Category Archives: Christianity

Blest is the Man, Forever Blest ~ Hymn

Blest is the Man, Forever Blest

Blest is the man, for­ev­er blest,
Whose guilt is par­doned by his God;
Whose sins with sor­row are con­fessed,
And co­vered with his Sav­ior’s blood.

Blest is the man to whom the Lord
Imputes not his ini­qui­ties;
He pleads no mer­it of re­ward,
And not on works, but grace re­lies.

From guile his heart and lips are free;
His hum­ble joy, his ho­ly fear,
With deep re­pent­ance well agree,
And join to prove his faith sin­cere.

How glo­ri­ous is that right­eous­ness
That hides and can­cels all his sins!
While a bright evi­dence of grace
Through his whole life ap­pears and shines.

Words: Isaac Watts, 1719.

Spread the Love Hodgepodge

 

Joyce From This Side of the Pond is sharing the love with our new set of Wednesday Hodgepodge Questions.

1. Did you watch the Super Bowl? Did your team win? What’s your favorite game day snack for  whatever sport is happening? 

We did watch the game and were so surprised at the blow-out. The Eagles played a great game. I’m glad the Chiefs finally got some good plays in. We really didn’t have a favorite team. For game day snacks I like Charcuterie with meats and cheeses and veggies with dips like artichoke and a baguette cut up in thin rounds and nuts and I could go on and on.

2. What’s your ‘superpower’? 

Detective work is one of my super powers and along with that comes spotting danger. Those powers made me a real good Playground teacher.

Another super power, because I love to do it, is planning a trip.

3. Will you do anything special on Valentine’s Day? If so do share. Any thoughts on/about this particular holiday?

I’m thinking I’d like to do a chocolate fondue again.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue
  • 1-1/2 cups half and half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1-1/2 pounds bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped. (I used 2 bags of semisweet chocolate chips that I didn’t need to chop)
  • 1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur (If you do not want to use this you can substitute 1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee)
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts (as always you can omit the nuts if you’d prefer)
Method:
  1. Place the half and half and heavy cream in a double boiler.
  2. Heat the creams until they bubble.
  3. Reduce the heat and gradually stir in the chocolate chips 1/2 cup at a time whisking while adding. When the chocolate is completely blended in, add the liqueur.
  4. Keep warm and sprinkle with hazelnuts just before serving.
  5. You can divide the chocolate into individual dipping bowls and serve with dipping fruit and other items or you can put the chocolate into a fondue pot at this time, too, to keep it warm.

Some dipping suggestions: cookies, biscotti, cubes of cake, dried apricots, pineapple, fresh berries, sliced pears, orange slices, and marshmallows.

This recipe easily served 8 people with leftovers. If you are serving a smaller group half the recipe.

I enjoy hosting a little Valentine dinner and decorating in pink, white and red for a change.

Share a favorite verse or quote relating to love. 

1 John 4:7-12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loves us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

4. Are you a fan of the rom-com genre? If so what’s one of your favorites?

Not a fan of this genre in movies or books. Give me a good murder mystery with a faithful loving relationship in the plot line and I’ll be happy.

If you’re not a movie go-er then what about a book you love that features a great love story?

Going back to murder mysteries the relationship between Gamache and Reine-Marie in the Inspector Gamache series of murder mysteries is a great love story. Their relationship is loving, faithful and an everyday kind of relationship, not far fetched but inspirational.

How about a favorite love song? 

This song about God’s love in sending Christ to save us is a current favorite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a more earthly note, from my high school days, I’ll go with Cherish by the Association. There were so many popular love songs in the 60’s.

I love good music sung by talented singers. Even if they sing something that isn’t necessarily classified a ‘love song’, it brings out the love in me. Andrea Bocelli can be singing anything and it sets a amazing mood. Nat King Cole is another singer who’s voice is ‘music to my ears’. Music is very key in my personal history. God has used it in powerful ways in my life.

5. Let’s get creative…write an acrostic using the word L-O-V-E. 

Living in love

On the cusp of heaven

Visualizing with hope

Eternity

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

My favorite Valentine’s! Photo from Valentine’s Day 2024.

Truth for Today #130

Thursday February 6th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during 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! 

1 Samuel 2:1-3

 And Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in the Lord;
    my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.

