I Serve A Risen Savior

                                                                                (source) 

I Serve A Risen Savior

I serve a risen Savior
  He’s in the world today.
I know that He is living,
  Whatever men may say.
I see His hand of mercy;
  I hear His voice of cheer;
And just the time I need Him
  He’s always near.

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives?
    He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me
  I see His loving care,
And though my heart grows weary,
  I never will despair;
I know that He is leading,
  Through all the stormy blast;
The day of His appearing
  Will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian,
  Lift up your voice and sing
Eternal hallelujahs
  To Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him,
  The Help of all who find,
None other is so loving,
  So good and kind.

-Alfred Henry Ackley (1187-1960)

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

"Jesus saith unto him,' I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." John 11:25 

May you have a blessed and beautiful Resurrection Sunday celebrating the miracle of new life in Christ! I am so grateful that He does live! That Jesus is with me every step of the way, that "He walks with me and talks with me.." What an amazing blessing!

        

The Love of God

(source)

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.  

Refrain:
Oh, love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.

 -Fredrick Martin Lehman (1868-1953)

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

Merry Christmas!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:1-5

May all of you have a blessed Christmas filled with the peace and joy of Jesus!

I Need Thee Every Hour

Source

                                                                                 
                                                                                  I Need Thee Every Hour

                                                                                   I need thee ev'ry hour,

                                                                                   Most gracious Lord.

                                                                                   No tender voice like thine

                                                                                   Can peace afford.

 

                                                                                   I need thee ev'ry hour;

                                                                                   Stay thou nearby.

                                                                                   Temptations lose their pow'r

                                                                                   When thou art nigh.

 

                                                                                    I need thee ev'ry hour,

                                                                                    Most holy One.

                                                                                    Oh, make me thine indeed,

                                                                                    Thou blessed Son!

 

                                                                                    I need thee, oh, I need thee;

                                                                                    Ev'ry hour I need thee!

                                                                                    Oh, bless me now, my Savior;

                                                                                    I come to thee!

 

                                                                                    I need thee ev'ry hour,

                                                                                    In joy or pain.

                                                                                    Come quickly and abide,

                                                                                    Or life is vain.

 

                                                                                   -Annie S. Hawks, 1835-1918

 

                                    "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:20b

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 ^"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
 Luke 2:8-12

                      May you all have a blessed Christmas filled with the joy and peace of Jesus!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:1-5

"Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2 

"I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Sky

Christ, whose glory fills the skies,
Christ, the true, the only Light,
Sun of Righteousness, arise,
Triumph o’er the shades of night;
Dayspring from on high, be near;
Day-star, in my heart appear.

Dark and cheerless is the morn
Unaccompanied by Thee;
Joyless is the day’s return
Till Thy mercy’s beams I see;
Till they inward light impart,
Glad my eyes, and warm my heart.

Visit then this soul of mine,
Pierce the gloom of sin and grief;
Fill me, Radiancy divine,
Scatter all my unbelief;
More and more Thyself display,
Shining to the perfect day.

-Charles Wesley

"But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall." Malachi 4:2

My Jesus, I Love Thee

 

 

My Jesus, I Love Thee

 

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
I’ll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

-William R. Featherson 

"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 

1 John 4:10

Why The Incarnation

This morning I read this devotional during my quiet time, and thought it was too beautiful not to share.
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"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:14

Our heavenly Father yearned through the centuries and the rise and fall of civilizations to redeem His needy people. He never ceased to reach out to His prodigal family. He did this in every possible way: through the glories of His creation, through the immeasurable gifts He gave them: through the words of the prophets and teachers. He dispatched His servants with countless messages that said the same thing in ten thousand ways: "Come home, come home! You are loved now and forever."

In the end and at long last, in the fulness of time, God himself made the journey. He poured His Godhead into flesh and blood and visited the earth as a man. He walked among us- a King in disguise, the Creator among His creatures. He entered our world through a doorway called Bethlehem and the world was changed forever.

That's something to celebrate! That's the reason it's a merry Christmas. The Word became flesh and dwelled among us. He is your Emmanuel today- God with us... God with you.

From "Discovery" by David Jeremiah.

