A Beautiful Day at the Coast

This was many weeks ago, but it is always fun to share photos. 

Back in January, when hills were still green. 

Pretty shell, glistening in the sun.

Notice the pattern in the sand, tide receding.

Gorgeous blue sky, with airplane trails.

There is something so comforting about power under control. 

Waves breaking on a shoreline. A flaming pile of wood in a fireplace.

Isn't that what meekness is, strength under control?

Maybe I do not understand the beauty of self-control, temperance in the Spirit. 

Pink Camilla.

Fragrant Angel Trumpet.

Hello!

Rejoicing in Mercy

Many of the Psalms howl for judgment and sometimes I cringe because they seem unorthodox. But the beautiful thing is David implored God to act, because His holy name was disgraced. The world is full of injustice and David knew vengeance only belongs to the Lord. Sin needs dealt with and only God has the right and the power to accomplish anything. He Himself is Just and the Justifier (Romans 3:26).

How does "mercy rejoice in judgment"?  Even in the ways God tells us to judge, we must show mercy. Mercy is not absence of judgment, but application of it. Our Father did not choose to ignore our sins but to do away with them in Christ .  "Judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy..." (James 2:13).

Jesus values mercy more than sacrifice. Are we the same? Do I rejoice in the parable of the vineyard workers whom all received the same payment at the end of the day? Do I identify with the elder brother of the prodigal son, maybe feeling insulted? In the issue of judging or not judging people, do we see the preciousness of the cross? We must always remember the cost of grace while demonstrating it. The church must grieve with Christ over the seriousness of disobedience. What does grace demand of us? Grace is not power to continue sinning!

"Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy"! (Matthew 5:7). 

Wisdom in Proverbs

If you seek understanding like hidden treasure,

You will find the knowledge of God

But fools despise wisdom and instruction

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

I called and you refused

I stretched out My Hand and no one paid attention

You neglected my counsel

And mocked my instruction

If you turn at My reproof,

Behold, I will pour out My Spirit on you

I will make My WORD known to you

But no one understands, no one seeks after God

They spurned all My reproof

And would not accept My counsel

So they shall eat the fruit of their own way

And be smothered by their devices

I will laugh at your calamity
I will mock you when your dread comes

I will not answer when you call

Because you hate knowledge

How long will naive ones delight in being simple-minded?

How long will scoffers delight in scoffing?

How long will fools hate knowledge?

The waywardness of the naive will kill them

And the complacency of fools will destroy them

Because they did not choose to fear GOD.

Seek the LORD while He may be found;

Call upon Him while He is near;

Let the wicked forsake his way,

And the unrighteous man his thoughts

Let him return to the LORD,

That He may have compassion on him

Let him return to our GOD

For He will abundantly pardon

A wise man will hear and increase in learning

A man of understanding will acquire wise counsel

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Romans 3:11,18

Proverbs 1:5-7; 2:22-32

Isaiah 55:6-7

Selfless Liberty

"Almost every contemporary proposal to bring freedom into the church is simply a proposal to bring tyranny into the world" (G.K. Chesterton)

Theoretical argument says these liberties are not sins, but God says what ever is not of faith is sin. The person who proceeds without faith is a sinner. So blind faith is not faith at all. Faith is acting on principles we understand by living our life in the fear of God. Accordingly, we should not live for ideals outside God's revealed Word. These things weigh us down, make us tired for the race.

Extra-Biblical liberties are almost always about things, more doing, more about ourselves, evenly nobly enough, about what we are accomplishing in God's kingdom. We can die for others, cast out devils, and end world hunger, but we must do these things with His heart and His permission. Any arbitrary human use of power is cruelty. People are either enchanted or disgusted by it. In either case, no one is free from serving themselves.

The kingdom of heaven flourishes when men lay their lives down. Forgiveness moved by love is the chief power of the church, the ministry of reconciliation.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things pass away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, Who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:17-19).

It is ludicrous to invent superior ideals for God's church. Forgiveness requires humility. Only when we see God, are we humbled. Humility does not demand liberty, rather it pursues the fulfillment of God promises. God has all glory whether or not we give it to Him. But we can share that glory. He is the glory in the church and the church finds glory in obeying her head.

There & Back Again.

(The abridged version)

One day, not many weeks ago, we put all our things in the car (again) 

and drove to the other side of the United States (again).

A bridge in Baton Rouge. And, yes band-aids drying on the dash.

A generous two inches of water sloshing in the back seat tends to create many wet items.

And a disgruntled transmission.

Many majestic protruding buildings of Dallas.

Funky-cool conservatory-style building of Dallas

Bridge in Dallas. I thought for an horrifying moment we drove to St. Louis.

Intersection somewhere between Dallas and Amarillo.

Cadillac Ranch,

Spray paint graffiti!

Like, in the mud, on cars.

And, quite naturally, we had to sample the local brew.

mmm darkside skittles...

It's a sign! I am sure of it!

Many more miles of brush and sky and road and him and I....

THEN. A giant crack in the earth!

A GORGEous, breathtaking one.

a.k.a. The Grand Canyon

And people are actually dull-witted enough to believe the Colorado River is the master.

Unbelievable.

Then it was all over.

We drove several more hours, spent a morning apartment shopping, and unloaded all our belongings-thanks to Dad and Mom F. 

Sunday

We went exploring Sunday afternoon. 

It was our anniversary and I wanted to see more of Miami. 

We drove down to the design district. No galleries were open and the streets were quiet. 

Wynwood Walls is a small graffiti park betwixt two cafes. 

It was fun to meander through the paintings and guess what the artist wanted to express. 

Most of the art was not signed so I do not know to whom credit is due.

This was hilarious.

He rolled her across the lawn whilst she squealed with delight 

and, I suspect, some measure of terror. 

We visited this swell, nerdy coffee shop, Panther Coffee. They roast their own beans in store, and have every single coffee-brewing gadget my exploding mind could imagine. Their cold brew was exceptional. My husband had a latte with real vanilla syrup. I then realized not only how pathetic is Starbuck's coffee, but how much sugar they use. I digress, but that was good coffee. You have my recommendation. 

. . .

Then we went to a gas station in Coconut Grove. We went inside this same gas station and there was a wine cellar and a superb little tapas restaurant. The doctor my husband is working with recommended it. We shared Ensalada Rusa (Russian salad), Chorizo Tentación (a Spanish chorizo, blood sausage, and botifarra dish), and Empanada de Langosta (spicy lobster).

We had a grand time. The morning worship service was great, got to witness a child dedication and all the women received roses. "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised" (Proverbs 31:30).

At Home

The gorgeous sunset as seen from Harding Avenue, Miami Beach. 

Florida is our home now. Apparently, next month it will be Bakersfield. God's dreams are always biggest and best. He arranges the strangest detours. Usually it is for our protection, but what are the worst case scenarios? Death or famine, sickness or sorrow, temptation or distress? There really is not a worst case speculation for the one who loves God. In all these things, we are more than conquerors because He still loves! If His love is guaranteed, then my heart is at rest; any place my body may be is in the very presence of God. Oh how He loves us!