My elementary & high school memories involve many travel experiences. We lived in Florida, & routinely drove the I-24 mountain corridor between Chattanooga & Nashville, TN. en route to vacations with relatives. The steep-winding road ventured below the colossal train overpass, above the blue rivers & green valleys, & through the cut-rock mountain-top. Then, as we descended with ears popping, we scanned the interior cliffs for a view of a waterfall.
That area is now covered with concrete & guarded by a retaining wall; but in the 70’s & 80’s, it was our favorite place to pull-over & take a break. A waterfall near the tops of mountains was a thing of dreams…even more captivating than those found in the valleys. The power of a mountain torrent, the mystery of its surrounding crags & caves, the breathless-beauty & shocking cold of these natural wonders left an unmistakable mark on my impressionable-youthful memory.
From my earliest winters sword fighting my brothers with icicles there, through the rock-collecting & photo stages, up to recent stops to awaken myself by splashing the freezing flow on my face; those streams & falls have provided much needed refreshing.
Ps.110:7 “He shall drink of the brook in the way; therefore, shall he lift up the head.”
Amy Carmichael once journaled, “We think of our Lord as Saviour, Shepherd, Master, Guide & King, but have you ever thought of HIM as a Mountaineer? The word in Ps.110:7 should be translated “torrent.” A mountain torrent flows down a mountain, & that means the one who drinks of it is climbing the mountain.”
Kay’s note is: “He shall not faint in the long & weary conflict. As he journeys on, he drinks of a wayside mountain torrent –the river of truth & righteousness -& so advances on his career of victory.”
The 22nd Canon of the Second Council of Orange says: “Whatever of truth & righteousness man has, is from that fountain, after which we in this desert ought to thirst, in order that, bedewed as it were with a few drops from it, we may not faint in the way.”
“From that fountain the King of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, had a full torrent accompanying Him throughout His progress…That same torrent flows today to revive & refresh us as we climb our mountains” (Mrs.Cowman).
I have always loved the hills & mountains. If I have a hobby or tradition, aside from reading, it is my weekly “prayer hike.” Whether navigating the trails & terrain of the Kennesaw Mountain area (where I live), trailblazing near the “Interpreter’s House,” adventuring through the foothills of the Appalachians (GA/NC) or the mists of the Great Smokey’s (TN); I find strength for my soul on mountain trailways.
The Psalmist said, “I will lift my eyes unto the hills—Where does my help come from?...My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven & earth”-Ps.121:1-2. The Message says, “I look up to the mountains…my strength comes from God.” This song of ascents captures my sentiments exactly. “The person set on the way of faith gets into trouble, looks around for help,” & asks the question of the source of strength? “Is there anything more inspiring than the magnificent scenery of a ridge of mountains silhouetted against the sky? Does any part of this earth promise more of majesty & strength, of firmness & solidity, than the mountains? …But a Hebrew (& Christian) should…would see something else…the Lord who made it all” (E.Peterson).
While hiking, I usually memorize scriptures, sing hymns & meditate on truths from those & great literature. I usually pause every hour to read reflectively, stretch & figure out some memory keys for reciting & developing the ideas in the passages I’m focused on. This practice combines with the prayer, hiking, wildlife & beautiful views to produces an awesome experience of challenge & renewal for my Spirit, soul & body. However, the purpose of it all is a passionate pursuit of the heart of the Living God…to experience HIS presence & perspectives. By far, my favorite hiking poem is “Hills.”
HILLS
I NEVER loved your plains!-- Your gentle valleys, Your drowsy country lanes And pleachéd alleys.
I want my hills! -- the trail That scorns the hollow.-- Up, up the ragged shale Where few will follow,
Up, over wooded crest And mossy boulder With strong thigh, heaving chest, And swinging shoulder,
So let me hold my way, By nothing halted, Until, at close of day, I stand, exalted,
High on my hills of dream-- Dear hills that know me! And then, how fair will seem The lands below me,
How pure, at vesper-time, The far bells chiming! God, give me hills to climb, And strength for climbing!
It's 1:15 am, & I'm about to pack for a 2-day business trip. I just couldn't resist posting this little essay that I edited for one of my daughter's classes last week. Enjoy...
Equipping Yourself for the Journey
by Alexis Buhler
Equipping Yourself for the Journey
by Alexis Buhler
Have you ever been on a long vacation and had to pack a large suitcase filled with all the things you may need while you’re gone? Packing with a mindset of knowing every item that may make or break your experience on this trip. Whether it’s a coat incase the weather is chilly or an umbrella for if it rains, a book for when there’s nothing to do or that motion sickness medicine that will ensure you have a pleasant plane flight, you must be absolutely prepared.
