Trust and Obey Pt 2

Let me share a little history of how our family first met Josh's family. Our family knew of the Langemann's through mutual friends, the Fehrs. On occasion the Langemann family would come to our area to visit the Fehr's and the Langemann's always blessed our church fellowship with their gifts of music and enthusiasm.

Over the years I was blessed to become acquainted with their second child, Christy. We would not see each other often, but always visited together after church when they were in the area, and I would hear news of the family every now and then through the Fehrs. Though I didn't know the family well, I could see Christ in their lives and there was a respect in my heart for them. In Christy I saw an example of consistent joy and contentment which can be brought only by God's grace. Though side-by-side we are the same height, I still look up to Christy and thank Father for the love that her life displays.


What I did not notice was that while I was happily observing the Langemann family and enjoying getting to know Christy a little bit was that my Dad was observing one particular Langemann, and that was Josh, Christy's older brother. Dad was always blessed by Josh's transparency and sincerity, and would often greet him and visit together any time the Langemann's were with our church fellowship. From observing their family I knew they had a practical love for God and that each of the children were secure in their family relationships. Josh's Dad is one of the most awesome pianist I have ever heard, and I remember as a little girl trying to sit where I could see his hands move across the keyboard when he played piano!

Back to the talk Dad and I were having on the combine that afternoon in late July.... I was astounded when it turned to specifics! I didn't really think we were having “the talk.” I thought it was more just an encouraging “watch and wait” talk from my faithful Dad. As “the talk” progressed I soon learned otherwise, which was a complete delight and overwhelming blessing to my heart. I literally had no words to say when Dad mentioned Josh by name. The first words that entered my mind were directed to my Father “What are Your thoughts?” Before I could answer my Dad, I had to track my memory back a little bit to recall Josh specifically. I realized I had never had a conversation with him, and had no specific remembrance of actually being introduced to Josh at any time. This quite astounded my Dad, but things like that don't really matter when God is orchestrating your song though! I knew enough to trust and to walk the road of prayer and willingness and see what Father would do with it.

It was agreed that our family would travel to Denver, CO, to meet the Langemann's and visit with them for the week of Sept 11-16, 2007. The verse from Proverbs “Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established” was the prayer of my heart for each individual that week. We could not have seen the Lord answer in more amazing and abundant ways! There were seventeen of us in one home for a week, and peace reigned in our midst the entire time.
Much individual and joint seeking of the Lord had been had by Josh, his parents, my parents, and myself, and at the end of that week it was agreed that we progress on a “friendship with intent” and follow God's leading towards marriage, committing to follow only Him and obey Him at any costs as we waited for His timing to be revealed in our lives.

The best picture to which I can liken my heart at this time was that of a channel. There was a supply of pure water flowing through, and it was like I was simply watching from a distance, yet close enough to the picture to know that it was happening to me and close enough to feel Father's hand of guidance and keeping.

Over the next two months Josh and I got to know each other more through email, phone calls, and instant messaging. :o) We simply shared life as it was happening for us, and through that we learned more of who God had made each of us to be. We continued to discover the beautiful unity of God as we shared of our experiences and saw His hand in each of them. It was good to have a friend speak the truth to you when you needed it! What amazed me was that each time one of us would want to encourage the other we would turn to the Friend who sticks closer than a brother and share His words of hope and life with one other!

I moved home from Chicago in October, and was blessed to become part of “family life” again! Then, in November, I went to spend two weeks with Josh and his family, having not seen any of them since the time in September when both families were together. I arrived on a Thursday and enjoyed a weekend with Josh and his siblings. We went to church together on Sunday and I was able to get to know the people there a little better this time! I also got to watch them rehearse and perform a concert with an orchestra Josh and some of his siblings participated in, which was very special for me!

