. With your help, with large and small gifts, we'll be on our way. Thanks for coming alongside to send us out! Click here to donate.

May your ship sail safely today. Blessings and peace for your Lenten journey!

Read more:
*I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the Lord. Psalm 118:17 ESV

*"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:55-58  NIV

*Paul wrote: Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death so that we would rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Gracious Lord and God, may the simple joy and certain knowledge of our salvation move us to take up your great good work. May your Spirit move in our hands and in our hearts. Amen.

Lent Day 5: Light reflectors

Have you ever seen spots dance on your retina when you get caught by a burst of bright light? Sometimes it takes a while to fade.

I love the story of Moses, God's friend. After meeting with God, his face would glow with Presence. He put a veil over so no one could see it fade away.

Today I'm wondering how many of us get close enough to God's brilliance to shine on those around us. Christians are sometimes described as the moon, reflecting the light of God's Son to the world. Don't you want to be a bright reflection of his grace and truth?

What hard work are you and I willing to undertake to smooth out the rough places so light could stream off us without distortion?  What discipline would it require? What surrender of selfish interests?

Read more:
*Today's prayer (thanks for this, M): Oh Christ, the brightness of God's glory, and express image of his person, whom death could not conquer, nor the tomb imprison; as you have shared our mortal frailty in the flesh, help us to share your immortal triumph in the spirit. Let no shadow of the grave affright us and no fear of darkness turn our hearts from you. Reveal yourself to us as the first and the last, the Living One, our immortal Savior and Lord. Amen. (Henry Van Dyke)

Lent Day 4: It's complicated

Do you find life complicated? Some people try to make everything bigger, harder, weirder, or more dangerous than needed. I prefer things simple. Direct. When they're embracing rather than off-putting.

"Are you afraid?" people often ask us, about our call to Indonesia. Some wonder if the move from here to there is so huge and complex that it will suck the breath out of us.

Well, yes and no, as far as fear goes. We're not afraid of volcanos, violence, or opposition. Stuff happens here as well as there, and there's no safer place than under God's watchful eye. We'll try almost anything once (including food). The big thing for us? God shows up every time his people gather, so that's a delight we're anticipating.

We are occasionally cautious or feel trepidation about what we don't yet know. How will it go 'over there'? Will we learn the language? Will we fit in and love the culture (as we expect)?

The planning is complicated. And perhaps the landing will be, too.

That said, God assures us that we CAN understand his intentions through scripture. We don't have to make trusting him more complicated than it is. The secret stuff belongs to him (Deut. 29:29) and the rest belongs to us. The goal is obedience that leads to abundant life in Christ.

During Lent, let's open our hearts and our minds to receive the gospel (Good News). Let's embrace the things we know, don't know, and our fears.

Surely a God who could perfectly spin the Earth on its axis can help us negotiate today and tomorrow!

Read more:
*They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read. Nehemiah 8:8 NIV

*The large crowd was listening to Jesus with delight. Mark 12:37 ESV

Moravian Prayer: May your Word, Lord, go out to all the world. May all who follow your precepts find great delight in loving one another—and serving you. Amen.

Lent Day 3: Who are you with?

Who are you with? And who is with you?

Last morning, I met with credentialed women (including a pastor, therapist, and missionaries), cup of tea in hand.

I had lunch and shared our new calling to Indonesia with 15 women. They've met for decades to pray for missionaries and each other. Most are in their 70s-90s. The food was home-cooked, the company warm and inviting, and the prayers sincere.

Finally, W and I relaxed with six dear friends in a nearby suburb. The candles were lit, the cheesecake looked delicious (can't have any = Lent, but it looked good!), and the conversation and prayers were uplifting.

We don't often get so many hugs and affirmations in a day. When we do, we tuck them away to treasure as memories later.

Jesus likewise drew a small circle around him. He had many followers surrounding him with their curiosity, interest in the things of God, and their needs.

His transparency - the laughter, the jokes, the crying, the preaching, the teaching - amazes me. There was no coverup or pretense. No hiding behind social conventions. He asked his closest friends, "Are you with me? Who do you think I am?"

And he felt abandoned and lonely when they fell asleep and left him to pray on his own. "Couldn't you hang out just for an hour?" he asked them. He needed their support and companionship for the final walk to crucifixion.

