All My Heart This Night Rejoices

All my heart this night rejoices
As I hear far and near sweetest angel voices.
"Christ is born," their choirs are singing
Till the air everywhere now with joy is ringing.

Shall we still dread God's displeasure,
Who, to save, freely gave, His most cherished Treasure?
To redeem us, he hath given
his own Son from the throne of his might in heaven.

He becomes the Lamb that taketh
Sin away and for aye full atonement maketh.
For our life his own he tenders;
And our race, by his grace, meet for glory renders.

Hark! a voice from yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, doth entreat: "Flee from woe and danger.
Brethren, from all ills that grieve you,
You are freed; all you need I will surely give you."

Come, then, banish all your sadness,
One and all, great and small; come with songs of gladness.
Love him who with love is glowing;
Hail the star, near and far light and joy bestowing.

Dearest Lord, thee will I cherish.
Though my breath fail in death, yet I shall not perish,
But with thee abide forever
There on high, in that joy which can vanish never!

~~Paul Gerhardt, 1653

BEAMM Team!

Another dear family we know is preparing to come to the border to work with BEAMM (Border Evangelism And Mercy Ministry).

They have a passion to follow where the Lord leads and they have a passion to serve in the unique culture along the U.S. and Mexico border.

We are so encouraged by their testimony of faithfulness to the call!

Then Pealed the Bells More Loud and Deep

In 1861, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was filled with sorrow because he had lost his wife tragically in a fire and in the same year the Civil War broke out. Just two short years later, Longfellow's own son was seriously wounded in the Army of the Potomac.

One Christmas Day, while sitting down at his desk, he heard the church bells ringing, which inspired him to pen these words:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep.
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"

Gratitude

There is so much in my life for which to be grateful. I confess that so often I just go day-to-day taking so much for granted. Unfortunately, this is all to easy for me.

Elisabeth Elliot has been and continues to be one of the most influential people in my life and tonight I read this archive of one of her Gateway to Joy radio broadcasts. The title is Our Attitude and Response. What a great exhortation for my distracted soul!

Thanksgiving Proclamation by George Washington

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The Field: Honduras

Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't...Worship, therefore, is the fuel and goal in missions. It's the goal of missions because in missions we simply aim to bring the nations into the white-hot enjoyment of God's glory. The goal of missions is the gladness of the peoples in the greatness of God...Missionaries can never call out, "Let the nations be glad!", who cannot say from the heart, "I rejoice in the Lord...I will be glad and exult in thee, I will sing praise to thy name, O Most High" (Psalm 104.34; 9.2). Missions begins and ends in worship."

~ John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad

Dear friends of ours have been laboring in the mission field here along the border for five years. Just this summer they received an invitation to serve on a church-planting team in La Ceiba, Honduras. To know more of the what and where of their calling as a family check out their blog here.

We cannot thank the Lord enough for His allowing our paths to cross here on the border! It is evident that they can say from the heart, "I rejoice in the Lord...I will be glad and exult in thee..." Through their labor may people of Honduras worship!

All in a day...

Read this yesterday.

I highly recommend it.