On Singleness ~ a reflection

I always want to write something on singleness but I never seem to find the right words. I want to say something deep and meaningful, accessible and relatable, and maybe just a touch poetic. Maybe I’m trying too hard and I should just write what comes to mind. 

I spend a lot of time reflecting because that’s just how I am. Reflecting, writing, pausing, thinking, praying—but there’s a gap between each of these, isn’t there? One can never fully translate one from the other, encapsulating the meaning perfectly. The bridge is only ever partway complete. I can’t put the fullness of my reflection into writing because the words fall short. Nor can my thoughts capture my pauses and my prayers tend to blabber about in circles. I’m limited in communicating effectively. That’s just it, isn’t it? But then I know it isn’t because God knows all and comprehends all. Every word spoken and unspoken, thought and felt and yet to discover. Every prayer whispered, shouted, dripped through salty tears or locked at the back of your throat – He knows, He hears, He answers. And I feel safe knowing that the Word (Christ Jesus) holds all my words and all their fullness of meaning. 

 He gives me meaning. 

So, to pen something on singleness. I hope that whatever I write would carry some meaning, in some small way, to whoever reads it. Talking and being truly open about it can feel embarrassing and it’s so tempting to brush it aside under the excuse that it pales in comparison to a million other issues. And that is very true in so many ways, but that doesn’t nullify the fact that singleness is real and potent, bearing a kind of gravitas that is a lived experience, and that it is full of trash and treasure, both real and invented.

There are so many words out there, many helpful, practical and encouraging, but often all blurring into platitudes whenever moodily recalled. (And I say “moodily” deliberately, because I find myself traversing the world of singleness—or at least, dwelling on its defining deficiencies—with great mental anguish when particularly moody, irritable and irrational.) 

 You don’t want to hear the same thing over and over and yet there are some things you do need to hear over and over, that is, when that thing is Biblical truth. So then, this creates a tension between not wanting but needing, which you hold alongside the ever-present tension of not needing but wanting. 

It can feel like walking on a tightrope, trying to balance these paradoxical tensions in your hands, while being unapologetically sprayed with questions, advice, recommendations and opinions of all kinds—positive, negative, neutral, inquisitive, sympathetic, encouraging, degrading, reassuring, humoured. And trembling in mid-air, you notice that everything blends into a kind of bittersweet brew, a wildly hopeful but quietly disappointed drink that you force yourself to swallow as you tread along the never-ending wire. 

That is not to say stop saying anything at all, for we must not shy away from speaking about difficult topics, checking in on each other and caring about what’s happening in their lives – especially within the family of God! This is just to be aware that there’s a lot going on for the one who finds herself here. And for anyone to speak honestly about their singleness is going to open some wounds. Talking about it means allowing yourself to be vulnerable. I suppose that’s the first step to being understood a little better by other broken, limited people who God has purposefully placed in our lives. He makes no errors. 

Singleness is hard. The interesting thing that I’m discovering now about myself, having been single my whole life so far is that I never expected it to be hard. I never expected it to be hard because I naively expected romance to come easy, or at least, quickly. I had many false expectations that I unknowingly clung to (and from time to time knowingly cling to). Expectations. Wildly wrong expectations. There are patterns of life I had my heart and mind set on after I left school that both rapidly and gradually disintegrated (if that’s even possible for both to occur simultaneously) as I discovered this rather different* and unexpected path of singleness. Different from my imagination of how my life would turn out. Different from the paths of friends around me. 

As a teenager, I had no expectations or plans specifically for the season of singleness, having given it little thought growing up, having no idea how long it would last. Perhaps if I did give it some thought, it was merely to consider it short and temporary, a preparation time for the next more superior stage of life. Indeed, I had many misconceptions about marriage and singleness. I started dwelling on singleness more as a young adult, keenly aware of how it seemed to eat away at my joy, as I viewed it solely with reference to marriage, like two sides of a coin, inseparable – one defined by the other. A coin that polarised my emotions into two camps, challenging my dreams, hopes and ideas about life and love. And though I lived many a day confused and lonely and still so mistaken in my thoughts, the single path pushed me to lean more into the love of Christ. And what treasures I began to discover. 