I wonder, would you and I have stayed awake? Would we have stayed close if our Friend was threatened and on the road to the cross? Probably not.

Would you and I have understood the enormity of Jesus' accomplishments in life and death? Could we have grasped the power of the resurrection? That's doubtful, too.

Yet Jesus invites us to live in His presence - today, tomorrow, and every day. Knowing how imperfect, how faithless, and how fickle we are, He says, "Come. Drink of the water of life. Come close. Find abundant life with Me and in Me."

Today I say, "I'm with you, Jesus. I'm in!" Then, when I dash away, distracted or look away, ashamed by my sleepiness or sin, I'm coming back.

You also? Who are you with today?

Read more:
*David found strength in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6 NIV

*O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure. Isaiah 25:1 ESV

*For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1 ESV

Moravian Prayer: God, lift us. Hold us. Support us. Empower us. Grant us the courage to throw off the shackles of sin. We long to stand before this world worthy to be called the people of God. Strengthen us, O Lord! Amen.

Lent Day 2: Is your glass full or empty?

A scene we'll miss: MT rivers

How life feels depends on our focus. Ditto for Lent.

Participants choose to dwell on what they're doing without (feeling deprived) or on what they're gaining (feeling full and satisfied in Christ).

This year is filled with change for W and me. We're transitioning from life-as-we-know-it to a completely new environment (moving from Seattle to Indonesia), tackling new work (from university faculty to language students), and experiencing a new culture (from American to Indonesian). We don't have much concrete information, but we assume:

1. There will be more unknowns than certainties in our future
2. We will experience many shocks in transitioning to a foreign land
3. We're moving into a vibrant and old culture, finding new friendships and participating in adventures we couldn't dream up "back home"
4. God has called us to this so we're excited to go
5. Every loss here prepares us to open our hands and hearts to new relationships and experiences there
6. Our glass is being emptied in order to be filled to the brim and overflowing

Beauty everywhere: we're leaving
our Seattle forest behind,
for the jungles of Indo

Aren't you grateful that God sent Jesus from the perfection of heaven to the messiness of earth? Until He experienced life and death among us, we could not be healed from what ails us.

So, does your glass feel empty or full? Are you focused on gratitude or worried about not having enough?

Here's a bonus for those of you interested in culture and how people live in other parts of the world? We'll be sending a weekly photo and cultural note from Bandung. If you'd like it emailed to you, send us your e-address: rosemee@hotmail.com with the subject line: Bandung.

Read more:

*They did not thirst when he led them through the deserts; he made water flow for them from the rock. Isaiah 48:21 ESV

*For this is what the high and exalted One says--he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 NIV

*Jesus says, "Those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life." John 4:14 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Lord, the waters of your Spirit refresh our souls and sustain us through the desert times of our lives. May your name ever be praised. Amen.

CS Lewis, from The Weight of Glory: 

If you asked twenty good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, nineteen of them would reply, Unselfishness. But if you had asked almost any of the great Christians of old, he would have replied, Love. You see what has happened? A negative term has been substituted for a positive, and this is of more than philological importance. The negative idea of Unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves, as if our abstinence and not their happiness was the important point. 

I do not think this is the Christian virtue of Love. The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self- denial as an end in itself. We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. 

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Ash Wednesday: the start of less and more

Images and more info: Conservapedia

Those who saved their braided palm cross from last year's Palm Sunday may burn it today, pulling the ashes across their foreheads in the shape of a cross. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

It's the beginning of Lent today. I'm still wresting with my disciplines. Two of them will be deprivations - one of a certain kind of media that I enjoy and the other a food that I crave. One will be a discipline of prayer.

I'm a long-term calendar entry/ incremental task-maker/ don't look ahead until you have to/ survivalist. I've never looked ahead 40 days at the beginning of Lent for Easter on the calendar. Today it hit me, in light of our going to Indonesia in June: "Easter is April 20. That's a long way off! I may never have the chance to watch the programs or eat the foods I'm giving up. It will take time to pray this way. Do I really want to do this?"

Well, the answer is...

no. I don't want to.

Why should I? Why not indulge and carry on with the things that provide pleasure and put off a spiritual chore?

