The Dawn of Another Year

Well, we have come to the beginning of another one. Another sunrise of a calendar year. This time we once again have a number that is divisible by four--which always helps us remember that it's a leap year, an election year, and an olympic year. Our calendars are fresh and new, as are our hopes and dreams. We don't know what we'll encounter this next 366 days, as is the case each time January 1st comes around. Following is my prayer for the year--the same one that Frances Ridley Havergal had years ago when she wrote this hymn. A dear friend of mine sent this same hymn to me at the beginning of last year and now I'm sharing it with you as my hope for you as well.

May God grant each one who stops by and reads this post a blessed and Christ-filled 2008.

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.

~Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)

Merry Birthday!

There was another special baby born whose birthday we celebrate this time of year. It was a baby girl, born on December 22nd. The year was 1992 and she came as a very special gift to us on the day after Christmas that year. She continues to be a special gift to her dad and mom and whole family. So today is the fifteenth anniversary of her birth and we want to say to her:

Happy Birthday, Neesie!

To the rest of you I say "Merry Christmas" from my house to yours. I wrote a brief meditation about the most wonderful baby of all over at my devotional blog if anyone would want to go read it. God bless you all with a wonderful holiday.

A Break!

Now I know I need to take a break for a bit. Maybe a week, maybe more--we'll see. I do most of my blogging and comments on my laptop, which is having wireless connection problems. I can't get it figured out, so I hear the Lord telling me to get away from it for awhile. Besides, I have a bunch of writing and editing that's being neglected and that should be my priority anyway. So I need to get myself together here, which means I won't be around. Blessings to all of you until next week. Lord willing, I hope to be back before Christmas!

Behold, a Branch is Growing

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. Isaiah 11:1

Jesus thought of as a flower in winter? That's what this hymn is calling Him, and that is such a perfect metaphor. And to think He came at midnight. In other words, He came at the darkest hour; He came when when sin had thoroughly enveloped the human race. This is another one of those Christmas songs which we don't hear much. I doubt if you've heard it played in the stores. But, oh, what beautiful sentiments we find in this one. "This flow'r whose fragrance tender, with sweetness fills the air." That's our Savior. This lovely, lovely hymn came to us from Germany; the translation of the first four stanzas were by Harriet R. Spaeth and the last by John C. Mattes. Friends, don't we have a wonderful Lord and Savior? A flower in winter. Sounds like a good title for a book.

Behold, a Branch is growing
Of loveliest form and grace,
As prophets sung, foreknowing;
It springs from Jesse's race
And bears one little Flow'r
In midst of coldest winter,
At deepest midnight hour.

Isaiah hath foretold it
In words of promise sure,
And Mary's arms enfold it,
A virgin meek and pure.
Through God's eternal will
This Child to her is given
At midnight calm and still.

The shepherds heard the story,
Proclaimed by angels bright,
How Christ, the Lord of Glory,
Was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped
And in the manger found him,
As angel heralds said.

This Flower whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispels with glorious splendor
The darkness everywhere.
True man, yet very God;
From sin and death he saves us
And lightens every load.

O Saviour, Child of Mary,
Who felt our human woe;
O Saviour, King of Glory,
Who dost our weakness know,
Bring us at length, we pray,
To the bright courts of heaven
And to the endless day.

Listen here

Sneaky Nutrition - Turkey Soup

Well, it's snowing outside again. According to the Farmer's Almanac and some "expert" who made a recent prediction, we're going to have a mild winter again this year in our area. But according to the squirrels in my backyard, we're going to have it rough. You see, they're quite fat. For the last two seasons they didn't get very fat and it was a mild winter. Since they're fat again as in years past, I think they're forecasting a lot of bad weather coming up. Let's see who's right--them or the experts. God willing, I'll come back in April or so and let you know.

Soooooo, it's a good time to give you a nice recipe for a meal to serve on a chilly, nasty-weather day, sneaking a bit of nutriments in as you warm the bellies. And you need just one big pot! If you have any turkey bones left from Thanksgiving like I do, it's time to make some soup for your family, especially if there are any stuffy noses or people coughing in your house. The most important thing to remember is that you should cook the broth well ahead of time and chill it in a cold place so that you can skim off the fat before making the actual soup.

