Links that make me think: Part 4

When My Soul is Truly At Rest (Emily Freeman):

Asking myself questions that matter are important for my own spiritual growth. But equally important is the tone I use when I ask the questions. I want to cast a hopeful vision, not weigh myself down with despair. When Jesus invited the weary to come to Him in Matthew 11, it was an invitation to wear the light burden of love, not the heavy burden of shame...

Who's Afraid of Proverbs 31? (Hannah at Sometimes a Light):

Proverbs 31 is intended as a blessing and affirmation, not of all women, but of a certain kind of woman: a wise one. Because while Proverbs 31 isn’t prescriptive, it is descriptive. It is designed to tell us the kind of woman who deserves honor and praise. In this sense, the poem is the culmination of an entire book whose main goal is to teach the difference between wisdom and foolishness. But as the beginning and end of Proverbs point out, you don’t become wise via a checklist; you become wise by fearing the Lord...

In the case of Proverbs 31, the poem shows how wisdom embodies itself in feminine form; so that in a beauty only God Himself could conceive, a book written primarily to young men doesn't climax with a description of a mature man but with a description of a mature woman... A wise woman can make a man; and a foolish one can break him...

Wisdom doesn’t come naturally to any of us. Our only hope of being this kind of noble woman comes by looking into the face of the One who is Wisdom Himself and allowing Him to conform us to His own likeness. And when we do, He will make us the fully formed image bearers we are destined to be. He will make us women of kindness and grace and sacrifice and love and joy. He will make us like Himself.

Where Do You Run When You're Empty? (Andrew Lisi):

That place of emptiness is the place where you and I will always be most vulnerable because it's the place where you often don't feel anything and you just want to feel something, even if that's feeling numb.

When you're empty, you will want to fill yourself up. In a world that promises filling only to keep you empty, run toward that which will make you full.

Psalm 68, Part 2

Verse 6--
    God setteth the solitary in families...

How incredibly precious this phrase is to me. I have experienced its truth in many ways over the last few years of being "on my own," and even on this Thanksgiving holiday. God's people have indeed ministered to me as a young single woman living away from my family, and I claim this promise as I trust God for my future.

My dear one, He will do the same for you.

Perhaps, in His providence, two specific solitary individuals - you and I - will be brought together to create a new home for His glory.

The source of lasting joy

Happy Thanksgiving, my love. I hope you did not spend the day alone. I was saved from that fate by a family in my church that extended a warm invitation to their afternoon dinner. My contributions to the event were a sweet potato soufflé (hurrah for a successful attempt at a new recipe!) and accompanying the hymn-sing time after dinner. I think that I would probably have been fighting back the tears if I had not been busy at the piano, for I have felt an acute sense of loneliness this entire week. At my church's Thanksgiving service last night, the pastor spoke on Daniel 6:10. One of the points he brought out was that Daniel continued giving thanks to God despite adversity, and one of his applications was that we are to thank God for hearing our prayers, even when His answer is No. My own heart rebuked me for my recent bitterness toward God for the path of singleness I am having to travel. I resolved to consciously thank God for his "No" answer to my prayers for a husband, trusting that in His wisdom He is still working His sovereign will for my life. Perhaps He is working behind the scenes to bring you and me together. But even if I never meet my "someone," His way is still perfect. I was challenged to continue to look only to the Lord for true and lasting satisfaction. And it was with those thoughts on my mind that I requested "God is the Treasure of My Soul" this evening during our time of singing:

What though no flow'rs the fig-tree clothe,
Though vines their fruit deny,
The labor of the olive fail,
And fields no meat supply?

Though from the fold, with sad surprise,
My flock cut off I see;
Though famine pine in empty stalls,
Where herds were wont to be?

Yet in the Lord will I be glad,
And glory in His love:
In Him I'll joy, who will the God
Of my salvation prove.

He to my tardy feet shall lend
The swiftness of the roe;
Till, raised on high, I safely dwell
Beyond the reach of woe.

