I’m just gonna leave this right here.

I had all sorts of ideas of what to write about. Well, more truthfully, I had inklings of possibilities of ideas to write about, but nothing came of any of it. Then I remembered, “Oh yeah, Doctor Who.”

I’m still on my second go-round to watch all the classic episodes. Currently, I’m on season 17 with Lalla Ward as Romana II. Essentially, the original actress to play Romana didn’t return for the next season, so Romana regenerated into a new face.

I still find that there’s something magical about these old episodes. The special effects are not the greatest and sometimes painfully bad. Some of the villains are way over the top. But all in all, the stories are good and the characters are compelling.

Of course, there will be further updates as the doctor changes and the companions come and go. Plus, it gives me a backup plan when all my other ideas are kaput.

One of my heroes of the faith is Amy Carmichael, who served faithfully as a missionary in India rescuing little girls from temple prostitution. She wrote with boldness and authority that is seldom seen in the current age of Christianity Lite. Read these words and let them sink in deep. May they be the beat of your heart in the days to come:

“Let us end on a very simple note: Let us listen to simple words; our Lord speak simply: ‘Trust Me, My child,’ He says. ‘Trust Me with a humbler heart and a fuller abandon to My will than ever thou didst before. Trust Me to pour My love through thee, as minute succeeds minute. And if thou shouldst be conscious of anything hindering that flow, do not hurt My love by going away from Me in discouragement, for nothing can hurt so much as that. Draw all the closer to Me; come, flee unto Me to hide thee, even from thyself. Tell Me about the trouble. Trust Me to turn My hand upon thee and thoroughly to remove the boulder that has choked they river-bed, and take away all the sand that has silted up the channel. I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. I will perfect that which concerneth thee. Fear thou not, O child of My love; fear not.’

And now…to gather all in one page:

‘Beloved, let us love.

Lord, what is love?

Love is that which inspired My life, and led Me to My Cross, and held Me on My Cross. Love is that which will make it thy joy to lay down thy life for thy brethren.’

Lord, evermore give me this love.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after love, for they shall be filled” (Amy Carmichael).

‘Ooh!’ said Susan, ‘I’d thought he was a man. Is he—quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion.’

‘That you will, dearie, and no mistake,’ said Mrs. Beaver; ‘if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.’

‘Then he isn’t safe?’ said Lucy.

‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver; ‘don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ’Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you'” (C. S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe).

If I had to choose, I’d pick good over safe any day of the week.

I’m not about taking risks for the sake of taking risks, but I also know that if you’re always playing it safe, you’ll never branch out and try anything new. You’ll miss out on so many of life’s experiences.

Stepping out in faith isn’t always safe, but it is always knowing that whatever the outcome, God is good and God is able.

“It is no good giving me a play like Hamlet or King Lear, and telling me to write a play like that. Shakespeare could do it — I can’t. And it is no good showing me a life like the life of Jesus and telling me to live a life like that. Jesus could do it — I can’t. But if the genius of Shakespeare could come and live in me, then I could write plays like this. And if the Spirit of Jesus could come into me, then I could live a life like that. This is the secret of Christian sanctity. It is not that we should strive to live like Jesus, but that he by his Spirit should come and live in us. To have him as our example is not enough; we need him as our Saviour” (John R. W. Stott).

I think for years, a lot of American Christianity has come across as “try harder” and “do better.”

The fact is that the message should be “I can’t . . . but Jesus can.”

It’s not a matter of trying harder as if I could somehow by my own willpower sweat and strain and groan and push myself toward holiness.

True, the path to Christlikeness isn’t an easy one. In fact, humanly speaking it’s impossible.

The only way to achieving holiness and Christlikeness is the power of Christ. It’s the very presence of Christ within us.

Maturity in the faith doesn’t come by brute strength but in surrender, not in obstinance but obedience, not in extra effort but by the indwelling of God’s Spirit.

Tonight, I needed to remind myself that the gospel is all Jesus from start to finish. I can’t boast at any point about any part of it. If it seems out of reach or hopeless, all I need is to remember that Jesus promised to finish what He began in every one of His children. The end.

“How can we forgive those who do not want to be forgiven? Our deepest desire is that the forgiveness we offer will be received. This mutuality between giving and receiving is what creates peace and harmony. But if our condition for giving forgiveness is that it will be received, we seldom will forgive! Forgiving the other is first and foremost an inner movement. It is an act that removes anger, bitterness, and the desire for revenge from our hearts and helps us to reclaim our human dignity. We cannot force those we want to forgive into accepting our forgiveness. They might not be able or willing do so. They may not even know or feel that they have wounded us.