My turkey soup recipe is very simple. Some people may want to add their favorite herbs. For some reason, I like it better without a lot of herbs. Also, some people prefer it with cut up potatoes. I prefer it with noodles. The key is to cook the bones for a long time, and you'll have a lots of flavor! Here is what I do:

Put in large pot:

turkey carcass and leg, wing and other bones that no one ate off of (I leave a lot of meat on my bones !)
3-4 celery stalks, cut in large pieces
1-2 onions, cut up
1-2 carrots, whole
8-10 cups water, depending on how many bones
1 Tablespoon salt
5-6 peppercorns
2-3 bay leaves

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer slowly for three to four hours. Make sure the lid is on tight. After cooking, let it cool for a while and then take a slotted spoon or strainer and take all of the bones from the broth, with the celery, carrots, peppercorns and bay leaves. This can take a while because the bones can be in small bits . Leave the meat!!!

After cooling the broth (usually overnight) and skimming off the fat, bring to a boil again and add:

a couple of cut up boiled eggs
1 celery stalk, diced or sliced
any frozen mixed vegetables of your choice
about half head of a small cabbage, shredded (or zucchini)

Ten minutes or so before serving, add:

whole grain noodles

Sorry measurements on the vegetables and noodles are vague, since it depends on how thick you want the soup to be. I make it quite thick but it's more like a thick soup than a stew. My younger daughter eats it with a fork (remember that ad?), but for some reason that irritates me. But I certainly don't make an issue of that! I'll also mention that someday if I want to be a very nice wife to my husband, I'll put okra in it--you know how nutritious okra is, don't you? But I haven't gotten to the point that I've been able to do that (I hate okra and he loves it!), so I guess that says something about what kind of wife I am. ;-)

Well, I hope you make some of this soup soon, adding and subtracting as you see fit. Soup is one of those flexible dishes that we do with as we like. Enjoy the winter weather, guys. Oh! and don't forget the homemade cornbread or wheat bread that goes so well with your soup.

Once in Royal David's City

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9

I cannot tell you how much I love this wonderful Christmal carol. I think this choir sings it beautifully, don't you? All you need to do is listen to the words to capture your heart for our wonderful Savior. What a blessing this is. The third stanza sung here is different than in our hymnal and we have a fifth stanza, which makes me want to shout "Hallelujah!" This hymnwriter, btw, is one of my favorites, for she loved to teach children about God through her hymns. I hope you'll teach this to your children. These are the words which appear in our hymnal:

Once in royal David's city
Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed:
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven
Who is God and Lord of all,
And his shelter was a stable,
And his cradle was a stall:
With the poor, and mean, and lowly,
Lived on earth our Saviour holy.

And, through all his wondrous childhood
He would honor and obey,
Love and watch the lowly maiden
In whose gentle arms he lay:
Christian children all must be
Mild, obedient, good as he.

And our eyes at last shall see him,
Through his own redeeming love;
For that Child so dear and gentle
Is our Lord in heav'n above,
And he leads his children on
To the place where he is gone.

Not in that poor lowly stable,
With the oxen standing by,
We shall see him, but in heaven,
Set at God's right hand on high;
When like stars his children crowned
All in white shall wait around.

~Cecil Frances Alexander

The Preacher's Wife

I made another addition to my Listmania list that I wanted to share with you. Since it's the Christmas season now, it's time for our family to keep our tradition of watching this movie over and over again. Sometimes we leave it on while we're doing other things, like wrapping gifts or making cookies, along with "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street." This movie is the modern version of "The Bishop's Wife" and I actually like it better. The major difference is that it's set in the black community and the church culture is very similar to the one that I grew up in. Denzel Washington plays Dudley, the angel, (Cary Grant was Dudley in the Bishop version) and Whitney Houston is the preacher's wife, Julia (played by Loretta Young in the original). Putting aside the sadness of Whitney's life now (she needs prayer), she plays the part beautifully and Denzel is so funny, especially his interactions with Henry, the preacher, who is played by Courtney Vance. David Niven was the bishop in the first.

This is classified as a romantic comedy and we do laugh every time we watch it. It's funny how certain movies will make you laugh even after seeing them over and over. The "h" word shows up a couple of times, but there will be little else that you would find offensive, even though it was produced in this day and age. One reason I like it is that even though the church culture is clearly there, it's done tastefully, and not foolishly. Also, even though it takes place in an urban setting, the harshness of inner city life is not focused on as it is in many other movies. Sure, the hard stuff is a reality, but there are some pretty nice folks in the city too. If you do get this movie or rent it, tell me if you don't agree that Henry and Julia's son Jeremiah is adorable.

I like all these Christmas stories and have watched them so many times, but like most, this one has no clear gospel message of who Jesus is and why He came. The closest we get to it is during the children's musical near the end. How I wish someone would produce a good Christmas story with good acting and a good plot, and somehow incorporate the true meaning of the first coming of our Lord and Savior. If you know of any, please let the rest of us know about it.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

Well, for another year we find ourselves in the midst of the Christmas season. We put our tree up today and from now on until December 25th, I have to fight with myself, once again, not to get caught up in all the commercialism. (Did I spell that right?)

