Praise Him, All Ye Little Children

This little children's praise song is a favorite of mine and I felt inclined to share it with you today. Some of you may not know, but one of the earliest publications which we did in our home business was a photo album entitled "Verses and Hymns for the Very Young." Shortly after publishing it, we produced a cassette by the same title, with voices of my own children and the children of some very close friends of ours. Of all of our publications, the popularity of this little cassette exceeded everything else. We still have folks asking us to put it into dvd form, and we are hoping that it won't be long until we're in a position to do so.

"Praise Him, Praise Him, all Ye Little Children," is one of the songs included and may be my favorite one on the cassette. The reason is personal. You see, the two children singing this particular song are my two daughters. It's the only piece on it which has just the two of them singing together. They were seventeen and five at the time; not professional singers, but two young hearts singing the praises of a great God. The older one understood what she was singing about; I think the younger one didn't then (she does now), but it will always be a special blessing to this mother when she hears it:

Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Praise Him, praise Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.

Thank Him, Thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love;
Thank Him, Thank Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.

Serve Him, Serve Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.
Serve Him, Serve Him, all ye little children,
God is love, God is love.

There is also "love Him." That is most important. Don't you pray your children and grandchildren will love Him? If they do, then they can truly praise, thank, and serve Him in the days to come. Do you know the tune? Here is a piano version I found on YouTube, but the singing on our cassette was at a much slower tempo:

Hot Dog!

Dinner for tonight! Looks good, right? Ours won't be cooked on the outside grill, but I like them just as much panfried. I know, I know, they're not that good for you, but it's the opening night of the World Series!! What goes better with baseball than hot dogs? So that's what we're all about tonight. You would not believe how much excitement there is in the northeast where I live over this World Series. I have never seen anything quite like it. Yankees fans and Phillies fans are really going at it! I hope everyone takes it for what it really is--a game. Lots of fun, yes, but we all should remember it's just a game, and at the end of it all, whoever wins, we need to keep in mind that

JESUS STILL REIGNS!!!!!!!

Pink Slips

Did you see this? I saw this on the Mom's Network and thought I would pass it along. Read the article dated October 23rd in World Net Daily. I plan to take part; hope maybe some of you will too.

Ashamed of Jesus?

A couple of blog posts I read yesterday brought a hymn to mind, which we sing in my church now and then. Reading these words should make each of us think. As you probably know, it's not popular to be a Christian these days. We have not reached the point where we have to worry about physical persecution in this country, but I do believe there is a sense in which persecution for our faith has begun. I think we've come to a time where it's "easier" if you don't let your faith in Christ show too much. Maybe, you can go further in your profession or get better grades in school. Maybe you can do bigger and better things if you're not bogged down with too much "Christianity." Maybe, maybe, maybe a lot of things if you are not so fanatical about Jesus. I sure hope that you and I will take heed to these words, and that none of us are ever ashamed of our Lord. No matter what it costs us.

Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of thee?
Ashamed of thee whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days!

Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star:
He sheds the beams of light Divine
O'er this benighted soul of mine.

Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon;
'Tis midnight with my soul till he,
Bright Morning Star, bid darkness flee.

Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend
On whom my hopes of heav'n depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere his Name.

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

Till then—nor is my boasting vain—
Till then I boast a Saviour slain;
And O may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me.

Quick Birthday Wishes

This is the biggest size I could get this picture to go, but I wanted to show you my daughter and her husband not too long after they were married. One prayer that we all have for our children is that the Lord will send them each a godly spouse. Well, I just wanted to say that we are thankful that He has done just that for our daughter. Our son-in-law is a good provider who loves his wife and children and tries to lead his family in the ways of the Lord.

Today is his birthday and I didn't want the day to end without my having wished him a very happy one. Praying the richest blessings of the Lord in the days ahead, and that he will seek our God in all that life brings.

Happy Birthday, dear Edie!

Repeat! Repeat!

