Motifs

I love motifs. Re-ocurring themes sailing around through life's story. Yes, I love motifs.

IMPACT

Heidi was up visiting Joy today, it was good to see her again. The three of us can really get talking, somehow our conversation came around to songs we listened to as children, Steve Green being one of the cassettes we loved as children. Steve Green's songs were basically verses to tunes, and an excellent memorizing tool. And it's made me once again realize what an impact the music we listened too as children has had on my life. I believe when among life's bitters, music is one of the few remedy's; and the wonderful thing about songs is that you can sing them in your head even when you have to keep quiet. :)

I will ask Jesus to help me

To keep my heart from sin;

Ever reflecting His goodness,

And always shine for Him.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows when
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on the way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

He's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1KtScrqtbc

"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

He Loves You So

"None eye pitied thee, to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the lothing of thy person, in the day that thou wast born.

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." Eze 16:6

It's a sad story, one of unfaithfulness, shame, and pain. The story of a young man who was passing by a field and saw a little baby discarded out in the middle, in the dirt, lying in its own blood. Born earlier that day, not even washed from birth, umbilical cord not cut, the baby had been left to die. No one cared, no wanted the baby. When the young man approached, he realized the little baby was little girl. He picked up the child and whispered an earnest, fervent plea. "Live. Live."

The young man took the baby home and the child grew into a lovely young lady. He gave her the best of everything. He fell in love with her, and she returned his love. The story seemed a fairy tale in the making, but the end was dark and full of pain.

She betrayed him, shamed him, belied his trust. She was unfaithful to him with everyone who passed by. If that wasn't enough, she took the children she had borne to her husband, and sacrificed them, killing them by fire.

The imagery is harsh, lewd, and revolting. The story of a woman who threw away all that was good and inflicted pain, taking no count of the fact that he had saved her as a baby. A wretched ending to a beautiful beginning.

Ah, but this is not quite the end of the story. The young man, now older, loves her still. He remembers that little baby that he rescued. He still remembers the young woman he fell in love with. He STILL loves her. He sets about to clean up the havoc she has created, in anger he confronts her, and after many consequences ensue, he reconfirms his vows to her.

"Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant...And I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD" Ezk 16:62

And now we know who the young man is. Here is God's story, here is how he feels. Did you know this? And yet he loves us.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,

Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Mary, Did you know?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.

If you can take one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss:

AM I Beautiful?

Ah, the age old question. Am I beautiful?

We like to say

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder!"

And it is

"Pretty is as pretty does."

So it is true

So then, why we nagged with thoughts of beauty? Why do we compare ourselves to billboards, saying "if I could look like that, I'd be beautiful."?

We are being lied to.

What is true beauty? To find that we need to know what God says about beauty.

What does God say about beauty?

God says that holiness is beauty!

"You shalt make holy garments...for glory and for beauty." Exodus 28:2

"Praise the beauty of holiness!" 2 Chronicles 20:21

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD,

she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Definition: Holiness> The state of being Holy

Definition: Holy > Perfect in Goodness & Righteousness

Now, in case you aren't completely convinced that we are being lied to about what is beauty.

Check out this video.

today's media is lying to us.

(This video is from you tube)

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain

but a woman that feareth the LORD,

she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Let this my motto be

Lord, help me live from day to day

In such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray

My prayer shall be for—Others.

Refrain

Others, Lord, yes others,

Let this my motto be,

Help me to live for others,

That I may live like Thee.

Help me in all the work I do

To ever be sincere and true

And know that all I’d do for You

Must needs be done for—Others.

Refrain

Let ?Self? be crucified and slain

And buried deep: and all in vain

May efforts be to rise again,

Unless to live for—Others.

Refrain

And when my work on earth is done,

And my new work in Heav’n’s begun,

May I forget the crown I’ve won,

While thinking still of—Others.

