This blog is designed to create community for believers and provide support for seekers. I encourage all readers to share their faith in an effort to lift and encourage one another.
“The life of faith is not a life of mounting up with wings, but a life of walking and not fainting.”
― Oswald Chambers,
Oh, Lord, you know that I’d love to soar! I thank you for showing me that a life of faith is not built on soaring, but on consistently walking, consistently obeying your will. Help me to walk with purpose and be grateful for the opportunity.
Lord, thank you for teaching me ways to please you. Teach me to yield to your power to enable me to do your will.
Blood of Christ
Blood of Christ course through my heart,
That I may love like thee,
Blood of Christ course through my brain,
That I may think like thee.
Blood of Christ, nourish my tongue,
That it may speak for you,
Blood of Christ nourish my eyes,
Let them see as you do.
Blood of Christ flow to my hands,
That they may do your tasks.
Blood of Christ flow to my feet,
That they may walk your paths.
“Blood of Christ fill all my veins;”*
Then You will live in me.
“Blood of Christ fill all my veins;”
Your blood has made me free.
*from “The Anima Christi,” a poem written by an anonymous Medieval writer
You never go away from us, yet we have difficulty in returning to You. Come, Lord, stir us up and call us back. Kindle and seize us. Be our fire and our sweetness. Let us love. Let us run.
— Augustine of Hippo
Are you rejoicing in His fire and sweetness? Are you running toward your Lord and Savior?
Lord, may we run toward You, rejoicing in Your presence. Fill us with Your fire, Your sweetness, and Your joy. Let us love others fully, with Your fire and sweetness, that they, too, may know Your joy.
Always, Lord? Really? Joyful when I’m sick? When I am disappointed, when I am discouraged? Even when life just isn’t going well? Create in me a joyful heart, Lord, in all circumstances, for you are good, loving, and faithful.
“You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.”
― Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
God, I am so unaware of the ways you constantly work to refine me and make me into your image. Just like the butterfly, resting in her cocoon, I have no idea of the beauty you have in store for me one day. Help me to keep my eyes on you and rest in the knowledge that you will create the beauty of the butterfly in my spirit. Thank you.
Lord, why do we see people who disagree with us as our enemies? Satan must be dancing for joy when he sees us doing this. Help us to focus on combatting the real enemy with prayer, studying our bibles, and loving on others.
The Eyes Have It
As I taught the simple rhythm game, dozens of pairs of dark brown eyes danced with glee. Huge smiles covered the faces of the beautiful children sitting on the floor with me in this church in the poorest section of Matamoros, Mexico. In spite of the language barriers—the children spoke no English, and I spoke only a little Spanish—we communicated. As we clapped, snapped, sang, and did crafts together, their eyes sparkled. Later in the day, whenever I glanced up from my work preparing for the next day’s bible school, one or more small brown faces peeked through the church windows. When I smiled and waved, their hands waved furiously, smiles broke out, and brown eyes danced with glee. Pure joy shone out of those huge, dark brown eyes.
Maria, the mother and grandmother of some of those children often sat, watched, and listened at our daytime Bible school. Even though she spoke no English, she loved to watch us and the children. Part of the day she stayed at her tiny home a block and a half away. There, she watched the men in our group saw boards, pound nails, and paint turquoise walls. Her eyes watched as the new edition to her home, a 10 foot by 16 foot room, nearly doubled the size of her tiny house. Maria, mother of ten, one deceased, watched her house grow. Maria, quietly sitting in a folding chair at the church, watched the children laugh, play, and learn at Bible school. Maria, active member of her church, sang praise songs at the top of her voice and knelt on the hard tile floor to silently pray. In her eyes I saw tremendous gratitude. In those big brown eyes, I saw amazing peace and amazing faith.
Seventeen of us had traveled to Matamoros, Mexico in two rented vans. For six days we worked in Mexico, joining God in the work he was already accomplishing there. I looked into the eyes of my 16 companions. Some eyes glowed the same dark brown as the residents of Matamoros. Others
shone bright blue or green. At first glance all I saw in those eyes was fatigue. They worked all day in the heat—110 degrees plus heat index—and slept at night together on the roof, praying for a breeze, scattering when it rained. All this produced deep fatigue. Looking past the fatigue, however, I saw more. In those eyes was resolve: pound one more nail, paint one more board, help one more child, serve one more meal. In these eyes I saw true servanthood. In spite of the unbearable heat and the extreme tiredness, I saw the eyes of eager servants wishing to do God’s will.
The eyes…the eyes are what I remember most. Whether the brown eyes of the locals or the multi-hued eyes of their guests, I saw something special shining in all those eyes. Through the eyes, as clear as a cloudless sky, I saw the love of Christ shining through.
In what ways are you letting the love of Christ shine for others?
I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.
― C.S. Lewis
Lord, every morning you make the sun rise, infusing the world with light. Thank you. Every day you live in the hearts of believers, infusing us with your light. Thank you. I pray that each of us will use that light to see others as you see them, as the precious children you have created. May we use your light to see with your eyes, to love as you love.
Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness. I’m thankful that you are my Savior, and I pray for the souls of those who have not yet accepted your saving grace.
Growing Our Faith Together 