As I have tackled with singleness, particularly in the last seven years, I have uncovered many precious things. Sometimes they are well hidden, sometimes they are right under my nose. Wherever and whatever they are, it takes work to embrace them. And it takes faith to do the new thing, the hard thing, the exciting thing. Perhaps I’ll list these treasures later on, but there are plenty of much more articulate and godly authors who have written about them. 

I do want to say this: don’t let anything or anyone take first place in your heart or mind other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is only one who bled and hung on a cross for me and for you, died to wash us clean of every broken thought, sinful action and wicked turn of our heart, and rose victorious from the dead to walk with us until the end of time and then into forever if only we put our trust in Him. 

And you know, Jesus was single too in His life on earth. He was obedient to the Father. He trusted God’s will perfectly. I pray that He would mould my weary heart after His. 

Much more can be said, and maybe this is just the beginning, a fragment of some sort, a note, a scattering of the wild and bemused thoughts of a single girl who longs to know her Saviour more and serve Him with all my heart, my redeemed heart, and with all the gifts He’s given me in all the seasons I find myself in. A girl who’s just piecing together a few shattered thoughts along the road of hope. 

27th December 2020 

*I say “discovered” rather than “embarked” or “entered”, for it seemed to happen upon me and I realised this in retrospect rather than having sought out or chosen singleness for myself. All that time I was idolising and seeking marriage and consequently many disasters unfolded – but that is a long reflection for another day.

© Emily Seto 2020

Not Ashamed

Pressure and persecution will come, as our Lord Jesus said.

So let’s be prepared and equipped to stand up for God’s Word in the face of those who would silence it, no matter the cost. The incredible grace-soaked truth of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us liberates us to live wildly transformed lives that put Him first and trust His Word - all of His Word - wholeheartedly. May the Gospel daily compel us to grow in godliness, unashamedly speaking God’s truth in love, defending the innocent, and “taking up the whole armor of God, that [we] may be able to withstand in the evil day, having done all, to stand” (Eph 6:13).

Such a good day spent at the ACL National Conference: Not Ashamed!

#ACLNationalConference2019 #NotAshamed

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Daniel 6:16-18

“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matt 5:11-12

Australian Christian Lobby "Not Ashamed" National Conference 2019

Making Jesus the LORD of every aspect of your life.

(From my phone memo reflections...)

Making Jesus the LORD of every aspect of your life.

We always talk about how Jesus is Lord. How Jesus is my Lord, my King. But do we know what we’re actually saying? And what does that mean for our everyday life?

I have been dwelling on this for a few days now and it really struck me that I need to think deeply about this and then act quickly and wisely. For not only is He Lord of my life, He is the Omniscient God so I can’t hide anything from Him anyway.

Hmm how can we compare it to something we can humanly understand?

We have a Queen. She reigns, she has a kingdom. But we don’t really have her very words with us, or know what she says all the time. But if we did, and if she asked us to do something, we would have to do it, we would have to obey it. She’s the queen, we’re her subjects. She’s the one with power who is supposed to take care of us. 

(Perhaps not the most fitting example for our times but…)

Okay, but how about police? They have authority. They enforce the law of our land. When they flash their lights behind us, we pull over. When a policeman steps out onto the road with his hand out to say STOP, we stop. We obey.

And think about our own situation - even our classrooms can help us understand this idea of lordship somewhat. As teachers, we, in a sense, rule the classroom. We have the power to say stop and expect the students to obey, to follow these directions. We have the final word as is part of our role.

So ultimately, having Jesus as your Lord, your King, means we need to obey Him. He has the final word - it is part of His role and part of who He is in making God known. And He will have the final word when He returns to judge the living and the dead. Jesus Himself says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. Where do we find His commandments? God has been so good to give us His very words: Jesus’ spoken words on earth as scribed in the Gospels, but also we have the whole Bible being the divinely inspired word of God Almighty! So in here we can find all that we need for “life and godliness through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” 2 Peter 1:3b. It’s not just about being a good citizen, or doing good only in the eyes of others. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is the all-seeing, all-powerful Creator and Sustainer of the universe, seeing down to the quarks in atoms and all the galaxies undiscovered and everything in between. It’s definitely not like the Queen, or the police, or even us teachers, we see a lot but we miss a lot that happens too. Not with God. Not with Jesus. No, it’s about surrendering every. aspect. in. our. life. to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Everything, no hidden rooms. No getting away with just Sunday best and doing good things in the light.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Proverbs 1:1. Amen! It’s this right kind of sure fear and awe and wonder at one true living God that we desperately need in our busy or mundane or destructively self-reliant and self-centred days. 

