A Reminder

Must I be carried to the skies,

On flow'ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

The above words from this hymn "Am I a Soldier of the Cross" often bring tears to our eyes. This is especially true when we hear reports of saints going home to Jesus as a result of persecution. The report of 33 North Korean Christians being reportedly sentenced to execution has hit us hard. And it should. And our tears should flow. But shouldn't we be asking ourselves often, "What do you have for me to do, Lord?" I could go on and on, but won't. Just read the blog post here and you'll understand better. I want to post a link on all my blogs as a reminder of these things. Actually it's a painful reminder and well it should be.

Also, "sorrow and joy contended together" at the homegoing yesterday of a fellow pilgrim who had suffered long while serving well. Joy over what he now has and sorrow at our loss, of course. I've spoken often here of John Farese. He's home now and glory be to God.

This was my first blog and I don't keep it up anymore except to record family events usually. I may not even being doing that much anymore, but we'll see how the Lord leads as to posting in the future. It's okay, as this is the way life is. Seasons of life change.

God bless and let's keep pressing on for our Savior.

Thy Law, My Delight

Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction. I will never forget thy precepts: for with them thou hast quickened me. Psalm 119:92-93

I got the idea for this WFW post from a blog post I just read yesterday. I have this VOM magazine and the cover picture touched me as well. Look at her hands and look at the Bible they are holding. This lady has no doubt undergone some type of persecution and her Bible has been burned, as you can see. But the persecutors have not destroyed God's Word nor have they incinerated this woman's love for it. Indeed, no doubt the spark of affection that the child of God has for His precious Word only is inflamed and burns all the brighter under the face of affliction.

As the psalmist says, the precepts of our Lord do quicken. That means they "keep us alive." Amen and amen.


More Word Filled Wednesday posts can be found at the Internet Cafe.

World Vision Tragedy

Many of you know how I feel about the work of World Vision around the world. Whenever there is a terrible catastrophe, it is usually through this organization that our family gives, with confidence that the money will reach the people in need.

You may have heard the news yesterday, but having been out most of the day, I didn't hear until last night when I got the email from WV U.S. President Richard Stearns which started out: "It is with a sad heart that I write to you about a terrible loss to the World Vision family. . ." He then went on to tell about the brutal murder of six WV workers in their office in a district of Pakistan. Eight others have been hospitalized as a result of this attack by gunmen. I have to say the email left me shocked and horrified. I feel as though I am a part of the WV family (we have been sponsoring children with them for many years), and I don't remember ever getting an email quite like this one. Usually the emails tell about how they are helping in the various areas of devastation in the many countries which need it. WV often use nationals in their work, which I think was the case here. Please, please pray for those who survived, the families of the victims, and for the people whom they were trying so hard to help. Needless to say, the organization has had to temporarily suspend operations in Pakistan, but they also state their commitment to helping the people there. Such is the spirit of World Vision.

The Persecuted Church

For more Word Filled Wednesdays, visit Christy at Critty Joy.

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Just a reminder to remember the persecuted church in our prayers.

VOM Day of Prayer 2009

"Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." Hebrews 13:3 (KJV)


Are you going to church tomorrow? This is just a quick reminder of a need that is always with us: The need to pray for our persecuted brethren. November 8th has a special emphasis, though, as Voice of the Martyrs is asking churches in the United States and all over the world to set aside time to pray for those who are suffering for the sake of Jesus. Please do, and please encourage those in leadership positions to bring this before your congregation. We cannot pray for these dear saints too much. And let me say this: we never know when persecution is coming our way.

Here is more information about this International Day of Prayer.

