God's Truth Abideth Still--493 years after Luther did his deed!

This week I planned to make a quick trip to Barnes and Noble to get a new edition of J. I. Packer's book Knowing God (my copy was very old with tiny print). While quickly surveying the shelves to complete my mission, my eyes landed on Nancy Pearcey's new book Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Minds, Morals, and Meaning. A two second glance through her book made me break focus from the mission, and I decided I just had to have it.  A few moments later I found yet another book I also "needed." All that to say, I walked out of B and N with three books. Obviously, I need a better dose of self control. For an impulse buy, I must say I did well! Pearcey's book is amazing! It is proving a very timely book to be reading as Reformation Sunday approaches.  It is on October 31st as the rest of the world prepares for Halloween, costumes and candy,  that I bring to mind Luther's nailing of the 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral launching the Protestant Reformation. My mind  can't help but consider the Reformers and their willingness to sacrifice all for the sake of the Gospel. As I ponder this great event in history, I end up marveling at God's very active and gracious hand in the affairs of His world, and it strikes me just how desperately the American Church needs some Reformers. We have gulped down the lies of our postmodern culture and have often relegated the Christian worldview to just another option on the smorgasbord of worldviews. We somehow act as though it's ok for me to believe one thing, you to believe another, and Joe in Timbukto to believe yet another. We frequently just shrug off belief differences with the all time greatest postmodern term of all: "Whatever..."  However, God's Word is not just an option. It is Truth. All options aren't equally valid as our postmodern world would have us believe. The Reformers knew this, and they sought to proclaim the Truth loudly and fearlessly in order to trample out the lies that were pervading their culture. Many were burned at the stake because they chose to take a stand for Truth.  J. Gresham Machen once wrote, "False ideas are the greatest obstacle to the reception of the Gospel." All to often I fail to use Truth to reveal the  false ideas in me and in the world around me. At times it is because I don't want to offend someone, but often it is just because I have forgotten the war between Truth and lies, Life and death, Light and darkness. I Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." I am warned to be vigilant, yet often I just skip through life as happy as can be unaware (and perhaps even at times willfully ignorant) of the danger of false ideas. As Reformation Sunday approaches, may we revive our allegiance to that Truth for which the Reformers willingly laid down their lives.  May we look to Scripture alone as our guide. May we remind ourselves that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17) It is through the study of Scripture that God, in His grace, revealed to Martin Luther the Truth of the Gospel and as a result Luther embraced justification by faith alone in Christ alone.  May we, 493 years later, cling to the same Savior that opened the eyes of Luther. May we, just as Luther, Knox, Calvin, Hus, Zwingli, Cranmer and other Reformers did, proclaim the Gospel of grace to a sinful, twisted and broken world. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live be faith." (Romans 1:16-17) "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2)


When I think of God existing outside of time and space, I often think of Him hearing His church in unison singing hymns, Psalms and reciting creeds. How exciting it is to imagine my singing along with Luther's and J. S. Bach's reaching the Father's ear in diverse langauges yet in perfect unison as we sing this great Reformed hymn. I hope you get to sing it along with us tomorrow. Soli Deo Gloria!

