Are there days when you would love to escape to a place like this . . . and leave no forwarding address? So secluded and quiet, except for the crashing waves. Probably no phone signals either. Nice.

I actually don't know where this is; I found it in Tim's photo archives. Must be somewhere out west or out east, or down south. We don't need to know; just knowing it's there is comforting.

Now, where did you go this year that felt like a real getaway? A place like this, or with family, or just into a quiet room in your house? My getaway this year was to North Carolina, visiting our daughters and son-in-law. There is a wonderful lake hidden in the mountains there with a walking trail around it. Twice a day I walked it, in the morning, and usually again when the sun was setting. I felt a million miles from obligations, and that was good.

What about you?

Who doesn't love Bananagrams or Scrabble? Okay, playing Scrabble with my genius mom is no fun, but BG with Ben is great. We both look pretty smart, at least to ourselves!

This week's question: Favorite game, from childhood or adulthood?

Our current fave is "Garbage", two decks, total luck, borrowed from the Slippys.

Yours?

Raise your hand if you like wearing new clothes. Raise your hand again if you love looking at brides in their gowns. One more time if you agree that the best-fitting clothes are also the most expensive. Okay, your family's starting to look at you, so put your hand down. By the way, isn't my daughter-in-law gorgeous in her wedding dress?

Well, piggy-backing off of Pastor Jim's sermon on Psalm 45, we'll be talking in Sunday school this week about the clothing God provides for us, His bride. Verses 13 and 14 say this about us: All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. In many-colored robes she is led to the king. . . ." These stunning robes have been provided by the king. We, Christ's bride, couldn't possibly afford them, not soaked in our own self-absorption and self-gratification as we are. In fact, left to ourselves apart from His work in our hearts, we don't even want to be His bride; we just want the pretty clothes and sumptuous feast. But God began clothing us directly after the fall; remember the fig leaves that didn't work very well? And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. (Genesis 3:21) Whew.

Join us this Sunday as we take a long look at the clothing God has so lavishly provided us throughout history.

Aahh . . . the last lazy days of summer. Just looks like Sunday afternoon, doesn't it? Sweet Willie, who thinks he's a cat.

Speaking of Sundays, before the nap (okay, not the greatest segue, I admit), we will be reviving the women's Sunday school class. Please join us as we explore indicatives and imperatives in Scripture, everyone's favorites!, and Colossians 3, about what we look like when we dress in the robes of righteousness that Christ bought for us on the cross.

We'll be meeting in the conference room, where the sun shines in warmly. Do join us . . . but save your nap for after church.

Books!

C. S. Lewis writes about books:

“Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” (Don't you agree? Are you one who can hardly eat lunch without reading something?)

“I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” (So true, but who has time with so many other books waiting to be read?)

“We read to know that we are not alone.” (Aren't you so glad to be friends with Jane Austen, Dorothy Canfield Fisher ["Understood Betsy"], and John Bunyan?)

So what did you read this summer? No. What did you love reading this summer? There are just some books you have to stop and hug because they are so delicious. Right?

Give us a favorite fiction and then a nonfiction that you loved. I'll go first: For fiction, I liked Anna and Her Daughters, an old book by G. E. Stevenson, Robert Louis' cousin. For nonfiction, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp was exquisite.

Now you.

Ladies' Kickoff

Please join us for the Ladies' Kickoff Event in the fellowship hall tomorrow night at 7:00 (Thursday, September 14).

Sharon Woodmansee is preparing a devotion just for us, and you don't want to miss it.

We'll also talk about the events and studies we'll be doing through the fall and winter.

We'll introduce you to the newest Bible study teacher at New Hope, who will be leading the evening studies.

Last but certainly not least, we'll enjoy, maybe even bathe in, a chocolate fountain and all its accoutrements. Okay, not bathe in. I just threw that in to add a little zest.

Do join us. You may even see some of the women pictured above. In fact, I'm sure you will.

the Light

Look what I found: a parallel. In my daily devotions (Discovering Jesus in the Old Testament), Nancy Guthrie pointed out Isaiah 60:19 to me: "The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory." Doesn't that sound familiar? Where have we heard that before?

That's right. Revelation 21:23 uses almost identical language to describe the end of this world as we know it, and the beginning of the next: "And the city [The New Jerusalem] has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb."

So when God said, "Let there be light" in the very beginning, it was always meant to be temporary, looking forward to the day when His glory would be all we would need, and His Son would be our lamp. "Your word is a lamp to my feet." (Psalm 119:105) Indeed. Jesus is the Word (John 1:1), and He is our lamp for all eternity.

Thanks to Tim Opelt for the glorious sunlight picture, which for some reason was stored on my computer. I hope it's not copyrighted.

Favorite verses

This is not my backyard. I wish it were so tropical. It must be Opryland Hotel in Nashville, and I inherited the picture from the elder son, who used to live there. Not at the hotel. In Nashville. Anyway, it's pretty, isn't it?

Today I thought we could share our favorite verses, and I also thought I could start with mine. But I don't know what it is, because I have so many. The first verse I ever memorized, back in 1974, because it struck me as so amazing was Hebrews 13:5b: For he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." What comfort.

Then came Philippians 4:4-7 about anxiety and rejoicing and the incomprehensible peace of God. More comfort.

Many favorite verses later, I think my current favorite is Psalm 104:1: Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great. Great in mercy, beauty, strength, wisdom, love, faithfulness, kindness, perfection. Great in more things that I can name, or even know.

What is your favorite verse of today or yesterday? Please share under anonymous, but with your name included.

Plentiful Redemption

Here's a cool picture I found on my computer. I'm thinking that little person is an offspring of mine, and that this was taken by another offspring last spring on our travels to the southwest U.S. I love this shot.

Psalm 130 is a wonderful study, parallel to Matthew 11:28-30, on resting in the Lord. We cry to the Lord when overwhelmed with our own sin, knowing that somehow he forgives us.

But we wait, hoping in his word, for an understanding of how that forgiveness works and how it can possibly cover even my sin. "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." (v. 5)

And then, glory of glories, hope! With him is steadfast love! With him is plentiful redemption! He will redeem Israel (His elect -- me!) from all his (her -- mine!) iniquities! (v. 7)

And now we turn to Matthew 11 to see the "how" of it: "Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me"--your very great Redeemer!--"and you shall find rest for your souls." (11:29) "Come to Me." (v. 28) Those who labor to redeem themselves and those who are heavily-laden with their sins are invited to come and find rest in Christ alone, "who himself bore our sins in his body on the tree". (1 Peter 2:24)

Psalm 62:1: For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.

So there is our answer, the thing for which we wait. Plentiful redemption--hallelujah!

On our knees

Just a relaxed summer pose from a few years ago, but indicative of this year's summer, once VBS was history. It's been completely lovely, and I hate to see it end. Anyone with me on that? Raise hands.

While walking the trail this week, I noticed an interesting black tee shirt: I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees. Certainly an apt motto for one who desires to live fully, and give 100% to all her endeavors. But it begs the question: Why can't we do both? Both live on our knees, and live fully on our feet? In fact, I would argue that living on our knees is the only way to die on our feet, living fully until the end.

Philippians 4:13 says this about that very thing: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Do you see both there? Remember imperatives and indicatives, two of my favorite Bible study words? We can do all things, why? Because of Christ who gives us strength. How do we appropriate/ask for/even whine for Christ's strength? On our knees. Frankly, we are helpless without him.

The battle belongs to the Lord, so, while we may be dying on our feet, we are acknowledging his governance of all things on our knees.

The tee-shirt paraphrased (if I actually designed and wore such things): I would rather die on my feet after spending life on my knees.