Truth for Today #75

Thursday October 26th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Colossians 1:3-7 (ESV)

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing–as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you heard it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.

From Vera:

“For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭10‬

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭98‬:‭1‬ ‭

From Dianna:

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8

Truth for Today #74

Thursday October 19th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you! 

Ephesians 5:15-21

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

From Vera:

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.”
‭‭Micah‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Jan:

Isaiah 43:1-3
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”

From Karen:

James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

From Dianna:

Lamentations 3:22-23

“The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end,
For His compassions do not fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.”

From Susanne:

My friend and I were taking a deep dive into Romans 12:1 this week.
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship” AMP version

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me ~ Hymn

Gracious Spirit, Dwell With Me

Gracious Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would gracious be,
And with words that help and heal
Would Thy life in mine reveal;
And with actions bold and meek
Would for Christ my Savior speak.

Truthful Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would truthful be;
And with wisdom kind and clear
Let Thy life in mine appear;
And with actions brotherly
Speak my Lord’s sincerity.

Tender Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would tender be;
Shut my heart up like a flower,
In temptation’s darksome hour;
Open it when shines the sun,
And his love by fragrance own.

Silent Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would quiet be,
Quiet as the growing blade
Which through earth its way has made;
Silently, like morning light,
Putting mists and chills to flight.

Mighty Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would mighty be;
Mighty so as to prevail
Where unaided man must fail;
Ever by a mighty hope,
Pressing on and bearing up.

Holy Spirit, dwell with me—
I myself would holy be;
Separate from sin, I would
Choose and cherish all things good;
And whatever I can be
Give to Him who gave me Thee.

Words: Thomas T. Lynch, 1855.

Dublin Day Three ~ Sunday

Sunday the 17th of September was our third day in Dublin. We were in for rain most of this day so it was good that we had several indoor experiences planned. We met up in the lobby of our hotel to walk to Lemon Jelly Cafe for our breakfast. We timed things well for getting seated quickly before the crowds started showing up.

We all enjoyed our choices and were happy with this little spot tucked away from the main roads.

We had ordered a taxi to pick us up at 10:00 so that we could make it to a 10:30 AM church service. The taxi came after ten and we drove to the south of downtown Dublin to Grosvenor Road Baptist Church. The taxi had some mechanical issues but we made it to church on time.

The rain continued.

The sermon was taken from I Corinthians 1:18-2:5, True Spirituality, A Cross Centered Church.

The points covered were, The Message of the Cross, The People of the Cross and The Preacher of the Cross. Some points taken; “True wisdom of the cross does not meet the world’s expectations.” “Boast in the Lord-because all we have is because of Him.” “Simply preach the Word of God.” This service was also a Communion service so we ‘broke bread together’. The last song we sang together was ‘My Worth is Not in What I Own’.

It was good to be with fellow believers in Ireland.

After church our son arranged for an Uber to pick us up and take us to our Sunday Roast destination, The Old Spot east of downtown Dublin. We were early and ended up having a little walk around this neighborhood and the rain had died down for our stroll.

We all had our fill of food and we added two desserts to share. I know one was Sticky Toffee Pudding with the most lovely of sauces but I forgot what the second dessert was. Hmmm. From The Old Spot Josh ordered another Uber to take us to St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we would attend Evensong which would begin at 3:30pm.

The rain was coming down again so it was not easy to get some good photos of the outside of the cathedral.

The Choral Evensong was beautiful and moving in song with a special commemoration of the Battle of Britain (1940).

Shout out and thanks again to Laura who took so many great photos and put together collages on our stops each and every day!

We had one more indoor stop on this day with reservations for entry at 4:45. Another Uber transported us from St. Patrick’s Cathedral to The Guinness Storehouse. That will be another post.

Truth for Today #73

Thursday October 12th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 5:6-14

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

From Vera:

“Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭73‬:‭23‬-‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Truth for Today #72

Thursday October 5th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 5:1-5

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

From Vera:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Karen:

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Celebration #1

We gathered in Colville with our local family and friends to celebrate Greg on his actual birthday.

Our kids made fish tacos and delicious salsas and guacamole to enjoy. We had bread pudding for dessert.

The ‘Grands’ enjoyed watching Gramps open his gifts.

