Does Jesus Care?

He certainly does. Hope all is well among many of my dear old friends this day. Have a blessed Lord's Day.

Still Gonna Die

For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. -    1 Timothy 4:8  

Still Gonna Die by Old Dogs (1998)

So your taking better care of your body, becoming more aware of your body, responding to your bodies needs, everything you hear and read about diets, nutrition, and sleeping position, and detoxifying the system and buying machines that they advertise to help you exercise, herbs to revitalize you if your traumatized, soaps that will sanitize, spays to deodorize, liquids to neutralize, acids and pesticides, free weights to maximize your strength and muscle size, shots that will immunize, pills to reenergize you but remember that for all your pain and gain eventually the story ends the same

So you quit smoking but your still gonna die, cut out coking but your still gonna die
Eliminate everything fatty or fried, and you get real healthy but your still gonna die

Stop drinking booze and your still gonna die, stay away from Kool’s and son your still gonna die
You can cut out coffee and never get high but your still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die

Your still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die, still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die
You can even give a roller one more try but when the music is over your still gonna die

Put seat belts in your car your still gonna die, cut nicotine and tar your still gonna die
You can exercise that cellulite off of your thigh, get slimmer and trimmer but your still gonna die

Stop kissing and tell your still gonna die, you can eat a lot of oat bran but your still gonna die
You can search for UFO’s up in the sky, they might fly you to Mars where your still gonna die

Your still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die, still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die
And all the Reeboks and Nikes and Diggers you buy, you can jog up to heaven and your still gonna die

Drink Ginseng tonic your still gonna die, try high colonics your still gonna die
You can have yourself frozen suspended in time, but when they do thaw you out your still gonna die

You can have safe sex your still gonna die, you can switch to Crest but your still gonna die
You can get rid of stress, get a lot of rest, get an aids test, enroll if Estes
Move out west where it’s sunny and dry, and you’ll live to be a hundred but your still gonna die

Your still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die, still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die
So you better have some fun before you say bye-bye
Cause your still gonna, still gonna, still gonna still gonna,
Still gonna, still gonna, still gonna die

Beautiful Savior

Please forgive me my dear friends for my gross neglect of this blog and of you. Please be blessed by this reminder of the beauty of our Savior, which I posted before. He is worthy of all our praise.

Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed

I received this in a e-newsletter today, and wanted to share it during this Passion week. I always reflect on these beautiful words by Isaac Watts this time of year.

Be Still

Hope this is a blessing to all. I'm posting it on all my blogs today. Beautiful images of God's creation throughout. Have a very blessed Lord's Day tomorrow.

God Will Take Care of You

I thought now is a good time to post this, which I once posted on Facebook. Not altogether sure of their nationality, but I do have all people in mind with this, and especially the Japanese people. Enjoy. I'm sure you'll like it.

Nearer My God to Thee

Taking a quick break from my two weak break to post this. Couldn't resist.

God Will Take Care of You

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

Well, well, well. So already we come to a new year. How on earth did 2010 get by us so fast? This will be my first hymn for the year, and yesterday I thought of this one and decided it was perfect to reflect my thoughts for the coming days, weeks, and months. As you know, so many people close to me lost their spouses this past year. I wrote a post about the five widows, but there was also a dear younger woman who I had the pleasure of knowing pretty well who lost her battle with breast cancer this past year. Actually, her home going was on October 1st, the first day of breast cancer awareness month. So I've been thinking much about her husband Ed and her two children this past Christmas season.

This hymn, then, is for all of the above mentioned dear ones and for you and me as well. No matter what 2011 has in store, no matter how difficult a circumstance comes our way, we can be assured that our God will indeed take care of us. His care will sometimes take unusual twists and turns, but He has made a multitude of promises to us in His Word, and we well know that He keeps all of His promises.

Bless all of you dear friends who stop by and even if you've never been here before, I wish you the most blessed 2011.

Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you.

All you may need He will provide,
God will take care of you;
Nothing you ask will be denied,
God will take care of you.

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon His breast,
God will take care of you.

Refrain
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

~ Civilla D. Martin

A Wonderful Savior

Hallelujah. (And my darling sweet cardinal is an added treat.)