God is the treasure of my soul,
The source of lasting joy;
A joy which want shall not impair,
Nor death itself destroy. 

(Scottish Psalter, 1880 -- Paraphrase of Habakkuk 3:17-18)

My dear one, perhaps you know these same thoughts where you are in life right now. Keep looking to God, and "glory in His love," for He is the "source of lasting joy"!

A festive mood

My dear one, 

I'm on a week-long Thanksgiving break from my teaching job, and today marked the first time I have decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Shame on me, I know. But I couldn't help it this time -- because it was SNOWING for about half an hour this morning (a rarity here in the south, to be sure, which saddens the heart of this girl who grew up in one of the snowiest places in the country). I guess I can thank the weather system that just headed through. Anyway, the bit of wintry mix put me in a festive mood. Yes, I do admit to some dancing in the living room as I listened to my favorite Christmas music and strung the lights on my little artificial tree. Truth be told, I actually decorated two trees in my apartment, having found an inexpensive 4-foot tree to serve as a counterpart to the 5-foot one I've had for the past 7 years. The one thing that could have made me enjoy the morning even more would be to have you there to enjoy it with me...

Here's wishing I had more than these trees for companionship tonight...

Small tree in my bedroom.

"Larger" tree in my living room.
Someday I will explain to you the significance
of these two particular ornaments
(Moravian Star and Fleur-de-lis)

Links that make me think: Part 3

Afraid to Turn the Next Corner (Lisa TerKeurst):

Life twists and turns and throws loops into those places we think will be flat and smooth. Because that’s what life does. Sometimes it all just catches us off guard. And at the end of the day, I guess that’s why I don’t like to be surprised. I can’t stand to get caught off guard. It makes me feel exposed and afraid. But slowly, I’m learning it’s not all bad to be a little exposed and afraid. That vulnerable place reminds us we have needs beyond what we manage. It reminds us we need God. Desperately. Completely. And into that gap between what we can manage on our own and what we can’t, that’s right where faith steps in and has the opportunity to find deep roots. Roots that dig down and break up previously unearthed places within us. My faith doesn’t just need to grow big, it needs to grow deep.

The Greatest Secret to Productivity that No One is Talking About (Courtney Carver):

What if productivity was not about getting the most done, but by getting the most important done? What if productivity was not about doing it all, but doing the things we love and want to do? What if productivity was not about doing it fast, but doing it well? ... More [is] not the answer. There will always be more to do. Choose less and do it well. Choose less and get it done. Choose less and do what’s most important.

18 Things Everyone Should Start Making Time For Again (Brianna Wiest):

• Writing things by hand.
• Savoring time to do nothing.
• Cooking a nice meal just for the sake of doing so.
• Disconnecting from technology.
• Spending time with kids, and doing kid things with them.
• Just sitting and listening to music.
• Stopping to talk to people throughout the day.

Beautiful trees and bright tomorrows

My dear one,

I wonder where you are right now. Are you on the other side of the country, or even the other side of the world? Or are you quite nearby ... where I might spot you in a coffeeshop, newspaper in hand, smiling as you glance up at me?

Do we love the same music, share the same friends, read the same books? Or are we total opposites who will have to take a while to find anything in common? Sweetheart, I look forward to developing new interests to share with you!

Though most leaves having already fallen off the tree branches, the leaves of the Japanese maple trees on campus are just now in their prime. I have a lovely flaming red beauty outside the window of the studio where I teach. I was quite surprised when such bright color appeared, having thought that autumn was on its way out. I imagine that finding you will be a similar surprise for me, because my "chances" seem pretty small and dwindling by the day... I wait for that unknown tomorrow when my heart will sing over you even more than it sings over today's beautiful tree.

Yours now and forever,
Me

Psalm 68

Verses 16-17...

    Yours is the day, Yours also the night;
        You have established the heavenly lights and the sun.
    You have fixed all the boundaries of the earth;
        You have made summer and winter.

