First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 60

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

God! you walked off and left us, kicked our defenses to bits
And stalked off angry. Come back. Oh please, come back!
Psalm 60:1, MSG

As the year wraps up, have you taken a moment in the busyness of the season to pause and reflect? Have you looked back over, reviewed, contemplated, mulled over, mused on, thought about the last twelves months?

Are you relishing in the memories? Wishing you could relive some moments again. Or do you not want to, because you really don’t want to relive it? Once was enough.

Do you have successes? Goals accomplished? Satisfaction? Joys?
Do you have unmet expectations? Unfinished goals? Disappointments? Frustrations?

For some, it’s a year of firsts, of celebrations, of triumphs.  First kisses. Wedding vows. First homes. The birth of a child.  Graduations. The first day of kindergarten, or the first semester of college. The first day of a new job, or the first day of retirement.

For others, it’s a year of ups and downs. This year, I’ve attended two graduations, three weddings and two funerals (both way too young).  I’ve talked about the c-word with friends, wondering what the future holds for them. I’ve stood at the side of my mother’s hospital bed, not knowing whether she would pull through (so thankful she did). I’ve sent my youngest off to college and celebrated my granddaughter’s second birthday. I’ve stared at my still unfinished novel. And I’ve seen the start of construction for our new home.

For many, it has been a difficult year. Broken relationships. Demanding bosses. Financial struggles. Miscarriages. Divorce. Unexpected moves. Natural disasters. Illnesses. Accidents. Deaths.

How has the year treated you?  How have you come through?
Battered? Worn? Beaten down? Defeated?

Maybe you feel like the Psalmist, that God has walked off and left you, that He’s angry and has left you all alone.
You’ve pleaded with Him to come back. But it feels as if heaven is silent. Maybe you’ve given up. Why bother any more?

Take heart my friend. God has not abandoned you.
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”” Deuteronomy 31:8

The new day dawns. The new year begins. Our God is in the business of new things.
“For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:19
“Now I will tell you new things, secrets you have not yet heard.” Isaiah 48:6

What new thing are you waiting for? Are you looking for the new thing God desires to do for you, in you?
Is it a new life?
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
Is it a new heart and spirit?
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
Is it new strength?
“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Is it new hope?
“When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” Psalm 94:19
Is it a new attitude?
“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

In the new year, celebrate what should be celebrated, mourn what needs to be mourned, but do not think the Lord has walked off and left you. He loves you, He wants what’s best for you, and He will be with you in the midst of every high and every low.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, You are a God of firsts. A God who makes all things new. As I look ahead into the new year, may your grace give me new life, a new heart, a new spirit, new strength, new hope, and a new attitude in all things.

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Building Oak Haven – breaking ground

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

Setting FormsI didn’t expect things to happen as quickly as they did, but they did and we’re very excited.  We met with our UBuild It construction consultant on Tuesday, along with the subcontractors for plumbing, electric, and the foundation. Materials were dropped off at our property on Wednesday and on Thursday, guys were setting up the forms for the slab.

Although we had tried estimating where the house would sit, we were a little concerned about one of our cedar elms and whether or not it would need to be removed. But, after all the measurements were done, we discovered it was safe. It could stay. However, we will probably need to remove some live oak branches hanging too low over the back of the house.

We accomplished a lot on our checklist. The water is already set up, power pole is in process, and we have a porta-potty on site (that makes it really official, doesn’t it?).  We’ve been in touch with the septic company and the plans are underway. Our final appointment with 84 Lumber is next Tuesday to finalize our windows and doors and prepare for delivery of lumber for framing.

I’ve been reviewing all of the selections we have already made, making sure it’s really what I want.  In our 27 years together, with ten moves and ten different homes (not counting our times in temporary housing/hotels) on two islands and three states (and two ships!), we just might be staying put for once. So, I really need to be happy with what we choose. 

Yesterday, we had a bit of a reality check. We found the remains of one of the wild turkey that like to perch in our trees. Not sure what got it, but there’s not much left (I didn’t look, I’m taking the husband’s word). We’re not in the suburbs anymore, and we’ll have to keep a close eye on our 10 lbs of furry fun. Little Wickie would make easy pickins for a predator and we’ll need to take precautions.

I can’t believe this weekend is Christmas. For some reason, I thought the holidays might delay the start of everything (maybe it’s from working for the government). But things are happening. Of course, the rain in the forecast for the next week may slow things down. I know there will be times when progress ebbs and flows, but we’ve left the starting line and the race is on. It’s going to be an interesting and challenging run. Looking forward to the journey.

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First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 58

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?
Do you judge people with equity?
Psalm 58:1, GNT

It may seem an odd verse for the Christmas season, but when held up to the truth of who Jesus is and why He came, it becomes very appropriate. Some often quoted verses this time of the year provide insight to He purpose.

“Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him ‘Immanuel’ (God with us).”
Isaiah 7:14, GNT

“A child is born to us! A son is given to us!
And he will be our ruler. He will be called, “Wonderful Counselor,”
“Mighty God,” “Eternal Father,” “Prince of Peace.”
His royal power will continue to grow; his kingdom will always be at peace.
He will rule as King David’s successor, basing his power on right and justice,
from now until the end of time.
The Lord Almighty is determined to do all this.”
Isaiah 9:6-7, GNT

When teaching in the synagogue, Jesus, Himself, announced His purpose.

He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed and announce that the time has come when the Lord will save his people.”
Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”
Luke 4:17-21

Jesus came to bring His presence among us, to rule justly, and to set things right in a gone wrong world. As we celebrate His coming at Christmas, we may wonder, question, or dispute the fact as to whether it has made any difference.

