Category Archives: Holiness

Fall Stages Hodgepodge

This photo is from the last event that we wore costumes to and it is from this season of life.

Jo From This Side of the Pond has challenged our memories once again for Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What are your current priorities in this season of life? Elaborate as much or as little as you like. 

At my stage of life I’m one fall away from a nursing home. My priority is to end life well. I want to keep cooperating with the Holy Spirit in conforming my life to be more like Christ. I want to love Jesus more because my life and my future are all tied up in what He did for me on the Cross. For that I am so grateful. Thankful that I am not spiritually dead anymore because I’ve been born again. I thank God the Father, who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered (rescued) me from the domain of darkness and transferred me to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:12-14

2. What’s one thing you wish you had more of? 

Retention. Being able to keep what I’ve read and or heard or studied in my memory bank.

3. Do you celebrate Halloween? If so, what are your Halloween traditions? Any special plans for Halloween this year? 

Some of our family in their costumes.

The only Halloween tradition that we have kept in the past was handing out candy to trick or treaters. I say in the past because here in our country setting we do not get any random trick or treaters. We do enjoy our grands being  driven over to show us their costumes and us treating them. That is the only plan this year, to have a treat ready for our Grands when they drop by.

4. Last thing you ate that contained chocolate? Last thing you made that called for chocolate? 

How is this for a complete Chocolate experience. On our Scotland trip we stopped at Highland Chocolatier and enjoyed some amazing world famous chocolate. I wrote about the experience here.

I haven’t made anything lately that has called for chocolate.

5. Do you prefer laid back weekends or do you like to have a lot of plans? Thinking back to this past weekend… which was it? 

I prefer laid back weekends with a touch of accomplishment. I don’t like to get to Monday morning wondering why I didn’t accomplish anything. Rest is important but laziness is not necessarily rest. This last weekend we attended our granddaughter’s basketball game in town on Saturday and then we had lunch out. Sunday, as usual, we attended our services at church and in the afternoon we had our ‘connection group’ and then had a quiet evening. That was the ideal amount of activity for me.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We are enjoying Fall and enjoying getting photos of our Grands enjoying Fall to the fullest!

And this is one of my favorite Fall photos of their Father’s property before he had any inkling he’d have a beautiful wife and two children of his own.

Truth for Today #118

Thursday October 10th

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! 

I’ll be late in posting your verses you share this week because I’m having laser surgery at noon in Spokane to correct some blurriness in my eyes. Here’s hoping there is improvement. 🙂 

Romans 12:9-13

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,[g] serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

From Maria:

Psalm 117:1-2

Praise the Lord, all you nations;

extol him, all you peoples.

For great is his love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

From Vera:

“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 ‭ESV‬‬

For All the Saints ~ Hymn

For All the Saints

For all the saints,
Who from their la­bors rest,
Who Thee by faith
Before the world con­fessed,
Thy name, O Je­sus,
Be for­ev­er blessed.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

Thou wast their rock,
Their fort­ress and their might;
Thou, Lord, their cap­tain
In the well fought fight;
Thou, in the dark­ness drear,
Their one true Light.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

For the apos­tles’
Glorious com­pa­ny,
Who bear­ing forth
The cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the migh­ty
World, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

For the ev­an­gel­ists,
By whose blest word,
Like four­fold streams,
The gar­den of the Lord,
Is fair and fruit­ful,
Be Thy name ad­ored.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

For mar­tyrs, who
With rap­ture kin­dled eye,
Saw the bright crown
Descending from the sky,
And see­ing, grasped it,
Thee we glo­ri­fy.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

O blest com­mun­ion,
Fellowship di­vine!
We feeb­ly strug­gle,
They in glo­ry shine;
All are one in Thee,
For all are Thine.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

O may Thy sol­diers,
Faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints
Who nob­ly fought of old,
And win with them
The vic­tor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

And when the strife
Is fierce, the war­fare long,
Steals on the ear
The dist­ant tri­umph song,
And hearts are brave,
Again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

The gold­en ev­en­ing
Brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faith­ful
Warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm
Of pa­ra­dise the blessed.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

But lo! there breaks
A yet more glo­ri­ous day;
The saints tri­um­phant
Rise in bright ar­ray;
The King of glo­ry
Passes on His way.
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

From earth’s wide bounds,
From ocean’s far­thest coast,
Through gates of pearl
Streams in the count­less host,
And sing­ing to Fa­ther,
Son and Ho­ly Ghost:
Alleluia, Al­le­lu­ia!

