Stirrings of the Sweetest name ...

Themes--as a past English major I truly appreciate that God would speak to us often enough in themes. Lately He has had MUCH to say in my life about returning, arising, awakening. Like this verse:

"Wake up O Sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on You."
Be very careful then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."

Ephesians 5:14-16


These songs would better speak my heart than my little ole words--they would be a wonderful prayer. Enjoy! --Make sure you pause/turn off my music at the bottom of this page to hear the music. May the ears of our hearts be opened...


"When I Speak Your Name"
by Gateway Worship | from the album Wake Up The World:


VERSE 1
Jesus, the most beautiful name of all names
Jesus, the only name that brings healing and strength
When I speak Your Name, mountains move, chains are loosed
When I speak Your Name, darkness flees, it has no hold on me



CHORUS
Jesus, the most beautiful name that I know
You’re the exalt- ed One
Jesus, You have the power alone
You lift the lone- ly one, Je- sus



VERSE 2
Jesus, the most wonderful name of all names
Jesus, the only name that brings freedom and hope
When I speak Your Name, mountains move, chains are loosed
When I speak Your Name, darkness flees, it has no hold on me



(1st ending)
You lift the lone- ly one
(Repeat Chorus)



(2nd ending)
You lift the lone- ly one, Je- sus



CHORUS 2
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher




Praise God!

~and~


Do It Lord by Tommy Walker

I see your glory, covering the earth Lord
Just as the waters, covering the sea
I see the millions, coming to salvation
I see revival, fire in the land
I see the lost, nameless ones remembered
I see the widows, shouting out your praise
I see the friendless, loved and cele brated
Orphans fullfilling Lord, your calling on their lives

Do It Lord, do it lord
Do it Lord we are praying
Do it Lord, do it
That your glory may be seen

I see forgiveness over taking hatred
Pride and prejudice, now giving way to love
I see depression replaced with joy and gladness
And Satan's lies, now bowing to the truth

Do It Lord, do it lord
Do it Lord we are praying
Do it Lord, do it!
That your glory may be seen

This is our prayer oh God
This is our desperate cry
In these days that were living now
Let your kingdom come
Let your will be done

I see the brokeness of families, brought to wholeness
I see the prodigals, running home to you
Father's hearts, now turning toward their children
And the children's hearts, turning toward the fathers
I see your Church, all rising up in power
Laying down their lives in unity and love
I hear the sound of every tribe and nation
Giving glory to Jesus Christ the Son


Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher
Be exalted, be exalted, be exalted higher and higher



Love in our sweet Jesus' name,

Gillian

Beach Blessings

12 cousins and family enjoying Mimi and Grandpa Tucker at Hilton Head Island--what a fun, sweet week :) Thank you, Mimi and Grandpa!! We mostly enjoyed Uncle Ken's worship on his guitar, long talks, bike rides,watching little boys with sticks,shovels, and sand, ocean life, little girl giggles, corporate family prayers, and being gathered together for fellowship for a week. Simple things, deep blessings, God's ministering hand among us all...

Blessings to you!
Love, Gillian

Under HIS Wings -- In Your Arms

The glory of sons is their Father.


As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; Psalm 103:13

From the mouths of babes:

"I like him because he tickles" -- Jack - 5 years

"Free food cause he loves me. I like him to tickle me and tickle me and tickle me."-- Bruik - 5 years

"Daddy is my Fahder. I lob him." -- Ava - 3 years

From an older child:

"Daddy, You're awesome! God put you in charge of this family!!" -- Anderson - 8 years

From the mouths of teens:

"I love you so much and really enjoy being around you. you are the funnest man to ever be around with in the whole entire world! But it doesn't mean that I'll be nice when it comes to the pool!" -- Graham - 13 years

"You're the best! Better than I ever guessed. You're kind, fun, and funny too. You're quite good-lookin. Its's really true. I love you!!" -- Ashley - 14 years



Happy Father's Day to Our Precious Richard!

Love Always, Gillian

17 Years Later...

Happy Anniversary to my Sweet Richard!! He'll be so impressed that I REMEMBERED!!--We are not ones to remember dates very naturally!! :) Last year we were in the midst of tucking in the children at the end of a longish day when we grinned at each other --Oh, my! Its our anniversary!! "Happy Anniversary, Honey!!" This year, after spending the day with the kiddos in some Father's Day card making (yes, I forgot it was around the corner as well!!), we might mark these blessed years with a trip over to Abay restaurant--Ethiopian Food--our Fav! But mostly with thankful hugs on our children and hopefully a dance or two to some Kenny G. at some point :)--yes, how very 80's of us!! :)--happy nerds!! :) Love today to my Godly, hard-working, tender, patient, incredible.... husband and best friend!!



Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21

17 years later...

We had big dreams and visions then
Yet, never would have imagined,
or even asked
for the sweetness
of this love
or painted a picture of 4 cherubs in baby blankets
Or... of our sweet boy received in the Arms of the Jesus...already...
What a connection to heaven we now daily have,
He dances with the angels and in our hearts...
and then, dreams realized
and shattered
health broken
and restored
scary nights of incredible fear
and sorrow
beyond what we could have ever asked for or
dreamed
shocks that shook us awake
Were the cords that drew us to His presence
and to His Word
Utter Dependence on the One Who IS our LIFE
and our Breath.
Yet,
These events were exactly the place
Where He would have us to walk and grow,
and to know Him.
Uniquely blessed in His plans and His favor through every bit of our lives.
Many of them moments of dancing and leaping
and laughing
Oh the JOY in Him!!
Years later, led into wide open fields,
Under stretched out tenting and between pulled -out stakes,
He brought us children of our hearts,
Travelers on the sea of grace,
A visit from a tiny prince and princess,
A new land to traverse in,
and yet is not our home,
For our hearts are set on pilgrimage,
Our eyes are set on Him.
We believe He is getting us ready to see Him,
Soon.
A Father preparing a Bride for His Son,
What that will be like we could not ask or imagine!!
Today,
At almost 40 years of age
A new call rises on our life.
We sense its pull...
We feel His hand,
We recognize that voice that calls.
We hold hands and answer back
"We Do"
"We Will"
Speak, Lord,
for your servants are listening...

Complacency Quiz

This little zinger is written by Paige Benton--a speaker at a women's conference I visited this Spring and a close friend of a precious family member of mine. Some of these questions have been following me around in my daily life. This is meant to be a thermometer of types for our hearts' passion for Christ. Not to be used to invoke guilt but rather to spur us on/wake us up to press in more deeply to what we say we believe...

TRUE/FALSE:

You have talked with the Lord several times today.

You remember the words of the songs and hymns you sang Sunday.

You can hear the Lord's name used in vain without noticing.

You have recently asked your spouse, your child, your friend for forgiveness.

It is embarrassing for you to be around Christians who are very verbal about their faith.

You get more personally involved and excited at a movie or sporting event than you do in worship.

You know of close family and/or friends that are going to hell and have not shared the gospel with them.

You would rather spend time on your looks than your holiness.

You pray regularly with your spouse.

You have formed your perspective of our world based on the news media rather than the Bible.

You "fit in" socially with non-Christians better and more easily than with Christians.

You only have "Christian/Church" friends in your social circles --you do not have any "non-Christian" friends.

You respond humbly to criticism.

You have increased your giving in the past year, even in a bad economy.

E-mail, Facebook, Blogging, and Twitter are a priority over personal time with the Lord in His Word.

You have recently lost sleep over your own sin.

The Lord's day is obviously different then every other day of your week (including Saturday).

You are more bothered to have gained weight then to have gossiped about someone.

You are presently involved in serving the poor, the disabled, the elderly.

You can comfortably watch degrading movies and TV. Or you can comfortably watch shows or movies you would not permit your children to see.

You have memorized Scripture in the past month.

The acquisition of money and things is a dominant part of your life.

You pardon your own sin by saying the Lord understands.

You are never overcome with emotion in your personal time with the Lord--your spontaneous songs are silenced and your tears are dried up.



"Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts." Zachariah 1:3

" Return to Him from whom you have deeply defected, O sons of Israel. " Isaiah 31:6

"I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud And your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you." Isaiah 44:22

"From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?' Malachi 3:7

How 'bout I don't show you my quiz and you don't show me your quiz--but let's continually be returning to Him. God is at work getting a bride ready for His Son. It won't be long until He RETURNS to us on this Earth--could be any minute or hour--let's get ready!!

Love, Gillian

Bruik is the Number of Grace Today

Happy Birthday, Dear Bruik! Happy Birthday to you!! Bruik Clement "Gift of God", "Merciful One" is 5 years old today. Bruik is one of our treasures from Ethiopia. I had a dream last night in which I was retelling the origin of his name--how fresh it is on my heart, let me tell you as well.

