Hiraeth 1

2006-10-03T08:05:00.000-05:00

A View from My View

2006-06-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

through the window

An Important Announcement

2006-01-16T07:38:00.000-06:00

I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT!

No, I'm not standing on a chair under the party tree, neither am I going to announce that "this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE!" and vanish, but I am going to move to a new URL.

Starting with tomorrow morning's God's Minute prayer, I will begin to publish Hiraeth at it's new spot on Blogger: hiraeth.blogspot.com

I have managed to transfer everything in my sidebar to the new address and have added a section with links back here to the October 2005-January 2006 archive pages. I will continue to maintain this blog for the foresee-able future so that I can re-direct my friends to my new location. Other than republishing this post a couple of times, though, I won't be updating here.

So if you've followed an outdated link, won't you click one more time and follow along?

For those of you who have been so kind as to have bookmarked or subscribed here, I'd love it if you would follow me to the new blog and bookmark or subscribe over there. For those of you who have linked to Hiraeth in your sidebar links, I would be delighted if, when you next update your blog links, you would go in and remove that pesky extra "r"(Hira-r-eth) so that it reflects the new location.

So, if you come back here and find the place deserted and you have a "hiraeth" for the blog, come visit me. I'll be waiting to welcome you!

Gulp. . .

2006-01-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

This is scary. I'm not sure if I'm going to do it yet. I have some questions first.

My friend, Kyle, pointed out to me that I have spelled hiraeth incorrectly in my URL when I set up my blog. (serve me right for choosing a Welsh word, eh?) I've known this and it has caused a few problems but not many. He recommended that I go in and change the URL. I thought that I couldn't do it because back in October that URL was taken, however, it is free now so change is a possibility.

This is my question: If I go ahead and do this, will all the previous links that people have made to my blog be useless or will they continue to work somehow? I would really like to have the URL match the name of the blog, but I don't want to a. lose the last four months b. lose readers c. lose links.

Today is a very busy day so I probably won't have time to research how to do this. If I do decide to go ahead and do this (gulp) I will make note of it here on the blog a day or two before I do it, just in case.

Any advice? warnings? helpful suggestions? Any and all would be most appreciated.

And by the way, Kyle, thanks! :) (I think. . .)

God's Minute

2006-01-14T07:43:00.000-06:00

January 14

For Thy Name's sake, lead me, and guide me.--Psalm 31:3

LORD, hear our prayer in the morning. We need Thee all the day, through all the days. W have our call to prayer at any hour, but particularly when the night is spent, and Thou hast kindled the dawn as if Thou hadst made the day for us and only f0r us. Then we have a strange need that Thou shouldst take our hand inThine and our heart in Thine and our brain in Thine, and that our feet walk the road where Thy footprints should show the way though Thou shouldst need to leave us for a moment. We pray our morning prayer; we lift our singing hearts to Thee and praise Thee that all the ways we take we shall surely have the good companionship which on a day long since made hearts to burn, and turned a funeral day into one of laughter and great dreams. Blessed be the Lord, Who has guided our going all these years, and Who will continue to be our help and our rejoicing. We will make melody all day; we will walk modestly all day; we will work helpfully all day; we will do things which shall not need to be undone all day; and since these matters are too large for our accomplishment, we ask Thy mighty aid. Fail us not, our God. Smile on our many activities and bid them Godspeed to the end, that at the set of sun all may be well with our hearts, and we may be bidden by Thyself into a kindly good night.

Amen.

Bishop William A. Quayle,
St. Paul, Minnesota

His poems

Resolved to Confess

2006-01-13T09:05:00.000-06:00

After nearly a month’s break from the Resolutions and several sporatic attempts to get Resolution 7 up on the blog, something just didn’t seem to be right. So I’d put it on the back burner and let it simmer and go back to the sections of his memoirs and some readings from his works for inspiration. If my goal in this series was simply to share what I saw in the resolution and my thoughts about it, then this would be a fairly straight forward resolution and it wouldn’t have been too difficult to get something up quickly.

But that is not what I set out to do. I set out to examine the resolutions in the context of the life and writings of Jonathan Edwards with a view toward understanding the man and, hopefully to apply what I learned in my own life for the purpose of developing a heart after God like his. I saw in his writings a depth of character that came through his own self examination and I thought, “it would be good for me to know myself like this—I am too adept at rationalizing and defending myself.”

I have come to see that I have bitten off a good deal more than I can chew, and yet I will endeavor to persevere because it does me good. And if it takes me much longer than I thought and if I lose the interest of others or if I find I am never able to sensibly share this on the blog, then so be it. Protecting my own pride and not wanting to look like a quitter is not sufficient reason to carry a project on to (public) completion, and so in all this I will say along with Edwards:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to continue with this project, so far as it is agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake.

God's Minute

2006-01-13T06:24:00.000-06:00

January 13

Let not your heart be troubled.--John 14:1

ETERNAL GOD our Heavenly Father, we bow in gratitude before Thee this morning. We have been kept by Thy power during the darkness of the night. We are refreshed and strengthened for the duties of the new day. Thou hast made every provision for our physical needs. Accept this offering of sincere hearts. We would begin the day aright, so we tarry at Thy feet and implore the Divine blessing. We thank Thee for the message of Jesus Christ. Write His Word upon our hearts and help us to remember that Thou art the source of help for men in the critical experiences of life. We cannot see into the future so we know not what things shall come to pass this day. The spirit of future discernment is not with us. Things of great mystery may surge around us. We may be thrust into some dire temptation. We may be testd almost to the limit of endurance. Help us at all times to "believe in God" and to "believe in Jesus Christ." May the near personality of Jesus and the preciousness of His Word protect our hearts from trouble. Keep us this day from evil and help us to "hold steady" for the sake of One whose face "was set" toward Calvary. Bring us in Thine own good time to the place where the "mansions are" and give us the consciousness of a saving and keeping faith. In the Master's name we ask it.

Amen.

Rev. Benjamin Young,
Kansas City, Missouri

I'm having a senior moment

2006-01-12T20:46:00.000-06:00

I can't remember the name of a book that I've read several times to the boys when they were younger. Last time was about 10 years ago when Sam was in Kindergarten or first grade. It's about a well educated, civilized mouse who takes his young wife on a picnic and ends up getting swept away in a storm and is marooned on an island. It's a wonderful book and it really bugs me that I can't remember the title or the author or even the mouse's name. Might have had island in the title.

SOMEBODY has to remember the name of this book! Please! I don't want to have to go up to the cold attic tomorrow and rummage around in the boxes to find it!

[update]

Nevermind, *grin*, it was the first thing that popped into my head this morning. Abel's Island. by William Steig. (Although I did have to go to Amazon to come up with the author) You can get it new or used, hardback or paperback for a song at Amazon so if you have young children and you've never read it to them, or if your kids are ready to read a "real book" on their own, I highly recommend it.

From the back cover: "With inimitable style, Steig tells the story of a mouse, Abelard Hassam di Chirico Flint, who gets swept away in a driving rainstorm while rescuing his wife's scarf and winds up stranded on a river island for a year. Abel isn't just any mouse. He is a fastidious Edwardian dandy who's inherited wealth ensures the leisurely comforts he takes such pleasure in. But Abel's high toned life of leisure conceals a soul full of true grit: once faced with the necessity of survival, Abel rises to the challenge."--Starred/Booklist

Sunshine

2006-01-12T08:58:00.000-06:00

I've been waiting for that bright sunshine to show up and shine in my back door someday.

Luther Allison

Today the sun is shining! It is amazing to me how much one can overlook during extended days of gloom and cloudcover! This morning, I saw doggy noseprints on my doors and windows, dust bunnies on my hardwood floors. I saw how desperately my car needs to be washed! I saw how sluggish I had become.

Today the sun is shining! It is amazing to me how much one can see when the sun shines! I saw latent energy in the grass and shrubs--growth and brilliant color just bursting to return to life. I saw neighbors walking without hats, smiles on their faces and springs in their steps. I saw my garden as it will be in just a few, short months. I saw the hope of tomorrow and the Hand of the Almighty One Who gives us good gifts in season.

Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Andersen

Sunshine is a welcome thing. It brings a lot of brightness.

Jimmie Davis

I always feel sorry for people who think more about a rainy day ahead than sunshine today.

Rae Foley

He that will enjoy the brightness of sunshine, must quit the coolness of the shade.

Samuel Johnson

Nobody needs a smile so much as the one who has none to give. So get used to smiling heart-warming smiles, and you will spread sunshine in a sometimes dreary world.

Lawrence G. Lovasik

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.

John Ruskin

God's Minute

2006-01-12T06:25:00.000-06:00

January 12

The faithful God, which keepeth covenant.--Deuteronomy 7:9

OUR Heavenly Father, we come to thank Thee for Thy many mercies, and to invoke Thy protection and guidance for all the way of life. We rejoice that we may know Thee and love Thee and serve Thee and be like Thee. Grant us grace to please Thee in all that we think and plan and do. Help us to live in such fellowship with Thee that Thou canst not only dwell in us, but work through us. Help us to share our blessings with others, and to find in our privileges an obligaion to minister to those who need what we have. Bestow upon us strength for our daily tasks; courage in the face of fears; comfort in sorrow; quiet in the midst of tumult; hope in the presence of uncertainty; high motives for humble as well as high deeds; self-control in the hour of provocation; gentleness and forgiveness when tempted to revenge; and the peace which passeth all understanding. Hold in Thy holy care all our loved ones, and keep guard over our interests in life. Give us to see the speedy coming of Thy Kingdom among all men, and let us have an increasing share in its establishment. Fill our hearts with songs of expectation, and flood our faces with morning light, and when the day is done, let the weariness of work make welcome the rest of home, we beg in our Redeemer's name.

Amen.

James I. Vance, D.D.,
Nashville, Tennessee

2

2006-01-11T16:34:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by Marlene at Home Maker for the "2 meme". (If you never have before, go visit Marlene--she has a great blog. If you have already, go say "hi" for me!)

2 names you go by:
1. Mom
2. Honey

2 parts of your heritage:
1. Irish
2. Welsh

2 things that scare you:
1. driving around Chicago/Gary IN.
2. when a loved one is late getting home

2 of your everyday essentials:
1. reading
2. praying

2 things you are wearing right now:
1. my old green Eddie Bauer sweatshirt sweater
2. my new earrings :)

2 things you want in a relationship (other than real love):
1. laughter
2. integrity

2 truths:
1. this world is not my home
2. Christ in me, the hope of glory

2 physical things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex):
1. my husband's smile
2. my husband's eyes

2 of your favorite hobbies:
1. cooking
2. decorating

2 things you want really badly:
1. my unsaved loved ones to come to Christ
2. To be conformed to the likeness of Christ

2 places you want to go on vacation:
1. Ireland
2. Fort Morgan Beach

2 things you want to do before you die:
1. teach my (future) grandaughters to cook
2. visit Ireland

2 ways that you are stereotypically a chick:
1. I hate my hair
2. I like to "make it all better"

2 things you are thinking about now:
1. I really should be making supper.
2. I wonder if there's any salad leftover from last night.

2 stores you shop at:
1. Kohls
2. World Market

I would like to tag some bloggers that I've just recently met; Carmen at Full Contact Christ-Centric living and "Created" at Created for HIS Glory

Dogs are like toddlers. . .

2006-01-11T12:51:00.000-06:00

...when the weather is gloomy and yucky and they can't go outside, they get rowdy.

Today the girls have been playing an extended version of an old game. Run and chase. When one goes outside to go potty, the other one stands at the door. . .waiting. As soon as the one comes in, off they go!

They wrestle and run, they leap and skitter, they growl and pant. Most especially they wag their tails.

Today, I'm glad they can entertain themselves. Say a prayer for my hardwood floors because they're at it again!

Carnival of Beauty

2006-01-11T08:27:00.000-06:00

Carol at She Lives is hosting this week's Carnival of Beauty:

From snowflakes to fires, from the young to the old, from depression to joy, from warm to cold, from serious to hillarious, winter's beauty threads its way through this week's carnival.

Go visit Carol and experience the Beauty of Winter through the eyes of some beautiful women.

It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth; You made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:17

God's Minute

2006-01-11T07:49:00.000-06:00

January 11

And as thy days, so shall thy strength be.--Deuteronomy 33:25

O LORD, our ever loving Father, we thank Thee for Thy watchful providence in the past and for the promise of Thy guidance in the days to come. As dew unto the withered flower and rain unto the parched grass, so is the knowledge of Thy presence and the assurance of Thy blessing to the weary human heart. Help us to begin the morning hours with the knowledge and this assurance so that we may be strong and courageous for whatever conflicts of the spirit it may be ours to wage today. May Thy kingdom come more perfectly in our own hearts and throughout the world this day. As we grow in years, may we grow in the beauty of holiness and may the approving smile of God atone for the passing of years. In the days of prosperity may we not forget Thee, and in the days of affliction we know that Thou wilt not forget us. Grant us grace to live the life of the righteous that we may be well assured our last end shall be like His. And when Thou dost call us home; be it in the morning, in the noon-day, or beneath the rays of the setting sun of old age, may Thy hand sustain us and comfort us and lead us through the valley of the shadow until we awaken in the splendor of Thine own everlasting morning beyond the grave. And Thine shall be the praise and the glory through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Rev. Fredrick D. Kershner,
Des Moines, Iowa

It takes very little to make me happy

2006-01-10T14:41:00.000-06:00

I am not much of a jewelry person. I wear my wedding band, my mother's class ring and for the past eight years or so I have worn the same pair of earrings, day in and day out. Tiny little gold hoops with a bar clasp. Simple, easy, done.

