Clean Slate

From This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems by Wendell Berry 2007 II The nation is a boat, as some have said, ourselves its passengers. How troubling now to ride it drifting down the flow from the old high vision of dignity, freedom, holy writ of habeas corpus, and the land's abundance--down to waste, want, fear, tyranny, torture, caricature of vision in a characterless time, while the abyss whirls below.

Just a few pics taken this month at USC Cafe that replaced the reflecting pool beside Gambrell Capstone still looking good Gambrell Hall, home of the History Department New cafe in the old BA buidling Add caption Columbia Hall Get your checkbook out Lord of the Congaree's last home Italian Cypress trees nestled perfectly into Sloan College Explanatory flyer from Strom Thurmond's successful write-in campaign Reflecting pool in front of Thomas Cooper Library

  I received an unexpected phone call yesterday asking me to share the gospel with some prisoners. As the caller talked, my mind prepared a line of retreat. At first it was going to be that I would love to go but how about I share next time. Delay is a well used tactic of mine. Thankfully the man who called kept on talking and as he did the Lord worked on me.   The Holy Spirit convicted me that if not now, then when. An opportunity was here before me and it was not by chance. I needed to take hold of it and simply speak the truth of the gospel. No one really cares about what I have to say nor should they. I am not the burning bush. God has spoken and His truth is in the Bible. I just need to share that truth.   I thank the Lord for my long-winded friend and that a barrier was broken in my heart and mind as he talked to me. The task is still before me but I will not be afraid. I will prepare and will simply share the soul-saving gospel of Christ.   Lord Jesus I tha...

The trees of the  Lord  are watered abundantly,      the cedars of Lebanon  that he planted. Psalm 104:16 Lebanon's cedars are emblematic of the Christian, in that they owe their planting entirely to  the  Lord. This is quite true of every child of God. He is not man-planted, nor self-planted, but God-planted. The mysterious hand of the divine Spirit dropped the living seed into a heart which he had himself prepared for its reception. Every true heir of heaven owns the great Husbandman as his planter. Moreover, the cedars of Lebanon are not dependent upon man for their watering; they stand on the lofty rock, unmoistened by human irrigation; and yet our heavenly Father supplieth them. Thus it is with the Christian who has learned to live by faith. He is independent of man, even in temporal things; for his continued maintenance he looks to the Lord his God, and to him alone. The dew of heaven is his portion, and the God of heaven is his ...

This is not a usual post, it is actually a word for word copy of today's devotion from Voices of the Faithful , available here: http://imbresources.org/index.cfm/product/detail/prodID/1378/page/1 Ephesians 3:20 Amplified Bible (AMP) 20  Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super abundantly, far over  and  above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]— "Please pray for Mrs T. I think she's getting really close to making a decision." Our short-term missionary friend continued to meet with Mrs. T weekly.    One such trip had been especially harried. We were running late. As I tried to turn the van around on the crowded ice hill of a parking lot, my stress grew. "All this work for someone who's probably never going to believe anyway." I sighed to myself.    I had never been t...

   As a parent I find myself rhetorically asking my son how many times he needs to be told to do something. The answer should be once but that is not the reality. I am working on stopping that question because every time it comes out I am reminded by the Holy Spirit that I am guilty of needing repeated warnings, reminders and training in my life.   I watched and listened to a sermon by David Platt given at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary recently. Three Questions from Luke    I had to listen to it three times and I know I will go back to it again. Platt is a fine preacher of the Word but I think his greatest strength is his passion for the Lord. It is palpable. It draws you in and makes you examine God's word and how it applies to you. That is a powerful gift and he uses it well. His message or better yet God's message clearly stated in Luke is a call to serve Him unconditionally and to love your neighbor as yourself . I am guilty of making le...