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In today’s devotional from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers excerpted from Isaiah 52:12, which reads:
But you will not leave in haste or go in flight;
for the LORD will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Chambers assures us that as we go forth into the coming year, “let it not be in the haste of impetuous, unremembering delight, nor with the flight of impulsive thoughtlessness, but with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us.”
Our world likes to head off in haste, sometimes without remembering with humility what’s past.
Or, perhaps I should be honest about myself. I often head off in haste without remembering where I’ve come from and what the Lord has done in my life. Remembering takes time. One must slow down, sit down, and dig down.
Part of New Year’s Eve is best spent looking back and remembering with gratitude what the Lord has accomplished. I have cause to celebrate many moments and events as I think back on the year or years before–joys and surprises, insights and encouragement, laughter and love, disciplining and pruning, growth and change.
In remembering, however, I dredge up regrets, as well…opportunities lost. Duties neglected. Love left unspoken. Failures. Harsh words slipping out. Goals unmet. Deadlines missed and late fees shelled out. Sins committed, confessed, repented of.
Chambers acknowledges this, as well. “Our yesterdays present irreparable things to us; it is true that we have lost opportunities which will never return, but…”
(take note of what he says next, because it is key to looking ahead)
“…God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future.”
And that’s how I like to approach any kind of review and goal-setting–with constructive thoughtfulness, resting in Christ for what is past and what is yet to come.
I would like to offer Chambers’ closing words as the closing words for 2008 on my blog, before the ball drops, the calendar page turns, and the permalink date on my posts pops up one number to 2009:
Leave the Irreparable Past in His hands, and step out into the Irresistible Future with Him.
In a very short time, we’ll ring in 2009.
To help launch the New Year and its accompanying resolutions, I’ll be hosting:
Mega Memory Month: January Edition
This is not the announcement.
This is just a teaser–January 1st is MMM Opening Day!
If you’re new to Mega Memory Month, you can familiarize yourself by visiting the initial post for the first-ever MMM in October 2008.
Each person determined what “mega” meant personally. As I pointed out a few posts ago, some participants, with more nimble minds offering greater capacity, tackled vast swaths of Scripture; while a few of us nibbled what tidbits we could. Regardless of the actual serving size, I believe we all feasted. We stretched ourselves. We swallowed as much as our systems could handle, and were nourished.
Most people chose a passage of Scripture, but I’m inviting and encouraging any category of memory work. If you would like to work on a poem, some music, a speech, or Scripture, it’s entirely up to you.
On January 1st, you can announce your own intentions, link to the host page here (scheduled to go live a few minutes after midnight EST), and dive right into another month of memorization accountability and encouragement.
A Sneak Preview and Unveiling: Below you’ll find the new-and-improved Mega Memory Month icon/button you can use for your own MMM posts. Grab it now to use in your blog’s introductory post on January 1st–you can link to the main MMM post that day ready to go (the button links to the January 1st post that isn’t yet published).
I hope you’ll join me the month of January in another attempt at memorizing more than we thought possible.
Our minds can hold more than we think they can.
[*UPDATED TO EXPLAIN BUTTON* The image in the bloggy button is of CORAL. Not an actual brain.]
In this fragile economy, I thought it might be informative (and a little entertaining) to share all the ways we’re making-do.
So I’m launching the Make-Do Mondays carnival.
You can borrow the Make-Do Mondays button if you participate. Simply document and explain how you’re making-do, then pop back over here and use the comments and/or Mr. Linky to let us know.
This is what made me think of it:
About a month ago, I bought the cheapest floss in the dental care aisle.
The plastic box fell apart the first time I used it.
It was bedtime, but in spite of my grogginess, I tried to stick the roll in place, pop the top back on and click it back together. It kept falling apart.
Now that I’m awake and thinking through ways to make-do, I realize that I should have duct taped it. Instead, aggravated, I gave up and tossed it.
But I didn’t toss the innards. I did have enough focus to realize I could make-do with what was left. Since then, every night, I have to unroll the strand from the roll by hand and hold the metal piece in two fingers to slice it off. The first few nights I would drop it on the bathroom counter and chase after the floss as it unrolled like a ball of yarn. Winding it back up, I’d question if maybe I was a being a little too frugal:
Maybe I should toss this and buy a new one? After all, I could just use this roll to slice cake. That’s making-do, too. I should just purchase a name-brand floss and stop being so cheap.
