Category Archives: Jesus

No Place Like Home

Today is the 5th and last Monday for No Place Like Home hosted by Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage. Thank you, Sandi, I’ve enjoyed this weekly blog carnival.

Today I have some more of our Christmas Decor to share.

 

The vintage angels and Santa and Mrs. Claus were my mother-in-law, Verna’s that got passed down to us.

The hanging wreaths and stars were made by our sons in Sunday School when they were little tykes.

 

These mugs belong to our three children. I can’t remember what year I purchased them but probably the late 80’s.

Four more days if I’m counting correctly. I’m tidying up the bungalow and getting the guest rooms ready for Christmas Day. The only things left to purchase are food items for our meals to have on hand. We already bought our Rib Roasts and I’ll be roasting root veggies plus brussels sprouts and we can’t forget the creamed corn and Yorkshire Pudding. Haven’t decided on dessert yet.

We are on our way to Spokane today (70 miles south) for the last of our shopping. Heading to the Ukrainian Market (Kiev) and Costco to name a couple stops. I’ll visit blogs later tonight.

Hope all is Merry and Bright at your home.

7 Days Until Christmas!

How is it going at your house? Are you almost ready to celebrate Christmas?

After looking at the photo above I moved that star above the angels head about a foot to the right.

Hope you are finding ways to Be Merry!

May the pure love of Jesus shine brightly in your heart this Christmas Season!

One tiny baby, one manger stall, one God who sent His Son to show His love for all.

Truth from A to Z Bible Verse Challenge ~ N is for…

It’s Thursday and time for our Bible Verse Challenge. We are on the letter N. Leave a verse or verses in the comments and I’ll add them here. If you have a post on your blog please leave your link the comments.

N is for Name:

Philippians 2:4-11

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the NAME that is above every NAME, 10 so that at the NAME of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

From Patsystitch: Name

Acts 3:12-16. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead, To this we are witnesses. And his name – by faith in his name – has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

From Vera: Now

““Now I will arise,” says the Lord, “now I will lift myself up; now I will be exalted.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭33:10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Happy One: N is for NEED

Philippians 4:19
But my God shall supply all your NEED according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

From Maristella: N is for NATIONS

“Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:
He appeared in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was preached among the nations,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3:16
And:
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

Click over to Bethany’s Blog, Raindrops and Rainbows for her post on verses for the letter N.

“For N I am choosing the word NAME. Through December I have been writing a verse a day with the theme of names of Jesus.  It is a good reminder of all He is to us….the Good Shepherd, Savior, Mediator, Teacher, Alpha & Omega.” 

Keep digging!

No Man, nor Angel, Can Compare ~ Hymn

 

No Man, nor Angel, Can Compare

No man, nor angel, can compare
With our almighty Lord:
To speak like Him what seraph dare,
Or imitate His word?

Who can command the dead to rise,
With a prevailing power?
Who can pour light on sightless eyes?
The sick to health restore?

Whose word can fiends infernal tame;
Or furious winds control?
Unstop deaf ears; or cure the lame;
Or make the wounded whole?

One word from Jesus this performs,
And proves His power divine;
His breath can still the roughest storms,
Leviathan confine!

None else could expiate my guilt,
Nor save one soul from hell;
Not all the blood of mortals spilt
Since our first parents fell.

Jesus for me fulfilled the law,
And justice satisfied;
My guilt and misery He saw,
And for my ransom died.

Love such as His can ne’er be found,
His grace is rich indeed;
Such words as His there’s none can sound,
Nor do as Jesus did.

Words: Susanna Harrison, 1780

Press On, Press On, Ye Workers ~ Hymn

Press On, Press On, Ye Workers

Press on, press on, ye workers,
Be loyal, brave and true:
Great things the Lord is doing,
And greater things will do;
His army, still increasing
With each revolving year,
Shall send a sound of rapture forth
That all the world shall hear.

Refrain

Rejoice, rejoice, ye workers all, rejoice!
O clap your hands and sing,
O clap your hands and sing!
God’s holy Church shall triumph yet,
Triumph yet, triumph yet,
And He shall reign our King,
Shall reign our King.