But hey if we start to think it’s all about guilt-tripping ourselves into living lives pleasing to God, there’s also something tremendously wrong going on! For the Holy Spirit is living in us, transforming us to be more like Christ from the inside out, and more and more we ought to see godliness as an immense privilege, a beautiful gift, a radical step toward glory in a broken world. Our desires are being changed to want to serve Jesus and honour Him in all we do. And yes there’s a terrible struggle with the flesh but we can fight temptation and we can win by Christ’s power and by the power of His blood. For what are we now that we are saved from utter darkness? We are Jesus Christ’s loyal servants and subjects in His eternal kingdom, and believe me He is a far better and wiser and kinder King than any monarch who has ever graced or disgraced the earth. And the best part is we can have a real relationship with Him, the King of kings! Not like our relationship (or lack thereof) with the Queen. There’s no dialogue, no real knowledge of the other. But oh with Jesus! We can know and talk to Jesus whenever, wherever, forever, for we know that God’s Word says nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38). 

Even if He doesn't

Some notes I prepared for staff devotions at work this week. 

Daniel 3:8-17 

8 At this time some astrologers[b] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold,11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attentionto you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, 14 and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? 15 Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what godwill be able to rescue you from my hand?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

Some thoughts I wanted to share with you from this passage:

• I was struck by the 3 Israelites' unwavering in trust in God no matter the outcome & in spite of persecution. I'm convicted to be more like them in my walk with Jesus: Believing God has the power to save/heal/restore but also refusing to bend when the enemy attacks or tempts us to put anything else before God.
• This passage spoke powerfully to me when my sister's mind was unreachable, that I should have the same attitude as the 3 men. Even if God doesn't heal the way we expect, I will not bow down to anything other than Jesus.
  We should strive to have that “Even if He doesn’t” attitude that will not bend to temptation, sin, or anything that flies in the face of God being Lord of our life. And we can be comforted that through Jesus, even when we do slip, even when we do forget, God never lets go of us. His grace is bigger than our biggest sins and regrets, His grace is bigger than our minds and our sanity, that’s why it’s nothing we can do to save ourselves but everything Christ has done for us.
  
• As people who trust in Jesus, how great it is to carry this hope in us as we go to work each day! No matter what fiery obstacles in our day, we serve the One and only God who is able to save. 

Get on side

Be on the side of the One who beat death. There’s only been One – His name is Jesus Christ. Through faith in Him, we’ll one day beat death too. This is hope like no other.

#JesusisRisen ❤️#ResurrectionSunday✨ 

“Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.” Luke 24:12

Seeing new colours

I opened a tube of ultramarine blue today. I’ve been painting with pthalo blue for so long, so it was strange to try a different blue. It shone different, it mixed different, it felt different. But there was something about it, and it got me thinking.

It’s crazy how everything can change overnight. Your present normal, your everyday experience, your home can be shaken to the core - just like that. Things that you never once considered suddenly greet you with a glassy-eyed stare and a cold handshake. There’s numbness, there’s pain, there’s fear, there’s weakness, there’s so much uncertainty.

But then there’s God, who never changes, whose promises never fail. God, who had no beginning, who has no end. God, whose love extends beyond anything we could ever understand. And that love is in the shape of a cross, cutting through the blanket of grief - literally tearing the curtain between us and Him and opening the road to Heaven where there’ll be no more confusion, sadness, pain and tears.

We might find ourselves in a hard place, a dark place, a place where we’re still trying to process what’s happening and every answer seems to elude us, but God is big enough to handle our questions.

And as I draw near to Him, as I cling to Him who has never stopped holding me, I start to see new colours glimmering in this foggy maze. There is beauty, there is hope, there is healing in Jesus’ name. 