Refrain

As children, we used to lay in bed listening to Tennessee Erie Ford sing hymns, this was one of the hymns. We listened to the same cassette night after night, fell to sleep listening to the tape, and again for Sunday afternoon nap. He had such a rich deep voice, soothing, clear, and comforting. The tape is still our favorite, even after 20 years, whenever one of us siblings is in the dumps, you'll hear that one singing "Tennesse Erie Ford".

Looking back, I believe our thoughts and standard for life was greatly affected by the music we listened to. Today, I was feeling pointless - after all what use am I? I don't have a clear purpose or goal mapped out in front of me. I can't say "I'm getting ready for the mission field, Lord Willing, in the next year or two." I can't say "I'm striving to raise my children for the Lord, oh that they'll be saved at a young age!" I can't even say "Yes, I am so excited, we'll be starting life together, I pray I will be a wife of virtue." What can I say?

At this point, I think I wasn't so much melancoly or sad -- just confused. Then into my mind streamed these lovely words. "Lord, help me live from day to day...Let this my motto be...That I may live like Thee." The truth dawned on me. If only in my life, I can only say that my goal is to live like Him, then that is all that matters. It doesn't matter whether you fit into the previous categories: a prayerful missionary, a careful mother, or a helpful wife. It matters that you live for Him, in whatever capacity He gives you.

Lord, help me live from day to day

In such a self-forgetful way

That even when I kneel to pray

My prayer shall be for—Others.

Let this my motto be.

If you want to hear what the tune sounds like, here is the link http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/o/t/h/others.htm, and I found Tennesee Ernie Ford singing it online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X82jlo9ngOE :)

A Chinese Fortune

We all chipped in to get Chinese food tonight for dinner (it's a little expensive).

And this was one of the fortunes in the Fortune Cookies.

Even though I don't hold to fortune cookies having any significance, this saying was a nice paraphrase of what we are told in the Bible. High demands, eh?

Pure love is a willingness to give

without a thought of receiving

anything in return.

~Chinese proveb

Weird....

Yes, exactly that. Weird. Besides having a random blogging fuel injection, I remembered an old blog I used to have, before I even knew what a "blog" was. Rachel & I had "sites", by which we shared our thoughts, poems, and writings with each other.

My mind was muttering over lines of a poem, when I had a sneaky suspicion that I was trying to quote my own poem. Weird. Okay, I've had a weird couple weeks...

So, I went searching the internet for this blog, with no luck - I knew it was called Peaceful-Meadow. Eventually, I did find it, only to have no idea what my password was or my login....etc.

Amazingly, my "site" was set to public! I set my own login too securely for me to get into, but my blog is public. Very Strange (well, the other adjective was being overused.)

Then when I tried to read the blog, the link reroutes!!!! I checked the firewall. No clue.

The really really really strange part about it, is the site keeps rerouting me to cyber hymnal's old rugged cross page....

See if you can read it... if any one is able to see this "site", I'd appreciate knowing.

Peaceful-Meadow.xanga.com

Weird.

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy life receive; Suddenly return and never, Never more Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy hosts above, Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.

We sang this at the conference on the weekend. I had never heard the tune, although I knew the words, I couldn't place them together. The tune has been in my mind all day. Here is the link to to the how it sounds. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/mid/b/l/a/blaenwern.mid

Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heaven to earth come down; Fix in us thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown! Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter every trembling heart.

Love that Will not Let me Go

O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.

~

The Lord Answered Not

We are often told that God always answers prayers, sometimes the answer is "yes", sometimes the answer is "no", and sometimes the immediate answer is "wait". Well, I was researching times when God said "no" to someone in the Bible (see two posts back) and I came across a curious thing. The verse said "the Lord answered him not". Not only did it plainly say that, but it continued to list the manners in which the Lord never answered. I was astounded, still am.

And when Saul enquired of the LORD,

the LORD answered him not,

neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.

1 Samuel 28:6

I began to research how many other times the Lord did not give an answer. These were the verses I found.

Mic 3:7 "Then shall the seers be ashamed, and the diviners confounded: yea, they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer of God."

Joh 19:9 "And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer."

Mat 15:22-23 "And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word."