After all, we still live in a world where children starve, where wars are fought, where young girls are trafficked and sold into slavery, where people live in hopeless poverty, where many die of horrible diseases, where greed and the lust for power prevails more often than not. We see places in our world where there is no peace, no justice, where healing does not take place, where people are not free. When we look around us, at the injustice and suffering, we may doubt what it’s really all about.

Remember, in Luke 11:2, Jesus himself told his disciples to pray for God’s Kingdom to come.  If he came to bring God’s kingdom, than why are we praying for it to come?

Later in his ministry, Jesus also told his disciples that He would go away, and when He did, He would send the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, who will lead and guide us in the truth. (John 16) The truth of his kingdom. A kingdom counter to the world’s kingdom. (see Matthew 5&6, Matthew 19:30, John 18:36).

One day, Jesus will return again (Acts 1:11) and we hold to the promise that He will, indeed, establish His eternal kingdom.

Until then, what?

We, like the disciples, should pray for God’s kingdom to come. And we, like the disciples, should get busy, doing what He’s called us to do, to be a part of making His kingdom come.

What does that involve?

The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 82:3-4, “Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! Vindicate the oppressed and suffering! Rescue the poor and needy! Deliver them from the power of the wicked!”

Isaiah said in chapter 58:6-7 “Remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives.” Then goes on to say in 9-10 “If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon.”

If that’s not enough, numerous times throughout his letters, Paul exhorts us to:
– be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another just as God has forgiven you in the Messiah (Ephesians 4:32)
– do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:4)
– do not grow weary in doing what is right (2 Thessalonians 3:13)
– Bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 5:2)
– If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink (Romans 12:20)
Just to name a few.

Jesus, Himself, tells us in Matthew 25, how what we do for others is the same as doing it for Him. “I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me…” “whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!”

As we wait His return, we are to be about the business of His kingdom come. There is much to do, and Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause, to assess, and to realign our priorities with our Heavenly Father’s.

The Reason for the SeasonChristmas. Not a season. But a way of life.

 

 

Prayer
Heavenly Father, this Christmas, help us remember that we are part of your plan to bring about a glimpse of your kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven.

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Building Oak Haven – Next Steps

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

After the long wait, my husband and I finally headed to the title company to sign the papers for our construction loan. The time had finally arrived. We could start building. But first we had to get through the three-inch stack of forms. It didn’t take as long as one would think, and after all was said and signed, I don’t remember seeing anything about our first born. Lol.

The next stop was an appointment with UBuild It for the meeting to move us into the construction phase of the process. In their office, we checked the bulletin boards, and sure enough, our picture had finally moved from the planning board to the construction board.

On the table in the meeting room sat a four-inch binder organized with over a dozen tabs. The step by step instructions to build our home. Our UBuild It construction consultant walked us through the entire binder, noted the things we needed to get done before our first onsite meeting, scheduled four key subcontractors, and gave us reading homework: the tabbed section marked Stage One.

Whew.

Later, as I sat down with my computer and binder in our dining room to digest just what we had gotten ourselves into, I realized I would now take on the roles of office manager, copy clerk, accounts payable, ordering clerk, and secretary, to name just a few. Was I up to it? I hoped so. Because we’ve jumped in. Time to sink or swim.

True to my nature, I made a to do list for the husband as well as myself. We spent the rest of the week tackling the first of the many steps we would need to accomplish in order to build Oak Haven.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

Aerial shot of Oak Haven, courtesy of Mark Langford Photography.

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, this little patch of Texas Hill Country will accommodate our new home.

Next on our agenda: an onsite meeting and breaking ground.

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First Verse, a journey through the Psalms: Psalm 57

Posted on December 13, 2016 by Jill English Johnston

“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭57:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I recently attended the funeral of a young man and as I listened to family members share the memories, the joys, the heartaches, and the grief, I sensed their heart cry for God’s mercy. Indeed, in this life, don’t we all cry out.

Life can be hard and we cry out for mercy. We often find ourselves inadequate, we don’t know what to do. We struggle. We fight. We mess up. We mourn. We cry. We fail. We may even give up. But death can be harder still. It reminds us, life is short.

We don’t know which day will be our last. Therefore, we need to live it. Celebrate it. Fill it with what’s important. Scripture tells us in Psalm 90, Teach us how short our life is, so that we may become wise. Another version says Oh! Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well!

We also don’t know which day will be the last of someone we love. Therefore, make time for them. Love them. Tell them how much they mean to you. As Scripture tells us in Romans 12, Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Say what’s on your heart now and don’t wait to say it over a casket. Be okay with having hard conversations. Remember, someone may be hard to live with, but they will probably be harder to live without.

Sure of the things we hope for

Sure of the things we hope for

But whether in life or in death, we do not despair, for this life, and even death, are not the end. Indeed greater things are yet to come. Paul grapples with this very concept, of life, and death, and victory, in 1 Corinthians 15. For just as we are celebrating Christ’s birth during the Christmas season, we also celebrate his resurrection.  But the truth is that Christ has been raised from death (verse 20), and Christ… rule(s) until God defeats all enemies and puts them under his feet. The last enemy to be defeated will be death (verses 25-26), so then “Death is destroyed; victory is complete!” “Where, Death, is your victory Where, Death, is your power to hurt?” (verses 54-55). We know one day, He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4).

Therefore, we do not grieve like people who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Rather, we live as those who are sure of the things we hope for… certain of the things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1) and we hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. (Hebrews 10:23).

Prayer
Father, thank you for your mercy, that we can look to You for protection and hide beneath the shadow of Your wings, knowing whether in life or in death, we can give thanks to you, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

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