Our beautiful sunset earlier this week before the cold front moved in reminded me of these verses, and it just so happens that I came to this Psalm now in sequence as I continue working backwards through the Book of Psalms! There has been and will be no greater artist than our Heavenly Father!

From afar...

 
“When Aragorn was abroad, from afar Arwen watched over him in thought” – Lord of the Rings

My Only Treasure

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) penned these thoughts during his courtship...

Christ, my Life, my Only Treasure,
Thou alone
Mold thine own,
After thy Good pleasure.

Thou, who paidst my Price, direct me!
Thine I am,
Holy Lamb,
Save, and always save me.

Order Thou my whole Condition,
Choose my State,
Fix my Fate
By thy wise Decision.

From all Earthly Expectation
Set me free,
Seize for Thee
All my Strength of Passion.
Into absolute Subjection
Be it brought,
Every Thought,
Every fond Affection.

That which most my Soul requires
For thy sake
Hold it back
Purge my Best Desires.

Keep from me thy loveliest Creature,
Till I prove
Jesus' Love
Infinitely sweeter;

Till with purest Passion panting
Cries my Heart
"Where Thou art
Nothing more is wanting."

Blest with thine Abiding Spirit,
Fully blest
Now I rest,
All in Thee inherit.

Heaven is now with Jesus given;
Christ in me,
Thou shalt be
Mine Eternal Heaven.

Desires unfulfilled?

Something has been weighing on my mind for a while... Some folks like to use the following verse when God blesses them with some answer to prayer they have been seeking:

“He will fulfill the desire of them who fear Him” (Psalm 145:19a).

This is a lovely truth, and I have it underlined in my Bible. But here is the problem: if someone uses this verse in a “cause and effect” context for a particular blessing that he or she has received received, it can come across as, “See, I’ve trusted, feared, and obeyed the Lord, and I got what I wanted. If you haven’t gotten what you want, you must not be fearing God as sincerely as I have been.” A slap in the face. Something Job’s friends might have said.

Truly, some will trust, fear, and obey God for their entire life without having their heart’s desire fulfilled—here on earth, that is. When we see our Saviour face to face, all our tears will be wiped away and our deepest longings will be satisfied. That is the ultimate fulfillment of our heart’s desire.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him. Though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
(1 Peter 1:6-9; James 1:12; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18; James 5:11; James 5:7-8; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Peter 5:6-10; Jude 24-25)

"What do you want to do now?"

My dear one, 

The other day while talking to a colleague I consider to be a true friend and mentor, I was stumped momentarily over a question she posed to me: "Now that you have those tremendous academic achievements [my doctoral degree] behind you, where do you want to go from here? What do you really want to focus on now? What is your passion?"

Spotted on my running route

I confessed to her that, for so long, my life has been driven by obligations. I have learned to pursue my "duty," ignoring my "desire" (or attempting to, anyway). I have had to say goodbye to the hopes I carried for so long and face the grim reality of my perpetual singlehood. God has had me on this academia track for about ten years now and I've been dragging my heels all along, not fully convinced that this life is "for me."

But now that the reality is sinking in, a new freedom slowly emerges. I don't know where it will take me. As I told my friend, right now I'm still decompressing from the past three years, decluttering in many areas of my life (materially, emotionally, spiritually, physically). I've started reading about minimalism and whole-food diets. I've gotten back into running and am getting back in shape. I'm asking the Lord to give me "strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow."

So, what do I want to do now? Well, for starters, I'd like to meet you! :)

All my love, 
Me

Links that make me think: Part 2

A few more articles that grabbed my attention lately...

Take Full Possession of My Heart: A Prayer of John Wesley:

Being created by You, let me live to You;
being created for You,
let me ever act for Your glory;
being redeemed by You,
let me render to You what is Yours
and let my spirit ever cleave to You alone.