Iran, Iran

What a sad state of affairs. What a world. What a mess. And Iran. What to say about this country? The topic of the ongoing saga concerning the hidden nuke site has been given top attention on all the news stations and blogs, and rightfully so, of course. But there is something about Iran that does not get talked about much in Washington or in news reports. They persecute Christians there. They are one of many nations who will put someone in jail (or worse) simply because that person believes in Jesus. I just got an email from VOM about two women who are being held in jail in Tehran for that very reason. Two women who refuse to renounce their faith. Oh, the courage of so many believers who live in these restricted nations. As you enjoy your Lord's Day in your churches today (it's just after midnight here), remember these two precious ladies and the many others like them all over this world. As you pray for the situation in Iran, don't just pray about the nuclear weapons; please pray also for the brave ones being persecuted. Remember their bonds.

Dare to Be a Daniel

Our church theme for VBS last week was the life of Daniel from the OT book of that name. And of course the theme song for the week was "Dare to be a Daniel." I want my children and grandchildren to have Daniel hearts. Do you want the same for your yours? Here is a video reminder of what the "lion's den" is like for children in some countries. I hope we never forget them.

News From China

Much is happening in China these days and I hope you are all aware of the happenings. Please uphold the people of this country in prayer and do whatever you can to help from a distance. Many are paying particular attention to the situation with Christian human rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, who was taken captive by the authorities almost sixty days ago. The ChinaAid and Voice of the Martyrs organizations are relentlessly seeking to put pressure on the government to release information as to his whereabouts and condition. Reports say he is being severely tortured. For more information on this story please go to FreeGao.com. Also, people are agreeing to send emails on his behalf and/or sign a petition. Go to the Persecution Blog if you are interested in doing either of these things.

Folks, once again it is a Lord's Day eve. Many of us will go to our nice churches, sing our hymns and spiritual songs as loud as we please, hear our sermons, have our fellowships, say our prayers, and come home giving little thought to the blessings of doing so without fear of persecution. At least not yet. Let's have these dear ones in our hearts as we go. Let us never cease to pray for them. Let us ask for the courage and compassion to do what little we can to help. These people love the Lord. Some of them are suffering all kinds of horrendous treatment because of their love for Him. Thank God for them; they are great examples to us.

Must I be carried to the skies

On flow'ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign:

Increase my courage Lord;

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by the Word.

~ Isaac Watts

A Valentine's Day Love Note

The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

Valentine's Day is, once again, here with all its red, pink, and white colors. A day of flowers, candy, teddy bears, greeting cards. Even with a troubled economy, as you walk through stores you see the many colors of the season with the accompanying displays saying "buy, buy, buy." Gone are the days of my childhood when a little paper homemade Valentine is sufficient and all that was expected on this day in the form of a gift were a few little heart shaped tiny candies with the words "be mine" or "be my valentine."

I'm thankful today for the twelve red roses from my husband; thankful for this sweet expression of love once again given on this day. I'm also thankful that he remembered Neesie this year, giving her a bunch of pink roses, which meant so much to her. But mostly today, I'm reflecting on the love note I read this morning. I remembered having received this expression of love time and time again, but it came to me afresh as I laid in bed during the early moments of the day. I decided I wanted to come right out and read it again and post the words here. " I have loved you with an everlasting love." What can be better than that?

As these words permeated my heart this morning, my thoughts went to several folks, some whom I know personally; some whom I've never met or ever will meet. But this love note is reaching out to them too. I can't explain why the circumstances of their lives are such that they need to have the touch of these words so much more specifically than others may at this time. But, as I said recently, "Who has known the mind of the Lord?" All I know is, I hope and pray that these dear people whose struggles are more intense than mine at this particular season of life, today, on this Valentine's Day of 2009, will know and experience the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. It's an everlasting love.

This is just a partial list; there are even others I've not mentioned:

A young woman, two months pregnant, who was widowed last night when her twenty-five year old husband, a Philadelphia police officer, was gunned down in the course of carrying out his work.

A woman I know well, in her early forties, who has two children ages ten and seven, who is on the last leg of her journey here on earth. Her breast cancer has spread to her lungs and other parts of her body, and her desire is that she may continue to be on her feet and care for her family until the very end.

