My Strength and My Sanity

When my mind acts without thee
it spins nothing but deceit and delusion...
Oh how I need thee to abide in me,
for I have no natural eyes to see thee, 
but I live by faith in one whose face to me
is brighter than a thousand suns!
...Grant that I may distrust myself, to see
my all in thee.
-From "Love to Jesus" in The Valley of Vision


You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3


Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty;
Hold me with Thy powerful hand. 
Bread of heaven, 
Feed me now and evermore;
Bread of heaven, 
Feed me now and evermore.
Open now the crystal fountain,
Whence the healing waters flow;
Let the fire and cloudy pillar
Lead me all my journey through.
Strong Deliverer, 
Be Thou still my Strength and Shield.
Strong Deliverer,
Be Though still my Strength and Shield.
-William Williams 1745

The Tornado of Magnolia Hall

This is my room right now. And it is a beautiful picture of what my life has been like this week. C-R-A-Z-Y. When you don't have time to put a shirt back on a hanger, some reprioritizing needs to be done. 

Perspective Changer

Recently the Lord has really laid the concept of living sacrificially on my heart. I have been praying and thinking through what this means, what it looks like practically. I came across this little story that was especially convicting, so I thought I would share it!


Two wealthy Christians, a lawyer and a merchant, joined a tour that was going around the world. Before they started their minister earnestly asked them to observe and remember any unusual and interesting things that they might see in the missionary countries through which the party was to travel. The men promised ― carelessly, perhaps, to do so. 

In Korea, one day they saw in a field by the side of the road a boy pulling a crude plow, while an old man held the handles and directed it. The lawyer was amused and took a snapshot of the scene. 

“That’s a curious picture! I suppose they are very poor,” he said to the missionary who was interpreter and guide to the party. 

“Yes,” was the quiet reply. “That is the family of Chi Noui. When the church was being built they were eager to give something to it, but they had no money so they sold their only ox and gave the money to the church. This spring they are pulling the plow themselves.” 

The lawyer and the business man by his side were silent for some moments. Then the businessman said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.” 

“They did not call it that,” said the missionary. “They thought it was fortunate that they had an ox to sell.” 

Copied, Today’s Christian Woman.

Prayer for Today

"Jesus My Glory" from The Valley of Vision

O LORD GOD,

Thou hast commanded me to believe in Jesus;

and I would flee to no other refuge,

wash in no other fountain, 

build on no other foundation,

receive from no other fullness,

rest in no other relief.

His water and blood were not severed in their flow at the cross,

may they never be separated in my creed and experiences;

May I be equally convinced of the guilt and pollution of sin;

feel my need of a prince and savior,

implore of him repentance as well as forgiveness,

love holiness, and be pure in heart,

have the mind of Jesus, and tread in his steps.

Let me not be at my own disposal, 

but rejoice that I am under the care of one

who is too wise to err,

too kind to injure,

too tender to crush. 

May i scandalize none by my temper and conduct,

but recommend and endear Christ to all around,

bestow god on every one as circumstances permit,

and decline no opportunity of usefulness.

Grant that I may value my substance,

not as the medium of pride and luxury,

but as the means of my support and stewardship.

Help me to guide my affections with discretion,

to owe no man anything,

to be able to give to him that needeth, 

to feel it my duty and pleasure to be merciful and forgiving, 

to show to the world the likeness of Jesus.

A Decade Ago

Well, I just had a whole post about September 11th typed and then it spontaneously self-deleted. Story of my life. So instead of the personal memories from fourth grade, and the reflections on how it is our generations Pearl Harbor, etc. I'll leave a few quotes. For my words really are insufficient to say anything worthwhile about the atrocities of ten years ago today. But the Lord was not caught off guard.  And our nation can rest in his sovereignty. 


"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

The following is John Piper's tweet from earlier this morning. I am not at all surprised that his remark would be such, but I find it sobering nonetheless. We talked about this same mentality with regards to election this morning in Sunday School.

"Jesus' sure word to me on 9/11: Do not be amazed that the towers fell. Be amazed that they didn't fall on you. (Luke 13:1-5)"

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

In honor of Auburn's SEC opener against Mississippi State this weekend, I figured I'd share this picture of a ticket stub from last's year's game between State and the University of Alabama. Notice anything funny about the spelling? All I have to say to that is... RTR.