Back from the void

Started this last night, and though I don't normally blog on Sunday felt that it was good to regain some ground in the blogshpere.

Giving this another shot. Tonight I'm just gonna try to turn the gun back on myself, take the chair, and ask a question.

What mercy has God had for me today?

Well let's see, He blessed our concert. Today was our grand smashing finale to the KASH (Kokomo Area Schools at Home) String Ensemble - our big spring concert. We played three major pieces by Bach, Beethoven, and Rossini - all adult repertoire, all full length pieces. God was merciful to bless us with calm minds and sustained strength - I've been at concerts before where we practiced so hard that we were too tired to give it our all at the performance. We got lost only once in the whole hour and even then we could have all panicked (I know I sometimes do), but we just took a breath, and found a way back into the piece.

God allowed us safe travel in our car. Ok, so we only went 5 miles all day long, but this is just something that's been on my mind that is so easily done and difficultly undone. Over the course of the week, however, I've been down to Indy and over to Marion and that eventually adds up to make 100 miles I've traveled this week. In none of those miles did we destroy any lives, harden any hearts, or even chip an inch of paint on our new van. Only God could have accomplished such a feet, and only His gracious heart ordained it for us.

God gave us a sermon today. Mom recently suggested that while the four kids are here for the summer, the five of us could read a devotional work in the afternoon (this does not replace family worship with Dad, it's an extra opportunity while we have the summer time). The work that we hit upon was a collection of sermons by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones called Spiritual Depression. I haven't got time to give the book justice at this point, but even with it's highly specified subject, and it's surgeon-like deliberation it's already bypassed my expectations. Let it suffice to say that he unashamedly began his "diagnosis" with some very cut and dry Calvinistic theology about conviction of sin, and justification before sanctification. Wow, just getting to hear this stuff every day is a blessing.

That's just three, and those are side issues compared with His mercy, His offer of total salvation and holiness, being renewed this morning. In the face of all sin and sinners, great is His faithfulness.