A woman from my church who buried her husband in November and found out in January that she has cancer which has spread to several organs in her body. She's awaiting test results to determine how to proceed.

A dear friend of many years, who I had lunch with on Thursday while her husband was undergoing one of the many incidences of needed blood transfusions. Much of her time these days is spent driving her husband back and forth for chemo treatments for his leukemia. He's been weakened lately by a severe cough that he's been unable to shake off.

A friend of the blog world whose husband recently unexpectedly left her and their family. I don't know the circumstances and don't need to know. All that I do know is that she and her family are mourning their loss.

A lady from church who drives almost an hour each way, twice each Sunday. She travels this journey alone, because her husband and sons no longer want to have anything to do with the church. Not only that, she is not being treated kindly (to put it mildly) about her commitment to Christ and His church. And may I add, I seldom see her or talk to her that she doesn't have a smile on her face.

Christians I read about in Voice of the Martyrs magazine and get emails about, as well as in my persecution blog feed, who are burned, tortured, slashed, imprisoned, and on and on. They're in China, Indonesia, Eritrea, Iran, India, Pakistan, Vietnam, and more places than I care to mention.


I hope I haven't made you sad. But these are realities of life that I'm unwilling to forget about on this usually happy day set aside to express our love to others. Not only is this an expression of my heart, but a request for prayer from you as you read through this list of people whom you will probably never know. But God knows just who they are, and while I can't answer for Him as to why He would have them to go through what they are going through, I feel quite certain that each of us at some time or another will have to go through SOMETHING on this earthly journey. While we're going through it, I hope we'll all remember this wonderful "note" of love: "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Pray With Me

Tomorrow is the Lord's Day and I am glad. We've been bombarded with news, news, and more news. Worries, worries, and more worries. There are so many issues and so little prayer. I feel convicted that my prayers have been hindered. I fear that various concerns and convictions may be causing me to not pray as I should, especially for our government leaders. I need to give all of these issues over to God. I mean, really give them over to Him. He knows all and He alone is sovereign. He knows exactly what He is doing here in our country and in us as individuals.

We've suffered so little while all over this world so many of our brethren are being persecuted daily. Maybe for Christians here to have to struggle more is good for us. In fact, I know it is. The latest from Voice of the Martyrs Persecution blog is "Three Christians Dead in Eritrean Prisons," which is just one of the many stories from around the world of the sorrows and hardships that many of our brethren face daily. How dare I fret and complain about the petty grievances that I have from day to day. Sure, some of the concerns are serious ones, but am I lifting them up to God in the right spirit? I'm afraid that often I'm not.

So, my dear friends, pray for me and with me. Pray for our suffering fellow believers all around the world. Many of them have a faith that puts mine to shame. Pray for America. If the worries that many have over the fact that things are going to be more difficult for Christians are legitimate, perhaps the purpose of God is to make us have a stronger faith. Actually, I'm all for that.

The following is one of my all time favorite passages of Scripture. When we want to question what God's doing in a particular situation or set of events, this one is perfect to open up to and pray back to Him. I'm confessing here and now that I need to meditate on it more.

I hope your Lord's Day is blessed in Him tomorrow.

Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, andhis ways past finding out!

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?

Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?

For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Romans 11:33-36

The World is Not Worthy

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:36-38

I hope we haven't forgotten them. In all the hubbub of the past several weeks, they've continued in their struggle and suffering. Where are they? They're in Iran, China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Iraq, Pakistan, and on and on. In times past, they've been found in places like Scotland and Germany. They will always be there for as long as there is a true Church on this earth. Who are they? They're the persecuted saints now and through the ages. They've been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, burned, drowned, shot, stabbed, and verbally maligned. They've been kicked out of their homes and towns. Their families have turned against them. Why do they endure such? For the sake of a Savior who loved them and gave Himself for them. For the sake of the promise of a better country, a city which has been prepared for them. These are the ones of whom it's said that the world is not worthy. Praise God for them. Reading and hearing about them gives us hope; we're encouraged to press on ourselves in the little that's asked of us.

