The Offscouring of All Things... Until Now.

"For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed ,and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat.
We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now." 

I Corinthians 4:9-13

In the eyes of the world, we are but filth. Grease. Grime. Sweat. Blood. Dust. We are the offscouring, the junk left in the sink trap after washing a mountain of dirty dishes. Yet... in God's eyes. Oh, in God's eyes... things are so much different. When He looks at our grimy little lives, He doesn't see trash. He sees treasure. We who are but dust are infinitely loved by Omnipotence. He sees us as so much better than we are because He sees us as we can be in Him. And to our nothingness, He makes Himself available as a friend-- Yea, as more than a friend! For He lays down His life for trash that we may be His treasures. A more heroic tale can never be told...

Reflections on Psalm 23

The Lord takes care of me.

He satisfies all the longings of my soul.

He causes me to rest in Him, to come to Him in the quiet stillness where there is fresh food-for-thought and thirst-quenching water.

He takes my beat-up, worn-out heart and strips its many layers. He chips away. He sands the rough spots. He puts in the time and energy, covers the cost of restoring me to the original, because He values me. 

He leads me in this journey to holiness that He may be glorified.

Even when I have less-than-mountaintop experiences and death seems foreboding, I choose not to fear. My Maker has brought me to this point and He surely won't leave me now! Memories of His correction and protection bring me great encouragement.

Oh! What an abundant feast is mine in this life You've prepared for me! Those who have not yet allowed You to shepherd their hearts recognize how greatly blessed I am to be in Your care. You have chosen me to be Yours FOREVER-- my heart is overwhelmed by such love!

I can face each new day with a smile, knowing Your desire toward me is goodness and mercy. The blessings of Your love chase after me and overtake me every hour.

I want this Love story never to end, and You've promised me it doesn't have to. An eternity with the Love of my Life... I look forward to living in Your house forever.

Frog Storm

I've heard it's called a frog storm-- one of those I-thought-it-was-spring-and-then-I-woke-up-to-snow-on-the-ground days. To see the little shoots in my flower garden still smiling as they poked their way through the frozen whiteness brought joy to my heart. 

Lord, help me to keep right on growing, regardless of the icy coldness of my surroundings.

Therefore we do not lose heart...

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 

II Corinthians 4:16-18

Father, help me today to fix my eyes on the things which are  unseen, for the unseen things are in fact the only real things at all. Help me not to focus on the temporal, but to view everything in light of eternity. Thank you for using the outside trials to grow my inmost character. Thank you for renewing my heart, day by day. Great is Your faithfulness...

Gain in Loss

To have the being closest to oneself leave home for a place less desirable... Oh, how it breaks the heart of the one left behind. The one closest in age, in heart, in familial love-- gone.

Everywhere one looks, there is a vacancy that only that one could fill. 

He used to sit here. 

That place is where he spent much of his time. 

Here is where he kept his most treasured possessions. 

Yet those he values more than familial ties, more than any of his possessions-- more than life itself-- are from another place. And so, he leaves, not knowing whether he will return. 

Father, thank You for giving me a glimpse into Your heart tonight. Thank You for reminding me that there is nothing I will ever go through that You have not already experienced. Thank You for Your amazing grace. Such infinite love You have for me I cannot comprehend...

Holding Onto Acorns

My morning run was interrupted mid-stride with a view that sent a twinge of sadness through my heart.

Blood stained the pavement. Flesh was ripped apart. A little chipmunk, bloody and battered, lay motionless on the roadside. As I bent down to pick him up and move him to a more peaceful resting place, my gaze was directed to his tiny paws. There he was, lying dead, with a crushed acorn against his crushed chest. He was still holding onto his treasure. 

I resumed my run, but not my thoughts. I couldn't get the picture of that acorn-holding chipmunk out of my head. I wondered: had he been willing to let go of his perceived treasure, would he have made it to safety? Ashley, you are that chipmunk. What? Me? A chipmunk? Yes, me. Us. Chipmunks. How many times do we hold onto things, thinking they will do us good, thinking we are better off with them firmly in grasp, only to find out that they are the death of us. The devil whispers, "I know you're trying to run this race, this battle for life, but doesn't this acorn look good?" And when we needlessly burden ourselves, clinging to earthly treasures, the devil laughs to drive headlong into us, leaving us bruised and battered by the side of the road.

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:1-2

Good Morning, Winter!