Perfect Holiness

Only Thou art holy,
Merciful and mighty.
God in three persons,
Blessed Trinity.


Holy, Holy, Holy-
There is none beside Thee.
Perfect in pow'r,
In love and purity.


Please have perfect love, Father. Please have perfect mercy & power.

Please pray for the family & friends of one of my 6th grade students. He was killed in a car accident tonight.


I'm devastated. And I'm sure the rest of the students will be, too.

In & Out

When He becomes our only hope, love, obsession, anything & everything is God calls us to is feasible, surmountable, a piece of His glory waiting to shine through. Maybe that's part of the way He resurrects us... into a new, empowered, and eternal life that doesn't retreat.

I was so encouraged to read the story of Lazarus in John 11. Here we see perhaps the most tangible vision of Christ resurrecting a man from death. I was keen to note Lazarus' reaction upon his resurrection: he didn't go back into the cave, he didn't leave his burial clothes on, he was certainly never the same. By simply answering Jesus' call to come to Him and come alive, Lazarus became a beacon of God's love that people sought out when they couldn't get to Jesus.

What makes us think that the tomb will offer security? Comfort? Anything but death and stagnance? We've all been there... why do we choose to go back, when we've been freely given life and His presence forever?!

If you're in a tomb, COME OUT. Let me reiterate,
IF YOU'RE IN A TOMB, COME OUT!!!
Jesus would love to see you, God's people would love to see you, and the world needs to see you.

If you're standing outside but kept your burial clothes on, keep in mind that you are alive now, and you will be joining a battle for the spiritual lives of yourself & many others. Who will you belong to? "Playing dead" is as good as being dead, so let us throw off those hindrances.

If you're anywhere near your old tomb, look back only in gratefulness for your new life, and despise its chains. He alone has the power to triumph over death, over darkness, so let us not forget or take for granted that He has been our rescue. What a mighty God we serve. Hallelujah, thank you, Life-Giver!

Tired of Election Ads?

I urge you to check this out, out of rebellion toward silly election ads that don't influence your vote one way or the other, but manage to slander the reputation of politicians.
FREE CANDY TOO.

Hosea 6:1-3

Weekend Weather Forecast:

Looks like a downpour for any and all Megans & Emilies converging upon Minneapolis this weekend.

It's not easy, being Wee

The tiny circle of friends who read this blog have all created their own "Wee Me's," and have exerted their influence on me. I've never been small, so I thought I'd give it a try. Is it (wee) me?

I have to admit, I was rather disappointed in Wee World's minimal eye-color selection. Where is the hazel section, people?! Ah, well. Have fun making your own.

The Ugly Step-sister of the Bible?

When I was little, I went to a babysitter 3 days out of the week. My babysitter became a close family friend, and she had a little girl of her own. Her little girl was 3 years younger than me, and normally, we would play together very nicely. However, one of the memories we both share is of our playing "Cinderella" by acting it out while watching the Rodgers & Hammerstein's version of the tale (I still remember some of those songs!). There was a host of characters available to play, but we of course BOTH wanted to be the lead, the beautiful and desired Cinderella. Even though she was younger, somehow she always won the role, and I was granted the MULTIPLE roles of the two ugly step-sisters and occasionally the wicked step-mother, too.
We laugh about it now, but those memories resurfaced recently when I read this article. I hated playing the less desireable parts, I didn't want to even pretend to be detestable. But instead of turning the movie off, instead of just "not watching," I was hopeful that maybe this time I would get to be Cinderella... maybe this time I would be desired. I didn't care about the girls I played with, or the characters on the movie - I only cared about what the Prince thought, what He saw in me.
I hope that's true of me now. I don't care if Leah had weak eyes and was the uglier of the sisters on this earth... her eternal beauty was captivating.

Blood is Thicker than Water

I'm just thinking a lot about this passage of Romans (8:15-17):

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, " Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

I really want that to be true in my life and in the lives of my loved ones and for the entire Kingdom of God. And it IS true, already, but we aren't really living up to it. I'm not really living in the constant joy of the realization that I am not "on my own" anymore - I'm an adopted daughter of the ONLY King. What's more, I'm His heir, along with Christ, who suffered and died for me to become a part of the family. It's getting deeper, I know...

Maybe more later.

God really IS our Only Hope

This is something that the Lord has been impressing upon me more & more as I look for answers to all kinds of situations: (in alpha-order) abandonment, anxiety, betrayal, contamination, corruption, criminality, debasement, debauchery, degradation, depravity, evil, iniquity, injustice, perversion, sensuality, sinfulness, vice, wickedness.
No manmade program, institution, establishment, foundation, or wisdom can solve the world's problems. Period.
ONLY God's love is big enough for this world's fallenness, only Jesus' blood is deep enough and powerful enough to cleanse humanity. Only the glory of the one True God is great enough to call us to holiness through relationship.