Words: William W. How, 1864.

Communion Hymn

Communion Hymn

Amidst us our Beloved stands,
And bid us view His pierced hands;
Points to His wounded feet and side,
Blest emblems of the Crucified.

What food luxurious loads the board,
When at His table sits the Lord!
The wine how rich, the bread how sweet,
When Jesus deigns the guests to meet!

If now with eyes defiled and dim,
We see the signs but see not Him,
Oh, may His love the scales displace,
And bid us see Him face to face!

Our former transports we recount,
When with Him in the holy mount,
These cause our souls to thirst anew,
His marr’d but lovely face to view.

Thou glorious Bridegroom of our hearts,
Thy present smile a heaven imparts
Oh, lift the veil, if veil there be,
Let every saint Thy beauties see!

Words: C.H. Spurgeon

Church of God, Beloved and Chosen ~ Hymn

Church of God, Beloved and Chosen

Church of God, be­loved and chos­en,
Church of God, for whom He died,
Claim thy gifts, and praise the Giv­er,
Ye are washed and sanc­ti­fied—
Sanctified by God the Fa­ther,
And by Je­sus Christ His Son,
And by God the Ho­ly Spir­it,
Holy, ho­ly, Three in One.

By His will He sanc­ti­fi­eth,
By the Spir­it’s pow­er with­in;
By the lov­ing hand that chast­en­eth
Fruits of right­eous­ness to win;
By His truth and by His pro­mise;
By the Word, His gift un­priced;
By His own blood, and by un­ion
With the ris­en life of Christ.

Holiness by faith in Je­sus,
Not by ef­fort of thine own,
Sin’s do­min­ion crushed and brok­en,
By the pow­er of grace alone;
God’s own ho­li­ness with­in Thee,
His own beau­ty on Thy brow;
This shall be thy pil­grim bright­ness,
This thy bless­èd por­tion now.

He will sanc­ti­fy thee whol­ly;
Body, spir­it, soul shall be
Blameless til thy Sav­ior’s com­ing,
In His glo­ri­ous ma­jes­ty.
He hath per­fect­ed for ev­er
Those whom He hath sanc­ti­fied;
Spotless, glo­ri­ous, and ho­ly,
Is the Church, His chos­en bride.

Words: Francis Havergal, 1873.

Truth for Today #115

Thursday August 29th

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 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life–is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

From Vera:

“For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of Lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the Lord your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise. He is your God, who has done for you these great and terrifying things that your eyes have seen.”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Karen:

Psalm 124:8

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Let Us Love, and Sing, and Wonder ~ Hymn

Let Us Love, and Sing, and Wonder
~
Let us love, and sing, and wonder,
Let us praise the Savior’s name!
He has hushed the law’s loud thunder,
He has quenched Mount Sinai’s flame.
~
Let us love the Lord, who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies;
Called us by his grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes.
~
Let us sing, though fierce temptations
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqueror’s crown,
~
Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join and point to mercy’s store;
When we trust in Christ our fortress,
Justice smiles, and asks no more.
~
Let us praise and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high;
Here they trusted him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky.
~
Hark! the name of Jesus, sounded
Loud, from golden harps above!
Lord we blush, and are confounded,
Faint our praise, and cold our love!
~
Words: John Newton, 1774.

Truth for Today #111

Thursday August 1st

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! 

Titus 2:11-15

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

From Vera:

“Am I a God at hand, declares the Lord, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Janc2:

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Proverbs 4:23

From Willow:

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 come, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.

From Karen:

John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

From Cheryl:

Our ladies’ Bible study discussed this verse this morning:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
~ Psalm 27:1

Before the Throne of God Above ~ Hymn

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high priest whose name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

Words: Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863

Truth for Today #108

Thursday July 11th

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 Timothy 3:12-17

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

From Vera:

“He said, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.”
‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭22‬:‭2‬-‭4

From Janc:

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
for to you I entrust my life.”

Psalm 143:8

From Karen:

Galatians 1:10

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men?

for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.