by jot and tittle

In the morning I've been reading through The Valley of Vision , a collection of Puritan prayers. It's a bit like praying through convicting poetry--beautiful and searching. Pages 122-123 contain a prayer called "Self-Knowledge" which begins with these lines: " Searcher of Hearts, it is a good day to me when thou givest me a glimpse of myself; Sin is my greatest evil, but thou art my greatest good; I have cause to loathe myself, and not to seek self-honour, for no one desires to commend his own dunghill." No one desires to commend his own dunghill.  What a phrase. And notice how this godly man connects seeking your own honour with commending your own dunghill. I've been thinking about this because  seeking my own honour exactly what I do. Would you like to know what I'm good at? Just ask me. I'll tell you.  However, the only reason there is any honour about me or anything honourable in my life is because of the grace of God and the work of the Hol...

It is very likely that not all single people will completely agree with the list I'm about to share with you, because no two people are alike, but I've heard similar things from single people that I follow online and think it will be helpful to share these. If nothing else, let this post lead you to have conversations with the single people in your life and find out what would  be helpful to them.  1. Hug Them I'll admit, I'm not much of a hugger, but a few months ago another woman I follow recommended to her audience that they begin hugging their single friends and I've been thinking about it since. Now (due to a change in my life) I'm seeing certain friends more often than I had been, and I am also receiving more hugs; this is good for me . In particular, it is good for me that one of my guy friends often gives me a hug when I see him. I don't mean that in a sensual sense, I mean it in a brotherly sense. The quick hug he offers tells me that I am seen, I ...

Before bed, I am reading the Life and Diary of Andrew Bonar. If there was one saint from old that I could sit down with over a cup of tea, it would probably be this father in the faith. He was a Puritan, but he wasn't what you think of when you think of a stereotypical puritan. Andrew Bonar was kind, good with names, and beloved by children. When he went into the town to visit the people it was not uncommon to see children take his hand and walk with him. He was best friends with Robert Murray M'Cheyne, he wrote and edited several biographies and Bible commentaries, he longed for the revival of the Jews, he buried a young son as well as his own wife. He knew his weakness and he prayed. But most of all, he really loved the Lord Jesus.  In reading his diary, I came across this section: Often I have wondered that I did not feel the temptations of Satan more frequently and plainly. But now I discover his plan. For a long time, indeed for years, I can see that he has contrived very ...

Over Easter weekend I had the opportunity to visit my grandparents. We caught up over soup and egg salad sandwiches and then migrated to the living room with cups of tea. Gradually the conversation turned to a couple young siblings from their church whom they've observed seldom fight. Sometimes these kids do get angry or annoyed with each other and then they fight, but that is not their normal relationship. My grandfather made this observation, "isn't that just like sin? You are living your life of obedience and then all of a sudden its like sin gets the better of you." It was a comforting statement coming from my elderly grandfather who has been walking with the Lord for over 80 years. Even as a seasoned saint, sin still creeps up on him. But it has also made me think quite a bit. Sometimes I am tempted to think that if I do everything right (regular devotions, get enough sleep, listen to good music, eat well, have Christian fellowship, exercise) then I won't fal...

Crossing the street from the pool entrance to my parked car, I looked into the park. In the dusk and after-rain light the grass looked greener and the air smelled of dirt and worms and growing things. In this moment the question suddenly came to me: do you like your life? Perhaps my post-exercise mind was just more awake and present than it had been in a while, but the thought came as it was, walking into my mind with a comfortable smile and taking a seat to stay for a while.  Do you like your life? My life is a mix of my decisions and my response to circumstances outside of my control, and it is not what child and teenager me ever planned or dreamed of. I'm guessing that it is easier for each of us to think about things that we dislike in our lives than the things we like, but this morning during prayer I was reminded that God is good and He is good to me, including the parts of my life that I'm not a fan of.  When I start with the goodness of God, it is harder to concentrate...

 "You know how to be kind." Those words were spoken by a wise, older woman at a conference I recently went to. She was talking about evangelism and using our homes and meeting people... and her words struck me right in my offended heart. I wasn't offended by her, she was lovely, I was offended by someone else from the day before.  The reality is that sometimes the people we meet and interact with will be nasty. We live in a nasty world. We live in a world full of people who only know sin; they grew up in sinful homes, were categized by sinful systems and education, and have only had relationships with people like them. Broken people. And broken people tend to let slip a little bit of nastiness every now and again.  The bit of nastiness that got spilled on me the day before came from a coworker and it involved an emotional over-reaction and the f-word, which was a bit shocking. Anyway, to make a long story short, I walked away without saying anything and she later gave me ...

 Living in Southwestern Ontario, I don't know many people who really love winter. It's cold, dark, and snowy. The weather tries to kill us with snow or ice, or the short days and long nights encroach on our mental well-being. Winter is the not-so-easy season.  A couple years ago a saying was making it's rounds on social media that went something like this; you can choose to complain about the snow...but you'll still have the snow. It's true. We can complain about the winter weather and the challenges that come with that, but it won't change the white flurries or dark evenings.  This past summer, following Annie F. Downs' example, I made a list for the "Best Summer Ever." It included things like learn to stand while paddle boarding  and go camping.  And this winter, I've decided to make a "Best Winter Ever" list to add some enjoyment to the season. Here are some of the things on my list: Outdoor skating (my town has a free outdoor rink...