Ben Mere Done That: September 2012

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

James 1:27

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

I heard this verse the other day on the radio. I've heard it before and then it struck me again. Pure and undefiled.. don't we all want that in our lives?

So, the other night I saw flashing lights at a house down the street. A man died and now his widow lives alone. I don't know her... but how do I make myself available to her? Orphans... it doesn't just mean the kids in the orphanages... people that need help. People that have lost their way. How do we stay unstained from the world? Walking in the light as He is in the light?

^{Galations 5:25}Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sommarpsalm

I am preparing this song in Swedish. The translation I thought was so beautiful.

A friendly verdure, richly garbed,
has adorned valley and meadow.
Now the wind's warm breath caresses
the fair herb meadows.
And sunshine and the rustling in the grove
and the murmur of the wave in the willows
proclaim summertime.

The frenzied birds praise
their happiness and their summer peace.
From the thicket of the wood, from the quiet nest
their song sounds forth.
A hymn strikes up with joy and up
from their glad chanting,
from the flowers and fields.

But you, O God, who makes our earth
so beautiful in the summer hours,
grant that I may heed your Word first and foremost
and Your wondrous mercy.
All flesh is grass, and the blossom fades,
and time banishes everything,
only the Lord's Word remains.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Always Room for One More

I saw a book that I've never read on the side table the other day. It's a children's book and it's called "Always Room for One More". It caught my attention because I have recently heard a family that adopted say "I just thought... is there room at my table? Yes, there is room" and I was moved. I read this book and it has been on my mind ever since. The theme of this story is that if you live with vulnerability and an open hand seeking to serve others, it will one day most likely be returned to you in a fashion you never imagined. I love that idea don't you? Here are the lyrics to the Scottish song that turned into the children's book:

There was a wee house in the heather
'Twas a bit o' a but and a ben
and in it there lived all together
Lachie MacLachlan and his good wife,
and his bairns to the number of ten.
"There's a fire on the hearthstone to warm me,
and porridge to spare in the pot,"
Said Lachie. "The weather is stormy,
so me and my wife and our ten bairns,
Will be sharing whatever we've got."

So he hailed every traveler that passed by his door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan, "There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in! There's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"

A tinker came first, then a tailor,
and a sailor with line and lead;
A gallowglass and a fishing lass,
With a creel o' fish on her head;
A merry auld wife full o' banter,
Four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter, and a shepherd laddie
down from the brae,
with his canny wee shepherd dog.

He hailed them all in as he stood at the door.
Said Lachie MacLachlan, "There's room galore.
Och, come awa' in! There's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"

Rury's pipes set the rafters a-ringing
Till the clock danced a reel on the shelf,
And they all fell to dancing and singing,
And the little dog danced by himself.
Och, the walls they bulged out and bulged in then,
The walls they bulged in and out.
There will never be heard such a din, then,
As came from the folks
In the wee little house
While they rollicked and frolicked about.

They filled all the house up from door to door,
But Lachie cried out, "There's room galore.
'Twould be a tight fit, but there's room for one more,
Always room for one more!"

Then the rafters they clappit like thunder,
and folks in the nearby town
Stood stock-still to listen and wonder,
When the wee little house
With its but and its ben
and its walls and its roof dinged down!
Then the tinker and the tailor,
and the sailor with line and lead;
The gallowglass, and the fishing lass,
With the creel o' fish on her head;
The auld wife full o' banter,
The four peat-cutters up from the bog,
Piping Rury the Ranter,
And the shepherd laddie down from the brae,
With his canny wee shepherd dog,
and Lachie MacLachlan,
His good wife, and his bairns to the number of ten,
They all tumbled out again!

And they gowked at the place where the house stood before.
"Och, Lachie," they cried, "there was room galore,
But worry and woe, there's no room no more,
Never no room no more!"

They wailed for a while in the heather,
As glum as a grumpetie grouse,
They they shouted, "Have done with this blether!
For Lachie MacLachlan, his wife and bairns,
We'll raise up a bonny new house."
The house that they raised from the auld one
Was double as wide and as high.
Should an army come by it could hauld one,
With Lachie MacLachlan, his wife and his bairns,
and whoever else happened by.

And then the whole lot of them stood at the door,
and merrily shouted, "There's room galore!"
Now there will always be room for one more,
Always room for one more!"