We are happy campers around this house! Last night the Phillies defeated the Dodgers to clinch the NLCS and repeat as the winners of the National League title. Having won it all last year, they return to the World Series as defending champions to face the winner of the American League playoffs. It will be either the Yankees or the Angels, with most folks believing New York will win out as they now have a 3-1 lead in the series. Yanks need one more win to be in. Now wouldn't that be something? The defending world champions facing the team who has won more world champions than any other! And New York versus Philadelphia--they're less than two hours apart by car. Philadelphia mayor said today that it would be an Amtrak series. Tons of Phillies fans at the New York games and vice versa. Can't you just imagine?

Now, I thought this would be a big problem for me, but I have discovered that it's not. As a Yankees fan from childhood and a Phillies fan most of my adult life, I wondered who I would root for if they ever faced each other. Now that it's almost a reality, I can tell my heart is with the Phillies. I am far more emotional about them, probably because I live in the area and we listen to most of the games all year. We know all the players and all the ins and outs (and ups and downs) about the team. That works up a real fan allegiance. I have trouble getting the Yankees on the radio, having kept up with them "from afar." As one last act of loyalty, I am wearing my Yankees tee shirt today as I root them on against the Angels tonight. If they don't clinch it tonight, I'll root for them until the American League winner is determined. But after that, it's all PHILLIES!!!!

Congrats to our team, who took us on quite a ride this year and now can claim the pennant for the second year in a row! GO PHILS!

Isn't it nice to have something to be happy about, even though it has little significance to life? Kind of therapeutic wouldn't you say?

A Word to Dissenters

Some of my thoughts and views are not agreeable to some people. That's the way life is, right? I thought this is a good time to mention something that I will no doubt be mentioning again from time to time: This is my blog where I express myself. Others have blogs where they express themselves. There are many of those folks with whom I disagree. But I would never go to someone else's blog and express harsh words to them because of their opinions. They have a right to those opinions and I respect that. I want others to do the same for me. That is the reason that I reject certain comments that come in. Enough said about that.

But I do want to respond to something a commenter said to me. I want to say that I have only one hero. And His name is Jesus. He is my all and all and my hope for heaven. No person, no country, no political party, no particular race. Just Jesus. He is the One I hope my granddaughters come to trust and believe in. Then they will be safe no matter what this world brings their way.And I want to say that is my desire for you too if you come to visit my blog. You may not agree with me, but what I think is not that important. However, what the Bible teaches and what God thinks is. And He would have you to be saved and trust in Jesus. He offers salvation to you freely. Won't you consider the Lord Jesus as your Savior? He has said that all who come to Him He will in no wise cast out. That includes you.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

Moms: America Needs You!

A new website is being officially launched today and I must tell you about it. All moms and grandmoms (and those who love moms and grandmoms), please consider being involved. I encourage you to join and see what it's all about. The three moms who have been instrumental in getting this network off the ground have adopted for it (with some modification) the nine principles and twelve core values of Glenn Beck's 9/12 Project. I don't think any of you will have any problem with these principles and values. This is from the main page of the new site:

"Will you join us in renewing our minds, changing how we think about the role of motherhood, standing up for the God inspired principles of our nation and instructing our children as we were commanded in Deuteronomy 6:6-12? We have many groups, discussions, blogs, ministry to help you take back your family and your country so come on in and let the changes begin. "

I have already joined this network and like what I see thus far. Groups are being formed as I write (you could start one too if you wanted to) and those of us who were "head start" members are inviting folks. Hopefully,news about this will spread across the country and moms will have a place to be informed and edified, which hopefully will be beneficial for the future of America. And who can better deal with the future than mothers? I hope you all will want to be a part. You would better understand once you became a member and if you find (which I doubt) that you don't like it, there is a place where you can go to leave the network. And like all internet networks, becoming a member does not mean you have to do anything at all except read what's going on as your time allows. You can even control the number of emails you get, even to the point of getting none at all. But being a member means you can involve yourself when and if you want to.

I have begun sending out emails, and some of you who are my blog friends may get one. I hope you'll join up with me and other women who are already excited about this. In fact, I hope this spreads across our nation like a wildfire!!! It is SORELY needed. Who knows that moms may be the ones to turn things around!