From Vera:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Nikkipolani:

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 20:30-31 (NKJV)

From Karen:

Psalm 24:1

The earth is the LORD’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

 

Scotland Travel Journal ~Edinburgh Reformation Tour 2

From Grassmarket, Jimmy took us to The National Museum of Scotland and to the National Library where we saw more artifacts and information about the Covenanters and The Reformation.

This printed satin banner, known as the ‘Thrissels Banner’, dates from 1640. The text on the banner was written by Thomas Cunynghame. It expresses opposition to the Crown and to the contemporary policy of religious anglicization.

On the left is the ‘staff’ of the banner, shown as a sword with a crowned thistle and bible at either end.

John Knox is a notable figure in Scotland’s history and in Christendom.

Jenny Geddes chair of which I was very interested. I’ll share more about it with a photo from St. Giles Cathedral in another post.

From the museum and library we made our way to Greyfriars Kirkyard.

 

If you venture down to Greyfriars’ Kirk graveyard, which these days sees hordes of Harry Potter devotees brandishing their wands and reciting Potterite spells, you will find a large monument at the bottom right of this fascinating corner of Edinburgh. The monument towers above you and recalls the Covenanting struggle. The monument, first erected in 1706, then rebuilt in its 1771 version, has undergone restoration work up until recent times.

The Martyr’s Monument.

‘Halt passenger, take heed what you do see…’ The text then outlines the Covenanters’ cause ‘Gainst perjury, resisting unto blood: Adhering to the Covenants and Laws, their lives were sacrific’d unto the lust of Prelatiffs [bishops] abjur’d …’. The words ‘CHRIST their KING’ is deliberately written in large letters, designating their struggle against tyrant kings who wanted absolute power over Church and State. At the bottom of the monument, it states that ‘one way or other [were] Murdered and Destroyed for the same Cause, about Eighteen thousand of whom were execute at Edinburgh, about one hundred of Noblemen, Gentlemen, Ministers and others, noble martyrs for JESUS CHRIST.’

We heard about the Reverend Alexander Henderson at this site of his burial.

He was one of Scotland’s greatest Covenanter Ministers.

He died in Edinburgh in 1646 and was buried in Greyfriars kirkyard. He had been behind almost every important development in the Covenanting movement since 1637. At the General Assembly the following year, Baillie declared that Henderson ‘ought to be accounted by us and posterity, the fairest ornament, after John Knox, of incomparable memory, that ever the church of Scotland did enjoy.

Click on his name above to read more about the history of this ‘fairest ornament’.

THE COVENANTERS’ PRISON
Behind these gates lies part of the southern section of Greyfriars Kirkyard which was used in 1679 as a prison for over one thousand supporters of the National Covenant who had been defeated by Government forces at the battle of Bothwell Brig on 22 June. For over four months these men were held here without any shelter, each man being allowed 4 ounces of bread a day. Kindly citizens were sometimes able to give them more food.

Some of the prisoners died here, some were tried and executed for treason, some escaped, and some were freed after signing a bond of loyalty to the Crown. All those who were persecuted and died for their support of the National Covenant in the reigns of Charles II and James VII are commemorated by the Martyrs’ Memorial on the north-eastern wall of the kirkyard. The Covenant, which was first signed in Greyfriars Kirk in 1638, promised to defend Presbyterianism from intervention by the Crown.

Jimmy our tour guide, was so knowledgeable and we were in awe of all that we were learning on this tour.

Our last stop with Jimmy would be St. Giles Cathedral. Such a fitting end to this amazing tour of the Covenanters in Edinburgh. It was a humbling experience.

That will be another post.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Edinburgh Reformation Tour 1

Monday September 23rd was our last full day in Edinburgh and Scotland. This would be a day filled with walking and stairs and information. We were thankful on this morning that Greg was well enough to walk and not miss our special tour.

We took the Lady Stair’s Close to get up to the Royal Mile. We stopped to take some photos outside the Writer’s Museum.

Early on the Royal Mile there were fewer folk milling about. That would change soon.

We scheduled a private Scottish Reformation Tour on this day.

I included the link above. We were to meet Jimmy at 9am in front of St. Giles Cathedral.

Soon we saw who we assumed was Jimmy and he came right to us assuming we were his clients for the morning.

St. Giles was not open to the public yet on this particular morning so Jimmy took us around to the parking lot between St. Giles and The Supreme Court building. We would visit the inside of the cathedral at the end of our tour.