The only people we can really change are ourselves. Forgiving others is first and foremost healing our own hearts” (Henri Nouwen).

Forgiveness is letting go of the expectation that the other person can fix what he or she did to you.

Forgiveness is the key to opening the locked door to the prison cell only to find that the prisoner inside was you.

Forgiveness breaks the cycle of continually drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

The one who forgives little has been forgiven little, but the one who forgives much has been forgiven of much.

The one who understands how great the forgiveness of God really is will be the first to forgive others as often as possible.

Who do you need to forgive? Even the ones you know haven’t shown remorse or sorrow for their actions?

Is the one most in need of forgiveness from you the one staring at you in the mirror? Is it you?

I’m still trying to process what happened today. In the blink of an eye, the world lost Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest NBA players of all time, at the young age of 41. The news got even worse when we found out that Kobe’s 13 year old daughter was in that same helicopter crash and also perished.

I read the following words and immediately felt a knife stuck in my gut. Even though I’m not a parent, these words resonated with me deeply.

“Can you even imagine how difficult it was for him in that moment? The moment he knew that not only his own life was about to end, but that of his daughter…a life he helped create. 

Can you imagine how he felt as a father knowing he couldn’t protect her? 

Can you imagine him holding her, consoling her, telling her he loved her as that helicopter went down?

As a parent, I can tell you, Kobe Bryant’s greatest fear was realized today. And it wasn’t the fear for his own life, but for that of his beautiful daughter.

Because as a parent, your life means nothing in comparison to the lives of your children.

We live for our children. We breathe for our children. They are our reason for being.

We would also die for them, without hesitation. 

Without question, without a moments notice, we would lay down our own lives to ensure theirs. 

Just thinking of his internal struggle in those last moments tears my heart into pieces.

He knew his daughter’s young life was ending. He knew he was leaving 3 other precious children behind. Oh, how his heart must have ached!

Can you even imagine the agony that played out in his mind? Every parents worst nightmare happening to him in real time.

He was there when his sweet girl took her first breath, and he was there with her when she took her last. 

And that’s the only solace I can find in this…that he was there. In her final moments, her daddy was there to remind her of his undying love. 

And with everything in me, I hope that baby felt every ounce of love her daddy had for her. I hope it overwhelmed her, and carried her straight into paradise.

Because I know that’s all her daddy wanted too.

Rest in peace Kobe and Gigi. Our hearts mourn you ❤

Hug your children extra tight tonight, mamas and daddies. Tomorrow is never promised.

Four Norths in the South“

For the record, I found this posted more than once on Facebook, so I put a link to the original posting to give credit.

“Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall enjoy much peace. If you refuse to be hurried and pressed, if you stay your soul on God, nothing can keep you from that clearness of spirit which is life and peace. In that stillness you will know what His will is” (Amy Carmichael).

Blessed are those who have learned to say no.

Blessed are those who have refused to engage in the rat race and do not believe in being busy for the sake of being busy.

Blessed are those who teach their children that life is more than the sum of their activities (and that sometimes it is good to be bored in order to foster creative thinking).

Blessed are those who know the meaning of contentment and no longer keep up with the proverbial Joneses.

Blessed are those who intentionally carve out margins in their schedules for quiet and stillness and to seek to hear the still small voice of God.

Blessed are those who understand that you will not have time for what’s important unless you make time.

Blessed are those who get that you will always find a way to make time for what and who really matters to you.

Blessed are those who are weary and burdened who hear Jesus saying that they can come to Him and find rest for their souls.

What he said.

I recently learned of a new/old hymn that really spoke to me as few songs have. Apparently, the original hymn was penned by Ada Habershon in 1906 with music by Robert Harkness. In 2013, Matt Merker wrote new music for the hymn and modernized it a bit. Still, the lyrics speak powerfully to anyone walking through a valley or a dark night:

“When I fear my faith will fail
Christ will hold me fast
When the tempter would prevail
He will hold me fast
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path
For my love is often cold
He must hold me fast

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast

Those He saves are His delight
Christ will hold me fast
Precious in His holy sight
He will hold me fast
He’ll not let my soul be lost
His promises shall last
Bought by Him at such a cost
He will hold me fast

For my life He bled and died
Christ will hold me fast
Justice has been satisfied
He will hold me fast
Raised with Him to endless life
He will hold me fast
Till our faith is turned to sight
When he comes at last

He will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fastHe will hold me fast
He will hold me fast
For my Savior loves me so
He will hold me fast” (Ada Habershon/Matt Merker)