To Our Grandchildren...With Love

You are not yet here.  In fact, our children (your parents) are still teenagers.  
I am thinking ahead to the day when you might read this.

Perhaps you never will.  But, if you do, these are some of the things
I would want to say to you if I could.

First and foremost, the Lord Jesus Christ is everything.

Eternity is what really matters.  Temporal things are temporary.

And, what you put your faith in here will affect your life forever.

Our prayer has always been that all those who are born into,

or marry into, or by any other means become a part of our family

until the day when the Lord returns would belong to Him.

It is our greatest desire.  Nothing else is more important.  Absolutely nothing.


L to R ~ Fraser, Howie, Camille, Emma, and Calvin (2016)

So, though I might tell you that manners count for something
(and they do), or that saving up and being wise with your money matters
(and it does), or to wait and be patient will pay off in the long run
(and it likely will), and to work hard and be faithful in the small things
is important (and it is), I am going to leave you with a few verses to ponder.

Because at the end of it all,  God's Word will remain.  
It is unchangeable and true.  It is infallible and inerrant.
It is lasting and eternal.  It is the foundation upon which we stand.

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is found throughout Scripture,
however, it is spelled out very clearly in the following verses.
Each one of us is sinful and separated from God by our sin.  
We cannot bridge the chasm between us and God.  We need a Saviour.  

The Lord Jesus came to earth, fully God and fully man,
to live perfectly so He could die to pay the penalty due for the sin of His people.
He absorbed all the wrath of God for that sin on the cross, 
rose victorious over death and sin and Satan, and is now seated at the right hand 
of the Throne of God making intercession for all those who belong to Him.

Those who come to Him in faith and repentance will live eternally
with Him, and those who don't will be cast away forever.
It is not popular to proclaim these things in this day and age,
however, it must be said.  Look to Him and live!



"...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one."  Romans 3:10

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

"For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life;
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  John 14:6

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me;
for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
 and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."  John 6:37

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."  John 1:12

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is none else."  Isaiah 45:22

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"  Matthew 16:26

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philippians 1:21



On Austin's grave marker we have the words "...with Christ which is far better"
from Philippians 1:23 etched into the granite.  We believe that phrase
with all of our hearts.  One day, we hope the same words will be etched onto ours.
Until that day, however, we are called to live here.


Our Austin (2011)

So we carry on with an eye on the eternal.
We go forward step by step seeking to keep
our hearts fixed on those things that will last forever.

L to R ~ Fraser, Emma, and Calvin (2016)

We are about to launch into another year, and as we do, we say farewell to the current one.
I am sure it will be this way until the Lord returns.  Seasons change, years come and go, 
and time marches on.  It is a lovely thing to reflect on all that the Lord has done

and look forward to all that He will do.

What a precious thing it is to rest our hearts there.

When we are the Lord's, we have nothing to fear and everything to hope.

This life is not all there is.  Eternal things are what truly matter.

In light of that, we are seeking to follow our Saviour wherever He may lead 
and to trust Him with our future.  To trust Him with all who come after us.

He is the One Who holds everything in His hands.

We are His slaves.  We live and we die for Him.

There truly is nothing else.  From first to last, it's all about Him.
What a freeing and liberating thing to ponder.
However, it is a sobering thought as well.

It ought to make a difference in how we live.

So, as we embark on another new year, I reflect and I rejoice.
In all that has been and all that will be.  All because of Him.
And, because we know that our Saviour is in control of it all,
we can confidently face the future.  By His grace and for His glory.

With So Much Love,
Your Nana (Camille) 
xoxo

**Ocean image courtesy of Emma ~
Thank you my love XO

The Reason

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Reason we celebrate.
He is God incarnate.  Fully God and fully man.
We reflect on His first advent while anticipating His second coming.
 
"Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign;
Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call His name Immanuel."  Isaiah 7:14
 
"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS:

for He shall save His people from their sins."  Matthew 1:21

Our Saviour came to live perfectly to fulfill the law of God
in the place of all those who would trust in Him.
He went willingly to the cross to lay down His life for His people.

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
2 Corinthians 5:21

The Lord Jesus took upon Himself all the sins of all those
that the Father would give Him, and consumed the wrath of God for those sins.
He rose victorious over death and sin and Satan and is now seated
at the right hand of God in heaven, interceding for His own.

At Christmas, we ought to look beyond
the manger and consider the cross.

One day, Jesus Christ will return to gather His people to Himself.
All those who have not put their trust in Him will be cast away forever.
It is a sobering thing to ponder.  Where do you stand?
This Christmas, are you trusting in the Christ of Christmas?

The Lord Jesus said, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me;
and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."  John 6:37

If you wish to read more, click here for a wonderful
article explaining the Gospel and the Reason we have hope.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!
With Love, Camille

Bigger than Fear

It was shortly before Austin's 17th birthday when

we found ourselves at Children's Hospital in the ICU.

He had been admitted for one malady which very quickly took

a backseat to a much more serious one.

During that hospital stay, 
our Austin was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy 
which had not previously been on anyone's radar.

DCM, as it is commonly referred to,

is a life-threatening condition.  Austin was given a little booklet

to read in an attempt to inform him of his new diagnosis.

