Cherish These Days, Little One

Cherish These Days, Little One

By Hannah Pettett

 

An old man sits in a rocking chair with a bundle in his arms,

The fire crackles in the background as the old man rocks the bundle back and forth;

It is the old man’s newborn grandson,

The only light comes from the warm glow of the fireplace and the candles on the mantle,

The grandfather gently strokes the baby’s head,

He starts to whisper, ever so softly, in the baby’s ear:

 

“Sleep, little one, sleep,

Sleep while you can,

Close your eyes and rest in the peacefulness of quietness,

Drift sweetly off to dreamland, for you have no cares,

Dream peacefully while you have no worries,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your legs and feet have yet to walk,

Your hands have not yet toiled,

Your mind is not yet aware of all the trouble in this world,

And your heart has not yet been broken,

Sleep, little one, sleep while you can,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“You will soon grow into a child,

Your days will be happy and carefree,

Your mornings will consist of making mud pies,

Your afternoons playing in the sun and picking flowers,

And your evenings watching the sun set,

You will be loved, fed, clothed, and well taken care of,

You won’t have to worry about paying the bills, raising children, or making ends meet,

Your only worry will be the monsters underneath your bed,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your days as a youth will be mostly blissful,

Your friendships will blossom,

You’ll discover talents and passions that you never realized you had,

And you’ll grow from a child into a man,

Some days will be very hard,

Your heart will become broken and bruised,

Oh, how I wish I could protect you from this, my little one!

But I cannot, you must trust Someone else,

While you are a youth, you will learn about how you were made and Who made you,

You will learn about the Maker of the universe,

Little one, the best thing you could ever do is to choose to have a relationship with Him,

He will help you through every hard situation,

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“You will then grow into an adult,

You will grow into a man,

Many challenges you will face,

And many challenges will you fail,

But do not give up,

When you fall, you must stand up and try again,

Some of the greatest things you’ll ever experience will be when you’re a man,

You fall in love,

You will start a family,

Your wife will be your jewel, and your children the apple of your eye,

Your family will be one of the most important things you’ll ever have, so treat them as a priceless treasure,

Your family will fill your days with love and laughter,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your life on this earth is but a mist,

You are but a wilting flower, who is here today but gone tomorrow,

Your life is short, so live it well,

Do not waste your time on things that will not matter once you are old or dead,

Love as many people as you can while you are alive,

Live each day as if it were the last day of your life,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long,

 

“Your skin is still soft and smooth,

You don’t even have teeth yet,

Your back is without a pain,

But someday soon,

Your skin will be wrinkled,

Your teeth will be yellowed,

And your back will ache,

And someday soon,

You will sit down in a rocking chair with your grandchild in your arms,

And you will gently stroke its head and softly whisper in the baby’s ear:

‘Sleep little one, sleep,

Cherish these days, little one, for they will not last long.’”

The Treasures of the Trial

“Jesus draw me ever nearer,
As I labor through the storm.
You have called me to this passage,
and I’ll follow, though I’m worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With YOUR likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;
Keep my spirit staid and sure.
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.
 

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go -
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With YOUR likeness let me wake.”
- Keith and Kristyn Getty

I’ll Never Miss Heaven for the World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beyond the borders of time there’s a beautiful land
Where the word of God is glory unfurled
And by the grace of God, I someday will call it my home
I’ll Never Miss Heaven for the world!

I’ll never miss seeing Jesus,
I’ll never miss seeing loved ones who’ve gone on before
I’ll never trade forever for a few days down here
I’ll never miss heaven for the world.

 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord
Though the things of earth may try to allure
For the smile of God means more than sin’s brief glittering days
I’ll never miss heaven for the world.

I’ll never miss seeing Jesus,
I’ll never miss seeing loved ones who’ve gone on before
I’ll never trade forever for a few days down here
I’ll never miss heaven for the world.

