Great Quotes — Nine
It’s time to update you on some of the “hold” scriptures and quotes I’ve come across recently. When I chose this as my word for the year, I had no idea there were this many different uses of the word. I’m really wondering what God will give me for a word in 2010 that can even come close in comparison.
The happiest people I know are the ones who have learned how to hold everything loosely and have given the worrisome, stress-filled, fearful details of their lives into God’s keeping. – Chuck Swindoll, Encouragement for Life
Few could resist Babylon’s charms. Few had a firm enough hold on reality not to fall for her pretense. – Beth Moore, Daniel study
That was the reason for Simeon’s song. Deep inside his tired old heart, he knew that the infant he held in his arms was in truth the One who had been holding him all his life long. — Michael Card, Joy in the Journey
Jacob was born gripping his twin brother’s heel, holding him back, trying to get ahead. — David Roper, Jacob
…train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. – 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)
David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. – 1 Samuel 23:14 (NIV)
Did We Miss Something?
I have several friends struggling with deep hurts and trials right now. I keep waking up in the night praying for them. I’m so sorry they have to suffer in such personal ways. But I know that God is present and working in their situations. He showed me this in a strong and powerful way this week.
I was returning from a neighboring town and driving towards the Big Horn Mountains. I felt nudged to call one of these friends to let her know God was still waking me up in the night to pray. Lo and behold, she had been sitting in the middle of the room, on the floor, feeling pretty discouraged and low. God had nudged me to call her at just the right moment. He loves her that much. But there is more.
When we finished talking I was delighted to see a glorious sunset before me. It covered the mountains and the whole town of Buffalo, wrapping all around me. Only a small portion of the sky was dark, and the rest was covered in bright purples, pinks and blues. It was unbelievable. And then I realized — this friend was sitting there in her home, feeling a bit dejected, and had no idea that God’s glory was all around her, on every side and right across the top of the whole town. She couldn’t even have seen it if I’d called her back to tell her to step outside, because it required a view from the distance. Some of God’s glory is too big to see; too mysterious and all-encompassing.
But there is more. My scripture reading the next morning said it all.
The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. – Psalm 103:19 (HCSB)
How often do we sit in despair, not realizing that God is all around, and that His glory actually covers and protects us? Do we worry over finances or grieve a loss and not realize that His glory covers us in this? Do we miss what He is doing around us — not seeing that at the same moment of our sorrow He is performing a miracle elsewhere — bringing a child into the world, feeding a hungry soul, lifting a wounded spirit? Do we forget that it’s not “all about us?” It’s all about Him — His purposes, His plans, His ways.
It is not to our shame to realize this, for we will not see every sunrise or sunset. We cannot see His glory in the deepest parts of the ocean or in the darkest caves. The sorrows and feelings of each of these friends are very deep and personal and cannot be easily dismissed, nor should they be. We will not always feel or see His glory; we miss so much every day. But we can at least be encouraged that it always there, and that His Presence is always with us, even when we don’t see it. We can at least believe and trust that His glory and presence surrounds us in these times. Perhaps the picture is bigger and greater and far more wonderful than anyone could ever imagine.
Open my eyes so I can see what you show me of your miracle-wonders. – Psalm 119:18 (MSG)
Missing Scriptures
There’s a lot of scriptures I wish we could read. They seem to be missing from my Bible. Here are some of the stories I’d like to read:
- Jesus’ appearance to Simon Peter (mentioned in Luke 24:34 & 1 Corinthians 15:5)
- His appearance also to James (see 1 Corinthians 15:7)
- The conversion of several priests (Acts 6:7)
- Philip’s sudden appearance in Azotus (Acts 8:40)
- Paul’s revelation (Galatians 2:2)
- The women’s prayer meeting (Acts 16:13-14)
- The childhood of Jesus (Luke 2:52)
- Job’s family (Job 42:16)
- Joseph’s bedtime stories (Surely he told bedtime stories! Genesis 50:22)
- Moses’ funeral (Deuteronomy 34:5-6)
What stories do you feel are “missing” from the Bible? Surely we will have plenty of time to talk to the Saints and listen to their stories in Heaven, but I still wish I could read some of those stories now.
The Man Who Ended World War II
John Jarvis
“Dad ended World War II.”
This is the message that was relayed to me shortly after I married into the Jarvis family. ”How in the world did you arrive at that conclusion?” I asked, certain that it could not be true. To my surprise, I learned it was true, and this is the story.