The Lord very specifically directed our course of thoughts and actions over the next two days, and then Tuesday, the thirteenth of November arrived. This was already a special day for me because it is my youngest sister's birthday, as well as Josh's Mom's birthday. However, the day was about to become all the more special!! That evening we enjoyed putting on a birthday dinner for Josh's Mom, after which Josh and I retired to the music room where we sat and studied the Word together for a couple hours. Our time together led into prayer and worship and then, in the context of lifting his heart up to God, Joshua asked me to marry him!

It took me a second to realize that he was no longer praying, and then I joyfully realized the question that had just been asked me! Lifting my head, I looked up into his face hemmed with anticipation and gently said “Yes, I will.” From that point on, we took to calling Josh “Mr. Grin” because that described the state of his face from that moment on! After a few moments it registered in my heart what had just happened, and then I clarified the answer I had given Josh with the words “it would be an honour.” I have always wanted to say those words to the man of God that would become my husband as a purpose of commitment to honour him, for Father teaches in Scripture that this is to be the conduct of wives toward their husbands. (Ephesians 5, 1 Peter 3)

Lord willing, Josh and I are planning to be married May 18,2008 in my hometown of Foremost. Josh is a Canadian citizen, and is looking to re-locate back in Canada sometime in March or April as I am not able to obtain a visa suitable for living in the USA.

The morning after Josh proposed, this was the prayer my heart lifted up to the Lord:

A most precious gift You've given to me,
A gift of love and purity,
In my beloved's eyes Your light I see,
And “Thank You, Father,” is my plea.

“What You began, Father, do complete
O let us be Your hands and feet;
To share of Your love with each one we meet,
Knowing joy at the mercy seat.”

Josh and I were both reading through the book of Isaiah during the time of our engagement, and in closing I'd like to share a few verses that were the lamp to our feet during the time of our engagement.

Isaiah 12:2,3,6 “Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore, with joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation... Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

Isaiah 61:3,7,10,11 “To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified...Instead of your shame you shall have double honour, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs... I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”

Isaiah 65:18,19,22,23 “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in My people, The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying...They shall not build and another inhabit; They shall not plant and another eat; For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people. And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them.”

Josh and Erin, engaged November 13, 2007

Trust and Obey Pt 1

“Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.” Isaiah 30:18

This past fall I kept hearing a new phrase overflow from my lips. It was a phrase that for all my life I had believed to be true, and had experienced it in many simple and beautiful things before, but something in my life changed this past fall, and through that change the phrase “worth the wait” has come to mean so much more to me. (see Nov 29,2007 and Jan 26,2008 posts)

A phrase from Ecclesiastes comes to mind, “And He has set eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” As I look back on my life I see the faithful work and preparation and provision of my heavenly Father, and that teaches me to rest in His faithfulness as I also look ahead. Truly His work is far greater than I can grasp, and I am so thankful to be a vessel in His hands.

On September 11, 2007, I met the man God created for me to stand alongside as helpmeet, companion, and lover for as many days as Father sees fit to give us together. The Lord has been preparing my heart for this season in my life, and I have never known more full rejoicing in the Lord's timing than I have through the receiving of the gift of Joshua Langemann, my fiance and hero. Let me now share some of the story Father has been writing in our lives.

This summer I came home to visit my family for two weeks, with the intent to return to Chicago again afterwards to continue serving at the IBLP Headquarters until October. At the end of my July visit, while harvesting winter-wheat on our farm together, my Dad shared with me that he sensed it was time for change in my life. He shared a few specific things of how he saw the Lord's preparation and timing in readying me for a marriage relationship, and that the Lord was indeed leading and providing in that direction for me. With awe and wonderment my little heart contentedly received Dad's words. In sincere trust in the Lord, I breathed a thankful prayer of awe and wonderment up to my Heavenly Father.

