Borrowed Breath

The tremendous tragedy of the cross*
A victory gained at such a cost
Love now proven and personified
As mercy and grace bled and died
And God slain rose from the grave
To emancipate the sin-bound slave
 
*This line is a direct quote from Oswald Chambers’ “My Utmost For His Highest” November 20

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I am thankful for a wife whose love for me is deeper and richer and fuller than I can comprehend. Oh, how I love that woman.
I am thankful for a roof over my head, a warm home and for food in the pantry.
I am thankful for a wonderful family.
I am grateful for another Thanksgiving with my [...]

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Grace, by its very nature, is extravagant
Given freely to us sinners to be spent
Not to be hoarded or kept in reserve
But to be poured out on those who we serve
For we know we have not earned its receipt
It flows incessantly from the mercyseat
So today, receive God’s grace with delight
And go in its power to love [...]

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Okay, I don’t wax political often, especially on this site which is supposed to be a happy place. But I find it hard to understand why many conservative voices are loudly decrying our president bowing in respect to Japan’s emperor.
Many of the loudest voices would be the first to say that we are [...]

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When storms assail
And friendships fail
On this wearying journey thru life
When my soul is sore
And temptation’s lure
Seems stronger than my will to fight 
Then my prayers turn to pleading
And the Spirit’s interceding
Bids my fears begin receding
As I feel my Savior’s presence 
When loved ones die
With no good-bye
And heartache threatens to drown us
When hope seems lost
And sorrow’s frost
Brings a [...]

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…and carrying a 33 pound pack for three miles yesterday and three miles today made this very clear. Now these 6 miles were not on flat terrain. We went up and over a mountain and down into a valley yesterday. And today, we climbed out of the valley and then up and over that same [...]

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Well, this summer flew by. And I didn’t get in any hiking this year. So tomorrow morning, a few of us are driving upstate to hike a part of the Loyalsock Trail in Sullivan County. The temperature up there tonight is in the 20’s. But by the time we get up there tomorrow, it will have [...]

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“Necessity is the mother of ‘taking chances.’”
                                                  (Mark Twain, Roughing It)

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