 When we get to that place, it’ll be worth going through
All the trials and afflictions down here
I’m going to finish this race, going to see Jesus’ face
I’ll Never miss heaven for the world!

I’ll never miss seeing Jesus,
I’ll never miss seeing loved ones who’ve gone on before
I’ll never trade forever for a few days down here
I’ll never miss heaven for the world.

~ Author unknown

What Truly Matters?

 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 
 
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
 
 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant

 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
 
  5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
 
 6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
 
 How did you do?
 The point is , none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.
 
 These are no second-rate achievers
 
 They are the best in their fields.
  
 But the applause dies..

 Awards tarnish.
 Achievements are forgotten.
 
 Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
   
Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one: 
 
 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
 
 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
  
 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
 
 Easier? 
 
 The lesson:
 
 The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials..
 
 the most money…or the most awards.
 
 They simply are the ones who care the most.

You Might Be Emergent If…

You might be an emergent Christian: if you listen to U2, Moby, and Johnny
Cash’s Hurt (sometimes in church), use sermon illustrations from The
Sopranos, drink lattes in the afternoon and Guinness in the evenings, and
always use a Mac;

 if your reading list consists primarily of Stanley
Hauerwas, Henri Nouwen, N. T. Wright, Stan Grenz, Dallas Willard, Brennan
Manning, Jim Wallis, Frederick Buechner, David Bosch, John Howard Yoder, Wendell Berry, Nancy Murphy, John Franke, Walter Winks and Lesslie Newbigin
(not to mention McLaren, Pagitt, Bell, etc.) and your sparring partners
include D. A. Carson, John Calvin, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, and Wayne Grudem;

 if your idea of quintessential Christian discipleship is Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, or Desmond Tutu;

if you don’t like George
W. Bush or institutions or big business or capitalism or Left Behind
Christianity; if your political concerns are poverty, AIDS, imperialism,
war-mongering, CEO salaries, consumerism, global warming, racism, and
oppression and not so much abortion and gay marriage;

if you are into
bohemian, goth, rave, or indie; if you talk about the myth of redemptive
violence and the myth of certainty; if you lie awake at night having
nightmares about all the ways modernism has ruined your life;

if you love
the Bible as a beautiful, inspiring collection of works that lead us into
the mystery of God but is not inerrant; if you search for truth but aren’t
sure it can be found;

 if you’ve ever been to a church with prayer
labyrinths, candles, Play-Doh, chalk-drawings, couches, or beanbags (your
youth group doesn’t count);

 if you loathe words like linear, propositional,
rational, machine, and hierarchy and use words like ancient-future, jazz,
mosaic, matrix, missional, vintage, and dance;

if you grew up in a very
conservative Christian home that in retrospect seems legalistic, naïve and
rigid; if you support women in all levels of ministry, prioritize urban over
suburban, and like your theology narrative instead of systematic; if you
disbelieve in any sacred-secular divide;

 if you want to be the church and
not just go to church; if you long for a community that is relational,
tribal, and primal like a river or a garden; if you believe doctrine gets in
the way of an interactive relationship with Jesus; if you believe who goes
to hell is no one’s business and no one may be there anyway;

 if you believe
salvation has a little to do with atoning for guilt and a lot to do with
bringing the whole creation back into shalom with its Maker; if you believe
following Jesus is not believing the right things but living the right way;
if it really bugs you when people talk about going to heaven instead of
heaven coming to us; if you disdain monological, didactic preaching;

 if you
use the word “story” in all your propositions about postmodernism-if all or
most of this tortuously long sentence describes you, then you might be an
emergent Christian.”

-Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck, Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who ShouldBe); Chicago, Moody Press, 2008, p. 20-22

Traveling Light

I’m sorry blog posting has been rather light lately. Job searching and photoshoots have taken up most of my time, and then add in the usual Christmas craziness and that’s pretty much my life right now. Soon, soon, updates will come. Until then I leave you with the words to one of my favorite songs, which has encouraged me so much lately.