Dad went on to explain that Albert Langemann, Joshua's Dad, had contacted my Dad about a month earlier and asked towards the possibility of visiting my parents on the farm to “get to know them better.” A mutual and well-loved friend had been instrumentally used of the Lord in connecting our two families, and now it was time for the Langemann's to meet the Collin's and see what the Lord would do! Mr. and Mrs. Langemann, along with several of their children, were to pay a visit to my parents and brothers on the farm the day after I returned to Chicago, where my sisters were also serving.

As I continued to listen to my Dad that day on the combine, I realized more than ever before how blessed I was to have two fathers I could trust – my Heavenly Father, and my earthly one. I could not have imagined anything more precious than for my earthly father to share with me about the leading from my heavenly Father that was being made reality in my life. What was being asked was that a relationship would begin between our family and the Langemann family and that we would earnestly seek the leading of the Lord concerning how the relationship should continue. When Dad talked to me that day it was for the purpose of having me pray about this along with my parents. The sense Father gave me was one of openness and willingness to proceed and see how He would lead.

Several of the Langemann family did indeed visit our home later that week, during which time the children enjoyed getting to know one another and the parents had time to speak together. Joshua was not with his family at the time of this visit. Dad needed to continue with the harvest, and his cab was now open to another rider, Albert Langemann, Josh's Dad. During that visit Dad tells me they did share together concerning our family's getting to know one another better and to seek the Lord as to the possibility of an specific friendship beginning between Joshua and myself. It was agreed that our family would travel to Denver in the fall to visit with the Langemann's in their home. After the visit in July and much time seeking the Lord, Joshua flew up to visit my parents the first weekend in August, so as to further pursue the heart of God on this matter. I was still serving in Chicago, learning to really wait upon the Lord, and to receive everything from Him. This was a prayer I wrote the weekend the Langemann's visited our farm.
“Rest near thy King, o my soul,
Worship Him who's in control;
Lean on Him, the perfect One,
In sweet communion with His Son.

He, the very God of all,
Is very nigh when thou dost call.
Fellowship He made for thee,
The fullness of the Trinity.

Made for moments come and gone,
For where the Lord will lead thee on;
Believe in thy Saviour's mind,
Joy in His tender mercies kind.

Patience' song, having begun
Must now continue to be sung;
Waiting now reality
Walk with thy God in purity.

Thou hast believed the Author,
Thou art His adopted daughter;
Love Him more with all thou art,
He will finish what He did start.

New beginnings welling up,
More of His faithfulness to sup;
Leading from this chosen place
Deeper into His perfect grace.

Grace in trial has made thee true,
Now trust within His mercies new;
Let Him sing rejoicing's song,
Trusting, for to Him you belong.

Grace sufficient will be there,
What joy on Him to cast thy care,
Leaning wholly on His breast,
In newness thou wilt learn to rest.”
- EBC 7-29-07

My Dad is a farmer, and that day in July when we shared together on the combine, Dad nurtured a seedling Father had started in my heart years ago that was now about to bring forth and bud. My Dad was so happy and confident, and that really gave me reason to “trust and obey” because at this point I did not know Josh at all. However, though I did not know Josh, I knew my Father (Heavenly) and Josh knew Father too! Resting in that knowledge carved a road of watchful willingness on which my feet could walk. My Heavenly Father is wise in His dealings with His children, and does not tempt and tease them, but works for their good because it brings Him glory! How precious it is when brethren dwell together in the unity of their King!



Daniel Langemann, Avery Collin, and Amy Langemann




Mrs. Langemann (Lorrie) and Christy

Waiting

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

The beauty of the Alberta prairies in the winter months can be stunning. Trees which one season ago were stripped of their leaves by the changing winds of fall now stand stately and bare, bravely holding their ground against the frigid temperatures and barren ground. Snow doesn't fall often here in the arid farm lands of Alberta, but when it does the sight is glorious. Endless miles of stubble and prairie grass can look very dismal in the fall, but the splendour and beauty that graces them when the snow falls is simply amazing.