During our 10 months of waiting to meet our new children from Ethiopia, we nested as most parents do--dreaming, envisioning what these precious ones would be like and how they would knit into our family. As you may be able to see in my blog, I love language and the meaning of language--thus the choosing of a name is a special pleasure in our family. Richard and I wanted to grace our new children with a family name full of special meaning and charge for thier lives--a connection/an identity with thier new family plus an Ethiopian name to carry thier homeland with them, always honoring the fabric God chose when He fashioned each of them -- creating an unbreakable link to thier beautiful people and amazing homeland. We poured over Ethiopian/Amharic name lists until we found a boy name and a girl name. Bruik so pleased us for it means, "Gift of God". And Clement is Richard's middle name as well as Richard's father's middle name and his father's first name--quite a family connection! And just what we would desire for a man, its meaning, "mercy".

In our family~out of God's mercy,

Encouraged to live a life of mercy in God...

All that to set the stage for the day of our "referral", the announcement from our adoption agency of Bruik and Ava. In a joyful phone call we got word of a 2 year-old boy and a 1 year old girl. There was only one sheet of information and 2 photos online and there was much jumping around and shouting for joy!! Yet, what I want to give you a picture of in your mind that made me weap as I opened our computer screen to first see my son and his information--in the first blank that stated the child's given name, written in over-copied smeary letters were the letters that spelled out the name...Bruik.

Yes! The same name we thought we had so carefully chosen on our "own" was the name God also had his parents in Ethiopia, in the little town of Nazaret, give to him at his birth. From the beginning, God's fingerprints, all over the story of our lives. Bruik is the gift of God for sure!! Every night as we tuck him in we remind him as we snuggle that we are SO happy that God has given such a special gift to us.

This little boy's smile lights up the room--and our hearts. From the moment we met him, he jumped into our arms and has remained a joyful, extremely obedient, cheerful little boy. He is kind and very generous. On the first birthday in our home and at 2 Christmas celebrations, he walked around the room with his gifts and offered to share them -- to give them away to his siblings out of the simple joy of receiving them. I learn from our "Bruiky" every day lessons of a simple heart, purity, lack of a materialistic spirit, true/joyous contentment. His prayers are beautiful. After experiencing such depth of sorrow in his homeland, including the death of his parents and a loss of all familiar and "home and family" to him, he always first prays for us "not to die" as he begins his prayers and then goes on to worship and to intercede for others in ways I have never heard from a child so young.

And is he ever atheletic!!! He learned to ride a bike in one day atthe age of three and taught himself to swim by watching another child's swim lesson one day at the age of 4. We have had to ask Bruik to stop racing the brother his own age and move on to racing his older brothers--who he can beat with more fairness in the races!! -- The other day he mentioned that when he is a man like Daddy he will be the fastest man in the world. Why not? He definately is speedy ;) and what joy he has when he is moving fast! --The world is open to this precious child. We praise God that we get to be the foundation from where he will be launched.

Yesterday we celebrated Bruik's birthday. It was all things Bruik!! We started our celebration by going to a soccer clinic where he ran around with a huge grin and patted his brothers on the back every time he passed them on the field. The clinic was part of a cummulation celebration for international soccer teams that play in the Nashville area. There were men from many nations there, Bundi, Somali Bantu (we had some friends on this team), Mexico, South Africa,and Saudi Arabia. At the end of our day, we got to watch the game for the finals between Mexico and Somali Bantu--it was an awesome game and such a highlight for our children--I wish we had events like this every weekend!!

Between soccer events we had a 5 year-old party at my parents' home. Our new tradition is to "knight" our sons as they reach the age of five and first enter young boyhood. We have written a "code of chivalry" , a list of values that we would want our sons to embrace through the Spirit of Jesus. We have a ceremony that they highly look forward to and love where they first agree to the code--Each family member asks the knight to be a question regarding the "code" and the child answers an agreement like,"Yes I will, fight for what is right..."--{The cutest yesterday was when "Sir Jack" (our 5 year old who was recently knighted in December) asked Bruik if would "be brave in Jesus" and when 3 year old Ava asked him if he would "be nice to the girls".}-- Then my dad gets out a huge sword he brought back from a travel in Spain and he "knights" them on thier shoulders. Its a priceless end to babyhood and beginning of the age of young boyhood. A first rite of passage...

I have included a picture of our "code" and some of our boys "fighting for what's right" ;)--Yea, what can you expect from mixing 5 year olds and plastic swords!! Well, anyway--some pictures to give you a bit of a "picture" of the ceremony...