Then my fingers figured out how to handle the roll and now it’s fine.
Besides, it’s not so much about the floss.
Now it’s the principle of the thing.
It’s about making-do.
Now it’s your turn. How are you making do?
Write about it. Photograph it. Post a YouTube demonstrating it.
Have a little fun and join Make-Do Mondays.
A week or so ago, I sent out our second-ever family newsletter via e-mail. Knowing how much controversy surrounds family Christmas newsletters, I debated with The Belgian Wonder about how much (or little) to include.
I actually composed an extremely lean note, but after more debate and discussion, The Belgian Wonder urged me to include more details for friends and family we rarely see who might appreciate learning what our kids were involved in.
So I added a little. Took some out. Added. Deleted.
Finally, we agreed that the text remained positive yet simple enough to inform.
He added a bit about his work.
And finally we deemed it acceptable to send out to the wide variety of recipients (family and friends both near and far as well as a few work associates) for whom it was destined.
And then, somewhere around midnight, we clicked send.
Later, I re-read it and realized how bland it was. I fear we edited out all personality and fun.
Worst of all, my writer-heart ker-flumped to my stomach upon discovering at least one error.
On Christmas Day I mentioned this to my mom and sister-in-law, and they laughed. As writer-editors themselves, they certainly would have spotted the problem immediately. When they realized I was sickened by the whole thing, they tried to reassure me.
My sister-in-law said, “I think I heard that the Amish leave a small mistake in their quilts on purpose.”
“That’s right,” my mom agreed. “I think they work in the imperfetion to remind them of humility. That only God is perfect.”
Hey, that’s a fun way to justify an error — that I did it to remind myself to stay humble; that only God wields semicolons perfectly.
But I didn’t make my mistake on purpose. I can, however, assure you that it certainly was humiliating.
“You should leave a mistake in your newsletter every year,” my sister-in-law continued. “You could leave an easy one that everyone could spot, and a harder one as a challenge. You could end the letter, ‘There are at least two mistakes in this newsletter. Can you spot ‘em?’ Your letter would turn into a fun Christmas game.”
It would certainly engage alert readers.
In fact, it sounds like a fun idea. Unfortunately, for now, this year, everyone just thinks this writer needs an editor on hand.
For everything.
Even her Christmas newsletter.
My mom and sister-in-law gave me things to chew on. I’ve been pondering how errors might serve as reminders to writers of humility…and how they might inspire a little fun.
In fact, I think I’ll start practicing for next years newsletter right now. On you.
There were at least two mistakes left on purpose in this post (and numerous issues for old-school editors).
Can you spot ‘em?
The geneology of Jesus found in Matthew starts with Abraham and leads up to Joseph, “the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”
It’s the bloodline of Joseph, Jesus’ adopted father.
In Luke, Jesus’ geneology follows Mary’s bloodline.
A few weeks ago, our pastor pointed out that both bloodlines trace to David, to royalty.
But Joseph was a carpenter. He wasn’t thinking palaces and royal robes. He wouldn’t have been imagining any right to a throne. His royal heritage didn’t matter much when he was getting ready to wed. He was simply a carpenter, pledged to be married to Mary.
And when she was “found to be with child,” Joseph had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But, as we know, after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said:
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife…
Joseph, son of David.
The angel reminded Joseph that he was of the family of David. Royalty.
Joseph needed a reminder that royal blood flowed through his veins.
It’s as if the angel were saying, “Joseph, you are a child of the king.”
Joseph accepted the angel’s words to take Mary to be his wife and Jesus to be his son.
This man who was reminded of his own royal heritage never lived like royalty.
Yet, he accepted the role of father to the King of kings.
And thanks to Joseph’s faithfulness to obey when everything that was happening seemed impossible, we, too, can be reminded that by faith in the Son he adopted, we have become adopted, as well.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ, the Son of God, enters in…and then we, like Joseph, become children of the King.
Joseph was reminded by an angel.