But right before Christmas the unthinkable happened. After all these years, I lost one of my earrings. And it's strange that as understated and really ignorable they are, my ears feel naked without them.

My mother was here visiting for Christmas when it happened and so when she got home she sent me a cute little pair of silver hoops. But they don't have a bar clasp and so I have already nearly lost one of them in the shower and once when I was brushing my hair. So, cute as they are, they are not the answer to my earring problem.

Today I happened to be in Kmart and walked past the jewelry counter. It was hard to miss with the 70% off signs! I looked and looked and was about to give up and then I saw them! Tiny little gold hoops with a bar clasp. They weren't the same brand of my old favorites (Monet) but they looked really close so I bought them.

When I got them home I compared them to the old earring I still have and they are almost exactly the same! Now I have a whole set and a spare. I am very happy.

Now, do you think I'll be able to find the "spare" 8 or 10 years from now when I lose one of this pair?

God's Minute

2006-01-10T06:40:00.000-06:00

January 10

I will bless the Lord at all times.--Psalm 34:1

O Lord and Father of us all, we come with glad hearts to this hour of prayer. When we recall the infinity and eternity of Thy power and wisdom and goodness, we bow in reverence to Thee. Love invites imitation, and we choose Thee as our example. May Thy Spirit change us into likeness to Thyself. Love craves the privilege of service, and loving Thee we ask, "Lord, what wilt Thou have us to do?" Help us a parents to wisely order our household. May we train our children for useful lives here, and to be fitted for their true home beyond this life. As a family we are very near each other. Help us so to live that proximity may not evoke confusion and strife. May we be "kindly affectioned one to another." Grant us, O Lord, that winning gentleness which is the sweet offering of truthfulness and love.

We pray, our Father, for all who are in trouble; for the sick, the poor, the afflicted, for any good cause. Bless the lonely--those who suffer, weep, and struggle alone. Grant that they may find companionship and comfort in Thee. Since every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, we thank Thee sincerely and heartily for the good things we enjoy. May this prayer, O Lord! find acceptance with Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

Amen.

Charles Randall Barnes, D.D.,
Hoboken, New Jersey

Two peas in a pod

2006-01-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

Casting the 'net

2006-01-09T09:09:00.000-06:00

I found this at pastorway this morning. Since it did not originate with him, I have copied it here, but please do go visit his blog. His side bar links are worth the visit and I "know" him from my days at the Puritan board (although he likely doesn't remember me) and remember him to be a godly man and a great encourager.

Introducing the new
Bio-Optic Organized Knowledge
device, trade named:
BOOK

BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so easy to use, even a child can operate it.

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere -- even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM disc. Here's how it works:

BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. The pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence.

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs. Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKs with more information simply use more pages. Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. BOOK may be taken up at any time and used merely by opening it.

Unlike other display devices, BOOK never crashes or requires rebooting, and it can even be dropped on the floor or stepped on without damage. However, it can become unusable if immersed in water for a significant period of time. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of selected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session -- even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.Conversely, numerous BOOKmarkers can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK.

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS).

Portable, durable, and affordable, BOOK is being hailed as a precursor of a new entertainment wave. Also, BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform and investors are reportedly flocking. Look for a flood of new titles soon.

Original Author Unknown

Please Pray

2006-01-09T08:11:00.000-06:00

Please pray with me today for a family I know in England that is in great need of prayer for a private family situation. This family lives in an area with very little Christian fellowship available and they feel the very pressing need to be lifted before the Throne of God today and throughout the rest of this week.

As you pray for them, thank the God of Heaven and Earth Who placed us into one body and Who calls us to bear each others' burdens.

. . .so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:5)

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)

God's Minute

2006-01-09T06:48:00.000-06:00

January 9

Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon His name.--Psalm 105:1

DEAR Heavenly Father, as we gather at Thy feet today as a family, we ask Thy blessing on our home and Thy guidance to each one during the day. Help us to realize Thy nearness to us at this hour. May we realize Thy reality at this hour and be consious of the fact that Thou art not a God afar off--the Great King of Heaven, the Mighty Judge of all the earth enthroned in infinite space above us, but that we can claim Thee as our Saviour and our Friend.

Help us throughout this day to realize that Thou canst be nearer to each one of us than the nearest and dearest of friends.

Let us hear Thy voice today. Let us feel the inspiration of Thy presence, and with willing feet enable us to walk in the path on which Thy light and blessing can fall.

Give us this day some work to do for others, some kindly word to speak, some helpful unselfish deed to fulfil in Thy Name. Be with us each and every hour of this day, and may we so live that Thy will may be done and Thy Kingdom come within our hearts.

Amen.

Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth,
New York City, New York

From the hyperlinked article:

Maud Ballington Booth, Salvation Army leader, pioneer slum worker in New York, "Little Mother of the Prisons," co-founder and leader with her husband of the Volunteers of America, author, popular preacher and much-sought-after Chautauqua and Lyceum lecturer, was born and grew to adulthood in England. . .

A Dose of Jonathan Edwards

2006-01-08T05:57:00.000-06:00

They who are truly converted are new men, new creatures; new, not within, but without; they are sanctified throughout, in spirit, soul and body; old things are passed away, all things are become new; they have new hearts, new ears, new tongues, new hands, new feet; i.e., a new conversation and practice; they walk in newness of life, and continue to do so to the end of life. --Jonathan Edwards

Between holidays and houseguests and general vacation-itis, the Resolutions have been on hold for a few weeks but, God willing, Resolution 7 should make it to the blog sometime this week. Research and notes are taken, outline is complete, something is missing. Hopefully, I can "find" it this afternoon.

God's Minute

2006-01-08T05:41:00.000-06:00

January 8

I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength.--Psalm 18:1

LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, creator and preserver of all things, we humbly bow down before Thee in worship and supplication. We come without a single plea of merit, except that we have been redeemed through the suffering, death, and resurrection of Thine only begotton Son, Jesus Christ. We thank Thee for the blessings that Thou hast bestowed on us so generously in the past, and we ask wisdom and guidance from Thee in order that each one of us may become a blessing to all with whom we come in contact. We pray for the forgiveness of our sins. We ask Thee to walk with us today; be Thou our friend, our counselor, our guide, our brother, the sure staff on which we may lean. May love for Thee and for our fellowmen always fill our hearts, and shine out of our lives so that all men may see that we have been walking with God.

Thou has never promised to supply all our wants--many of them are not for our good, but Thou hast promised to fill all needs, and we ask Thee for the gift of contentedness, of being satisfied with what Thou doth send. These, and all other things which will satisfy our souls and increase our capacity for service in the kingdom, we ask for Jesus' sake.

Amen.

William Anthony Granville, LL.D.,
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Bloggy Thoughts

2006-01-07T09:47:00.000-06:00

When I began blogging I was so innocent. I had no idea about how the world of blogging works. I was completely in the dark about all the many and varied ways one can hitch one's wagon to the "big boys" in order to gain readership. I didn't know that there would be huge blogosphere debates. In many ways, I think I still am still in the dark. But now I am not so much in the dark that I cannot have my feelings hurt.

I have said before on several occasions that blogging is a little bit like chopping veggies with a brand new set of chef knives--eventually someone is going to get hurt and today it is me. But you know, that is a good thing because it has caused me to re-examine why I started to blog in the first place. And whether my feelings should be hurt after all.

My first exposure to blogging was when I "happened" to providentially follow a link from somewhere to Rebecca Writes. I found the website friendly, warm, welcoming and mentally stimulating. As I read some things started sounding vaguely familiar, I began to realize that I actually may "know" this blogger! I emailed her to see and, sure enough, I learned that Rebecca of Rebecca Writes is indeed one of my first and dearest internet friends with whom I had lost contact through various moves and multiple computer crashes. Becky, as I knew her then, was instrumental in helping me to understand the doctrines of grace. She was (and is) so generous with her time and her knowledge and I am still very grateful for that but most of all for her friendship.

And so after reading her blog for several months, I began to wonder if blogging would be something I could do. After a month or so of thinking it through, I decided to give it a whirl. My reasons for starting a blog were simple and few:

I wanted to have a way to share my life with my family and friends.

I wanted to make some new friends.

I wanted to make a record of daily life for my kids and the grand children I am looking forward to having someday.

I wanted to be able to "talk out loud" about the things I am thinking about and the things I am reading.

I wanted to be able to share my faith in Christ and encourage others.

If I have managed to do any of these things, then I have blogged for the right reasons. And I realize now that there is really no need for hurt feelings (silly things that they are) unless, of course, they cause one to think about what really matters.

God's Minute

2006-01-07T06:24:00.000-06:00

January 7

Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.--1 John 3:1

IN THEE, O God, we live, and move, and have our being. If Thou wert to withdraw Thy hand for a moment we should sink into nothingness, as when a drop of dew exhales into the air.

We thank Thee for all that makes life worth living; for home and kinship, and loving friends, for happiness, the hope and the opportunity of doing good. We thank Thee for life and immortality brought to light in the Gospel, and for a strong staff to lean on as we journey toward the immortal life.

Pardon our sins, for Jesus' sake, that we may not be dragging a hopeless chain after us. Sanctify us by Thy Spirit, that we may run in the way of Thy commandments; and enlarge our hearts that we may constantly be doing good as we have opportunity unto all men. Look graciously on the sick and suffering; and incline the hearts of those who know Thee not to come running unto Thee.

Hear and answer, Father of all mercies; not for any worth or worthiness in us, but because we ask it in the all-prevailing name of Christ, our Saviour and Thy beloved Son.

Amen.

David J.A.L. Burrell, D.D.,
New York City, New York

Casting the 'net

2006-01-06T15:45:00.000-06:00

Here is an excellent article by David Wayne, posted at Theologica, the World Magazine blog.

In his article, David makes some important distinctions in the cessationist vs. continualist debate.

In other words, I am saying that I have no reason to doubt that Rutherford and Knowx and others had these experiences, but that in all likelihood, being in the Westminster Tradition, they may have recongized them for that they were - extraordinary experiences which were not normative.
This is where I think there is a disconnect between these historical figures and modern charismatics. Modern charismatics see as ordinary what those from the past saw as extraordinary. That which used to be considered unusual is now supposed to be the usual.

So, I think that, rather than modern reformed cessationism being the historical aberration, it is modern reformed charismaticism that is the aberration, at least when it seeks to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, the unusual into the usual.

This article is worth reading no matter which side of the debate you come down on.

What time is it?

2006-01-06T13:40:00.000-06:00

Look close! Somebody better tell my stella d'oro lillies that it's January. . .

Memory Lane--thanks Ms. Booshay and Katie!

2006-01-06T08:52:00.000-06:00

Donna, at The Quiet Life, has shared the most darling note that her daughter, Katie, made recently. What fun it was to see her handiwork! Like any mother, it reminded me of some treasures that I have kept.

Here is a picture that Sam slipped to me in church when he was about 5. It is written on the back of a prayer list insert from the bulletin. I remember his proud smile when he passed it to me. I tried scanning it several times, but for some reason, the 'I' did not show up, so you'll have to fill in the blanks a bit:

The next two were also drawn in church. I especially love the Jar Jar Binks drawing with the Hallelujah Chorus of Jawas.

Spongebob continues to be a family favorite.

God's Minute

2006-01-06T06:52:00.000-06:00

Jaunuary 6

I thank Thee and praise Thee, O God.--Daniel 2:23

Our Father in Heaven, we approach Thee in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Saviour, that we may render praise and thanksgiving to Thee; and that we may seek the forgiveness of our sins, the continued manifestation of Thy favor, and guidance of the Hoy Spirit in the choices of our lives, and in the rendering of service to Thee. We realize, our Father, the shortness of our vision, the imperfection of our judgment, and the weakness of our effort, but Thou hast said, "Commit thy way unto Jehovah, trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass." It is sweet to rest upon this promise, and to feel that thus we can walk hand in hand with Thee, and that our ways shall be Thy way.

In order that we may be true to our high calling, give us the sympathetic heart, the kindly look, the golden speech, the helping hand. Make us a channel of blessing to those about us, that we may be the true children of Abraham, who was blessed that he might bless. And now, dear Lord, give us the strength for that which is immediately before us according to the promise, "As thy day is, so shalt thy strength be," and Thy name shall have the glory, through Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

J.A. Duff, D.D.,
Aspinwall, Pennsylvania

What would you do?

2006-01-05T12:27:00.000-06:00

I had to take a quick run to the grocery store for a few things before lunch. The store was crowded, the lines were long. I got my few things and got in line.

Then it happened. A little boy who looked to be about 4 or 5, tipped back his head and started whaling at the top of his lungs. The mother immediately, (immediately!!) began to scream at him, "Shut up! Shut up! What is wrong with you?" It quickly escalated into louder, whooping screams and more frantic, angry words from the mother. I don't have the heart to repeat what she said here.

