Truth for Today #184

Friday April 24th

On Fridays 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 continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

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

1 John 2:3-6

And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

From Vera:

Psalm‬ ‭62‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” ‭‭

Tiny Tiger is Seven

All the usual suspects gathered for JJ’s Taekwondo/Korean themed birthday party on Saturday at noon. Another amazing cake with a green stripe belt in honor of JJ’s promotion that his mom created.

Two pros helped all of us tie our belts.

JJ showed me his moves.

The food was Korean themed.

JJ enjoyed opening all his presents and he didn’t forget to thank each one of us for his gifts.

There was a high kick contest! I won for low kick!

Last but not least, our Taekwondo pro taught us the 14 moves he is tested on. Everyone was a good sport but none of us got a prize for doing this correctly.

We had glorious sunshine and blue skies for our celebrations.

We moved on to our home for dinner and another birthday celebration.

We celebrated Andrew and by the way, he won high kick earlier in the day!

The weather was beautiful and there was a lot of fun playing ‘tag’ out doors.

We slowed down long enough for a family photo but then played games into the night. We all met up at church on Sunday morning and Addy played a special number during the service, Unashamed by Matthew West. I’m adding the chorus below.

I’m unashamedOf the gospel of Jesus ChristAnd the truth that changed my lifeFor the name above all namesI’m unashamedAnd I will live my faith out loudTake a stand and stand my groundFor the One who took my shameI’m unashamed

After church we all went to our own homes. For some that meant 5-6 hours on the road. Another wonderful weekend celebrating together. We don’t take that for granted.

The weather on this Monday is supposed to be unseasonably warm. We have a couple teens coming to help with our windstorm yard clean-up!

I hope your weekend was good and peaceful and that your Monday is starting out well.

Victory in Jesus ~ Hymn

 

Victory in Jesus

I heard an old, old story,
How a Saviour came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me:
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood’s atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.

Chorus:
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

I heard about His healing,
Of His cleansing power revealing,
How He made the lame to walk again
And caused the blind to see;
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus,
Come and heal my broken spirit.”
And somehow Jesus came
And brought to me the victory.

I heard about a mansion
He has built for me in glory,
And I heard about the streets of gold
Beyond the crystal sea;
About the angels singing,
And the old redemption story,
And some sweet day I’ll sing up there
The song of victory.

Chorus:
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him,
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.

Words: Bartlett

We sang this hymn this past Monday at the Memorial Service for one of our friends at First Baptist Colville. He requested this hymn to be sung at his funeral. He is with his Lord and Savior. See you later, Peter.

Truth for Today #183

Friday April 17th

On Fridays 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 continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

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

Philippians 2:5-11

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking on the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed o him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From Gail:

Job 28:12, 27-28

But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? …

Then He saw it and declared it. He established it, and also searched it out. And to man He said, “Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and in departing from evil is understanding.”

From Vera:

‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV

“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” ‭

From Karen:

II Samuel 22:31

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Taxes and Tulips Hodgepodge

Get your muck boots on and tiptoe through the tulips with me.

It’s not taxing to answer Wednesday Hodgepodge questions, thank you, Joyce!

1. Big week in the US of A…do you do your own taxes?

We don’t do our own taxes.

I am in charge of the books for our well that four properties share and I have to file an annual nonprofit tax form and I’m patting myself on the back for getting that done.

What’s something you’ve found ‘taxing’ lately? 

Exercising.

2. When it comes to travel are you a last minute packer or a lay it all out a week in advance type?

I don’t lay it all out but I do think about it and make lists.

Do you struggle to pack light?

For our trip this past March we packed very light and proved we could do it so we will be packing light for any trips in the future unless it is a road trip.

Share a packing tip that has worked for you. 

Pack your socks inside your spare pair of shoes that you are packing.

3. April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Hmmm…who knew it got its own month? Do you like a grilled cheese sandwich? What ingredient do you add to take yours to the next level? 

We do enjoy a good grilled cheese sandwich. A good slice of salami can take it to the next level.

4. There’s a well known quote that says-

‘A ship in the harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.” John A. Shedd  

Is constant growth necessary or do you think it’s more important to prioritize stability and peace in your life? 

As a Biblical Christian I am admonished to grow. Grow in my knowledge of the Word of God. Grow more like Christ. Grow in my love for God, my Savior. My peace and stability come from walking with God and knowing Him more and growing more and more like Jesus Christ. This does not happen overnight, it is a lifelong process of Sanctification.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:17-18

5. Let’s wrap this up with a fun spring this or that-

  • daffodils or tulips ~ first daffodils and then tulips!
  • lemonade or iced tea ~ lemonade
  • gardening or hiking ~how about walking
  • ladybugs or butterflies ~ butterflies
  • umbrella or raincoat ~raincoat
  • floral patterns or polka dots ~polka dots

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Speaking of tulips, you don’t have to travel all the way to Amsterdam to enjoy amazing tulip fields. When we lived in Kenmore, Washington we tried to make an annual trip to Mount Vernon, Washington for the tulip festival. That was just an hour to an hour and a half drive. It was worth the tulip traffic and dodging all the people like us who wanted to enjoy the glorious fields of tulips.

I could go on and on with the photos I have but this will give you a good taste of the variety and massive industry of tulips from this area of Washington State. Besides the fields there are several gardens to enjoy with many more unique varieties of tulips with gift shops, etc.

Jesus Lives! O Day of Days! ~ Hymn

Jesus Lives! O Day of Days!

Jesus lives! O day of days!
Glad we bring our grate­ful praise;
He is ris­en! Gone the gloom,
Angels sit with­in the tomb.
Vain the taunt of Jew de­ny­ing,
Vain the vaunt o’er Je­sus dy­ing,
Heav’nly voic­es, from the grave,
Now pro­claim His pow­er to save.