It looked to Jimmy’s keen eye that something was going on in the Supreme Court building so he managed to gain us access into the hall outside the courtroom.

It was quite fascinating to see all the ‘big wigs’ standing around and some pacing back and forth the length of the room discussing their cases.

Back outside we were on the search for parking space #23.

Here at space number 23 in the car park is approximately where John Knox is buried!

The Scottish Reformation leader’s grave was paved over and is now a parking lot. The stone inscription reads;

‘The Above Stone Marks

the Approximate

Site of the Burial

In St. Giles Graveyard

Of John Knox

The Great Scottish Divine

Who Died 24th November 1572′

It’s said that Knox wanted to be buried within 20 feet of Saint Giles, so he was laid to rest right outside the church in what was once a proper graveyard. However, the site has since been tarmacked over and is now a functioning parking lot. A plaque in parking space number 23 marks the approximate location of his now-lost grave.

Knox was a 16th-century preacher who commanded that his people be able to read the Bible in their own language. He was a key figure in turning a nation of Catholics into one of Protestants. His fire and brimstone sermons and teachings often put him at odds with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.

On our walk to Victoria street we came across this Famous Heart.

The Heart of Midlothian is both a historic mosaic dating to the Middle Ages and a landmark that denotes the location of Edinburgh’s Old Tolbooth administrative building. Locals often spit on the sign as a good luck charm, a tradition that has morphed from its original meaning of disdain for the many executions that took place at this site over the years. The Heart of Midlothian F.C., the local soccer club, takes its name from the mosaic and the Old Tolbooth.

The Heart was installed as part of a replacement building to the Old Tolbooth in 1561, and after this second building was demolished in 1817, the Heart was all that remained. It has been an inspiration for the writings of Sir Walter Scott and has become an iconic part of the city’s culture and historic identity – even if many now don’t remember its true origins.

FYI: Tolbooth is a Scottish term that refers to a townhall, jail or guildhall where tolls are collected.

From here we walked down Victoria Street to Grassmarket.

Victoria Street is said to be an inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books but J.K. Rowling denies that it is. Nonetheless fans flock here and stand in line to get in the museum on this colorful street.

This is where the ‘meat’ of our Reformation Tour began as we were told that this was the route that martyrs would take from their sentencing in the courts above then down Victoria Street to the public gallows. Once we reached Grassmarket we stood around this monument to Martyrs and Covenanters who lost their lives at this spot for their faith.

The Grassmarket is an wide open street on the south side of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The city had the public gallows there, and many Covenanters were executed during the Covenanting period.

A circular memorial, erected by public subscription in 1937, marks the site, and an adjoining plaque lists the names of the many Covenanters who were hanged there.

In a recent renovation of the locality, a representation of the gallows’ shadow was made on the ground using different coloured stone, as seen in the picture to the left.

Our tour continued from here. We made stops at Greyfriars Kirkyard, The National Museum, The National Library and St. Giles Cathedral.

At this stage in January, many months later, I’m not sure of the order of those stops! Travel failure in not writing a journal while on our trip. I’ll put it down to the fact that our days were so full we didn’t have a lot of down time in the evenings.

Hello to February. I was hoping to have our Scotland Journal Posts done by the end of January but it will take a few days into February to accomplish that.

Truth for Today #129

Thursday January 30th

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during 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! 

Isaiah 25:1

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13

“Thine, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Thine is the dominion, O Lord, and Thou dost exalt Thyself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou dost rule over all, and in Thy hand is power and might; and it lies in Thy hand to make great, and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name”

From Vera:

“Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.”
‭‭Hosea‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Dianna:

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by my name; you are Mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

Isaiah 43:1-2

From Leonard:

Exodus 34:5-7

“Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh. The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh (I Am The Lord) The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness. I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations.”

From Sandi:

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

Ezekiel 18:20

From Karen:

Philippians 2:14

Do all things without murmurings and disputings.

Scotland Travel Journal ~Edinburgh 3

Continuing our sight seeing experiences in Edinburgh on Sunday September 22nd we traveled by Uber from the Grassmarket area to St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral for evensong. On this Sunday evensong was from 3:30 to 4:30. We arrived a little early so we had time to take some photos outside and inside before the service began.

St Mary’s Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Edinburgh, the largest Cathedral in Scotland, and the only one to maintain the tradition of daily Choral worship. With its three spires dominating Edinburgh’s western skyline, St Mary’s is a renowned masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the Cathedral was consecrated in 1879, and has been open daily for public and private prayer ever since.

