Tag: faith

Weapons-grade Joy

On By Charis PsalloIn Just folks, Mountains, Music7 Comments
He's got the whole world in His hands
He’s got the Whole World in His Hands…

A  friend used the term “weapons-grade joy” today and it reminded me of this day, just over a year ago.

My daughter and I decided to take a student, who was visiting from Germany, on a little hike. She volunteered to carry one of the children in a backpack carrier and my daughter carried the other on her back. I, of course, carried the camera –and some crackers and milk and extra diapers.

On the way back down the hill the lovely student and our little granddaughter, who was about 2 ½ years old at the time, began to sing, “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”  Like all joyful toddlers she shouted, “Again!” at the end of every verse, adding her own suggestions for who God had in his hands this time. By the time we reached the bottom of the trail she had placed every person, pet and animate and inanimate object she could think of in His hands.

There was some weapons-grade joy launched that day. Our young friend couldn’t believe that a walk through the neighbourhood in this part of Canada could look like this, and the rest of us got to enjoy the concert of praise.

It was a good day.

Out of the mouth of babies and infants,

you have established strength because of your foes,

to still the enemy and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)

“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:11)

From Eager Hill, November
From Eager Hill, November
Going Up
Going Up

 

Sing our Way Home
Singing our Way Home

 

 

 

Down by the Creek

On By Charis PsalloIn Music, Photography, Water, Winter11 Comments
Skimming
Skimming the Surface

Icicles
Icicles

Contact

Contact
Flow
Flow
Baubles
Baubles
Black ice
Black ice
Bend
Bend

It seemed so dull and dreary I almost didn’t go out today. I’m glad I did.

There is grace even on dull days.

God is good.

Presumption

On By Charis PsalloIn Black and white, Man made, Photography, UncategorizedLeave a comment
Building up
Building up and knocking down

I’ve been cleaning house in preparation for Christmas.

OK, the truth is I needed to mail some presents and by the time we dragged out the boxes of tree decorations and cards with mismatched envelopes and holly jolly wrinkled wrap the place was a disaster. I had to get Grampie to move the portable table saw and the camping equipment out first to get at it and that led to a multitude of forgotten junk, old toys and sports equipment from years past spilling out of the tiny storage room under the stairs as well. I had no choice; there was no hiding this stuff. Some thingys had been there so long we forgot we had them and had gone out and bought new thingys when we needed them. Six air mattresses. Really?

So I have been cleaning and sorting and hauling stuff to the thrift shop.

In the middle of my trying to pare down Grampie brought home a big box of wooden blocks he found at a going-out-of business sale. Since we have four grandchildren under the age of three and a half — soon to be five grandchildren– the purchase of blocks does make sense. They love to build to build castles and high towers. Well, some like to build up –and some cannot resist knocking down. They don’t always have the same plans. The little boys especially presume the whole point of building blocks is the satisfying crashing sound they make when they plow through a structure in their stocking feet. That’s when we need to talk about understanding that we need to find out if the other kid wanted their tower knocked down or not. Pay attention. Listen. Usually an adult suggests a plan and gets the kids working together on a project. When it’s done they can all knock it down.

As I was cleaning and sorting, looking for a place to put them, it seemed like a good time to do a little spiritual house cleaning too, what with all the reminders of advent and John the Baptist and repentance and preparing the way and all that, so I asked the Lord to show me any hidden sins –you know, like in the song, “Create in me a clean heart, Oh Lord, and renew a right spirit within me, and see if there be any hurtful way in me.”

Sigh. Dangerous prayer. When I decided to deal with the obvious, other junk I had forgotten about just kept pouring out of my heart closet.

OK, the need to confess sins of omission and sins of commission I understand; some hidden ones in my blind spot became painfully obvious too. Not fun, but God is quite willing to forgive when we are willing to agree with him and it feels good to be clean. Then I ran across this verse about presumptuous sins.

Who can discern his errors?
Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me! (Psalm 19: 12, 13)

I asked a few people who seem to be a little further ahead on the road than I what they thought it meant.

A kind, wise woman answered, “The sin of presumption is thinking  Jesus came to fulfill our plans rather than that He came to equip us to fulfill his.”

I like this. I need to remember to ask God what His plans are before I go barging through something he is building up -or before I scramble to fix something he is tearing down. I need to ask him what his priorities are, then take the blocks he gives me and work alongside him. Like my husband says, “God’s a good listener, but he doesn’t take direction well.”

Sorry, Lord. Thank you for forgiving me.

The Good Mentor

On By Charis PsalloIn Mountains, Photography8 Comments
The Road
The Road

 

The good mentor always tries to work himself or herself out of a job.

The good mentor is not afraid to say,

“You have caught up with me.

Now pass me.

Keep going.

And don’t look back.”

There are rules and then there are guidelines

On By Charis PsalloIn Man made, Photography, Trees and forests, Winter2 Comments
Rules and Guidelines
Man-made Posts and God-made Trees

You don`t obey your way into love; you love your way into obeying.  -Chris Hewko

You should be free to serve each other in love.

