cultivate

Jeff Venard told me about the word "cultivate" today after the men's breakfast. the topic at the men's breakfast was "a man and his wife" which, i don't have one, but i hope to some day. Jeff wasn't the speaker, but we were talking afterward and he said that the word "cultivate" which is used of men and how they are supposed to take care of their relationships with their wives is the same word used of what you do with your garden. you take care of it, water it, prepare the soil, prune it, plant it, enjoy its shade and rejoice in its produce.

...just a thought.

samuel rutherford

got a book at the Shepherd's Conference by Samuel Rutherford called "The Loveliness of Christ" It's basically just a collection of quotes from him that i guess people collected from letters he had written. this one stuck out to me a few weeks ago and i've been reading it almost every day since:

O wretched idol, myself! when shall I see thee wholly decourted, and Christ wholly put in thy room? O, if Christ, Christ, had the full place and room of myself, that all my aims, purposes, thoughts, and desires, would coast and land upon Christ, and not upon myself! And yet, howbeit we cannot attain to this denial of me and mine that we can say I am not myself, myself is not myself, mine own is no longer mine own; yet our aiming at this in all we do shall be accepted; for, alas, I think I shall die but minting and aiming to be a Christian.

5 martyrs

just about done reading "Through Gates of Spendor" by Elisabeth Elliot. I highly recommend it, it's a quick read and a great book. i only have the two epilogues left to go...which look really good, i started reading the second one but figured i should stop since it's getting late. but i wanted to share these quotes with you...

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." ~Jim Elliot

"Obedience is not a momentary option; it is a diecast decision made beforehand." ~Nate Saint

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." ~Jim Elliot

"When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die." ~Jim Elliot

"That is the most beautiful little cemetery in the world."
~Marj Saint after being flown over the martyrs' common grave

"We look forward to the day when these savages will join us in Christian praise." ~Elisabeth Elliot

The book finishes with this excerpt from Jim Elliot's journal:

    I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God--what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes--ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.
    O Jesus, Master and Center and End of all, how long before that Glory is thine which has so long waited Thee? Now there is no thought of Thee among men; then there shall be though for nothing else. Now other men are praised; then none shall care for any other's merits. Hasten, hasten, Glory of Heaven, take Thy crown, subdue Thy Kingdom, enthrall Thy creatures."

tetelestai

"everybodyduck" is my favorite band, and this is one of my favorite "everybodyduck" songs ever. i really thought i had already posted it on my blog, but i searched for it earlier today and couldn't find it. so i'm posting it now. the lyrics convey very well how much God loves us...

Have you ever felt like no one really loved you
Well, Lord, these days that's just exactly how I feel
I'm just so plain next to these shining stars around me
And in my loneliness before You now I kneel

I see Your failure every morning in the mirror
confirming unkind words that I try to ignore
and I know all the sins inside that no one else sees
I feel so worthless, Lord, can't see what I'm here for

chorus:
When there's no love, I have You, Lord
before the earth was formed Your plan for me You knew
and in this day when something's worth is based on
what someone would pay
it's nice to know I'm worth one Jesus to you
it's nice to know I'm worth one Jesus to you

I can't quite understand how one like You could love me
with every sin I know I'm not a pretty sight
yet I can't count the times You wrapped Your arms around me
despite the blackness of my heart You held me tight

You knew all along that I could never buy my freedom
the price for all my sin was more than I could bear
You sent Your only Son as payment for my burden
a perfect sacrifice for all mankind to share

chorus

So when I feel this life of mine has no real value
and there's no one who'd care if I should live or die
I remember just how much You gave to have me
You paid so much for something no one else would buy.

everybodyduck
tetelestai