Take of this, my heart's dearest

Will best Thy glory show.

Watching eyes, that through my pain
Others may find healing, restful balm--
And from my barren songlessness, a divine psalm--
So all may see that, supreme in love, Thou dost reign.


Take of this, the ashes of my heart's dearest
Use, use, as Thou dost know
Will best fulfill Thy purpose for me here below.

Teach me again that Thy golden best
Is better than my highest tinsel dreams.
Thy heart is tender, Thy love wise;
Thou dost not waste pain, or brokenness despise.
Of my ashes Thou takest, & in grace, from them a diamond redeems.

 

 

(At age 6 months)




(This January)

Three years ago today, my buddy "Winnie Woo" was born.  He was just a tiny rat-sized ball of gray-and-white fur then.   He had long hair that stood up on his head making him look like he had an "afro" hairdo.




He's a cat-sized mischievous "Wascal" now.  What's that?  Why call him cat-sized?  Well, that's because he's a cat.  Oh, now you are wondering why I said he was a mischievous "Wascal" (that's my Winnie-fied version of "rascal")?  See my first answer; that says it all.  Cats are always getting into trouble, but they always look so mournful when discovered that it's hard to punish them.

(For the record, his official name is Winston Churchill.  I wanted a person-type name for the little guy--and my friend suggested Winston Churchill, which immediately appealed to me.  I think Mr. Churchill wouldn't mind.  I've read he liked cats.)

But really, he's a great feline friend.  Of course, he likes to sneak into the chicken house or hop up into the feed bucket to eat chicken food, really needs a bath (!!!) is a little stubborn at times, likes to roll around in the chickens' water dish (before the water is put in), jumps into the sink when you are getting water and tries to drink from the faucet, pesters you ("Meeeow, meeeow!"*dashes toward food dish and fixes you with pleading eyes*) until you feed him, and gets tangles in his hair.  However, I assure you that his merits outweigh his demerits.  And he knows the difference between wild birds and my baby chicks--he's smart and leaves the chickens in peace.  I taught him they were his friends when he was just a baby:



I love living things--especially little animals.  When God gave Winnie to me, it was at a stressful time in my life.  The encouragement and blessing that little kitten brought me then was great.  I carried him around on my shoulder and sometimes he'd put his paws around my neck and give me a hug.  He's much bigger now, and doesn't like to be held as much, but we're just as good friends as ever.  He's my cat, and I'm "his human" and we both know it.

Me and my pal

The most wonderful thing about Winnie is his loving heart.  He puts up with us, and loves us, even though some of my family members forget and call him "she" a lot (we mistakenly thought he was a girl once, you see).  He's shy toward strangers, but once he knows you, he loves you with his whole little heart--and voicebox.  You really should hear him purr. 

He loves to play with me and chew (gently!) on my fingers.

God gave humans dominion over the animals.  He knew that they would need our care--and that we'd need and enjoy the love and joy they give.  So when I look at my cat, I thank God for giving him to me and smile, knowing that God loves animals too, and cares for them more than I ever can.  And in His care for even the smallest of animals, we see a tiny picture of His great love and providence.  "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:26) I know that even my cat is more deserving of God's love than I; my cat has committed no sin, yet I have committed many, and deserve punishment, not love--though in His grace He proclaims me to be "worth much more" than the birds of the air and has bestowed His saving love on me.

Thank You, Father, for Your great love.  Thank You for saving me and not giving me what my sin deserved but paying the penalty Yourself on the cross, that You might bring me into fellowship with Yourself.  And thank You for giving me Winnie, to remind me of You and Your love.

     

There is one job that pays an infinite amount,
provides eternal restful retirement* benefits,
and offers supernatural Sovereign health care. . . .

but it's not your typical job. . .
it doesn't require an 8-hour day or even a 12-hour. . .
it's more like 24-7. . .

yet there isn't particularly the same amount of work to be done each day,
and the Employer knows there are times
when we feel so sick or sad that we don't think we are doing any "work" at all. . .
But we are, because it is a job that is based on a relationship with the Employer,
and because it is a job that measures the devotion and direction of our heart,
not how much physical or mental effort we put into it on a given day. . .

It is a job. . .
that is so much more than a job,
it is LIFE.
Serving & Loving God. . .
Is the Christian's occupation.
I wouldn't trade my job for the world. . .
"For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, but lose his own soul?"
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*We won't really "retire" as the term is used today--we'll still be loving God in Heaven--but it will be much easier without the pains and temptations of down here!

What is this???
Yes,
It is a chicken.
(Wearing a bonnet!)


I got her to wear a little white dress, too!
She didn't seem to mind a bit, except that the dress kept tangling up her feet.
"She" is a sweet & spunky pet Delaware hen whom I have unofficially called Sally.  I may name her something different later, though. In the pictures she is about 3 months old. . .(taken end of November). . .now she is full grown and will be laying soon! 


Doesn't she look quite the prairie chick?

Without hope
Life is a whirlwind
A confused dizziness,
A sickening swirl.

Without hope
There is no comfort
That can last,
No joy that can endure.

Without hope
Pain will always ache
Scars never fade
Tears won't stop falling

Without hope
The sun rising
Is only the sign
That it will soon set again

Without hope
The winter is too cold
The summer is too warm
Nothing can satisfy

Without hope
Love gained is only
Love that will likely be lost
Joy is only the prelude to pain

Without hope
Hard work only builds
What will crumble,
Purpose only accomplishes futility.

Without hope
Why should anyone live,
Why should tomorrow come?
There is no worthwhile future.

Without hope
The grave is the end
And life a long dying
Full of broken dreams

Without hope
Nothing seems to matter
Today or tomorrow,
Alike full of empty.



----------------------------------

Are you living without hope?

Has your heart ever cried, "I can't go on like this? I can't conquer this pain, I can't straighten out this confusion, I am at the end of me!" ?

My heart has.

Do you ever feel, "My days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no hope?"


Or, can the hope which you claim prove strong enough to withstand everything?  Can your hope carry you victoriously through life, and make you face death with joy?

Let me tell you, I have a hope. . .
Which gives me purpose for my life
Which gives me meaning for each day
Which lights my path
Which gives me strength to endure
Which gives me joy that sorrow can't kill
Which comforts my pain--
Which makes me understand there is nothing random (but that there is a plan)
Which makes me not fear death--but view it as the gateway to joy
Which promises me life after death--forever life, eternal life. . .
------------------------------


"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast
and one which enters within the veil, [goes beyond death]. . .

'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I have hope in Him.' . . .

. . .For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world should be saved through Him.
He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

. . . These have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing you may have life in His name.

. . .Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life;
 he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies. . . .

. . .Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven,
of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel. . . .

. . .And I saw another angel flying in midheaven,
having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth,
and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;
 and he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory,
 because the hour of His judgment has come;
and worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters."

 . . .Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace. . . .

. . .'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord,' plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. . . .



(Hebrews 6:19, Lamentations 3:24, John 3:16-18, John 20:31, John 11:25, Colossians 1:5, Revelation 14:6-7, 2 Thessalonians 2:16, Jeremiah 29:11)