Marvellous Lovingkindness

"Show Thy marvellous lovingkindness, O You who saves by Your right hand those who put their trust in You... Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Your wings."
Psalm 17: 7-8

It seems almost preposterous to ask God to show His marvellous lovingkindness. I think that should He manifest half of it's extent to me, I might just break from the sheer ecstasy of wonder at how much He loves. His love is something that awes me to no end. My eyes will never be able to focus on the immense spectrum of love that He has for me. And for you.

And to think that God saves with His right hand. I'm talking about God. Not just the word God. I mean GOD. The Creator. The King of kings. The Lord of lords. I find that in my mortality I cheapen His existence.

But think about it, God puts His right hand directly into the life of the one will dare to trust Him, and thereby delivers them. He intervenes and halts the consequences of evil. He is not a distant God as I tend to make Him out to be. He's right there. Always.

He shields me as the apple of His eye. He holds me close under His wings. Protective and strong, He is not hindered by the forces of hate and violence. He does not cover His face and look away when I'm in trouble. Instead He draws me near and cherishes me and fights for me. He's right there. He sees, He hears, He even experiences what I'm experiencing. This is God.

"As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness:

I will be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness."

Psalm 17:15

Around Blogdom

I have knocked and knocked upon the depths of my literary storehouse and receive only hollow echoes in empty return. Echoes that mock me and drive the malady of writer's block far deeper. Oh the despair of such a plague!

In my attempts at recovering, I make my trek around the blog world. The first stop landed me naturally at the door of my sister, Joygirl, to see if perhaps I could catch a glimpse into my Wisconsin home life that isn't in existence currently. I was duly rewarded for my effort. Two pictures and everything. Oh my, I can see Wisconsin hills and trees in the backgrounds of those pictures! Nebraska's okay, but Wisconsin... takes my breath away!

Post: Look at what Gabe drove up in last night! (truth be told, I like Gabe's own personal truck better.)

Inspired, I continue my journey. My sweet friend, Bethany, has an incredible picture of a rainbow--taken from the lofty mount of her brother's banked plane! Somehow, even more breathtaking than Wisconsin backgrounds. Must've been the angle of her lens...

Post: Rainbows in my sky

This morning Mrs. Wilt wrote about her blogging venture. She starts out with this statement that must be the most profound statement I've heard all day.

If you blog it, they will come.

And that, my friends, is the key. If you do not blog, nobody will come. The blogless blog remains lifeless if it has nothing to be fed. A blog cannot healthfully survive without adequate nourishment. After all, when you do blog, they will come. Eventually. Probably, anyway. Splash on over to view her cute little article.

Post: How my Blog Came to Be

The profound statement for yesterday was stated by my brother in-law. But I won't give it away. You shall have to visit his wife's blog to find out. The dear Coeur d' Court suffers from a severe deficiency in commenter's. She writes such wonderful posts and her comment status remains continually at zero... zero... zero... Wow, and I thought writer's block was bad! (You should hear her exclamations at the number of comments I get when I so much as write nothing.)

Post: Here's another Profound Statement

So with that I shall leave you to somebody else's blog while I nurse my illness. Come back soon!

...tissue...

Toddler Drive-through

"I take a' some fench fies and gas pease. Dank 'ou."

Writer's Block Solution

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Writer's Block Strikes

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My Memory Stick is Full!

...And just when Landon becomes compliant and photogenic.

Fewer and fewer pictures are winding up on the USB cable for the simple fact that my camera hasn't been as faithful to me as it has been previously.

The memory card has long since exceeded itself. Every time I want to take a picture, I go through all the 256mb worth of them, weeding out all the ones I could possibly do without on my own computer at home. My stay isn't even over yet!

It was a very sad day for me when I found out that with two fine and speedy computers in this house, not a one of them are willing to produce a CD for me. I guess Courtney will enjoy more pictures of my stay here than I will.

Yes, I know. Another memory stick is long overdue for me.

But here's a very small sampling of my week.

Landon is what you could call a wuss when it comes to the car-wash. It's a rather frightening experience for the lad.

But you can always rely on the Daddy Hot-line.

A budding photographer just beginning his career.

(Not like I'm rubbing off on him or anything!)

