September 22, 2007 30 Years together and more to come!
This is a recap of the last week- We went on a tour of the New England states and had a wonderful and inspiring, rejeuvenating time. Hee are some ad hoc thoughts along the way...
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We had enough time along the way to reflect and think about the past, present and future. All in all it was a pleasureable time. |
Trail Blazer
You trod the path that left you in desolation
Though it brought you agony and pain
The broken road was paved with devastation
Yu trod the path to wrath to turn our loss to gain.
Cut off from the Father
Alone and with no other
Naked and no place to hide
No fig leaf to cover the shame
You walked the road of death and died
To bear our guilt and blame.
And you blazed a trail to glory on that day
You are the pioneer of peace
Of restoration and release
And you blazed a trail of glory , paved a way
You knew where it would lead
Still you counted the cost and saw the need
To blaze a trail of glory to take us home to God.
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And you blazed a trail to glory on that day Anthony Foster |
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For Your Name’s Sake
Lead us into paths of righteousness
Lead us to conviction that our sins we must confess
For your name’s sake
Help us to give and take
The time to give honor where honor is due
Lord Jesus we would honor you
For your Name’s sake.
Search our hearts, search every thought
Cleanse every part your blood has bought
Let us run the race at the Spirit’s pace
Looking to Jesus alone
The one who has attained the throne
For the sake of the joy set before you
This was your aim
You endured the cross
Disregarded the shame…
Anthony Foster
September 26, 2007
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Green Mountain Reverie The highway song sings through the ardent green The maples echo in the morn The loblollies laugh by the sparkling stream And I can all but hear the dawn |
Hedging the hues of heaven
Kissing earth’s bright sphere
Clouds descending with their mists
Encircle as we draw near
I hear the sparrow in the morning
And I hear the whippoorwill
My heart flutters with the longing
And the wells of my soul run still
And I tremble in the Presence
More real than joy or pain
A righteous holy reverence
O’erswells my soul again.
Here is the dawning of the day
Here in the opening of my eye
Here in the promises I pray
From the aching, open brokenness to fly
In the awestruck awesome silence I am whole
In the devastated delight of my soul.
Where all other delights pale
Here beyond the telling of the tale
Transcending earth and cresting heaven’s knoll.
In the awestruck awesome silence in my soul.
Anthony Foster
September 24, 2007
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Earnie and I celebrated 30 years in covenant with one another today. It was good to be away together. I am one blessed man and I hope to be a blessing in return. |
| A Beautiful Death The cold wind blows and the frost bites The raiment of the earth is transformed in the light A coat of many colors, of multicolored hues And Providence is found within our view |
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A beauty that is not required
A flourish in the waning
With flames of beauty fired
And there is no explaining
To find great wonder in their death
Woven by autumnal breath.
A coat of may colors, of multicolored hues
And Providence is found within our view
Anthony Foster
September 24, 2007
Your Reward
Your reward is with You
In your presence evermore
My portion to partake of
What we were created for
So every crown is cast down
At Your feet before your throne
Every good work accomplished
Is due to you and you alone
And you are our reward
You alone are Lord
Any sense of glory we may gain
Belongs to the one who rules and reigns
The ability to do good works
Is a gift unto itself
And the reward that waits for us
Is of alien power and matchless wealth
The power to reflect His light
The wealth of knowing His worth
The weakness of the power of your might
The power of new birth.
And you are our reward
You alone are Lord
Any sense of glory we may gain
Belongs to the one who rules and reigns
Anthony Foster
September 27, 2007
We are reading:
The
American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, The Epidemic
That Shaped Our History by Molly Caldwell Crosby.
Faith
in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite
by D. Michael Lindsay
A
Theology of Failure by John Navone, S. J.
Following
Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship by N. T. Wright
Simply
Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense by N. T. Wright
Recommended to us by friends:
Joel Rosenberg's non-fiction
"Epicenter"
Bruce Bawer's "While
Europe Slept"
Bill O'Reilly's "Culture
Warrior"
Recommended Movies: As It Is In Heaven. see a review at :
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/as_it_is_in_heaven/
Daniel Dareus is a successful international conductor at the top of
his game, but he is lonely, miserable and exhausted by the demands of
his high profile life style. After suffering a physical and emotional
breakdown, Daniel abruptly interrupts his career and returns, alone,
to Norrland, the village of his childhood located in a remote part of
northern Sweden. Immediately upon his arrival his fame makes him the
object of curiosity, fascination and suspicion. Soon he is asked to
come and "offer a bit of good advice" to the small church
choir, which practises every Thursday in the parish hall.
Missed the first episode of Ken Burns’ The War due to lack
of signal. It will be rebroadcast
KET1 WED 10/3/07 9:00 pm
KET2 FRI 10/5/07 2:00 am
KET2 MON 10/8/07 12:00 am
KET2 MON 10/8/07 2:30 am
Interesting things to think about from the trip:
On the last night of our trip we had an encounter with a lady from another
country who was admonishing Americans for not traveling internationally
to understand that the rest of the world is different from it. She was
decrying our ignorance and in her beneficence offered a fix. She went
on and on about how Americans are hated abroad and that we should "get
over" 9-11, as London, for, knew much more terrorist activity and
they have moved on.
I didn't see the point in pointing out that Earnie
has worked with hundreds of internationals who at great sacrifice came
to America looking for a place of hope. The folks from a dozen or more
countries have come to our doorsteps without us leaving the country.
Our relationship with foreign missionaries as a clearinghouse of information
for them also makes us a bit more abreast of the realities to the world
than your average bear, I think. But all that would be lost on someone
who considers themselves international travellers, I suspect. besides,
it is in vogue to bash America these days among the international elite.
Beyond the world or Islam, I expect there are many who would still give
their right arm to come to America. I know our friend from Sudan, Peter,
and Earnie's co-worker Mr. Nuygen, as well as many others we have worked
with would attest to this.
She also revealed her preconceived notions of Kentuckians, asking if
intermarriage was common among the people of Eastern Kentucky. She had
no idea of her incredible affrontery, (or maybe she did) drawing her
inferences from "Deliverance" (which was set in Tennessee
and filmed in Georgia). I told her this was largely a myth that was
a derogation aimed by one region at another in feigned humor- a put
down. I think she may have been a bit tipsy, but there is no accounting
for bad taste.
On the other had, the tour had ten internationals all told, and the
other nine were delightful, open, warm people.