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

A Little Slurp of Heaven

It's obvious by now that I blog infrequently, but occasionally a moment comes along that is just too good to not put into a blog. A few weeks ago, those free NASCAR tickets that my husband won should have qualified for a blog entry, but honestly, one thing after another happened, and the window of opportunity passed. Well, I don't want today's little experience to get away from me since it involves one of my favorite senses: taste! Today I was at the farmer's market. Now, I rarely go to farmer's markets. I'm sure some places have wonderfully clean, pristine looking farmer's markets, but where I am...well, there's much to be desired. The place sometimes carries with it a stench from the huge garbage bins in the back of the lot, the canvases nailed up blocking the blazing sun are all drab and run down, but the veggies and fruits are fresh and inexpensive, so I think it's worth it.  Besides, there's something I rather enjoy about purchasing produce from people in the same city. It's nice to directly support those in my very own community.  I was there waiting for a friend that was running late. I had already perused many of the stands when I turned a corner and the normal stench disappeared. I found myself surrounded with a very familiar scent.  It was the smell of boiled peanuts--even better CAJUN boiled peanuts! Oh is was heavenly! It made me want to burst into that good ole Civil War song, "Peas, Peas, Peas, Peas, Eatin' goober peas! Goodness, how delicious! Eatin' goober peas!" All of a sudden the wait for my friend turned into a big goober pea fest. I purchased myself a $3 bag of cajun boiled peanuts, sat down next to a trash can and had a noonday snack. The great thing about boiled peanuts is sucking all the juice out of the shell. I know it sounds thoroughly disgusting, but trust me it's very addicting. I'm sure I looked quite ridiculous sitting there with cajun juice running all down my hands as I slurped in some heaven and then gobbled up all those soggy peanuts, but I didn't care. It's as if I had been transported to heaven itself right there in the middle of that dingy little farmer's market. I didn't finish my bag. I could have, but I would have been sick! Instead I picked up my bag, walked into a little sandwich shop right there at the market and ordered a coke. In case you've never had goober peas, they are very salty and before long you have to have something to drink to wash down all that salty cajun juice. Before long my friend had arrived. She didn't understand my obsession with boiled peanuts. People usually don't unless they've been immersed in Southern culture. If you're ever in the South, be sure to try out some Goober Peas. You may find them quite tasty! They are indeed a little slurp of heaven! And while you're at it, sing this little song to yourself! :-)

Verse 1

Sitting by the roadside on a summer's day

Chatting with my mess-mates, passing time away

Lying in the shadows underneath the trees

Goodness, how delicious, eating goober peas.

Chorus2x

Peas, peas, peas, peas

Eating goober peas

Goodness, how delicious,

Eating goober peas.

Verse 2

When a horse-man passes, the soldiers have a rule

To cry out their loudest, "Mister, here's your mule!"

But another custom, enchanting-er than these

Is wearing out your grinders, eating goober peas.

Chorus

Verse 3

Just before the battle, the General hears a row

He says "The Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now."

He turns around in wonder, and what d'ya think he sees?

The Tennessee Militia, eating goober peas.

Chorus

Verse 4

I think my song has lasted almost long enough.

The subject's interesting, but the rhymes are mighty tough.

I wish the war was over, so free from rags and fleas

We'd kiss our wives and sweethearts, and gobble goober peas.

Chicken Pot Pie Fanatic

When I lived in Atlanta there was this great little restaurant, the OK Cafe. There was nothing "OK" about it...it was far beyond "OK!" I think our friends regretted ever introducing us to the place, because I truly could have eaten there multiple times a week.  They began to roll their eyes when OK Cafe was ALWAYS suggested as the place to eat. Anyhow, it was one of those places where "macaroni" was considered a vegetable (like it should be). They had collard greens, squash souffle, triple cheese macaroni, black-eyed peas, and they even had pot likker! I'm telling you, it was heaven on earth to anyone raised in the South. My favorite thing, however, was their chicken pot pie. Oh my! That chicken pot pie was to die for. It was served with a flaky pastry topping with "OK" stamped on it. Just thinking about it makes my taste buds water. After we moved to Jacksonville,  I was always on the lookout for a good chicken pot pie like OK Cafe's. When I would land at a restaurant that served it, I would try it so expectantly, only to be let down again and again. Why oh why must people ruin my favorite comfort food with some special herb???? I just want plain chicken pot pie! You know, the kind with a creamy sauce filled with chicken, peas, carrots, and potatoes. I don't want rosemary or some other flavor tainting it. Don't get me wrong, I love rosemary, just not in the chicken pot pie. Well, last week I went to lunch with a friend and there it was, perfectly creamy, unadulterated chicken pot pie! I was so excited. As I finished up lunch I realized that the lunch portion really didn't cut it. My friend and I left, devised a scheme and called our husbands later that afternoon with the ever so tempting, "Hey honey, you want to meet me at such and such for supper tonight?" Yep, you guessed it. We went again for supper, and I had the full portion of chicken pot pie. I didn't even feel ashamed that our lunch waiter was still there and laughing at us. Now you may think that chicken pot pie twice in one day would sufficiently cure my longing, but today the craving resurfaced out of nowhere. I began to wonder...how hard could chicken pot pie really be to make? After a quick little computer search I had what seemed to be a yummy looking pot pie recipe, and tonight, we sat down and ate homemade chicken pot pie for the first time, and I'm excited to say that it was actually good. Wish you could have been here to join us. One more meal for the meal menus!