It blesses me so much to see a picture of God's purpose for my life through these simple things in nature. Father Nature touches His creation and gives a different beauty to each of His creatures season by season. Take a tree for example. Come spring, we all will revel in the fresh growth and buds of green that break forth into healthy, vibrant leaves. In summer, we will revel in her shade. When fall arrives we will delight in the palate of earth tones that spray forth from her branches. We will frolic in the leaves as they fall, and perhaps use them to decorate our home for Thanksgiving. But what of winter? What is the glory of the tree? To look at her she looks bare and cold, perhaps she may even appear to us as dead. Her only beauty comes from that which rests on her, that which is given her. The frost that hugs her branches shows the intricate beauty of her strength, for every little sprig on the tree is covered by six-pointed snow flakes that descend from chambers above. When the breeze meets these flakes, they fall to the ground in a dancing shower of diamonds. The tree could do nothing in and of itself to arrive at this state of grandeur - nothing - except to wait and be ready.

I once wrote a poem about waiting. It is something always relevant to life, though her tempo and fervency may indeed change, season by season. Oh how precious it is to have the privilege of serving the King of kings!! In each moment of our lives we have the glorious treasure of Emmanuel being by our side. We truly experience nothing alone – nothing.

While we wait on God in active service “a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship” we also wait in patient dependence, for Him to direct and provide. Oh how great the longing when you are waiting! Longing for the Giver as well as for His gifts. The most glorious of all is that Father waits with us. His thoughts toward us are precious, and He loves to give good gifts to His children. He lives in us, and in Him we are to live on this earth. He loves to show His glory in our lives. Just like the beauty He paints on the tree season by season, so He paints a beauty in our lives season by season which brings glory to His name. Sometimes, the beauty is from ashes. Sometimes we may not see the beauty but as long as we are in His hand we can trust that He is making all things beautiful in its time.

"A gift, called, Waiting,
Given to children of the King,
For through it they will learn,
A reason why their God must sing.
The blessing of desire
Calls for a patient, holy grace,
The King longs for His own,
He watches them throughout the race.
His eyes behold each one,
As He fashions beauty within,
And this fuels His longing,
As for Him each one seeks to win.

His love is set on us,
And mercy – mercy is the seal,
Set upon hearts in time,
The ache eternity will heal.
This gift we're called to share
With an omniscient, holy God,
The one who made our hearts
Can keep them on this sod.
In Him we can delight,
When we seek His kingdom first,
He extends grace and hope,
While after His purpose we thirst."
EBC 12-2-06

Quietude

“The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zeph 3:17

“Quietly now, wait for Me,
In quietness breathes My plea;
As I commune, child with thee,
Quietly now, wait for Me.
For quietly, I adorn,
Thy heart with beauty to be worn;
Beauty, like My crown of thorn,
For quietly, I adorn.
For your quietness I long,
So you can hear Me sing My song;
For My love is vast and strong,
For your quietness I long.
In a holy quietness
I clothe you with My righteousness;
I hold you in faithfulness,
In a holy quietness.
Quietly, in Me stay hid,
Do the fulness of what I bid;
Of all thyself now be rid,
Quietly, in Me stay hid.
In Me, quietly abide,
Stay close, draw near to My side;
For I long for you, My bride,
Quietly, in Me abide.
In My quietness delight,
Hear My gentle, purposeful plight;
As the rain falls on this night,
In My quietness delight.”
EBC 03-30-07


Quietness.

There is nothing like it. To describe it is almost to ruin it. All the words and sounds in the world cannot convey the glory of quietness. I have to imagine that before all time, when as yet Father had not made the primal dust of the world, that there was quietness. The Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. Then, He spoke, the sound of His voice over the waters broke the silence that He might work creation on the face of the deep. Ever since creation, has He not been calling us to discover that which was before creation – the quietness of His heart, a language perfect and flawless, wordless and quiet. He is Alpha and Omega, and He cannot deny Himself.
The prophet Isaiah put it this way: “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of
righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. Is 32:17 God's work of creation is mirrored in our own hearts which He shapes and fashions for His glory. Without words and motions would quietness be cherished? Without quietness how would our hearts learn to listen, and without listening how would we speak words that have any value? What joy to know that Father created both a time to keep silence and a time to speak. One often leads us to the other.