And we're encouraged now to pray for them, at least for the ones who are still alive. Those who have already gone on don't need our prayers. They've arrived. Hallelujah.

Tomorrow, the 9th, is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Please hop over to the VOM's Persecution Blog where Stacy has outlined Specific Prayer Requests for you and your church.

I need to post this hymn again. There has been so much discussion about war these days. There's something about all the arguing and discussion about it that wearies me. But as I said over a year ago when two people I know where martyred for Christ in a foreign land, I want to remind us that true believers are engaged in a warfare and we're soldiers. Let's never forget that. We may have forgotten because we've had it relatively easy compared to some of the saints that are suffering elsewhere., but let them be a reminder to us that we are indeed soldiers. Last year I posted this hymn as a salute to those two fallen soldiers who had perished while engaged in "battle" for the cross of Christ. I want to post this again (I am so sorry I've gotten away from my Saturday hymn post) in honor of the persecuted saints scattered throughout the world. And while you read this, don't forget: You're a soldier too. Be ready.

AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS?

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A foll'wer of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own his cause,
Or blush to speak his Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign:
Increase my courage, Lord;
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by thy Word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war,
Shall conquer, though they die;
They view the triumph from afar,
And seize it with their eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all thine armies shine
In robes of vict'ry through the skies,
The glory shall be thine.

~ Isaac Watts

Still Here

Hi there - Just stopping to say I'm still here, sort of. We're very busy this week with VBS and some other things. Hope to be back soon!

Enjoy the Olympics but please remember to pray for the persecuted saints there.

Olympic Prayer Bracelets

Soon many of us will be watching the big happenings in Beijing, China--the 2008 Summer Olympics. But don't forgot that there are Christians being persecuted in that country. I just wanted to make you aware of a free bracelet you can get from Voice of the Martyrs to help to remind you and others to pray for China. If you want to get a bracelet for yourself or several for a group of you (at a fee for more than one), go to this webpage. Thanks.

Standing in the Gap

Our friend Sparrow has done it again. You see, she has this gift which enables her to create beautiful banners and images. This time she has used her gift on behalf of the persecuted church, by creating the lovely image displayed above. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church is fast approaching and we're recruiting prayer warriers and bloggers who'll help make this known to others. Won't you help? The Day of Prayer is set for November 11th and our persecuted brothers and sisters surely would appreciate it if there were a multitude of saints storming the gates of heaven on that day. You could make a post about it and/or you could get a banner to put on your sidebar. Please skip over to Sparrow's site for more details and to get the banner.

I'll not post a hymn this week, because I want this post to stay on top for several days. I did run across a hymn that is called "Home of the Soul" recently. I have never heard it sung, but I was touched by the words of the final stanza. Some of our persecuted brethren have already been martyred; some are imprisoned; others live in fear in their homes. These words are for them and for us:

O how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,

So free from all sorrow and pain,

With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands,,

To meet one another again.

~Ellen H. Gates

Now It's Nigeria

He seems like a nice young man as we look at his picture here. Just 24 years old and a Sunday school teacher. The breaking news today at the Persecution blog is that he can be added to the list of Christian martyrs for this year. And it wasn't just him--there was another one too. They have been in Turkey, Pakistan, India, Sudan, Afghanistan, and many other places. Now it's Nigeria. Just thought you might want to go and read about it here. Some people skim over posts like this one; it's not pleasant to think about these things. Unfortunately, though, these are signs of the times and I think the Lord wants us to be aware and to beware.

Persuaded!

