Christmas Peace

My friend Megan wrote a beautiful post that is a great follow-up to my last one. Though many are hurting, we know that the Prince of Peace comes to offer hope! If you don't have time to read the whole thing (which you should!), at least scroll down and read what's in green toward the bottom...

A Revelation

I have been given an amazing gift this Christmas season. It was probably costly, but not expensive. It is laced with beauty, but not found in diamonds or jewels. No, this Christmas season I've been given the gift of understanding.

Understanding how awesome it is that Jesus came to our world.

Understanding the idea that He began His journey to redeem the world on that lonely Christmas night.

Understanding what the true meaning of Christmas is all about.

In my devotions, I've been reading about the promise of Christ throughout the entire Old Testament. How Christ has reigned supreme since the very beginning of time. God revealed Christ for the very first time when He said to the serpent, "You will bruise His heel, but He will crush your head." Again, He declared the promise to Abram when He declared that "all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed through you." Abram knew God wasn't talking about Him, but of the One who was to come through Abram's line of descent. David received the promise of the Messiah when the Lord God said, "your kingdom will reign forever." Again, David knew it had nothing to do with him, but everything to do with God redeeming the world.

In the book of Isaiah, we find four songs of the servant, which can also be referred to as Messianic prophecies. One that has always been read during the Christmas season is Isaiah 9:6-7:

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."

What I find to be amazing are the verses that precede this text, rarely ever read together:

"Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan - The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian's defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior's boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For unto us a child is born...."

Do you see what I'm getting at? How incredible it is that the one who brought peace came in the form of a baby! I have many other thoughts on this that I will write in another post, but for now I want to focus on the issue of peace. Reading my friend Sara's blog the other day, reminded me of the war-filled world we live in. Having her husband as an Army Chaplain, I doubt that she is ever able to think otherwise. It is sad for me to read stories of real people who are losing their lives. Men and women who are fighting for our country, but also wars that are taking place around the world that we don't even know about. Civil wars like the ones in Africa, tribal wars, religious wars, etc. take place always. Will peace ever come to be in this world of hatred and hurt?

Yet, in this passage in Isaiah, God says that there is One greater than all of this. There is One who will bring peace. And peace means so much more than just an absence of war or an inner calm. My devotion suggested it as, "completeness, wholeness, fullness, soundness, firmness, safety, well-being, prosperity, and contentment." Being a Wonderful Counselor indicates wisdom and royalty; "Mighty God" is associated with power and victory; "Everlasting Father" points to His eternal and divine origins; and "Prince of Peace" means he brings peace and well-being to the earth.

It is so humbling to me to think of my God coming to earth as a human. Think of a baby you know and love; maybe your own child. Think of Christ in that precious form. Knowing that those tiny hands would be nailed to a cross. That those tiny little feet would take the grueling steps toward redeeming the world as the world threw insults and hatred at him. That his sweet, soft skin would be covered in stripes of blood. And that through all of this, we have the promise of peace. True peace that no President, pastor or peace treaty can provide.

Why is it we tend to bypass this great truth? Why do we only look to the cross on Easter? For truly, that little baby was looking to the cross on that miraculous Christmas night. I will never cease to be thankful.

Memorize THIS!

Let me say up front: I'm not a huge fan of AWANA.

It has its place, it has touched thousands of kids' lives over the years. Most importantly, it has instilled a love for the Word of God in their minds.

If you're not familiar, AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed- it comes from 2 Timothy 2:15- and you thought the Army's acronyms are bad! ;-) is a kids program that focuses on Bible memorization. There is game time, a lesson, and certainly friends- but the focus is the memorization.

That's my problem with it. I don't think memorizing Scripture is bad, mind you. Quite the opposite. And, I have to acknowledge that AWANA has changed since I was in it, 15-20 years ago. It has been updated and probably is a much more quality program now.

Here is the way I remember AWANA: memorizing verses from the Old King James, which had words I didn't know. Of course, they put the definitions for said words in the margins... in almost as incomprehensible language... for a 2nd grader.