Now, these seem strange to me, but before worrying about whether God will answer, I decided to look at why the Bible indicated that God did not answer, with interesting results.

Matthew 15 is perhaps the most startling, but again we are reminded that context is so important. In verses 22-23, the poor woman cries out to the Lord and it seems that he refuses to answer, our hearts fail at the thought. Then the disciples are mean. But I love the following verse 28, it is so warm you can almost feel it. He did answer, and what an answer. I think perhaps this is one of the most powerful examples of "wait". It's not as suspenseful as Ruth's "wait".

"Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall" Ruth 3:18

Nor, is it as long as Israel's "wait".

"For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon

I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you,

in causing you to return to this place." Jer 29:10

But how heart rendering it must have been in those few minuets when the woman called out to the Lord and visibly saw him silent, and on top of it the disciples are mean. But, in the end her request is granted and the Lord commends her.

"Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith:

be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Matthew 15:28

Secondly, the verse in John 19, Pilate in the judgement hall demands an answer of Christ, and he answers him not a word. But the answer is very apparent, and the Lord answers the next question that Pilate asks.

And the in Micah 3:7, the seers and diviners can't give an answer from the Lord. But that is not so much the Lord being silent, but rather the seers and diviners are not able to proclaim God's words.

Then there is Saul. Why did the Lord not answer Saul? Saul was the king of Israel and the Lord had spoken to him before, but this time the Lord answered him not. Saul tried everything to get an answer and still nothing. Why? I think the answer is very simple. Saul refused to obey the Lord.

You see, previously in Saul's life there had been another time when the Lord did not answer Saul. Because of sin.

"And Saul asked counsel of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines?

wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?

But He answered him not that day.

And Saul said,

Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people:

and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day"

1Sam 14:37-38

I am wondering what the significance of this was, and it seems Saul's sin very serious. Saul repeatedly disobeyed.

So back to 1 Samuel chapter 28, after not receiving an answer Saul went to a witch (yes, thats what it says) and called up Samuel the prophet, who was dead (yes, that is what it says).

"And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams...Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy? ...Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD...therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day. " Samuel 15:16-18

So, I think we can with confidence expect the Lord to answer our prayers, because it seems Saul had made the Lord his enemy. But, its a solemn thought of what sin can do in a persons life.

Anyways, a rather random post, but to leave on a nicer thought. There is another time when God did not answer and it was to our greatest benefit: the salvation of our souls.

"About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying,

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say,

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Are you not glad that God did not answer Christ?

For in those three dark hours God's wrath was poured out upon His Son for us.

I am truly amazed.

For there's No Other Way

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we’ll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.'

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

He who Holds Us in His Hands

Today, I found myself thinking of those times when God says "No" and wondering how I really react when God says no to me. And I am not sure how it affects me, I think I mostly feel numb. But, I began to wonder how we are supposed to react. Who did God say no to in the Bible?

See, I was adjusting some metal parts at work, trying to create a solution for one of our customers, and was humming. In my mind, I was thinking "No, that won't work"

"Nope",

"No",

"No"

"Hmm, maybe, nope, I guess not"

With each negated conclusion, I changed my design, hoping for a solution. I was humming aloud, (I do that when I'm problem solving), when I wondered what in the world was I singing? I was singing "He who Holds Us in His Hands". If you have ever hear this song, you will understand that it is not a "humming" song. It is mournful, sadly soothing, not happy humming material. You can see the how thoughts begin and develop, here are the lyrics:

When God says no to you, it’s such a blow to you,

when all your dreams unravel at the seam,

When God says wait to you, and God seems late to you,

it’s hard to rest within His will, it’s hard to trust and just be still,

it’s hard to simply wait until it’s all made plain.

He who holds us in His hands,

has no problems only plans,

He who has control of all,

sees the smallest sparrow fall,

He who works where no one knows,

does not sleep as we suppose,

but works in all things, in great and small things, for His own glory, and our best good.

