The March 2010 Special Feature article in Habitat for Humanity's magazine, Habitat World, addresses correlations between stable, low-cost housing and children's educational scores. Student mobility is named as one of the "most detrimental characteristics of housing problems" (p. 21), by the author, Rebekah Daniel.
Sid Ong, an elementary school principal near Portland, OR, says: "[Habitat's model is] a great model for kids to see how a group of people can come together and make something positive happen and not have a vested interests...they get to see their parents really building something that is the underpinning bedrock of the family itself. They look at that and say, 'I can accomplish anything. I can give back.' They want to go to college and become a professional in such a way they want to give back" (Habitat World, p. 23).
Hold the phone...you have to become a professional to give back?? This is news to me. I thought volunteering your time, watching out for neighbor's kids, and cooking meals for new parents qualified as 'giving back.' I thought giving involved gifting resources, not being paid to do the work. What does that phrase mean, anyway? Giving: offering yourself and resources. Back: the past, a body part, ability for labor, to support, as with authority, influence, help, or money. Giving Back: giving of myself or resources (or physical strength) to...what's behind? No, I don't think that's what he meant.
What I interpret Giving Back to mean is a repayment of opportunities received that were made possible by something beyond the recipient's sole power or influence. Repayment is an obligation, not part of Giving, which is supposed to be Free. Giving is about Sharing Hope. However, we lose a lot if we think of giving as fulfilling an obligation or repaying a loan. Giving is about the Giver as much as the Recipient. Pursuing a career in service to others - medicine, education, engineering and building - is important. But, I fear that pursuing a field just to Give results in quick burn-out and fatigue. The admirable student's passion to 'Do Good' can fade under the Crush of the Needs at hand, robbing the skilled professional of reserves necessary to Give Joyfully, out of a full cup. Thus, 'Giving' careers easily become just careers.
Let me just say: It's great that these children see a tangible example of a community building itself. If only we all had the privilege of witnessing, being a part of building the place we will live, establishing a new space along with other neighboring partners from the ground up. I think it's right that they should be motivated by their parents' hard work, building a home for the family, and work harder at schoolwork. I agree that children should have the opportunities to pursue a higher level of education than their parents.
Mr. Ong uses a catchphrase that could be interpreted several different ways. Even though he is a child professional, he projects their thoughts and reactions as they watch the Habitat process; the reader is forced to accept his guess at a child's response. There is no child interview. His assertion that children's desire to learn increases with homeownership is plausible, but his correlation that being a profession is the way to be a productive part of society is flawed.
Yet, perhaps the phrase: Give Back is about Gratitude, wanting to Give in Return for something you've been given. Perhaps having a career allows them to Give Back because then they will have resources to give from. Noble goals. I hope children all over the world who directly benefit from Habitat's work are inspired to those goals. But, we need to be more specific in our language, saying what we mean, avoiding cliches.
And, remembering that everyone is a part of society, an agent of change, encourage each other in all the ways it is possible to give back, not just with a career. We are all responsible for our neighborhoods, communities, cities, nations, world.
What I rail against is the idea that only professionals have something to offer a community. I think this idea is fostered by a society that has become self-centered, but I think it is also dishonest. It does not take into account that some naturally give and others do not, that communities used to be based more on helping each other. I think it's a stark contrast these days because no one asks for or offers help to another person. Helpers are seen as suspicious. Only salesmen knock on my door these days.
Everyone has something to give, regardless of income, education, or time available. Everyone has experience that I can learn from. Everyone's opinion matters. We are each unique and we relate to the world in a unique way. Certainly resources and education impact these things. But let's not overlook that people are valuable to each other just because we are people. Let's stop looking for what we can get and start looking at who they are.
Thoughts from Rachel and Bryce Schober
Monday, March 22, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Let's talk politics
One of the familiar subjects my mind spins on late in the morning when I can't sleep is politics. Today, I'm wondering: Why is the subject of politics taboo in polite conversation? Should it be?