Ah, already so creative and contemporary. "Say CHEESE, Jea!"

Gramma's Birthday couldn't pass without a special phone call from her favorite grandson. On the end of the conversation I could hear it was every variation of the Happy Birthday song a little 2 year-old can make punctuated with a new word: "WHATever."

Birthday Cake

Somebody's turning... well, we'll just say a whole year older today.

And here's a slice of cake for you from me across the 530 miles...


So we all know Mom's favorite birthday cake is strawberry shortcake. If you didn't know that, you do now. She chose a good day to be born on since strawberries in Wisconsin are usually at their peak today.

If I were home, this is what would be baking in the oven right now. And for somebody who is home, this is in hopes that this will be baking in the oven shortly... hint, hint, Hannah... Levi...

Cottage Pudding

3 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Blend together until smooth.
Spread in 13x9-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes.

Serve with strawberries and whipped cream.

Happy Birthday, Mom! Love you! Take it easy, learn a new song on the piano, call somebody... It's your day!

Perfecting His Strength

My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

II Corinthians 12:9

When weakness detains our lives in a cruel hold of helplessness, there is little to cling to. There is no strength to hold on. Emptied of ourselves, devoid and hopeless, strength ebbs away into an empty pit of despair.

But that is the moment God waits for. He cannot help a strong man. He cannot fill an already filled pitcher. He cannot mend the heart that has not been broken.

It's in the moment of sheer weakness that God puts His loving arms around you and says, "My child, I am sufficient for you."

And as the Potter, He picks up the broken vessel, stooping so low to scoop up the shattered fragments that once was the strength of your life. He grinds it to powder. You are nothing. Useless, right?

But then that wheel begins to turn. He forms out of the dusty ruins of your life a masterpiece, fit for His own glory.

So in the midst of your useless nothingness, He perfected His strength. And now you are strong, not because of yourself, but because of Him.

When our strength is depleted and wanes away as nothing, it is at that moment that we are truly strong.

There are times when there is nothing but God. But that, my friend, is when you have obtained all there is to obtain.

The diamond does not glitter without the fire. The rose does not bloom before the thorns. The flowers cannot blossom without the rain. The child is not born without travail.

The fires that rage around you, the thorns that pierce your flesh, the storm that howls about you, and the travail of the soul are the tools of perfection.

Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

II Corinthians 12:10

Everyday News Network

Okay, this is too cute. Doug Phillips introduces a network that involves homeschooled young men and women between the ages of 4 and 16 to report in video format on the news and happenings in their lives. Tune in to ENN every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

In the mean time, you may peruse the complete ENN video archives. You'll learn a bear making technique, some ideas on how to decorate with Bible verses throughout your home, how good donuts are, new and innovative ways of going down a hill on some of the most absurd sets of wheels (The Blue Cart, and the Model T Trailer), versatile vertebrae and how to care for it, and so on and so forth.

If you're interested in doing it yourself, Newsie McGrady gives you easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions... Just watch out for the llama. If nothing else perhaps you could send in donations so he can get himself a much-needed, sturdy desk chair.

That's My Girl!

This afternoon everybody marched off to bed for the annual Father's Day, traditional Sunday afternoon nap. Everybody but Miss Jea Bob and me. We were too grown up. No napping is a significant factor in the beginning stages of maturity. Besides, sitting around playing a rousing game of peek-a-boo was much more fun and definitely delightfully more profitable!

Perched on my lap the game begins with Aunty Beemoo covering her face with her hands. Dear little lassie begins to chuckle in those suspenseful tones, bracing her self for...

"Boo!"

Eek!

She throws her head back and a gasping belly-laugh ensues. After several moments of such calorie-burning exercise, it discloses with desperate sighs of containment. The kind of sound that says, "stop it, I'm laughing too hard it hurts!"

And then, of course, the cycle starts all over...

What else, might I ask, are aunts for?

Okay, so I taught her the stick-out-the-tongue trick. However, I didn't mean for it to be done at the camera!

Hugs....

....and kisses!

Auntyhood... does it possibly get any better?

Giggles, Sour Cream, No Combs, Thrift Sales and Cuteness

Some of my favorite shots from the week or two gone by...