My BIGGEST problem with it, though, is the rewards system. It worked great for ME! I am good at memorizing and often had my book completed well before Christmas. I was in AWANA for 10 years; by the end my leader was just giving me chapters to memorize, because I had done everything else.

But what about the kids who aren't inherently good at memorizing?

They can work at it, they can say their verses. But there was always this feeling that being a "good Christian" was synonymous with finishing your AWANA book. They probably already struggle with school; the last thing they need is to come to church and feel the same inferiority.

Do you not think that they make this comparison? By completing sections of the book, kids LITERALLY get JEWELS in their CROWNS!!! WHAT?!?!?!? You have GOT to be kidding me! These small plastic crowns and jewels (which have holes if they are not filled) adorn their uniforms. Again, I must say- I think the system and uniforms have changed since then. But, that is what I remember.

This only feeds the culture of American Christianity: spirituality is a formula. Did you pray and do your devos? Good. You get a gold star in God's book for today! Wait, what? You haven't done your devos (shortened for "devotions", aka "quiet time" for those of you who were not in a youth group in the 90s...) in THREE DAYS? Backslider!

I really react to that. Again, I think studying and reading the Word of God are great things for a Christian to do; that cannot be argued. There is also something to say for maintaining the discipline of it.

Jon and I plan to memorize passages (yes, passages- not individual verses which are so easily ripped out of context) with our kids, just as his family did.

But equating being a "good Christian" with a Pharisaical check-the-box to-do list (think they don't exist? You MUST not have been in a youth group in the 90s...) is far from the call to love to which Christ beckons.

Hm. I was not intending on going off on that rabbit trail.

The POINT of this post was actually more of a question. I'm sitting here studying for my midterm and found myself relying on some of the memorization skills I learned in AWANA. That made me wonder a "chicken-egg" kind of question- did I do well in AWANA because I'm a good memorizer, or am I a good memorizer because I did well in AWANA?

In days of old, grade school education relied MUCH more heavily on rote memorization than it does today. Is this a disservice to our kids? What do you think? Does memorization come easily for you? How do you think that is related to the amount which you had to memorize as a young child? (I don't mean high school- I'm talking about early elementary) I don't remember ever memorizing anything in school- even addition and subtraction had nifty tricks to it.

Just curious.

Anyway, back to my tangent. If you like AWANA, I certainly don't mean to offend (though, while I'm on the subject, can we all agree that the word does not have an S on the end? It is not AwanaS...) I certainly loved it as a kid- Wednesdays were the highlight of my week! I wished it wouldn't end for the summer- I wanted to do it year-round! I still remember many of those verses today (though, for some, it took until college to figure out what they meant...) I just wonder if maybe there is a better way, a way that instills in kids a love for Scripture that is not academic.

I suppose, if nothing else, it is indisputably helping me do well on my midterm this week...

thinking through it...

So, it's been a while since I posted.

The last week has been... well... up and down...

A couple things have happened that I'll write about in separate posts.

Jon & I have been reading a book together while he's deployed. It helps us have something to talk about other than just "catching up." When this book was published, I only heard bad things about it; it's funny- now that I'm actually reading it for myself, I realize how much it had been misconstrued. Weird how that happens. I have to wonder how many people I heard criticize it- or criticize the author himself- ever took the time to read it. I think they would be amazed, as was I, how much they actually agree with. I keep finding phrases and ideas that I remember being quite controversial... and, when taken out of context, they sound heretical- but, when you look at the whole, it actually makes a lot of sense. Oddly, the author exhorts readers to approach Scripture the same way- in its entirety.

It has really stretched me. Though, I will admit, it's hard- it's hard for someone like me to admit that maybe, just maybe, I don't have all the answers... or that someone else's answers might, just might, be true.

I have realized, more than anything, that spirituality is a journey. It's a process. It's not like learning addition, where mastery is possible, let alone simple. Where is my journey leading? Not sure yet. I do know that I have the Bible, and Spirit-led wisdom. I also know that there are a lot of people with that same Bible and that same Spirit-led wisdom who are in an entirely different place than me. And that's ok.