Joy and Sorrow

Well, I obviously earn a big failing grade when it comes to blogging. It's May and the wall (if that's what you call it) of my blog has been dormant for a good 3-4 months. Pitiful. Very, very pitiful!

Today, I have no meals or purchases to blog about, but this week has been packed full of events that have pointed me over and over to the realest of realities. Here it is Saturday night, and I sit exhausted and worn out. I haven't even had time to tidy my house or have a real conversation with my husband. My week started on its course Sunday night. My husband and I were at a friend's house as they excitedly announced to us that they were expecting a baby. It was all smiles and joy when my husband and I got a call informing us an elder at my church had had a heart attack. Providentially, they got his heart started, and he now has a pacemaker; however, it did put an immediate damper on the joy we were sharing with these friends about their new baby. Monday, my friend Joyce passed away after a long battle with cancer. Tuesday, I was running around decorating for a baby shower I was hosting for a friend who was 4-5 weeks out from her due date. Wednesday, that friend had her baby early. Thankfully, mother and child are healthy. Thursday, I actually had a normal day. Friday was Joyce's funeral, and right before leaving for her funeral, I was informed that some other friends lost their baby. The week was filled with all kinds of emotional highs and lows, and when the roller coaster ride takes so many turns within a short week, it's a little exhausting. I'll have to say, the week didn't seem short at all. In fact, it seems like Tuesday's baby shower happened weeks ago. Today, I just sat, relaxed and took joy knowing that I belong to a God that is sovereign over all things. I pondered just how comforting the power of the Resurrection is. I kept coming back to a quote by Jonathan Edwards, "Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected." How great to know that the deterioration of this broken body is not the end of me, and the liveliness of this body is not the life of me. Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25-26) He is the Way. He is the Truth. (John 14:6) And He is my Life. As I walk with Him through this world filled with disappointments and sorrows I already get to see glimpses of glory. Seeing the Gospel transform hardened sinners, seeing the joyful faith of the Joyces in this world as they stand firm in the Truth of the Gospel while facing physical death, or seeing Christ's grace sustain friends that have just lost a child--all these things point to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. One day, I will no longer see those glimpses dimly as through a glass, but I will see grace perfected. I will see Him in all His glory. My sight won't be tainted by sin. I'm so happy glory isn't just something way in the future though. It delights me that the new creation broke into the old at Easter, and as the Gospel Truth is spread and embraced, more and more people become "new creations." (2 Corinthians 5:17) As His child, I am a new creation. I am alive in Him, and that Life can never be taken from me. The "new" is now and is not yet as the old nature still constantly tugs at my heels, and sin and brokenness continue all around me, but it will not always be so. At Christ's return, how triumphantly we will be able to sing the words of that familiar carol, Joy to the World: "No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found." Far as the curse is found--have you thought about how far that is? What a complete make over! He will redeem all his creation. The creation will no longer groan and moan. (Romans 8:18-23) There will be no more pain, no more death, no more tears. (Revelation. 21:3-5) That will be a glorious day indeed! Even now though as I get wrapped up in the wonder of that day how easily I forget that it's already started! I can taste and see how good and gracious God is even now in this fragmented world. (Psalm 34:8) I don't have to be apathetic, discouraged or overwhelmed. May I live in the reality that glory has begun, and may I long for the day that glory is complete. May I remember that the God of the universe loves me, a sinner, redeemed me, and continues to work in and through me, and not only me, but He is actively involved in all the inner workings of all His creation, sustaining creation with the very power of His Word. (Hebrews 1:3) Not a hair can fall from my head or yours without Him knowing. (Luke 12: 7) What an immanent and transcendent God! To know Him is to really live, for in Him is Life itself.