I stood there in line with my things and felt my heart pounding and my blood pressure rising. I wanted to do something--anything. But I didn't. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless. Looking around at the other faces waiting in line, I saw some of the same emotions.

My hands were shaking when I got to my car. I felt like crying, I think I did. I can't shake it. I wish I had done something--anything. The only thing I can think to do now is to pray for that harried, angry mother and her son. And try to have a plan should this ever happen again.

God's Minute

2006-01-05T06:34:00.000-06:00

January 5

O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto Thee forever.--Ps. 30:12

OUR Eternal FAther, we thank Thee that Thou hast brought us into the close and loving relationship of children, by the death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Saviour, through Whom we are adopted into Thy divine family and become Thy children.

We thank Thee that Thou Who was the Creator of all men hast brought unto Thine own family those who accept the love and sacrifice of Thy dear Son. We thank Thee that Thou dost share with us not only our sorrows, but our joys; that Thou art delighted when life delights us, and when virtue and faithfulness lead us to higher levels of thought and purpose.

We thank Thee for Thy Holy Word, and pray that our faithfulness in studying it may result in spiritual growth and development. May we "hunger and thirst after righteousness" and after the food of Thy Word. May we never dare to enter upon the duties of a single day without the nourishment and support of the Word of God!

Bless, we pray Thee, all who are dear to us, and give to us all an interpretation of friendship which centers in our divine Friend and Saviour, Jesus Christ. We ask it in His Holy Name.

Amen.

John Timothy Stone, D.D.,
Chicago, Illinois

Stepping Heavenward

2006-01-04T21:20:00.000-06:00

The first book of 2006 just might be the most formative. Stepping Heavenward is the journal of a woman and tells the story of her Christian journey in sanctification and growth in grace and truth.

Katy's first entry is made on January 15, 1831, her 16th birthday, and so begins the tale of her life, her new life in Christ, her struggles with faith and doctrine, her marriage, her children--the stuff of which life consists. The last entry is on June 30, 1858, so it covers over 25 years of her life. The people that God placed in her life to help her are as memorable as Katy, herself.

As I read through Katy's experiences, I could identify so strongly with her feelings and emotions! Some of her struggles were of a different nature than mine, others I struggle with as well, but regardless, her responses and the lessons learned are so amazingly similar. The work of sanctification is a journey--sometimes two steps forward and one step back (or one step forward and two steps back!) and yet it is Christ who sanctifies us in His providential timing and in His wise, judicious ways and, therefore, we can rest as we struggle onward, Stepping Heavenward.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to you! It is published by Lamplighter Publishing and is part of their Rare Collector's Series.

Thanks to my friend, Carol, for recommending and lending it to me. I will be getting my own copy, for this is a book that I will want to read, in full and in part, as I continue to Step Heavenward.

Stepping Heavenward
Mrs. E. Prentiss
Lamplighter Publishing, 1997
Waverly, PA
A Division of Cornerstone Family Ministries

God's Minute

2006-01-04T07:20:00.000-06:00

January 4

Keep yourselves in the love of God.--Jude 21

O THOU Eternal Love, Whom Jesus has taught us to call our Father, and in Whom we are learning to trust as our Brother, our Comrade, our Closest Friend, we are not seeking Thee, for we know that Thou art nearer to us every moment than we are to ourselves; we are only wishing and hoping that often, through this day, the thought of Thy nearness to us, of Thy presence with us, may spring into our consciousness, that we may see what Thou art showing us, and know what Thou art telling us, and be ready to take what Thou art giving us, and to do what Thou art bidding us. Help us to feel more than once today that the good thoughts and the good wishes which we find in our hearts are signs of Thy presence there; and may we learn to look for Thee thus, within our own lives, and to rejoice when we find Thee there, and so to become aware, more and more, of what we mean when we speak of the fellowship and communion of the Holy Spirit! We know that Thou art working in us to will and to do of Thy good pleasure; and we know that Thou findest Thy good pleasure in lives made fruitful and beautiful in Thy service. So help us to work with Thee, this day and every day, though Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Amen.

Washington Gladden, D.D., LL.D.,
Columbus, Ohio

A blurrrrr

2006-01-03T08:57:00.000-06:00

Fifteen years gone by in a blurr of energy, laughter, and joy! You bring so much life and fun to our family! Happy 15th birthday, Sam! Next birthday we'll have a picture of you driving!

God's Minute

2006-01-03T06:57:00.000-06:00

January 3

Make His praise glorious.--Psalm 66:2

O GOD, our gracious Father, we look to Thee now for Thy benediction. We are Thy suppliant children, who subsist under the cover of Thy patience. We praise Thee for all Thine extraordinary mercies. Thou hast made us like Thyself in the desire and in the capacity for fellowship. May fellowship with Thee be the basis and supreme blessing of our fellowship with each other. May flowers of devotion breathe their fragrance every day upon the family altar. Teach us how to be abased and how to abound. Keep our feet from unbidden paths, and our eyes from tears; or if the tears must come, let the Comforter come as well, that He may wipe them all away. Temper to us the long night watches of pain and sorrow. If weeping endure for a night, bring joy in the morning; and when the long afternoon shadows deepen toward the eventide of this earth's life, bring us very gently to the turn of the road from whence we may catch the vision of the home eternal. May this our present habitation be a promise and a foretaste of the house which has foundation whose builder and maker is God. Help us in our social joys and pleasures to remember Thee. Grant us all to face all life's tasks bravely, and perform then earnestly. And bring us in the end with joyful hearts and glad faces to abide wtih Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Charles F. Wishart, D. D.,
Chicago, Illinois

God's Minute

2006-01-02T06:21:00.000-06:00

January 2

His love is perfected in us. 1 John 4:12

HEAVENLY Father, write Thy new, best name of Love upon our hearts this morning. Help us to remember Jesus Christ. During the busy hours bring Him often to our thought. When the mind is free from some set task may it revert to Him, as the needle turns to the pole. Keep us from wounding Him in thought or word. Make our communion with Him sweet. Give us of His strength, of His wisdom, of His winsomeness. Forgive the sins which have brought a reproach upon Thy church. Forgive us if we have made it difficult to distinguish between the church and the world.

Save us from the sin of despair. Light the lamp of hope in every heart. Fill us with the spirit of expectancy. Teach us that ruined lives may be rebuilt, and that in Christ is sufficiency for all our needs. We are thankful that Christ is the way to our Father's house, that there is forgiveness for all, the bread of life for all, and a welcome. Cleanse us from the defilement of the way; blot out the memories of the far country; clothe us with the garment of righteousness, and give us the joy of knowing that Thou dost own us as Thy sons and daughters.

Amen.

Frederick T. Keeney, D.D.,
Syracuse, New York

Sermon Reflections

2006-01-01T18:06:00.000-06:00

We had a guest speaker at church this morning, Dr. Willem VanGemeren, a professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

He preached on Psalm 91, but as is his practice, he put it into the context of Psalm 89 and 90, too. It was a mighty sermon and one that was particularly appropriate for the beginning of a New Year.

Here's the text:

91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.

11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

He spent some time drawing out the organization of the Psalm. In verse 1, there is a general call to all men everywhere:

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Then in verse 2, the Psalmist is speaking of himself:

2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Then in verses 3-13, he is speaking to the reader--"you"

You will be delivered, you will be covered, you will find refuge, you will be guarded by His angels, you need not fear. . .

And finally, in verses 14-16, God speaks in response:

14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

God is declaring His faithfulness to all generations. He promises to deliver, protect and answer those who hold fast to Him. He will rescue him, and honor him, and satisfy him and show him His salvation--a reiteration of the previous verses.

Dr. VanGemeren explained what it meant to an Israelite to abide in the shadow. Deep, cooling shadows were not that common in Israel. The climate is HOT and dry and it is hard to find a refuge from the scorching heat. And when one could find a place to rest in the shadow, oh! it was so wonderful! So the picture of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty carries with it more than simply the idea of the sun casting a shadow. It carries with it the idea that one is covered by God Himself, protected, sheltered, cooled and refreshed. Take a minute here to look at the many ways that this concept is presented visually in this Psalm!

I have the kind of brain that automatically outlines what I hear and what I read. I don't know why or how, but I just do. But putting the thoughts into an organized whole is not the same as getting to the meaning of the message. And Dr. VanGemeren helped me to get the meaning of the text through what was, for me, a startling statement. This statement has stayed with me all this day. I think it will stay with me all my life.

He said that our theology must inform our imaginations, our vision, the way we see everything. We see our circumstances, in fact everything through our imaginations and so it is necessary to have our imaginations informed by our theology. The image, the vision, the view we have of this life is marred because of the fall. In one sense, we are living in a state of alienation from God because we are living in a world that tells us falsehoods, that paints images that are not real. And so to really understand the truth about this world, about ourselves, about our sin, and about our salvation in Christ must be "imagined" through our knowledge of God and His Word or they will be "vain imaginations." (Romans 1:21) He challenged us to "use our theology in order to use our imaginations rightly."

What a challenge for the new year--to hold fast to God in love, to dwell in the shelter of the Most High, to abide in the shadow of the Almighty. . .to imagine theologically.

Imagine that. . .

New Years Reflections

2006-01-01T06:40:00.000-06:00

The object of a new year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.

- G.K. Chesterton

Look back with reverence and give thanks.
Look ahead with vision and faith and with all the excitement of a child.

- St. Flavia

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

- Jonathan Edwards, from his Resolutions

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: Give me a light, that I may tread safely into the unknown. And he replied: Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.

- Minnie L. Haskins

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.

- Martin Luther

When we once begin to form good resolutions, God gives us every opportunity of carrying them out.

- St John Chrysostom

Be at war with your vices; at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.

- Benjamin Franklin

No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam.

- Charles Lamb

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.

- Hamilton Wright Mabie

God's Minute

2006-01-01T06:25:00.000-06:00

January 1, New Years Day

Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go in to them, and I will praise the Lord.--Psalm 118:19

OUR Heavenly Father, we pause at the opening of this day to place ourselves in harmony with Thy great plans. We know that it is unwise and sinful to oppose or attempt to hinder Thy purposes. Hear our humble appeal for Divine wisdom, for spiritual sensitiveness to Thy messages, for broader views of our duty, and for the peace of God which fills the soul when working in full harmony with Thee. Let each of these blessings be given to all whom we love. Incline them to stop and pray--to watch and act, under the impulses which come from Heaven. Make known Thy love and law to all people in all lands, and hasten the era when all mankind shall accept the teachings of Thy Son, and of the Holy Prophets, and thus in sincere agreement live in peace with all, and in full obedience and devotion to Thy Holy Will. We ask these great blessings in the Name of our Lord Jesus, Thy Son, and our Redeemer.

Amen.

Russell H. Conwell, D.D.,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Kicked up New Years Snack

2005-12-31T22:37:00.000-06:00

Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip

16 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. Frank's Red Hot Sauce
3/4 c. finely shredded celery
2) 13 oz. cans of shredded chicken (all white)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese and extra for topping

Soften cream cheese in microwave (5 minute, power 1 on mine), then mix in hot sauce and celery with hand mixer until smooth. Add drained chicken and cheese. Pile into a greased 9 x 13 casserole. Top with extra cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

(Thanks for the recipe, Robin!)

Spagetti Sauce for a Crowd. . .or two

2005-12-31T20:18:00.000-06:00

I made a roaster full of spaghetti sauce today. It simmered all day on the kitchen counter while we were taking down our Christmas decorations. Taking down the Christmas stuff always makes me feel sad; but having 40 cups of spaghetti sauce ready for the freezer helps a bit.

Here's the recipe:

Roaster Spaghetti Sauce

4# lean ground beef, browned with onion and garlic, drained and rinsed in hot water. (I used three medium yellow onions and a fist of garlic. Onion can go in with the ground beef, but wait until the meat is nearly done before adding the garlic so it doesn't burn and get bitter)

2 pkg. hot Italian sausage links, cut into rings the size of meatballs (not sure the weight on the sausage but each package had 5 large links--I'd guess something over a pound for each package) Cook sausage thoroughly and cool before cutting into pieces.

1) 6# 6 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1) 6# 9 oz. can of tomato sauce

3) 12 oz. cans diced tomatoes with juice

3) 8 oz. pkgs. fresh mushrooms, sliced

4 small cans tomato paste

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Season to taste with parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary. Cook on 250 degrees all day, stirring occasionally. Check seasonings near the end of cooking time and adjust. I usually add basil again right near the end.

Makes 40 cups.

An Evening Prayer

2005-12-31T15:03:00.000-06:00

WE THANK THEE, O Lord, for the work of each year, and for the rest of each night. We will lay us down both in peace and sleep, for Thou, Lord, only, makest us to dwell in safety. Keep watch around us throughout this coming year, to protect us against the assaults of the evil one, to suggest to us holy thoughts, to defend us from all dangers, to lead us in the perfect way of peace, and to prepare us for the happy service of a new year. For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Rev. John Edgar Park
West Newton, Massachusetts

Happy Hogmanay to You!

2005-12-31T07:35:00.000-06:00

Hogmanay: the name, in Scotland, for the last day of the year.

