Andy McIlvain

The Hound of Heaven (Psalm 139)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain.

Psalm 139

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped…

And so begins “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson, which has been called “the greatest ode in the English language.” The Hound in the poem is the Lord who continually seeks the writer even though the writer keeps running from Him. Continue reading →

Into the Wilderness of Advent (Revelation 11:15)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain. 

Revelation 11:15

The wilderness implies many things: a vast untamed and dangerous place, red of tooth and claw, where death and injury lurk. We travel into the wildernesses of the world with great preparation and forethought. Continue reading →

Tears in Rain (John 11:35)

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tearsSubmitted by Andy McIlvain.

John 11:35

Do you ever cry? Do you weep?

“Tears in Rain” is a monologue delivered by character Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) in the 1982 Ridley Scott movie Blade Runner. It is considered by many to be one of the greatest monologues in cinematic history. The dying replicant Roy Batty delivers the speech to Blade Runner Rick Deckard, after Batty saved his life despite Deckard being sent to kill him. The scene takes place during a heavy downpour of rain, moments before Batty’s death. His tears dissolves into rain as he reflects on his experiences and imminent mortality.

Tears are indeed a mysterious form of communication.
Continue reading →

Memento Mori (Hebrews 9:27)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain. 

Hebrews 9:27

Memento mori is the Medieval Latin Christian theory and practice of reflection on our mortality, the vanity of earthly life and the transient nature of all earthly goods and pursuits. Memento mori literally means “Remember you must die” Continue reading →

Hell on Wheels (Romans 6:23)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain.

Romans 6:23

Hell, where is it, what is it? Do you think of it?

Gordon Ramsey is a world renowned chef and entrepreneur and TV personality. His lists of so-called reality TV programs are many and continue to grow, as do his programs that use the word Hell: “Hell’s Kitchen,” “Hotel Hell,” and now “Hell on Wheels.”

But what is Hell? Should we as Christian’s care? Continue reading →

The Mighty Whisperer (1 Kings 19:12)

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domaindia.pngSubmitted by Andy McIlvain.

1 Kings 19:12

If you listen carefully you can hear Gods whispers echoing around us. He is always there; he never ceases, whispering, speaking, and beckoning to us. God’s whispers are present in his revelations through creation, which surrounds us. The humming of electrons, the buzz of a fly, the footfall of an elephant, the roar of thunder, and the fall of a single sparrow (Matthew 10:29) are all known and heard by him. Continue reading →

The Wisdom of the 100 Aker Wood (Proverbs 27:17)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain. 

Proverbs 27:17

Recently my lovely wife and I took our grandsons to see the Disney movie Christopher Robin at our local theatre. It brought back wonderful memories of the original Disney Winne the Pooh and how the movie and the books helped me through difficult times as a child. C. S. Lewis said, “When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” Continue reading →

CHOP, CHOP! (Galatians 6:2)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain. 

Galatians 6:2

“Chop Chop!, Chop Chop!,” the crowd of 500-600 people yelled as we all did The Wave in support of contestant Doug. It was the 67th Annual Woodsmen Show at Cherry Springs, PA near the end of 4 hours of competition. Professional Woodsmen from all over the country and continent had chopped, sawed, used cross cut saws, thrown axes, and used chain saws made from motorcycle and snowmobile engines, up to the final event, Tree Felling. Three men would each compete on their own tree in a timed event to see who could chop it down with an axe the fastest. Continue reading →

Little Decisions = Force Multipliers (Ephesians 6:12)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain.

Ephesians 6:12

 

One of my previous experiences in life was in the U.S Army as an illustrator for the 4th Psychological Operations Group, 8th Psyops Battalion located at Fort Bragg, N.C., part of the newly formed (at that time) 1st Special Operations Command. Our area of operation was the Middle East. This was in the mid 1980’s, which was a very different world than it is today.
Continue reading →

Mirror, Mirror (Genesis 1:27)

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Submitted by Andy McIlvain. 

Genesis 1:27

What is a mirror? Almost all of us get up in the morning and look into one. We look into the mirror and we recognize ourselves. This is unique in all of creation. A dog or cat, for example, sees a stranger or an intruder when they gaze into a mirror. Continue reading →