For after all, the whole Law toward others is summed up by this one command,

‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’.

(Galatians 4:13, 14)

Never stop them

On By Charis PsalloIn Just folks4 Comments

snowsuit pencil chThe Polka-dot Snowsuit

Then some people came to him bringing little children for him to touch. The disciples tried to discourage them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant and told them, “You must let little children come to me—never stop them! For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Indeed, I assure you that the man who does not accept the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and laid his hands on them and blessed them. (Mark 10:13-16)

I love to watch children learn. They can be so hungry for knowledge. Our daughter and son-in-law have instituted a time of blessing as part of the bedtime ritual. Our little granddaughter calls it “kind words time.” I wish I had thought of this. They just soak it up. Not only does this practice reinforce positive character traits, but the children learn how to say kind words to others. There is nothing as heart-melting as a cuddly two-year old boy who says, “Thank you, Nana. You are good, and gentle, aaaaaand kind. I wuv you.”

Our three-year old granddaughter craves knowledge. She is so hungry for it. She loves letter games and is starting to read. We can easily lose track of the number of times in a day she asks why or how. The other night, as she tucked her in, her Mommy told her she was kind, and loving and inquisitive.

“What’s inquisitive?’’ she asked.

“It means you like to ask a lot of questions,” Mommy said.

“Why do I ask a lot of questions?”

“We’ll talk about it in the morning. Night, night, sweetie.”

Her ten-year old cousin is also inquisitive. That girl uses Google and Wikipedia as much as I do. When she was younger and her Daddy couldn’t think of a Bible story she didn’t already know she told him, “Daddy, you’re my pastor too, so I expect you to go into your office and study your Bible harder so you can tell me more.” She asked for botany textbooks for Christmas last year. Her younger brother is fascinated by knights and medieval warfare. He practises his gaming skills with the intensity of an officer in training. Both of them get in trouble for reading under the blankets with flashlights.

Our three-year old grandson constantly pushes the limits for the number of stories read to him, always asking for just one more, prolonging the time he spends with Mommy and Daddy. When his Daddy stopped for a minute to run an errand and joked that Mommy got to sit in the car and listen to little guy’s  favourite song on the CD player eight more times, he piped up from the back seat, “Nine more?”

He patiently taught me the names of all his toy trains (with their numbers) so I could keep up. If play is the work of children, he is a very hard worker.

The baby is intent on following the cat everywhere. This pursuit has already gained her some advanced hunting skills as well a friend in McGyver.

I was wondering what child-like characteristics Jesus was talking about when he said we must learn to accept the kingdom as children. There is trust and belief and dependency, of course, but I wonder if child-likeness is also about the intense quest for both knowledge and relationship. I wonder if the Lord enjoys watching us pursue wisdom and understanding, if he enjoys leaving puzzles and toys around for us to delight in, and if the reason he doesn’t answer all our whys is because he wants us to come to him and keep asking more.

I’m sure His heart is melted when we say, “Thank you for the bread, Abba. You are good, you are gentle and you are kind. I love you –very much.”

White

On By Charis PsalloIn Man made, Photography, Trees and forests, Winter4 Comments
Frost
Frost

longview frost house crop chDSC_0003

He launches his promises earthward—
    how swift and sure they come!
He spreads snow like a white fleece,
    he scatters frost like ashes

(Psalm 147)

Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep No More

On By Charis PsalloIn Music, Sky, Trees and forests, Uncategorized4 Comments

more than this

After hearing reports from friends this weekend who were eye witnesses to marvelous goings on in other parts of the world where people are hungry for God and Holy Spirit came in power, I actually felt a little discouraged. I wept. Why not here?

We are so comfortable, so complacent. Would we walk two days to have the chance to learn more about Jesus Christ? Would we meet night after night, year, after year, to pray for our people and for those who would try to stifle and kill us, like they do in places where being passionate about your beliefs means laying your life on the line?

We are I am so complacent. The biggest problem taking up space in my worry quotient right now is how to get my dishwasher fixed when the only repairman in town is going on vacation for a month. God forgive me.

There must be more than this.

After a night of waking to the sound of weeping and wailing (I really don’t know where it came from) I got up with the chorus of this song on repeat in my head. I’m learning to pay attention to things like that. I haven’t heard it in years and I didn’t know any of the other words until I found a YouTube version with subtitles (such as they are). It spoke to my heart. It is God who parts the waters, not me. My task is simply to keep my eyes on him.

He is up to something. Just watch.

Bruce Springsteen, the prophet. Who knew? Enjoy.

(Mary probably refers to Mary of Bethany who wept for her brother Lazarus before Jesus raised him from the dead. Apparently the “booing” sound at the end is actually people calling “Bruce, Bruuuuuce” and “smoked the world with a 2×4” should be “smote the waters.”)