(today's Dictionary Word of the Day; and no, I didn't know that already)

God's Minute

2005-12-31T07:28:00.000-06:00

December 31
New Year's Eve

And another said: I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them; I pray thee have me excused.--Luke 14:19

FATHER in Heaven, let not our material blessings confound our mind and fill us with a false sense of security, nor suffer us to be enamored by the dazzling prospects of temporal gain and carnal joy. Let us be mindful that the world's chalice of sweet wine is inevitably converted into a cup of bitterness, and that the joy of today becomes the remorse of tomorrow. Thou canst not be denied, O God! All things are Thine, and man is accountable toThee. Grant that we may be faithful stewards of Thy possessions, and that the things of this world may never take precedence in our life over the glorious riches which Thou hast prepared for Thine own from the foundations of the world. If there is any hardness of heart among us, we beseech Thee for the touch of Thy Spirit, that our hearts may yield to Thee in obediance, reverence, and confidence. Thou, whose grace is sufficient unto Thine own, suffer none of Thy children for any cause to depart from the faith this day, but strengthen them, that their faith in Thy goodness and the merits of Christ's redemptive love may remain beautiful and strong. Make us strong according to the inward man, strong in our Christian convictions, strong in faith, strong in our advocacy of righteousness and truth, and strong in our loyalty to Thee. Above all, keep us from dishonoring Thee by any secret or open sin. Through Christ, our Redeemer.

Amen.

Rev. J.P. Meyer,
St. Louis, Missouri

God's Minute

2005-12-30T06:31:00.000-06:00

December 30

The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.--Psalm 145:9

O GOD, our Father, we are about to enter upon a new day. To meet well all duties and responsibilities that come to us; to resist firmly every distraction and temptation that seeks to draw us from our path; to be utterly prepared for any danger or any crisis that may this day befall us; to be found, when the evening is come, pure and holy--this is our desire.

And we would be friendly with all men; strength to the weak, hope to the despondent, joy to the sorrowing, power to the tempted.

We wait, therefore, our Father, for the coming of Thy Spirit upon us ere we venture into all that this day holds for us. In the quiet of this early morning hour, bowed before Thee, our souls wait. Touch us with that hand which has been laid in blessing upon others before us; speak to us with that still, small voice of power; fill us with Thine own righteousness.

Give us of Thyself, that we may this day so live for ourselves and before men that through us Thy Kingdom may in part come, and Thy will more fully be done among men. For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

Rev. Seeley K. Tompkins,
Cincinnati, Ohio

My Desktop image

2005-12-29T21:14:00.000-06:00

My desktop image changes almost daily. Something strikes my fancy and I'll put it up for a few days, but it never stays the same for long.

This morning I put up this painting by Monet:

Monet's Garden at Argeteuil

Monet's Garden at Argeteuil Monet's Garden at Ar
This picture just sort of drew me in. It reminds me of the part in Les Miserables when Jean Valjean takes Cosette to live in the house with the fenced in garden. That is where Marius and Cosette meet and fall in love. I imagined it like this.

I wonder if Monet ever read Les Miserables. Surely he did.

God's Minute

2005-12-29T06:42:00.000-06:00

December 29

For the love of Christ constraineth us.--2 Corinthians 5:14

OUR Father in Heaven, we are Thy children, redeemed by Christ our Saviour and Elder Brother, and we come to Thee in His name. Forgive our sins. Deliver us from all the guilt and power of sin, and from its consequences. Take the love it it out of our hearts. Make our live of Thee to glow. Let it burn out all the dross of evil, and impel us constantly to gracious acts of kindly ministry done to others in the Master's name and for His sake. Give us a clear vision of our ever-present Saviour as an abiding Friend. Grant that we may be trasformed by thus beholding Him, growing daily more and more like Him in the desires of our hearts, the words of our lips, and the things we do and refrain from doing.

Bless with us all others, supplying their every need, and giving them grace and guidance. Make the Gospel light shine out brightly in all lands, bringing peace and spiritual prosperity, and drawing all men to Christ, and together in the bonds of Christian unity and brotherliness. We ask all this, as we pray for grateful hearts, in the name of Him Who died on Calvary.

Amen.

J.H. Bomberger, D.D.,
Cleveland, Ohio

Mustafa sighting(s)

2005-12-28T08:14:00.000-06:00

For the rest of the story. . .

Mom's end of the couch

2005-12-28T06:57:00.000-06:00

My end of the couch is very popular with the dogs. When Ivy was a puppy and for the first two years of her life, we would snuggle on the couch together in the evenings--Ivy and me on my end of the couch, Tom on his end of the couch. And every day until I hit the couch in the evening, it was her royal throne. Mom's end of the couch.

Since we got Eve in February, there has been an interesting competition for mom's end of the couch. Ivy, by virtue of her position as first dog in the house, claims it as her own. Eve, by virtue of her advanced age and general wanting to be in constant contact with me, not to mention the fact that it is Ivy's favorite spot, desires it above any other resting place. And so it begins--the daily wrangling for position.

Have I ever told you how smart Ivy is? Vizslas are, in my opinion, the smartest breed of dog in the world and Ivy is the smartest Vizsla. She not only thinks, she problem-solves. She plots. She plans. Mostly what she plots and plans is how to get mom's end of the couch.

If ever Eve manages to get the coveted position, Ivy swings into action. There are many tactics. I will share a few.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy goes and gets Eve's favorite bone and chews it on the other end of the couch, just long enough for Eve to notice. Once Eve's attention is gained, Ivy lets the bone fall to the floor, Eve hops down to retrieve it; Ivy gets mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy sets up a diversion--barking like a mad dog on squirrel alert. Eve hops down to see what is going on in the sunroom; Ivy circles back immediately and gets mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy runs to the kitchen and dings the dog dish until I fill the water bowl. Eve comes out to see what is going on in the kitchen. Ivy never drinks a drop of water, runs to the living room and gets mom's end of the couch. Eve empties the bowl and wonders how she lost mom's end of the couch.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy gets up and dings the bell on the front door, asking to go out and go potty. Eve hops down as I open the door; Ivy gets mom's end of the couch. Eve finds herself standing in the front yard, wondering why she had to go out when she didn't really have to go potty in the first place.

Eve is on the couch. Ivy steals something that belongs to someone in the family--a sock, an oven mitt, a dish towel and runs joyfully through the house until someone notices. Mom goes into action--"You rotten dog, give me that fill in the blank." Eve jumps down to see what all the commotion is about, Ivy immediately drops whatever it is she stole and circles back to mom's end of the couch.

I don't think it really is my end of the couch. . .

God's Minute

2005-12-28T06:27:00.000-06:00

December 28

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.--Ephesians 5:20

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.--1 Corinthians 15:57

OUR Heavenly Father, for all Thou hast given and all Thou hast forgiven, we thank Thee. For every gift of nature, and Thy favoring providences, and Thy great salvation through Christ, we thank Thee.

For blessings within us and around us; for everything by which Thou hast brought good and drawn us to Thyself through all our lives and the lives of our kin; for our power of understanding, of loving, of homemaking, of sharing friendships; for the good hope concerning loved ones who have gone from the ways of earth, and for our own expectation of sharing heaven's joy with them through Christ's saving merit--we thank Thee.

Help us, O Father, to live and work with the cheer of a grateful spirit, overcoming all trouble by the patience of hope and the wisdom of love. So may we share the fellowship of all who follow Christ, both near about us and in all the world.

Amen.

Rev. William Allen Knight, LL.D.
Boston, Massachusetts

2005-12-27T08:33:00.000-06:00

Our family went to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" on Friday afternoon. I loved it! I will not review it here; there are many, many reviews available online--I will only say that I was thoroughly enchanted with the whole production and found nothing that I would change.

The only reason I am even blogging about the movie is that my son, Sam, bears a striking resemblance to the young man who played Edmund. The likeness was not perfect and it is more noticeable in "real life" when one can see the play of emotion and the turn of a head, but I thought I'd share a Christmas morning picture of Sam:

God's Minute

2005-12-27T06:12:00.000-06:00

December 27

And He said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?--Luke 9:23-25

O LORD, Thou Whose eye seest everything, even into the secrets of our hearts, and with Whom is all wisdom and power, be not silent to our petition. In our suffering let us observe Thy presence, and, out of pain, teach us submission.

We cannot always understand what Thou art doing with us, but O Thou Watcher of men, make our souls to know that Thou art always just and good, ever long-suffering in Thy mercy. Give us Thy strength to bear the burden.

Teach us that if we would be most serviceable to Thee, we must be marred and hurt and made to bleed. The we shall come forth as gold tried in the furnace, and Thy righteousness shall be our robe, and Thy glory our diadem.

Amen.

Peter Ainslie, D.D.,
Baltimore, Maryland

Today's prayer seems to fit beautifully with a post I read this morning at Rebecca Writes. If this prayer has resonated with you because you are going through a trial of some kind, please do go visit Rebecca and read her thoughts on God's providential preparation for times of trial. I believe you will be comforted and strengthened in your trial and given a heart to praise Him for what He is working out in your life, even now. And though I may never know who has need of it, I have prayed for you this morning.

A Christmas Tradition

2005-12-26T19:22:00.000-06:00

This is Ivy's third Christmas with us and the third year we have given her the same doggy toy.

And this is the third year she has dismantled it while we opened presents. . .

There is nothing quite so happy as a dog who has permission to make a mess. Within an hour, poor "Mustafa", as my husband calls him, is spread from one end of the house to the other.

This year Tom "rescued" Mustafa's head before Ivy totally destroyed it. . .I think he had plans for it. . .

Hard to say where the head of Mustafa may show up next. . .

God's Minute

2005-12-26T06:23:00.000-06:00

December 26

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.--Romans 5:1

OUR Father, Thou Who sitteth upon a throne high and lifted up, Whose glory fills the Heavens, make us conscious this morning that Thou art not far from any one of us, Thy children. Thou has revealed Thy nearness to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Help us to see that our selfishness is the only thing that can separate us from Thee. Take out of our hearts every selfish impulse, and fill them with a holy l0ve for Thee. Then we know that there shall be fulfilled for us the promise of Jesus, that Thou, our Father and He, our Brother, shall come in and dwell with us this day. Speak to us by Thy still, small voice.

Christmas day has come and gone. We have given and we have received the tokens of friendship and love. We cannot repeat these gifts every day, but we earnestly beseech Thee that the Christmas spirit may abide in our hearts and in the hearts of mankind everywhere. Take out of our hearts every trace of jealously and hatred toward any of Thy children, and give us the attitude toward all mankind which was in Jesus Christ our Lord. Hasten the day when our ears shall hear the morning stars singing together and all the sons of men joining with the angelic choir in the anthem of the first Christmas morning, "Peace on earth among men of good will." Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Rev. Frank W. Padelford,
Boston, Massachusetts

God's Minute

2005-12-25T06:27:00.000-06:00

December 25 Christmas Day

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.--Luke 2:10-11

We are filled with joy and gratitude this morning for the gift of the Saviour, Jesus. We are especially thankful that He is not a Saviour afar off, but linked to our nature in the manner of His birth, in childhood, in humility, in love and sympathy. He who saw the light of day in the midst of the beasts of burden when first He threw the mantle of humanity over Himself, has lifted us from the burdens of sin and anxiety. In Him we are glad.

With all the angels who celebrated His nativity we add our voice of joy. With the humble who inquired what these things meant, we still search for the truth of the incarnation. Give joy this day to all people, we earnestly pray. Bless all children, the babes of the land. Be with the poor, and give to us all, and to all others, the spirit of good will and of charity. Bring peace to earth, a reception of the good tidings also. May the gifts of love manifest the spirit of Jesus, we ask in His name.

Amen.

Rev. Robert W. Thompson,
Pittsburg, Kansas

Yea, Lord, We Greet Thee

2005-12-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

True God of true God, Light from Light Eternal,
Lo, He shuns not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither bend our joyful footsteps;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Lo! star led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,
Offer Him incense, gold, and myrrh;
We to the Christ Child bring our hearts’ oblations.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Child, for us sinners poor and in the manger,
We would embrace Thee, with love and awe;
Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Silent Night

2005-12-24T09:36:00.000-06:00

picture taken by missmellifluous

SILENT NIGHT

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ, the Saviour is born
Christ, the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth

Merry Christmas! God bless us, every one!

Immanuel, God with us

2005-12-24T07:22:00.000-06:00

Sherry at Semicolon has a wonderful blog entry that you really should go read this Christmas eve day. She is meditating upon the incarnation--the physical arrival of the Son of God, "now in flesh appearing." Impossible! And yet nothing is impossible for God.

God's Minute

2005-12-24T06:50:00.000-06:00

December 24

His ears are open unto their prayers.--1 Peter 3:12

AROUND this, our family altar, we come, O God, to seek Thy face. Keep us today, sheltered in the light of Thy countenance. Help us to do only the things that please Thee. At every step may we be conscious that Thou art at our side.

We sseek Thy very best, both for ourselves and for those, our loved ones, absent from our altar of prayer. As parents, may we guide our household aright; as children , may we walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.

Mid the darkening shadows, keep us walking in the light; may our hearts be garrisoned with peace. Fill us, O God, with the knowledge of Thy will in all wisdom and spiritural understanding; make us fruitful in every good word and work. As we bow around this family altar, O Lord, help us to comprehend the atoning efficacy of Thy death, the keeping power of Thy life, and the blessed hope of Thy coming.