The walls of leagued oppression
To dust shall fall away;
The sword of truth eternal,
No pow’r on earth can stay;
Tho’ all the hosts of darkness
Were marshaled on the field,
The Church of God would stand unmoved,
With Christ her strength and shield.

Refrain

Behold her marching onward,
In majesty sublime,
Along the rolling prairies
That bound our western clime;
And soon from every hamlet
On all our vast frontier
Glad songs shall rise to Jesus,
While the skeptics turn to hear.

Refrain

Words: Fanny Crosby, 1894.

Truth from A to Z ~ I is for…

For the first Thursday in November we are on the letter I in our Bible Verse Challenge. I’m going to go with several “I ams” that are found throughout the Bible that God declares about Himself.

I is for I AM

Exodus 3:14: “I am who I am.”

Isaiah 41:13: “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 45:18: “I am the Lord, and there is no other.”

Matthew 28:20: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

John 8:12: Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 10:11: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 14:6: Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

From Tom: Another I Am:

Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

From Cheryl:

My verses today are two similar questions:
“Is anything too hard for the LORD?” Genesis 18:14
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27

From Maristella:

“Better a little with righteousness
than much gain with *injustice*.”
Proverbs 16:8
And
“The *integrity* of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Proverbs 11:3

From Vera: I is for Immortal, Invisible

“To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Add your verse/verses for the letter I in the comments or on your blog and I will add them to this post. Happy Hunting!

I want to give you a heads up that we will not have our Bible Verse Challenge on the Thursday that Thanksgiving lands on this year, November 26th. We’ll resume the following Thursday, December 3rd.

Perfect Peace Hodgepodge

The verses before this verse are: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4: 4-7

1. How do you define peace?

Funny you should ask that question. Tuesday morning as part of my devotions I read these words from a commentary on Ephesians:

Speaking about Jesus…

For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near. (Ephesians 2:14-17)

Jesus alone is our peace.

Jesus Christ came as a babe to earth, and in His sacrifice on the cross He Himself became peace for those who trust in Him. His peace is not temporary but permanent. he made both groups, Jews (those who were “near”) and Gentiles (those who were “far off”), into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians)

Believing in Jesus Christ as Savior because of his perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins is the only way to peace with God. This is the only permanent peace available.

2. November 3rd is Election Day in the US of A, but did you know it’s also National Sandwich Day? Let’s vote, shall we? egg salad or tuna salad? chicken salad or grilled chicken on a bun? peanut butter and jelly or a bagel with cream cheese? turkey and swiss or ham and cheddar? grilled cheese or pimento cheese? roast beef-corned beef-or make mine veggie? 

I vote for tuna salad, grilled chicken on a bun, peanut butter and jelly, turkey and swiss, grilled cheese and corned beef on rye, please.

3. When did you last say (or feel) ‘no rest for the weary’?

This is my hard working husband every day while he tries to get the shop ‘snow tight’ before the next big snow. Hard to work in freezing temps so his hours are limited but he keeps plugging away.

4. This time last year, where were you?

This time last year we had just had a weekend with my sister Vera in our neck of the woods and I was taking her back to the airport. While she was with us we enjoyed a trip into Canada to enjoy a Persian lunch at Kootenay Kebab in Trail, B.C. and we had a baking day in my kitchen making Piroshky with our kids and our cousin while Dear and our son worked on the shop. (We’re still working on the shop!!) I’m hoping that some day in the future we’ll be able to cross the line again into Canada…

5. Share a favorite song, verse, or quote featuring the word ‘peace’.

What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you?
Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you;
You will find a solace there.

Blessèd Savior, Thou hast promised
Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing
All to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded
There will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship
Will be our sweet portion there.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

A quote from our pastor this last Sunday that made a few of us laugh out loud.

“The Bible tells us how to live in the nasty now and now.”

Thank you to Jo From This Side of the Pond for asking the questions each week!

