Sonnet VII

My Treasure – A Sonnet To My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

Oh Lord, how sweet Your presence is to me.
Its worth exceeds by far the whole earth’s gold!
And yet I find sometimes I run from Thee
To cherish something not worth laying hold.
A foolish man I am, and there’s no doubt
To think that the created may compare
To He who made and stretched the heavens out
And notes each fallen sparrow’s end with care.
Yes, fool was I to choose something ‘fore Thee
When lovingly You wanted me to wrap
Up tightly warm within Your arms safely
And snuggle there with You upon Your lap.
“My son if you into My arms will fly
Your joy will grow as each new day draws nigh.”

October 14, 2008

Homecoming

When breath is gone and mortal life is done
How precious will that moment be to Thee,
As spent and bruised my finished race is run,
Collapsing in Your arms in victory.
But crowns and garlands I do not deserve,
For truly it was Christ who bore me through.
In spite of flimsy flesh and failing nerve
Your Spirit worked within to make me new!
At times I wondered if the cost so dear
Against my flesh were truly worth the prize.
Yet now beholding You suddenly near
Hath destroyed doubt and caused my joy to rise!
From here the trials were transient, short and light.
My joy is full as faith gives way to sight!

Jonathan D. Eller

SJB At the NCVH...

Here's an excerpt from a post I wrote on my blog about the StillWaters Jazz Band's most recent gig for the excellent fellows at the NC Veterans' Home:

This past Saturday the StillWaters Jazz Band had one of its most fun gigs so far. We got to play at the NC Veterans' Home on the campus of the VA Hospital in Salisbury, NC. None of us really knew what to expect as we began unloading our equipment. We set up in the front lobby of the facility and the crowd began to gather.

Right off the bat we could tell that these guys were different than the groups we had played for so far. They were asking questions and talking to us - genuinely interested in what we were doing and who we were. It didn't take long before our nerves had settled down. In the picture above you can see Justin talking with one of the residents. This particular fellow was really up on his jazz. He related one story about how he had the pleasure of seeing Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Al Hirt in concert with some other giants of the jazz world back in the late 60s. We were all envious!

Read the rest of the post...

Wonderful News!

OK, this is a little late, but I figure better late than never. I got some great news from Luke D a former member at StillWaters about the medical condition of his son, Josh. Some of you may remember that Josh nearly died several times as a result of complications from a surgery that he had. It was really touch and go there for quite a while. I'll let Luke give you the details:

Just so you know the context...
Many doctors said Josh might not eat by mouth again.
Josh ate solid food at Thanksgiving.
Some doctors said Josh would not get off the vent.
Josh hasn't used the vent since December 21st.
One PICU doctor raised questions about Josh's future "quality of life" and suggested that we just take Josh home and "let nature take its course".
We know that God determines what Josh's life will be, and because He loves Josh, we can rest in that hope.
Virtually all the doctors (except pulmonology) said he'd never get rid of the trach.
(You know where this is headed...)
TODAY DR. SIMPSER REMOVED JOSH'S TRACH!

Out it came, and Josh continued breathing normally! In fact, he has not had to be suctioned once since the trach's removal at 2:15 pm EDT! He is on his bipap now sleeping comfortably and enjoying this new turn of events. We will change the gauze over the small hole in his neck tomorrow, and the hole should be half the size then. It should close off completely in a bit and all that will be left is a slight scar.

There is still more to be done in terms of Josh's strength and speech, but therapy is dealing with that. This trach issue has long been viewed by Josh as the summit of the mountain he needed to climb. For some time, he has expressed that he will be "normal" when he gets the trach out. No matter how much encouragement and prayer we have given him, he still has struggled with his image. Since mid-afternoon today, Josh has been positively glowing.

Josh's life and successful independence from the trach is testimony to God's faithfulness and the efficacy of prayer. Perhaps you are facing a huge challenge that is causing you to doubt God's goodness and His care for you, but let this story encourage you that God loves YOU and is working for YOUR good. Don't give up - even when the "experts" (like the "doctor" that thought they should just stop wasting resources on Josh and let him die) tell you there is no hope. With God there is always hope. NOTHING is too hard for our God.