We ask Thy presence with us during the day; we dare not walk alone. The tempter is too subtle, the pleasures of the world too luring, and the lost of riches too strong. Lead us, O Lord, in the train of Thy triumph; make us more than conquerors in Thee.

Amen.

Rev. R. E. Neighbour,
Athens, Georgia

Happy Birthday to Me

2005-12-23T06:54:00.000-06:00

Today is my birthday. And not just any birthday. Today I turn 50.

When I was in about the third grade, I remember sitting at my desk and "doing the math." How old will I be in the year 2000? What year will it be when I turn 50? 65? 75? I sat there and looked down at my little girl hands poised over the wide-ruled paper and wondered what they would look like "when I get old." I really did that.

My hands are aging. I've gained more than a few pounds. I see the beginnings of silver in my hair and I don't even want to describe what is happening to my neck! Too often now I am stiff and sore for no apparent reason. I am aging. Even so, when I look in the mirror I am surprised.

My grandmother told me it would be like that. She said that no matter how old you get, inside you will still feel like a young girl. She was right. I have no idea how old the girl inside of me is. She seems ageless and yet she seems to be young. I wonder if that is so because that is my "eternal age"--the age I will experience forever in glory. My grandma thought so.

I haven't posted a picture of myself on my blog yet. I don't like pictures of myself--ask anyone who tries to take one! But today it seems like something I want to do:

I don't know what I'll look like 5, 10, or 25 years from now, nor indeed how many years I yet have on this side of heaven, but "whoever" looks back at me through that mirror will see "me" and I'll still feel young. My grandma said so.

God's Minute

2005-12-23T06:48:00.000-06:00

December 23

They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about His people from henceforth even forever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.--Psalm 125:1-4

OUR gracious Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the light this morning. Endue our hearts with gratitude and love for the blessings of the past week, and direct our converstation and daily walk through the coming week. May all we do be acceptable in Thy sight. Grant that we may render Thee service that will not only give us joy and comfort, but that our example and influence will lead others to love and serve Thee. God grant that we may realize and appreciate every day of our lives that we own all to Thee and that all the good things of life come from Thy mercy and gracious kindness. All this we ask for Christ's sake.

Amen.

George T. Jester,
Corsicana, Texas

God's Minute

2005-12-22T06:30:00.000-06:00

December 22

I have loved thee with an everlasting love.--Jeremiah 31:3

OUR Father in Heaven, we would praise and magnify Thy Holy Name. Thy love watches over us, protecting us from every kind of danger, and provides for our every need. Thou dost never fail us. We trust in Thee.

We have sinned against Thee in thought and word and deed, but we come with contrite hearts, confessing our unworthiness, and pleading for Thy forgiveness, through the merits of the shed blood of our Saviour Jesus Christ.

We thank Thee for all Thy good gifts to us, and we pray Thee to accept us and to use us as Thou canst. Bless each of us as we need Thy blessing. And, with us, bless all the ill, the sorrowing, the discouraged, the sinning, and all Thy needy ones. We would pray also for all those engaged in lowly or great tasks for the extension of Thy Kingdom in the hearts of men everywhere.

And now do Thou be with us in our daily task of hand or mind. May we be workmen in things material and spiritual of whom Thou needest not to be ashamed. Gather us home after while, without one missing. We ask it in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Rev. Stewart Winfield Herman,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

God's Minute

2005-12-21T06:43:00.000-06:00

December 21

I will magnify Him with thanksgiving.--Psalm 69:30

GOD of all mercies, Saviour and Sanctifier of men, we worship Thee, the Triune God, and call upon our souls and all that is within us, to praise and magnify Thy Holy Name.

We confess our sins, but rejoice that they are constantly being blotted out by the blood of our blessed Lord, and because He is righteous, we who have our lives hid in Him are also righteous.

We come to Thy mercy seat with joy and thanksgiving, as we count our innumerable blessings, knowing that no good thing shall be withheld from those who love Thee and put their trust in Thee. As Thou hast delivered us from all perils, sorrows and trials in the past, so we are assured that Thou wilt keep that which we commit to Thee for the future. Enrich our hearts with Thy Word, that we may lead clean, holy lives, and have power to be winners of souls for our Master.

We pray for Thy rich grace to be upon our beloved in our home and elsewhere, and for the world which lies in sin, that Thy Kingdom may come, and Thy will be done, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

J.H. Jefferis,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Why go to Church on Christmas Sunday?

2005-12-20T18:54:00.000-06:00

Reasons why we should be careful to attend the Public Ordinances of God by Thomas Boston

1. Because God has commanded it, Heb. x. 25.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." The Lord calls his people to be present there, where- ever it is. Thus there was the tabernacle of the congregation in the wilderness, thither the people resorted to the public worship ; and afterwards the temple. And for ordinary the synagogues under the Old Testament were the places of public worship, the ruins of which the church complains of, Psal. lxxiv. 8. It was the practice of Christ himself to attend these places, as we find, Luke iv. 16. He sends ministers to preach, and therefore commands people to hear.

2. Because the public assemblies are for the honour of Christ in the world.

They are that place where his honour dwells, where his people meet together to profess their subjection to his laws, to receive his orders, to seek his help, to pay him the tribute of praise, the calves of their lips. And forasmuch as all are obliged to these things, all are obliged to be present and attend, and to cast in their mite into this treasury. And therefore the people of God look on Christ’s standard in the world as fallen, when these assemblies are gone, as Elijah did, 1 Kings xix. 10.

3. Because these assemblies are the ordinary place where Christ makes his conquest of souls, Rom. x. 14.

‘ How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? And how shall they hear without a preacher?’ The gospel is Christ’s net wherein souls are catched. And it is always good to be in Christ's way. Who knows when that good word may come that may take hold of the man’s heart, and make him Christ’s prisoner, bound with the cords of love? A great number were catched at the first sermon preached after Christ’s ascension, and cried out ‘ What shall we do?’ Acts ii. 37. So Lydia hearing the apostle Paul, her heart was opened, Acts xvi. 14. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. Happy are they that get the deepest wounds in this field, ‘ For the weapons of this warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ,’ 2 Cor. x. 4, 5.

4. They are Christ’s trysting-place with his people, the galleries wherein our Lord walks, Exod. xx. 24. the mountains of myrrh, where he will be till the day break.

Those that mind for communion with God, should seek him there, and wait on him where he has promised to be found. What a disadvantage had Thomas by his absence from one meeting where Christ met with the rest of the disciples

5. The delights of Christ and his people meet there ; for ordinances are the heaven on earth.

Christ delights to be there with his people, Psal. lxxxvii. 2. ‘ The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob,’ Luke xxii. 15. ‘ With desire,’ said our Lord, I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer.’ And they delight to be there with him, and for him. how passionately does David desire the ordinances ! Psal. lxxxiv. 1, 2.
How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of Hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.’ He prefers a day in God’s courts to a thousand ‘ I had rather,’ says he, ‘ be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.’ And again, ‘ One thing,’ says he, have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after,
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple,’ Psal. xxvii. 4. What good news was it to him to hear of an opportunity of waiting on God there! Psal. cxxii. 1. ‘ I was glad,’ says he, ‘ when they said unto me, Let us go up into the house of the Lord.’

Lastly, The necessities of all that mind for heaven require it.

Had the ordinances not been necessary. God would never have appointed them. And sure they are not more necessary for any than those that least see their need of them. these are the blind souls that have need to conic to the market of free grace, for that eye-salve that open the eyes of those that see not. Have not Christ’s soldiers need of them to clear their rusty armour? Do not dead souls need them to quicken them ? Sleepy souls, to awaken them ? They are the pools in the way to Zion, which the travellers to Zion have much need of to quench their thirst in their weary journey.

Surely the due consideration of these things may engage us all to make conscience of being all there present, as God gives opportunity.

God's Minute

2005-12-20T05:15:00.000-06:00

December 20

He shall save the children of the needy.--Psalm 72:4

O LORD, our Heavenly Father, we praise and magnify Thy Holy Name for all Thy loving kindness and Thy tender mercy which Thou hast bestowed upon us. Thou hast opened Thy hand and supplied all our wants. We thank Thee, O Lord, that when we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, that He might ransom our souls from sin and death, and give unto us eternal life. Grant, O Lord, that each one of us, now in Thy presence, may receive Christ Jesus as our eternal Saviour. We praise Thee, O God, for the gift of Thy Holy Spirit, Who tabernacles in our hearts, and Who takes of the things of Jesus and reveals them unto us day by day, moment by moment.

Grant Thy blessing, we beseech Thee, upon every member of this household, and upon all our loved ones, wherever they may be at this hour. We thank Thee that "in Jesus' keeping we are safe, and they." Remember in mercy, O Lord, any who are in distress at this time, in mind, body or estate. Comfort all who mourn. Let all the earth remember and return to Thee, O God; let all the kindreds of the nations worship Thee, in spirit and in truth. Grant unto us the forgiveness of all our sins, in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Rev. Charles George Smith B.D.,
Belleville, Ontario, Canada

Baxter on Choosing Books

2005-12-19T20:43:00.000-06:00

This quote has come to mind more than once today, for different reasons, and so I thought I'd share it with you.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691):

"Make careful choice of the books which you read: let the holy scriptures ever have the pre-eminence, and, next to them, those solid, lively, heavenly treatises which best expound and apply the scriptures, and next, credible histories, especially of the Church . . . but take heed of false teachers who would corrupt your understandings."

1. As there is a more excellent appearance of the Spirit of God in the holy scripture, than in any other book whatever, so it has more power and fitness to convey the Spirit, and make us spiritual, by imprinting itself upon our hearts. As there is more of God in it, so it will acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer Him, and make the reader more reverent, serious and divine. Let scripture be first and most in your hearts and hands and other books be used as subservient to it. The endeavors of the devil and papists to keep it from you, doth shew that it is most necessary and desirable to you.

2. The writings of divines are nothing else but a preaching of the gospel to the eye, as the voice preaches it to the ear. Vocal preaching has the pre-eminence in moving the affections, and being diversified according to the state of the congregation which attend it: this way the milk comes warmest from the breast. But books have the advantage in many other respects: you may read an able preacher when you have but a average one to hear. Every congregation cannot hear the most judicious or powerful preachers: but every single person may read the books of the most powerful and judicious; preachers may be silenced or banished, when books may be at hand: books may be kept at a smaller charge than preachers: we may choose books which treat of that, very subject which we desire to hear of; but we cannot choose what subject the preacher shall treat of. Books we may have at hand every day. and hour; when we can have sermons but seldom, and at set times. If sermons be forgotten, they are gone; but a book we may read over and over, till we remember it: and if we forget it, may again peruse it at our pleasure, or at our leisure. So that good books are a very great mercy to the world: the Holy Ghost chose the way of writing, to preserve His doctrine and laws to the 'Church, as knowing how easy and sure a way it is of keeping it safe to all generations, in comparison of mere verbal traditions.

3. You have need of a judicious teacher at hand, to direct you what books to use or to refuse: for among good books there are some very good that are sound and lively; and some good, but mediocre, and weak and somewhat dull; and some are very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or else of incautious, injudicious expressions, fitter to puzzle than edify the weak.

Baxter's Guide To The Value Of A Book

While reading ask oneself:

1. Could I spend this time no better?

2. Are there better books that would edify me more?

3. Are the lovers of such a book as this the greatest lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life?

4. Does this book increase my love to the Word of God, kill my sin, and prepare me for the life to come?

The Babe: Creator, Brother, Savior

2005-12-19T08:28:00.000-06:00

PROFESSION OF FAITH Westminster Confession, Chapter VIII

Minister: What do you believe about the Son of God?

People: The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance, so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. This person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of ev’ry nation, Joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver; born a child, and yet a King.
Born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone.
By Thine all sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Hebrews 2:9-18 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, 12 saying,

“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
13 And again, “I will put my trust in him.”
And again, “Behold, I and the children God has given me.”

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

Savior of the Nations, Come

Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin's Son, make here Thy home!
Marvel now, O heaven and earth,
That the Lord chose such a birth.
Wondrous birth! O wondrous Child
Of the Virgin undefiled!
Though by all the world disowned,
Still to be in heaven enthroned.
Thou, the Father's only Son,
Hast o'er sin the victory won.
Boundless shall Thy kingdom be;
When shall we its glories see?
Praise to God the Father sing,
Praise to God the Son, our King,
Praise to God the Spirit be
Ever and eternally.

God's Minute

2005-12-19T06:38:00.000-06:00

December 19

"O give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name."--1 Chronicles 16:8

LORD, our God, our Heavenly Father, we come into Thy holy presence as Thy children who would begin this day in Thy name. We thank Thee that Thou hast so revealed Thyself unto us, in Christ Jesus, that we know Thee indeed as our Father whose loving watch-care has been about us all our lives and in Whose keeping we have rested safely in the past night. We thank Thee for the new opportunities that are ours with this morning to which Thy grace has brought us. Make us willing to use this day to Thy glory and strong to so live among men that by word and deed we may bear witness that we are indeed Thine own. Cause us, therefore, to know Thy presence with us, as we go about our ordinary duties this day. Keep us from sin. Should temptations beset us, grant that in the power of Thy name the victory may be ours. And if this day should bring us to trials and sorrows, help us to meet them with courage and that trust in Thee which will cause every experience that life has in store for us to draw us into closer fellowship with Thee. Be with our loved ones and with all Thy children everywhere. Cause the hearts of men to seek Thee, and reveal Thyself in the fulness of Thy love to all who reach out unto Thee. Let the day soon dawn when men shall permit Thy love to right every wrong, and when truth and justice and love shall overrule all the affairs of men. We ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Saviour.