“Well I was doubling over the load on my shoulders
Was a weight I carried with me everyday
Crossing miles of frustrations and rivers a raging
Picking up stones I found along the way
I staggered and I stumbled down
Pathways of trouble
I was hauling those souvenirs of misery
And with each step taken my back was breaking
‘Til I found the One who took it all from me

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light

Through the darkest alleys and loneliest valleys
I was dragging those heavy chains of doubt and fear
Then with the one word spoken the locks were broken
Now He’s leading me to places
Where there are no tears

Down by the riverside
(Down by the riverside)
I laid my burdens down,
Now I’m traveling light
My spirit lifted high
(I found my freedom now)
I found my freedom now
And I’m traveling light”

“Casting all your cares upon Him…”

Old Memories, New Beginnings

Sometimes the reality of life catches up to me. I find myself suddenly faced with the plans that were not the plans I had, or would have asked for. I find myself with countless old memories, and struggling to want to make new ones. I have come to realize that this is natural, and however crazy it may seem, it’s ok. It’s ok that these things take time to heal, that life gives us more tears than we ever bargained for. I know that no matter how crazy and mixed up my life may be, there will always be an after. After this life there is Heaven. After this life there is reunion and joy. After this life there is Jesus.

A friend sent me this song a few years ago, and it is pretty much our story. It is taped to my wall so that I will never ever forget. No matter how hard the beginnings, no matter how many tears. Before there were old memories, after there will be Jesus. All the rest inbetween is just life, and it will pass.

“Halfway between your house and mine
Stood a weeping willow tree
If God ever made a tree to climb
Well, He build that one
Just for you and me
It was so easy climbing up
The trick was to not look down

In the time it takes to turn around
You find that promises are hard to keep
Like the ones we made when we were young
About how we’d stay together and never leave

But little ones run out of time
There are much bigger trees to climb
And friends like you are hard to find

Wherever in the world you are tonight
I pray that you are warm and safe and dry
And if you ever think of me
I hope these things things cross your mind
Best friends, God’s love, and great times

Last night I was out for a drive
And I remembered that willow tree
And how we’d laugh until we’d cry
And how that innocence has abandoned me
The greatest joys from the simplest things
The truth was the only thing we believed
Now I’m learning from the memory

Wherever in the world you are tonight
I pray that you are warm and safe and dry
Wherever in the world you are tonight
I wanted you to know
That I’m alright

And if you ever think of me
I hope these things cross your mind
Best friends, God’s love, and great times”

Calm My Anxious Heart Pt. 2

Never allow yourself to complain about anything – not even the weather

Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

Never compare your lot with another’s

Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been different

Never dwell on tomorrow- remember that [tomorrow] is God’s not our’s.

Contentment is a state of the heart, not a state of affairs. Contentment is seperate from our circumstances.

My crown is in my heart, not my head, not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor be seen; my crown is called content. A crown it is that seldom kings enjoy.

Contentment occurs when Christ’s strength is infused into my weak body, soul and spirit.

It’s our “helping God out” that leads to an anxious heart.

Contentment is accepting God’s sovereign control over all of life’s circumstances.

Two women looked through prison bars, one saw mud, the other saw stars.

God says His peace follows our choices.

Beware of what you dwell on for that you shall surely become” – RWE

Our thought life – not our circumstances – determine whether we are content.

Choosing to give anxiety to God
Choosing to pray specifically
Choosing to be thankful
Choosing to dwell on the positive

…If we are displeased with our physical form, we’re really arguing with God.

Too often in our lives accomplishment and doing over shadow grownth and becoming.

Rule: When we rule we make decisions regarding a matter’s course and destiny.
Subdue: When we subdue we bring something under control by conquest & maintain control by diligent maintenance.
Produce: when we produce we create value by multiplying.

All roles provide opportunities. If we want to be women of contentment, we must choose to accept our portion, our assigned roles from God.

Our assigned role is also a trust.