Totally cracked up.

I see you!

Sour Cream is not face cream.

Where's my comb?

Janae wishing she could have a baby sister.

Time to get rid of surplus items of non-necessity.

The cute Thrift Sale lady!

Cute cockyness.

Goofy guy... I told you I can't get any decent shots of him!

Happy Father's Day

To the best dad (and Grampa) in the world!

Love you, Dad!

Too Complicated

The purpose of the law was never to produce righteousness in us - that is we don't become one stitch more righteous by keeping it. Go ahead and try - keep the law flawlessly (as if you could) for a month, and you will notice that you are exactly the same as you were before, only one month older.

Doulogos

Did the Law...

There's something about us as humans that strives to make things complicated. We can't just accept the most base and simple things. We must elevate and condense and add buttons to it. Simplicity has never been the raging fad.

This complicated character trait has been ours since Adam and Eve. No fruit from that tree? Suddenly their eyes can see none of the other delicious fruit dangling in aromatic display around them, it was that fruit that bore the appeal. Thus began the downhill descent of complication that has been the flaw of all time.

Of course it has had it's beneficial moments. I'm sitting at a desk in a well-lit room thanks to Thomas Edison who had to make mistake after mistake after mistake just so that I can have this little light bulb.

Complicated? Definitely.

I can hear the sound of an air plane passing overhead. Automobiles frequent themselves outside the office window. My watch is ticking. The air conditioner removes the element of stuffiness and humidity on this warm summer evening.

This is technology. We've come a very long way since Adam's first attempt at complication, and I am thankful for all these new little devices. I love the advancement of science and achievement.

But what is life today? More complicated than ever before. Achievement is the success of complication.

That's right. Whether we realize it or not! Perhaps we're a bit too complicated to take time for simple little facts like that.

But where complication plays a tragic role is in Christianity. You know what I mean. The Israelites had the complication thing down pat... That's why God had to give them list after list of thou shalt's and thou shalt not's. The complication thing has since made its subtle advances, ever perfecting itself with each passing generation.

We love thou shalt's and thou shalt not's. We like to be able to keep life complicated with our works. The simplicity that God has for us is just... Well, not appealing.

He sent a Savior to redeem us, and yet the glass remains dark. Our complicated fog clouds our perception. It's simply too simple. Sure, we can trust Him. Or say so, anyway. But really, we must do something too!

So we construct our Christianity. We build boxes, scratch out the rules of maintenance, wire in the generic thinking programs, tack on some nice little push buttons, and then crawl into our little holy holes robed in all the glory of corrupt complication.

Must we be so complicated?

But I fear, lest by any means,

as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety,

so your minds should be corrupted

from the simplicity that is in Christ.

II Corinthians 11:3

Forty Dumb Facts...

About myself.

Okay, so there's this thing all over blogdom. It's the latest fad in online journalism. Or is it? I'm not usually one that jumps head first into a fad, so why am I doing this? Just to be different for once...

1. FIRST NAME? Brittney.
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Definitely not Britney Spears, if that's what you're wondering.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I can live with it.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Eeyuk. Let's not talk about lunch meat.
5. KIDS? Oh yes, I have two... A niece and a nephew.
6. WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? If I wasn't me there would be no me, therefore I would not be friends with me.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yeah. Kind of.
8. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Sarcasm? Me? Never. Absolutely never.
9. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yep. Wanna see?
10. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure. Off the doghouse.
11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Frosted shredded wheat. On those rare occasions.
12. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? If I'm removing shoes that lack in laces, I find it rather difficult to untie them.
13. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Well, one of my petite friends told me she could beat me in an armwrestle with one hand tied behind her back. Does that mean I'm strong?
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Chocolate swirly stuff.
15. SHOE SIZE? 8
16. RED OR PINK? mmm, maybe. (That means I can't decide.)
17. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? Blonde moments.
18. WHO DO YOU MISS MOST? Gramma.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? If I had pants, they would be khaki capris. But since I don't have pants, it's a blue denim skirt. Shoes... I removed my lace-less sandles from my feet awhile ago and am therefore shoeless.
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? A potato chip.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The sound of Courtney perusing ecards.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? What difference would it make?
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Java and candles.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? I talked to the busy tone when I called Mom. Before that it was my poor brother Gabe ailing with poison ivy at his house all by his lonesome. (((hugs))) to the dear...
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Their eyes and smile. A genuine and sweet disposition...
26. FAVORITE DRINK? Bean juice... Otherwise known as coffee...
27. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Horse jumping.
28. HAIR COLOR? You guessed it: BLONDE.
29. EYE COLOR? Green as the rolling hills of Ireland.
30. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nopadiedooda.
31. FAVORITE FOOD? um, chocolate.
32. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy endings, duh.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? My favorite lime green tee with glitter and swirls on it.
34. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs.
35. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? "The Gates of Zion" (the Zion Chronicles)... Yes, that's why I'm not blogging as usual. Sigh.
36. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Southern Gospel music and Landon saying "Whatever."
37. THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Loveland, Colorado. It didn't happen to me like it did for my sister...
38. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Blonde moments, like totally.
39. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Eau Claire, 21 years ago.
40. DO YOU WANT ANYONE ELSE TO ANSWER THESE DUMB QUESTIONS? What are they waitin' for?