Father spoke the poem on quietness to my heart as one season in my life was ending and another was beginning. As April blossoms began to garnish the flowerbeds of Chicago's Oak Brook suburbs, I took a walk with Father one day. I was memorizing in 2 Peter 1, and these words stuck in my heart “ as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” For me, there could have been no more precious words in the world. Father was preparing me for an intense spring and summer season of work, and yet His words to my heart were a call to quietness. How interesting. Ever feel like you're being asked to do two completely different things at once? When they are chosen by God for you, it is foolish to doubt. So... I had to rest my hope on the truth that Father would give “all things that pertain to life (work) and godliness (heart.)” It blew me away to know that He had called me by “glory and virtue.” What an honour!


We move now to another walk I took with Father, down that same street in Oak Brook, IL, about a month later. Memorizing had now taken me to vs 10 and 11 of 2 Peter 1 which read “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Like most of you, I had read these verses dozens of times before, but this time it was time to wrestle with what they said. It said “be diligent to make your call and election sure.” Hmm. Diligence. It sounded like work. Nevertheless, I knew it was the Lord asking this of me, so I entered yet another season of heart-searching and pouring out before Him the desires He had put in my heart.

We all know the verse “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” As a little girl and on into my early young adult years, I had learned to trust the Lord to give desires to my heart – His desires. God is trustworthy, and He gives desires to your heart that He wants to fulfill in His time and for His purposes. “Trust in Him at all times you people; Pour out your heart before Him, God is a refuge for us.” (Ps 62:8)
So, in simple obedience, I began again to pour out the desires Father had laid on my heart, inasmuch as I knew them. Father had been telling my heart that what mattered to Him was how I lived for Him, not necessarily what I did for Him. My sisters were being called into foreign mission opportunities, but no such door was being set before me. I really had to make sure that this was okay, and that my heart was fully pleasing to Him. I remember praying “Father, I only want to do Your will. Please keep me useable, and Father, if it please You, please use me.” Of the things He gave me grace to pour out before Him was the call to serve in His kingdom alongside a man of God, seeking grace to be a helpmeet, companion, and support to one who was serving the Lord with his gifts, and as Father would allow, to be a homemaker and mother. Other desires that whispered their way out of my heart were in regards to being a faithful steward of the gifts of writing, music, and serving that He has placed in my heart.


When something is poured out, the vessel is empty. When a vessel is empty almost anything may be placed within it.


Quietness.


I was watching for what Father would lay on my heart. Would it be a new desire? Would it be one He had placed there before? I was as content as I could be in Him and where He had me serving, and yet my heart knew His voice and I knew He was calling me again. To where, what, who, when, how, and why, I had no idea. I only knew His voice and what it was saying. I was content with the lamp He was being to my feet, knowing that He also is the light to the path. My heart was quiet in Him.


Another two months passed, and again, I was walking with the Lord, but this time on the prairies of my Alberta home. I was visiting my family on the farm in July, right in the heat of saskatoon berry season! What jolly hours passed in fellowship with the Lord while my hands were busy getting stained by the juice of the ripened berries as I relieved the branches of their heavy load. Between working around the yard and in the house, I did find time to traverse the prairie road, and somehow, through the wind that always blows strong on the prairies, I was able to hear the still small voice of the Lord.