I assert that it shouldn't be. Perhaps one reason why our current public politics have degraded to such hysterical name-calling, eviscerating witch-hunting, and fear-mongering is the fact that we don't seek out polite conversations about politics in private. It seems to me that our current politics are both extremely important and horribly broken. We'll never fix it if reasonable people in the real world that have real problems avoid talking politics with people if there is any chance of disagreement. Its clear that if we leave the dialog to the talking heads, the majority of what we'll get from both sides is a steaming heap of fecal matter. (Although I suppose that heap would be valuable in practice.)
What we need is to insist on seeking out different perspectives and having polite, reasoned discussions on important issues. It might take a billion little miracles, but it could actually change the tenor of public discourse.
I assert that it shouldn't be. Perhaps one reason why our current public politics have degraded to such hysterical name-calling, eviscerating witch-hunting, and fear-mongering is the fact that we don't seek out polite conversations about politics in private. It seems to me that our current politics are both extremely important and horribly broken. We'll never fix it if reasonable people in the real world that have real problems avoid talking politics with people if there is any chance of disagreement. Its clear that if we leave the dialog to the talking heads, the majority of what we'll get from both sides is a steaming heap of fecal matter. (Although I suppose that heap would be valuable in practice.)
What we need is to insist on seeking out different perspectives and having polite, reasoned discussions on important issues. It might take a billion little miracles, but it could actually change the tenor of public discourse.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Eating Alone
I don't like to eat alone. I never have. Growing up I found the I enjoyed being in the kitchen, especially baking. When I moved out for college, I found that it was too hard to cook for myself. I chose ready-to-heat-then-eat items, returning to the pantry two or three times before I completed a meal. I was depressed and lonely. But that's only part of it.
I do cook for breakfasts, usually oatmeal; once in awhile I will treat myself to a German-fried egg (some of you may know it as 'Toast with an Egg in the middle'). It is one of the few things from my Grandfather's legacy that I care to remember and imitate. I improved the tradition, however, by serving it with ketchup. Breakfast of champions!
For lunch, however, I piecemeal things together. A piece of banana-nut bread (no butter), three tablespoons of yogurt, some fruit. Dairy, fruit, and carbohydrates are staples for my finicky stomach. It never complains about them. On warmer days, I snack on carrots with peanut butter or hummus. On cold days, though it's hard to put things together. Leftovers are not always appealing (for no good reason) and I don't want to cook for every meal...what's a girl to do? And I love cooking, trying new recipes, new foods - but not by myself. Ironic.
Although I love my time alone, eating highlights relationships. Sharing a meal with others is always a wonderful experience and it's just not the same by myself. Mealtimes remind me that I am designed to live in community. I harbor competing characteristics: I deeply value my solitude and I love to cook for my loved ones. I marvel at how complex and unique we humans are.
Give me a call if you want to do lunch.
I do cook for breakfasts, usually oatmeal; once in awhile I will treat myself to a German-fried egg (some of you may know it as 'Toast with an Egg in the middle'). It is one of the few things from my Grandfather's legacy that I care to remember and imitate. I improved the tradition, however, by serving it with ketchup. Breakfast of champions!
For lunch, however, I piecemeal things together. A piece of banana-nut bread (no butter), three tablespoons of yogurt, some fruit. Dairy, fruit, and carbohydrates are staples for my finicky stomach. It never complains about them. On warmer days, I snack on carrots with peanut butter or hummus. On cold days, though it's hard to put things together. Leftovers are not always appealing (for no good reason) and I don't want to cook for every meal...what's a girl to do? And I love cooking, trying new recipes, new foods - but not by myself. Ironic.
Although I love my time alone, eating highlights relationships. Sharing a meal with others is always a wonderful experience and it's just not the same by myself. Mealtimes remind me that I am designed to live in community. I harbor competing characteristics: I deeply value my solitude and I love to cook for my loved ones. I marvel at how complex and unique we humans are.
Give me a call if you want to do lunch.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Never Alone
I like watching my dog sleep. Once in awhile, she does my favorite thing: clicking her tongue. I assume she's reliving a tender moment with her mom as a pup. I smile, call her Baby Tanner. Then, I remember how scared she looked with we first saw her. And rightly so.