Be Still

Dedicated to a dear friend of mine whose husband of 52 years has just passed on to glory. To my dear sister, as you told your dear one at his bedside, this is only temporary. You'll see him again over there. Be still and know that in every change our God faithful will remain, even though through thorny ways. Love you, dear sis. . . you have been so special to me over the years.

Fairest Lord Jesus

Giving honor and praise to our Beautiful Savior.

What Will You Do With Jesus?

The preacher recited this to close his sermon on Sunday and I've been thinking about it ever since. If you're saved you should reflect on these words, but if you are not saved, I urge you to think about your answer to this question:




Jesus is standing in Pilate’s hall,
Friendless, forsaken, betrayed by all;
Hearken! what meaneth the sudden call?
What will you do with Jesus?

Jesus is standing on trial still,
You can be false to Him if you will,
You can be faithful through good or ill:
What will you do with Jesus?

Will you evade Him as Pilate tried?
Or will you choose Him, whate’er betide?
Vainly you struggle from Him to hide:
What will you do with Jesus?

Will you, like Peter, your Lord deny?
Or will you scorn from His foes to fly,
Daring for Jesus to live or die?
What will you do with Jesus?

“Jesus, I give Thee my heart today!
Jesus, I’ll follow Thee all the way,
Gladly obeying Thee!” will you say:
“This I will do with Jesus!”

What will you do with Jesus?
Neutral you cannot be;
Someday your heart will be asking,
“What will He do with me?”

~ Simpson

The Tender Love a Father Has

I just looked at our church bulletin for tomorrow (it's usually posted online at our church website) and I see that we're singing this hymn tomorrow. I thought I'd post it in honor of Father's Day. I am thankful for the father of my children and recognize the importance of what a godly father means to a family. Our sermon tomorrow will be about the need for fathers to know the state of their flocks (from Prov. 27:23ff) and may we pray for our husbands, sons, and earthly fathers who take this task seriously. God bless them.

And remember, the love of our Father in heaven is the best!

The tender love a father has
For all his children dear,
Such love the Lord bestows on them
Who worship him in fear.

The Lord remembers we are dust,
And all our frailty knows;
Man's days are like the tender grass,
And as the flower he grows.

The flower is withered by the wind
That smites with blighting breath;
So man is quickly swept away
Before the blast of death.

Unchanging is the love of God,
From age to age the same,
Displayed to all who do his will
And reverence his Name.

Those who his gracious cov'nant keep
The Lord will ever bless;
Their children's children shall rejoice
To see his righteousness.

Some people may not be familiar with this hymn. It's tune is here.

Jesus Calls Us

Lately I've been feeling sad about the state of Christianity today, especially in our country. I've been thinking about the call of the world and how often people who are considered Christians seem to be succumbing to that call.

But Jesus calls us. He beckons us to follow Him, and if we TRULY are following Him, much of what we see happening today would not be as evident as it is. Let's follow Him, shall we, and take heed to that blessed call. If we really do, maybe a lot of the things we see going wrong will begin to take a turnabout.

This hymn has been ringing in my ears all day. Do you know it? Mrs. Alexander is one of my favorite hymn writers, particularly wanting children to know the great truths of the Bible, but also writing songs which adults love. She once gave profits from a hymnbook to help support handicapped children in northern Ireland. Now that's my kind of hero in a world with so few of them.


Jesus calls us: o'er the tumult
Of our life's wild, restless sea,
Day by day his sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, "Christian, follow me."

As, of old, apostles heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for his dear sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world's golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, "Christian, love me more."

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still he calls, in cares and pleasures,
"Christian, love me more than these."

Jesus calls us: by thy mercies,
Saviour, may we hear thy call,
Give our hearts to thine obedience,
Serve and love thee best of all.
~ Cecil Frances Alexander

Alas! and Did my Saviour Bleed

Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,
And did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree!
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker, died
For man the creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While his dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes in tears.

But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.

~ Isaac Watts

Tomorrow, once again, we come to another Good Friday when we remember His sacrifice. Yes, it is a "good" Friday, because if it had not been for that sacrifice, where would we be? Meditate on it, dear friends, and may the words of Mr. Watts, written so long ago, minister to your hearts.