Amen.

Rev. Louis W. Goebel,
Chicago, Illinois

3 degrees in Chicagoland

2005-12-18T21:56:00.000-06:00

Hi missmellifluous,

I was afraid you might miss this in the comments. It's three degrees in Chicago tonight.

Temp 3 degrees. Real Feel -10 degrees. Humidity 79% Winds 8 mph.

The furnace is running, running, running, but the house is warm and toasty; the dogs did NOT want to go out to go potty tonight.

What is the temp there in Sydney?

[UPDATE] Miss Mellifluous has shared a link to camera located at The Rocks in Sydney. You can get camera control and look at the harbour, the Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge. Check this out--it is WAY COOL. Thanks, Mm.

God's Minute

2005-12-18T06:19:00.000-06:00

December 18

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcre.-Mark 16:2

A Prayer for Sunday Morning

OUR FATHER: The day brings with it joy and gladness, opportunity and privilege. Be Thou sharer of our joys; help us to see our opportunities; inspire us to magnify our privileges. Thou art the center and circumference of life. The sun gives no light, the sky has no star, the the landscape has not beauty, the flower has no fashion nor fragrance--without Thee. Be Thou our Sun, be Thou our Morning Star, be Thou the Lily of the Valley--the chiefest of ten thousand. Speak to us by whatever voice Thou canst reach us; only speak to us. Suffer no joy to make us forget Thee, no sorrow to make us curse Thee, no tears to blind our eyes to Thee. Come to us by whatever road Thou deemest best; only come to us. Give us that sweetest of experiences, the sense of fellowship with Thee. It is the consummate glory of our faith, the answer to our heart's desire. Push back the protruding world, hush its clamor, silence its call--and give us a gracious peace in this holy day. Carry us to the mount of vision; may we see Thy face. And as we return to the struggling life, may the glow of the Unseen be all about us, that the world may see, even though we know it not. With gratitude we come to Thee; with joy in a full salvation we greet Thee. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Rev. W.H. Geistweit, D.D.,
St. Louis, Missouri

A Virtual Christmas Gift

2005-12-17T15:26:00.000-06:00

For my friends "down under". . .

Sunlight on icicles through my kitchen window. . .

Icicles on my neighbor's house. These get HUGE every year and end up going past the middle of the house; must be the pitch of the roof. I took this through the window in the sunroom--you can see the camera reflected in the glass if you look close.

Merry Christmas to you in your sunny clime. . .enjoy the beach for us!

God's Minute

2005-12-17T06:38:00.000-06:00

December 17

O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.--Psalm 65:2

MOST Gracious Father, from Whom all good gifts come, grant us, we entreat Thee, the gift we need above all others, Thy Holy Spirit to help our infirmities, that our worship may be purged from all unreality. We long to pray to Thee sincerely, but we cannot unless Thou dost cleanse our hearts from the dross of vain desire. Free us from selfishness in our prayers; deliver us from asking for those things that will minister chiefly to our earthly pleasure. Thou must inspire the petitions which Thou alone canst answer. We are conscious of our sinfulness, but cannot be truly sorry for our misdoings until Thou dost move us to honest contrition and unfeigned repentance. We would be grateful to Thee for the mulititude of Thy tender mercies, but it is not until Thou dost grant us a due sense of Thy goodness, and awaken within us sincere gratitude, that our cold hearts are ready to praise Thee.

Our love languishes and dies except Thy Spirit shall quicken it into a living flame. Our good deeds cry aloud to Thee for pardon, if Thou dost not inspire them and purify them by Thine own indwelling.

We would live the prayer life; we would learn what it is to pray without ceasing. To this end do Thou come and dwell within us, O Thou Spirit of Christ! We want day by day to glorify Thee, our Father, and to serve our fellows, even as did Jesus, Thy well-loved Son. In His Name. Amen.

S.P. Rose, D.D.,
Montreal, Canada

Parables for the People

2005-12-16T08:14:00.000-06:00

For Allyson

THE SENSE OF GOD

by Rev. Lawrence Keister

In a quiet hour there came to me
A sense of God as good;
More sweet than ever before I knew,
And truer to me than ever true;
So sweet and so true, and yet so new,
The sense of God as good.

In a trying hour there came to me
A sense of God as wise;
Who ruled my heart with a gentle hand,
And lead me away from the sinking sand,
And bound me close with an unseen band,
The sense of God as wise.

In a trustful hour there came to me
A sense of God as near.
My God was great and my God was good,
And came to my heart, and there He stood
While I bent low, as anyone would,
When God, my God was near.

In a holy hour there came to me
A sense of God as love;
And with it came such a sense of rest
As human tongue has never expressed,
But belongs to those who God has blessed
With th' sense of God as Love.

In a happy hour there came to me
a sense of God as life;
A vision arose upon my soul,
The brightest I ever saw unroll;
The vision of life as one great whole;
And God, my God was life.

God's Minute

2005-12-16T06:31:00.000-06:00

December 16

If a man love me, he will keep My words.--John 14:23

ALMIGHTY GOD, our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for Thy goodness, Thy loving kindness to us and to all men; for the health that gives strength, and for the sickness that bring patience; and most of all for the forgiveness of sins for Christ's sake, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

We beseech Thee, give Thy guidance in what we ought to do and in the ways wherein we ought to go, and vouchsafe Thy grace to enable us to walk in them aright. Save us from being so busy as to forget Thee, or so contented as to feel no need of Thee.

Fill our hearts with grateful love of Thy dear Son, our Saviour and our King; and open our eyes to the light, and our souls to the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, that He may come in and take possession and work in us the holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.

O God, be merciful to us sinners as we tread the dusty way of active life, and when the evening comes bide with us near, and give light for the way home, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Bishop Daniel S. Tuttle, D.D.,
St. Louis, Missouri

An Early Christmas Present

2005-12-15T12:34:00.000-06:00

Before the first frost I got a call from my friend and neighbor, Sharon, asking me if I would winter over her two prized hibiscus plants in my sunroom. I warned her that I don't seem to be able to keep houseplants alive for very long, but she figured it was worth a try--after all, if they stayed outside they would surely die. At least they'd have a chance. (Fat chance, I thought to myself. . .)

She brought over two of the saddest looking plants I have ever seen. Sharon is a real gardener--she believes in pruning. These plants were nothing but sticks when she brought them to me in October. Not a leaf on them.

(picture taken in November--thanks to sister Kathy for remembering it!)

I've been delighted that over the course of the weeks they've been living with me, not only have they NOT died, they have put out a full complement of leaves.

Last evening I went into the sunroom to turn on the table lamp and there it was: a huge bud. I was like a kid leading up to Christmas morning, wondering if it would actually bloom and if so, would it be the red or the yellow.

This morning I could tell that it would be red and this afternoon, as you can see, the wait is over! Isn't it gorgeous?

What kind of food are you?

2005-12-15T08:29:00.000-06:00

Saw this at Marla's blog:

You Are French Food

Snobby yet ubiquitous.
People act like they understand you more than they actually do.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Snobby yet ubiquitous?! What does that mean? I think I'm offended. . .

God's Minute

2005-12-15T06:33:00.000-06:00

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; But made Himself of no reputation, in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name.--Philipians 2:5-9

OUR prayer to Thee, O Father, is in the name of Thy Son, Who forgave our sins on the cross. Help us by Thy Holy Spirit to separate ourselves from sin and enter in to the inheritance of Thy redeemed children. May we this day give the world spiritual blessing far more than we receive in material gain. May we realize that our saftey of soul and body is in Thee, and upon Thee we can depend for all our need. May we have a genuine love for all humanity, and seek the salvation of all people. May we be of real help to someone, and may all see in us more of Christ than they can see of self.

Unto God our Father, Christ our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost our Comforter, be all glory.

Amen.

Rev. James B. Ely,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

JE Resolution 6

2005-12-14T10:00:00.000-06:00

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

Living “with all my might” is not simply living with gusto, enjoying life to the fullest, spending our days with purpose and energy. There are many, many people who seemingly live their days with all their might—live it for all it’s worth. Their lives are full to overflowing with their jobs, their children, their families, their friends, their sports, their bank accounts. It takes a great deal of time and effort to maintain all these things and so it is easy to believe that if one is filling time and “living productively” one is living mightily.

However, as we’ve seen, to Jonathan Edwards living “with all my might” means living to the glory of God:

. . . it is in your power, with great diligence to attend the matter of your duty towards God and towards your neighbour. It is in your power to attend all ordinances, and all public and private duties of religion, and to do it with your might.
Pressing into the Kingdom of God, Application 2

And again, we can see the echoes of the Westminster Shorter Catechism in his meditations:

Q2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him?

A2: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him.

Q3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A3: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

But how are we to do that?

In his sermon, Christian Cautions, Edwards tells us that in order to live to the glory of God we must know two things intimately: the Word of God and our own selves.

The Word of God is our rule, given to us so that we may know how we should live (the WSC calls it “what duty God requires of man”) and unless we know and understand what it says, our self examination will have no moorings. We may look at the way we spend our time and conclude -- because we seem to have so little of it left—that we are living with all our might and if we spend at least some of it in Christian pursuits we may even be able to tell ourselves we are living to the glory of God. And yet, without a diligent study of the rule God has given, we cannot be sure whether our actions really do fulfill our duty to God.

But to what purpose will all this care of God to inform us be, if we neglect the revelation which God hath made of his mind, and take no care to become acquainted with it? It is impossible that we should know whether we do not live in a way of sin, unless we know the rule by which we are to walk. The sinfulness of any way consists in its disagreement from the rule. And we cannot know whether it [agrees] with the rule or not, unless we be acquainted with the rule. Rom 3:20, “By the law is the knowledge of sin.”

Therefore, lest we go in ways displeasing to God, we ought with the greatest diligence to study the rules which God hath given us. We ought to read and search the Holy Scriptures much, and do it with the design to know the whole of our duty, and in order that the Word of God may be “a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our paths,” Psa. 119:105. Everyone ought to strive to get knowledge in divine things, and to grow in such knowledge, to the end that he may know his duty, and know what God would have him to do.

Therefore, the first requirement in living with all one’s might is to study God’s Word—His rule given to us “to the end that he may know his duty, and know what God would have him do.” But without bringing our own hearts under self examination “as subject to the rule” we still won’t know if we are living with all our might:

We should examine our hearts and ways until we have satisfactorily discovered either their agreement or disagreement with the rules of Scripture. This is a matter that requires the utmost diligence, lest we overlook our irregularities, lest some evil way in us should lie hid under disguise, and pass unobserved. One would think we are under greater advantages to be acquainted with ourselves than with anything else. For we are always present with ourselves, and have an immediate consciousness of our own actions. All that passeth in us, or is done by us, is immediately under our eye. Yet really in some respects the knowledge of nothing is so difficult to be obtained, as the knowledge of our ourselves. We should therefore use great diligence in prying into the secrets of our hearts and in examining all our ways and practices. That you may the more successfully use those means to know whether you do not live in some way of sin; be advised,

First, evermore to join self-reflection with reading and hearing the Word of God. When you read or hear, reflect on yourselves as you go along, comparing yourselves and your own ways with what you read or hear. Reflect and consider what agreement or disagreement there is between the word and your ways. The Scriptures testify against all manner of sin and contain directions for every duty. As the apostle saith, 2 Tim. 3:16, “And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Therefore when you there read the rules given us by Christ and his apostles, reflect and consider, each one of you with himself, Do I live according to this rule? Or do I live in any respect contrary to it?

There is no time like the present to apply ourselves to this admonition that Edwards gave himself. Resolved to live with all my might, while I do live.

[Update: Kim at the Upward Call has her reflections on Resolution 6 posted just in time for New Years. I hope to have my next installment posted today, too, God willing.]

God's Minute

2005-12-14T06:34:00.000-06:00

December 14

He shall. . .save them because they trust in Him--Psalm 37:40

OUR Father, as Thy children we, in this new day, hope for Thy presence and listen for Thy voice. That we may be sensitive to Thy touch and alert to Thy word, make us eager to know Thy will and resolute to do it. To know Thee in close intimacy is our need and our prayer.

In Thee is food for all our hungers; light for all our gloom; tasks for all our energies; love--warm, throbbing, sacrificing, to purge away our selfishness. This is our faith--make it our living experience.

Look in pity upon all the sons of men. Bring strife to an end. Establish righteousness in the affairs of nations. Help all rulers to decree justice. Let reason prevail, and love bind together the hearts of men.

Be our sufficiency all day. Be our defense if we are threatened by evil forces; keep us rigid when we are tempted; give us fresh inspiration when our purposes flag; keep us unselfishly, deliberately, eagerly kind all day, and when night falls may we have the consciousness of Thy favor, and the peace which passeth all understanding, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Wallace MacMullen, D.D.,
Madison, New Jersey

Wish I'd said that!