When God works silently, in ways we cannot see,

and troubles multiply so that we ache inside,

and God does not seem kind, When hope is hard to find,

it’s hard to rest within His will, it’s hard to trust and just be still,

it’s hard to simply wait until it’s all made plain.

As you can see, it is an interesting song, well, I perhaps shall continue later, but Bible Study starts in 1/2 hour, so I best be going. But it's food for thought. How do I react when God says no?

10 Ways to Love

Boy, do I have to work on these...

Thanksgiving Eve

Again, I find myself writing in evening, and into the night. The day was warm both in weather and in the general warmth of Thanksgiving. I love thanksgiving, if I could, I would have two thanksgivings every year.

I love the warm, crispy, buttery turkey and velvety mashed potatoes. Warm baked turnip, Grandma's own recipe which unlike anything else tastes and smells like Autumn. The sweet jellied cranberry sauce, warm white rolls with butter, steam vegetables, broccoli with cheese sauce - the list could go on and on. Oh, and stuffing, my utmost favorite part of turkey dinner.

So, yes I am feeling warm and full, and by default happy. I sit, relaxing on my bed in the dim light. Reading. Writing. Daydreaming. I think only there is one thing I am lacking... where is my *hoodie-friend when I need a hug?

*(See http://entranceofthywords.blogspot.com/2011/09/late-night-tea_05.html for context)

8. Bible Principles

Can I go through this list with a particular practice and still do the same?

1. Would the Lord Jesus have done it? Christ is the answer to marriage, Christ is the answer to the workplace, Christ is the answer to getting along in assemblies, Christ is the answer to adversity. "Leaving us an example."

2. Would I be ashamed to be doing this when the Lord came? "Blessed is he that when his Lord cometh, findeth him so doing."

3. Does it grieve the Holy Spirit?

4. Is this a good use of my time? "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

5. Does it please God? "Enoch walked with God"

6. Is it worldly? (The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.)

7. Is it a good example?

8. What does it express to the world?

~ Taken From Michael Penfold's Ministry at Detroit Conf 2010

My Life Summery

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections

~

Sum's it up quite nicely- Ash

A Little Note of Encouragement

I've been rather silent of late, and this trend may continue for a while.

But I thought'd just drop by and leave a little note of encouragement.

-When life is slow, remember being in the center of God's will often means to be still.

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalms 46:10

-When school crunches down, and you really just want to be done with it, remember that endurance has it's own measure of happiness.

"Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job..." James 5:11

-When your heart hurts more than it can bear, remember the Lord cares, he loves you.

"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart" Psalms 34:15

~

Evening Song

Again, it is evening. Again, I sit writing. I wonder to myself as to why I write at night.

Is it because the night is quiet? All the house has gone to sleep?

Faintly in the distance, through my closed window, crickets sing. The fortitude of the crickets amazes me. Their tiny little selves make such a loud noise. They say only male crickets can sing. I wonder why. There was a little fellow in our hallway the other week, he was singing so loud, I could hardly think. It's nice to know that he was a fellow, it seems I am forever referring to something as a 'he' or 'she' and being completely mixed up.

Perhaps you are wondering, why the musings on crickets? I am not sure. Except, I have concluded that I love the sound of crickets. Or katydids, they sing too. It seems to me that Gene Stratton Porter mentions katydids more than crickets in her books. But katydids are green, crickets are black. The little fellow who came to visit was a cricket. There is something romantic about a cricket, in his little black suit tails.

Besides the crickets, there is not much to tell. So, I shall go to sleep listening to the lullabies of the crickets.

Evening Verse

And when the chief Shepherd shall appear,

ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

1Peter 5:4

What We don't Realize As Christians

Kind of a strange heading, I'll admit. But I have been recently appreciating the amazing blessings that we often take for granted. I'll jot down a few that I've noticed lately, as I am working on a rather large project and shouldn't be taking the time to post.

- Everyday drudgery: when work becomes monotonous, I find my self musing over complicated subjects in my mind to help with the monotony - subjects like, Will the streets of gold be see-though? When Christ was on earth did animals (such as flys, stray dogs) bother him more or less than others? (Would they recognize that he was their Creator, and flock to him or respectfully keep their distance? Or did they know he was their Creator?)