Switchfoot has a new song (called "Oh Gravity" /album released 12.26.06) posted on their MySpace that speaks a little to this. Check it out here. It pumps me up, love that crazy pounding piano.

redirection

What do you think of this?
And this related item?


It kind of pumps me up to continue working on my obedience, if nothing else. Seek first the Kingdom...

Bring it on, Death! (An Ode to the Resurrection)

A thought worth pondering (I think.):

Life is created out of nothing - an ASTOUNDING truth to come to grips with on its own. HOWEVER, we must admit that for all of Life's incredible power display, somehow Death managed to limit Life. Death, jealous and scornful of Life's multliplying, abundant nature, crept in and layed a blanket of shadows over Life.

What a sad ending. Poor Life.

Thankfully, the Lord Almighty is not a God of sad endings, nor a poor God. He created Life, we chose Death, and He didn't let us go. He made a way for NEW Life, the kind that can't be put down or limited by Death; He made Resurrection. Resurrection can't be held down, can't be overshadowed, can't be conquered by death, can't be outdone, can't be denied, can't be stopped...

What a Lover, that our Father should create Life. What a Redeemer, that Jesus should submit to Death. What a Mighty One, that God should offer the unstoppable power of Resurrection for our souls, in exchange for our subscription to death.

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true:

"Death has been swallowed up in victory."

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

-I Corinthians 15:54-57-

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

-Isaiah 25:8-

I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?

-Hosea 13:14-

I hope I haven't just ruined David Crowder's new book for you. I haven't read it, but in merely perusing the title & synopsis, I have to wonder if Crowder's been reading my blog.

Worth It All

"Or, you may fall on your knees and pray—to God's delight! You'll see God's smile and celebrate, finding yourself set right with God. You'll sing God's praises to everyone you meet, testifying, 'I messed up my life— and let me tell you, it wasn't worth it. But God stepped in and saved me from certain death. I'm alive again! Once more I see the light!'"

-Job 33:26- (The Message)

"Out of that terrible travail of soul, he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly— the best of everything, the highest honors— Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep."

-Isaiah 53:11- (The Message)

I don't understand Your ways
Oh but I will give You my song
Give You all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
With it You are pulling me closer
And pulling me into Your ways

Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I'm not looking for crowns
Or the water from fountains
I'm desperate in seeking, frantic believing
That the sight of Your face
Is all that I need
I will say to You

You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it
You're gonna be worth it all
I believe this

Song: Worth It All
Artist: Rita Springer

Do I believe it? I hope so...
What's poured out in every day action will prove or disprove my "belief." I pray I may be given a full measure of faith, to seek Him fully. I couldn't bear to bring only a part of me to Him, not after He gave everything for me and called it "worth it."

Commitment's Cost

I used to think of commitment as something like a trip to the pet store. I would choose which pet store to go into, look through all of the cute little cuddly puppies, and finally pick out my favorite, healthy golden retriever pup. Golden retrievers can cost a weighty fee, but I love them so much that I would happily slap down the money. I would commit to it by paying for it and taking it home to be mine, for better or for worse.

The problem here is that this kind of commitment looks only like the better... not the worse. It serves me, gives me what I want, when I want it, and in the condition that I choose. It's easy to pay for an adorable, healthy little creature of my choice.

Something tells me commitment looks a little different. Perhaps it's a pet store that has all of the puppies wrapped up in little grab-bags (I know that's cruel, bear with me.). I know I'm going to get a live animal, I can see it moving around in the bag... but I don't know what it will look, smell, feel, or behave like. For the sake of relationship (and for the sake of freeing one little creature from its inhibiting grab-bag!), I choose one. I must pay for it, just the same - and it must be the highest cost, because the cashier doesn't know what's in the bag, and it just might be the offspring of an award-winning pedigree. So I pay the price and the puppy is mine to take home, to be responsible for, and to cherish. I earnestly tear open the bag and...
The puppy has only three legs and a mound of other "problems."

Does this mean I can get a refund? Should I even desire a refund? Should I grudgingly keep the puppy for the duration of its life, constantly reminding the pooch of its second-class status? Could this mangled little animal, with its behavioral and physical ailments ever bring me joy, or be worth the cost?

It could be such a let-down. Or... it could be true love, the kind our Savior has committed to us.

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret* of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

-Philippians 4:11-13-

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpVsF4W8V2Y

Aslan is on the move.