2005-12-13T16:53:00.000-06:00

Three cheers for Rebecca at Rebecca Writes for her excellent thoughts on the apparent need some people have to put a theological meaning on every aspect of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Well, somebody had to say it!

A Fringe Benefit

2005-12-13T08:44:00.000-06:00

One of the fringe benefits of reading your favorite blogs is following links to your new favorite blogs. I followed a link from Challies and found this.

Narnia Quiz

2005-12-13T07:37:00.000-06:00

As Aslan, you are brave, noble and have an astute awareness of morality. You may be quick to anger at times, but you have a heart of gold, and are respected greatly among your peers.

God's Minute

2005-12-13T06:59:00.000-06:00

December 13

With my spirit within me I will seek Thee early.--Isaiah 26:9

OUR Father in Heaven, we call unto Thee because we have called before and Thou didst hear us. Come unto us, Lord, when all is dark, and when trouble weighs us down. Lift us up again, that we may praise Thee and smile in our hearts. For the labors of this day, give us free grace; for the hard road, the iron shoes of good resolution; for the hour that casts us down, calm us and lift us up again. Make us gentle, Lord, with our loved ones. May we never give way to harsh words or unjust thoughts. Lord Jesus, listen to our prayer as we confess our sins before Thy Holy Cross. May we meet the Man of Sorrows now while we bend before Thee, so shall our sins fade away, and our hearts rejoice with a new joy. May we be resigned to Thy will, no mater what we must yield. Gather this little family about Thyself as doth the bird when the storm falls. Cover us with Thy love, and protect us in the hollow of Thy hand. O Lord, give us the power to pray aright, for we pray in Thy might. At last, Gentle Shepherd of our home folks, gather us all to Thyself in the dear Homeland, when the morning breaks and the shadows flee away. And this we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

C.H. Woolston, D.D.,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From the link:

TIPS TO USING SLEIGHT OF HAND IN MINISTRY

Gospel magic is not something new. One of the first books ever written on the subject is titled, "Seeing Truth" by C.H. Woolston, d.d. Written and published in 1910 by the Praise Publishing company. On many occasions, around the turn of the century, Dr. Woolston was a guest speaker at the Winona Bible Conference in Winona Lake, Indiana.

God's Minute

2005-12-12T06:34:00.000-06:00

December 12

Pray now unto the Lord our God.--Jeremiah 37:3

WE THANK Thee, our Heavenly Father, for Thy care over us through the past night. We thank Thee for the Bible. Help us to understand it, to believe it, to obey it, and to love it. We thank Thee, Blessed Saviour, that Thou dist come from heaven to earth that we might go from earth to heaven; that Thou didst die that we might live. We thank Thee that Thou didst rise from the dead, ascend up on high, and dost ever live to intercede for us. We thank Thee that Thou didst say, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." We come to Thee. Have mercy on us. We have done wrong. Forgive us. We want to do right; help us. We are sinners; be Thou our Saviour. fill us with Thy Spirit; consecrate us to Thy service. Comfort the troubled; guide the perplexed; strengthen the weak; succor the tempted. Bless our country. Bless Thy Church everywhere, and bless all Christian workers. Fill the whole world with Thy glory. We ask all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for His sake we pray:

"God bless our going out,
Nor less our going in,
And make them sure.
God bless our daily bread,
And bless whate'er we do, whate'er endure,
May death unto His peace awake us,
And heirs unto His salvation make us"

Amen.

Richard Boyd Webster, D.D.,
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

God's Minute

2005-12-11T06:34:00.000-06:00

December 11

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God.--Exodus:8-9

(For Sunday Morning)

WE THANK Thee, O Lord, for the holy Sabbath, so full of blessings for Thy children. We adore Thee for this memorial of the precious work of our redemption, and type of the rest that remains for the people of God. Help us to keep the day holy. May we be richly blessed in reading thy Word, in listening to Thy Gospel, and in all the services of the holy day. Be with all ministers of the Gospel, and especially with those who preach Thy Word today. Bless our children, at home and in the Sabbath school. Give to the teachers the power to mold character and to guide the children along the path of the just. Comfort all that mourn, especially such as have not been allowed to attend Thy house today. Give us grace not merely to hear the Word, but to help in the spread of light and life over the world. Enable us to live nearer to Thee. May each Sabbath be a spiritual benediction to all They people. Look upon those who are yet sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Send abroad Thy light and Thy truth into the benighted portions of our globe. Turn the nations from idols to serve the living God. Let the people praise Thee, let all the people praise Thee; and blessd be Thy glorious Name forever and ever.

Amen.

A.M. Mayo,
Lake Charles, Louisiana

All Day Cookie Marathon

2005-12-10T13:38:00.000-06:00

I am a cookie baker wannabe. I imagine myself baking cookies and if you took a tour of my baking cupboard you would see that it is replete with every kind of cookie baking ingredient imaginable--especially chips. Chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate peanut butter chips, cinnamon chips, chocolate caramel chips and butterscotch chips. Why so many? Because I imagine myself a cookie baker but I rarely ever do it, much to my family's dismay. I threaten to bake cookies all the time.

So, today is my official Christmas Cookie Baking Day. So far I've mixed up Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies, Tulip Girl's Gingerbread Men, a double batch of sugar cut-out cookies, and Snickerdoodles. Because they all have to chill before rolling out and baking, I decided to make a bar cookie while we're waiting.

I haven't made this before but it sure looks good:

Magic Cookie Bars

(Recipe from OPERS Employee Cookbook, given to me by my mother. The recipe was submitted by Mary Ann McNeal)

1/2 c. margarine or butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 (i4 oz. can) Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips(I used chocolate/caramel swirl chips)
1 (13 1/2 oz can) flaked coconut (1 1/2 c.)
1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top evenly with remaining ingrediants. Press down firmly and bake 25-30 minutes.

[update] These bar cookies are sinfully rich and very, very yummy. Destined to be a family favorite. I don't think I pressed them down hard enough because they are very crumbly, so if you decide to make them, I'd suggest assembling them with the nuts and coconut first and then putting the chips on the top and pressing down hard. They might hold together better. After sampling on Saturday I froze the rest of them, to be taken out when cookies are needed. I can attest to the fact that they are delicious right out of the freezer and hold together perfectly. (Hey, I did say when cookies are needed!)]

Jake was amazed to find out how many batches of cookies I have mixed up so far. He asked me why I was making so many (I think he was in shock!) I told him that they are for when friends and family come and for us to have throughout the Christmas season. He doesn't want me to share the Snickerdoodles.

Jake doesn't remember it, but there was another marathon cookie making day; must've been 16 or 17 years ago based on the age he is now. My mother, my sister, Kathy, and I got together and baked Christmas cookies all day. John and Jake and nieces, Katie and Meggie helped cut out and decorate them. The guys watched football. I think it may have been during some kind of playoffs. I remember there was a big earthquake in San Fransisco (?) and that's where the game was being played. We had so much fun together that day. My sister gave me my very first Christmas mug that year. In fact I brought it with me when I sat down to blog.

Kathy can fill in the details or correct me on the specifics of the day. Maybe she'll add some memories. The more I think about it, it may have been Easter cookies. . . and maybe it was baseball. . .

It's starting to smell good in here. Probably ought to go check the timer. . .

[UPDATE: Let the revisions begin. . .Tom tells me that I must be morphing several cookie baking days into one. It was baseball, but it wasn't Easter because it was the 1989 World Series--San Francisco and Oakland (Oakland won). And that time it wasn't cut out cookies; he thinks it was pumpkin cookies and Kid's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies. And that couldn't've been the day Kathy gave me my coffee mug. . .this is becoming like a "Fuzzy Memories" episode, by Jack Handy"]

Bok Choy Salad

2005-12-10T07:08:00.000-06:00

I've been poking around Marla's Blog for the past few weeks. What an lovely mix of interesting, thought provoking topics and light hearted fun!

This morning I checked out her salad recipes. As usual, when I pick up a recipe or two, I like to return the favor, so here's my recipe for Bok Choy Salad:

Bok Choy Salad

1 bundle of green onions
1 head of bok choy cabbage
1/2 head of green cabbage

Chop as for slaw and refrigerate overnight.

Brown 1 package of broken Ramen noodles (noodles only) in 1 stick of butter with one package sliced almonds. When toasty brown, drain on paper towels and then refrigerate separately overnight. (it will seem as though the noodles will never brown, but take heart and pay attention--it happens fast when it does finally happen!)

dressing:

Shake together:

1 cup wesson oil (I use sunflower oil)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2T soy sauce

You guessed it--refrigerate overnight.

Assemble the salad right before serving, shake dressing to mix.
Toss and serve.

God's Minute

2005-12-10T06:25:00.000-06:00

December 10

Then Thou shall call, and the Lord shall answer.--Isaiah 58:9

O THOU Who art so distant that no reach of our thought can compass Thee, and so near that we are apt to overlook Thee, hear our prayer. Our Saviour taught us to address Thee in the endearing names of our homes. We can call ourselves They sons, and we can call Thee our Father and our Friend. And we are not as unimportant as some time we seem, for if we are less than the child, to care for us Thou art more than the mother. As in spring days men walk in their gardens to see how their flowers and fruits are growing, so may we go through our souls to observe what the divine nature is bringing forth there. May we see much love, aspiration, hope, courage and other riches of Thy grace. Here we promise more faithfuly to cultivate the good seeds and eradicate the weeds. And our promise is not a passing wish, but we pray that it may be a consecrated purpose. Bless our country with strength for righteousness. Bless our homes with children that shall develop in integrity and usefulness. Forgive us for misemphasizing the things of time more than those of eternity. In all trouble, help us to say, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Aid us to hold within our thought and love and hope dear ones who have gone to their heavenly home. May we prepare for reunited fellowship with them, and unveiled communion with God, by nobler living. In our Master's name.

Amen.

Rev. John W. Langdale,
Cincinnati, Ohio

A Sunny Spot. . .

2005-12-09T11:51:00.000-06:00

. . . on a cold day

OK, admit it. . .are you yawning?

Narnia Images In Chicagoland

2005-12-09T06:37:00.000-06:00

"Next moment she found that what was rubbing against her face and hands was no longer soft fur but something hard and rough even prickly. "Why it is just like the branches of trees!" exclaimed Lucy. And then she saw that there was a light ahead of her; not a few inches away from where the back of the wardrobe ought to have been, but a long way off. Something cold and soft was falling on her. A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at night-time with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air."

"She began to walk forward, crunch-crunch over the snow and through the wood toward the other light. In about ten minutes she reached it and found it was a lamp-post. . .she stood there looking at it, wondering why there was a lamp-post in the middle of a wood and wondering what to do next. . ."

C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" pg. 6 and 7

You can read Carol's review here.

God's Minute

2005-12-09T06:27:00.000-06:00

December 9

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.--1 Samuel 7:12

O LORD, our Lord, Creator, preserver and bountiful benefactor of men, in Whom we live and move and have our being, we adore Thee for Thy loving kindness and tender mercies. With shame in our hearts we confess before Thee our many sins. Our lives do not meet Thy requirements. Our footsteps have wandered from the pathway of rectitude. Our Father, look upon us in mercy, and do Thou be pleased to have pity upon us in our sins. Look upon Thy Son, Who died for us, and do Thou for His sake accept us as righteous before Thee. Grant that our sins may not only be blotted out of the book of Thy remembrance, but that by the power of the Holy Ghost we may be enabled to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness. Comfort the disconsolate, cheer the saddened, bring friends to the friendless, teach the ignorant, give visions to trembling faith, set the star of hope in the overhanging clouds, and hurry the forces of truth towards the consummation of Thy kingdom. We can trust all to Thee. As our Shepherd, lead us today. As our King, defend us from the enemies that watch for our souls. As our priest, teach us the will of God for our salvation. O God, our Father, overshadow our pathway with Thy merciful providence, and let each one of us bear some part in the advcancement of the Redeemer's glorious Kingdom. Throught Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

W.J. McMillan, D.D.,
Baltimore, Maryland

The Thrill of Victory

2005-12-08T08:40:00.000-06:00

I was so thrilled to have found this beautiful copper tea kettle. Somehow, my tea just tasted better when steeped in boiling hot water from this kettle.

The Agony of Defeat

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I sat down to blog and thought, "I could use a cup of tea" and put the kettle on to boil. Came back to the computer and became immersed in all things Jonathan Edwards. How much time went by? I couldn't say, but I did hear a strange popping sound followed by a hot smell.

This is what happens when an antique copper tea kettle is boiled dry.

I am definitely a cotton headed ninny muggins.

God's Minute

2005-12-08T06:41:00.000-06:00

December 8

Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.--Luke 6:37

Our Heavenly Father, we turn for a little while at the threshold of this new day to be with Thee. Refresh us with a new vision of Thy face. Speak to us Thy will that we may do it. Make all the day cheerful by Thy presence and fellowship.

We thank Thee for life and work in such a beautiful world. Give us, we beseech Thee, that due sense of all Thy mercies that our hearts may be thankful, and that we show forth Thy praise not only with our lips but in our lives. Perfect us in love, that we may conquer all selfishness and learn how to pardon as we pray for forgiveness.