--- we have so many topics to ponder and wonder on, what do people think about who don't have the assurance of being in Heaven? How much they miss!

- Feeling Lonely, Sad, or Depressed: I rely so heavily on the promises, verses, and songs. When I am down, repeating these to myself or even out loud quickly dispels the gloom. Is it any wonder so many people drink? With no assurance of Heaven, what is left but to "drink their sorrows away?"

-Afraid - "What time I am afraid I will trust in You." (There's a song to this too)

-Have a heavy secret -"Who knoweth all things." (Song: I can tell Jesus)

-Heavy burdened - "Casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you."

(Song: I will cast all my cares upon You.)

Anyway, the list can go on, but I cannot. Good night, All.

~Late Night Tea~

After a remarkably warm Friday past, today has been almost frigid. Tonight, the cold is creeping through the brick, through the plaster, and desperately trying to chill me. I, however, have fortified myself with an old friend and a cup of tea.

Tonight, my old friend is a dark, chocolate-brown hoodie, whose warmth seems almost human. Almost, I have solemnly informed my hoodie, Almost, but not quite. Nothing compares to the warmth of a hug. Even as I, many of you know, am not given to long hugs, there is always that one hug in particular that lasts the longest and is warmer than ever a hoodie can be.

Contemplating aside, I decided to make some tea to aid the hoodie's best efforts. I idly opened the tea cupboard to scout out a spicy,rich tea. A tea that would finish the cold, and maybe send my thoughts to the land of dreams. Yet, the tea cupboard was near empty. Three measly tea bags sat in the wooden Early Grey box. Two or three Berry Teas waited individually wrapped in a little bag. Neither would suit.

I wonder if my sigh could be heard in the West Indies? Tea. I shouldn't have liked to live in Boston in 1773. I might have been a Loyalist tonight based on tea alone.

A small quiet thought gently played in my mind. Tea, spices, West Indies: why, I would make my own tea! Surely, if they could...

Tonight, I sit. Sipping sweet, aromatic tea I dream. My soul and body is warm. My mind as well, is warm with cherished memories. Ah, Tea, in all the world, there is nothing quite like it.

~

A Tea Recipe

A Cup of Boiling water

A shake or two of ground Thyme

Several dashes of Lemon juice

A generous teaspoon of Cinnamon- Honey

~

Kamal Saleem: From Islam to Salvation

White & Gold China

Well, with my dear friend and her husband off to the real China, I decided to visit the breakable China. No, there was no relevance to their adventure (nor comparison) in my decision to visit the royal china store. I've been thinking about buying some dinner plates for awhile -- and have been waiting for a sale.

A few months back, the lovely sales clerk mentioned off record that the shop often had sales at the end of the month. I like think about "big" purchases, so I've been saving up and thinking about it to be sure. And today, when we finally went, and there was a sale. :)

Classic Rialto Gold by Royal Doulton

Now, before you think I robbed the bank, I only bought 4 dinner plates. Three years ago I had seen the pattern in Winners, but glossed over it was too expensive. Well, a year later I walked into Winners, and there were the tea cups on clearance. For $2 a pc! I am not exaggerating.

For the next few months, I went to every Winners I could find and bought bits and pieces (it was pretty scarce.)

8 cups & saucers ($1.00-2.50 each),

4 soup bowls ($4.o0 ea.),

4 lunch plates ($3.o0 ea.),

1 butter dish ($1.00),

1 dinner plate (3.50).

As you can see, it was an amazing deal. I was disappointed that I hadn't found 3 more dinner plates, then I would have had at least four place settings.

Anyways, I bought 4 white dinner plates with just the single gold stripe from the Signature Gold collection for $26.00 - 15% off to complete the set. I'll use the one Rialto dinner plate as a serving dish.

~ A China Dish Post ~

** I borrowed the glass from mom for the picture.**

Jean Patchs

Nice jean skirts are hard to find. When I find one that I like, I usually wear it to a thread.

