Randomness

Wow?!?!? It is seriously August already!

This has absolutely nothing to do with this post - but it is my puritan quote of the week:

"Whatever vices and corruptions men see in the lives of their ministers will not be attributed to the depravity of their old nature which still abides in them, but to the gospel" - John Owen

This past week has been random - hard, tough, joyful, good. My dad flaked on coming out next month - this tore me up.... my mother came to visit for one day - this was a learning experience....my church had our revival - this was joyful and good.... I got a whole bunch of books from CBD - this also was joyful and good....

Anybody heard of Valley of Vision? It is "a collection of puritan prayers and devotions" edited by Arthur Bennett. Anyway, here is the opening :

A Valley of Vision

Lord, High and Holy, Meek and Lowly,

Thou has brought me to the valley of vision,

where I live in the depths but see thee in the heights;

hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold thy glory.

Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,

that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,

that to have nothing is to possess all,

that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,

that to give is to receive,

that the valley is the place of vision.

Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells,

and the deeper the wells the brighter thy stars shine;

Let me find thy light in my darkness,

thy life in my death,

thy joy in my sorrow,

thy grace in my sin,

thy riches in my poverty,

thy glory in my valley.