In Memoriam

Grandma passed into her eternal reward in the early hours of the morning.

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him." - Lamentations 3:19-24

I miss you already grandma. Go with God.

More Utah Beauty

Here's the view looking upstream from our picnic site.

A Beautiful Picnic

I'm back in Utah until tomorrow morning. Yesterday, the family went up into the Uinta Mountains to visit a historically favorite picnic spot just above Soapstone. As you can see, we had a wonderful time by the Provo River.

Seek Peaceful Moments

I'm in Salt Lake City to be with my family. We're tending for an ailing grandparent who has become weary with life. Amidst this struggle, my dad and I visited Sunnybrook, a beautiful 50 acre spread near tiny Woodland, Utah. Mom and dad bought a share in this land over 20 years ago. Pictured is the elegant upper pond that faces the high Uinta Mountains. Here we enjoyed a moment of peace. Here we were reminded of how important it is to spend time with the ones you love. For anyone reading this today, I encourage you, if possible, to call, write, and hug the important people in your life, while there is time to do so.

The Day of the Final

Our summer Greek final begins in 30 minutes. Prayers are appreciated. Here is mine:

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and forever.

[Psalm 121]

On This Day in 1509...

...John Calvin was born in Noyon, Picardie, France. He is, of course, most famous for his massive work Institutes of the Christian Religion, one of the foundational theological works of reformed Christianity, especially Presbyterianism. One of Calvin's essential tenants is the centrality of Scripture to Christian theology. From the Institutes:

Just as old or bleary-eyed men and those with weak vision, if you thrust before them a most beautiful volume, even if they recognize it to be some sort of writing, yet can scarcely construe two words, but with the aid of spectacles will begin to read distinctly, so Scripture, gathering up the otherwise confused knowledge of God in our minds, having dispersed our dullness, clearly shows us the true God.¹

For many Presbyterian seminarians, particularly those attending my seminary, Calvin's definition of faith is etched firmly in the brain. Faith is:

A firm and certain knowledge of God's benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts through the Holy Spirit.²

¹ Institutes of the Christian Religion from the Library of Christian Classics edition (LCC 20 and LCC 21) edited by John T. McNeill and translated by Ford Lewis Battles (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1960), 1.6.1.
² Ibid. 3.2.7.

Independence Day

Happy Fourth, everyone!

Driveway Originally uploaded by Angus Davis.