great is thy faithfulness

"Great is Thy faithfulness," Oh God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

"Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!"
Morning my morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided -
"Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord unto me! (words by T. O. Chisholm, b. 1866)

Being the last day of 2007, my dad asked us how we have experienced God's faithfulness this year. The thing that most stands out. I think I said something about medical school applications and acceptance and taking a step in trusting God with my future.

"But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

But perhaps this is the most profound thing I've realized this year. It is also the most elementary of truths in the Christian faith. Perhaps the greatest example of God's faithfulness is the constant, unending forgiveness and the promise of righteousness - if we would only acknowledge our sin and pride. But this is grace. And why is this not the thing that stands out most about God's faithfulness in my life?

I think we often take grace for granted (I do, at least) and are not truly touched by the power that is there - power to love people that normally would piss us off, power to overcome sin, power to keep on serving people when the world tells us to care for ourselves first and when we are burnt out. So I ask myself, do I really know of God's faithfulness? Perhaps a better question is do I really know that I need it?

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'" (Lamentations 3:22-24)

my heart vs God

how do you set aside the pangs from the heart so that you can listen clearly to what God is saying?

christmas traditions...?

so i just realized our family does not do much together for christmas. we have no real traditions. my aunt Judy is the only person who gets our family presents. there was no big christmas dinner (though we did have shark fin soup...yummm...) we did not have a group of international exchange students from IUSB or ND like usual. we did not even eat dinner together as family. instead, i read, relaxed, and watched NBA games. (reading really does go a lot slower in front of the television...) that seems to be a recurring theme every time i come home for break: my bro, sis, and i are home, we're together as a family, but we are all doing separate things, in separate places. are we all that independent, or is our family not as cohesive as i thought we were.

but we did go to church today because it was my parents' turn to clean and tidy up the church, so that was our family outing...

one book down, six to go...

the sound of silence...

With the dorm's heating and A/C units just outside my window at school, I cherish that much more the serenity I can find at home in [almost]-nowhere, Indiana.

It's good to be home again... :)

Reading List for Break:
Mere Christianity
The Problem of Pain
A Grief Observed
The Golden Compass Series
The Weight of Glory