There is so much to God

There is so much more to God - so much more to Jesus that I don’t know yet and whose immeasurable and infinite number of qualities are glorious and wonderful and would never disappoint - and yet I so often trade getting to know the infinite awesome and loving God for the foibles of fallible and limited humans whose hidden qualities are bound to disappoint. 

Lately, I’ve been so encouraged by Mike Bickle’s book Passion for Jesus; it really helps me gain the right perspective on knowing and loving God and come back to the place that I know is good for me, where Christ is at the centre and I am like the panting deer, my soul longing for God Himself, the Lord God of passionate love and grace and wondrous majesty, and unleashing a fountain of desire to share His great goodness and salvation with the world. I've also been reading None Like Him by Jen Wilkin, and I am constantly mindblown by how big and how mighty and how set apart He is. Yet by His Spirit inside me I get to call Him "Abba, Father".

I will spend the rest of my days and all of eternity getting to know this Almighty God who I can call Dad, this Beautiful Saviour who in love rescued my soul. 

Maybe it's fading

Time does strange things.
Silence does stranger things.

I'm at that point where I don't even know anymore because I can't read my own emotions.

But life has been too full speed ahead for me to really process anything.

I know that God is constant and beyond all the blurriness of everything I can and can't see.

He is the light and He will bring clarity. This brings so much peace to my weary soul.

PS. I've injured my achilles tendon, and I don't know how. Get pain shooting up my calf every time I lift my foot off the ground. But this too is fading. God is healer.

perfect love casts out fear

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:18-19

Mornings are hardest

 The mornings are hardest. Waking out of a dream, having to face reality and uncertainty and deadlines and dreaded silence. 

Lord God, restore my childlike faith. So thankful for these little guys reminding me what’s most important.

Gotta take time to breathe and reach down, deep down, and touch that joy again - the one that never fades. That joy of knowing Jesus now and forever.

“He’s higher than a skyscraper

And deeper than a submarine

He’s wider than the universe

And beyond my wildest dreams

And He’s known me and He’s loved me

Since before the world began

How wonderful to be a part of God’s amazing plan.”

~ Our God is a great big God

These snapshots from the park a few days ago - so good for the soul ✨

What's behind a smile?

What’s behind a smile?

Maybe you go to sleep shaking with anxiety or wake up every morning to cry. It’s worse some mornings more than others. You work yourself up, you laugh you talk but inside you’re caving in and outside you're stuck in the tedium of of deadlines and word counts while everyone else seems to be stepping into something much more profound and beautiful. I'm happy for you, I'm so happy for you. But then you come back here. To your phone. To the bedhead. Waiting for something, anything. What you do find, when you do find something, is something that creates even more uncertainty and puzzlement. But most of all the silence is slowly poisoning your veins and you feel it even though it’s unspoken: rejection. Why do hearts seem to go one way when you know it’s a no through road. A dead end. Still travels stubbornly towards something only it can see, a dying ember, while the rest of you is screaming it’s not gonna work. 

...

I’m thankful that my God gives me joy that’s deeper than the flood of tears and His Spirit brings me back to that childlike faith and communion with Jesus my Lord. He meets me right here, right in the mess that I can't even articulate. It’s not easy it never is but God’s bigger than all of this. I look up to the skies and smile because the God who made all that, who's bigger than all that, is looking out for me.

...

What do you do when something bigger than you falls into your lap? 

...

Striving to be a woman who can throw her head back and laugh with pure joy and wonder and assurance—such deep assurance from His overflowing grace—yes, to laugh at the days to come.

fight the blues

those little things that make you smile

those prayers answered so unexpectedly

the way of waiting is not always wearisome

the joy of the Lord is my strength

He colours my world

He rejuvenates my life

I wait on Him

For all things to come to completion

how much does He love me?

This much.

No escaping His love

One of those days where God won’t stop at nothing to remind me of His unshakeable, incomparable love. It was a long drive but the mental strain was longer, deeper and more anguishing than before. I finally parked at work, put up the sun shield, looked up and saw this in the rear view mirror. 

How much does He love me? From one nailed and bloodied hand to the other, stretched out on a tree, willingly suffering and dying in my place, so that I might know Him — deeply, richly, abundantly. So that I might know God.

