O Lord! And is Thy Table Spread?

by rosemary. April 21st, 2011. Posted in Hymns. No Comments.

O Lord! and is Thy table spread,
And doth Thy cup with truth o’erflow?
Thither be all Thy children led,
And let them all its sweetness know.

Hail, sacred feast which Jesus makes,
Rich banquet of His flesh and blood!
Thrice happy we who here partake
That sacred stream, that heavenly food.

O, let Thy table honored be,
And furnished well with joyful guests;
And may each soul salvation see
That here its sacred pledges tastes.

Nor let Thy spreading Gospel rest
Till through the world Thy truth has run;
Till with this bread all men are blest
Who see the light, or feel the sun.

-Philip Doddridge

Ride On!

by rosemary. April 20th, 2011. Posted in Poems. 2 Comments.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
Hark, all the tries hosanna cry;
Thy humble beast pursues his road
With palms and scattered garments strowed.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
O Christ, thy triumphs now begin
O’er captive death and conquered sin.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
The winged squadrons of the sky
Look down with sad and wondering eyes
To see the approaching sacrifice.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;
The Father on his sapphire throne
Expects his own anointed Son.

Ride on! Ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die;
Bow thy meed head to mortal pain,
Then take, O God, thy power and reign.

-Henry Hart Milman, 1791-1868

Sunday Hymn: O Love That Will Not Let Me Go

by rosemary. April 17th, 2011. Posted in Hymns. 6 Comments.

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.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

-George Matheson, 1882

Thankful Thursday

by rosemary. April 14th, 2011. Posted in Giving Thanks. 10 Comments.

Sometimes when you think you see a light at the end of a long tunnel, it’s merely the flash from an explosion. Yesterday we received a request from the potential buyer of our property for an extension of the contract to purchase, pushing forward the closing date to September 15. Since the current date is May 15, it’s a huge disappointment that brings enormous difficulty with it. We’re told that the buyer of our property and the buyer of their property are very motivated to close on both contracts, but still, nothing is guaranteed. They hope to close sooner than September, but again, nothing is guaranteed. If not by September, then likely everything will fall through because their properties are schools and they will have to begin a new school year at their current facilities. Our realtor continues to pursue other buyers, but not many people want such a unique property as ours.

Troubles are mounting up and threaten to undo us—financial, personal, physical. The Red Sea is before us and the Egyptians are closing in. My strong temptation is to fear, to doubt, to complain. Especially to question what God is doing, and Why? Have we been unfaithful to Him? Is there something we’re missing, not doing right? Have we made wrong decisions and gotten ahead of His will? Have we totally blown it and as a result, reel under His displeasure?

When my head is swirling and my feelings running amuck, the only solid ground is His Word. I have to go there for refuge, for searching my heart, for wisdom, for help. These are a few of many that have counseled me:

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…..For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”  Isaiah 41:10, 13

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91:14-16

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has sown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, not not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  2 Cor. 4:6-12

“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today….The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent…..I will get glory over Pharoah and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharoah, his chariots, and his horsemen.” Exodus 14:13,14,17,18 (read the whole chapter!)

Today I am so thankful for God’s Word and for the Holy Spirit who illumines it to my heart and keeps me from straying into wrong thinking and unbelief.

I’m thankful for circumstances that teach me that my hope is in Christ alone. Nothing else. Nothing else! All other ground is sinking sand.

I’m thankful that our Heavenly Father leads us with His own hand. It’s that personal!

I’m thankful for hymns that reinforce Scripture to my mind and heart.

I’m thankful for a husband who is strong and steady and faithful to God, and who reminds me of what is true when I begin to wobble.

I’m thankful for two days in a row of feeling better physically. That really helps!

I’m thankful that in all of this upheaval and uncertainty, God reigns and rules over every decision, every circumstance. We are uncertain of the future, but not uncertain of God.

 

 

Preaching to myself.

by rosemary. April 14th, 2011. Posted in Faith, Quotes. 1 Comment.

To pray properly is not an easy matter. To pour out your heart and soul before God, to believe he hears and will come to help you; to pray in faith and to wrestle with him; to strive for a blessing and hope against hope; being delayed, yet waiting for him until he comes; this is exceeding hard to be done. Our natural corruptions hinder us with dullness and hardness of heart. Guilt gives stabs to our prayers and hinders us from praying properly. We have a false image of God, and view him more like one of us, and not as one filling heaven and earth with his majesty and glory. Though he is so good to us, our prayers are weak and cold. We view delays as denials, our faith wavers and we are discouraged and give up. The difficulty of the things we pray for also hinders our prayers. Satan always labours to oppose our prayers. He knows that if our faith does not take hold of God, then God will not lay hold on us. He strikes us at this vital point: our seeking God. He fills our hearts with cares, temptations or discouraging thoughts of God to keep us from prayer. If we continue, he seeks to persuade us to despair that our prayers are even heard, and that God does not love us. It is one of the hardest tasks in the world to pray with faith and feeling. If you find stops and failings, do not be discouraged; you realize how hard a thing it is. Do not be discouraged as you walk with a heavy load that you must sit down once in a while to rest. If you keep trying, your striving and endeavours shall bring you through at last. The bringing forth of a prayer is much like the bearing of a child. There is much pain, anguish and sorrow, but when the child is born there is much joy. If in prayer you are astonished, realize the outcome will be victorious.   Richard Sibbes, in Voices from the Past