Requests were sent out to friends and family to send a greeting to Greg and to send those greetings to our kids’ home so they could surprise him with a stack on his birthday. It worked and what a great stack of cards he received from siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and his own kids and grands.

A very special surprise gift from Canada arrived, too.

So thoughtful and generous. Thank you Terry and Lovella!

After we got home and were able to read each card I decided to display them so we could enjoy them all.

We loved the special artwork created by Addy and JJ.

Our sister-in-law, Kelly, is becoming quite the artist, too.

Several verses from the Bible were shared in the cards that Greg received from friends and family near and far.

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 41:10

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.

Funny cards and serious cards were all appreciated!

Isaiah 40:31

but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord.
 He is like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

This next card made both of us laugh out loud!

It was quite a wonderful gift to receive all of these cards and to read the special greetings and memories in each of them. If any of you who sent cards are reading this post, thank you so much for taking time to write and send Greg these encouraging greetings!

We will celebrate with our ‘Coast Kids’ in Ireland!

Truth for Today #71

Thursday September 7th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Notice: Truth for Today will resume in October.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

From Vera:

“Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭29‬:‭10‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Mrstnh:

“He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they are quiet; so He bringeth them into their desired haven.” (Psalm 107:29-30)

 

We Love our Books Hodgepodge

Jo From This Side of the Pond has a new batch of questions for us to mull over and answer for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thanks, Jo!

1. It’s National Read A Book Day…whatcha’ reading? What’s a book you want to read?

We have books in many rooms in our home.  Our study books and cookbooks and resource books are in our office. Greg and I both have desks that face each other in our office and we each have bookshelves behind our desks. In the playroom we have a bookshelf full of good children’s and young adult books.  In the ‘blue’ room we have some of our favorite literature and other books by C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, MacDonald, and a lot of classics. We have full sets of Beatrix Potter’s The World of Peter Rabbit series. We have the full set of Anne books by L.M. Montgomery. Other authors we enjoy are Elizabeth Goudge, Dorothy Sayers, Walter Brooks~(Freddy the Pig series), Brian Jacques delightful Redwall series, the Dune series in the world of Science Fiction and more from that genre. For more serious reading we enjoy John Piper, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Alistair Begg, Charles Spurgeon, and Martin Lloyd Jones.

Currently I’ve been concentrating on reading Ephesians in the New Testament of the Bible this summer alongside a commentary of Ephesians by John MacArthur. Daily I like to springboard into my morning reading by a short devotional by Alistair Begg, a living preacher and writer, and Charles Spurgeon, a dead ‘Prince of Preachers’.

I have a couple of books on my desk right now that I’d like to read. All That Jesus Commanded, The Christian Life According to the Gospels, by John Piper and a short book, The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in Modern English.

2. Which is better…having high expectations or low expectations? Explain why. 

I’m going to say it’s better to have high expectations with a clause thrown in. Reach higher but don’t beat yourself up when you don’t quite reach the height. Keep pressing on. Encourage and don’t discourage someone who is trying to reach something higher than themselves.

You have to be careful about YOUR expectations for other people.

3. Serenity is________________________. 

Being at peace with God and the people around you. Another clause thrown in…as much as it is up to you, be at peace with those around you. Sometimes those you would like to be at peace with don’t want to cooperate.

4. What’s  the most interesting thing in your purse or pocket right now? 

Things are pretty standard and boring right now. I do have an overabundance of 1 dollar bills at the moment.

5. What helps you calm down? 

Knowing that ultimately I AM NOT IN CHARGE!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I will be missing from Wednesday Hodgepodge the next 3 Wednesdays because I’ll be enjoying some new scenery across the pond. Dublin, Belfast, York, Yorkshire Dales and Liverpool are all on the schedule for us. Liverpool for a soccer game, Liverpool v. West Ham at Anfield stadium. Cheers and Sláinte to you all

See you in October when Fall/Autumn are just beginning.

Truth for Today #70

Thursday August 31st

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s dig deep in God’s Truth again this year!

Ephesians 4:25-28

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

From Lana:

Luke 23: 39-43

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’
42 Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
43 Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.’

Romans 1:9
if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

From Vera:

‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭21‬-‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.”

From Leonard:

1 Samuel 30:6 (b)
“…But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”

From Karen:

Psalms 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

From Cheryl:

Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

And then . . .
Luke 20:26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

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