He is God incarnate: not man becoming God, but God coming into human flesh, coming into it from the outside. His Life is the Highest and the Holiest entering in at the lowliest door

-Oswald Chambers 

His Mercy Endures Forever

                                                                                        "Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
                                                                                           For His mercy endures forever. 
                                                                                                              Oh, give thanks to the God of gods!
                                                                                          For His mercy endures forever. 
                                                                                          Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
                                                                                           For His mercy endures forever:

                                                                                                               To Him who alone does great wonders,
                                                                                           For His mercy endures forever;

                                                                                          To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
                                                                                            For His mercy endures forever; 

                                                                                                          To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
                                                                                          For His mercy endures forever; 

                                                                                                              To Him who made great lights,
                                                                                          For His mercy endures forever— 

                                                                                                                The sun to rule by day,
                                                                                          For His mercy endures forever;

                                                                                         The moon and stars to rule by night,
                                                                                         For His mercy endures forever."

                                                                                         Psalm 136: 1-9 

Beautiful Words of Hope and Encouragement

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8

All the images above were found on Pintrest. I have been so blessed by this beautiful scripture art that I had to share. : )

Life, and My New Sewing Machine

It certainly has been a while since I posted anything on my blog. The past month has been so busy. Sometimes I am amazed at just how fast a month can fly by. My life has been filled with sewing, preparing for my upcoming wedding and thinking of how I will decorate my future home, but late last month everything was put on hold for a little bit.

On February 22^nd  mom, Hannah and I were in a car accident. Unfortunately mom’s beautiful 1984 Volvo wagon was totaled, but God was so good to protect us from great harm! Mom and Hannah were bruised but otherwise fine, however I did up with a pretty deep gash on my forehead. This resulted in my first trip in an ambulance and 17 stitches. I cannot say enough how grateful I am for the LORD's grace in this situation. When I see how close the cut came above my eye, I am amazed at God's incredible protection. I am also thrilled to see how quickly the healing process has been- it is truly the LORD!

The day following the accident Adam stopped by with a large mysterious box. He told me that he had decided to give me my wedding gift now rather than waiting until June, in hopes of brightening my day. I was thrilled to discover that the box contained a beautiful Bernina sewing machine- the sewing machine of my dreams!!

About 10 years ago, when I graduated, I purchased a Brother sewing machine. At the time it was a beautiful machine, but over the 10 years it has seen some serious use, more than it was designed for and it was beginning show. The computerized push buttons were failing, among other problems. For awhile I had been dreaming of the fabulous Bernina machine I had seen. The feature that most attracted my attention was the lack of computerization! The rugged simplicity really appealed to my old-fashioned taste.

Adam also suggested that the new sewing machine would help with sewing my wedding gown. : )

See the neat knobs that select stitches, and the reverse lever? This machine sews beautifully! It was one of the best surprises ever. : )

Now that the pace of life has evened out again I was able to find the time to list some books and Regency dresses on Etsy. I added some lovely books by Mary J. Holmes and Grace Livingston Hill, as well as a few others.

To close I wanted to share Isaiah 26:3. This verse was such a comfort to me the day of the accident! What an important truth to remember no matter what.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm100:4&5

"Alas! how we forget that we are but strangers and pilgrims on the earth; that we are journeying to our eternal home, and will soon be there!" Octavius Winslow

Zucchini Pancakes and Blueberries

One day last week we enjoyed a delightful meal comprised of foods from our garden! Cucumbers and tomatoes, early potatoes I dug up just to make sure all is well and zucchini pancakes. The LORD is so good. : )

Here is the recipe we use for zucchini pancakes. I found it last year on the Taste of Home website and it has become a real summer time favorite.

Zucchini Pancakes-

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Sour cream, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper. Combine the zucchini, egg, onion and mayonnaise; stir into dry ingredients until well blended.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Drop zucchini mixture by cupfuls into skillet; press lightly to flatten. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 3 servings.

This morning we went to the Sugar Shack a beautiful blueberry farm. Picking blueberries is something I look forward to every year. The blueberries are very sweet this year due to all the sunshine we have had. We are hoping to return before the season is over. I must say blueberries are my favorite!

"You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance." Psalm 65:11

Springtime Flowers

Here are the first flowers to bloom in my garden!

 

Matthew 6:29 "And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Sunshine and Snow

This morning I could not resist taking a few photos of the beautiful sunrise and fog!
 
"He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes." Psalm 147:16

"The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand."

                                        -Psalm 37:23-24