If you have the time of day to do dumb things like this, do it. I'd love to hear forty pointless things about yourself.

Polite Little Boys and Peanut Butter

We had lots of little boys visiting yesterday. Okay, so there were just three, but it was still a lot!

Though not a one of them lacked in energy and boyhood exuberance they managed to keep the house balanced between toppling toys and delightfulness.

I almost fell off my seat when a little three year-old didn't hear what I said and politely asked, "Pardon?" I'm not sure when the last time was I heard that word from an adult, much less a child! Very polite little men indeed!

The hungry little mob sat down to a lunch of sandwiches. Timmy preceded to count the number of kids at the table. "One, two, three..." He trailed off as he switched into a much more profound frame of mind.

"He's a boy, he's a boy, he's a boy, and I'm a boy." Eyeing Janae he waxed eloquent, "She's a girl. And you're a girl... Courtney's a girl."

On second thought he informed me brightly "My mommy's a girl too!"

The sandwiches were a source of interest and intelligent discussion. Peanut butter happens to be a very fascinating topic of close study and research to a pair of blonde little boys. Their blue eyes carefully studied the mix of peanut butter and... Was that ketchup? No, jelly. The opportunity to once again research and consider the substance and elements of this boy-pleasing spread was not taken too lightly.

A previous experiences provoked them to warn me of a distasteful mixing of this matter with that of another. Timmy seriously informed me, "Did you know that peanut butter with dressing is really gross?"

Caleb had to agree. "And so is peanut butter and ketchup!"

And since they apparently are the experts, somehow I can't find it in myself to disagree with them.

You'd Think I Was Partial

But really I'm not. Just because you might happen to see more pictures of my niece Janae more than of my nephew Landon does not mean I like either one of them any more or less.

It's more a matter of photo congeniality. Janae is ever so very obliging when I get the camera out.

She doesn't stop the cuteness at sight of her aunt's faithful companion and start making hideous faces or turn her back. She can be captured in the epitome of cuteness as simply as snapping the shutter.

Often at the sight of the flashing contraptions she gets cuter... She squeals, grins, pumps her arms, tilts her head, looks dramatic... In essence, the effect is generally a photographer's dream come true.

Maybe she'll outgrow this phase of photography cooperation. But in the mean time I shall take advantage of this opportunity to satisfy my auntyhood albums with my most cooperative and delightful subject.

She's just too darling to do otherwise!

Landon on the other hand...

Yes, I must sneak up on him and snap the shutter before he knows I have that thing in my hand again.

Other times I must stand in an obsolete corner and pretend taking pictures is the farthest thing from my mind.

I can manage to get some decent shots if I stand an inconspicuous several feet away and zoom in as far as my camera will let me.

So that's what it is, folks. I'm not partial. Auntyhood is a delightful thing of favorites. At this point I have a favorite Janae and I have a favorite Landon. One just happens to be more congenial to my camera than the other.

Today's Memories

It is a beautifully warm and blissful day today. The sun shines brilliantly while white fluffy clouds break up the brilliant blue of the afternoon sky. A gentle breeze wafts through the trees while the birds twitter their summer song. Today has a feeling of sublime hopefulness... I feel it in the memories wrapped around the previous June 11's.

