This poem was in our bulletin at Faith Presbyterian Church about 20 years ago. I copied it then and have meditated on it and been convicted by it many times since. I have no real wounds or scars. Nothing that comes close to what He bore for me. "Can he have followed far who has no wound or scar?" Lord, make me willing to be wounded, scarred, and pierced for You, Who gave everything for me.

Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star,
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?

By Amy Carmichael

Irish Missionary to India for 55 years

...the house gets painted! Hurray!

Cassie and I left early Monday morning and I got back Thursday night. While I was away, the men folk were obviously working very hard. Jim did all the spraying of the body of the house and the garage door, Seth and Jim painted the trim, and Isaac, Alex, and Titus taped windows and doors and moved scaffolding around. Thanks guys!

Here's a shot from last July.

And one from today!

And again, last July,

And today!

We are all pretty happy to have reached this milestone. A week from Monday the gutters will be put on the house and hopefully within a week after that, Jim and the boys will be able to put the front porch back on. And the outside of the house will be complete!