HE'LL NEVER LET YOU GO

• It's been a rough couple of weeks & what a blessing to be able to talk things through with a friend.
• The long, firm handshake afterwards reminded me of God's firm grasp on us, as well as God's promise:
  "Be strong and courageous(impossible, Lord! for me; more & more I realize what a weakling I really am!). Do not be afraid or terrified, for the LORD your God goes with you (thanks for coming along, Lord, the road has been hard lately); He will never leave you nor forsake you (You are my courage and strength)" (Deuteronomy 31:6).
• Enjoy Phillips, Craig & Dean's song, "He'll Never Let You Go."

DO I TRUST YOU, LORD?

• My heart is breaking.
• This is another one of those times in my life where the "rubber hits the road," as they say. Where I need to "put my money where my mouth is." Where I practice what I preach: trusting the Lord and His ways . . . even when I can't understand them or see the outcome or wonder why He's doing things the way He is, when the pain of what’s happening is threatening to overwhelm me, when I want to scream out “NO!” and take control of the situation and make it work the way I think it should go. And yet, with all my heart, I’m trying to pray, “Not my will be done, Lord, but Thine,” as Jesus did.
• It's not easy for any of us, is it? This time we have to let go of our middle daughter, her husband and their soon-to-be-born baby, after enjoying their company and working in the same congregation with them for two wonderful years. She has accepted a call to teach and direct a preschool at another Lutheran school in another state.
• I know it will be a wonderful opportunity for her to continue to use her gifts and expand her skills; and he will be able to find work there more easily than out here in the city. And the baby will be loved deeply by his grandparents there, of course. And I know we can fly back and forth to see them, as many grandparents do today.
• But oh, how I had already planned the future I thought we were going to have. You've done that in your life too, haven't you?
• I was ready to care for the baby on Mondays, my day off, and we'd go for long stroller walks and maybe I could get back in shape doing so. And we'd have all kinds of fun, reading books, playing in the yard, going to the ocean, riding in my blue volkswagen, flying kites, and watching him crawl, take his first steps, say his first words, then start Sunday school, and preschool, and get to participate in his activities, and have him come up on Sunday mornings for the children's message, and then come over to Mimi & Papa's on Sunday afternoons to give mom & dad a break, and have holidays together and celebrate birthdays up close and personal & do all the things that families get to do when they live in the same town!
• And now, the plans I've made, many of which I'm not even aware of yet, are not going to happen. At least not the up close and personal part. So I'm praying for our "children" as they move away from us with all the challenges they will face so soon . . . and I'm praying for us as well as we try to adjust to what plenty of other people have already adjusted.
• Lord, I'm not liking it at all right now . . . but I will trust You, and down the road, maybe we'll understand why this is all happening . . . and then again, maybe not.
• Twila Paris' song, "Do I Trust You?" has always been an encouragement to me at moments like this in my life. May it be for you as well when you find yourself in similar situations.

MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION

• Lately, as the weather has been so beautiful, I've been spending lots of time (when available) in my yard, trying to catch up from last summer not being able to do anything because of my knee replacement. What a mess that made for this year!
• But also what a "fun" non-work activity (even though they call it "yard work", if you will, and GREAT therapy for most tensions.
• This Sunday afternoon, though, rather than yard work, we went to the Washington Rhododendron Species Garden sponsored by Weyerhauser Inc. and beside the beautiful rhodies, we saw all kinds of native wildflowers and groundcovers and this beautiful BLUE poppy! We bought two tiny plants, hoping they'll bloom in the rest of our poppy patch . . .
• As much as I enjoy plants and gardening, my real obsession is the same as St. Paul's, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).
• Enjoy Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "Magnificent Obsession." What has captivated all your attention?

RESCUE ME

• Snoqualmie Falls! What a beautiful site just 40 minutes NE of where we live.
• A powerful force--incredible when it is at flood stage--very, very misty when the wind is blowing, and NOISY! And it spills 268 feet till it drops into a 65 foot deep pool below.
• Can't imagine going over the edge! What a nightmare! And certain death. Not unlike our predicament as we are caught in our sin & dragged to certain a death if it weren't for Jesus Christ!
• Because of His perfect life and sacrificial death, we are RESCUED! "The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen" (2 Timothy 4:18).
• Enjoy this song from the Newsboys, from their CD "Thrive."