Who Shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persauded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39

Like most Christians, I have certain passages of Scripture that are particular favorites. But if I had to single out one, this would be it. This is the passage I love most in all of the Word of God. I just felt constrained to post it today. My husband came home from a preaching service last night and he made my heart burn inside me. He had been so gripped by the sermon that he had just heard that he could barely contain himself as he was trying to relate it to me. You may remember the two missionaries whom we knew who were murdered several weeks ago in the country they were serving in. Well, the man who preached the sermon last night was a close friend of theirs and had seen them just hours before their death. His sermon was from this text. You can just imagine. Apparently, when Pastor D. finished preaching, nobody got up. Nobody said ANYTHING. Only the sound of people blowing their noses was heard. Finally, another pastor got up and said that probably the best thing for everybody to do was not to engage in idle chatter, but to go home and pray with their families. My goodness. I wish I could have been there to hear it too.

Guess what Pastor D. pressed hard on the people's hearts? THE PERSECUTED CHURCH. THE PERSECUTED CHURCH. Now I know I wish I'd been there. Folks, we have no idea what some of our brethren are going through because of their love for Christ. People are actually WILLING to suffer for Him. And they ARE suffering for Him. That's because like the Apostle Paul, these saints are PERSUADED. If we can't suffer--at least not yet--let's remember our commitment to prayer. Let's have them in our hearts, so we can REALLY pray.

I missed going to our church's ladies Bible study today, so I didn't get to pray with my sisters about some of the needs in the Voice of the Martyrs magazine, which we do monthly. (You might want to think about doing that in your ladies study.) Also, I'd like to suggest that you make a note on your busy church calendar about the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. This is no time to split hairs over some of the many petty arguments we have in the Church here in America. Let's get on our knees and pray for our brethren together.

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

I finally have the time and heart to post my Saturday hymn for this week. I've long given up on my initial intention that I would first go through my Thurday Thirteen list of long ago. Circumstances and my state of mine have often "hindered" that from happening--it's more important that it be the right one for that week, determined primarily by what seems right at the time, for a variety of reasons. So, with that in view, I went on a search for lyrics that captured what God would seem to want me to meditate on at this time and which He would have me to offer to those who might come by. As soon as I saw this old hymn of Isaac Watts, I knew these were the words for this week. It may not be too familiar to some of you, though we often sang it in church when I was growing up. I never liked the tune that much, but I now realize how powerful its lyrics are.

Last week, there were the tragic murders of two "soldiers of the cross" which still weigh heavily on the hearts of many of us. (See August 30th post.) This family is so very dear to many of us, that it's hard to put all this behind and move on in a normal way in our own little comfort zones. Their bodies still have to be returned to our country, the funeral and burial have yet to take place, so it's hard to move on right now. But I know we have to. Even in the midst of things like making travel plans, finding babysitters, getting time off from work, etc. that abruptly tear asunder daily routines when death comes, somehow we have to "keep keeping on", as they used to say. After all, the battle's not over and there is still work to do. The cause of Christ moves on. I'll quote what I read on someone else's blog today: "May the cause of the gospel run even faster and farther because of this very difficult providence." The conflict we are in has been a reality for centuries and continues. Shed blood has always been the Church's impetus--that of the Savior and that of His saints. Christianity has never been stopped by the death of Christ's people, only increased. It started with Stephen and so it will be until the war's over. And Jesus will be victorious.

Which brings us to our part in the whole thing. Are we soldiers? Each of us should ask the question posed in this hymn: Am I a soldier of the cross? I'll answer that. If you and I are followers of the Lamb, then yes, we are soldiers of the cross. Let's pay particular attention to the second and fifth stanzas. They help to put it all in perspective. I hope we don't expect to reach heaven "on flowery beds of ease." We're soldiers. A soldier's task is not an easy one, but the victory brings reward. I want to focus on the fact that like others before them, the people I knew "sailed through bloody seas", but I'm sure they now view the triumph not from afar, but with their eyes. Hallelujah.

May they, and others that have gone through the same seas, always be an inspiration for those of us whom they have left behind. Bless all of you, fellow warriors, as you meditate on these words. I hope they push us all courageously onward.

Am I a soldier of the cross,

A foll'wer of the Lamb,

And shall I fear to own his cause,

Or blush to speak his Name?