Circling Surrender

In our walk with Christ, it would seem that there are always those things in our lives, those chains we keep surrendered to. You know which ones are yours, and you can bet I know which sweet little sins I keep safely curled up in my lap. Even though I am born again and have new life, I still keep a few secret sins around to keep me comfortable. Eventually, though, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that those sins aren't keeping us comfortable so much as they are keeping us captive.

Spiritual growth doesn't look like figures, it doesn't work out mathematically to create a line graph, or deal in the laws of physics. It looks like circles, great loops... and if you are earnest about growing nearer to the Lord, the circles move in a direction - toward Him. It can't be exactly charted, but it can be followed in steps:

Step 1: You branch out, and inadvertently fumble things and mess up. You seek forgiveness.
Step 2: The Lord gently helps you on your feet, dusts you off, turns you slightly and shows you the right path. You eagerly jump at the second chance, now that you "know it all."
Step 3: You shrug the Holy Spirit's nudging off because, after all, you "know it all" about that old sin (neglecting the fresh new form it has taken in your life). You begin to walk back in the direction you came from.
Step 4: You fall again, seeking forgiveness and repentance. He turns you and rights you again - circle complete.

There is nothing we can DO to save ourselves, no power short of the Holy Spirit is great enough. There IS, however, a part we play: surrender. If, right after Step 1, we would instead humble ourselves to surrender to Christ and the cross, then we would be able to keep Him before us and move forward to Him. Oh, the strength of the word "if" - no "then" is released until the "if" is surrendered to.

Thinking about this, an old memory verse came to mind...

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

- Philippians 2:12-13 -

Out for a Drive?

I rather enjoyed this article (and please excuse me for writing from an extremely prejudiced angle, but I am fairly certain that I would agree with this even if I hadn't experienced certain things in my life).

It may be a little male-bashing, but don't you worry, women... I'll be looking for articles that swing a little responsibility your way, too. Meanwhile, ponder this:

1. God initiates something out of love for you.
2. You respond (obey) out of obedience.
3. A relationship is formed and furthered.
4. Repeat steps 1-4. Forever.

Pressing On

Let us know & acknowledge Him; let us press on to know the LORD; as surely as the sun rises, He will appear. He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth.
-Hosea 6:3

I awoke thinking about the beach today, but everything appeared overcast. I checked the forecast and it assured me that it was going to be a perfect partly cloudy, 74 degrees. So I trusted.

I spent time packing a cooler, my journal, a book, and a change of clothes, then drove an hour west in my car, expending gas all the way ($3.19/gallon!) and all without KNOWING what the conditions truly were. I had faith that the weatherman posted something true enough that the trip would be worth it.

I noticed something as I made my way west on M-43: the clouds were getting smaller. Patches of blue started to appear, and quickly began to dominate the sky so that the only patches were the light, whispy grey clouds. I pondered as I drove on.

What is this lovely illustration You've given me, Lord? This is how faith works - you are given or called to something, you trust Jesus' word as truth, and you GO. You set out, knowing neither what you'll encounter along the way nor what it will all actually be like when you "arrive," but your faith draws you on. More than that, the promise of His presence drives you on.

Rejoice! Joy again!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
-Philippians 4:4

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"
-Psalm 40:6

Okay, so maybe I praise. Maybe I even worship in song- this is a holy God we are talking about here- but do I REJOICE? Am I deeply gladdened at the thought of Him? Do I delight in Him, and not just His handiwork? Am I ecstatic with joy at the knowledge of the Lord abiding in me?

I hate these questions.

I fall short, but by His Holy Spirit convicting me and empowering me, I am given the opportunity to let His joy rest in me. From my obedience to Jesus comes peace, and space in my heart enough for His joy to fill to overflowing. Here is the life of abundance, deep in the spirit and flowing out from center to circumference.

Again, I leave you with early U2 lyrics to ponder. :) You know you love 'em, too.

Surrender, by U2
My love for you
It's in the things I do and say
If I wanna live I gotta
Die to myself someday
Papa sing my sing my sing my song
Papa sing my sing my sing my song...

A Wilderness Wasted

Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart.
-Proverbs 21:2-
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
-Proverbs 19:21-

Could it be? Could this thing that looked so good, so right so perfect… not come to fruition? It just seems so wasteful in my human eyes. I have been alone in the wilderness, walking toward a sparkling city, and suddenly it dissipates like a mirage. Was it something I did? Something I said? Why?!

The easy question is “why.” If I had an answer to that, I’d be able to sink my talons into it and “fix it,” make it work. Knowing why would further blind me, ultimately.

So if “why” is the easy question, what is the right question? Maybe it’s not a question or an answer thing, which is uncomfortably lax for my conservative standards. I always had a problem with the phrase, “The destination is not as important as the journey.” That can be a load of bologna spread, which I don’t care for. I like results, I like accomplishments, I like… getting what I want, apparently.

