Monthly Archives: December 2011
2011 in review on enMissioned
This is a pretty interesting report, especially the stuff about where the readers came from. If you read this, where are you from?
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,700 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 28 trips to carry that many people.
Great is Thy Faithfulness – A Look back at 2011
So here we are – at the end of 2011. Can you believe it? So many things have happened this year which seem quite unbelievable. Praise the Lord that we don’t know the future – if we did, I don’t think we would be able to live. We would probably cower in fear. But, God gives grace to each situation as it requires and thus He leads us into some unbelievable situations.
The hymn below is so well known that I probably needn’t even repeat it here. However, it has been one which has been extremely meaningful to me this year. First, for my cousin’s funeral in November. Second, for the wedding of some friends just this last week. They were the same words, only sung at different times. Once they were sung in sorrow. Once they were sung in joy. Both times their truth remained the same. All we have needed He still doth provide. All we need not He taketh away. Great is His faithfulness.
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father; There is no shadow of turning with Thee; Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not; As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be. Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided; Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, Sun, moon and stars in their courses above Join with all nature in manifold witness To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! - Thomas ChisolmSunrise Hope
A short poem by Amy Carmichael to begin the day:
For sunrise hope and sunset calm, And all that lies between For all the sweetness and the balm That is and that has been, For comradeship and peace in strife, And light on darkened days, For work to do, and strength for life– We sing our hymn of praise. But oh, we press beyond, above These gifts of pure delight, And find in Thee and in Thy love Contentment infinite. O Lord beloved, in whom are found All joys of time or place, What will it be when joy is crowned By vision of Thy face? - Amy CarmichaelBreak Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light
Although this song is only one verse (apparently there are other verses, but they are hard to come by), it is incredibly powerful. Especially the last two lines. So many things can be said and sung about all the incarnation has accomplished, it’s a tragedy we only proclaim it at Christmas.
Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light, And usher in the morning; O shepherds, shrink not with affright, But hear the angel’s warning. This child, now weak in infancy, Our confidence and joy shall be, The power of Satan breaking, Our peace eternal making. - Johann RistAs Did Simeon
Father, as Simeon waited his whole life long for Your arrival, so may our life’s ambition be to see Your kingdom come. May we eagerly wait for Your return more than we wait for anything else. And in our waiting, may we not be found as the ten virgins with no oil, completely unprepared for Your arrival. As we wait for Your bodily return, may Your Spirit which already dwells within us grow us into the likeness of Christ. We would see Christ, dear Lord. When Simeon saw You promised Messiah, he knew it was enough – he had found fulfillment. May Your salvation be as precious to us as it was to him so that when Christ comes, He will find a place ready, prepared for its Master. In His name. Amen.