I was reminded by our pastor.
I’m not much of a messenger, but may I be so bold as to remind you — even if you feel no more royal than a carpenter — in and through Christ Jesus, whose royal blood, shed on the cross, covers those who receive Him, those who believe in His name…
You are a child of the King.
Morning sun slants across the wall.
I slow down enough to notice.
Intricate frost etchings — up high in the top pane — overlay the simplistic, monochromatic modern art.
Soft shadows soothe.
Frost feathers the window pane. Delicate wisps and swirls delight.
How odd that the best views were found in the bathroom.
None of the other windows or walls in the house offered the same soft touches of winter beauty.
What have you seen today?
My sister-in-law sent some song lyrics to me in an e-mail. She said she heard it performed by a choir several years ago and has kept the lyrics to ponder each year.
The first words are, “Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us…”
Obviously, this fleeting season is already upon us. Already fleeting.
Nevertheless, the message is good, even now, even in the midst of the season:
Lord, before this fleeting season is upon us,
Let me remember to walk slowly.
Lord, bless my heart with love and with quiet.
Give my heart a leaning to hear carols.
Grace our family with contentment,
And the peace that comes only from You.
Lord, help us to do less this busy season;
Go less; stay closer to home; kneel more.
May our hearts be Your heart.
May we simply, peacefully, celebrate You.Lord, Before This Fleeting Season
Text by MaryAnn Jindra
set to choral music by Libby Larsen.
Remember to walk slowly.
Kneel more.
May our hearts be His heart.
May we simply, peacefully, celebrate Jesus Christ.
Somebody in our family is having a birthday and requested my famous Kroeker crepes for breakfast.
Then I got to thinking how delicious crepes would be for a holiday breakfast or brunch and decided to recommend them to you.
Because so many of my friends were too intimidated to try making crepes at home – and were forking out ridiculous sums of money for a single restaurant crepe — I published a long post back in 2007 with the recipe(s) detailing, step-by-step (with other people’s YouTube videos), how to make them at home.
In case you’ve never seen this heavily trafficked post, here it is:
Crepes.
At home.
It’s so affordable, so easy, so fun, so delicious, and so French!
You can do it. Certainment!
I hope you try.
Check out the story of a successful first-time crepe-making experience posted as a comment at my original instructional post:
Wow!!
I got a little ambitious and made your recipe for my wife (breakfast in bed) because everytime we go to IHOP, she orders crepes!
They turned out SO GREAT!! yippee! Big brownie points this morning. Thank you!!
I took strawberry and raspberry yogurt and mixed them, taking one spoonful and lightly coating the crepe’s inside once out of the skillet.
BTW. Pam on Teflon was Awesome! not one stick at all. In fact, my stove is slightly tilted (old) and when the crepes were ready to flip, the started sliding on their own a wee bit.
Also, I took a peach and grated it into the batter before cooking. That was a nice little treat in each one too. Sprinkle a little cinammon on one side, add some powdered sugar on top and oila!
I didn’t quite (probably being a male who doesn’t cook often) understand your instruction to rotate or turn the skillet while ladelling (sp?) the batter into it, so after trial and error, I picked up the skillet and as I was pouring the batter from the ladle I would turn the skillet in the air making the batter go as far out from center as possible. The more I did it the thinner they got!! Thanks!
Your recipe, by the way, came up on top of the list of google searches for “how to make awesome crepes”. Way to go!
Many thanks,
Rob
Birthday (and Christmas!) breakfasts will never be the same.
Below: Because the batter-pouring and twirling of the skillet seem to be the most confusing steps in crepe-making, I am posting this riveting home video showing how to pour batter and twirl skillet to form a thin crepe.
Below: Apparently, even placing the filling into the crepe and rolling it up can be a new and intimidating experience for the crepe- novice. Therefore, I’m presenting even more riveting home video wherein the birthday girl demonstrates how to roll up a crepe.
The comments at the original Crepes, Mais Oui! post offer many suggestions on fillings.
In summary, you can make sweet, dessert-style crepes for breakfast, brunch, or dessert; or, you can make “savory” crepes (leave out the sugar and vanilla) for a simple, elegant dinner option.