Memories

by rosemary. April 13th, 2011. Posted in Family. 9 Comments.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted an old picture from my childhood. This was one of my favorite places, the home of my beloved Aunt Grace. Yep, the one whose painting is partially shown in my header. I loved this house, and have the fondest of memories of visiting there. Aunt Grace was very much a Tennessee lady; gracious, though not refined. Gentle, but could use a shotgun without batting an eye. Her kitchen table was a wonder to me. Perpetually loaded with all sorts of things—biscuits, hush-puppies, jams, jellies, pickles, sweets, dishes, silver—she kept it covered with a big white cloth, whisking it off when it was time to eat. The side porch on the left side of the picture was just off the kitchen. There was a daybed in the window and one of my fondest hopes was to sleep there. I never asked to, though, and it never happened.

Family dinners at Aunt Grace’s were wonderful. I was in awe of her green glass dishes—much fancier than we had at home. Funny; I don’t remember the food except for the green jello. She must have been coordinating food and table setting! Uncle Hilman (her husband) always said, every time, “You can call me anything, but don’t call me late for dinner!” I had never heard that said before and thought him to be quite witty.

I was fourteen when I last saw Aunt Grace and her home, but I’ve realized since then how much of an impact she and her home had on me. The architecture of her home is still my favorite style. (Wish I could find one like that in WI!) I love dormers and front porches and rocking chairs. I love dishes, table settings, paintings and antiques. And hush-puppies!

This dear old place was torn down to make way for a truck stop. I hate to even think of it. It pleases me very much, though, that Aunt Grace was able to live out all her days there. I recently copied this photo from an original belonging to my eldest brother. I’m so glad to have it, and the memories that spring from looking at it again.

Comforting Words…

by rosemary. April 10th, 2011. Posted in Quotes. 3 Comments.

If we fear the Lord, we may look for His timely intervention when our case is at its worst.  -Charles H. Spurgeon

 

Sunday Hymn: Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken

by rosemary. April 10th, 2011. Posted in Hymns. 2 Comments.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
Formed thee for his own abode:
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.

See the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove;
Who can faint, while such a river
Ever flows their thirst t’assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.

Round each habitation hov’ring,
See the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a cov’ring,
Showing that the Lord is near:
Thus deriving from their banner
Light by night and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which he gives them when they pray.

Saviour, if of Zion’s city
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in thy Name:
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s children know.

-John Newton

By Gracious Powers So Wonderfully Sheltered

by rosemary. April 9th, 2011. Posted in Hymns. No Comments.

By gracious powers so wonderfully sheltered,
And confidently waiting come what may,
We know that God is with us night and morning,
And never fails to greet us each new day.

Yet is this heart by its old foe tormented,
Still evil days bring burdens hard to bear;
Oh, give our frightened souls the sure salvation
For which, O Lord, You taught us to prepare.

And when this cup You give is filled to brimming
With bitter suffering, hard to understand,
We take it thankfully and without trembling,
Out of so good and so beloved a hand.

Yet when again in this same world You give us
The joy we had, the brightness of Your Sun,
We shall remember all the days we lived through,
And our whole life shall then be Yours alone.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Written in prison shortly before his death on April 9, 1945
Translated by Fred Pratt Green, 1972

Thankful Thursday

by rosemary. April 7th, 2011. Posted in Giving Thanks, Quotes. 6 Comments.

“One of the marks of people who know God rightly and who know God well is that they are filled with thanksgivings to God. If we find in our own lives that we are prone to complain or grumble, that we often are unhappy because we didn’t get what we wanted, we need to see this for what it is. A grumbling spirit is sinful, because it fails to recognize  God’s goodness and kindness in providing for us every good thing in life that we enjoy. Instead of grumbling, we should accept both what God gives us and what he chooses not to give us, because in both cases he does what is best for us. Yes, our heavenly Father is the Giver of absolutely every good thing we have in our lives now and will receive in the future. We owe to him our deep and constant thanksgiving and praise. God is good, and all that he gives is good. Praise be to his name!  -Bruce A. Ware, in Big Truths for Young Hearts, pg. 69

This morning I’m thankful…

  • for the cloudy sky and the rain that is yet to come. Everything is so dry and brown, we need all the rain or snow that we can get right now. Even the pine trees look thirsty.
  • that Harry will be coming home on Saturday. Can’t wait to see his big smile and open arms coming toward me!
  • for our warm home and hot, strong coffee. Even though it’s decaf, per doctor’s orders.
  • for lunch with a friend yesterday, and the work that God in the life of her family.
  • that in the night, God turns my thoughts toward Him.
  • that He is my Rock and my Salvation.

 

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