"I stand by a bed where a young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish. A tiny twig of her facial nerve,the one to the muscles of her mouth, has been severed. She will be thus from now on. The The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curve of her flesh, I promise you that. Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek I had to cut the little nerve.
Her young husband is in the room. He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private. Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily? The young woman speaks.
"Will my mouth always be like this?" she asks.
"Yes," I say, "it will. It is because the nerve was cut.'
She nods and is silent. But the young man smiles.
"I like it." he says, "It is kind of cute."
All at once I know who he is. I understand and I lower my gaze. One is not bold in an encounter with a god. Unmindful he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works."
-From Richard Selzer, M.D's book Mortal Lessons. Excerpt in Brennan Manning's book The Ragamuffin Gospel
That story has resonated with me.
Our God,
He is like that- showing, even in our unloveliness that we are still lovely
to Him.
Oh, the foolishness of grace.
I am so grateful for it.
Love:)
R
24 September 2012
the grace of wonder
"Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder.
Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice
of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your
Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs,
lovely in eyes not his, to the Father through the
features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with
your marvelous things without number.
I do not ask to see the reason for it all;
I ask only to share the wonder of it all."
- Joshua Abraham Heschel
Love:)
R
Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice
of Your universe. Delight me to see how Your
Christ plays in ten thousand places, lovely in limbs,
lovely in eyes not his, to the Father through the
features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with
your marvelous things without number.
I do not ask to see the reason for it all;
I ask only to share the wonder of it all."
- Joshua Abraham Heschel
Love:)
R
20 September 2012
Isaiah 49:15-16a
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
Behold,
I have engraved you on the palms of my hands
Love:)
R
that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
yet I will not forget you.
Behold,
I have engraved you on the palms of my hands
Love:)
R
17 September 2012
my prayer today- join me in it?
Father~
That I would hear your will loud and clear.
Your will,
not mine.
And Abba, can I be honest?
Which is kind of rhetorical since you know every though of my heart,
but still?
Your will?
It scares the crap out of me sometimes.
It's a good kind of scary,
though.
Usually. (:
I pray to be in the center of it,
but your will kind of reminds me of a storm.
The center is simply the eye.
Oh Father God,
Be with my lovely friends.
They're going through so much,
some of which I know,
and a lot of which I don't.
Be what they need.
Let them know how much you love them.
How much I do.
I love you.
Love how you do things.
In thanks for the miracles you work in my life.
The ones I see.
The ones I don't.
That your will be done in my life.
I love you.
I'm so glad you love us.
Love:)
R
That I would hear your will loud and clear.
Your will,
not mine.
And Abba, can I be honest?
Which is kind of rhetorical since you know every though of my heart,
but still?
Your will?
It scares the crap out of me sometimes.
It's a good kind of scary,
though.
Usually. (:
I pray to be in the center of it,
but your will kind of reminds me of a storm.
The center is simply the eye.
Oh Father God,
Be with my lovely friends.
They're going through so much,
some of which I know,
and a lot of which I don't.
Be what they need.
Let them know how much you love them.
How much I do.
I love you.
Love how you do things.
In thanks for the miracles you work in my life.
The ones I see.
The ones I don't.
That your will be done in my life.
I love you.
I'm so glad you love us.
Love:)
R
16 September 2012
O great love of God- David Crowder Band
Victim of our sacrifice
Gift of love a perfect life
All for a wayward bride
All for a wayward bride
See the lion and the lamb
How he sits at your right hand
Waiting to come again
Waiting to come again
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in a resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
Servant king of rich and poor
Beggar that the world ignores
Oh let me see your face
Hidden in simple things
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in your resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
You won't be denied we will rise and we'll sing forever
This is not a song
This is a revival
A revival
This is not a death
This is us waking
This is a return back to life
Oh your life all I'm living for
Your life in my life oh it's life that I'm dying for
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in your resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
You won't be denied we will rise and we'll sing forever
Gift of love a perfect life
All for a wayward bride
All for a wayward bride
See the lion and the lamb
How he sits at your right hand
Waiting to come again
Waiting to come again
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in a resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
Servant king of rich and poor
Beggar that the world ignores
Oh let me see your face
Hidden in simple things
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in your resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
You won't be denied we will rise and we'll sing forever
This is not a song
This is a revival
A revival
This is not a death
This is us waking
This is a return back to life
Oh your life all I'm living for
Your life in my life oh it's life that I'm dying for
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Oh great love of God
Who takes away the sin of all of us
Gone forever
Heaven open wide in your resurrection
You won't be denied bringing life to the dead and dying
You won't be denied we will rise and we'll sing forever
15 September 2012
this is mercy
Once upon a time there was a man,
who went on a trip.
