As for God, His way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. For who is our God but the Lord? who but our GOD is a solid rock? God arms me with strength; he has made my way safe. Psalm 18:30-32

Indeed, these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand? Job 26:14

Grace to you, and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come ...and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Rev.1:4-6

I therefore, a prisioner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Eph 4:1

Well, the season is upon us in all its glory. However, aside from the Christmas carols blasting from our stero, the season has seemed rather remote to me, probably because of the Florida weather. I hail from the Corn-and-pig state (Iowa, and really I only spent the first four yrs my life there); It seems more end-of-the-year-ish to have fridged winter gusts howling around my house.

Therefore, my mom spent hours on our tree, and the rest of us sat around and watched. Well, actually we were on a jaunt to purchase large bulky objects wrapped in sparkling paper.
Aside from that, there was the large gathering of people from our Bible Study who came over and ate lots of food. We each shared a particular aspect of God that was meaningful to us this year, and I really enjoyed listening! Out of about 20 people, there was only one repeat. It kind of highlighted the fact that God is too big to fully comprehend, and also that He speaks to us in such individual ways.

Also there has been the added joy in seeing all the far-away college student returning for the holidays. My brother is one of them thar students. Speaking of him, yesterday we were out antique store hopping (for a footstool that I could recover in some nice checked fabric. i finished it last night, and it looks great!). In one of the stores, a nice old man was asking lots of questions and being generally friendly. And funny. He warned us about his guard dog, which turned out to be a tiny, fluffy white creature. Also, he asked when Hans and I were getting married. (Hopefully not anytime soon ...never)

Well, that's really all the news. My life is overwhelmingly exciting right now. No, actually this time has been really good for me; I have been able to do lots of reading and thinking that I would normally not have time for. I forgot how much I like to think.

A dear friend passed this reading on to me today. I think that the "minute" Amy Carmichael speaks of is like one of those minutes in the dentist's chair with a painful tooth. It lasts an eternity. But always it ends, and later we are grateful -not exactly for the pain, but for what was accomplished through the pain.



Psa. 107:29-30: 'He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.'

"'Then are they glad because they be quiet'; the words were music to me. Then, in reading the different stories of the Lord calming the sea, I found this: 'He cometh... and would have passed by them' - 'as if intending to pass them' - 'and was wishing to pass by them.' (Mark 6:48; Weym., Roth.) The more literal the translation, the more startling it is.

As I pondered the matter I saw that this "age-long minute" was part of the spiritual preparation of these men for a life that at that time was unimagined by them - a life of dauntless faith and witness in the absence of any manifestation of the power of their Lord; and it must be the same today. Such minutes must be in our lives, unless our training is to be unlike that of every saint and warrior who ever lived. Our "minute" may seem endless - 'How long wilt Thou forget me,' cried David out of the depths of his soul (Psa. 13:1) - but perhaps looking back we shall see in such an experience a great and shining opportunity. Words are spoken then that are spoken at no other time, such as the immortal words to John the Baptist, 'And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in Me.' (Matt. 11:6) We have a chance to prove our glorious God, to prove that His joy is strength and that His peace passeth all understanding, and to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge.

And the "minute" always ends in one way, for there is no other ending recorded anywhere; 'He talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: It is I; be not afraid...and the wind ceased.' (Mark 6:50)

'Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.'

- Amy Carmichael, Edges of His Ways (Oct. 7)