Today is the day Gramma Gayle was born, 66 years ago. To me it is a special day. Gramma passed on the 25th of February. She was a dear person to me and I loved her very much. Since her death I think often of who she was in Christ, and what she made of me.

In her loving and unassuming way she imparted to me a deeper understanding of God's love, His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness and His truth. I'm most positive that my walk with God is what it is due largely to the impact of Gramma's life on my own.

I loved to be with her, and she always loved to be with any of her grandkids. She made us each feel special. She didn't have favorites, though I think all 19 of us individually thought we were her favorite.

I miss her, and I love her.

We said goodbye to her on March 2nd. But it's not forever. Someday the timeless theme of all the ages will be the dawning of the great morning. Night will dissipate as the shadows of earth are dissolved by the Lamb of glory. Death will forever be conquered for life is always victorious.

As Jordan's swelling tides are spanned, I know Gramma will be on the other side. I can just see her at the pearly gates waiting to welcome me. I can hear her laugh and the beautiful smile that is forever stamped on my memory will once and for all never fade. Her warm and soft hug will embrace me, and what joy that will be!

But Gramma is not the ultimate joy of heaven to me. Heaven's fullest joy awaits in the arms of the Father. Once there, I'll know I'm Home.

Happy Birthday, Gramma!

Gramma and me
Thanksgiving 2004

How on Earth Did We Get that Paint Up?

In all of creation there found not a better tool:
paper towels were a wonderful invention
they sopped and seeped and worked better than
the idyllic contraption I previously mentioned.
Two pairs of hands and a clean pail of water
applied with scrub brushes and the paper rags,
when at last it was finished there filled none less
than two paint-sopping-rag-filled grocery bags.

Check out Trouble to read the rest.

Disaster Defined

I always thought I knew what the word "disaster" meant. Yesterday it took on a whole new meaning.

I was just thinking about what a huge challenge it is to try to sell a house where two toddlers live. You clean up a mess while they're making another, is pretty much the idea. When you have a house on the market, it basically starts to feel like you're living in a glass house. But with two energetic tots, it's a shell they're intent on breaking!

And of course yesterday the house was scheduled for yet another showing. After finally having the house in tip-top shape, complete with a fresh coat of paint on the door, we were about ready to head out to the van and spend a couple hours at some friends' house.

Janae happened to wander away from her area of play, unbeknownst to her mommy and auntie. What shock and horror I found as I rounded a corner to discover...

Paint. All the paint that was previously in the can, was now not in the can. It was on the floor. The livingroom floor in fact. And there a delighted little girl was just ready to get her toes wet in this exciting mess.

The culprit?

This little Missy.

Thanks for all the extra "paintstaking" work Miss Jea Bob! It took a whole lot of effort, but you'd never know where the puddle of paint was now. Sigh. Now I know what they mean when they say "Never a dull moment"...

Janae at the Park

Janae loved the park. Especially climbing things... or attempting to anyway!

If Landon can do this, I can do it too!

Easier said than done.

At the top!

Technical Difficulties

I don't know if blogspot is sick or what. It's been frustrating to say the least! It looks like they've encountered some hardware difficulties, but they're working on it. You can read more here. I still have plenty of pictures I want to share, but they're not uploading at this time. Stay tuned in other words! I'm glad it's chosen a really busy time around here to be so stinky... I haven't had a whole lot of time for blogging. But grief, when I'm ready to, I keep getting pages that say "Down for Maintenance". In all sarcasm, that's so much fun.

Strawberries, Neighbors, House Showings, and Picnics

Yesterday was one full and busy day. I woke up at the crack of dawn so that I could go pick strawberries. The Wissmann's made room for me in their van, and away to Roca we went! It was so much fun in spite of the muddy, back-breaking work. We came away with seven whole flats (13 or more pounds a piece!) of little tiny berries that were too sweet to be true!

It was a fun time of talking and working together. Work is so much fun when friends share the load!

I went home with two flats of strawberries. Courtney and I spent the afternoon freezing them. One big, sweet, juicy job!