We drove north to a house on the Reservation. Two houses, actually. One main house and an apartment above the garage, only noticeable when pointed out by the confused house tenant. The woman on the phone didn't mention which dwelling to inquire at. To complicate matters, we had to shout to the house tenant our needs, several yards away from the lighted porch. Three very large, growling Rottweilers paced the property and held us at bay - I've never been to a house where the owners didn't call their dogs off. A very disturbing, other-worldly experience. For the first time in my life, I feared dogs who really might attack me.
Finally, the man pointed us to the apartment and the dogs let us go. We knocked, taking in the strange air, the pen enclosed by flimsy chicken wire with a big communal bowl of food, one for water, one lean-to shelter. No noise. A woman came down and called the pups out. She looked hardened by life. Several pups sleepily crawl out of the lean-to. No, not that one, no...She goes in to coax the black one out. An expert saleswoman, she asked me to hold 'him' because the gate won't shut. Eight weeks old. One of the reasons I broke my promise to leave empty-handed was this scary place where guard dogs could easily intimidate pups through flimsy enclosures.
Her dreams of babyhood are delightful, as well as sad. I suspect she was separated from Mom too early. Separation and loneliness are big issues.
Last night when Baby Tanner was clucking, I personified her, watching her confused face as she was taken away, with her siblings. One by one, they left. She was the last of her litter to be adopted.
It breaks my heart to think of those who are truly alone, abandoned, sold into slavery, abused, treated as objects, used and discarded. I could not handle it. I would not be me anymore. Being alone - really alone, abandoned - does awful things. Being unwanted - that is the hardest part of humanity's fallenness - rejecting relationship.
Praise God that He is not that way. He goes to the ends of the Earth and back again, as far as He possibly can. He does everything to adopt us. "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20).
God, be so very close to the 143 million orphans in this broken world. May they know that You love them, want them. You hold each of them in Your hand, so tenderly.
He is Present,
He is Near,
He gave His own Beloved,
to bring us into the family.
We drove north to a house on the Reservation. Two houses, actually. One main house and an apartment above the garage, only noticeable when pointed out by the confused house tenant. The woman on the phone didn't mention which dwelling to inquire at. To complicate matters, we had to shout to the house tenant our needs, several yards away from the lighted porch. Three very large, growling Rottweilers paced the property and held us at bay - I've never been to a house where the owners didn't call their dogs off. A very disturbing, other-worldly experience. For the first time in my life, I feared dogs who really might attack me.
Finally, the man pointed us to the apartment and the dogs let us go. We knocked, taking in the strange air, the pen enclosed by flimsy chicken wire with a big communal bowl of food, one for water, one lean-to shelter. No noise. A woman came down and called the pups out. She looked hardened by life. Several pups sleepily crawl out of the lean-to. No, not that one, no...She goes in to coax the black one out. An expert saleswoman, she asked me to hold 'him' because the gate won't shut. Eight weeks old. One of the reasons I broke my promise to leave empty-handed was this scary place where guard dogs could easily intimidate pups through flimsy enclosures.
Her dreams of babyhood are delightful, as well as sad. I suspect she was separated from Mom too early. Separation and loneliness are big issues.
Last night when Baby Tanner was clucking, I personified her, watching her confused face as she was taken away, with her siblings. One by one, they left. She was the last of her litter to be adopted.
It breaks my heart to think of those who are truly alone, abandoned, sold into slavery, abused, treated as objects, used and discarded. I could not handle it. I would not be me anymore. Being alone - really alone, abandoned - does awful things. Being unwanted - that is the hardest part of humanity's fallenness - rejecting relationship.
Praise God that He is not that way. He goes to the ends of the Earth and back again, as far as He possibly can. He does everything to adopt us. "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Mt. 28:20).
God, be so very close to the 143 million orphans in this broken world. May they know that You love them, want them. You hold each of them in Your hand, so tenderly.