Thursday Find

Today, I found this quaint little cherry desk for $80. Yes, it has a few nicks and scratches, but it meets all my requirements: solid wood, small, simple. It may actually inspire me to write a few notes or read a little more, both of which I should do.

Scrumptious Sweet and Sour

Sometimes I like to stroll through grocery stores looking at various items I've never before purchased and imagine what my limited cooking skills could make with such a product. Well, a couple weeks ago as I was leisurely meandering my way through the Asian isle, I noticed bottles of sweet and sour sauce. I started reflecting on all the restaurants that have delicious sweet and sour, and then the discouraging thought occurred to me that my sweet and sour will never taste like theirs. Disappointed, I wandered around a while longer, when a good 20 minutes later I found myself staring at those tempting little sweet and sour sauces again. Staring turned into picking up the bottles and reading the ingredients ( I've never really thought about what's in sweet and sour sauce before), and then I noticed right there on the back of the bottle was a handy sweet and sour recipe. I read the recipe and realized I was capable! I could actually make this recipe. It really wasn't difficult at all. The stroll quickly turned into a brisk paced mission as I hunted down everything else I would need to complete my Sweet and Sour Chicken. I am pleased to announce that tonight I made Sweet and Sour Chicken for the first time ever. I served it with fried rice and a small salad. It successfully met the hunger pangs and taste demands of my husband. One more meal to add the meal menus! It was scrumptious and really quite simple!

Puzzle Pleasure

Last week while I was suffering through that wretched cold I decided I had to do something other than vegetate in bed or watch tv or just sip tea, so I determined to complete my New Years puzzle. I started it the first week of 2010, but for the past couple weeks it has been sitting uncompleted, cluttering up my house and begging for some attention. What a great activity for when I'm afflicted with a bug! I love 1000 piece puzzles. There's something fulfilling about knowing that I have touched and positioned 1000 individual puzzle pieces. The other thing I cherish about this puzzle is the Jonathan Green image. I admit, I'm a little obsessed with Jonathan Green's art. It is bright, colorful, cheerful and oh so Southern! Doesn't it just make you want to break out into Gullah?

Of course you want to break out into Gullah! So here you go:

De Lawd, 'E duh my sheppud. Uh een gwoi' want. 'E meck me fuh lay down een dem green passuh. 'E Khah me deh side dah stagnant wahtuh. 'E sto' muh soul; 'E lead me een de pat' ob right-juss-niss fuh 'E name sake. Aae doh Ie wark shru' de whalley ob dem grayb yaad Ie een gwoi' skayed uh dem dead people, fuh Ie know de Lawd, 'E duh deh wid me; 'E stick wha' 'E khah een 'E han' 'n de staff een de udduh han' gwoi' cumpit me' 'E fix up uh table fuh me fuh grease muh mout' 'n muh enemies een gwoi' git none. 'E 'noint muh head wid uhl. Muh cup obbuh flo.' Sho' nuff all 'E goodnes,' 'n 'E muhcy gwoi' be wid me all de day ob muh life 'n Ie gwoi' lib deh een de house ob de Lawd fuh ebbuh 'n ebbuh. Amen

If that's a little much, you can just listen to some Gullah:

http://www.gullahtours.com/psalm23.mp3

Enjoy!