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat ~ Hymn

 

Approach, My Soul, the Mercy Seat

Approach, my soul, the mercy seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before His feet,
For none can perish there.

Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to Thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.

Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed,
By war without and fears within,
I come to Thee for rest.

Be Thou my Shield and hiding Place,
That, sheltered by Thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him Thou hast died!

O wondrous love! to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead Thy gracious name.

Poor tempest tossèd soul, be still;
My promised grace receive;
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.

Words: John Newton, 1779.

Christ is Thy Light ~ Hymn

Christ is Thy Light

Christ is thy light, O wand’rer, tempest tossed!
The beacon light is pointing to thy rest;
Dark is the night,
And rocky is the coast,
But sure it shines above the billow’s crest;
Christ is thy light!

Christ is thy strength, O faint and weary soul!
Thy strife is vain; embrace without delay
The grace that pleads
With thee To make thee whole;
Who by His blood has washed thy sins away;
Christ is thy strength!

Christ is thy guide, O pilgrim seeking rest!
He gently bids thee open wide the door
For Him to enter
In and be thy guest;
O trust and follow Him forevermore;
Christ is thy guide!

Christ is thy hope! O cling to self no more,
No more to hopes which flatter and decay,
But to the Rock
That stands the tempest’s roar,
On which thy trembling ark will find a stay;
Christ is thy hope!

Christ is thy king! He wore the crown for thee,
A crown of thorns, a diadem so meet;
But bow before
His love that made thee free,
And humbly cast thy crown before His feet;
Christ is thy king!

Words: Richard B. Cadbury

August Challenge Hodgepodge

 

Before I dive into the Wednesday Hodgepodge today is the 5th of August and the word prompt for our August Bible Verse challenge is Jesus.

I’m sharing a section of scripture from Acts. This is what Peter testified in Jerusalem to the rulers, elders and scribes gathered together along with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and all who were of the high-priestly family after Peter and John were arrested because they healed a crippled man and they were saying things in the temple that the leaders did not like.

Acts 4: 7-12 (ESV) ~

And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Another great verse for the challenge from Happy One at Life is Good. Click over to read it.

Thank You to Joyce for asking the questions. Click over to see more Hodgepodge posts.

1.  What’s happening where you live in terms of schools opening? How do you feel about it?

It really isn’t clear what is happening in the Fall here. They seem to be saying they are trying both online and in person learning experiences. We live in the 2nd poorest county in the state of Washington. Many of our students don’t have computers or their internet connections are very poor so online learning becomes more difficult. All I can say is OYE and my heart goes out to teachers, staff and parents of school aged children.

2. What’s something you still do ‘old school’?

We still listen to Music CD’s in our house.

3. August 4th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Will you/did you celebrate by baking a batch? Eating a batch? Nuts or no nuts? Homemade or store bought? Soft and chewy or do you prefer your cookie to snap when you bite into it?

I won’t be baking cookies because we had an overload of bread so I made bread pudding. Can’t have too many desserts at one time around here.

I have a loaded chocolate chip cookie that our household loves and they are not the crispy variety. Yes to nuts and oatmeal in this recipe. I also only put 1/2 the bag of chocolate chips in my loaded cookies. I use the Toll House recipe with added nuts and oatmeal. I take them out of the oven when the bottoms are light brown. Homemade is always best!

4. What are you starved for?

I’m starved for a really nice meal out with things on the menu that I don’t regularly have.  The photo above is of the last great meal we had out on March 13th of this year just a couple days before the lock downs started.

I’m also starved for leisurely shopping experiences without a mask on.

5. Anything new and interesting on your August calendar? What is one thing you’re looking forward to this month?

We are supposed to have some weekend visitors that we are looking forward to. Haven’t heard the final date from them yet.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

 

I have an August challenge going on my blog right now. Using the word prompts for the day I post a verse or section of scripture that relates to the word. An easy challenge that gets me to search and find verses I haven’t read for a while. If you want to join in on any given day in August feel free and please let me know so I can read the verses you choose and link them.