Maundy Thursday

I went to a Maundy Thursday service tonight.

Do you not know what that is, though you vaguely remember hearing of it?

Me too.

So, I went. Of course, I had wikipedied it, hoping to learn more.

What I gather is that many traditions celebrate it similarly to Good Friday. It commemorates the Last Supper and Jesus' experience at Gethsemane. Oftentimes, I read, foot washing is a part of the service, though it wasn't at ours tonight.

You know, I don't think I had even been to a Good Friday service until a few years ago. Maybe once growing up, I don't remember. I will say that I think celebrating Easter is so much more meaningful after recognizing Good Friday (or Maundy Thursday). Something about hailing a resurrection without reflecting on the solemness of his death just doesn't seem right... I think we sometimes brush over what actually happened between the joyous Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. One week we're singing Hosanna!, and the next, He's Alive!!... and, ohbytheway, he died a couple days ago...

One thing I have really appreciated about the chapel community is the ability to experience other traditions. The variety of ways of administering communion alone is amazing! Never before have I gone to a Maundy Thursday service, and I enjoy being exposed to such things.

Even elements like reciting The Lord's Prayer or The Apostle's Creed as a community seem so refreshing to me. I suppose that whatever is unlike what you grew up with seems fresh; I'm sure that it does become rote and dull. I would argue that the liturgy of any church can become rote- even if that liturgy is more "contemporary." Don't get me wrong, I love the contemporary service style (though, I have found, many claiming to be "contemporary" haven't changed a thing in the past 10 or 15 years since they first began...). At the same time, things such as communal recitations, the singing of the doxology, and the observance of the liturgical calendar are quite meaningful to me. I'll admit to even having a fondness for ministerial vestments.

Of course, general protestant services present their own set of challenges, but I'll address that another time... I will also add that I have had experiences that I have appreciated, but not particularly enjoyed. Or, I might enjoy it once, but wouldn't want it every week. It's still nice to expand my horizons a little.

Tonight I shall leave you with the lyrics to one of my favorite hymns- it was actually sung at our wedding. It is a Welsh song, from the revival that took place in Wales a century ago. Heaven's peace and perfect justice kissed a guilty world in love...

Here is love vast as the ocean
Loving kindness as the flood
When the Prince of life, our ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heaven's eternal days

On the Mount of Crucifixion
Fountains opened, deep and wide
Through the floodgates of God's mercy
Flowed a vast and gracious tide
Grace and love, like mighty rivers
Poured incessant from above
And Heaven's peace and perfect justice
Kissed a guilty world in love

Let us all Thy love accepting
Love Thee ever, all our days
Let us seek Thy Kingdom only
And our lives be to Thy praise
Thou alone shalt be our glory
Nothing in the world we see
Thou hast cleansed and sanctified us
Thou Thyself has set us free...

A little perspective...

Millions of American Christians pray in their churches each week, oblivious to the fact that Christians in many parts of the world suffer brutal torture, arrest, imprisonment and even death—their homes and communities laid waste—for no other reason than that they are Christians. The shocking, untold story of our time is that more Christians have died this century simply for being Christians than in the first nineteen centuries after the birth of Christ. They have been persecuted and martyred before an unknowing, indifferent world and a largely silent Christian community.

---Nina Shea, Freedom House (human rights organization), International human rights lawyer (worship.com)

Our PWOC Program was this week (it went well!), and I did speak for just a few minutes on the persecuted church. I'm not sure how many women were affected by it, but even if just one commits to praying for our brothers and sisters in these countries, good was done.

I found this at the website of the Voice of the Martyrs. (I just realized you have to create a free account with them to view this page- but it is worth it!) All the colored countries are those in which Christians fact persecution of some kind. Isn't that amazing!?? So often we take for granted the freedoms we have here in the U.S. Just as the author of Hebrews encouraged in Hebrews 13:3, so we need to be in prayer today.

Bible League also has a REALLY cool program that I found- you can "recycle" your Bible! I don't know about you, but we have several copies of Bibles on our shelves that we haven't cracked in years- if you send it to Bible League, they will actually place it in an English-speaking home overseas!

