Sunrise, Sunset

Today, I watched Fiddler on the Roof with my little one for the first time. She didn't want it to be over. "Please, play it again, " she said. (We didn't.) As Teyve observed, "Wasn't it yesterday when they were small?"

There are so many interesting topics that come up during the course of the film. We talked about Jewish persecution, getting married, poverty and riches, the Jews rejection of Jesus Christ, and materialism. Not in that order and not in those exact words. Sometimes you forget that many things are "new" to our children. The idea that the Jewish nation as a whole has not accept Jesus as the Messiah was met with wide eyes. The fact the the Jews of "Fiddler" were run out of town simply because they were Jews lent itself to an interesting conversation. I asked, "What if someone passed a law that Christians weren't allow to live in our town?" I could see the  little "wheels" turning for a while. "Maybe we could just say that we weren't Christian, and they would leave us alone, " she said. "No, sweetheart, we cannot deny the Lord like that. We are not ashamed of him," I replied. "The home and things we have are just 'things'. We can leave them all behind, and trust Jesus to take care of us and He would."  "That's true," she replied. My little one is a problem solver, but she hadn't thought of everything.

It is such a joy to just sit and talk sometimes. Carefully answering little and big questions...the wonderings of a little child. I know the questions will get harder with age. The answers will need to take root in her own heart. Searching them out on her own from the Scripture, and observing the realities played out right in front of our eyes. God give us wisdom. We must make sure our ideas are not truly our own but His ideas. "Thinking God's thoughts after him."

On a lighter note, I look forward to introducing my little one to many new things. Many of my personal favorites like Jane Austen, Amy Carmichael, Beethoven, or Bach. Good things that will cultivate a good and tender heart. Enjoyable things to aid the imagination. Beautiful things to help her see the God of beauty and splendor.

"Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of falsehood: that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace."    
Psalm 144:11-12

Serve the Lord with Gladness

We all need this reminder from time to time. Psalm 100:2 says "Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Whether at home, church, in the community or among friends, our service to the Lord needs to come from a heart that is doing so to give glory to God. Everything we do can spread the love of Christ to others. Our world is so needy for genuine love. Someone to care and take an interest in people with no thought of "getting" something from anyone here on earth. It will require patience, time, and great wisdom. If we are too busy to serve the Lord with our lives, then we are too busy.

"Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." (I John 4:4)

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up." I Cor. 13:4

My Walk Heavenward

All of us are on a journey in life. Mine is one which takes me heavenward.  As a teenager I put my faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation. Having Christian parents or being the granddaughter of everyone's favorite Sunday School teacher was not enough to take me to heaven when my life on this earth was over. Simply trusting in Christ and accepting his free gift was. Seems simple, right?  It was. And my life was never the same. 

My direction changed that day. I began my walk heavenward. I know will learn much on this path for I am far from perfect. Some days I fight against God's will for my life. I get discouraged along the way. Other days I let sin have the upper hand. Then God looks down and gives my heart a "drop of honey" from His endless supply. Why did I doubt Him? or fear when He was always near? Because I am still learning. And so are you. Thank the Lord He is patient with me.

II Peter 3:18  "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

John 10:10-11  "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."


Walk Heavenward!