Well, if you picture your walk with God as being a long-term vacation. After you have made that wonderful decision to follow Him and His ways, You must repack your suitcase to be prepared for this adventure. Taking out the unneeded items such as impurity, lust, greed, and worldly goods, and refilling with what is now most important.
The Apostle Paul wrote the book Colossians to be a guide to Christians of what to ‘pack’ for their journey with Christ. In chapter 3 verses 12-14 he explains,
“So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic all-purpose garment Never be without it.”
Now, all there’s left to do is pick up those all important items and make sure they are securely packed in your suitcase, because God Himself picked out this wardrobe for you. If you wear it during your journey with Him you will never stray from the path ahead and no matter the circumstance you will prepared for whatever evil is thrown your way.
“To write, or not to write?!?”...that was the question. For days I couldn’t get it out of my mind, so I surrendered 4 hours to rereading "Hamlet" highlights while journaling the seeming implications to my writing endeavors. Although the political & principled struggle there was insightful, & the pages I focused on were poetic & prophetic, it was actually an exercise of identity settling rather than literary studying. My investigation was bringing me face to face with the man in the mirror while challenging me once again to embrace the calling of being both a life-long learner & a yielded messenger…writing about the search & discoveries from Kingdom perspectives. I instinctively knew this would necessitate a vital connection between worship & work, waiting & writing. For the last few years, & in this blog, the emphasis for me has been the waiting on God & quest for truth…but winds of writing are beginning to blow.
The search for understanding, to discern what’s significant & discover God’s perspective is nothing new to me, it has been a life-long passion & pursuit. In the past, I threw my life into Bible study, fasting, prayer, ministry service, mission trips, voracious reading & Seminary research. This last season was different though…new, another level altogether. It seems I’ve been in a time of wilderness isolation & soul searching. It’s not a wilderness wandering, but a temporary withdrawal from busyness and visibility so that God may revive my heart & renovate my mind. During this difficult season, I have yielded to the Spirit’s prompting to “wait on the Lord…be still…”-Ps.27:14, 4:1-6, 46:10, 145:15.
I have often heard it said that to wait upon the Lord is about attentive service like that of a restaurant waiter. That is simply not true, & is evidence of our humanistic, performance oriented, works righteousness bias. The Hebrew word actually means “to bind or tie to,” while the Greek emphasis is “sitting down beside to receive.” Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines “wait” as: 1.To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary, till the arrival of some person or event. The call to stop, rest, remain stationary & receive often requires being alone with God & isolated from others.
There’s great value in finding a “lonely place apart,” like Jesus. Christopher Maricle captures the essence of this by saying, “We need to spend time by ourselves in contemplation…to focus inward…alone with our thoughts…in considering our actions in light of our faith…a time for sorting out how we feel and think about a concern and how to respond to it in the future…and to take the results of our introspection to God in prayer.”
No, I haven’t been writing blogs, but I have been waiting on God, wondering about my difficult experiences, & writing devotionally & reflectively. While it is certainly true that many things have been too painful to write about (that stuff is fuel for worship & material for prayer), it’s also true that my greatest desire is to write as a form of worship that imparts spiritual wisdom & revelation. Hence, the hesitation, delays…the patience of waiting on the Lord. As I said in my previous blog, “I have purposefully chosen not to publish my recent writings as I seek greater understanding & study enemy tactics while putting the King & HIS Kingdom 1st.”
It takes time to know what you’re to say. You can’t really have perspective on things while you’re in them…you can’t accurately reflect on something when you’re sitting in it. That’s what perspective is all about…the ability to discern the reality, relation & importance of things. I believe there’s a freedom that comes from being outside the situation, system, season…the ability to see & say things that I think everybody’s thinking or feeling…to look at situations & environments & to understand what we’re dealing with…to express issues that may be difficult for someone experiencing a situation or inside the system to see or say. To “examine all things, holding fast that which is good…to speak the truth in love”-1Thes.5:21, Eph.4:15.
Shakespeare’s commentators have always argued over the actual meaning & purpose of his world-famous monologue that opens “To be or not to be” (you should read & study it yourself). The main disagreement is whether the focus is placed on "life vs. death" or "action vs. inaction." I believe there’s an element of both; & I contend that in seeking life & experiencing the death of anything, there needs to be a time of thinking & processing for the purpose of future determined action. With Hamlet's indecisiveness & uncertainty of knowledge as major themes in the play, many commentators were inspired to read the choice between the life of action ("to be") and life of silent acceptance ("not to be") as a primary focus of Hamlet's dilemma. I, however, believe & espouse E. Prosser’s view that "This soliloquy is a meditation on the central theme of the duties and temptations of a noble mind in an evil world."