That certainly doesn't mean that the road won't be difficult. If you knew the whole story behind this wonderful report, you would know that there were some very dark days and some heart-wrenching cries to God, questioning how He could allow this to happen. You would realize that there were excruciating weeks spent in hospitals where there was little hope offered and exhausting hours spent caring for this brave little soldier.

But God has come through! Take Him at His word when He says, "For I know the plans that I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

An Amazing Lyric

I found this lyric posted on the blog Crying Out To Make God Beautiful recently and thought that it was pretty amazing. There are some really unexpected lyric turns. I hope you enjoy it.

I heard He’s up there in that room
I’m afraid—I don’t know what to do
If He only knew what I’ve done He might never even look at me
I have to climb those stairs
I have to find His voice
As I make my way through the crowds nobody sees me, nobody notices me
I walk up those stairs and through the window I hear Him talking—telling parables
I can hear Him telling parables, I can understand what He’s saying
I should have changed my clothes
I’ve had this dress on for almost two weeks now and it’s stained in my sin
My sin—it’s like stains all over this garment but I have to climb those stairs
The room is crowded and I can’t see Him
He’s kneeled down and He’s talking in parables again
I just make my way over to the right and I lean against the wall
There’s an opening between the phrases
And I make my way, I make my break and I run and throw myself at His feet—and I weep
I have this perfume
I know it’s a gift from my lovers—it’s the only thing I have
So I break the neck of the bottle and start to pour my life
My mother forgot my name
My father disappeared when I was just a girl
I was used by everyone, abused by everyone and I was angry
So I ran and hid in the darkness—can you smell my darkness Lord?
Can you smell my sin, it’s being poured on you
And I worship you here at your feet
I hear them talking about me but I keep pouring
This is my one chance, this is my one hope, I have nothing left,
I’m gonna give you everything
Because I heard you heal the sick
I heard you give sight to the blind
I heard you would father the orphan
I heard you would be a husband to the widow
I heard you would forgive my sin
Demons will flee when the fragrance is lifted
Restoration comes when the fragrance is lifted
I’ve never known anyone in my life to look at me the way He is right now
He rebuked them in my presence and took my face in His hands
He looked in through my skin and said
“The fragrance is lifted. I can smell your worship daughter. You are free”
So I dance in a circle and I laugh out loud for the first time in my life
Cause the fragrance has been lifted—the fragrance was lifted
And I have the smell of His feet in my hair
Where He walked I can tell
Because the fragrance is lifted

-Rita Springer

Worth Millions in Baseball

In recent days a sports-related item has made the leap to the news pages of papers all across America, and I suspect, Japan. One Mr. Alex Rodriguez has signed a ten-year deal to play (may I stress that a moment?) PLAY baseball for the New York Yankees in return for a mere $305 million dollars. Uh huh, the Steinbrenner boys are willing to shake on this one.

I am a baseball fan.
(except for the five years following the strike in the Nineties)
I am a staunch free-market Capitalist.
("Yeah!" Founding Financial Fathers)
I am more than a little surprised, and scary jealous.

What if I had actually kept playing the game into my adulthood? What might have been the career outcome of my dedication to the art and science of America's pastime? What makes A-Rod worth more per minute than THOUSANDS of teachers... first-responders... single Moms... pastors... and almost everybody else besides plumbers, Union Sanitation Engineers, or global warming-gurus? (Trust me on that last one, friends.)

305 Million U.S. Dollars for ten years comes out to exactly $3,481.73 per hour. That's almost 3500 bucks for every hour Mr Rodriguez breathes for the next 120 months. Asleep. Awake. Visiting friends in the Dominican Republic. All the time. "Ca-Ching!"

Here is a snippet of info from Wikipedia regarding said, A-Rod, "Since 1996 (his first full season) through 2007 he leads the Major Leagues in home runs (HR), runs scored, runs batted in (RBI), total bases and extra-base hits. Of all players in baseball history at age 31, he is first all-time in HR, runs scored and total bases; second in extra base hits and RBI, and 4th in hits. To this point in his career Rodriguez has more HR, RBI, runs scored and more base hits than all-time leaders Hank Aaron (RBI), Barry Bonds (HR), Rickey Henderson (runs scored), and Pete Rose (hits) did prior to their 31st birthdays."