I would really encourage you to check out these links I have provided, read some stories, and learn more about what is going on in the world- things that somehow are never reported unless an American happens to be involved...

By the way, if you're wondering- yes, I did in fact make a potpourri sachet... wasn't so bad after all...

When "God's Will" isn't God's will

"The Lord is leading me to..."

"The Spirit is guiding me..."

We've all heard it. Many of us have probably even said it. God is directing us to fill-in-the-blank.

I think my personal favorite was when it was commonly used at Bible school in reference to dating. "The Lord is leading me to date you"... and subsequently, "The Lord is leading me to break up with you." Since when did God impart divine wisdom through fickle 19-year-old hormones?

My brother has a friend who had a similar situation. Wanting to marry his girlfriend, he approached her father. The father said that God told him it was not His will for her to marry him. The boyfriend responded, "Well, God told me that it is."

I do not doubt that there are times that God really does direct and lead people to do things.

I also do not doubt that such words have been uttered not at the Spirit's prompting, but instead as a manipulation tactic.

You don't like your daughter's boyfriend? Say it's not God's will.

You don't like the decision leadership has made? Claim God's leading otherwise.

You aren't happy in any given situation in life? Attribute your feelings to God, and no one will have a leg to stand on.

I mean, come on, when someone tells you that God told them to do something, what do you say to that?

I strongly believe that God is not impressed at all when people use His name to further their own agenda, and I believe that it happens more than most of us would like to admit. Not only do the church's "troublemakers" do it, volunteers do it, deacons do it, pastors do it...

And no one questions it.

It is a matter of the heart that is not only personal, but deeply spiritual.

This thought came to me this morning, as there is a small... ahem... "issue" surrounding a decision I (and others) made last spring.

This is incredibly frustrating to me. How do you know when it's God and when it's not? More so, how do I know when it's God telling you to do something?

I mean, unless asked, I do not make any attempts to tell you what God is saying to you. However, when what you claim God tells you directly impacts my life, I feel like I should have a say.

You know, there are very few people who I would without question (or at least with few questions) accept what they told me from God. Very.few.people.

But can I tell you how difficult it is to even allude to someone that I wholeheartedly believe they are hiding behind alleged spirituality to get their way?

There is, as you can probably tell, much more to this situation, as well as to my thoughts and feelings on it.

Suffice it to say that it's at times like this that I'm thankful I have the thick skin which comes with the experience of being a pastor's kid.

By the way, you'll be happy to know that the boyfriend and his young love mentioned earlier have been happily married for several years.

Guess God decided to bless after all...

Airport Spirituality

Home again, home again. I was dreading my return trip, but fortunately, it was not nearly the struggle as last week. My sister got up to take me to the airport at 4:30am, and I was safely in Savannah a mere 5 hours later!

Spending that much time in airports last week (close to 24 hours over 2 days) gave me a lot of time to think. On Monday, after not getting on 2 flights, I was getting nervous. I threw up a couple quick "God, help me on this plane!" prayers, though I actually felt a bit guilty, because I don't necessarily believe that God is in the business of making someone else miss his flight so I can get his seat (weird, I know...). I'll admit, they were half-hearted prayers.

I didn't get on the flight.

Next flight, two hours later. I was sitting at the gate, thinking. At this point, I had held it all together pretty well... but after not getting on 2 flights the day before, sleeping only four hours, and arriving at the airport at 7am only to not get on another 3 flights, by 4:30 I was starting to lose it. I felt myself falling apart inside. How much longer could I sit there?

Then, my old instincts started to kick in...

Maybe God is teaching me a lesson. Maybe he wants me to pray more sincerely, or... talk to someone... or... learn patience... or... something...

So I prayed. God, pleeeaaase let me on this flight. I was humble. I was sincere.

And I didn't get on the flight.

So what then?

Well, then I removed myself from my subjective desperation, making the shift from the overly emotional back to the cognitive, and reminded myself of what I actually believe...