What a powerful reminder. And exactly what I needed to hear at that very moment. Only God could’ve organised that. 

There’s no escaping His love.

#Amen #PraiseJesus #Godisgood #checkyourmirrors

a little bold and crazy

Ever done something a little bold and crazy and out of the blue?
Or should I say out of the blues. Cause that's what I was falling into till I made the crazy leap last minute. I basically 180 degree turned around from everything I'd been preparing myself for for the last three months. And there is a literal dimension to being so last minute, but I won't go into too many details.
It's funny when you set your mind on something and it seems so right and clear, even though you know it's going to be painful. But there's a part of you that still dreams.
Kind of like Arwen, on the passage to leave Middle Earth and sail to the Undying Lands, but a vision of a future almost gone turns her completely around. And she's gonna fight for it because it is not lost.
There's a reality in that dream, and maybe it's not as far away as everyone else might say it is.

No, I didn't get a vision or anything like that. But I've had some enlightening conversations lately that did make me somewhat turn from what I had previously decided, and right now I just need to throw myself into the safe arms of my Heavenly Father, because I know He's unfolding His rich and glorious plan for my life and He'll use both my action and inaction for His purposes. I just need the wisdom to know what action to take. But sometimes the line between wisdom and folly gets clouded by feelings and thoughts. I can see how God used my spontaneous moment of crazy, for which I had my own feeble imaginings of how it would turn out, and He turned it into a far greater testimony and answer to the prayer of other saints, a little disappointment encased in a more profound purpose and unveiling of what gifts of kindness and patience and hope in God that I could offer to bless others, rather than what gifts I might receive to satisfy my temporal needs. It's better to give than to receive. God is teaching me that - through my foolishness and desires for this and that, He's letting His wisdom shine through.

Oh God, please and revive and restore and orchestrate in Your own wonderful way the way things are meant to be. I am your humble vessel. I feel everything keenly. But I see how you work through me, to bring me out of the blues and into the view of You through the Cross. Always bring me back to You just like you did this week.

in silence and tears

Came across this poem randomly by Lord Byron. Too good not to share.
What a clincher.

When We Two Parted

George Gordon Byron, 1788 - 1824

When we two parted 
   In silence and tears,
Half broken-hearted 
   To sever for years,
Pale grew thy cheek and cold, 
   Colder thy kiss;
Truly that hour foretold 
   Sorrow to this.

The dew of the morning 
   Sunk chill on my brow-- 
It felt like the warning
   Of what I feel now.
Thy vows are all broken, 
   And light is thy fame;
I hear thy name spoken, 
   And share in its shame.

They name thee before me, 
   A knell to mine ear;
A shudder comes o’er me--
   Why wert thou so dear?
They know not I knew thee, 
   Who knew thee too well--
Long, long shall I rue thee, 
   Too deeply to tell.

In secret we met--
   In silence I grieve,
That thy heart could forget, 
   Thy spirit deceive.
If I should meet thee 
   After long years,
How should I greet thee?--
   With silence and tears.

he will not fall

As I was finishing a painting for my sister, the beginning phrase of this verse came to mind.
"The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with His hand." Psalm 37:23-24 NIV

I had the shock of my life opening my Bible for the first time yesterday when a cockroach came crawling out. But with the cockroach dead and the Bible alive for all eternity, I'd say two things: 1) no matter what cockroaches come at me this year, God's word is truth and remains forever, 2) out with the old and the filthy and in with the new, and newness starts with soaking in the goodness and wonder and power of God's forever Word.

I feel so blessed that God would call to mind a verse that I had not thought about at all, one that I can write on the back of the canvas to encourage my sister, yet it's also verse that speaks so clearly to my wandering heart, connecting powerfully with the verse from Isaiah that ended my 2017 and began my 2018, and confirming what God has been trying to show me in relation to an earlier verse from very the same Psalm in fact (mindblowing!): "Delight yourself in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart" (37:4).

There is no alteration with God and there is no darkness with Him. Every time He speaks, there is light and life. Ever since He let there be light on the earth on the very first day. I look forward to what light and life He will bring this year.