All of this is revealing of Christ to me, revealing of God’s very nature, and the glimpses are beautiful, unlike anything we know or see on this earth. It does, however, leave me still in the wilderness, unsure of which direction to go or even whether to move at all. The only difference now is… I’m not alone. And my Partner has a map on His heart.

'Til Death do us Part

I realize that many of the people that skim by this blog & more importantly, actually read this post, are probably single. Me too. I don't want you to stop reading this WHATSOEVER. Instead of reading it as being married to a man or woman, think about what/who you are married & committed to deep in your heart. Is it a relationship? Is it prestige? Is it a cause? Is it Christ?

Whatever it is, know that it affects the community around you. I'm not talking neccessarily about the grocery store clerk you see once every 2 weeks, but those closest to you are perceptive enough to see your passion and commitment to someone or something.

Okay, NOW- check out this link:
http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001296.cfm

I found it an interesting article, full of big words. Hopefully full of big ideas, too. It's interesting, all of the "new ideas" and revelations we have in Christ are usually the most ancient of ideas, concepts, and truth. It's always humbling to know we've had a blueprint in His Word all along, but have somewhere along the way developed our own standards to live by.

He is so grace-FULL

Down on my knees down on my face
You just say it's ok
So many days I've thrown away
You just say it's ok

I don't think I could ever repay
Your perfect grace, but it's ok
It's ok, It's ok
It's ok, It's ok

You've become my embrace
Just tell me it's ok
Your precious words intoxicate
A heart that aches; it's ok
You don't recall my past mistakes
You just say it's ok
The human mind can't calculate
Your perfect grace, but it's ok

Even though You've seen a thousand times
I've let you down
You're always there if I should call Your name
You're unashamed, unashamed

Song: OK
Artist: Mutemath

How can He have so much love that His grace is sufficient for me, the worst of all sinners? How can He have more left over for every other fallen person? How can He love so deeply & abundantly that it spills over in my soul, and there is always more?
Surely this is an awesome God! Thank you, Father, for being so intimate with us, despite Your vast power.

choosing a Psalm

The Psalms can read like a rather emotional blog, and I can thus easily relate... but I do think they are more. I find myself reading them to alter or enhance my mood, like some kind of hallucinatory drug. Well maybe not that strong.

Anyway, recently a trusted friend - who has been praying fervently for me - told me that the LORD laid upon his heart Psalm 34:4 while he was praying for me. He said he thought that's what He was doing for me. As soon as I could find a Bible, I tore into it to find the verse:
"I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears."

That's it?! I thought. That's the profound thing that Almighty God is doing for me, amid all my situations, circumstances, & crises?

That's when it hit me, just how big He is. I remembered all of the times my eyes had read something to the tune of "I called upon the Lord," or "I waited upon the Lord," and the Psalmist (or prophet, or other men & women in the Scriptures) always records that God comes to our aid. As soon as He arrives, hearts change. His presence has the power of love & holiness to break loose the chains that keep us stuck... stuck in our fears, where we were never meant to stay. Our fears were only presented to us as an option, as a temporal affliction that graciously presents us the opportunity to cry out to Him, to petition to the one true God, and to let Jesus Christ change our hearts - ETERNALLY.

From this deep place, roots are removed and a seed can be planted in faith. From this deep place, a loving God can nurture a free-willed, fallen man or woman who responds to His call. From this deep place, Jesus smiles as He is given the opportunity to glorify our Father in ways we never expected or could imagine.

He surrendered Himself to death

My other website (http://www.emilymanning.com) seems to have gotten lost somewhere in cyber-space, so here I am, with a third (and likely futile) attempt at blogging more regularly and with a better focus: to Seek first the Kingdom of God & His righteousness...
I'm finding that seeking His kingdom is less about DOING and more about BEING than I had previously thought. (WARNING: Probably a lot more posts on this subject will follow.)
It's scary, what I might find when I actually do it - when I actually let Christ IN, into the deepest part of my soul. It's where He longs to be, and where we can be in relationship, but it's so frightening. What depth of depravity will He find there? Which parts of me will He command out in His righteousness? What death will take place, and what will be brought to life? Surely I stand to lose something, or lots of things, or... everything.
But then,where did my "everything" come from? And do I have ANYTHING outside of Him?
I hate that I am using U2 lyrics next to the teaching of Jesus, but I hear His words answered and truly emoted in the band's older music...

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground & dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour, Father, glorify Your name!
-John 13:24-28-

Bad, by U2
If I could, you know I would
If I could, I would
Let it go...

This desperation
Dislocation
Separation
Condemnation
Revelation
In temptation
Isolation
Desolation

Let it go, And so fade away
To let it go, And so fade away
To let it go, And so to fade away