Having pointed readers to My Utmost for His Highest, I thought I might share a recent entry that I’ve appreciated. I see a writerly, bloggerly application, though it applies to every believer who seeks to know Christ and make Him known.
From My Utmost for His Highest (December 15)
If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else.
Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.
I realize that it’s situational irony to borrow the very words of Chambers that advise not to borrow the words of others!
However, this is one of the few entries from my printed copy of My Utmost for His Highest in which I actually underlined a section lightly in pencil.
I love the whole selection for that day, because I think it’s what we can do in journals, letters, blogs, articles and books. We can “[a]lways make it a practice to stir” our minds thoroughly to think through what we’ve easily believed, so that through study and suffering, we can “own” our position.
As Chambers recommends, we can strive to “re-express a truth of God” to ourselves clearly and understandably in these places — the journals, letters and blogs where we wrestle to understand truth at a personal level and put words to it — and it’s possible that God can later use that same explanation when we share it with someone else.
That final section is where I underlined and asterisked.
The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is…the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.
I would underline that section again, if it weren’t already marked up.
Because this is what I yearn to do as a believer in Jesus Christ. This is what I hope to offer as a writer, friend, speaker or mentor: Through my own willingness to struggle with a truth, I hope to give it expression and speak it clearly and boldly for the benefit of others.
And thanks to others who have struggled with truth and given it expression, this has happened to me – quite often I’ll read something and almost gasp at how perfectly someone captured what I had struggled so long to understand, grasp, or express. “Yes!” I’ll exclaim. “That’s exactly what it’s like!”
It might be in a Sara Groves song.
A post at Ann V’s Holy Experience.
Or in the snippets of poetry at LL Barkat’s Seedlings in Stone.
Or countless other blogs and books and personal e-mails and conversations.
Beauty.
Truth.
Let’s stir our minds thoroughly and see what falls into place when it settles.
I like real books. I like holding them in my hand and turning pages. I like hauling them around in a canvas bag (A-B-A-B).
So, I also like using several books as part of my daily devotional routine. My routine changes from time to time, and a conversation with a dear friend inspired the following choices (links to book versions are provided first).
I’ve returned to an old friend: My Utmost for His Highest.
And the One Year Bible (mine’s an older edition).
I’ve also used The Divine Hours.
While I’m not fond of reading long texts online, sometimes the convenience of having several different devotional “tools” while I’m working at my computer is a handy alternative.
Also, while traveling, it’s nice, simpler, and lighter to leave at least one of the books behind and instead access the same text via the Internet. In fact, The Belgian Wonder enjoys reading a daily devotional via his BlackBerry while riding the bus to work.
And tapping into these online options allows me to explore a new resource before investing in the book version. If I find that it fits where I’m at, I can use it online until I secure a hard copy.
So here are those same three online, along with some other online devotional resources you might like to check out:
- One Year Bible online. You can choose the One Year Bible or the One Year Chronological Bible (left column). There’s a spot to select your preferred translation. Also on the left column, you can scroll down and click on the month. Then pick the date. It pulls up the readings for the day.
- Divine Hours online. At the link provided, you’re asked to select your time zone. Once you click on yours, the reading of that day and hour pops up. By the way, I can’t vouch for anything else on this site, and every once in a while there will be a poem or reading that makes me scratch my head. But the passages are powerful, simple words from Scripture. Those, along with hymns and biblically based prayers serve as ”checkpoints” throughout the day–morning, noon, evening, and night.
- My Utmost for His Highest online. Each day’s reading pops up automatically, and archives are available on the left by clicking on whatever day you wish.
- Many more devotionals are available at One Place.com.
- Elisabeth Elliot’s are here.
- Other classics available at that same site include selections from Warren Wiersbe, Streams in the Desert, and Charles Spurgeon.
- UPDATED (from suggestions in comments): A.W. Tozer 1 and A.W. Tozer 2, and Daily Light on the Daily Path (providing a brief selection for both morning and evening)
I’m enjoying the practicality and convenience of both online and book versions of devotionals. Would that work for you? Are you an online devotional reader, or are you strictly a printed page person?
For more WFMW ideas, hop over to Rocks In My Dryer.
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