Well, more power to him (since he already has everything else).

Makes me think of other ball players in the "Bigs" who can cash large checks for hitting the ball once every three times they are at bat. Millions. Batting .333 is considered something of the "gold standard" for hitters in the Major Leagues. Did you hear me, MILLIONS for doing something one third of the time your employer / spouse / girlfriend / mother expects you to. Seems like good work if you can get it. Oh, and you get to guest-star on scores of TV shows, too. Then there is the whole "endorsement" genre of stealing, uh, making millions more for eating a certain kind of peanut butter, or smiling as an announcer declares that "A-Rod wears only bio-degradable cleats from Green Weenies Shoes."

One-out-of-three is good, huh?
Well then, the parties StillWaters hosted last evening in Salisbury and Mooresville were hugely successful because over a third of the folks invited from the neighborhoods actually attended! Add to that the many folks who served and supported the outreach events and you are up into the platinum strata of performance. Woo Hoo! Yeah God.

Join everyone who cares about the spiritual and community health of our neighbors by praying for some lasting benefit from the dual events. The intention of each of the hosts and helpers last night was that relationships may be developed and deepened in order that Jesus the Christ might be known and followed by LOTS more of the people near us where we live. Perhaps, due in no small measure to the selfless efforts and prayers of so many StillWaters families, some folks may come to a saving knowledge of the Son of God in the days ahead. What an honor to lift us His Name at this time of the year when He is almost forgotten by the larger community in America, and elsewhere, as shopping and celebrating avarice and excess is rampant.

Gentle reminder people of the world, "It's CHRIST-mas."
Enough said.

This year I will not be buying presents in the volume, at the rate, or to the expense of years gone by. Finances play their part in the decision Carol and I have made, but even more important is the notion of making a difference (for good) in the lives of the folks around us. We hope your hearts are full this Christmas, dear friends. Your participation in the Kirker and StillWater families has certainly caused ours to overflow. Thank you... really.

While Mr. Alex Rodriguez EARNS just under one dollar per second for the next 315,360,000 seconds (no, I am not bitter...) the rest of us Christians may take comfort in the fact that every one of those dollars will remain on earth till they burn, while our redeemed spirits will soar to the heavens to dwell with Jesus in Paradise eternally when we leave this tired old planet.

So, my advice to you is this, "trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved! You and your household."

Oh, and also teach your sons how to throw a baseball 60.5 feet left-handed at about 100 mph.

Both of these are excellent retirement programs.

Like you, I don't think $305 million dollars would change me.

Right.

Funny How Things Work Out

The joint Thanksgiving service at Back Creek Presbyterian Sunday night was once again thoroughly enjoyable. The church building itself is 150 years old this year and the church has been there for over 200 years. The building is beautiful, but the church is far better still!

It is funny, though, how insular we are even as brothers and sisters in Christ. At the start of the service we had to be desegregated from our individual congregations. Self-consciously, we had huddled in our little familiar groups. I am glad Pastor Thrailkill had the courage to shake things up a little at the beginning of the service and force us to mingle. In fact, he did it again right before the fellowship, challenging each of us to sit at a table with someone who wasn't from our church. I met some wonderful people as a result - people that I'll look forward to seeing again. Once again it was proved that we (Christians) ARE all family.

The text for the sermon Sunday night was Psalm 118. It begins and ends, "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." What a great place to begin our meditation during this Thanksgiving holiday! It must have been on the Lord's mind, for in my daily Psalm reading in the One Year Bible the past two days has been in Psalm 118. Funny, huh? I wonder if He is trying to tell me something?

Well, seeing how God seems to be speaking this Psalm to His people right now (or at least to me), I plan to make it my meditation this week. I pray that God will help you to reflect on all of the things that you have to be thankful for in the midst of all of the holiday's chaos. Have a wonderful, blessed day of Thanksgiving.

