Quotes: Bible, Alcott, Chesterton, MacDonald...

Just now I found this verse via the view from the juniper tree that struck me as extremely relevant. Don't you wish citizens of the kingdom lived this way, lived like the pilgrims (Hebrews 11:13) they are?

Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

This verse is a song that used to play on the radio (before 'contemporary' Christian music moved beyond singing Scripture in a simple, memorable way). The chorus went in a sort of Jamaican rhythm, "Righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; that's the kingdom of God. Don't you want to be part of the kingdom... Come on everybody!"

Another verse nearby is my favorite definition of sin (as in most functional and convicting in my life): Romans 14:23, "...for whatsoever is not of faith is sin. "

On a different subject, I found this wonderful advice given by Marmee in Lousia May Alcott's Little Women:

“Leave these things to time; make this home happy, so that you may be fit for homes of your own, if they are offered you, and contented here if they are not. One thing remember, my girls: mother is always ready to be your confidant, father to be your friend; and both of us trust and hope that our daughters, whether married or single, will be the pride and comfort of our lives.”

By the way, I can never decide to which of the March girls I most relate. Meg is the oldest, and her life is described in the quote. Jo loves to write, and finds she doesn't fit in anywhere. Beth likes to stay home, but not to be left behind. Amy likes things, and doesn't like being told what to do; she lets her mind balance her heart.

Moving on to more quotes I encountered recently, this one from G.K. Chesterton:
"Man seems to be capable of great virtues but not of small virtues; capable of defying his torturer but not of keeping his temper."

This one by George MacDonald, "Until we love the Lord so as to do what He tells us, we have no right to have an opinion about what one of those men [writers of the N.T. epistles] meant, for all they wrote about is about things beyond us," reminds me of the newsletter send by the Highland Study Center today, in which R.C. Sproul, Jr. reminds us about John 15's parable of the Vine, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This, and not a laundry list of theological precision is how we ought to be judging ourselves. This, and not a laundry list of wisdom driven lifestyle choices is how we ought to be judging ourselves. Confessional purists who lack peace are in trouble. Head-covering homeschoolers who lack joy are in trouble. Head-covering, homescooling, confessional purists who lack gentleness, like me, are in a heap of trouble. The trouble won’t be solved by finding the right answers to the questions that vex us. It will only be solved by clinging to the Vine. "

This one is another George MacDonald, given me with the explanation by my friend, Christa: "God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy." Like a father extremely pleased with his little son's first step, yet unsatisfied until the stride is strong and confident, God is with us.

To God be all glory