I, therefore chose “To live & write” by consciously acknowledging “tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune…and as a vehicle to lose the name of action.” Henri Bergson expressed this by saying, “Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.” Or shall we say, “Write like a man of thinking & action”…I am, & I hope to.
“Perscribo, ergo sum…I write, therefore I am!” That’s my attempt to convert the most famous statement of French philosopher & mathematician Rene Descartes. It’s also my response to a number of people’s inquiries into my blogging hiatus for most of the last 9 months (Thanks Barry+). The Cartesian maxim was of course, “Cogito, ergo sum…I think, therefore I am.” However, rather than an all-consuming epistemological principle; I am putting forth my seasonal emphasis & personal desire to “honor God” by being faithful to “publish peace, bringing Gospel & Kingdom perspectives…saying to God’s people, “Your God Reigns!”-Is.52:7.
Although I disagree with Descartes’ deductions related to his principle (I reject the premise of doubt & philosophy of dualism); I identify with his struggle with doubt, experiences of deep introspection, wrestling with beliefs & desire for certainty –veritas!?! This is a common struggle among sensitive and serious humans, and is characteristic of many reformers’ gut-wrenching, soul-wrestlings with self, Scriptural truth & the Sovereignty of God. That still doesn’t excuse Descartes from starting at the wrong place & going too far, with the inevitable “unintended consequences” that result from mixing philosophical questions, bad experiences & human ability/efforts.
Good ideas or God’s promises + the fear based insecurity we feel from negative circumstances have historically inspired humanistic reactions of “putting our best foot forward.” If pain & fear don’t bring paralysis or withdrawal, we usually determine to work & sweat to produce the best we can. Wow, think of that…man’s hand & mind…in fullness…at our best…that’s the oldest lie, the worst measurement. The unintended consequences of Adam’s choice in fruit, Abraham & Sarah’s bright idea of helping God speed things up & get stuff done (producing Ishmael), & many of the best efforts of mankind are plaguing us to this very hour.
You should understand, Cartesian doubt is said to be “cumulative & ruthless.” In trying to figure out something which he could be absolutely sure was true; he found himself drowning in skepticism, which led him to reject everything he’d been taught. Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater…after destroying his beliefs & rejecting others knowledge, he suggests that there is no knowledge that can be guaranteed…doubting even the reality of his senses, experiences & the existence of his physical body. The only thing he was certain of was doubt, & doubt was a type of thinking, so Descartes deduces that the proof of existence & essence of being is thinking & that the mind & body are separate…thus creating the philosophy of dualism & becoming the “father of modern philosophy.” (That paragraph was for the thinkers.)
What a mess negative thoughts & emotions create when we dwell on them, especially when combined with humanistic endeavors. Yes, it is easier to criticize than create…easier to seek the God we want, than to worship the God who is…easier to descend in doubts & depression, than to traverse the Mountain of Trust! No, I am not opposed to politics, religion, reasoning or personal pursuits/good works…but I do stand against humanism, religion void of revelation & relationship, & skepticism in all its forms. Whatever may be the meaning of faith, it must mean a certainty about something we can’t prove humanistically.
In other words, I chose to begin with God & faith, rather than myself, my experiences & efforts. I’m trusting the One, True,Living God…the Lord of the harvestto separate the wheat from the chaff in my own life perspectives & writing.I am hoping to be reflective & discover principles of truth, rather than being reactionary & accusing people. To simply write in hopes of providing some signposts for this journey of faith…building needed bridges for those that follow after…making known the works, wisdom & ways of the Lord (please read Ps.145).
No, I haven’t been writing blogs, but I have been waiting on God, wondering about difficult experiences, & writing devotionally & reflectively. While it is certainly true that many things from my past season have been too painful to write about (that stuff is fuel for worship & material for prayer), it’s also true that my greatest desire is to write as a form of worship that imparts spiritual wisdom & revelation. Hence, the hesitation, delays…the patience of waiting on the Lord.
Remember, the 2 most important parables clearly show the importance of sowing truth & true seeds/sons–Mt.13:23, 38. That’s why he gives us messengers (Apostles, Prophets, preachers & writers), & gave us both the Bible & Jesus. However, these parables put the emphasis on the understanding of truth, an enemy’s strategy & Kingdom living (vs.19, 38-39). Because of this, I have purposefully chosen not to publish my recent writings as I seek greater understanding & study enemy tactics while putting the King & HIS Kingdom 1st.
I do believe the pen is mightier than the sword. Therefore, “what I see, I will be writing in blogs & books, to send to the Christians/Churches”-Rev.1:11. So, please pray for me & all the Christians called to write & communicate in “the Spirit of Truth.” We need the grace of God, time & resources to devote ourselves to the work of the Kingdom scribe “who brings forth out of his treasure things new & old” –Mt.13:52.