He is Present,
He is Near,
He gave His own Beloved,
to bring us into the family.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Rural V. Urban (WIL, 8)
Richard J. Foster says: "Rural life tends to function around a daily cycle, whereas urban life tends to function around a weekly cycle. In the country there are chores to be done morning and evening - such as milking the cows and feeding the chickens. A daily prayer discipline makes good sense in this context. In urban life, in contrast, everything presses hard toward Friday - TGIF, as we say - and the weekends are much more discretionary. In this context it might make more sense to order a prayer life around a weekly pattern. Instead of feeling guilty that we cannot set aside time for prayer on a daily basis, perhaps it would be better to devote Saturday mornings, for example, to more extended experiences of prayer and devotional reading" (Prayer, p.73).
Okay, I don't have cows or chickens, but, over the course of my marriage, I find I operate from a rural life perspective. I love the Slow Food movement and baking bread from scratch, especially in the morning. I prefer to chop vegetables by hand instead of using the much speedier food processor. I scoop out squash seeds by hand, squeezing them through my fingers, rather than using a spoon. I employ my slow cooker once a week (although I admit that is again an urban fad). I am even more likely to shower in the late afternoon than in the morning. Why shower before digging around in the garden?
I have a hard time planning on a weekly basis. I suffer paralysis of thought when someone asks, "What's going on this week?" Sometimes, it's easy to answer if I'm planning a trip or in the midst of a project that takes more than a few hours. Otherwise, it's hard to land on a thought worth mentioning that will take up a whole week. The question is really about the major agenda points, but when life is currently made up of little things, it's easier to take it one day at a time. I prefer to plan and be prepared. However, I push myself to focus on the Present rather than the Future, and thus, develop a habit of living Here and Now. It's a weird balance because I like scheduling my to-do list. Yet, I get lost in what I want or need to do and close myself to what God brings along my path.
A few years ago, my mind alighted on a thought: one way to serve those around me was to adopt an 'Available' mindset. The way I approached this new revelation was to be more Present and Open, watching for opportunities to Give and Serve inside the daily workings of life. Opening a door for someone, letting another car into line, breathing while I'm driving, shopping, working.
One of my favorite authors encourages using time to Just Be, not filling every spare moment with Doing something. Although it could be employed as an excuse, my programmed-for-efficiency mind warns, enjoying the gift of life is one thing we are certainly called to do. "Taste and see that the LORD is good" (Ps. 34:8); "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (Jn 10:10b).
The way that works for me is taking each day as it comes. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him" (Mt. 7:11). Oh, Father, give me the grace and strength for this day.
(WIL, 8)
Okay, I don't have cows or chickens, but, over the course of my marriage, I find I operate from a rural life perspective. I love the Slow Food movement and baking bread from scratch, especially in the morning. I prefer to chop vegetables by hand instead of using the much speedier food processor. I scoop out squash seeds by hand, squeezing them through my fingers, rather than using a spoon. I employ my slow cooker once a week (although I admit that is again an urban fad). I am even more likely to shower in the late afternoon than in the morning. Why shower before digging around in the garden?
I have a hard time planning on a weekly basis. I suffer paralysis of thought when someone asks, "What's going on this week?" Sometimes, it's easy to answer if I'm planning a trip or in the midst of a project that takes more than a few hours. Otherwise, it's hard to land on a thought worth mentioning that will take up a whole week. The question is really about the major agenda points, but when life is currently made up of little things, it's easier to take it one day at a time. I prefer to plan and be prepared. However, I push myself to focus on the Present rather than the Future, and thus, develop a habit of living Here and Now. It's a weird balance because I like scheduling my to-do list. Yet, I get lost in what I want or need to do and close myself to what God brings along my path.
A few years ago, my mind alighted on a thought: one way to serve those around me was to adopt an 'Available' mindset. The way I approached this new revelation was to be more Present and Open, watching for opportunities to Give and Serve inside the daily workings of life. Opening a door for someone, letting another car into line, breathing while I'm driving, shopping, working.
One of my favorite authors encourages using time to Just Be, not filling every spare moment with Doing something. Although it could be employed as an excuse, my programmed-for-efficiency mind warns, enjoying the gift of life is one thing we are certainly called to do. "Taste and see that the LORD is good" (Ps. 34:8); "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (Jn 10:10b).
