In Their Steps Hodgepodge

The new questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge are coming from  Jo From This Side of the Pond while she is across the Pond!
Thanks Jo and I hope your jet lag will be mild!
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1. Hey, it’s October…what’s one fun thing on your October calendar? 
This Saturday is the Marcus Ciderfest and we’ll enjoy some time there buying some freshly squeezed apple cider from local apples.
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I’m also following along on an October 31 day journey with the Heroes of the Reformation called Here We Stand. I get an email each day with the history of one of the heroes.
If you want to follow along you can sign up here.

2. Thursday is National Poetry Day (first Thursday in October)…do you like to read poetry? If so, what’s a favorite poem, or whose poetry do you especially enjoy? 

My favorites are songs and hymns and spiritual songs. That kind of poetry I can understand. I also enjoy children’s rhymes.

So many favorites in the Psalms;

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

3. Tell us about something you’ve seen recently that could be described as ‘poetry in motion’

Other than watching Eagles and Hawks in the sky I would hearken back to the Olympics and watching the diving and other pool events including synchronized swimming that they now call artistic swimming.

4. What’s one song on your autumn playlist? Do you have an autumn playlist? If not, pretend you do. If yes, then feel free to share more than one. 

This is a song that has been playing on the cd in my car that gets me every time.

And this one that I was listening to yesterday…

5. Share a quote that inspires you this time of year especially. 

I’m inspired by our very recent trip to Scotland and specifically walking along the steps of John Knox and his influence on Scotland and the Scottish Reformation. Not him alone but many other Covenantors who lost their lives for the Gospel and the Kingship of Christ and the Church. So at this time of year I’m inspired by Knox and other Martyrs. John Knox preached across Scotland and in England and Europe. George Wishart was burned at the stake in front of St. Andrews Castle another location where John Knox spent time. We visited St. Andrews and the ruins of the castle. St. Andrews is filled with history and not just golf. 🙂

“Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.”
― John Knox

“The man who stands with God is always in the majority.”
― John Knox

And from George Wishart a friend of Knox and Scottish Martyr–

When he came to the place of his death he knelt and prayed to Christ, then he addressed the watching crowd: ‘If I had taught men’s doctrine, I had gotten greater thanks by men. But for the true Evangel [gospel], which was given to me by the Grace of God, I suffer this day by men, not sorrowfully, but with a glad heart and mind… This grim fire I fear not: and so I pray you to do, if any persecution come unto you for the Word’s sake; and not to fear them that slay the body, and afterwards have no power to slay the soul… I know surely that my soul shall sup with my Saviour this night, ere it be six hours, for whom I suffer this.’ Next he prayed for those who had viciously persecuted and slandered him, saying, ‘I forgive them with all my heart.’

These images and placards were inside the visitors center for St. Andrews Castle Ruins.

6. Insert your own random thought here.  

We are still recovering from our Jet Lag and thankfully each day gets better.

The devastation from Hurricane Helene has been on my mind and I pray that help will reach the stranded. Thankful for the groups like Samaritan’s Purse who respond quickly and compassionately to those in need. The family members we have living in North Carolina were spared and they are pitching in to help where they can.

Light

 

Today’s word is Light. So many verses to choose from…

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

In my college years our Russian Choir recorded a song with the words from Psalm 27 so I can almost recite this Psalm in Russian…almost.

If you have a verse from the Bible to share about light please do either in the comments or on your blog. It’s been great to read the verses you all have shared.

Here are some verses others have chosen on Light:

From Patsy and Vee, too:

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

Maristella shared this verse in the comments:

“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 15-16.

From my sister Vera:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Click over to Mildred’s Blog Laurel Wood to see her post on Light with the verse from John 8:12, too.

Click over to Life is Good where Happy One has posted a verse on Light.

Last Saturday our Grands enjoyed some time at our country bungalow.

M

We bowled, we played with sand, and we played with water.

After we moved inside the electric pencil sharpener was a big hit!

Jaymison has great small motor skills for a 1 year old.

Yesterday was a busy day at our Country Bungalow. We finally had promises kept and several dump truck loads of Clean fill were dumped in our empty pond cavity. It’s so nice to have a flat area instead of the steep drop off.  We might have more delivered tomorrow. I’ll show photos soon.

Use It or Lose It Hodgepodge

I’m combining Wednesday Hodgepodge with the A to Z Challenge for the letter S today. Strength, Survivor and Sinner are enough S’s to qualify. Sigh and snicker…

1. What’s something you resolved to do this year? Have you done it?

My motto for the the next few years is “Use It” or “Use It Up”. Ribbons, paper, stationary, stickers, paper napkins, paper plates, etc. etc. Instead of stashing these things away and forgetting about them I want to use them. If I have no intentions on using aforesaid items then I want to give them away.

2. Where do you go to find quietude?

The place that I go for my quiet time activities is our office at our big oak desk that sits in front of our bookshelves. I like being surrounded by the books we love. Bible reading in the Old Testament, a chapter in Proverbs, and finishing up in the New Testament. Then I move on to books written by authors I trust like Spurgeon or MacArthur or Sproul or some of the Puritans to dive deeper into understanding Bible truths. One thing I want to improve on is being more faithful in prayer.

3. A friend asked this question on her Facebook page and said I could borrow it for the Hodgepodge…you’re only allowed to buy 5 things at the grocery store, and all must start with the first letter of your first name. Whatcha’ buying?

I was surprised to find a lot of things that start with the letter E.

  1. Eggs
  2. Enchiladas
  3. Elderflower Cordial
  4. English muffins
  5. Eclair

4. The television show Survivor, the Gloria Gaynor song ‘I Will Survive’, survival mode, survival of the fittest…pick one and discuss.

Survivor, the television show. It has been a show I’ve watched since the beginning. That’s a lot of seasons. I am fascinated by how the human race interacts in this setting. I’d love to reference this show to that professor of mine that wanted us to write a paper on how all humans are inherently good. Haha…no, Mr. So and So, all humans are not good but they are sinners in need of a Savior and I’m one of the chief sinners. So thankful that God provided a way out! I also know I’d never survive on that show. If I ever made it to the island I’d probably be voted off first thing if I didn’t collapse and have to be medivaced out of there!! To other Survivor fans…wasn’t last week’s show one that was so emotional and amazing to see all those children that they flew in!? I was in tears and a little concerned on the welfare of those kids having to leave their parents behind…

5. Share a favorite quote or saying about strength.

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

6. Insert your own random thought here.

This little guy turned 1 last week and we had fun with a lumber jack photo shoot. I will be posting 1,000 photos as soon as I can upload them all. We had his social distancing party last Thursday and then when the weather warmed up on Sunday we managed a social distancing photo shoot. You have been forewarned.

Thank you to Joyce for coming up with the questions and to all who read my answers! Click here to read more Hodgepodge answers.