All the hurt, fear, and rejection you have ever felt is what the Lord Jesus felt in the garden of Gathsemane

Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate.

“Forgiveness is an unatural act.” – Philip Yancy

Forgiveness is not a feeling but a secret choice of the heart.

“I distinctly remember forgetting it.” – Clara Barton

What I choose to be – faithful to God
What I choose to do – forgive others, go beyond forgiveness
What I choose to say – words of blessing and love.

Three barriers to contentment: greed, a lack of purpose, & anxiety

“To Americnas, usually tragedy is wanting something very badly & not gettting it.” – Henry Kissingger

Greed builds a barrier that keeps us from becoming content with what God has given.

Sadley, greed is a downward spiral that leads to envy. Envy leads to debt. All lead to discontent

1) Everything belongs to God
2) Heart attitude is the issue (Ps 62:10)
3) God comes first and possessions come second
4) Possessions are to be used, not loved.

*Search your heart – Ps 139:23-24
*Cut the ropes
*Beware of some seasonal greed
* Have an attitude of grattitude
* Share your wealth

Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live
Resolved, never to lose one moment of time to improve it in the most profitable way I can
Resolved, never to do anything I should despise or think meanly of in another.
Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge
Resolved, never to do anything that I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

Calm My Anxious Heart

This has been one of my favorite finds in the book world lately. I took so many notes, and I wanted to share them with you all.

“My feelings are strong but:
God’s word is truer than anything I feel
God’s word is truer than anything I experience
God’s word is truer than any circumstances I will ever face

The problem: Living by feelings
We live by our feelings and what we can see.
The result of living by feelings? An Anxious heart.

The Solution: Living by faith
We must live by trusting God for what we cannot see.
The result of living by faith? a calm heart

Faith looks to God but feelings look to what is going on around us

True faith is always active

“Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.” ~ Isaiah 50:10

Faith says God sent it, so it must be good for me.

God doesn’t keep us immune from trouble

As I look back over my life, my deepest intimacy with Him has come from the dark times.

When what ifs come into our lives, we must ask ourselves if we’re goign to judge God by our circumstances we don’t understand or judge the circumstances in light of the character of God.

Contentment comes from a proper relationship to God, not from a response to the circumstances.

Neither go back in fear and misgiving to the past, nor in anxiety and forecasting to the future, but lie quiet under His hand, having no will but His.

Peace comes through acceptance.

Psalm 77

Though I never understand Why
Though this pain in my heart never goes away.

YET will I exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

“Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.” ~ Psalm 84:5

My focus becomes Him instead of where I’m going.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.” ~ Philipians 4:13

When God becomes our total trust we humbly accept our portion and our cup

As we grow in trusting God in all things, our contentment becomes an act of worship.

When we’ve given all our questions to God, when we’re not grumbling about the past or anxious about the future, when our tomorrows are in His keeping, we are free to wake up every morning and say “God’ve you’ve given me today as a gift. Show me how to glorify you in it.

The tomorrows are His and you are free! You are free because God himself has become your sufficiency.

Contentment begins with an eternal perspective.

Lemonade…

This song makes me so happy.

Lemonade by Chris Rice

So go ahead and ask her
For happy ever after
‘Cause nobody knows what’s coming
So why not take a chance on loving
Come on, pour the glass and tempt me
Either half-full or half-empty
‘Cause if it all comes down to flavor
The glass is tipping in my favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

Now take your time to answer me
For the beauty of romancing
Is to calm your trembling hand with mine
While begging love to fill your eyes
I can hardly breathe while waiting
To find out what your heart is saying
And as we’re swirling in this flavor
The world is tilting in our favor

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!

I’ve got it made
Rest in the shade
And hold my love
While God above
Stirs wiith a spoon
We share the moon
Smile at the bees
More sugar please
He really loves us after all
We’re gonna need another straw!
We’re gonna need another straw!

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why
Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky
I live life without pretending
I’m a sucker for happy endings
Thanks for the lemonade
Thanks for the lemonade!