This is why: Lent isn't about us or what we give up. It's about remembering what Christ gave up for us. The disciplines are only a picture and an identification with Jesus. We put aside a little in gratitude for the enormity of His sacrifices on our behalf.

Regardless of my lackluster enthusiasm this morning, I set my face toward the life and death of Jesus.

Why Lenten disciplines? Why this season of remembrance in our spiritual journey?

Because of gratitude. Thankful hearts. And the remembrance that God who gave everything for us is worthy of worship and all our devotion. "Serve God with all your heart, soul, body," Jesus said.

That's a challenge worth taking on in this small way. There may be no smudge on my forehead, but there's a cross engraved on my heart.

Read more:
Ash Wednesday — Joel 2:1-2,12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6,16-21

*And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV

*They will fight against you; but they shall not prevail against you, for I am with you, says the Lord, to deliver you. Jeremiah 1:19 ESV

*The chief priests and the scribes kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. Mark 11:18 ESV

Moravian Prayer: We depart from our daily routines to journey into the wilderness of Lent. Travel with us, Jesus. Lend us your courage, strength, and perseverance, that we might share your Easter victory. Amen.

Mardi Gras: deader than a doornail

Around the world, today will be marked with excesses of pleasures, eating, and crossing normal social boundaries. It's Mardi Gras. For many, that means a day of celebrating everything bad before they're supposed to be contrite and good (Lent).

This reading caught my eye this morning:

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" Galatians 2:20-21 NIV

So, on this Mardi Gras:

1. I'm not pretending to being anyone. I don't have to live up to anyone's expections. It's not that I'm bad or good. I'm dead.
2. Dead is necessary for a fabulous new life. To live fully present, the person I used to be had to be fully surrendered to God. I've given over my old stuff to live an entirely different kind of life.
3. Deadness is not something I can accomplish. God's grace has done this. Grace means He's pronounces, "Girl, you're good!" Without His grace, I'm ... well, not only bad ... but nothing at all.
4. I'm God's beloved, ransomed from useless things and a meaningless life. He did what I couldn't imagine, so I can live and revel in His love.
5. Whoo hoo! So excited to be living this abundant life on Mardi Gras. I don't have to get drunk, dress weird or go naked, or prance around, shaming myself publicly to show off. I won't have a hangover tomorrow morning or feel sick to my stomach because I did something stupid. Nope. That's not me anymore. 

Jesus promised "life, and that more abundantly." (John 10:10) With all my junk and stuff still sloughing off the old me, I remind myself that a corpse is not tempted nor drawn into bad things. It's dead. But I'm not just dead - I've been raised to new life.

I'm jumping around with happiness and glee. Unmasked. Best Mardi Gras ever!

Read more:

*Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 ESV

*I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. Isaiah 43:11 ESV

*Now the word of the LORD came to [Jeremiah] saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 

Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." 

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." 

Then the LORD put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." Jeremiah 1: 4-10 NRSV

*The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17 NIV

Moravian Prayer: Sovereign God, you are the one true God, our Savior. You sent your Son to earth, to live among us and to redeem us. Grant us the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge to know you more fully each day. Give us thankful hearts for your many blessings. Amen.

Did you know Lent starts Wednesday?

An Ash Cross

Lent is 40 days long = 6 1/2 weeks (minus Sundays, which the Church counts as feast- rather than fast-days). Catholics prepare tomorrow with the feast of Mardi Gras. The Lenten season begins with Ash Wednesday. (Subscribe to my daily Lenten blog on the right or in a reader feed.)

Travel broadens the horizons, they say. One of the best spiritual surprises while living in England was how much I love Lent. It's a time of deprivation. Of reflective loss. Of putting aside.

But mostly, it's a communal season for joy and gratefulness during the countdown to the celebrations of Easter. Jesus left the wonders and perfection of heaven to live with us. In the Church calendar, we set aside 40 days for a deeper awareness of God's goodness. Protestants tend to get caught up in Christmas (the arrival of the heavenly babe) and Easter (Jesus death and resurrection). We sometimes forget to live out the model of God-among-us-in-Christ that falls between.