John Jarvis was born on Christmas Day, 1908 — how appropriate that this young man would be the one to spread peace across the Pacific Ocean. John enlisted as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in 1944.
John Jarvis -- Guam
His training took him from Officer Candidate’s Training in Arizona, to Harvard University in Massachusetts, then to Louisiana to a base along the Mississippi River. From there, he received a transfer to advanced headquarters on the island of Guam as a communications specialist. He arrived there shortly after American forces had recaptured it in the summer of ’44, and became a member of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz’ staff. He described the Admiral as a “fine old gentleman” who often requested John to join him on his evening walks. Strangely enough, several Japanese soldiers remained in hiding on the island, unwilling to surrender, and were occasionally seen scurrying across their paths, attempting to break into the American food lockers.
John received several war dispatches under his voice call of “Orangejuice” in those days. Most of them simply needed decoding and rerouting to other designations. One such message came from Admiral Turner after the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato, following its suicide mission near Okinawa early in April, 1945. Admiral Turner relayed the message to CINCPAC headquarters in Guam thus: ”I may be crazy but it looks like the Japs have quit the war at least in this section.” Nimitz returned the message, “Delete all after crazy,” knowing that the enemy was probably just waiting for the United States to push farther into Okinawa. One of the most solemn radio messages received in those days included the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 12, 1945, and the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 6, and on Nagasaki August 9, 1945.
Admiral Nimitz
Cease Fire
On August 14, 1945, John Jarvis was on duty when the “cease fire” order came over the teletype from President Harry S. Truman. He took the order to Admiral Nimitiz, who then gave orders for John to relay the message to the entire Pacific fleet, which he did very happily. We have a copy of the outgoing teletype, and it says, ”CEASE OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS AGAINST JAPANESE FORCES X CONTINUE SEARCHES AND PATROLS X MAINTAIN DEFENSIVE AND INTERNAL SECURITY MEASURES AT HIGHEST LEVEL AND BEWARE OF TREACHERY OR LAST MOMENT ATTACKS BY ENEMY FORCES OR INDIVIDUALS.”
In keeping with his character, the congratulatory signal sent out later by the Admiral said, “The use of insulting epithets in connection with the Japanese as a race or individuals does not now become the officers of the United States Navy.”
John sat down that afternoon and wrote to his wife, Shirley: ”Honey, I sent out the cease firing order this morning! That was a big thrill!” Thrill indeed. He also wrote similar letters both to his mom and dad. Around his home town of Winfield, Kansas, he became known as “The Man Who Ended World War Two.”
Formal Surrender
The following day, August 15, was proclaimed “V-J Day” — Victory over Japan. They formally surrendered to the allies in Tokyo Bay on board the U.S. battleship Missouri on September 2, 1945, bringing an end to World War II. Perhaps the Missouri was given the honor because it was the President’s home state; incidentally, it’s my home state, too. A friend of John Jarvis’ that attended the ceremony brought him some 8 x 12 copies of photos he took. They’re stunning to see! Click the images below to get a closer look. We have some other photos that I’ll share next September, on the anniversary date of this event.
Thank you Veterans for your sacrifice!
Surrender onboard the USS Missouri
Admiral Nimitz signs the documents
Great Quotes — Eight
Three really great quotes!
John wrote the book of Revelation to comfort believers who were looking persecution squarely in the face. He also writes to us today, who are squarely looking at the death of Christendom. Understanding his purpose in writing is not a matter of decoding or solving some complex mystery as much as it is a matter of simply listening to the Spirit. – Michael Card, Joy in the Journey
While David knelt at the brook, the world was bounded on one side by an arrogant and bullying people of Philistia and on the other by the demoralized and anxious people of Israel…No one could have guessed that the young man picking stones out of the brook was doing the most significant work of the day…David kneeling, unhurried and calm, opened up another option: God, God’s ways, God’s salvation. — Eugene H. Peterson, God’s Message for Each Day, 11/4
We mostly spend [our] lives conjugating three verbs: to Want, to Have, to Do. Craving, clutching, and fussing on the material, political, social, emotional, intellectual — even on the religious plane, we are kept in perpetual unrest: forgetting that none of these verbs have any ultimate significance except so far as they are transcended by and included in the fundamental verb, to Be: and that Being, not wanting, having and doing, is the essence of life. — Evelyn Underhill
Sheep Fold