They become like friends: old, familiar, and comfy. But jean skirts have a horrible habit of ripping at the back slit.

Well, don't give up hope, because you can save your jean skirt!

This is the best way to save the jean skirt.

(I am sure other patches would work, but there is something about the old Levi leather that marks a patch job with the stamp of approval ;) )

This is Rachel's skirt that I patched up for her, I found some gold thread that I was particularly excited about. (It was actually metal, kept snagging, but it was really neat. I found it in my mom's thread bag.)

Don't That Sound Like Heaven

(I realize that verse two isn't exactly accurate, but I love this song - it sounds familiar.)

Can we find a friend so faithful?

Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged;

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Who will all our sorrows share?

Can we find a friend so faithful?

Jesus knows our every weakness;

take it to the Lord in prayer.

Little Fellow

Little Fellow

by Shirley Mitton

There are little eyes upon you, And they're watching night and day; There are little ears that quickly take in Every word you say. There are little hands all eager To do every thing you do, And a little boy who's dreaming Of the day he'll be like you. You're the little fellow's idol, You're the wisest of the wise; In his little mind about you No suspicions ever rise. There's a wide-eyed little fellow Who believes you're always right; And his ears are always open As he watches day and night. You are setting an example Every day in all you do For the little boy who's waiting To grow up to be like you.

Seedsowers

Don't know about you, but this is so reminiscent of Seedsowers for me. I had forgotten how much fun we had when we were there. Although, I have to admit, I think this is the best SS song I have heard yet -- Good job guys!

1. There is a place where young people go

They camp all week the seed to sow

We sing a lot and have campfires too

We sleep on rocks worse than the floor

Sowing the seed we go door to door

But we don’t care cause that is just seed sowers

Chorus

Seedsowers, Seedsowers,

Seedsowers, Seedsowers,

2. You saw her in that bright orange shirt

You pushed the guy that started to flirt

You thought oh yes she is the one for me

But wait there is that 6-inch rule

Can't hold her hand why’s life so cruel

But we don’t care cause that is just seed sowers

3. You’re in her group but you get switched

You become so mad you started to twitch

You go and ask Vincent for a transfer

He says to you “this is not to hook up”

“so go out there, and suck it up”

You fall to your knees, but that is just seed sowers

4. Judy Barkhouse is the boss

But many of us are begging for Ross

But “shh” don’t tell her we would get in trouble

She cracks her whip for us to go

No paring off, no cellular phones

But we don’t care cause that is just seed sowers

Do You Believe It? [Prelude]

The Bible has number of "old stand-bys", phrases that we all clench in our figurative fist and hold on to for dear life: Verses like, "Trust in the Lord, with all thine heart", or perhaps "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God", or maybe even John 3:16 - the gospel in a nut shell, and "In the Beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth." We all have our comfort zone verses, our preaching verses, and our verses that we cling to.

Or we don't.

Have you ever thought about that?

What if you didn't have the verses that you cling to?

Many of our minds are rapidly switching to thoughts of others, who don't know Christ, who don't have the comfort we know. Who..... are lost sinners in need of a Saviour.... they don't have the verses. Ah, our hearts go out to them, do they not? Ours fervent minds cry out "It's time! It's time to reach out to them, before its too late!"

But I'm not thinking of them this time.

"What?" You ask me.

No, I'm thinking of us -

What if you didn't have the verses that you cling to?

We love to play games and the What If game is one of many silly, fun, hilarious pastimes. We play "What If", but we don't like seriously asking what if. "What if " is scary.

So, the questions are:

1. If you didn't have your Bible -- Would you miss it?

2. If you didn't have your verses hidden away in your heart, would you flounder?

3. If you only had your "cling-to verses", would you miss the rest of the Bible?

Are you reading your Bible enough to miss it if it were gone?

Well, as you can see from the title of this post, this is the prelude to a number of thought that have been tumbling through my head recently. Our Bible is fading away, and I hope to explain how.