“Perscribo, ergo sum…quinymo, perscribo quoniam Sit!” I write because I am…rather, I write because HE is!
The Following 2 Songs serve as a “dedication, Battle-cry and psalmist prayer” for the powerful influence of my Lord Jesus, and my wife Hope. Their life example, affection, words and prayers encourage me more than any other. They have both loved me unconditionally in a way that has delivered me from fear and challenged me to bravery in this life of faith. These songs capture the essence of this godly influence, and have blessed me with many spiritual “glimpses of glory.”
“How You Love Me” by Bebo Norman
Hope came home, Home to me today And fear has run the other way. And words are weak, You don't know how to say You know I still believe in you. And should my dreams fall though, I will be safe with you And with every breath I can breathe I'll sing about how you love me, I'll sing about how you love me.
“Brave” by Nichole Nordeman
The gate is wide The road is paved in moderation The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in Welcome to the middle ground You're safe and sound and Until now it's where I've been
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings
So long status quo I think I just let go You make me want to be brave The way it always was Is no longer good enough You make me want to be brave Brave, brave
I am small And I speak when I'm spoken to But I am willing to risk it all I say Your name Just Your name and I'm ready to jump Even ready to fall...
Why did I take this vow of compromise? Why did I try to keep it all inside?
So long status quo I think I just let go You make me want to be brave The way it always was Is no longer good enough You make me want to be brave Brave, brave
I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame Every storm will start with just a drop of rain But if you believe in me That changes everything So long, I'm gone
So long status quo I think I just let go You make me want to be brave I wanna be brave The way it always was Is no longer good enough You make me want to be brave Brave, brave
While reading a favorite book a few years ago, the following paragraphs jumped off the page and gripped my heart and mind. I found myself captivated with reflections on Jesus my Lord, and the example of my wife Hope. Through my wife more than any other…I have caught “glimpses of HIS glory.”
The context of the following excerpts is Amy Carmichael’s remembrance of a most difficult season of spiritual warfare and life/ministry opposition. She writes more penetrating and poignant than any I’ve read. It affects me similar to my wife’s journals and letters. In the midst of trials…troubles, she tells us of intense perplexities, and “no way of getting advice, for there was no precedent to follow: no one had been this way before---we had crossed an invisible frontier into an unknown land…but, in that land we met our Lord and learned to know HIM…there were (also) little, tender refreshings…infantile things that would have been nothing to the great or strong, but which to us were like a mother’s reassuring touch.”
For all who have been to “that land,” and in gratitude for my wife Hope that has been there with me, I pass on this prophetic encouragement:
“My flesh and my heart faileth”—Let them fail. For “God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.” Has anyone ever been able to tell what our glorious Lord can be to and through a man, woman, or little child whom HE is training to wait upon HIM only?
No one has ever been able to tell it. I search for words like jewels, or stars, or flowers, but I cannot find them. I wish I could, for this book may fall into the hands of someone who has been hindered from caring to know HIM by the dull and formal trapping which our dull and formal thoughts have laid upon HIM—strange disguise for such a radiance.How can I commend my Master? I have not seen HIM yet, but I have caught glimpses!”
Then, after speaking of the emotional separation we all have with other humans that often produces caution or withdrawal from them; she states that in spite of this warning instinct, “Sometimes there is a lovely freedom…each is at home in the other’s rooms. There is a joy in that sense of sureness, in understanding and in being understood. There is joy in the recognition of that which makes it safe to trust to the utmost of the utmost. What makes it so? It is the golden quality of love perfected in strength. That gold is Christ. Or some sharp test takes that friend unawares. You see the life reel under shattered blows; perhaps you see it broken. And you look almost in fear. Thus suddenly discovered, what will appear? And no base metal shows, not even the lesser silver, but only veins and veins of gold. That gold is Christ.
Without HIM, Lover of all lovers, life is dust, With HIM it is like rivers that run among hills, fulfilled with perpetual surprises. He who knows his Lord as Savior and King is taken, as old Richard Rolle declares, into a marvelous mirth, so that he as it were sings his prayers without notes. Life is battle—yes, but it is music. It knows the thrill of brave music, the depths and heights of music. It is life, not stagnation. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed (happy, very happy) is the man or woman that trusteth in HIM.” –quote excerpts from Gold Cord by Amy Carmichael
My wife Hope has both embodied and instructed me in these realities and truths. I pray that everyone who reads this will learn the revelation that “Life is battle---yes, but it is music!”...and put your hope and trust in the Lord. May you wait on the Lord for renewal and so, become an instrument of little refreshings, an understanding soul, a vessel yielded to provide “glimpses of glory!”
