My Jesus I Love Thee

My son Amos got me thinking about hymns this morning. http://quantamos.blogspot.com/

I love so many of the old-time hymns so I started looking up a few. I found this website http://hymns.lifespringonline.com/and it has my favorite hymn (the one I want sung at my funeral). This is a beautiful rendition. Apparently this song was written by a 16 year old. He died at age 26.

My Jesus I Love Thee
William R. Featherston

1. My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
   For Thee all the follies of sin I resign;
   My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
   If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
2. I love Thee because Thou hast first loved me,
   And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree;
   I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
   If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
3. I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
   And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
   And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
   If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.
4. In mansions of glory and endless delight,
   I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
   I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow,
   If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

Raising MKs

Jeff's and my desire as we raised our kids was that they would benefit from being MKs (missionary kids) and not damaged by it. We knew they would most likely separate from us after high school and we wouldn't be able to closely monitor their lives. So we wanted them to learn to test the things they hear and learn in school against the Scriptures--whether their school is secular or Christian. We did not want them to feel threatened if they asked us soul searching questions. Ultimately we wanted to raise them to make a difference in the world for God's glory and not just take up space. This is a challenging thing to do and we pray hard for them.

Today we learned that Micah's National Guard leaders wants her to compete to be Soldier of the Year for 2007. They see qualities in her that exemplify the values of the Army. Our desire is that how ever far she is able to go toward becoming Soldier of the Year (Regional, State or National), she will bring glory to God. Within the next few days, she will learn if she is on the list to be redeployed to Iraq in 2008. Someone told her they are praying that she will not have to go. But that is not what she is praying. She only asks for prayer that God's will will be done. Whether she goes or stays, she wants to be in the center of His will. Wow! What a soldier!

All Thumbs = "Jesus loves me!"

When we visited the ACTION team in Zambia, we learned this story from Glenn & Liese Ripley.

Last year we (Glenn & Liese Ripley) visited Gulu, Uganda to see our ACTION missionaries, Jerry & Candis Bingham. The Binghams have a wonderful ministry working with the "invisible children" from the LRA conflict and training pastors in northern Uganda. One evening we were there, Candis spoke to the children about how much God loves them. She had been searching for some way to help them remember God's love, even on nights when they were completely alone, without any possessions, and in complete darkness, and had hit on the idea of using our thumbs as the perfect symbol. "I thought about tying a string around the children's wrist, but I knew that wouldn't last," she explained. "And then I realized thumbs are something every child has and that their own thumbs could be a perfect reminder!"

She went on that night to teach the children how much Jesus loved them and that they could grasp their thumb, even when they were scared and alone, and remember that love. They could also hold out their thumbs to others to say "Jesus loves you!" And so all of us practiced, first with one thumb pointed back at ourselves "Jesus loves me!" and then holding out our thumbs to our friends, "Jesus loves you!" It was definitely a night to remember.

So when we arrived at a Bible Club way out in rural Malawi (and I do mean 'way out'), and I was asked to say something to the kids, "thumbs" was the first thing that came to my mind! So there I was, an ambassador from Zambia, with a message designed in Uganda, for these precious kids in Malawi! Thanks, Candis! Maybe one day we'll see kids in countries all over Africa holding their thumbs with big smiles, knowing that they belong to the Lover of our Souls!

When Liese and Megan dropped us off at the airport as we were about to leave Zambia, they waited in the lobby area until we had passed through the baggage check and immigration. Just before we left the area to go wait for our plane, I turned around and saw them on a stairway where they could see into where we were. They kindly waited to be sure that everything had checked out ok for us and we were cleared. When I waved good-bye to them, they both held their thumbs up. They communicated -- "Jesus loves me!" I gave them a thumbs up in return. I'm not a child suffering cold, alone, afraid, wounded and hungry like so many of the children we work with in our respective countries. But I do need to know that Jesus is the lover of my soul. How blessed I am! All Thumbs to you too.