Maybe posting a favorite seasonal hymn/carol each week will help keep us on track and focused. Let's start with this one by Charles Wesley, who you may recall wrote over 6,500 hymns. These are wonderful words to meditate on as we remember our Lord's first coming and anticipate His second one.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us;
Let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear Desire of ev'ry nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a King,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By thine all-sufficient merit
Raise us to thy glorious throne.

By the way, what's your favorite Christmas carol and what words in it mean the most to you?

Happy Thanksgiving

It's hard for me to find words these days for some reason. But I didn't want this Thanksgiving to go by without expressing my thanks to my God for all He's done for me. Last year, I had a lot to say. I even did a series of posts, one for each of the days during the week preceding this holiday which I love so much. In these posts, I thanked the Lord for seven specific blessings. Thanksgiving Day was the seventh post, and I've decided to copy and paste it here. You see, I have no more to say now then I did then. My sentiments are exactly the same. So here is my post from November 23, 2006. May the Lord bless each and every one of you this Thanksgiving and every other day.

Well, it’s Thanksgiving Day. Today, I complete my list of blessings. Of course, you know that I would save the best for last. If I had a calculator and would start adding them up, I could name so many more than I have on this list. My home, my health throughout the years, my dog Frodo, certain relatives, all of God’s provisions of food and clothing, and other material possessions, are all things I’m thankful for.

The other day I looked up the word “blessing” in dictionaries in our home. Today I looked it up on Dictionary.com. (After all, I’m a modern day grandma.) There were six results, and the second and third meanings are the ones that apply here. The second meaning is “a special favor, mercy, or benefit” and the third is “a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.” Nothing fits these descriptions as marvelously and wonderfully as my salvation. Of all that I could stand up and proclaim as blessings from God, none can compare to what He has given me in Christ. My salvation is a special favor, mercy and benefit. It is a gift bestowed by God, which has brought me happiness beyond measure.

Those of you who know and love the Savior, stand up with me today, Thanksgiving Day, and praise the Lord for this, our best blessing. The others that we have will fade away, or die, or disappoint, or leave. Jesus never will do any of these. He’ll never leave us or forsake us—He’s promised us this and He keeps all His promises. So as thankful as I am for the six blessings which I have outlined during these past seven days, I am not resting on them for eternity. I’m only resting on Jesus.

Thank you Lord, for my salvation.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Fairest Lord Jesus,
Ruler of all nature,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Thee will I cherish,
Thee will I honor,
Thou my soul’s glory, joy, and crown.
~Munster Gesangbuch, 1677; tr.1850, 1873

Rejoicing and Weeping

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

I know I've been missing of late and if I haven't been to see you, it's because my heart hasn't been into blogging. I hope to be back next week.

I've been busy with others--preparing for a happy event as we put together a bridal shower for some close friends who are to be married next month. A time for rejoicing. And in the meantime, praying and ministering to friends whom I spoke about in the last post. Today was Ben's funeral. A time for weeping.

Such is life, isn't it? I refer you to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 which was read at the funeral today.

Hope you are all well and that I might visit you next week. Blessings.

Come, Ye Disconsolate

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish,
Come to the mercy-seat, fervently kneel:
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrows that heav'n cannot heal.

Joy of the comfortless, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, in mercy saying,
"Earth has no sorrows that heav'n cannot cure."

Here see the Bread of Life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above:
Come to the feast prepared; come ever knowing
Earth has no sorrows but heav'n can remove.

Stanzas 1-2, Thomas Moore, 1816

Stanza 3, Thomas Hastings, 1832

For our dear friends, Ken and Wendy, whose son Ben was killed in an auto accident early this morning.

My International Day of Prayer post is at my other blog.

Listmania!

I don't know how many of you have the struggles that I do with tv, but I would imagine that some of you do. Mine have gone on for many years now, and at times I have wished I could throw the old "boob tube" out the window. I've long ago given up the idea that I can find anything decent on it during the evening hours on the regular networks. We don't have cable or anything, so we're limited. Well, videos and dvds to the rescue! I am so thankful that we can have them; they have been so helpful to our family. I strongly appreciate the control they give us, and like many other families, we have compiled our own little library, which is made up of the ones we enjoy watching more than once.

Today, I was on Amazon for another reason and discovered that you can make your own list of Amazon products that you want to refer to others for whatever purpose you might have. I thought this was a nice forum for me to make recommendations from our little home "library." I've thought about doing that here at the blog, but this is even better because I can just leave the list there and add to it now and then. So I started it today.