The way that works for me is taking each day as it comes. "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him" (Mt. 7:11). Oh, Father, give me the grace and strength for this day.
(WIL, 8)
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Expectancy (WIL, 7)
Planting seeds is an act of faith. Pulling weeds is perseverance. Amending the muddy soil with rotted compost and fine pieces of sand drains sweat with the digging. Depositing tiny seeds into an expanse of dirt looks like folly. For weeks, nothing appears. Just when you've put Hope to bed, a blink of green hits your eye. You look closer - did I really see a sprout?? Ah Ha! Finally. Sigh. Success. Yet, this seedling's journey is just beginning.
Life is so active, vital. Always moving: always establishing new benchmarks, new goals, new highs. If it's not moving, it's dead. But is that really true? Dormant seeds are long dead to the impatient. Then they erupt in front of those who forgot all about them. Where did that come from??
God plants many seeds that take much more than a season to emerge. He carefully tends them, watching for weeds and pests. He shows us patience. He calls us over to see the tiny life that is fighting upward from the muck, literally using the waste of the old to fuel new growth. His song is Expectancy.
God is so patient. Any patience I have must come from Him. He knows it's hard for me to wait because He knows everything about me (Ps. 139). My Life is a lot of waiting - and waiting is not my favorite thing. But He knows the timing better than I. And I have to wait, for His ways to work themselves out (His ways are not my ways, Isa. 55:8).
While I wait, Abba cultivates my character. In doing all the necessary business of life: paying bills, correspondence, chores, I practice consistency, responsibility and perseverance. "Learn what pleases the Lord," Paul exhorts in Ephesians 5:10. When my heart is fertile and hears His Words, may He quicken courage in me to follow.
I do not wait without Hope that He will act. He promises to act (Rom. 8:28).
Life is so active, vital. Always moving: always establishing new benchmarks, new goals, new highs. If it's not moving, it's dead. But is that really true? Dormant seeds are long dead to the impatient. Then they erupt in front of those who forgot all about them. Where did that come from??
God plants many seeds that take much more than a season to emerge. He carefully tends them, watching for weeds and pests. He shows us patience. He calls us over to see the tiny life that is fighting upward from the muck, literally using the waste of the old to fuel new growth. His song is Expectancy.
God is so patient. Any patience I have must come from Him. He knows it's hard for me to wait because He knows everything about me (Ps. 139). My Life is a lot of waiting - and waiting is not my favorite thing. But He knows the timing better than I. And I have to wait, for His ways to work themselves out (His ways are not my ways, Isa. 55:8).
While I wait, Abba cultivates my character. In doing all the necessary business of life: paying bills, correspondence, chores, I practice consistency, responsibility and perseverance. "Learn what pleases the Lord," Paul exhorts in Ephesians 5:10. When my heart is fertile and hears His Words, may He quicken courage in me to follow.
I do not wait without Hope that He will act. He promises to act (Rom. 8:28).
Thursday, February 11, 2010
We Are At War ...
but with spiritual forces. Recently I heard a very good sermon (unfortunately not posted as I write this) asserting that negative self-talk is a spiritual battlefield. The speaker emphasized those times when memories assault us unbidden. Out of the blue, we are crippled with guilt, regret, fear. We remember that we are not worthy of love, forgiveness, mercy. And we believe it. We know how bad we really are. We cannot hide from ourselves.
Richard J. Foster says,"Oftentimes your heart will condemn you for things for which God will not condemn you" (p. 69, Prayer). And although healthy guilt and remorse are a necessary part of my relationship with God, it is a lie that I am unacceptable. God himself has made me acceptable. The lie is wedged in my mind to create a rift between me and God, between me and other people. In recognizing this bait and switch tactic, we remember the power purchased for us to consciously choose to believe God and reject the lies.
As children of God, we have powerful tools to help us conquer these falsehoods. We are promised that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1), and that we can take every thought captive, to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10: 3-5). Although "the heart is deceitful above all things" (Jer. 17:9), God promises to transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).
The reality is this: The Enemy is Father of Lies (John 8:44), not just deceiver, and he will not go away without a fight. He prowls around like a lion (1 Peter 5:8) looking for prey. But God does not leave us to fight our own battles. He fights for us. He runs to our aid.
And Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4) so, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-17, put on the whole armor of God...we are not abandoned, we are not alone.
Ask Him for the faith to believe His promises, His Word. He is Faithful and Good. He is able to meet all our needs (Phil. 4:19).
Encourage and share your experiences with each another (Eph. 4:29).
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:19-20).
Seek the LORD and you will find Him. Be honest with yourself and with others. Give thanks for who He is making you. Ask for eyes to see the gifts He's bestowed and for a thankful heart that prepares the way for our Lord.
(WIL, 5)
Richard J. Foster says,"Oftentimes your heart will condemn you for things for which God will not condemn you" (p. 69, Prayer). And although healthy guilt and remorse are a necessary part of my relationship with God, it is a lie that I am unacceptable. God himself has made me acceptable. The lie is wedged in my mind to create a rift between me and God, between me and other people. In recognizing this bait and switch tactic, we remember the power purchased for us to consciously choose to believe God and reject the lies.
As children of God, we have powerful tools to help us conquer these falsehoods. We are promised that "there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1), and that we can take every thought captive, to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor. 10: 3-5). Although "the heart is deceitful above all things" (Jer. 17:9), God promises to transform us by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2).
The reality is this: The Enemy is Father of Lies (John 8:44), not just deceiver, and he will not go away without a fight. He prowls around like a lion (1 Peter 5:8) looking for prey. But God does not leave us to fight our own battles. He fights for us. He runs to our aid.
And Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4) so, as Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-17, put on the whole armor of God...we are not abandoned, we are not alone.
Ask Him for the faith to believe His promises, His Word. He is Faithful and Good. He is able to meet all our needs (Phil. 4:19).
Encourage and share your experiences with each another (Eph. 4:29).
"Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:19-20).
Seek the LORD and you will find Him. Be honest with yourself and with others. Give thanks for who He is making you. Ask for eyes to see the gifts He's bestowed and for a thankful heart that prepares the way for our Lord.
(WIL, 5)
Friday, February 05, 2010
Mountaintops to Valleys
Mountain-top experiences are glorious. After the hard work of trudging up the hill, through the mud and snow, begging your muscles to push against the unrelenting slope, focusing one foot in front of the other, hardly seeing the trees around you, waiting for the fog to part and reveal a glimpse of the mountain you long to see - finally, a resting place with a view.
My retreat last weekend was a mountain-top experience. Retreats are essential. The relentless pace of Life is too much for me to handle and I need time to receive nourishment: other people preparing food, people stepping in so I can step back, others taking my place for awhile, God speaking with the Familiar out of the way.
I shouldn't be surprised to experience a trough when I get home. I go back to work and catch up with people I left for a few days. The evening out of emotions and perspectives is natural, but still painful. The memories of the heights gasp to return, however, the intimate knowledge of the trenches makes the experiences at the heights more vivid, more lasting. And so I must return.
The work of Life is done in the valleys, not on the mountains. I am made for the lowlands where I am made to thrive, breathe easier. I cannot consciously handle being in the Presence of God all the time - yet. He is still working on me, changing me from glory to glory, refining me and molding me into a form I could never dream of being.
"Praise to the LORD, the Almighty..."
My retreat last weekend was a mountain-top experience. Retreats are essential. The relentless pace of Life is too much for me to handle and I need time to receive nourishment: other people preparing food, people stepping in so I can step back, others taking my place for awhile, God speaking with the Familiar out of the way.
I shouldn't be surprised to experience a trough when I get home. I go back to work and catch up with people I left for a few days. The evening out of emotions and perspectives is natural, but still painful. The memories of the heights gasp to return, however, the intimate knowledge of the trenches makes the experiences at the heights more vivid, more lasting. And so I must return.
The work of Life is done in the valleys, not on the mountains. I am made for the lowlands where I am made to thrive, breathe easier. I cannot consciously handle being in the Presence of God all the time - yet. He is still working on me, changing me from glory to glory, refining me and molding me into a form I could never dream of being.
"Praise to the LORD, the Almighty..."
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