Amy's Oasis

"If only we knew.

When he washed the disciples' feet, he was washing ours; when he calmed thier storms, he was calming yours; when he forgave Peter, he was forgiving all the penitent. If only we knew.

He still sends pigeons to convince the lost and music to inspire the dance.

He still makes our storms his path, our graves his proof, and our souls his passion.

He hasn't changed.

He trims branches so we can bear fruit;

He calls the sheep that we might be safe;

He hears the prayers of crooks so we might go home.

His thunder is still gentle.

And his gentleness still thunders.

If only you knew "the free gift of God and who it is that is asking you . . ."

The gift and the Giver. If you know them, you know all you need."

- Max Lucado, A Gentle Thunder

She passed away this afternoon.

"For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death." Ps. 48:14

May we rest in the One who guides all things well . . .

This is our God.

Please continue to pray . . . the other woman involved in the accident is in heartbreakingly critical condition.  I cannot give details . . . but all this is very hard on my family and I am sure also on hers.  All we can do is trust that all this is for the good of all involved - and pray.

"Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him,

The help of my countenance and my God."

Ps. 42:11b 

 . . . Yeah, that's right, I get two . . . although the American one is kind of messing with my head as I'm seeing Christmas decorations and hearing Chrismas carols as I'm eating my turkey and cranberry sauce.

So, be thankful that you have thanksgiving with pretty leaves and pumpkins, all you Canadians!

It was good though - good to be celebrating, being thankful with and for an amazing family & friends that God has brought into my life.  God is so good. 

My soul is satisfied in you

Your love can never fail . . . 

Good news this time . . . the police officer finally contacted my dad. My family was also able to have the van towed to a garage for an assessment and take their belongings out of it. Thank you all for your prayers & please continue to pray! God is faithful at all times.

Ralph is his name. He is a mouse, a very small mouse to have such large ears. And a very smart one to escape Geoff's wrath. Geoff and the mouse are at war. Actually, let me rephrase that: Geoff is at war against a mouse.

Susan and I suggest that Geoff make friends with the mouse. We reminisce over Beatrix Potter and the Mouse on the Motorcycle and talk about cozy mouse homes in the wall. We try to persuade Geoff that by making your greatest enemy your friend, you will at least have won the battle for your sanity. Unfortunately, the male species speaks a different language.

At around 8:00 every night, the mouse makes his appearance. The first nibble, the first skittering noise across the kitchen floor and Geoff is zoned in, every muscle tensed, eyes intensely focused on the spot of the activity. Shoe in hand, he peeks into the kitchen and stands there, waiting. Then - the shoe goes flying across the room. The mouse stands up, looks Goeff in the eye, and meanders off under the stove. The words, "Hey man, nice try, but ya gotta work on that aim!" could not be louder if he spoke. Geoff sighs, puts a few more sticky pads in suspicious areas, resets a few traps, and goes back to the living room. Only to have the entire thing repeated in a few different ways over the evening. And to eyewitness the mouse calmly running over the pads and eating right beside the trap.

Unfortunately for the mouse, everyone loves Geoff more than Ralph. His pain often becomes our pain, and when Susan wakes up in the morning to find she has shared her loaves of bread with a dirty, germy little rodent, her pain also becomes his. So . . . often we get dragged into this battle as well. Ask me for the story of how I almost outsmarted the mouse another time. Yes . . . almost. If Geoff hadn't come home at the time he did, that mouse would have been a prisoner under a paint tray. As I said, a story for another day.

So, let me ask you: how do you catch a mouse who thinks sticky pads are dance floors and traps are jokes of the past?

For all of the wonderful people out there who have been praying:

As of last friday, my own family still did not have much information. The woman seems to be in critical condition, so please pray for that family - that they would be brought close to God, that the woman would live to tell of God's faithfulness. My dad characteristically assures me that the things theyare going through are all minor in comparison to what the other family is experiencing, so please continue to pray.

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, Therefore I hope in Him!" Lam. 3:22-24

I rarely share my poetry - for one thing, I don't write a lot of it, and for another, my poems do not often capture what I feel in completeness. This one is no exception. Yet - when you look deeply into it, unpack the layers of meaning, unlock the play on words ...

Maybe it's all that needs to be said.

I have often been struck lately by what an idolatrous people we are. I have been broken by seeing my own heart, the constant echoes of the fall within me - my craving to be "like God" and remake Him into my image. This is the result of my musings.

I thought I had You figured out

I carved You down to size

I thought I knew You at your core

I imagined myself wise

I thought my mind had captured You

My heart had brought You near

I even thought I imaged You

And held that Image dear

But here I am before the cross

Broken, wounded, peirced

My image shattered on the ground

the vestige of my fears

And in Your shadow now I stand

Your essence limitless

And here I fall to rest in You

Reduced to nothingness

I find You have me figured out

You've carved me from the earth

I find You know me at my core

Your wisdom beyond worth

Your perfect mind has captured me

Your heart has brought me near

And in Your grace You image You

And hold this image dear

Thanks to the wonderful suggestions of my friend Jules, I now have a flickr account where you can check out the few pictures I have to share with you!

Another exciting new feature to my sidebar is Keith and Krystin Getty, a modern hymn writer and singer who are striving to honor God with the gift of music. Keith has written many songs and is the co-author of 'In Christ Alone'. This wonderful couple also performed at the recent CCEF Conference, leading in worship and sharing with us the beauty of the music God has gifted us with.

I just got the news tonight that my dad was in a serious car accident today. He is physically fine other than a few bruises. Please pray for the other family involved, that the woman in the accident would make it and that all would be drawn close to the Lord through this. Pray with me that this would not simply be a fatalistic "He gives and takes away . . ." for my family, but a deep joyful "Blessed be the name of the Lord!" He is truly in control and doing what is best in every situation, for which I thank and praise Him tonight.

To all those who can: Give your dads a hug okay?