I remember late afternoon walk in particular. I was not more than half a mile from home when my heart almost “felt” the Lord completing what He had started on the May walk mentioned earlier in this post. To describe my heart at that moment would have to be the picture of a desert spring – made plain before her Creator, content in His will and choosing, and yet watchful before Him. The ground was ready and He could have planted any seed in it that He wanted, but instead of planting a new one there, He simply deepened the roots of the desire He had placed there many seasons ago, the desire to be a helpmeet to a man of God. What was so glorious about this call was I could literally feel joy and contentment deepening in the Lord even as He deepened this desire in my heart. I was watching for Him, not for another. How great is His grace!


Into the second week of my two week time spent on the farm in July, Father reminded my heart to really delight in Him – really delight, not just kind of delight. His grace is sufficient, and I remember one morning while I was out picking berries He put a new song in my heart, a song to Him, “Jesus, Son of God and King of kings, Prince of Peace, and King of my heart. Jesus, Lord of glory, King of light, Jesus, in You I delight.”


The end of this chapter has come, but in His time it will be continued. Let these pictures give you a sneak preview!










“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: 'In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.'” Is 30:15

“Faithful is He who calls you, who also will do it.” I Thes 5:24

Echoes of dawn

Proverbs 4:18 "But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day."
Ephesians 5:8 "For you once were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light."

Life brings us times of shadow, times of cloud, times of sunshine, times of rain, times of darkness. The Way, the Truth, and the Life allows this in our lives because He is Sovereign. He Himself is the Lion and the Lamb, and to Him the darkness and the light are both alike. When we look into His face, though we see Him cry, a rainbow appears in the very tears of His face. Our God was He who orained and provided that our faith and hope should be in Christ.

The days here on the prairie are getting shorter and shorter as winter begins to show hints of her charm and beauty. The sunshine is all the more cherished because it shines shorter and shorter each day. The compensation is that the sunrises and sunsets come at reasonable hours. (around 6:30 AM and 6:00 PM respectively right now) Whether we see it or not, the sun is always shining somewhere. Likewise, regardless of whether we see it or not, Father is always at work in our lives to will and to do His good pleasure. He, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us, is the lamp to our feet and the light to our path. Rejoice, dear children of the King, for whatever light you see, be it big or be it small, is of Him.

Job 26:9-14 "He covers the face of His throne, And spreads clouds over it. He drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, At the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, And are astonished at His rebuke. He stirs up the sea with His power, And by His understanding He breaks up the storm. By His Spirtit He adorned the heavens; His hand pierced the fleeing sperpent. Indeed these are the mere edges of his ways, and how asmall a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?"

Psalm 36:7-9 "How precious is Your lovingkindness O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fulness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."

Father delights when we rejoice in Him. The entrance of His words gives light to the soul. No matter if the light I see is big or small, if it is of Him He wants me to rejoice in Him by accepting the light as one of His gifts! Take encouragement in whatever light you see, be it big or be it small. Father knows your need, and you can trust Him by accepting whatever it is He allows in your path.

He is the Truth - cry out to Him as such, asking that He show you this in your life. As He shows you Truth, your way becomes clearer and easier to walk, even if it is just the next step. As you wait on Him and receive renewed strength to walk in His way may you find yourself knowing a real sense of life! There is a time for every purpose under heaven, and I pray that whatever purpose you are living through right now, that you will find grace to rejoice in the One who knows "deigns to call you His beloved, and lets you rest beneath His wing."

The gentle glow of light is seen
As dawn now rises before the King.

Embracing the sky with her glow,
Casting off the darkness with her show.

For the will of One she does rise,
Proclaiming His glory in the skies.
Even on days when clouds are dark,
She spreads out for Him her shining arc.

The King commanded light to shine,
Christ is the light in this heart of mine.
He would rise to honour His King,
So an off'ring of praise let us bring.

To hearts who have believed His name,
Jehovah is an eternal flame.
Gently but surely He shines forth,
Spreading His hope to south and north.

West echoes back, seeing His face.
The light runs at her predestined pace.
The children of the light taste and see
Regardless of where their life may be.