May our home life be sanctified today, and all the days, by the presence of the divine Guest. As we go out among men to do our work, touching the hands and lives of our fellows, make us friends of all--true representatives of Thine. Ballast our activities for the day with high purposes. Show us how to fill it with enriching service, that night may bring a peaceful pillow. Bless the home life of our nation, and all the nations. Let every palace, mansion and cottage in the whole earth become the house of God and the gate of heaven.

Amen.

Bishop H.H. Fout, D.D.,

Indianapolis, Indiana

December 7th

2005-12-07T19:01:00.000-06:00

No, not December 7th, 1941, although every year I do eventually remember that it is Pearl Harbor Day.

December 7th is important to me for another reason. It is my father's birthday. He was born on December 7, 1931 and if he were still alive he'd be 74 years old today.

Memories of my dad:

I remember he called me Rock or Rocky.

I remember waking up as a very little girl to the buzz of his electric razor.

I remember he smelled like Old Spice.

I remember him coming home for dinner, dressed in his Ohio State Highway Patrol uniform, and kissing my mom on his way through the kitchen and unbuckling his gun belt. When he returned to the kitchen the gun was no where to be seen. I learned years later from my mother that he had a nail at the back of the closet where he hung it out of sight and out of reach.

I remember him swinging me on the swing set in the back yard, singing an "Alvin and the Chipmunk" song--"OO EE OO AA Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang"

I remember him coming home for dinner while the three of us kids were sitting in front of the TV in our clean jammies, watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. He told my sister and me that if we ever brought a boy home with hair that long, he's "stomp him in a crack." (Tom had long hair and very huge sideburns when we started dating (hey, it was 1974!) and he never did "stomp him in a crack".

I remember him spraying us with the garden hose in the backyard on hot summer days. He was always "Raid" and we were always the bugs. We "died" very dramatically--lots of kicking legs and swirming on the grass.

I remember having orchestra concerts in Junior High and thinking that he wouldn't be able to get away from his job long enough to see the concert, but without fail, he was always there, standing in the doorway with his stetson in his hands. And when my part was over, he would melt away.

I remember coming home from a three week trip to France and how hard he hugged me when I got off the bus.

I remember him trying to teach me to drive. I was a bad driver and we were both frustrated. Tempers flaired and angry words spilled out. It was the only time I ever talked back to him. He told me to get in the passenger side and he drove us home and never said a word about the scene.

I remember how he shook hands with the boys I brought home to meet him. He had a reputation as "The Crusher". A man should have a firm handshake.

I remember the first time Tom came to eat at our house. Mom had fixed roast beef and my dad took a piece of bread, poured gravy over it and declared, "I don't know what you do at your house, but here we eat gravy bread!" Tom was relieved because they eat gravy bread at his house, too.

I remember another big hug on the day I got married. I thought I might faint from lack of air! I remember him putting a penny in my shoe for good luck.

I remember the day our first son, John was born. He was so "radiant." I know that is usually a word reserved for brides, but he was so happy that he glowed!

I remember the last time I talked to him. We were living about an hour or so apart. I called to talk to my mom about the birthday party I was planning for my niece, Katie, who was turning 1 year old in June of '83. Dad answered the phone. My dad wasn't much of a phone talker. Our conversations usually consisted of, "Hi Honey, how are you? How's my boy? Here's your mom." But this night it was different. He couldn't wait to tell me about how much he was enjoying his flying lessons. He had served on the U.S.S. Midway and had always loved being around airplanes but he had never flown. But now that he was semi-retired he was fulfilling one of his life long dreams. He told me that he had flown several times but that day he had done his first take off. Landings would be coming soon. He was like a kid on Christmas morning! I remember laughing together.

The next day, while he was up in the airplane doing what he loved to do, he suffered a massive heart attack. The man who was teaching him to fly said that Dad had said he didn't feel well and in the time it took for him to take over the controls and look back at him, he was gone.

Over the last few days, I have been contemplating the preciousness of time. Nothing brings home the brevity of life and the uncertainty of our days than the death of someone you love.

I remember my mom sending me to the top drawer of his dresser to find his dress uniform buttons, because he was going to be buried in his uniform. There I found, not only his buttons, but a whole drawer full of memories. Things we had made him as kids, things I had brought him from France, baby teeth, baby hair, grade cards, all the things that he had saved. Precious things.

I loved my dad.

God's Minute

2005-12-07T07:04:00.000-06:00

December 7

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if they be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:2

OUR Father, we thank Thee for Thy goodness to us during the night. Thou hast watched over us whilst we slept. Now we pray Thee to guard and guide us through this day. May Thy presence be with us. As our day, so may our strength be.

May Thy love be in our hearts and manifest in our conduct. Enable us to resist evil, to endure trial, to overcome difficulties, and in all things to do Thy will. Whatsoever our hands find to do, may we do it with our might.

Keep us from becoming discouraged. May Thy joy be our strength. May we not grow weary in well-doing. May Thy word be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Keep our hearts and minds. May we think of the things which are pure and lovely and of a good report. Supply all our needs this day. Make all things work together for our good. We ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

David McKinney, D.D.,
Cincinnati, Ohio

JE Resolution 5

2005-12-06T14:56:00.000-06:00

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

This is the first of the what I have dubbed the “living and dying” resolutions. In Section I of his sermon, “The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It” Edwards gives us a list of 4 reasons that time is precious:

1. Because a happy or miserable eternity depends on the good or ill improvement of it.

"Things are precious in proportion to their importance, or to the degree wherein they concern our welfare. Men are wont to set the highest value on those things upon which they are sensible their interest chiefly depends. And this renders time so exceedingly precious, because our eternal welfare depends on the improvement of it. — Indeed our welfare in this world depends upon its improvement. If we improve it not, we shall be in danger of coming to poverty and disgrace; but by a good improvement of it, we may obtain those things which will be useful and comfortable. But it is above all things precious, as our state through eternity depends upon it. The importance of the improvement of time upon other accounts, is in subordination to this."

2. Time is very short, which is another thing that renders it very precious.

"Time is so short, and the work which we have to do in it is so great, that we have none of it to spare. The work which we have to do to prepare for eternity, must be done in time, or it never can be done; and it is found to be a work of great difficulty and labor, and therefore that for which time is the more requisite."

3. Time ought to be esteemed by us very precious, because we are uncertain of its continuance.

"We know that it is very short, but we know not how short. We know not how little of it remains, whether a year, or several years, or only a month, a week, or a day. We are every day uncertain whether that day will not be the last, or whether we are to have the whole day. There is nothing that experience doth more verify than this. — If a man had but little provision laid up for a journey or a voyage, and at the same time knew that if his provision should fail, he must perish by the way, he would be the more choice of it. — How much more would many men prize their time, if they knew that they had but a few months, or a few days, more to live!"

4. Time is very precious, because when it is past, it cannot be recovered.

"There are many things which men possess, which if they part with, they can obtain them again. If a man have parted with something which he had, not knowing the worth of it, or the need he should have of it; he often can regain it, at least with pains and cost. If a man have been overseen in a bargain, and have bartered away or sold something, and afterwards repents of it, he may often obtain a release, and recover what he had parted with. — But it is not so with respect to time. When once that is gone, it is gone forever; no pains, no cost will recover it. Though we repent ever so much that we let it pass, and did not improve it while we had it, it will be to no purpose. Every part of it is successively offered to us, that we may choose whether we will make it our own, or not. But there is no delay. It will not wait upon us to see whether or no we will comply with the offer. But if we refuse, it is immediately taken away, and never offered more. As to that part of time which is gone, however we have neglected to improve it, it is out of our possession and out of our reach."

[UPDATE] Kim at the Upward Call has her reflections on Resolution 5 posted here.

Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

2005-12-06T07:17:00.000-06:00

Time to make cookies!

I was reminded this morning by TulipGirl that the Christmas baking season is upon us. She will be making Gingerbread Men. Sounds like a wonderful recipe--I'm going to give it a go this year, too. Since one good turn deserves another, I decided to post the recipe for the cookies I made last year for the first time: Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies. This recipe is copyrighted by the Food Network, so you'll have to follow the link. You can see this recipe prepared on "Good Eats" with Alton Brown on Wednesday Dec. 14 at 2:00 AM ET/PT on the Food Network. (end of commercial)

Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

These are gorgeous, delicious cookies. Rolling them up into pinwheels is a bit tricky but if I can do it, you can too!

[UPDATE] A lot of people are "googling" this recipe, so I've added a picture.

God's Minute

2005-12-06T06:50:00.000-06:00

December 6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.--Philippians 4:6-7

OUR Father, we bring home and hearts to Thee this day for the blessing which Thou hast planned for them. May there be in us nothing to hinder Thy coming, nothing to cloud the vision of Thyself, nothing to deaden the sound of Thy voice. We would open the ears and eyes within us to hear and see Thee; we would open the whole soul that Thou mayest come in. Come in, Father of us all, into our home, into our hearts.

Many things we need this day. One thing, best of all, is all that we ask; we ask for Thyself, and having Thee, we have all. Bless the home with Thy presence, and the sun shall shine through the darkest clouds of the sky; bless our hearts with Thy love, and no burden shall be too heavy for us to bear for Thee.

And then, out of a home where Thou dost dwell, may we take Thee in our hearts, in our lives, to bless our brethren wherever we go. In Thy name.

Amen.

Bishop Theodore S. Henderson,
Chattanooga, Tennessee

from the History of United Methodist Children's Home

A Patron Saint

Bishop Theodore S. Henderson, on his first meeting with the Superintendent of UMCH stated, "Command me for whatever service I can do for the children's home." It is noted that Bishop Henderson - who served during the Great Depression - was able to convince every church to send 1 penny, per member, per month to the Children's Home. During a time when a new car cost $500, he was stated to have raised over $40,000 in one year.

Favorite Christmas Movies

2005-12-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

I am not much of a movie watcher. Really--ask anyone who knows me; I'm not.

But for some reason, I love Christmas movies. Maybe it's because the whole family sits down together to watch. Maybe it's because there always seems to be Christmas lights reflected in the TV screen. Maybe it's because most are uplifting and cheerful. Maybe it's a combination of all the above and more. All I know is that I love them.

So here's a "made up by me" meme for my readers. You can answer in the comments or on your blog and link back here, but please, DO answer! I'd love to see if you love the same ones I do or if there's one I've missed! Feel free to use TV specials--I did.

1. Favorite Black and White Christmas Movie

"The Bishop's Wife"

2. Favorite Colorized (yes colorized--that's how I get to sneak in two black and whites) Christmas Movie

"It's a Wonderful Life"

3. Favorite Animated Christmas Movie

"A Charlie Brown Christmas"

4. Favorite Christmas Movie Remake

"The Muppet Christmas Carol"

5. Favorite rendition of "A Christmas Carol"

"The Muppet Christmas Carol"

6. Favorite "newer" Christmas Movie

"Elf"

7. Most Quotable Christmas Movie

"A Christmas Story"

JE Resolution 4

2005-12-05T09:50:00.000-06:00

4. Resolved, never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God; nor be, nor suffer it, if I can avoid it.

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards can be roughly divided into five categories: living and dying, self control (control of tongue, emotions, time, gifts and talents) Christian character, ‘Do’s and Don’ts”, and self examination, with most spilling over into two or more categories. Others might divide them differently. But regardless of how one chooses to categorize or organize them, one thing is abundantly clear with even a cursory glance, and that is the purpose for which they were written: the Glory of God. This was JE’s raison d’etre--to live to the Glory of God. And not only his, it is our reason for being, regardless of whether we recognize it or not.

In reading the personal writings of Jonathan Edwards, I have noticed how often he reminds himself about Resolution 4. Even within the Resolutions themselves, he makes reference to this resolution. (see Resolution 23)

This resolution reminds me of something we used to say to our kids when they were little. We told them that we were making it easy on them; there are only two rules in our house. Listen to what we say, and do it. We told them that if they just followed those rules, they wouldn’t have to remember a whole bunch of do’s and don’ts and we wouldn’t have to get after them all the time. We were only half serious, as most of the time this was said when we were getting after them about one thing or another, but now--thinking back--it really was a good thing and it really was that simple.

I guess if I were to boil these resolutions down into a single, foundational one, this would be it. All the rest are designed to help us do this one thing--this foundational thing that is our raison d’etre: to Glorify God in body and soul.

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Romans 11:36

[UPDATE:] Kim at the Upward Call has her reflections on Resolution 4 posted.

God's Minute

2005-12-05T06:24:00.000-06:00

December 5

For now I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I hve finished my course. I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing.--2 Timothy 4:6-8

OUR Father, we thank Thee for the revelation of Thyself in Jesus Christ our Lord. We thank Thee for Thy kindly care over us. We pray that the Holy Spirit may lead us into the light of truth. Give to us a larger vision of Thy glory and make us more faithful to Thee and to the needs of our fellow men. Teach us how to pray.

Give us more faith and love. Give us clearer vision to see the deeper meaning of Thy Truth. Bless our land, and Thy Church in all lands. Bless the young, the aged, the sick and the troubled. Fill our hearts with sympathy and hope. Let us live to be of service to Thee, and to our fellow men. Thine shall be the kingdom, the power and the glory, for we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

William M. Anderson, D.D.,
Dallas, Texas