Forever in Him,
Emily

PS. Happy New Year :)

He takes hold of my right hand

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13 NIV

It's come to the end of 2017 and I've had a pretty rough and heavily teary couple of days just trying to adjust to the big life changes and reflecting on why some things I'd hoped for never came to pass and other things I'd probably least expected to have happened—happened. And there's been a whole lot of trauma this year and a painful realisation that maybe God's been giving me the answer to one of the prayers of my heart, but it wasn't the answer I was hoping for, which is why I've been blind to it these last five or so months. Either way, it's time enough for me to move on and move forward into the fresh mercy of a new year, and by God's grace, I can reach a place that's even more profound and glorious and wonderful and eye-opening than where I was before all the pain and trauma and dashed hopes. 

It comes back to trusting God, and continually declaring His goodness, and knowing that I am putting my trust in a God who is so much bigger than my struggles and my questions and my failures, hopes and dreams. I am putting my trust in a God who is faithful, which means He will do it. He's proven His faithfulness all throughout the Bible, but most clearly in the reality of the saving Cross. I'm not trusting in someone who's unreliable, I'm trusting in Someone who's every thought and action towards little me will be for my good and my best interests. And His plans always find their fulfilment. That is a huge comfort. 

Sometimes we wish we knew things about ourselves or about the future, but I've only just discovered that if we did, we'd have a weaker faith in God and put our faith in our own knowledge and ability. Indeed, the fact that we know less strengthens our faith in the God who knows all and intricately works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are the called according His purpose.

I've known God's healing in a deep way this year, and I've witnessed with my own eyes and ears His power working through prophetic gifts and miracles - big and small. This life on earth is anything but boring.

My Mum sent me some verses of encouragement yesterday and this one from Isaiah was the very last one. I hadn't heard it before so it really spoke to me. The more I dwell on it, I feel tears coming on. This relationship with God is beautiful and intimate and real and the greatest thing I'll ever know or experience in the Universe.

This is definitely a promise I will take into 2018 and beyond. 

one year ago, at Cradle Mountain...

God and sinners reconciled

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"

Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"

Listen, the heavenly hosts proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of God's incredible plan to save humanity from their self-imposed and deserving destruction. God, who is love, extends this indescribable love to His chosen people, His undeserving beloved, by becoming flesh, becoming an embryo, a baby growing in the womb, by being born, living, healing, declaring, being brutally tortured and dying on a cross for all man's wickedness and rejection and sins against God. He lived to die that death for us, subsuming all the wrath and punishment and consuming all the sin and proving stronger than death by rising to life. This Jesus Christ, a babe in a manger in Bethlehem, reconciled a sinner such as me to the Almighty, Holy, perfect and unchanging Creator God. This is peace. This is truly peace. That man can now approach God. That God and man can be in relationship. That we can speak and listen and grow and love and learn and be together. Now I live with Him and He lives in me, indeed His home is in my body, because a sinner such as me is made clean by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and I live to declare: "Glory to the newborn King!", "Glory to God in the highest!" and "Glory to risen and ruling Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ!".

He has brought me unending joy no matter how I feel or what time of day it is. 
He has brought me healing and comfort and peace. 
He has brought me eternal life by opening the way for me to know my Heavenly Father just as I grow to know my earthly father. 
He has brought me every spiritual blessing and will continue to guide me as I journey on this earth.
He will bring me home at the end of it all.
At the marriage of the Lamb.

Hark! Join in with creation in praise of the humbled and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Amen and Merry Christmas.

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!""
Luke 2:8-14

For my 2016 Christmas post, reflecting on the 3rd verse: http://emilyseto.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/light-and-life-to-allhe-brings.html

For my 2015 Christmas post, reflecting on the 2nd verse: http://emilyseto.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/the-word-became-flesh-and-dwelt-among-us.html

sleepy bunnies

something a little cute and cuddly cos why not 🐇 
#sleepybunnies #fluffy#felttip #sketch

Inspired by @ninastajner's adorable designs. Always so fun to try out a different style and learn from incredible artists! #alwayslearning #creativity ✏✒🎨 

But best of all, been learning to rest more in the Lord Jesus and continually cast all my cares upon Him. He really cares - deeply, passionately, truly. ❤ 

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusts in Thee." Isaiah 26:3 ✨