So look with joy on what God gives,
His Son is your life - purpose to live
In the night may your hear His song,
For to the King you belong.
EBC 11-7-2007

The Prince of Peace

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.” James 1:17
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jn 14:27
Having recently moved home after living and serving as a volunteer for a Christian ministry in Chicago for the past two and a half years, these words on gifts and peace have recently come to mean infinitely more to me than they did before. Life is full of changes, and at some stage each of us enjoys these changes ordained by Father. Some enjoy the anticipation of change, some the present reality of the change, and for some, enjoyment waits until the change has been changed. The thing I most enjoy about change is that God, my Father, never changes. It is beautiful to discover Him in each place as He makes Himself known through His Word, His children, and His creation. He is about the business of transforming me into the image of Christ, and He often uses “change” in my life to accomplish that purpose. The main thing I’ve been learning is that when you are in Christ, no matter where you are on this planet or what you are doing, as long as it is in the will of God, you can be in peace because that is one of the fruits of His Spirit which dwells within Him and within those He calls His own.

“Present, O God,

Thou art with me,

And so shall it remain

Where’ere I may be.

For Thy Spirit,

Thou hast placed

Within my own,

With Thee I have been graced.

Present,

I shall be,

With Thee, with Thee,

For all eternity.

Now, in this present

Even now I see -

That Thou, my God

Canst be present in me.”

EBC 10-27-2006

These two pictures are of the same boat, on the same lake, taken one year apart.

The day the misty picture was taken I sat on the end of the dock which jutted into Wolf Lake, and was very much in a “storm” in my life. However, as I gazed at that boat, my heart knew a peace because of Him who dwells in my heart. He, the Sovereign Lord of all not only ordained the storm, but also created peace for me in it. This peace, though a gentle whisper, could still be heard over the raging storm. Christ, my Lord who once rested in a boat on stormy waves and stilled the noise thereof by one word from His mouth, is the same Lord who dwells within my heart by faith. As I sat and looked at the boat through the mist, my heart was offering to Father the sacrifice of thanksgiving for His beauty as expressed to me through that boat and the mist that surrounded it.

The mist was so thick I couldn’t see the water on the shoreline not 300 yards from me, but I still knew the shoreline was there. I couldn’t see hope on the other side of my trial, and yet I knew that “now abides faith, hope, and love.” The boat was beautiful to me because it was firmly anchored out there in the deep. It stayed anchored when the waters were calm and when the waters were noisy. It reflected the light and the atmosphere around it. Later, when night brought darkness over the lake and I couldn't see the boat, I knew the boat was still there.

These were precious pictures for my faith at the time, and through “looking unto the Author and Finisher of my faith” as I sat there on that dock, I knew His word to me was to abide and trust. I couldn’t free myself of the storm in my soul, but He could if I waited on Him. He wanted me to remain, for He wanted to remain with me - in the storm, until it was past, and after it was past.

The picture of the boat catching the rays of peach-filled five o’clock sunlight that caught the polished chrome on the boat was taken one year after the picture just described above. I was walking the path that lined the shore of Wolf Lake once again and was somehow drawn to the end of the dock where I happily sat and gazed out over the lake. Hardly realizing the significance of what I was about to experience, I turned on my trusty Canon A95 Powershot and set about capturing the beauty that lay in front of me. Somewhere in this process which only spanned a few short minutes, I had a vague recollection of shooting this same boat one year prior. Having reaped what I felt was a sufficient amount of images, I paused to enjoy the beauty of my Father’s world which sang all about me.

Looking at the boat, I realized that the great storm which I faced one year ago in my life had come to a calm. The tempest had been freed by the power of Christ, and now, here I sat, gazing at the same boat on the same lake, and yet so much had changed. Hmm… the change had brought joy where once there was mourning, laughter where once there was tears. The sunbeams now bounced of the boat unhindered by the mist. Now I could see the sunlight which I coudn't see before because of the clouds and mist. However, both were beautiful - in their time, in His time.