Come sign up and look around: The 9/12 Mom's Network. When you are on board, look for me so we can be "friends." And oh, would you do me another favor and tell others? These ladies are not well known celebrities, but ordinary folks like you and me. So we need to have that old word of mouth communication about this, as it won't be told on the news.

By the way again, the above photo is of my older granddaughter when she was two. We took this for an edition of our SG newsletter which dealt with teaching patriotism to our children and I thought it an appropriate picture for this post. I hope my grandchildren will grow up to love their country, but I sure do hope their country is worthy of that love. Maybe, just maybe, we can have something to do with that.

UPDATE: I realize now that you can go to the site and see all the pages without being a member, so this is good. That will help you see for yourself what it's all about. You may find you aren't into the social networking thing, as some people aren't. And I want to emphasize again: Some people cannot be as involved as others, because I know I am limited with my time, but I do want to do what I can to help when and where I can. I especially hope this site will be helpful in emphasizing the need to teach our children good Christian values in a time when those values are so desperately needed.

O For a Closer Walk With God

O for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I saw the Lord?
Where is the soul refreshing view
Of Jesus and His Word?

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate’er that idol be
Help me to tear it from Thy throne,
And worship only Thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.

~ William Cowper

Phillies Pup

Sorry, I couldn't resist. You know how hard it is for me to resist posting cute doggies. And this one is a Phillies fan. I swiped this off of our local Fox webpage, where they have loads of neat photos of fans, including babies and pets. I think the red on the white is quite attractive, don't you? Not that I would ever do such a thing to our Frodo, but he is an all black cocker mix and I think the red on black would look even better. With the current climate in the country these days, thought I should mention that I'm not being racial or anything, folks...

Ahh, Fall

What an absolutely gorgeous day we're having in my area. You've heard me say it before and no doubt will hear me say it again: I love October. Neesie and I just got back from our daily walk and I said to her that for me, it's perfect fall weather. My husband thinks it's a bit "nippy," but that's the best part about the season, in my estimation. However, remember that you are listening to a person who intensely dislikes summer, with the heat and humidity, and BUGS! You know about my recent battles with fleas and mosquitoes, and I'm wishing for their soon to come demise. My poor doggy is still suffering from the effects of something. Even with the flea medication, he's scratching and biting himself terribly, so now I'm fearing he has some type of allergy. The vet had told me once that some dogs are allergic to flea bites and that they keep scratching long after the flea is gone. We're keeping our eye on him.

At any rate, I just wanted to mention some of the pleasant autumn things that filtered through my senses today: On my skin was the feel of the crisp, cool air; through my eyes was the sight of the oranges and reds displayed by the trees and squirrels, many of them babies, scurrying about gathering the many acorns all over the yards; through my ears came the sounds of the leaves crunching at our feet and the blue jays making their harsh noisy calls to each other; and there was the smell of the Swedish Apple Bake which I made early for breakfast, and best of all, the yummy taste of it which I enjoyed with my morning coffee. Apples--one of the best features of autumn!

It's hard to believe that the month is half over. I wish I could hold onto it and slow it down. Oh! And one of my favorite aspects of the month is the baseball playoffs. They are REALLY exciting this year. The Phillies and Yankees both made it through the first round and each team is about to face their respective opponents for the league championships. There is no way they can both win and end up facing each other in the World Series--right? Nooo, that can't happen! What would I do? Since the Phils are the current defending champs from last year, the odds are against a repeat. At least I think that's how it works. Oh well, whatever. We're having lots of fun and nervous breakdowns along the way!

Hope you're enjoying your fall days. How's the weather there right now where you are? I was reading on the Yankees website that before they left Minnesota on Monday it was snowing! And Saturday's Phillies/Rockies game was called Saturday because of cold and snow. Any friends in the South? How's it down there?