In the middle of it all I got to take a wonderful break. With Janae in tow, I brought a bowl of fresh strawberries to dear Jean who lives across the street. She was recently widowed, but loving, sweet and cheerful as always! She ushered me right into her clean, cool, air conditioned house. We had such a fun visit together. She reminds me so much of my Grandma who recently passed on. What a blessing she is!

Very full of life and love it was hard to finally try to bring our pleasant visit to a close. On the way out the door, she made sure I saw pictures of her sweet great-grandson, his sister, and his new baby brother. Oh, and had I ever heard of such a thing as a bio-degradable pen? And poor Janae, she didn't even have a cookie for her since she doesn't bake so much anymore now that Fred's gone. What a pity.

We said our goodbyes, and Janae landed a smacking kiss on Jean's cheek. Away we went back home to finish the strawberries, then finish cleaning and cleaning and cleaning since the house had to be shown that night.

With the house on the market life seems to consist of thoroughly cleaning and then evacuating before potential buyers enter the premise. Not always easy, especially when the battery in the van dies five minutes after you should've already left.

Last night we found us a beautiful park, and spent a pleasant evening...

Courtney sure whisked up a scrumchious dinner-in-a-cooler, complete with Strawberry Shortcake. Now that's what makes strawberry picking rewarding!

A father and son moment I just happened to catch.

We're in this together, right Jea?

A budding Nelson Contracting man.

Stay tuned for more pictures to come!

My Life of Late

I had the great fun of baby-sitting two rambunctious toddlers while their mommy and daddy went on a birthday picnic.

They were still happy and energetic as ever after a vigorous walk, watering flowers, a long bath and lots of popcorn and pickles!

A rather fun-lovin' pair!

Okay like totally cool.

It was delightful to find the mulberries out back had ripened! Landon enjoyed his somewhat unfruitful attempts at picking some for himself.

The best mulberries are always dangling precariously out of reach, eh Landon?

We started the week out with a very sick little boy. He tried to be happy... He really did. But then... It was tears. Nothing like a sippy cup to mend a poor boy's heart.

What sad eyes! He's all better now.

Legalism versus Holiness

There is a vast difference between what may be termed a religious man and an earnest Christian. Just such a difference, in fact, as distinguished in Saul of Tarsus and the Apostle Paul. In the former the life is regulated to a degree by external authority--"thou shalt" and "thou shalt not"; in the latter a new bias is given to the life itself, bringing it into harmony with God's will, and the precepts of the external law are merged into the greater law of love to God and man. The former is cold, cheerless, and intolerant, only too often unavailing in severe temptation, and frequently expressing itself in formalism and pharisaism. The latter is a vital force making the soul stronger through temptation and by unselfish service to others radiating love and joy throughout society.

William R. Moody

The religious man is one who is bound by legalism. The earnest Christian embraces the holiness of God. There is a difference between legalism and holiness... A very huge and vast difference, I might add. So much so that they are two entirely different entities.

Legalism is earthly and sensual in the sense that it's very binding, and keeps one from fully understanding and accepting the grace of God. It dwells on the works and the goodness of itself, and not on the cross of Christ.

Holiness, on the other hand, is the very form and essence of God. Without holiness, no one can see God. Holiness is not do's and don'ts, or "thou shalt's" and "thou shalt not's" Rather, it dwells on God's finished work at Calvary. Holiness is the manifestation of the liberty in Christ through His atoning blood and forgiveness of sin.

We cannot have both at once for legalism builds a wall between us and God--encasing ourselves in our own stinking rags of filthy righteousness. Holiness is flinging off the distasteful garment in utter shame and disgust and embracing God Himself as the Perfecter of holiness.

The quote by D.L. Moody's son says it all. I've considered and studied this particular aspect in theology a lot in the last year or two. The lines between holiness and legalism were foggy and muddled in my eyes. Christianity to me consisted of what I was and not who I was.

But I learned that God in His holiness lifted up a standard that not even legalism can attain to. Yet in His grace He gave us the gift of His Son to make atonement for us that we may reach His standard. And He made a chasm between legalism and holiness. The abyss can only be spanned by the Cross of Christ.

Celebrating...

24 years as love birds!

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad! Love you!