A Pair of Bartletts

Be Thou My Vision

My family is in the midst of cancer...the "C" word.  My precious sister-in-love has had surgery and is in the midst of 6 months of chemo post op.  I don't like cancer.  I want cancer to go away from our lives...far far away from our lives.  But I know that for now, it's here and all that God wants us to do it lean on Him.  He wants to provide grace all sufficient to us.  He wants us to experience new mercies every morning.  And He is good....and He has given us new mercy in abundance.

Today as I made last minute preparations to leave at 5am with my Mom to go and travel north to be with and care for my sister in love, I could not help but think of the verses of the song "Be Thou My Vision".  You see, one of my nephews has been singing this song to the Lord since about age 2.  He's 5 now and still loves it.  I can't wait to get there and see if he will sing it for me....I love to hear him praise the Lord!

Please pray for our family over the next few days as we take care of my sweet sister.  Pray for grace, strength and peace for her.  And if you think about this song, think of my sweet little 5 year old nephew singing this to the top of his lungs!  Maybe I can get video of it....he'll bless your socks off!

Ancient Irish hymn, possibly from the 8th Century, tr. by Mary E. Byrne

 Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 2. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

5. High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O ruler of all.

 

 

Total Abandon

 

On August 3rd we lost a very special person in our lives...both for me and for Rob (and certainly a host of others).  She stood in the place of my own deceased grandmother at our wedding.  She was our "MeMe" and she was a mother and grandmother to many more than her own biological children and grandchildren.

Our "MeMe" was the mother of my best friend, Sue.  She went to be with the Lord after what we thought would be a successful open heart surgery that she had undergone in the days before.  She was an incredible woman of God with an incredible life story.  She loved the Lord her God with all of her heart, mind and soul...and she'd be very quick to ask you if you knew Jesus....and if you weren't sure, she would tell you how you could in a heartbeat.  And she wasn't just a witness, MeMe was a worshiper.  She adored singing to her God....to the top of her lungs, no matter who was around.  She worshiped with true abandon.  Not many people can honestly say that they can or do worship like this.  

While thinking about her today, an old hymn came to mind that I thought I would share with you.  I pray that you have a wonderful day tomorrow in your place of worship.  And think of MeMe....with her head thrown back and lifting worship to her Lord.  

Missing her,

 

THE OLD RUGGED CROSS

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.

Refrain

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.

O that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
Has a wondrous attraction for me;
For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
To bear it to dark Calvary.

Refrain

In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
A wondrous beauty I see,
For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me.

Refrain

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.

Refrain

Beatitudes and the Grace of God

Matthew 5

The Beatitudes

 ¹Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,²and he began to teach them saying: 
 ³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
 ⁴Blessed are those who mourn, 
      for they will be comforted. 
 ⁵Blessed are the meek, 
      for they will inherit the earth. 
 ⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
      for they will be filled. 
 ⁷Blessed are the merciful, 
      for they will be shown mercy. 
 ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, 
      for they will see God. 
 ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, 
      for they will be called sons of God. 
 ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I can just imagine what the day might have been like the day that Jesus went up onto the mountain side the day He spoke of the Beatitudes. I'm sure that it looked differently than this picture, but this looks like an peaceful place, maybe one that He would have chosen as a place to talk to the disciples. It looks cool, it looks peaceful and it appears to be a place that they might find rest after a day of walking.  I know that this is my own picture in my own mind, but the Lord created beautiful things, so I like to think that the Lord may have chosen a spot like this! 

I was studying the Beatitudes tonight and  just praying that the Lord would use me. There are so many things going on right now that I'm just overwhelmed not with the "things" but with all of the opportunities that the Lord has been providing lately for His work to be done.   I love the verses of the Beatitudes and I want to exhibit all that Christ wants me to be in Him.  

I think about the reader ("Faith") mentioned in the my last post and I thank God that He can find even the platform of a blog to reach someone.   Of course, Christians are also humans and Christians are still sinners.  I am not perfect by any worldly standard, but thanks be to God that I am perfect in HIS sight.  And while I'm thanking Him....thank you Lord for Your grace.  Grace is free.  Thank you God for free grace. I thank the God that I serve for His grace and that HIS mercies are new EVERY morning.   It's great that His mercies are new every morning because in our humanness, we are not as likely to offer our own new mercy each day to ourselves, much less anyone else.  But God gives us the opportunity to experience HIS new mercies...and they are good.  

I'll leave you with one of my favorite old hymns.  I couldn't help but have it on my mind while writing this post.  What are you studying right now?  Has the Lord been using any scripture in your study lately that was especially moving?

 

GRACE GREATER THAN OUR SIN

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Words: Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True (Chi ca go, Il li nois: The Bi ble In sti tute Col port age As so ci a tion, 1911), num ber 2.

Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1910 (MI DI, score).