Some History of the Cathedral can be found here.

We weren’t able to visit the interior of the Song School but found this YouTube that shows the beautiful panels!

We appreciated the beautiful singing and the scripture readings during the Evensong but to be honest and transparent some of the prayers given at the end of the service made our heads snap up. Bottom line they didn’t line up with Biblical accuracy and were bent toward human speculation. It put our Berean mindset to the test.

When Evensong was over we decided to walk a short distance to see picturesque Dean Village.

 

Dean village is a picturesque quiet village in Edinburgh. A beautiful hamlet!

We again decided on an Uber to get us back to our apartment to see how Greg was doing and if he was up to walk to dinner. He was ready for a meal so we walked down Thistle Lane looking for a likely spot for dinner. Again we didn’t have reservations. We walked by a Thai restaurant that looked very popular. After a short distance further we decided to go back to the Thai Restaurant and see if we could be seated. The owners took pity on us and found a spot for us explaining they needed the table soon for a reservation. We assured them we didn’t need a lot of time to eat. The food and service was excellent and we were pleased. We were done in good time and went back to our apartment with our ‘doggie bags’. We highly recommend Dusit Thai Restaurant.

Correct me if I have my day off for our Thai meal being on Sunday and not Monday, Laura or Josh. 🙂

Our Sunday was complete. I will share Josh and Laura’s photo travelogue of their time at Edinburgh Castle next. Monday would be our last full day in Edinburgh.

 

 

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Edinburgh 2

On Sunday September 22nd we would have an eye full of amazing sights to see but first, coffee!

The Black Sheep was just around the corner from our apartment and we started our mornings there.

Edinburgh has so much history and so much to see. We saw as much as we could in our 2 full days there. I’ll have a few posts to cover everything. Our apartment was positioned well for getting around Edinburgh. We made our way across the Mound and up many stairs to reach the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. The Mound is the elevated walkway above Princess Gardens that you can see in the distance. On the Mound you walk past the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy. It was another day of overcast weather with little or no sunshine.

Josh and Laura had tickets for the Castle and my plan was to head down to Grassmarket and see what I could see, solo. Back in 2004 we toured the castle with our daughter, Katie, so I didn’t need to spend the money to see it again. This was Josh and Laura’s first trip to Scotland so the Castle was a priority. When they completed their Castle tour we would meet up. Greg spent this day in bed working on getting better.

I left Josh and Laura at the entrance to the castle and headed down two separate flights of stairs to get to the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh.

I spent my time this morning below the castle.

If I was to visit Edinburgh again, I would choose lodging in the Grassmarket area of Edinburgh.

Walking along King’s Stables Road I entered the cemetery adjacent to The Parish Church of St. Cuthbert.

Looking up from St. Cuthbert I had a different view of the castle.

From here I went into the church and was greeted kindly and given a brochure with some history of the church. I asked if I could take photos and was granted enthusiastic permission. Information I’m sharing is from the brochure.

Tradition tells us that the Celtic missionary, Cuthbert, preached from this spot in the 7th century and established the first church here. Since then there have been at least seven buildings on the same site. By the late 19th century the people of St. Cuthbert’s wanted to rebuild their 18th century “God-box”, a very plain building. In 1894 the present building designed by architect Hippolyte Blanc, was opened and has been in constant use ever since.

The Apse: In 1906 the Minister of the day, Dr. James Macgregor, celebrated 50 years of ministry. To commemorate this occasion Dr. Macgregor commissioned the alabaster frieze on the wall of the apse. It features Jesus and His disciples and the design is based on The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. From left to right the characters are Bartholomew, James the Less, Andrew, Judas, Peter, John, Jesus, James, Thomas, Philip, Matthew, Thaddeus and Simon.

To the left of the apse is the pulpit. It is thought that the earliest church was probably built on the spot where the pulpit stands today. Under the pulpit is the foundation stone of the building along with a time capsule containing documents and artefacts of the 1890’s, including photographs, coins, newspapers, and copies of the Minister’s sermons.

 

The Communion Table is made from alabaster and marble, mostly Italian, green and Egyptian. The middle of the Communion Table shows the cross of St. Cuthbert which can be seen in the decor in other parts of the building.