Must I be carried to the skies

On flow'ry beds of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?

Must I not stem the flood?

Is this vile world a friend to grace,

To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign:

Increase my courage, Lord;

I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,

Supported by thy Word.

Thy saints, in all this glorious war,

Shall conquer, though they die;

They view the triumph from afar,

And seize it with their eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,

And all thine armies shine

In robes of vict'ry through the skies,

The glory shall be thine.

~~Isaac Watts

All Freed

You probably have heard that the remaining South Korean hostages have been freed by the Taliban. We certainly can give praise for that. Naturally, whenever the news media is involved, it's difficult to get a clear perspective on any given matter. But I really like the latest post at Persecution Blog. As far as I'm concerned, THAT'S the right way to look at this matter. Hope you have opportunity to read it.

Hope on the Horizon

You may or may not agree with South Korean's policy of negotiating with terrorists, but this is a time of rejoicing and hope. Twelve down, seven to go. Keep praying, friends.

In case you haven't heard the news, go here.

Sad things

Yesterday, I woke up sad and I stayed that way for the better part of the day. It was funny, I went to Bev's Girl Inside blog and she had posted something from Amy Carmichael that hit the nail on the head for me. I wanted to comment there, but didn't since that blog is specifically directed at teens and young ladies. :) (She has since told me I am welcome to comment there.) But as the day wore on, I kept getting sadder, and certain external incidents didn't help matters any.

I found a dead baby cardinal right outside in the back yard. I think it had flown into the sliding glass door by accident and broken its neck. I put it into a plastic bag and into the trash; immediately afterward, there was the clicking sound of its father going from branch to branch calling for it. As you know, one of my greatest pleasures is feeding and watching the birds, with cardinals being my favorites. I always have appreciated the way their families are set up and how diligent the males are in the care of their babies once they leave the nest. So, seeing this anxious beautiful male bird (and he was anxiously calling!) flying about our yard and the adjoining ones made me very sad.

During a telephone call, a dear sister was telling me about something that is happening in her life which is a real struggle for her, and I must say, rightfully so. There are going to be some changes to her current circumstances which are going to be very difficult and she's taking it all pretty hard. She's had one trial after another for years and years, so thinking about her made me sad all day long.

Then, I read the news article about a pastor from San Antonio who was struck and killed by lightening while out hiking with his two teen sons. It was the youngest boy's fourteenth birthday and their mom was back at the campsite making a birthday cake. Sometimes you don't want to read the news; these things make you so sad. I had some difficulty getting this family off my mind.

The news gets worse and worse as time goes on. Big yesterday were the reports of the murder of one of the 23 South Korean Christian hostages being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. More persecution of the saints; it's happening everywhere. The last I heard, the remaining 22 are still in the hands of their captives. Sorrow upon sorrow for the families and friends of these dear folks. We can't help but feel a sense of deep sadness when we hear these things.

Sorry to make such a gloomy post. But believe it or not, I feel better today. I can't explain why, but I woke up today in a completely different frame of mind. In my morning devotions in the book of Matthew, my companion Mr. Ryle quoted a verse that jumped out at me. "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," says Psalm 30, verse 5. About that verse, it was said by another divine that "mourning shall last but till morning." Thank God. I pray He'll help us to remember that.

Later I saw my cardinal couple come to the feeder and this time I didn't hear the peculiar sound from somewhere in the trees--the sound that the young ones make as they follow close behind. They probably only had the one, but I have no doubt that they've already started a new nest. They're not like us, you know.

But as for my friend, the family and loved ones of the pastor in San Antonio, and those Christians going through unspeakable torment in South Korea and Afghanistan, this verse is a promise. The darkness of now makes this promise difficult to fathom, but it's a promise nonetheless. And any promise from our God is one to be believed. Let's all remember it when were down and out, but even more so in times of adversity. During the midnight hours, let's remember that there is coming a morning of joy. And it may not be until we see the light of the Son face to face.