the LORD is on our side!

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people...

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on You,
because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.

the LORD [is] on our side...
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.

(Ps.125:1-2; Is.26:3-4; 124:1,8; 127:3.)

my Maker

Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.

(Psalm 121:1b-2; 139:13-14; 138:8)

The Gospel

Tullian Tchividjian has written two recent blog posts that I found very helpful:

In one he quotes B.B.Warfield:
"There is nothing in us or done by us, at any stage of our earthly development, because of which we are acceptable to God. We must always be accepted for Christ’s sake, or we cannot ever be accepted at all. This is not true of us only when we believe. It is just as true after we have believed."
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2011/03/08/the-gospel-is-for-christians/


In the other he speaks of being "addicted to the gospel":

I’m addicted to the gospel. It burns inside of me. And it seems to get hotter ever day...
My passion has become singular. Lesser things don’t distract me as easily. I’m not as anxious as I used to be. I don’t fret over things as much. I’m more relaxed. What others think of me (either good or bad) doesn’t matter as much as it used to. I’m enjoying life more. The pressure’s off. I actually think I’m beginning to understand the length and breadth of the freedom Jesus purchased for me.

Jesus plus nothing equals everything–the gospel– is daily becoming for me more than a theological passion, more than a cognitive reality. It’s becoming my functional lifeline! And it’s this rediscovery of the gospel’s power that is enabling me to see that,

Because Jesus was strong for me, I am free to be weak;
Because Jesus won for me, I am free to lose;
Because Jesus was Someone, I am free to be no one;
Because Jesus was extraordinary, I am free to be ordinary;
Because Jesus succeeded for me, I am free to fail.

This is beginning to define my life in brand new, bright, and liberating ways...

• The banner under which Christians live reads “It is finished.”
• Only when you realize that the gospel has nothing to do with your obedience but Christ’s obedience for you, will you start to obey!
• At no point in time, either before God saves you or after, does your behavior determine God’s love for you.
• Our improvement comes from God’s approval; God’s approval does not come from our improvement.

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tullian/2011/03/03/im-addicted/
(Go read the whole post!)

Song for Those with Disabilities - by Bob Kauflin

My sweet mother-in-law passed this on to me recently, and I've listened to it several times:

Song for Those with Disabilities - by Bob Kauflin

Within the womb I formed you
I fashioned and made each part
I thought of your fingers, your hands and your feet
Your mouth, your lungs, your heart
Though you might think that you’re different
I made you the way that you are
So you could discover the God who made you
And find out all I am

And though you might think you have limitations
There are no limits with me
When you turn your eyes to my salvation
Finally you will see

In Me, you have all that you need
In Me, you have all that you need
In Me, you have all that you’ll ever need.

And I’ve heard each prayer that you’ve called out
“Why did you make me this way?”
You may not completely understand now
But there will be a day
When I make everything known to you
And what you don’t now understand
You will see that I’m wise and I’m mighty and good
Just like all my plans
And if you trust in the work of my Son
One day you will see
That I’ve made you the way you are
To draw your heart to me
To draw your heart to me.

(listen here or read about Bob Kauflin's doing the song here)

which is which?

Here are Katherine and Emily. See if you can tell who is who...

Waverly

Waverly
I saw a little girl on a show
Named Waverly
Her body lacks an enzyme
And it's slowly killing her
And there's nothing they can do
To make her well...

----------------------

First the excitement of another little one
On its way
our scheduled ultrasound comes one day
happy to find out that it's a boy
so Jeff can play...
Doctor comes in and says I have bad news today
Though all his body's fine
There seems to be a problem with his brain

and so we go away
to wait a test on another day
trusting that God knows
glad that his condition doesn't seem too grave

2 months later and we do another scan
things are worse now than when they began
too much fluid, brain too small
still don't see corpus callosum at all
expect your child to be delayed
no one can tell how mild or grave

O God please help me love this child
he isn't what we wanted
defective kids -
to other people are appointed

and so I grieved
the loss of dreams
of all those expectations
and tried to trust
the God I love
and His perfect intentions

two days later at the park
down at the outlet mall
"Waverly - it's time to go!"
a child's name was called

and I remembered Waverly
the girl they cannot save
and God whispered, "Remember,
they expect your child to live."

---

whoever you are
whoever you will become
I love you now
I bid you welcome

you will be our own
like all the rest
you will be our joy
not just a test
and by God's grace
we'll do our best

O may you come to know Him
to know the love of God
the Jesus who can save you
no matter what you're not
and He will be your helper
to lift you when you fall
to wrap His arms around us
to be our All in all


3-6-2011

Your hands have made me....

Most who happen to read this will be aware by now that our baby, due on April 25, has some brain abnormalities, and the doctors can't tell much more till after he's born, as far as what they are and how they might affect his life. We thank God that there appears to be nothing wrong in the rest of the body, which makes it a much lower likelihood to be a chromosomal (and possibly fatal) condition, as those are usually accompanied by other problems with other organs. They can't rule that out, but it makes it more unlikely... and more likely that the baby might "just" have developmental problems as opposed to that plus additional medical issues. He is giving us grace to trust Him for His perfect plans, though sometimes it's a fight for faith.

Your hands

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.

I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous,
and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me.

Let your steadfast love comfort me
according to your promise to your servant.

Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
for your law is my delight.

Ps.119:73-77