of cats and dogs... (cross-archive)

"We were talking about cats and dogs the other day and decided that both have consciences but the dog, being an honest, humble person, always has a bad one, but the cat is a Pharisee and always has a good one. When he sits and stares you out of countenance he is thanking God that he is not as these dogs, or these humans, or even as these other cats!" - C. S. Lewis

deadness and life

"God never expected one good thing out of you." - Bob Hughey

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins... But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Therefore remember that... you were at that time separate from Christ... having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ... So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. Ephesians 2

"... He made you alive. It wasn't that you got baptized. It wasn't that you went to church. It wasn't that you gave a lot of money to the poor. No, it was that He made you alive together with Christ. ... The Word of God tells you to look at Jesus and for you to keep your eyes on Him; you trust in Him, you cling to Him, you walk with Him. That is where life is. Don't ever turn inward. If you turn inward, you will get depressed. God says that you are holy and that you are blameless. Listen, God is not uptight with you today. He knows you and He knows what you've done; but remember, He never expected one good thing out of you anyway in your old, carnal, fleshly, unregenerate state. You see, the lie you have believed is that God expects good out of you, so He must be really disappointed in you. But God isn't disappointed with you, and if God isn't disappointed in you, why are you disappointed in you? That is good news. It was for freedom Christ died for you. Freedom from failure, freedom from fear, freedom from looking at yourself, freedom to look at Jesus and trust Jesus and believe in Jesus. ... If you want to know what wisdom is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what faith is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus." - Bob Hughey

I had the privilege of meeting the Hugheys while I visited my friend Bethany. She and I sung Bob "Happy Birthday" with the aid of helium balloons. ;) The radiance of Jesus' love flowed from Bob and Peggy, and now I am reading their biography, which is more a biography of Christ's grace. :)

pondering... (cross-archive)

If Jesus asked you to let Him take over so that it is all Him and no longer you, what's a good reason to say yes?

God Among Us (cross-archive)

an article worth reading...

God Among Us

Of greatest importance (cross-archive)

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.
--C. S. Lewis

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You Love The World by Keith Green


I want you here with me,
But you've been keeping other company,
You can't sit still, it's plain to see,
You love the world and you're avoiding me.

My word sits there upon your desk,
But you love your books and magazines the best,
You prefer the light of your TV,
You love the world, and you're avoiding me.


You used to pray, you were so brave,
Now you can't keep even one appointment we've made,
Oh I gave my blood, to save your life,
Tell me, tell me, is it right?

Will you leave me here alone again tonight?

Well I love you, still more and more,
But you're fighting everything I'm working for,
You're acting like my enemy,
You love the world and you're avoiding me.

These other loves, they're hurting you,
If you end up losing me, then what will you do?
Oh, I gave my blood, to save your life,
Tell me, tell me, is it right?

Will you leave me here alone again tonight?

Well, I want you here with me,
But you've been keeping other company,
You prefer the light of your TV,
You love the world, and you're avoiding me.

You love the world, you love the world,
You love the world and you're avoiding me.
Oh, you love the world.
You love the world and you're avoiding me.

Neat Poem (cross-archive)

A cool new friend of mine, -- , introduced me to a C.S. Lewis poem. Wow.

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As the Ruin Falls

All this is flashy rhetoric about loving you.
I never had a selfless thought since I was born.
I am mercenary and self seeking through and through:
I want God, you, all friends, merely to serve my turn.

Peace, re-assurance, pleasure, are the goals I seek,
I cannot crawl one inch outside my proper skin:
I talk of love – a scholar's parrot may talk Greek –
But, self-imprisoned, always end where I begin.

Only that now you have taught me (but how late) my lack I see the chasm. And everything you are was making
My heart into a bridge by which I might get back
From exile, a grown man. And now the bridge is breaking,

For this I bless you as the ruin falls. The pains
You give me are more precious than all other gains.

(C.S. Lewis)

A resolution (cross-archive)

Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. --John 15:4

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomine, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing, and grace before I dip the pen in the ink. --GK Chesterton

Pray without ceasing. --1 Thessalonians 5:17

...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. --1 Corinthians 10:31b