He was too weak to read.  So, he left it.

When I had a moment, I picked it up and read it through.

Austin asked me to give him the run down.  I didn't want to.  Not then.

I told him that I wanted to wait until he was out of ICU.

But, he insisted on knowing what he was up against.

I resisted.  But, he pushed me for a brief synopsis.

He really wanted to know.

It was grim and I didn't want to upset him unnecessarily.
The statistics for DCM were grave.  One third of children

diagnosed with the condition die, one third live with
impaired heart function, and one third fully recover.

I told him the potential was that he could die.  
He replied after only a moment..."That was blunt!"
And then, after a pause and thoughtful consideration,
"But, I'm not afraid to die, because I know where I am going".

It was a profound moment we shared.
He and I were alone and it was precious to witness his response.
Austin had looked death squarely in the face and was able,
as evidenced by his bold declaration, to prove his faith was bigger than fear.

From that moment on, he had a boldness in his witness 
for the Lord and all that He has done for His people which warmed my heart.
He was able to testify that we serve a good and gracious Saviour
Who does all things well and without mistake.

It was incredibly encouraging to us as his parents.
It was clear where he stood and in Whom he had put his trust.

Austin was well aware of the situation he was in.
However, he sought to live life to its fullest in spite of it.
By God's great grace, he knew what was most important and lived accordingly.
         It is how we all ought to live.  It is something we all ought to consider. 

Eternal focus has a way of clearing out clutter.
All that really matters is all that is left.
 
We have many happy memories of our precious son.
This particular memory is one that I hold dear to my heart.
We really didn't believe that Austin would fall into the one third
category of children who eventually die from DCM.

The Lord graciously gave us just over 14 months more with our son
after his diagnosis.  For that, and many other mercies, we are thankful.
One day, the Lord will cause us to know all that we need to about these things.
Until then, we trust in His perfect and sovereign plan for us all.

It is a blessing to rest our hearts in His good purposes.
It is truly a wonderful thing to belong to Him.

Are you the Lord's?  Do you have the confidence in your future that our Austin had?
It is only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work.
The assurance of salvation is available to all who come ~ see John 6:37.

There is nothing more precious than trusting in the Saviour, 
and knowing that you belong to Him.  There is a wonderful peace
that comes with knowing where you will be for all eternity.
 Look to Him and live!

With Love,
Camille

**The first photo in this post is from the hospital stay when we first learned
of Austin's DCM diagnosis.  He was out of ICU and upstairs.

**The second photo is from Austin's last birthday card ~
the verses written there were such a comfort to his heart, and to ours.

One Thing Needful

"Oh, it is a great thing in these days of unbelief to believe the whole Bible!

If you would ever be a healthy and scriptural Christian,

I entreat you to beware of any ministry which does not plainly

teach the reality and eternity of hell.

 Such a ministry may be soothing and pleasant,

but it is far more likely to lull you to sleep than to lead you to Christ,

or build you up in the faith.
 

It is impossible to leave out any portion of God's truth

without spoiling the whole.  That preaching is sadly defective

which dwells exclusively on the mercies of God and the joys of heaven,

and never sets forth the terrors of the Lord and the miseries of hell.

It may be popular, but it is not scriptural;

it may amuse and gratify, but it will not save.


 

Give me the preaching which keeps back nothing that God has revealed.

You may call it stern and harsh; you may tell us that to frighten people

is not the way to do them good.  But you are forgetting that the grand

object of the gospel is to persuade men to 'flee from the wrath to come',

and that it is vain to expect men to flee unless they are afraid.
 

Well would it be for many professing Christians

if they were more afraid about their souls than they now are!    
 

If you desire to be a healthy Christian, consider often what your own end will be.

Will it be happiness, or will it be misery?

Will it be the death of the righteous, or will it be death without hope...

 ...I beseech you, by the mercies of God, to look this question fairly in the face.
 

I entreat you not to stifle conscience by vague hopes of God's mercy,

while your heart cleaves to the world.

I implore you not to drown convictions by childish fancies about God's love,

while your daily ways and habits show plainly that 'the love of the Father is not in you'.


 

There is mercy in God, like a river,

but it is for the penitent believer in Christ Jesus.

There is a love in God towards sinners which is unspeakable and unsearchable, 

but it is for those who hear Christ's voice and follow Him.
 

Seek to have an interest in that love.

Break off every known sin; come out boldly from the world;

cry mightily to God in prayer; cast yourself wholly and unreservedly

on the Lord Jesus for time and eternity; lay aside every weight.
 

Cling to nothing, however dear, which interferes with your soul's salvation;

give up everything, however precious, which comes between you and heaven. 

This old shipwrecked world is fast sinking beneath your feet;

the one thing needful is to have a place in the lifeboat and get safe to shore.

Give diligence to make your calling and election sure.
 

Whatever happens to your house and property, see that you make sure of heaven.

Oh, better a million times be laughed at and thought extreme in this world,

than go down to hell from the midst of the congregation,

and end like Lot's wife!"
 

Quoted from "Holiness" by J. C. Ryle pages 172-174

With Love, Camille