Honoring Those Who Served

The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation.
— George Washington








Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us re-consecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.
— Dwight D. Eisenhower





“We must not forget the past. We must not forget those who sacrificed, but we must also remember the reason for their sacrifice. They died so tyranny would die. They died to create a better world for those of us who followed them. Their sacrifice was not in vain.”
— Secretary of State Colin Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, observing the 50th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1991.



"Throughout our history, America has been protected by patriots who cherished liberty and made great sacrifices to advance the cause of freedom. The brave members of the United States Armed Forces have answered the call to serve our Nation, ready to give all for their country. On Veterans Day, we honor these extraordinary Americans for their service and sacrifice, and we pay tribute to the legacy of freedom and peace that they have given our great Nation.

In times of war and of peace, our men and women in uniform stepped forward to defend their fellow citizens and the country they love. They shouldered great responsibility and lived up to the highest standards of duty and honor. Our veterans held fast against determined and ruthless enemies and helped save the world from tyranny and terror. They ensured that America remained what our founders meant her to be: a light to the nations, spreading the good news of human freedom to the darkest corners of the earth.

Like the heroes before them, today a new generation of men and women are fighting for freedom around the globe. Their determination, courage, and sacrifice are laying the foundation for a more secure and peaceful world.

Veterans Day is dedicated to the extraordinary Americans who protected our freedom in years past, and to those who protect it today. They represent the very best of our Nation. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman has earned the lasting gratitude of the American people, and their service and sacrifice will be remembered forever."

- President George W. Bush

Thank you veterans for the sacrifices that you have made to allow us to live in so great a land. God bless you.

Heroes

A current, and rather popular evening television series bears the name "Heroes." I viewed the show once when it premiered last season, and never quite found me way back. To me, the folks portrayed on the screen seemed more to resemble cartoon characters than actual human heroes. While millions tune in to each episode, I will pause to reflect upon those remarkable people who I esteem as genuine, real-life heroes. Two names familiar to me come to mind:

John Gilmore Kirker, Corporal #641 Aero Squadron, US Army Air Corps, European Expeditionary Force, 1915-1918. A scant few years after Wilbur and Orville got us off the ground somebody at Headquarters decided that warfare should be airborne in the new Twentieth Century. Thus, for the first time in human history aircraft became weapons of combat. "Gil" was my Dad. He flew a solo bi-plane, carried one bomb, cruised so low and slow he literally shot at folks on the ground with a pistol, and generally tried to stay alive without killing himself in the new-fangled contraption. My hero helped secure the American way of life for my, and future generations as became a decorated World War I veteran of a foreign war. Today my father resides in heaven.

William Emery Thompson, Jr, (Retired after 18 years, Lieutenant Colonel), United States Air Force. Bill piloted a B-17 (and other craft) during World War II and beyond, flying in the Eighth Air Force in the European theater, based in England. My Father-in-law volunteered to fly a dozen extra missions (twenty-five were required, more available if you survived), and helped turn the tide in the Allies favor. His Bomb Group suffered, on average, seventy-five percent casualties. That's three out of four NOT coming back! They did not have time to learn one another's last names, and struggled to keep up with first names as the barracks received new faces every day. Today my Father-in-law resides in Central Florida. I thank him from time to time. He does not think he was a hero. He is wrong, but I let him continue in his delusion.

Veteran's Day 2007 occurs on Sunday this year so I hope many congregations of God's people will pause and remember those who have served, sacrificed, suffered and even perished to keep our nation free. Ours in Salisbury NC will do so. We will recognize and esteem those veterans with us for worship and will honor those who are afar off -- especially serving at present in the various fields of combat around the world.

A prayer of gratitude to God for the heroes among us might do you and them some good, and I am persuaded to believe that our Lord will be glad you thought of others who have served you.


GOD BLESS YOU, TROOPS... AND THANK YOU. My heart is touched by those of you who have given "that last, full measure of devotion" to the United States of America. Your gift of two lives (the one you surrendered in our behalf, and the one you would have lived if you had come home) will not be forgotten. Promise.

I salute you from the sidelines which YOU have secured for me and millions of others.

Gil and Bill, you are the best. I am humbled to be kin to the likes of you. In your honor, I will leave my screen blank when the TV show comes on -- whenever that is.