This year before our ceremony came a new "proclaimation" written by my dad to give a special name to our knight to give some encouragement of special identity--he's where I get much of my creative juices so enjoy! :

"HEAR YE HEAR YE HEAR YE Be it Trumpeted and Known Throughout the Kingdom That: Squire Bruik of the house of Tucker, having faithfully served the brood of Tuck for the appointed training period, and having been recommended for knighthood by his leige Sir Richard the Tuck, is hereby and forthrightly dubbed Sir Bruik the Swift, Knight of the Realm."

Sir Bruik was delighted!! He then ate cake with Sir Jack and Sir Anderson and Sir Graham , ate burgers from the barbeque, played an assortment of outside party games and then went off to see the teams of Bantu and Mexico battle it out on the fields of Christ Presbyterian soccer fields. Five was Fabulous with our "Gift of God"!! Happy Birthday, Dear Bruik!!




Some promises the Lord has spoken over Bruik--please continue to pray them over his precious life:

"All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace. In righteousness you will be established." Isaiah 54:13

"Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the
age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer
of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings" Isaiah 58:12

"They will rebuild the ancient
ruins
and restore the places long
devastated;
they will renew the ruined
cities
that have been devastated for generations." Isaiah 61:4

"And you will be called
priests of the Lord,
you will be named
ministers of our God." Isaiah 61:6


Love, Gillian

Such Freedom at an Incredible Cost

Memorial Day

We are a THANKFUL People Today.

12 years ago, this week, God healed our son, Graham of a horrible, death- threatening cancer. God healed him the week of his first Birthday. Our doctor who preformed a previous surgery on little Graham and who had told us to ready ourselves for his death--"You better get talking to the man upstairs" was some of the advice we were given--and did we ever!! and did the family of Christ ever fall to their knees for him ,in our precious families, and all over our area ,and in Washington D.C. and in many far-flung areas in this world, God heard these prayers and answered with an astounding healing. Lab results suddenly showed that an invasive bone cancer sample (taken from a foot long mass in Graham) that only looks ONE specific way, had "metamorphosed" into something entirely different within the lab (!!) and of course, within Graham!! Graham is written up in a prominent medical journal. I wonder how many other miracle patients they have written up in there!! :) Our doctor next reported, "I think I'm beginning to believe that there's really someone up there!"
And is there EVER!!
This Sunday, we celebrated Graham's 13th birthday--his entrance into the manhood years. As Richard and I looked into each other's eyes tonight, we both read, "A young man. 12 years given back. -- Oh, Thank you, Lord for every minute you have given to us." We both are hitting our knees yet again in praise and thanks to our healer. Graham declared today his best birthday, ever. We ask God for many more with him.

And that brings me to our next thanks--related to this day that memorializes Freedom and its cost...

We truly can do the unimaginable. We can drop to our knees in our front yard and worship God freely

In plain sight.

This is absolutely just not the case over vast regions of our world.

The other afternoon, a sweet friend offered to pray for me--on my front steps...Across the world a young woman would sit in prison or in a torture cell for LESS... Another time recently, Ashley and I enjoyed a time with her guitar on the front lawn--singing our favorite praise songs...

Sweetness,Fellowship,
Innocence,Freedom...

In different regions we would have to mouth our praises silently behind closed doors...

Please Make Sure you are familiar with precious believers' work (such as Voice of the Martyrs) that bring persecution of Christians to light. They count on our prayers and advocacy for their freedom. Who would help you if you were jailed for your faith? www.persecution.com --The young woman I mentioned above is real. She sits in prison. We write to her. We can freely open one of our many bibles and find encouraging Word to bring Life to her. To perhaps breathe strength into one who is standing firm for our Savior. You too, could encourage fellow believers who suffer in ways we could not imagine. I encourage you to discover Voice of the Martyrs.

"The courage of Martyrs throughout history and today is contagious, challenging us to stand up for Christ in a world increasingly hostile to Him and His people." (VOM newsletter quote)

On Memorial Day, we are thankful people.

Thank you to those who have given of their time, strength, wit, endurance, proximity to loved ones and homeland, and even their very lives to serve us--to stand on the walls -- to ensure that freedom remains strong in our land. We are so grateful for your sacrifice for us.

Thank you to those of you who labor on your knees for us. You Warriors of Word and Prayer. Seeking the Father's heart and searching for Him earnestly. You are the ones who humble your hearts and who God sees and promises:

"However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear [their prayer] from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

You are our glue. God sees you and heals our land. He restrains judgement on our land because of YOUR prayers and humble obedience/love to Him.

