Mercies New Each Morning

"[Thy mercies] are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:23

One Day At A Time

One day at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.

Not yesterday's load are we called on to bear,
Nor the morrow's uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.

One day at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

-Annie Johnson Flint


I thought I'd share a few stanzas of this worthy poem. Whatever your day holds-whether it is lesson planning, a new college venture, frustrating responsibilities, or daily care for family and friends-I hope you feel His mercies.

His mercies. Can I tell you the shape of those words to me?

Mercy is when I am invited to pray and play Taboo with some very nice gals.
Mercy is when one of my students leaves me an orange Post-It note.
Mercy is when I find a magnificent art book at Teachers' Aid.
Mercy is when Dad calls just to check up on my internet connection.
Mercy is shopping at Walmart with a friend.
Mercy is when Ruth waits up for me to inquire about my long day.
Mercy is a thoughtful gift from my pastor's wife.
Mercy is the sound of rain on the roof during Spelling class.

And much more. Feeling weighted by cares or the mundane? Take a careful look around you... His mercies are new every morning.

wild and wonderful west virginia

this view is mine to look at anytime i take a lengthy trip west of harrisonburg.
dost thou envy me?

breadcrumbs

lacey floating manna crumbs
on the gentian petal lake
swirl about three lily pads
with the current

crusts fall from benevolent palms
from eager baby hands
shook from tight-clasped grocery sacks
onto glossy waves

meager offerings toss where they will
close by the carrot webbed feet
under quills of snow down white
to goslings' beaks

ten random things one might do at faithbuilders

Ten Random Things You Might (or Might Not) Do at Faithbuilders Institute:


1. You might have dinner discussions ranging from the humorous effects
of birth order, to the solid components of Anabaptism, to what water
chestnuts really look like.


2. You might enjoy a hike on the Erie Wildlife Refuge trails...posing for pictures, finding tree leaves, straddling bridges (some among us), and running through raindrops.

3. You might have the fun of telling your small group that the

best object you could find to personify yourself on short notice
was a swiveling fan...

4. You might enjoy large cookies

and milk with dormies.

5. You might (would) fall asleep over blurry words...and more than once.

6. You might enjoy scribbling away a Saturday

at a coffeehouse, with a fellow member of the

Creative Writing class.

7. You might enjoy the music--whether it is Gina's piano practice or Saturday evening singing in the gym (bring along your Mennonite Hymnal, please).

8. You might spend a wonderful hour sitting on a tombstone,

journal in hand.

9. You might weed corn rows and hill potatoes with the whole FB gang. (But be warned, if you're weeding corn, you will find it much more floppish ).


10. You might write a story about camels and a certain endearing camel boy, who has big hands and a tender heart.

Or you might do none of the above! But the ten you did do, would be equally worth your while.

of raspberries and simplicity

"my life can be so arranged that i can live on whatever i have.

if i cannot live as i have lived in the past,

i shall live differently; and living differently does not mean

living with less attention to the things that make life gracious and pleasant,

or with less enjoyment of the things of the mind."

-e. roosevelt

i was driving down 33 to ruth’s house, glorying in the beauty of the west virginia mountains. i pulled over and stretched out my arms, wondering why God had brought me to this beautiful place. i arrived and began unpacking. after shuffling boxes until i was ready to drop, i had to ask myself why God moved me to this place. i then discovered that the library did not have my free wireless access, and that i had to open a new bank account. ‘twas then i groaned, ‘why, God, did you bring me to this place?’

expectations. deceitful things, aren’t they? sometimes merely another word for my selfish wants. by believing it’s my due to receive certain things in life, that a few ‘trifles’ are owed to me, all i have left are disappointments galore.

i like eleanor’s quote up there, but it seems to me that psalms 16:11 says the truth even better. “thou hast shown me the path of life; in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures forevermore.” His presence equals joy, no exceptions allowed. It does not say that friends equal joy, or family, or even cheesecake and chocolate. it’s all about surrender, about resting in His omnipresence.

how comforting.

so even in the midst of adjustments, in the middle of the surprises that change brings my way, joy is guaranteed me on a life warranty! i decide to stop groaning and start smiling.

ruth and i picked raspberries today, heaps of ‘em, and we are going to have shortcake for breakfast. my room is almost in order, and i even found the perfect nifty shelf at walmart for $9.88! and when i brooked my nervousness and went to a youth retreat thing tonight [brave, don’t you say] i even enjoyed myself.

so there. simplicity. and joy. i’m learning.

this moment to hold

we have this moment

to hold in our hands, and to touch

as it slips through our fingers like sand.

yesterday's gone,

and tomorrow may never come,

but we have this moment today.

this song was a sentimental cliche in my younger years;

therefore, i've never liked it much.

but these past few days have shown me that it speaks the truth

and there are some feelings-

as one comes to the end of a chapter in one's life-

that cannot be expressed in any better way.

this moment we have...let us hold it tenderly, carefully, and with love.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

wherever you are

are you standing at a crossroad
wondering which road you should take?
and you're dreading the decision
and a possible mistake.
but the will of God won't lead you
where the grace of God can't keep you;
and you will never be out of His care.
remember that the Lord's already there.

you are waiting to hear thunder
and see lightening in the sky;
oh, but God can work His wonders
through a still small voice inside.
so keep listening and learning
and continue on the journey,
following the One who is the Way;
for He's the only road you need to take.

wherever you are,
wherever you're going,
God is right there beside you seeing and knowing.
wherever you go He already knows
what lies ahead and what's behind;
you'll always find He's never too far
from wherever you are.

-mccullough and lindsey-