joyful * patient * faithful.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12Continue Reading
joyful * patient * faithful
You Are
I hear this song frequently on Christian radio and it always catches my attention so I thought I’d share. Though the lyrics are about hard times and circumstances that we sometimes find ourselves facing, the chorus feels to me, so joyful and upbeat. It sticks in my head and and I find myself humming it throughout the day.
Hope you are having a happy and relaxing SUNDAY with an encouraging song in your heart!
You Are
Colton Dixon
When I can’t find the words
To say how much it hurts
You are the healing in my heart
When all that I can see
Are broken memories
You are the light that’s in the dark
You are the song
You are the song I’m singing
You are the air
You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope
You are the hope I’m needin’
Whoa
You are
And when my circumstance
Leaves me with empty hands
You’re the provider of my needs
When all my dirtiness
Has left me helpless
You are the rain that washes me
You are the song
You are the song I’m singing
You are the air
You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope
You are the hope I’m needin’
Whoa
You are the song
You are the song I’m singing
You are the air
You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope
You are the hope I’m needin’
Whoa
If I had no voice, if I had no tongue
I would dance for You like the rising sun
And when that day comes and I see Your face
I will shout Your endless, glorious praise
If I had no voice, if I had no tongue
I would dance for You like the rising sun
And when that day comes and I see Your face
I will shout Your endless, glorious praise
You are the song
You are the song I’m singing
You are the air
You are the air I breathe in
You are the hope
You are the hope I’m needin’
Whoa
You are the song
(You are the song
You are the song I’m singing)
You are the air
(You are the air
You are the air I breathe in)
You are hope
(You are the hope
You are the hope I’m needin’)
I’m singin’ whoa
morning
The Earth Laughs in Flowers
tropical Passiflora, known also as passion flowers or passion vines
Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.
Revelation 4:11
Fireworks Photos
Wouldn’t you love to capture photos of those amazing fireworks illuminating the night sky? Learn from these easy step-by-step instructions for how to get great Fireworks photos as we Celebrate the 4th of July!Continue Reading
Day by Day
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
I was reminded of this beautiful hymn in a book I am currently reading. It has been far too long since I have heard it or sang it. I did not know the history behind the hymn nor the author, Carolina Sandell.
When she was 26, Carolina–or Lina (pronounced Lie-nah) as she liked to be called–experienced a tragedy which profoundly affected the course of her life. She was with her father, a Lutheran pastor, crossing a Swedish lake. Suddenly the ship lurched, and before her eyes, her father was thrown overboard and drowned. Lina had written hymns before, but now she poured out her broken heart in an endless stream of beautiful songs. Her hymns mightily influenced the revival that swept across Scandanavia after l850.
Day by Day and with Each Passing Hour
Carolina Sandell 1832-1903
Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Every day the Lord Himself is near me,
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then, in every tribulation,
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till with Christ the Lord I stand.
Happy Mother’s Day!
a new song
I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear and will trust in the LORD.
How blessed is the man who has made the LORD his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us; there is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them, they would be too numerous to count.
Psalm 40:1-5
Count Your Blessings
Count Your Blessings
Lyrics:Johnson Oatman Jr. 1856-1926
Music:Edwin Othello Excell 1851-1921
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Refrain:
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.
When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.
So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
morning by morning new mercies I see
{April morning sunrise}
Great is Thy faithfulness
written by Thomas Chisholm (1866–1960) music composed by William M. Runyan (1870–1957)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me
Amazing Grace
Jesus Has Overcome
Happy Easter!
(sweet wool sheep are available @Cedar Pond Wool Craft on Etsy) by Kathy who blogs at Spot on Cedar Pond)
surely this was a righteous man
Ancient Words
Ancient Words
Songwriters
Ronnie C. Freeman Jr. / Tony W. Wood
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh, let the ancient words impart
Words of Life, words of Hope
Give us strength, help us cope
In this world, where e’er we roam
Ancient words will guide us home
Chorus
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart
Holy words of our Faith
Handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
Oh heed the faithful words of Christ
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God’s own heart
Oh let the ancient words impart
Chorus
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
Oh, let the ancient words impart
I am most familiar with the Michael W. Smith version of Ancient Words, but also found this beautiful performance:
For as high as the heavens are…
Psalm 103:11-13
Prone to Wander
This needlepoint is very special to me because it is a line from my favorite hymn and because it was stitched for me by a kind and thoughtful friend of my daughter, in her own unique style.
I thought a long time about how to finish her piece. Instead of framing it, I decided to make it into a pillow and display it on the chair I sit on as I spend time reading my Bible.
Come Thou Fount
Robert Robinson (1758)
Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it
mount of God’s redeeming love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Hither by Thy help I’ve come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above
. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;
Seal it for Thy courts above.
I am currently reading a devotional recommended by Alistair Begg, with prone to wander in the title.
I am only beginning the book and love it already, especially how well the prayers are worded.
I am only beginning the book and love it already, especially how well the prayers are worded.
Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration
by Barbara R Duguid and Wayne Duguid Houk
Here is an excerpt from the back cover:
Confessing our sins might seem like a gloomy business—God already knows about them, so what’s the point of dwelling on failure? But confession is more celebratory than we think. It does not simply remind us of our guilt, but points us to our great Savior, who has atoned for us and lovingly pursues us despite our wandering.