In our families and Churches and under the tree in our front yard,-- you pray,--you worship.-- You are the faithful remnant in the land. Believers in the One True Living God, the ultimate warrior --for us -- who paid the highest sacrifice for our FREEDOM from sin and death.

And here is a Memorial Day story for you. About courage and true freedom in the face of persecution. (this is an excerpt from James and Betty Robinson's weekly devotional):

The Lord’s Prayer In Hell
by Col. Leo Thorsness

“…deliver us from evil…” (Matthew 6:13)



Col. Thorsness tells his story in Surviving Hell: A POW's Journey

On April 30, 1967, LeoThorsness was shot down over North Vietnam. He was held and tortured for six years. Today's devotional comes from Col. Thorsness' memoirs, Surviving Hell.

The first Sunday at the Hanoi Hilton, someone said, "Let's have church service." Good idea, we all agreed. One POW volunteered to lead the service and we started gathering in the other end of the long, rectangular cell. No sooner had we gathered than an English-speaking Vietnamese officer who worked as an interrogator burst into the cell with a dozen armed guards. Ned Shuman, our Senior Ranking Officer, went to the officer and said there would not be a problem, we were just going to have a short church service. The response was unyielding: we were not allowed to gather into groups larger than three persons and absolutely could not have a church service.

During the next few days we all grumbled that we should not have backed down in our intention to have a church service and ought to do it the coming Sunday. Toward the end of the week, Ned stepped forward and said, "Are we really committed to having church Sunday?"

There was a murmuring of the assent throughout the cell. Ned said, "No, I want to know person by person if you are really committed to holding church."

We all knew the implications of our answer. If we went ahead with the plan, some would pay the price -- starting with Ned himself because he was the SRO. He went around the cell pointing to each of us individually.

"Leo, are you committed?"

"Yes."

When the 42nd man said “yes,” it was unanimous. We had 100% commitment to hold church the next Sunday. At that instant, Ned knew he would end up in the torture cells. It was different from previous Sunday. We now had a goal and we were committed. We only needed to develop a plan.

Sunday morning came and we knew they would be watching us again. Once more, we gathered in the far end of the cell. As soon as we moved together, the interrogator and guards burst through the door. Ned stepped forward and said there wouldn't be a problem, we were just going to hold a quiet, 10-minute church service and then we would spread back out in the cell. As expected, they grabbed him and hauled him off for torture.

Our plan unfolded. The second ranking man, the new SRO, stood, walked to the center of the cell and in a clear, firm voice said, "Gentlemen," our signal to stand, "the Lord's Prayer." We got perhaps halfway through the prayer when the guards grabbed the SRO and hauled him out the door.

As planned, the number three SRO stood, walked to the center of the cell and said, "Gentlemen, the Lord's Prayer." We had gotten about to "Thy kingdom come" before the guards grabbed him. Immediately, the number four SRO stood, "Gentlemen, the Lord's Prayer."

I have never heard five or six words from the Lord's Prayer recited so loudly or so reverently. The interrogator was shouting, "Stop, stop!" but we drowned him out. The guards were now hitting POWs with gun butts and the cell was in chaos.

The number five ranking officer was way back in the corner and took his time moving toward the center of the cell. (I was number seven, and not particularly anxious for him to hurry.) But just before he got to the center of the area, the cell became pin-drop quiet.

In Vietnamese, the interrogator spat out something to the guards. They grabbed the number five SRO and they all left, locking the cell door behind them. The number six SRO began, "Gentlemen, the Lord's Prayer." This time we finished it.

Five courageous officers were tortured, but I think they believed it was worth it. From that Sunday on until we came home, we held a church service. We won. They lost. Forty-two men in prison pajamas followed Ned’s lead. I know I will never see a better example of pure, raw leadership or will ever pray with a better sense of the meaning of those words.

This Week
Thank the Lord for the freedom we have to recite His Word without fear and for the brave men and women who continue to fight for this freedom.

Prayer
“Father, help me to not take our freedom for granted. Be with those who have sacrificed so much to protect our country and our liberty. Intercede on behalf of those who are in harm’s way and bring peace to our world so that everyone can worship openly and freely.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hear Col. Thorsness’ story this Monday as he joins James and Betty Robison on LIFE Today. Story used with permission from Encounter Books.

What Freedoms in Christ are you thankful for today?
I'm thankful to write to you!

Love,
Gillian