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December 2015

November 2015

the best of men

12045706_10206575158570118_3650885511097442841_oToday is my Dad's 71st birthday. As I thank God for my Dad today, I can't help but think about these words in Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others."

These are words that the Apostle Paul used to describe Jesus, but in them I see descriptors of my Dad's life. I so appreciate the life of love and sacrifice that he has lived for my Mom, my sister and me. I am blessed to have Robin Roberts as my Dad—he is the best of men, and I celebrate his life today.

 

Only A Dad

by Edgar Albert Guest

Only a dad, with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,
Bringing little of gold or fame,
To show how well he has played the game,
But glad in his heart that his own rejoice
To see him come, and to hear his voice.

Only a dad, with a brood of four,
One of ten million men or more.
Plodding along in the daily strife,
Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,
With never a whimper of pain or hate,
For the sake of those who at home await.

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,
Merely one of the surging crowd
Toiling, striving from day to day,
Facing whatever may come his way,
Silent, whenever the harsh condemn,
And bearing it all for the love of them.

Only a dad, but he gives his all
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing, with courage stern and grim,
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen,
Only a dad, but the best of men.

 


by any road

Screen Shot 2015-11-17 at 6.30.56 AMIn my devotional reading today I found a treasure. Oswald Chambers includes a quote in his November 17 entry in My Utmost for His Highest that is drawn from the hymn, "My Goal Is God Himself." The lyrics to this old song are inspiring.

I want to grow deeper in Christ and Chambers exhorts me to "abandon" and "obey." We grow deeper in God through obedience. This hymn gives words to my aspirations and longings. Below the lyrics I have posted a video performance of the song. Enjoy.

My Goal is God Himself

Lyrics by Frances Brook

Music by John D. Loudermilk

 

My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;

’Tis His to lead me there—not mine, but His—

At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

 

So faith bounds forward to its goal in God,

And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;

Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard

Till God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

 

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,

No matter though the cost be oft-times great,

He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,

The way that leads to Him must needs be strait.

 

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;

One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;

My God my glory here, from day to day,

And in the glory there my great Reward.

 

 

 

 


keeping the "thotful" sacred

DSC07592As I read my daily dose of My Utmost for His Highest this morning, this line from Oswald Chambers caught my attention:

“I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit.”

My conscious life?  Really?  That’s a lot of space to manage, let alone keep sacred.  But it all boils down to what I want, and want to be, in my life.  

I want to live my life as a Christ follower and I want to be assisted, guided and empowered by God’s spirit—the Holy Spirit.

My conscious life is mine to control.  It is my “thinking” place. Or, as Winnie the Pooh might call it, my “thotful spot.” So, what do I do?

In Philippians 4:8 (NIV) I find the answer:

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

This familiar verse is a great one—almost too great and too familiar.  It has been quoted and used so much that I find that I am inclined to write it off as just another exhortation to good and positive thinking.  

But it is bigger than that.  My conscious life is the place that I receive thoughts and ideas that greatly affect what I think about.  And my thinking leads to my living.

Anything that I allow into my “thotful spot” from the Internet, the TV, the radio and my conversations, should be nothing less than true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. 

It is only in this way that I can, “. . . keep my conscious [thotful] life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit.”