Refrain

He is ris­en! Come and see,
How He tri­umphed migh­ti­ly!
Conqueror thus o’er all His foes,
Jesus from the dead arose.

Lord and Pro­phet, spake He not?
Have ye His own words for­got,
Telling, while in Ga­li­lee,
Thus the vic­to­ry should be?
How through scorn and dire af­flic­tion,
Thorny way and cru­ci­fix­ion,
Vanquished death, and rent the grave—
Christ the King should live to save.

Refrain

Tearful to the se­pul­cher
Mary comes in grief and fear;
Sees the stone now rolled away,
Hears the wait­ing an­gels say:
Why the dead among the liv­ing
Seek ye?
 Lo! The Lord life-giv­ing
Rises, vain the watch, the grave:
Prince of Life, He lives to save!

Refrain

Welcome then, the day of days!
Lord, ’tis Thine our tune­ful praise;
Thine, for us, the Tempt­ed, Tried,
Thine, for us, the Cru­ci­fied;
Thine for us the Re­sur­rect­ion,
Thine the Life, the Sure Pro­tect­ion.
Savior! So­ve­reign ov­er the grave,
May we know Thy pow­er to save.

He is ris­en! joy­ful­ly,
Lord! we raise our song to Thee,
Conqueror thus o’er all His foes,
Jesus from the dead arose.

Words: George D. Wildes, 1871.

Truth for Today #182

Friday April 10th

On Fridays 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 continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

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

Welcome back to Truth for Today.

Psalm 97:9-12

For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name.

From Vera:

“Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭107‬:‭4‬-‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Easter Monday

We were in charge of the Easter Coffee Fellowship at our church for Easter Sunday. On Saturday we made a trip to Spokane to buy some of the goodies we would be serving. We had a very successful shopping trip at 6 stops.

Our first stop was at Kiev Market in Spokane and they were selling Kulich/Paska (Russian Easter Bread).

I knew it wouldn’t be as good as homemade but it was better this year than in previous years. After we dropped all the muffins, strawberries, yogurt and tulips off at church we had a quiet evening at home before our busy Easter Sunday.

I brought some of our outdoor daffodils inside to cheer up our kitchen space.

I’ve been working on this puzzle and only have the hardest part left.

Josh and Laura served at an Easter Service Saturday night helping with the photo area. They attended services on Sunday with Laura’s brother’s family.

Dan had to work on Easter but Jamie and her mom got this photo at the Easter service at our church. We were busy in the kitchen getting ready for the Coffee Fellowship in between both services. I did not think to get a photo of the presentation of the food tables. We got our photo with our Grands at our Easter lunch at Dan and Jamie’s.

Many Easter eggs were hidden and the kids were anxious to find them.

Ready, set, go!

Everyone had full baskets/bags of eggs and other vessels.

Three cute bunnies.

Dan got home after all the festivities and it was time for a family photo.

It was a wonderful day all around and a good weekend. I was on my feet for too many hours and will be giving them a rest for the next couple of days.

Hope your Easter was glorious, too.

Glorious Resurrection Day!

 

Easter Visits Earth Again

Easter visits earth again,
In the solemn spring;
Blossoms brighten hill and glen,
Notes of joy sweetly ring.

Refrain

Hail Him, vic­to­ri­ous,
King of love, throned above;
Tell the news o’er and o’er,
While the years go by:
Make His praise glo­ri­ous;
Sing again, earth and sky;
Tell the news ev­er­more,
Our Je­sus lives on high.

Every flower that lifts its head,
Breathes a message bright;
He is ris­en from the dead;
Happy day, day of light!

Refrain

Tell the story of the spring
With triumphant voice:
Jesus reigns, exalted King,
In His grace, we rejoice.

Refrain

Words: Eliza E. Hewitt, 1916.

Christ Is Risen!

Truly He is Risen!

Khristos voskrese!    Voistinu voskrese!

Христос воскрес!
воистину воскрес!

Blessings to all on this Glorious Easter Day!

Lamb of God! Our Souls Adore Thee ~ Good Friday

Lamb of God! Our Souls Adore Thee

Lamb of God! Our souls ad­ore Thee
While upon Thy face we gaze;
There the Fa­ther’s love and glo­ry
Shine in all their bright­est rays;
Thine al­migh­ty pow­er and wis­dom
All cre­ation’s works pro­claim;
Heaven and earth alike con­fess Thee
As the ev­er great I AM.

Lamb of God! Thy Fa­ther’s bo­som
Ever was Thy dwell­ing place;
His de­light, in Him re­joic­ing,
One with Him in pow­er and grace;
Oh, that won­drous love and mercy—
Thou didst lay Thy glo­ry by,
And for us didst come from Heav­en,
As the Lamb of God, to die!

Lamb of God! When we be­hold Thee
Lowly in the man­ger laid,
Wandering as a home­less strang­er
In the world Thy hands had made;
When we see Thee in the gar­den,
In Thine ago­ny of blood,
At Thy grace we are con­found­ed,
Holy, spot­less, Lamb of God!

When we see Thee, as the vic­tim,
Bound for us up­on the tree,
For our guilt and fol­ly strick­en,
All our judg­ment born by Thee—
Lord, we own, with hearts ad­or­ing,
Thou hast loved us un­to blood:
Glory, glo­ry ev­er­last­ing,
Be to Thee, Thou Lamb of God!

Lamb of God, Thou soon in glo­ry
Will to this sad earth re­turn;
All Thy foes shall quake be­fore Thee,
All that now des­pise Thee mourn;
Then Thy saints all ga­thered to Thee,
With Thee in Thy king­dom reign;
Thine the praise and Thine the glo­ry,
Lamb of God, for sin­ners slain.

Words: James G. Deck, 1841