The Exalted Christ with His angels on either side of Him was the first of the murals painted by Robert Hope RSA. In 1928 Professor Gerald E. Moira of Edinburgh College of Art painted the four apostles. Then in 1933 the angels on the spandrels at either side of the chancel area were painted by John Duncan RSA, RSW. The angels are seen worshipping God in two different ways. The one on the left is quietly praying to the spirit within, while on the right, the angel with raised hands and head worships joyfully, radiantly!

The windows on the left of the church depict stories from the Old Testament and on the right the New Testament. Upstairs on the North side you will see a young David, sling in hand, going out to meet the giant Goliath. This window was created by Tiffany of New York in 1903 and is one of only five Tiffany windows in Britain.

When I was done at St. Cuthbert’s I strolled back to Grassmarket to wait for Josh and Laura.

I waited at the White Hart Inn, Edinburgh’s most ancient tavern.

Follow in the footsteps of Oliver Cromwell, William Wordsworth and Robert Burns by enjoying a tankard of fine ale or one of our world-famous whiskies. Founded in 1516, The White Hart is named after the rarest of all Highland creatures, which can be spotted sometimes no more than once in a century. It was used as a heraldic symbol in the 14th century by King Richard II, and for almost five hundred years has welcomed travellers through these doors.

The food choices here were not hitting the spot for us so when Josh and Laura met up with me after their castle experience we found a table at the Fiddler’s Arms.

This image above is from The Fiddler’s Arms webpage. You can see what a sunny day would look like in the shadow of the castle. Below is what the atmosphere was like when we were here.

After lunch we popped into a couple of shops, took some photos and then we got an Uber to take us to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church to enjoy evensong which was due to begin at 3:30 on this Sunday. That will have to be another post.

Truth for Today #128

Thursday January 23rd

On Thursdays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during 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! 

2 Corinthians 3:1-6

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and ready by men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

From Faith:

Psalm 34:18
“the Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit”.

This is something I needed to hear this week as I felt crushed in my spirit regarding something I have no control over. Yet God knows. He sees, He cares and He brings comfort when I seek Him.

From Vera:

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭11‬:‭33‬-‭36‬

From Dianna:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh

And whose trust is Yahweh.”

Jeremiah 17:7

From Nikkipolani:

Psalm 13:5-6
But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

From Maristella:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7.

Scotland Travel Journal ~ Dunfermline 3

On September 21st which was a Saturday and our journey from St. Andrews to Edinburgh we stopped to visit the Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. Although I’ve posted the exterior and interior of the Abbey already we toured the palace grounds first on this day. The kiosk to pay for our visit was located in the palace ruins area. This part of our visit involved going up and down different elevations within and along the ruins of palace.

In the cellars with some great acoustics we had an impromptu moment of worship as Laura began to sing ‘Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow’. We all joined in and it was a sweet time together.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye heavenly hosts, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.

The Abbey was obliged to offer hospitality to pilgrims and to other travelers whether rich or poor. The guest house was built here in the 1200’s and later became part of the royal palace. 

Not all overnight visitors would stay in this guest house; those of lower social rank would be given beds in nearby hostels. Because Queen Margaret founded the monastery and later monarchs chose to stay here, what you see is frequent alterations and additions to provide comfortable royal apartments. 

After the union of the crowns of Scotland and England in 1603, these buildings were abandoned and robbed of stone leaving the spectacular south wall with its windows overlooking the glen.

St. Benedict required the abbot dine with all visitors to the abbey. ‘Let the abbots table always be with guests and travellers’, he directed. However, when nobles knocked on the door, the abbot probably arranged for poorer pilgrims to eat elsewhere, while he enjoyed lavish feasts with his high-ranking guests.

This was such a worthwhile stop on our way back to Stirling to drop off our rental car and take a train to Edinburgh for the last few days of our Scotland Trip. Our sunshiny days were behind us.

Back to the present:

Today, January 20, 2025, in the United States is the inauguration of our 47th President, Donald J. Trump. We will be watching the ceremony. We hope for the best for our country and it’s people and our world. For us as believers, the very best is yet to come and it’s not happening here. In the meantime, we pray, we hope for the best, and we remain good citizens of our country doing our part as citizens. We acknowledge that we are not in control of the world and what is happening around the world but we know the One who is in control and who holds our world together.

As the song resounds, ‘This World is not my home I’m just a passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue, the angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, and I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.’