During Lent we consider how Jesus willingly suffered to repay our debts to God. How he bridged the gap between our heavenly Father and us by taking our sins from us. How His glorious resurrection demonstrates our hopeful future. (Ah... don't you love the anticipation of new life during Lent?)

Prayer is one of the focuses of the Lenten season. This year, I'm going to find the prayers of scripture and make them - one at a time - my meditation for a day.

What ways of praying have been meaningful or helpful to you? Please share them with us.

Read more:
*The ransomed of the Lord shall return, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 51:11 ESV

*Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. Isaiah 55:6-11 NLT

*In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 1:6 (NIV)

Moravian Prayer: Save us, O God, from the worldly distractions and petty obstacles that capture us daily. Release us from the bondage of grief and sorrow and self-pity, that we might ever enjoy the blessings you bring. Amen.

Sprouting all over the place

British accountants, having fun for charity

Even accountants like to have fun! Our CPA d-i-love is one of the most creative people I've met. Rebekah's clothes and hats are bright and beautiful; her taste in music and movies is far-ranging. (Not to mention her fabulous cooking. Lucky Jer!) You could hit me over the head with her spreadsheets and they'd make as much sense as when I look at them. And Rebekah's personality is as different than mine as are our interests and education.

That's a good thing! By design, each of us has a unique personality. Even among those who share similar gifts and education, our personality makes us stand out or step back.

Here's Wiki's definition: Personality is the particular combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual. In other words, the way you react to life IS your personality.

If you've been encouraged and cheered, you probably have a fairly stable look at life and expect good things. If someone constantly berated or put you down, chances are you withdraw until you feel safe. That's one part of personality.

Einstein got it right. (From ZsaZsa Bellagio)

Our attitudes toward faith, work, and play determine how we define ourselves and how people see us. Born into us is the desire to be big. To do things. Some people love to puzzle and craft. Others like physical labor. Still others prefer to grab a book and study. None is better than another.

Sometimes curiosity makes us sprout out all over the place. Our interests, shaped by where we are and who we are, draw us into new things. We may feel exhilarated by what we find. Peaceful. Fearful. Happy. Terrified. Breathless.

But our exploration of God's world surely pleases the One who made us all adventurers.

In several situations, I felt squeezed into a "smaller-please!" mode. The "accepted" box felt constraining. Limiting. Uncomfortable. I couldn't keep the lid down. Couldn't conform, no matter how hard I tried to please others. Finding myself losing my soul, I ran away. Escaped. Whew. Still me. Bursting out all over.

A happy art accident in 10-minutes of play during
worship at the NWMN Women's Conference 2013:
print, paint and collage (10"X12")

Today I have a few questions for you dear readers: feel free to answer one or more.

• Do you see yourself as a creative personality (whatever that means to you)? Why/ why not?
• What parts of you are creative and curious?
• Where has your curiosity led you? Has that been positive or not?
• What boundaries do you put on your curiosity?
• Who's the most creative person in your life now - and what do you like about them? What irritates you? (Someone told me once that my "very grateful" remark on a card irritated them. I asked why. "Well, can't you just write that you're grateful? Why do you have to be very all the time?" HAHA)
• What parts of your relationships, job, ministry, or play would you like to expand?

Personality develops through our responses to people and life. Having choices (God's gift of free will) means we won't always have positive experiences. We hurt and we get hurt. Step out and withdraw. Test the waters. Swim the seas. 

Why not start today, to be the best, most creative personality - the most "you" and the most "me" - as God intended us to be?

Read more:

*The Lord says, "You have seen how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." Exodus 19:4 ESV

*The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 ESV

*Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness. Psalm 145:4–7 NLT

*Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor. Proverbs 21:21 ESV

*But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

*[Love] does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 ESV

*Paul writes: I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6 ESV

Moravian Prayer: Lord God, Comforter, Protector, and Savior, our hearts are filled with joy as you hold us close to you. Never let us go. We thank you for your precious son Jesus, whose blood was shed to cleanse us of our sins. Keep us close to you Lord God, always. Amen.

C. S. Lewis, on conversion (from The Weight of Glory): Before I became a Christian I do not think I fully realized that one’s life, after conversion, would inevitably consist in doing most of the same things one had been doing before, one hopes, in a new spirit, but still the same things.