So far the list has one item on it! That's as far as I could get today as I can only squeeze in computer time here and there (as I am now) throughout the course of the day. You know how it is, right? No longer do I wait to get a block of time to blog or comment. I just take quick snatches of time in the midst of household duties, which means that sometimes a post may take all day to finish!

Well, this first recommendation on the list is The Waltons series. Please, if there is any family oriented tv show that you'd like to have in your home to watch together, this is it. I would imagine that most of you are familiar with this show and like me, are thankful that it is now being made available on dvd. It's being recorded a season at a time and I believe they've just finished with the fifth season. We have the first four and I guess season 5 will be a Christmas present to ourselves! My daughter gave me a book last Christmas entitled Goodnight John-Boy by Earl Hamner and Ralph Griffin. It's Earl Hamner's stories about his childhood in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia which inspired the pilot film "The Homecoming" and then this beloved television series. Here is a quote from the back of this book:

"For nine years The Waltons entertained America and the world. But this television series was more than just entertainment. Each episode combined wonderful stories and 'teachable moments' in which adults and children alike learned the importance of honesty, hard work, respect, responsibility, self-sacrifice, and kindness."

I agree. And I say this is a worthwhile investment for your family to make. I'll be adding to my list as soon as I can, so visit my Listmania! list sometime. My hope is that it might be a help to someone at some point. Also, I'll probably post about some of my additions from time to time, especially when I make new discoveries.

Now, gather the family and bring out the popcorn! I hope you're prepared for the cold snowy nights that are coming!

A Special Testimony

Earlier this year I made a post about Johnny Farese, a man who puts all of us to shame as he bears up under his affliction. Today, I ran across a video of Johnny and I WISH you would please go look at it. While you listen, keep in mind that here is someone who is living a USEFUL life for Christ. I felt so convicted about having complained of my little discomforts of this day. Christina at Baptist Girl has posted this video and given me permission to link to it. Also read Christina's powerful words about the sovereignty of God.

We Have Not Known Thee As We Ought

It seems like a long time since I posted a hymn from my original Thursday Thirteen listing that got me started on this weekly Saturday venture. There are only four more hymns left from that list, and this is one of them. It may not be familiar to you, as it wasn't for me until the last fifteen years or so. It's a hymn of repentance, and it has become one which I dearly love. The lyrics are so powerful, and unfortunately, so true. Read them carefully and tell me if these aren't words that each of us could utter in prayer to our Lord. Apparently, there are several melodies, but I particularly like the one we use at our church, which is the one found in the Trinity Hymnal of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Even though we are Baptists, our church uses this hymnal and I'm glad for that because I've learned so many hymns I didn't know before which are so rich in doctrine and meaning.

Meditate on the heartfelt words from this hymnwriter, as they could surely be expressed by each one of us:

We have not known thee as we ought,
Nor learned thy wisdom, grace and pow'r;
The things of earth have filled our thought,
And trifles of the passing hour.
Lord, give us light thy truth to see,
And make us wise in knowing thee.

We have not feared thee as we ought,
Nor bowed beneath thine awful eye,
Nor guarded deed, and word, and thought,
Remembering that God was nigh.
Lord, give us faith to know thee near,
And grant the grace of holy fear.

We have not loved thee as we ought,
Nor cared that we are loved by thee;
Thy presence we have coldly sought,
And feebly longed thy face to see.
Lord, give a pure and loving heart
To feel and own the love thou art.

We have not served thee as we ought;
Alas! the duties left undone,
The work with little fervor wrought,
The battles lost, or scarcely won!
Lord, give the zeal, and give the might,
For thee to toil, for thee to fight.

When shall we know thee as we ought,
And fear, and love, and serve aright!
When shall we, out of trial brought,
Be perfect in the land of light!
Lord, may we day by day prepare
To see thy face, and serve thee there.

Newest Sox Fan

This little lady, who was born last Thursday at Boston's Franklin Park Zoo, was named on Monday, one day after the Boston Red Sox World Series victory. She will officially be known as "Sox" in honor of her home team. At birth, "Sox" weighed 154 pounds and measured 6 feet 2 inches tall. Isn't she a darling? If you like kids and babies (and who doesn't?) go to this photo gallary and see some other really cute little Red Sox fans.

I would like to take this opportunity to humbly admit to my several friends who were on the side of the winners that they do indeed have the better team. I have a feeling that one fan in particular is going to try to make my life miserable over this whole thing, but he will not succeed. Congratulations to Boston, who I understand also has quite a few Christians on the roster, as do the Rockies. I admit to that also. (Sorry, inside joke.)

Maybe next year at least one of the teams will win that I root for in the playoffs. My goodness, this was a bad post season for me. Well, there goes October--I was so hopeful when it started.