More than Words can tell...

Again, I have no words to speak of the worth and beauty of the God who is there. As I've said elsewhere, the alphabet has not the means to even come close to a representation of Him, and even the most glorious and beautiful language will only ever describe a shadow of what He really is like. God's love (what a small word for a thing so everlasting and deep!) is more than this heart can bear, and yet I know that He Himself will help me not be blinded by His radiance.

Oh, the limitations of this world... I cannot wait for the day when finally I will see Him, and be able to fully gaze into this Sun, and be able to express my praise fit for the throne room.

“Father of Jesus, love's reward!
What rapture it will be,
prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
and gaze and gaze on Thee!”
(Frederick Faber)

Just dwell in His Presence for a moment when you read this –

“He is eternal. He antedates time and is wholly independent of it. Time began in Him and will end in Him. To it He pays no tribute and from it He suffers no change.

He is immutable. He has never changed and can never change in the smallest measure. To change He would need to go from better to worse or from worse to better. He cannot do either, for being perfect He cannot become more perfect, and if He were to become less perfect He would be less than God.

He is omniscient. He knows in one free and effortless act all matter, all spirit, all relationships, all events. He has no past and He has no future. He is, and none of the limiting and qualifying terms used of creatures can apply to Him.” (A.W. Tozer, 'The Pursuit of God')

“All our lives long we might talk of Jesus, and yet we should never come to an end of the sweet things that might be said of Him. Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more.” (Frederick Faber)

I pray that this Christmas we would dare to put ourselves out there and come defenceless before our Father. Let us not be hindered by this veil over our hearts, “the veil of our fleshly, fallen nature living on, unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated” (A.W. Tozer). Let us give Him all, surrender all, and ask to see His glory.

I know that from this side, it seems a risky thing to do. But from the other side it is the very best that could ever happen to us, because

“God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we, as well as He, can, in divine communion, enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile.” ( A.W. Tozer)

To think that “God of God, Light of Lights, Very God of Very God” is only WAITING for us to run into His outstretched arms, that He rejoices over us with loud singing (Zeph 3:17), that He pursues us with His mercy and goodness (Psalm 23) makes my head reel. And this is only the beginning...

Meet you

Hold on tight, my daughter,

hold on to me.

I'm cracking open that heart

for the joy to come out.

Let go, let go.

There's a treasure I hid for you

worth more than a thousand sun rises.

Shed the old leaves, my love,

and let me adorn you

I have a plan.

I'm not allowing the mourning to last

You are my chosen one

my pride and my prize.

I sing over you, can you hear it?

Let me lift you up

so you can whisper to me

I'm right there. And so excited

to meet you.

To God on my 24th birthday

Not every Isaac I was asked to sacrifice was offered back to me alive. And yet

You do not burn unless You want to purify

and ashes are the fertile ground for all new wonders. I am one.

The beaten desert tracks You have permitted me to know so well

where all the things I carry seem so futile, needless

have taught me how to travel light and leave it all behind

when You are beckoning out of the darkness.

In one stroke of Your eternal story

Your tender shoot was pierced with my crown of thorns

and the parched land was forever beaten when

You gave Yourself as ransom for this little broken one.

When Your rain falls, o God,

I cannot but soak

and let the drops gather

to become this ocean of love.

O Father of the fatherless

to think that You have knit me together in my mother's womb,

that You have chosen me before creation, to delight in me and delight in my praise

to make me beautiful in Your sight, and present me whole,

means I need Your help to bear Your very own love.

You are the God of beauty

so continue to write the chapters of my life according to Your pattern and design

and let them testify to Your glory and grace.

I have been and will be Yours, forever.

“And life, I love thee, not because thou hast done great things for me, but because I have thee from God.“ Jim Elliot – one of those who have gone before me.

Love Affair

There must be time for Him, just to love Him and have Him love us, no other agendas, no lists of prayer requests. These may come later, but we need to put loving Him first, because only as we are filled with His love, do we have love to give away. So many Christians cannot rest in His presence but must constantly be on duty... Our highest calling is to intimacy with the living God. I do not want to hear the words, "Depart from me I never knew you". I want the love affair to grow.

- Carol Arnott

Tote Motte

Meine Neuronen sind am Kochen, ich glaub ich mach mal ne kurze Pause vom Bachelorn. Und verfeuer mal ein bisschen Hirnmasse, um eine Erkenntnis zu verbreiten.

Erst vor Kurzem hab ich mit Andrej eine hitzige Debatte über die Frage geführt, ob Ameisen zur Tierwelt gehören oder nicht. In Moldawien sind Ameisen nämlich keine Tiere. Sondern Insekten. Und deswegen viel niedriger in der Hierachie der Lebewesen. Heute hab ich ein unerschütterliches, absolut unumwerfliches Argument gegen diese These präsentiert bekommen.

Ich stand im Supermarkt an der Kasse und habe beobachtet, wie der Herr vor mir fünf Mottentöter gekauft hat, solche Dinger die ganz hinterlistig die Motten anlocken und sie dann per Klebstoff qualvoll verenden lassen. Aber nicht nur das... sondern auch fünf grauschwarze Beileidskarten. So viel Humanität wird Insekten in Deutschland zuteil.

Astronomic

God's love is meteoric

his loyalty astronomic

his purpose titanic

his verdicts oceanic.

Yet in his largeness

nothing gets lost;

not a man

not a mouse

slips through the crack.

:: the Bible, Psalm 36:5-6

Pick and Mix

It's Sunday, so time to catch up with God and friends. I'm listening to a talk from a church in Leeds (thanks internet) to learn more about Jesus, whom I have grown to love and am constantly amazed by.

But it's so easy to say this.

Am I really truly submitting my life to Jesus, the only reaction that would be appropriate after all that He has given up for me?
Yes, I marvel at the miracles He does. Yes, I am happy about my answered prayers. But sometimes I wonder... it's so easy to take the things about Him that I like, to take the blessings and say, thank you, oh, that's nice - but that doesn't mean I'm actually following Him. Because that would mean risking that He might say things I do not like, or that He might want me to do things I do not want to do.

It might mean washing other people's feet. It might mean changing my priorities to make time for others. Being ready to commit acts of kindness. Or admitting that I'm not perfect, and need other people's help. It means loving people that take it for granted, and loving people who don't listen to me. Those who wind me up and who look down on me.

It's so radical... am I radical enough?

Ooooh, this is exciting... a NEW BLOG! And it's all about the little wonders that sparkle at me each day. Just wait and see...

I chose the picture in the back (London tube, Northern Line, somewhere between Morden and Clapham South, random legs and feet) to illustrate a sort of journey. You know, sitting in the train and waiting for the next stop. Looking out and seeing amazing, heartbreaking, funny, ugly things (granted, not on the tube). And looking around and seeing all these unique people, all heading the same way. So, welcome on board this little blog. Please feel free to comment on stuff - I love little notes!