That God is intimately involved in our lives on a daily basis, but that that involvement has more to do with guiding us in how we react in situations than it does getting him to "pull strings" for us- get me on this flight! help my headache to go away! don't let me run out of gas! (I saw somewhere online today that Calvinists shouldn't use the phrase "car accident" because it's contrary to their theological belief.)

Sure, God intervenes. Sometimes. When? That's for him to know, and us not to. What I do know is that I'm not going to attribute things to him that may not necessarily be his work.

I know, I know... I'm treading tricky water here. This raises a debate on the sovereignty of God that I have discussed with many people, from varying sides of the issue...

I believe God is sovereign, in absolute power. Omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. No qualms there. And yes, I know ALL the passages that point to his intervention (back in my Moody days, I could argue the point of absolute sovereignty with the best of 'em...). I believe those to be true. I believe the man in John really was born blind so that God's glory may be revealed. Why do I believe that? Jesus said so.

But does that mean that EVERY person who has EVER been born blind has been so for God's glory? I think they can glorify him in their reactions and attitudes- but in John, Jesus was talking about his ability and decision to supernaturally heal in that unique situation.

I digress- back to the airport...

It made me wonder... if I start behaving in a certain way after a minor pseudo-crisis, a mere inconvenience, what would I do when tragedy really does strike? How does that apply on a universal scale- what changes when hard times come?

I suppose that, on a personal level, Jon's deployment- and the peripheral marital stress it caused- was probably the "hardest" thing that has happened to me. And I have to say, it was at that time, the times of the most wondering and questioning, that I came to rest more than ever in the fact that God does not cause pain. Sin causes pain. Even more often, the indirect result of living in a fallen world causes pain. Why do we feel a "lesson" must be gleaned through every difficult event? I have known people who adamantly believe that God causes every thing to happen and we should never question him... and yet, the only way they get through hard times is by convincing themselves of some divine fortune cookie wisdom. Again, I need to caveat- God does indeed discipline his children; he certainly can and does interact with circumstances to teach us lessons. Sometimes. Again, I can't say when.

Why did I sit at the airport for two days last week? Because I made the decision to fly standby, and the flights were overbooked.

Or... maybe, the guy who had a ticket and made it on last minute just prayed harder than I did...

long, but worth it...

in honor of black history month, i thought we should take a moment to think of the slavery that still is happening worldwide.

there is a movie coming to theaters next friday called "amazing grace." it is a story of true events that led to abolition of slavery in england. i have been excited to see it ever since i first saw the trailer a month ago... i would encourage you to check out the amazing change campaign - it is a website dedicated to helping slaves- both literal and economical- worldwide. look around there to see some of the things that are happening globally.

yesterday at pwoc (the army wives' bible study i have been attending), there was a special speaker who worked in vietnam and northern thailand for several years as a missionary. one people group he talked about especially stuck out to me- the shan living between myanmar (burma) and thailand. this people group (300,000 in number) were forced from their villages in burma and told that they would be killed if they returned. however, thailand won't allow most of them into their country, either- most of them are literally living in the jungles between the guarded gates of both countries. children are often either abandoned or sold into slavery or prostitution (which are really synonomous...)

have you heard of the dalit? they are a people group whose name literally means "untouchables"- 250 million people who have been told by the upper castes of india that they are less than human. if even a dalit’s shadow falls on an upper caste person, that person is polluted according to caste rules. (that description comes from this website.)

if you want more information that any of these sites have, just do a google search- you will be amazed what you come up with.

if you are like me, you will look at this information and say, "so what? what in the world can i do about it? nothing." you know, in some ways i agree. i don't believe that signing a petition will honestly end slavery- it is a much deeper issue than american popular opinion. however, i do believe that we do the body of Christ good to be informed on these issues, to at least KNOW what is happening. to pray over these people groups. to do what we can to help the truly needy in our world.

keep in mind, too, that these people also have little to no Christian witness- some are persecuted horribly. we have brothers and sisters who are suffering in chains even today.

and honestly, i think that many churches and Christians- not wanting to be named among the social gospel movement- have gone too far in neglecting the physical needs of those around us. yes, you will get taken advantage of. yes, you may feel like it's just a drop in the bucket. is that what you would tell Christ? you didn't contribute to the food pantry because people take advantage of it? that you didn't give to a charity because you think it's probably some grand conspiracy to take your money?

maybe so. i know that i would rather err on the side of showing love. isn't that what Christianity is all about? helping the poor, the widows, the orphans... showing love to those who would never see it otherwise...

here are some practical suggestions if you'd like to get involved. this is just the tip of the iceburg. if you can't give, then pray. pray for these people to know Christ, and pray also that they would be free from the physical torment in which they are currently living.