The connecting factor is peace. Somehow, peace had strengthened me to endure the storm, and now that peace rested deeper in my heart and allowed me to glory in the Lamb who is the Light. So… while the scene on Wolf Lake was new, it was familiar all at the same time because after all, this is my Father’s world. He, ever Emmanuel, allows storms in my life, and for His purpose and pleasure He calms the storms which make us stronger because they make us realize WHO is strong, and let us see His strength in our weakness. To this day that boat still rests on the deep waters, it’s anchor holding fast.
Storms and change are a part of life. Some storms are easier to go through than others. Some are short, some are long, but all are in the timing of our Infinite God. His will never contradicts His will, and He loves us enough to bestow His will on our lives, that the testing of our faith might produce patience.

"In the fear of the Lord, trust is made sure,
And the heart is drawn to that which is pure.
My trust must be strong, for so is my God,
He shows me His heart, even on this sod.

For memory sings a deep part of the song,
Written in His heart, where melody belongs,
For He is perfect and He teaches us,
His patience and purpose through this, our trust.
EBC 10-27-2007

“Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” James 1:18

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is an who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" Revelation 1:8

The Prince of Peace could not reign if He were not also at the same time Emmanuel, God with us. Between the realization of a storm and the release from it there is this epoch called T-I-M-E.

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven, and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." Colossians 1:16,17

May we, with the living creatures who dwell before His throne in heaven say with all we are:

"You are worthy, O Lord,

To receive glory and honor and power;

For You created all things,

And by Your will they exist and were created." Revelation 4:11

Children of the King

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has yet to be revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
1 John 3:1-3 NKJV



“And they go on in His ways, the children of the King,
Standing in the test of time, leaning hard upon His wing.
Watching as He works His will, joy comes when steps are hard,
Yet they stand in His grace, at the changing of the guard.

For they look unto their God, they gaze into His face,
Seasons change in His stead, light marches on in grace.
Trained to know their Beloved, the daughters sing and dance,
Sons, in honour, bow their knees, God is seen in their glance.

So sustained by glory’s force, they daily give their lives,
Their Example walks with them, at dawn and eve’tide skies.
Gilded by a hope so strong, they cannot turn aside,
United soon forever, when they are made His bride.

Wisdom is their Father’s heart, their hears with His commune,
Very God of very God will meet His children soon.
Here within the kingdom we seek Him with ev’ry breath,
Longing to make Jesus known, we’re made like Him by death.

Only He would choose this way, all to pursue our heart,
For He longs to make His bride like Him in ev’ry part.
In the never-ceasing fight for truth, for light, for hope, for peace,
Children of the Mighty One, His arrows, find release.

Father’s hand is strong and sure, they cannot ask for more,
At ev’ry turn He is there, hedging behind and before.
So encompassed by His love, the Spirit wields the sword,
Piercing through the darkness ‘round, that hope might be restored.

It’s way prepared in their hrearts, the torch of vic’try lit,
The call summons all they are, for glory they are fit.
Consuming Fire leaves His mark, in hearts He has made clean,
The King in honoured by this gift, through their trusting He is seen.

Life rises in His likeness, purpose proclaims her song,
Breathing His eternity, His children follow on.
For they know the glad exchange, their God is ev’rything.
And they go on in His ways – the children of the King.”
- EBC June 4, 2007




“Blessed is the man whom You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, Of Your holy temple.
By awesome deeds You will answer us, O God of our salvation, You who are the confidence of the ends of the earth, and of the far-off seas; Who establishes the mountains by His strength, being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, And the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.”
Ps 65:4-8 NKJV

Wherever you are in your journey, may you be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
May your heart hear the call of your Captain, and may His grace equip your heart for the work to which He has called you.
May you climb the mountains in the strength of the One who created them.
May you face the seas with the peace of the One who stills them.
Be it morning or evening in your heart, may you rejoice in the King of light.