And while he was traveling,
he was mugged.
His attackers beat him up,
stole his stuff,
left him half naked,
lying on the side of the street.
As he lay there,
the pastor of a church in town came walking along on his lunch break.
When he saw the man,
looking pretty bad,
lying there,
he crossed over to the other side of the street.
He thought to himself
"Man, wonder how much he had to drink last night.
Better let him sleep it off."
And so he went on his way,
sure that he should have nothing to do with the man,
because of his image,
you know.
A little later on a successful businessman came walking along,
and saw the man lying there.
Out of curiosity he went over and looked at the man.
He poked him with his toe,
and the man winced,
but remained unresponsive.
"Hm. Someone should do something about the homeless problem here.
This guy's had it rough." thought the businessman.
He checked his watch.
"I'll be late for the meeting if I don't hurry," he thought, and went on his way.
Still a little later a wealthy drug dealer came along.
He saw the man,
and had pity on him.
He went back to his car,
hefted the unconscious man into it,
and drove to the nearest hospital.
In the ER he told the nurse
"Write me down as his contact and send all the bills to me.
Let me know when he wakes up.
Here's my cell number.
I'll be back tomorrow."
The nurse did as he asked.
Which man are you?
I confess,
sometimes,
I am the businessman,
with not enough time
for every one's problem.
God have mercy on me.
Mercy.
It changes everything.
Grace.
Life-changer.
Love:)
R
PS: The real story is here.
who went on a trip.
And while he was traveling,
he was mugged.
His attackers beat him up,
stole his stuff,
left him half naked,
lying on the side of the street.
As he lay there,
the pastor of a church in town came walking along on his lunch break.
When he saw the man,
looking pretty bad,
lying there,
he crossed over to the other side of the street.
He thought to himself
"Man, wonder how much he had to drink last night.
Better let him sleep it off."
And so he went on his way,
sure that he should have nothing to do with the man,
because of his image,
you know.
A little later on a successful businessman came walking along,
and saw the man lying there.
Out of curiosity he went over and looked at the man.
He poked him with his toe,
and the man winced,
but remained unresponsive.
"Hm. Someone should do something about the homeless problem here.
This guy's had it rough." thought the businessman.
He checked his watch.
"I'll be late for the meeting if I don't hurry," he thought, and went on his way.
Still a little later a wealthy drug dealer came along.
He saw the man,
and had pity on him.
He went back to his car,
hefted the unconscious man into it,
and drove to the nearest hospital.
In the ER he told the nurse
"Write me down as his contact and send all the bills to me.
Let me know when he wakes up.
Here's my cell number.
I'll be back tomorrow."
The nurse did as he asked.
Which man are you?
I confess,
sometimes,
I am the businessman,
with not enough time
for every one's problem.
God have mercy on me.
Mercy.
It changes everything.
Grace.
Life-changer.
Love:)
R
PS: The real story is here.
08 September 2012
today you are
You, today, are enough.
You are not too much.
You are what you were created to be.
Bought,
at great price,
all
for
Love.
For being
you.
Broken,
imperfect,
messed up
you.
This,
friends,
is the grace
and the glory of our God.
Love:)
R
You are not too much.
You are what you were created to be.
Bought,
at great price,
all
for
Love.
For being
you.
Broken,
imperfect,
messed up
you.
This,
friends,
is the grace
and the glory of our God.
Love:)
R
Be Still- The Fray
Be still and know that I am here
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still, be still, and know
When darkness comes upon you
And covers you with fear and shame
Be still and know that I'm with you
And I will say your name
If terror falls upon your bed
And sleep no longer comes
Remember all the words I said
Be still, be still, and know
And when you go through the valley
And the shadow comes down from the hill
If morning never comes to be
Be still, be still, be still
If you forget the way to go
And lose where you came from
If no one is standing beside you
Be still and know I am
Be still and know that I'm with you
Be still and know I am
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10a
02 September 2012
a blessing for your sunday
May God the Father bless you, God the Son heal you, God the Holy Spirit give you strength. May God the holy and undivided Trinity guard your body, save your soul, and bring you safely to his heavenly country; where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen
(from the Book of Common Prayer)
Yes.
Love:)
R
(from the Book of Common Prayer)
Yes.
Love:)
R
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