Praising My Savior

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. Psalm 150:6

Look what I found. My wonderful birds and my mom's favorite hymn together! What a blessing. Are the birds singing his praises where you live? They sure have been around here. Especially early in the morning! We should be more like them...Praising our Savior all the day long!

Casting Your Care

If you want to read what others have posted for Word Filled Wednesday, go visit Penny at pennyraine.com.

I posted this picture and a hymn on my devotional blog some time ago and directed the post to some friends who were going through trials. But then, there are always friends going through trials, aren't there? Trials are so much a part of this life. Aren't you thankful that Jesus cares? Here is a stanza and the chorus response from that hymn that goes so well with this verse:

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained
Too deeply for mirth or song,
As the burdens press, and the cares distress
And the way grows weary and long?

Oh yes, He cares, I know He cares,
His heart is touched with my grief;
When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,
I know my Savior cares.

~ Frank E. Graeff

My Savior's Love

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. Tomorrow we get to celebrate it on Sunday, the Lord's Day. Have a blessed day in Jesus, all you who know Him as your Savior. And if you don't know Him, it's never to late to be among those who are basking in the amazing love of Calvary.

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner condemned, unclean.

He took my sins and my sorrows;

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calv'ry

and suffered and died alone.

How marvelous! how wonderful!

and my song shall ever be:

How marvelous! How wonderful

Is my Savior's love for me!

~ Charles H. Gabriel

Bird Forecast

A little while ago, about an hour or so before sundown, I looked outside and my yard was COVERED with birds, especially the little juncos. This picture is of just a few of them. Now, this said something to me, even though all day long I've been hearing on the forecast that we were supposed to have "snow showers" with little or no accumulation. I've also been reading on the news that folks who live in the southeast were being bombarded by a huge snowstorm. This made me suspicious because usually when storms come up from the south, we get hit really hard. Also, I went out earlier in the afternoon and saw that the feeders were more empty than usual for that time of day, so I refilled them. When I got back two hours later, I had to fill them again! The birds were really eating. Do you think they know something that the forecasters don't know? The weather people have been saying all day that the northeast would miss anything of any consequence. Now I'm starting to get nervous because I'm looking outside and see the ground covered with what looks like a couple of inches and it's still coming down! Whose forecast would you listen to--the birds or those with all the education and equipment?

Well, I'm due for a hymn post and looking out at the little creatures today made me think of a children's hymn which I particularly like. It was written by a lady after my own heart, because she had a particular desire to teach the truths of God to children. And she did so in poems, many which are now favorite hymns of the church, particularly for Sunday School, which was also dear to her heart. This delightful little song would be a great one to teach to your children and grandchildren if they're still quite young. There are several tunes, all perfect for sweet little youngsters, and they are learning some important things about our great God when they sing the words! We include this song in our children's cassette (a little plug for Speakable Gifts!), and our three year old granddaughter loves it.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.

The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden—
He made them ev'ry one.

The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The flowers by the water
We gather ev'ry day.

He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who doeth all things well.

Refrain:
Yes, all things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
And all things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.


~ Cecil F. Alexander

Another Year is Dawning

Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face;
Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting, of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service, of witness for Thy love,
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning, dear Father, let it be
On earth, or else in Heaven, another year for Thee.

~Francis R. Havergal (1836-1879)

This is my prayer for you, my dear friends, and for me for 2010. I wish when saying "another year" that it meant that in 2009 I did praise Him and lean upon His breast as I should have. I wish it meant that during the year just past, I did have gladness in the shining of His face, or that it was a year of trusting, of quiet and happy rest in Him. Unfortunately, I fear that just wasn't always the case. You probably have the same sense of having fallen short. But that doesn't mean that we all can't strive for these things in this new year. Let's strive together, shall we? Let's remember a precious promise from His Word this year:

". . . and as thy days, so shall thy strength be." Deut. 33:25

So, I'm praying for more strength to live for Christ as I know He wants me to. Hope you'll join me in praying the same prayer. It's what we all need. It's what our children need and our grandchildren. And it's also what our country needs. Maybe the Lord will be merciful and do a work in us all. God bless each of you and may your new year indeed be blessed in Him.