HOW DEEP THE FATHER'S LOVE FOR US

• I was born near the ocean and live near it now; can't imagine moving away from it. Its power always fascinates me; its size puts things into perspective for me whenever I walk along the shore.
• Micah, the prophet, offers us such comfort & assurance of forgiveness in his 7th chapter, verses 18-19: "Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea!"
• Wow! No one can ever see our sin again, because it's buried in the depths of the ocean! Thank You, Jesus!!!
• Enjoy this song by Philips, Craig & Dean, "How Deep the Father's Love For Us," from their CD, "Let Your Glory Fall."

GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY

• What a beautiful Good Shepherd Sunday! Lots of wonderful "lamb" music as one of our members said.
• And how I need a shepherd's guiding, leading, feeding, restoration, correction, and loving care each day.
• Because of it, "The Lord IS MY shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1).
• Enjoy Michael Card's "The King of Love My Shepherd Is" from his CD, Starkindler.

PRAISE FOR THE SPRINGTIME

• Oh, the joy of springtime--it's my favorite time of year when the grays and browns of winter finally disappear. And this winter was a LONG one!
• It made me think of Isaiah's words, "The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
  it will burst into bloom" (Isaiah 35:2).
• The plants & trees & flowers that are blooming now in the Northwest are magnificent and everywhere I look, dig, plant & mow I can see His magnificent sense of beauty & design & artistry & praise Him for it. How about you?
• My favorite of His blooming creations are the Prunus Serrulata Kwanzaan cherry trees in front of our garage windows and along our backyard path. And when the blossoms begin to lose their petals, it's the softest, pale pink rain you've ever seen.
• So many reasons to "Bless the Lord My Soul." The song below is one of my favorites from the musical, "Godspell."

BLESSED EASTER

• What a Blessed Easter Sunday to not only hear the foundation of our faith that God has raised Jesus from the dead in acceptance of His Son's perfect life and all-sufficient sacrifice in our place,
• but also to receive His Holy Supper for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith and the joyous assurance that "because He lives, we will live also!"
• Wonderful music, wonderful hymns, wonderful breakfast, lots of guests at our services!
• And then just a little nap with a cozy little fleece blanket made for me by two of our children in the congregation, Jefferson & Serena, before heading to the family dinner.
• Blessings to you all! And Hallelujah! He is King of kings and Lord of lords and He shall reign forever and ever!

RANSOM

• Today ended with our Good Friday Tenebrae service, one of my favorite of the year, simply because through its music, Scripture readings from the Passion of our Lord, and choral selections confronts us with the starkness of our sins and the clarity of God's overwhelming love for us in Christ on the cross.
• Lord, thank You for caring so deeply for a world that strayed so far from You, for me, a servant so unwilling, so proud, so undeserving of Your attention, let alone Your love and forgiveness!
• May Your kindness continue to lead us to repentance before You (Romans 2:14) as we look forward to celebrating Your Easter and living as Your people to share Your Love and Wisdom.
• This song, "Ransom" by Farrell and Farrell says it all.

PEACE & MERCY

• I recently discovered the music of The Priests (self-titled CD).
• "Pie Jesu" has become one of my favorite pieces, and it brings a real peace each time I hear it. May it do so for you too. In fact, we will play it during the distribution of the Lord's Supper this Maundy Thursday evening. Here are the lyrics & translation:
• "Pie Jesu" (Lord, have mercy)
• "Qui tollis peccata mundi" (You who take away the sins of the world)
• "Dona eis requiem" (Grant them peace)
• "Agnus Dei" (Lamb of God)
• "Sempiternam, sempiternam requiem" (Peace everlasting, everlasting)
• "My peace I give you" Jesus says, even in the midst of our world's chaos.