Simplify Your Life by Writing It Down  (Courtney Carver):

When you feel overwhelmed, lost in complication, or simply confused about your direction, write it down for better clarity. When you are joyful and full of gratitude, write that down too. While your words could become thank you notes, journals, blogs, books or other meaningful works, just the act of putting words on paper will clarify your thoughts, magnify your voice and simplify your life.

"Alone": A Poem by Siegfried Sasson:

Alone… The word is life endured and known.
It is the stillness where our spirits walk
And all but inmost faith is overthrown.

Links that make me think: Part 1

My dear one,

I must confess that I follow quite a large number of blogs (through Feedly, an RSS reader) -- everything from theology to recipes.

I thought it might be fun to begin a series of posts in which I corral or distill various articles I find along the way that resonate well with me. I often share links on Facebook, but others I keep to myself for fear of being judged by others. But since I want you to know the real me, I will be more generous in sharing them with you.

So, for today's gleanings (follow the links for the complete articles):

Sanctification is for Single People Too (Jessalyn Hutto):

When the married women and mothers in your life share the incredible ways the Lord is using their circumstances to shape their walk with the Lord, they may unintentionally leave you wondering if he can do the same for you even without a husband or children. It can be easy to forget that God promises to us all things for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). And for what good does he use all things (including singleness, marriage, children, and family) in your life? He wants us to receive the ultimate good through this—being conformed into the image of his son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29).

  Hutchmoot = Communion (Sarah Clarkson):

When you choose loneliness and try to love it you can forget that community, or worse, communion is possible. You can forget even to reach for it. I just looked up the word communion: “the sharing or exchange of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.” I have just never known quite how to find communion where I live. I’m an introvert, I travel a lot, I hold extreme ideals – all good reasons why communion is hard to create. Life is, also, just lonely at times. I hate to feel weak, so I have met that lack with an uplifted chin. “I’m fine. I’ll read another book. I’ll take another walk.” I’ve done this for years. And though I have survived, a certain chill crept into my being. I found that I hoped less for friendship. I found that I began to suspect that who I was was just too much, to odd, for understanding...

...I will not allow the fearful voice of my own heart to dictate a solitude God never intended. I realize now how much of my turn to loneliness was fear. My heart stayed in her own little house because she was afraid another would not have her. Now, I will send her abroad. I will pack her a basket of kindness and send her in search of another heart, roaming the fields in search of a last crumb of love. I would rather she ache with desire than turn to the starvation of silence again. I will send her out until she comes home with another and they sit down together to feast.

12 Simple Strategies to Create Space Each Day (Joshua Becker):

Downtime during our day provides our minds with the rest and space to better process information, improve memory function, increase attention span, integrate learning, spark creativity, and make better decisions. Yet, despite the research, our world continues to increase in speed. Because of advances in portable technology, a 24-hour news cycle, and advertisers relentlessly pursuing our attention, information enters our sphere of senses at an alarming rate. And it does not appear to be slowing down any time soon.Distractions do not remove themselves and information will not slow itself down. Therefore, it is our responsibility to intentionally and mindfully slowdown, discover downtime, and create extra space.

 More to come later.

All my love,
Me

Goodbye, October

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." George Eliot


My dear one,
It hurts to spend this beautiful autumn without you. My heart just about burst at the beauty of the color outside my apartment this afternoon. I would love to sit down with some hot cider and a freshly-baked pumpkin muffin and share my thoughts with you. October has been busy (and November looks to be even more so), but I have tried hard to keep that "margin" of rest and quiet that my spirit craves. I have avoided bringing work home with me at night... I've made time for regular exercise and found some real satisfaction in recent kitchen experiments. My latest adventure was cooking a whole chicken for the first time, and making a stock to freeze for future soups.

Wishing you a blessed day, dear one, wherever you might be. Will we find each other soon? I can't wait to see your smile for the first time.

All my love,
Me

I can't get enough of this beautiful autumn color

The evening sunlight is setting ablaze the orange of the tree outside my apartment. What a lovely view to come home to.