History/Government Quiz

Today, someone sent me an email entitled "History Quiz on Columbus Day," which quiz I took a little bit ago. I was somewhat surprised that I did a little better than I thought I would, but it was nothing to be proud of. Often people talk about how little our children know about U.S. history, but according to this email, 96% of high school seniors failed this, and 50% of people over fifty years old did too. The email said 23 out of 30 is considered passing. Oh dear. In that case, I think I failed. Those last ten questions are what did it. Go here and take the quiz--I think you'll enjoy it. Let me know how you make out! :-)

Ladybug Party!

A little girl doesn't realize it, but today is her first birthday, and to celebrate, she's having a BIG party--with a "ladybug" theme! Lots of folks will be there, some family and some friends. I wonder how she'll like it. It's been my experience that the guest of honor seldom appreciates his/her one year old party. We'll see!! I hope to take some pictures and if so, I'll let you see a few.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHANA! YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!XOXOXO from Nanna.

(She looks a little worried, doesn't she?)

*****UPDATE*****

Well, I kept my reputation of terrible picture taking. I hardly took a decent one at the party, but wanted to share at least one. The following is of one of her happier moments; the best part of the day was eating the cake and opening the presents. Here's one from the latter, but other than those two activities, she could have done without the day. But the rest of us all had a great time!

Bloggers: Support Our Troops

A blogger friend named Sandra just made a wonderful post drawing our attention to the troops who are all over the world serving our country and protecting our freedoms. She particularly emphasized those serving in Afghanistan. I strongly encourage you to go read this post entitled "You are Someone Special in my Life." In her post, Sandra is encouraging other bloggers to blog something about the troops, but more importantly, to pray for them. So that's what I'm doing here. Would you do the same? Would anyone who is reading this post and Sandra's also take a few minutes to show support on your blog of our men and women in the military who are putting their lives on the line for our country? Let's all join together in prayer! Let's pray that God would indeed be the power behind them.

Didn't your heart bleed, as mine did, when you heard the news of last weekend's loss of life in Afghanistan? One of them was a young man who lived in my state, in a county next door to mine. There were quite a few families across the country who got that dreaded visit this week when officers knocked on their doors. Aren't you a bit on pins and needles waiting to see what's going to happen with all the drama between the White House and the generals? What a time to pray for these soldiers and their families! Thank you, Sandra, for your timely reminder.

Drop of a Bucket

From my morning devotions:

Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing. Isaiah 40:15

All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. Isaiah 40:17

Now I encourage (dare) you to read the rest of the passage in Isaiah 40, from verse 12 on, and let God put all of us in our place. Just to be clear, the "he" and "him" in the verses are referring to the Lord God of this universe. You and I know (at least we should) that we are but a drop in the bucket in the vast scheme of things, over which He alone has absolute control. By the way, that would also include Iran, and China, and North Korea, and others big in the news. Oh, and by the way also, that would include America. Remind the folks in Washington of this, would you, though I doubt if they really comprehend it. Oh, and while you're at it, tell all of the elites in the mainstream media--even if they do call you a crazy.

Boy, was it ever refreshing to read that once again.

Iran, Iran

What a sad state of affairs. What a world. What a mess. And Iran. What to say about this country? The topic of the ongoing saga concerning the hidden nuke site has been given top attention on all the news stations and blogs, and rightfully so, of course. But there is something about Iran that does not get talked about much in Washington or in news reports. They persecute Christians there. They are one of many nations who will put someone in jail (or worse) simply because that person believes in Jesus. I just got an email from VOM about two women who are being held in jail in Tehran for that very reason. Two women who refuse to renounce their faith. Oh, the courage of so many believers who live in these restricted nations. As you enjoy your Lord's Day in your churches today (it's just after midnight here), remember these two precious ladies and the many others like them all over this world. As you pray for the situation in Iran, don't just pray about the nuclear weapons; please pray also for the brave ones being persecuted. Remember their bonds.

A Pause to Celebrate

Please won't you indulge me a minute while I celebrate the Phillies' winning the National League East title. Off to the playoffs we go. Have a few concerns as to how we'll make out there, but for now we're celebrating this big step. Above is the Philly Phanatic, our mascot. He's doing a dance with us. GO PHILLIES!