After the Storm

"April showers bring May flowers."  

Showers?  In April?  In Tennessee?  Those of us who survive the spring storms to enjoy those May flowers (and we do) dearly wish we had those showers instead.  Springtime is stormtime here, and we sure get some rip-snorters.  

Here are a few photos following an Easter weekend storm that blew through and left a sparkling day in its wake.

Storm clouds bustle away to the south east.  I think the brilliant white of the Dogwood blossoms ties together earth and sky with the whiteness of the clouds.

Everything had a good cleansing shower, including these rain-slicked horses.

                                                                      Fresh and clean.

Water flowing from the hillside into the flatland of the valley.

Shadow and light with water under the bridge.  (We could develop a philosophy out of that, but I think we'll just enjoy the scenery!

Seed for Sowers

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!

He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,

Shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."

~ Psalm 126:5-6

There are many ways that God's people invest in the future, and we are indeed called to invest in the future.  God's covenant with His children not only runs through the ages, it runs through eternity.  One of those many ways of investing in the future is through the education of children, and that's where my particular emphasis has been; specifically in Christian Classical Education.  

Christian Classical education has enjoyed a revival in America in the last 20-plus years, and it's revival hasn't been without a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears.  So, as I read this passage in Psalms, I am encouraged to continue persevering, for we are promised fruit for our labor.  However, we should also note that the seed with which we sow had to come from somewhere.  Indeed, we ourselves are the fruit of the labors of those who've gone before.  Skipping rapidly through the centuries, we can look as far back as Augustine to Gerhard Groote, and then Abraham Kuyper to see the faithfulness of those who've gone before.  So, as we labor and toil and suffer setbacks, remember that the seed we carry came from previous fruit; and that seed will again bear fruit to produce seed for future laborers.  Thus, is the Kingdom of God built;  thus the reason we strive so diligently to raise up Christian, cultural leaders.  May God bless the work of those hands.

The Call of Deep Unto Deep

In a recent blog, I wrote about the beautiful passage found in Psalm 42 of "deep calls to deep".  Two comments were posted there that are well worth your time to go back and read; one a devotional by Charles Spurgeon, and the other a poem by John Wright Follette.  The poem is absolutely beautiful and speaks so well of the mysteries of the passage "deep calls unto deep."  I'd like to reprint it here for you, and I hope it stirs the depths of your soul, as deep calls to deep.

The Call of Deep Unto Deep

by John Wright Follette

Down in the depth of my nature

Where the issues of life are born,

From that unknown mystical realm,

Surviving through ages of storm,

A call is forever rising -

But its language I cannot speak.

It was born ere I had being,

'Tis the call of deep unto deep.

Our mother tongue here is awkward,

For no words can fully express

The needs in the depths of nature,

In bondage to sin and distress.

Our hearts in their depths surely ache;

They hunger; they call; and they seek -

Then silently wait an answer

To the call of deep unto deep.

Down deep in the heart of our God,

In mystical regions sublime,

In the Godhead's holy council

Long before our world or our time,

An answer was fully prepared

Every pain, every ache to meet,

In Christ, God's only begotten,

Is answer to deep unto deep.

The Answer indeed was the Word,

The Word when expressed was the Son.

Oh language of God how profound!

In answer what more could be done?

The heart of our God is hungry,

His portion, His people to seek.

"I thirst," was cried by the Answer -

'Tis the call of deep unto deep.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It's been raining since Thursday.  Steady rain. Light rain.  Driving rain.  Soaking rain.  Blowing rain.  Rain, rain, rain.  I'm ready for the sun to come out and cast its magic on my soggy rose bushes that are loaded down with buds.  I want it to quicken the grass seed we sowed in the back field, so it can hurry up and grow.  

A week ago I wanted rain, not sun.  It was dry and the ground was hard.  I wanted softer ground to sow the grass seed.  I wanted to stop wrestling cranky water sprinklers and have the garden and flower beds watered from the sky.  I want, I want, I want.

Isn't it just like we self-centered, sin-centered humans to want what we want, when we want it?  And right now, thank you!  Who am I to think that the weather itself should revolve around my wants and needs?  We need rain and we need sun.  God knows what we need when we need it, even if it's not on our schedule, in our plans, or anything we would ever choose of our own accord.  It's humbling.  We have to stop and admit that we don't see the Big Picture at all, even though we think we've got it all figured out.  We want to think that we're god-like; all-knowing, all-understanding.  But we're not.  We can rarely even see the Little Picture in correct perspective.  So, let's humble ourselves before the Lord, who sends us the sun and the rain in its time, who sends us all things in its time.  Help us, O Lord, to dance along according to your leading, according to your times, and not our own.  

"For everything there is a season, 

and a time for every purpose under heaven:"  ~ Ecclesiates 3:1

Here We Go a'Maying

On May Morning

By John Milton

Now the bright morning Star, Day's harbinger,

Comes dancing from the East, and lead with her

The Flowery May, who from her green lap throws

The yellow Cowslip, and the pale Primrose.Hail bounteous May that dost inspire

Mirth and youth, and warm desire,Woods and Groves, are of thy dressing,

Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.Thus we salute thee with our early Song,

And welcome thee, and wish thee long.

Cakes on Fire!

Our grandson, Gilbert, recently had his 3rd birthday!  It seems like only yesterday that our lives changed with the arrival of this first grandchild, and here he is today, a 3-year-old Thomas the Tank Engine fan.  He had a Thomas cake, Thomas gifts, Thomas all the way around!  

"Oh, no!  Mommy has set the cake on fire!  Thomas might be burned!"

                                                     "Hm.... fire's pretty cool."

Gilbert makes a valiant attempt to blow out his candles.  This fire thing is really kinda fun!

Gilbert begins to unwrap the first of his Thomas toys while Daddy and Patrick look on.  Happy Birthday, GK, we love you!

First Fruits

This evening we sat down and enjoyed the first fruits of this year's garden!  We had a salad of lettuce, spinach, arugula, and the mildest little radishes.  Just tangy enough to go along the arugula.  Yum!