World Vision
Samaritan's Purse (they have a cool catalog at christmas that you can actually buy "gifts" for someone in a third-world country- gifts like chickens, bibles, school supplies, a well, farming equipment, etc)
Amnesty International
Peace Gospel
Compassion International


if you know of other groups that focus on enslaved, displaced, or impoverished people groups, feel free to list it in the comments section.

guest speaker

we had a great day in geography today. there is a student here at grace whose parents are from nigeria- his mother came in and spoke to the class today. i found it quite intruiging. she talked about religion, food, tribes, and culture. she spoke of how the entire continent used to be pagan and animistic, worshiping carved images. she went on to tell us about how grateful the african christians are for the missionaries who first brought the gospel to their land. she talked about how, because of disease and climate, many of them got sick and some even died. "but," she said, "when you love God, you must continue the work of God." it was encouraging to hear such passion.

she then went on to speak of the community of believers, and how the christians in africa worship the same God the christians in america do. they may do things differently, she pointed out, but they are all the same within. this also relates to her view of the missionaries-that the commitment of those who first brought the gospel to africa over a century ago has opened doors for her belief in Christ now. our christian community not only transcends space, but also time... i wonder if david livingstone or robert moffat had any idea the impact they would make on the world...

almost there...

today i sit at my desk with a mix of confidence and fear. the syllabi are copied, the lesson plans are written, the class lists are in the book, the desks are neatly arranged. now all that's left to do is this actual thing called teaching.

the class i'm most excited about is the 9th grade geography class... the only one i specifically asked for. "geography???? that is the most boring class ever!" many of you are saying...

well. that's true. though, i have to admit, i have always found geography fascinating- i still have the books i asked for for christmases in elementary school on u.s. and world geography. but even as a child, my interest in it was not for the map alone...

to me, the christian should be MOST interested in geography, for it is not about places on a map, it is about the people throughout the world who need to hear about Christ. it is about our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries, suffering for their faith under a regime that disallows it. it is about the community of believers, the body of Christ, the spreading of the gospel, and ultimately, the glory of God.

my main source for the missions emphasis of the geography class will be Operation World. if you don't have it, it's worth the buy. it is an incredible book compiled by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk- it is a catalog of EVERY country in the world, including not only the geographical facts, but also what is taking place in missions, specific prayer requests for that country, and challenges to the faith.

as the semester goes along, i hope to post some of the things we discuss in class- feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section (i just set it up so that you don't have to have a blogger identity to comment).

"Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples...
great is the LORD and most worthy of praise!"

not what my hands have done

not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;
not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.
not what i feel or do can give me peace with God;
not all my prayers, and sighs and tears
can bear my awful load.

Thy work alone, o Christ, can ease this weight of sin
Thy blood alone o Lamb of God, can give me peace within.
Thy love to me o God, not mine, o Lord, to Thee
can rid me of this dark unrest,
and set my spirit free!

Thy grace alone, o God, to me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone o Son of God, can this sore bondage break.
no other work, save Thine, no other blood will do,
no strength save that which is divine,
can bear me safely through.

i bless the Christ of God; i rest on love divine;
and with unfaltering lip and heart, i call this Savior mine.
His cross dispels each doubt, i bury in His tomb
my unbelief, and all my fear,
each lingering shade of gloom.

i praise the God of grace, i trust His truth and might
He calls me His, i call Him mine, my God, my joy, my light
’tis He who saveth me, and freely pardon gives
i love because He loveth me,
i live because He lives!


words by horatius bonar, 1808-1889
music by kevin twit
sung by indelible grace