This robin is building a nest.

Every time I open the door,

it flies to the branches of this nearby tree...

reminding me of MY "branch"...

There is a place of quiet rest,

Near to the heart of God;

A place where sin cannot molest,

Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of comfort sweet,

Near to the heart of God;

A place where we our Savior meet,

Near to the heart of God.

There is a place of full release,

Neart to the heart of God;

A place where all is joy and peace

Near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blest Redeemer,

Sent from the heart of God;

Hold us, who wait before Thee,

Near to the heart of God.

(Cleland B. McAfee)

I Still Can--#5

#5

I still can sing!

Well, sing along anyway...

So thankful for a heritage of music.

And I still can read (#6)!

Where would I be without books?

I Still Can....

Several weeks ago, while retreating in the beautiful hills of Kentucky, 

I memorized these lyrics.

Getting the stanzas in proper order was the hardest part.

Today I begin work on

"May Jesus Christ Be Praised".

I still can memorize!

Sheep May Safely Graze

 I know.

I've turned quite rural on you!

Pastoral, even...

Definition:  adj.(especially of land or a farm) 
used for or related to the keeping or grazing of sheep or cattle.

"scattered pastoral farms"

 Even in music I enjoy "Sheep May Safely Graze" (Bach)

when playing weekly duets with Donna

and "The 23rd Psalm" on my ukulele.

 Actually, we DO have a few fields of sheep around our small town,

but they are quite a ways off the road which makes it difficult

to get a good photo.

Meanwhile...

Sheep may safely graze and pasture

Where a shepherd guards them well

So the nation ruled in wisdom

Knows and shares the many blessings

Which both peace and plenty brings.

I "Do" Music

I "do" music....

I enjoy writing simple music - often both words and tunes.

Recently I set a poem a friend wrote to music.  I was pleased to hear it sung 

by our Sunday School class last Sunday

Most Mondays, a friend and I meet and play piano duets

on her grand piano.

In addition to enjoying each other's company,

this has helped keep my piano playing skills sharpened.

 I've also enjoying brushing up my ukulele skills 

on an instrument recently purchased.

I take it along occasionally when I visit shut-ins with my husband.

It's another way I "do" music...

I'm thankful for ALL the music in my life,

seeds of which were planted in me -- 

at least from birth (and maybe before).

"speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord"  Ephesians 5:19

Under Construction

Very MUCH under construction!

(Well, for us at least...)

I expect to emerge out from "under" soon.

Meanwhile, I'm so aware of construction zones
(along with messes, dust, and and a bit of chaos thrown in)

in  many areas of my life - outer AND inner.

I'm thankful for the General Contractor

who has the big picture in mind.

I trust Him.

♪  He's still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took him just a week to make the moon and stars
The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars
How loving and patient He must be
'Cause He's still working on me ♪
(Words as I remember them....)

Rainbow

Today started OUT with a rainbows!

We saw the first one in front of our house as we got into our car.

We were leaving the house soon after dawn to complete a trail walk

before my husband needed to be at his part-time job.

 It was drizzling when we arrived, and we looked with wonder at the rainbow 

that arched over the pathway into the nature preserve. 

 We started out bravely, 

but didn't go too far until my husband decided to return to the car

to fetch an umbrella - "just in case". 

I waited for him under a tree.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw him return to me under the umbrella.

Before long, he folded it and used it as a walking stick.

Later, reflecting on the beauty we shared

and seeing many friends post photos of rainbows today from all over the nation

(Ohio, South Carolina, New Mexico, etc.)

I got thinking about "our" rainbow and my fellow and thought of an old song

I hadn't thought about for YEARS!

  ♪ Look, look, look to the rainbow.
Follow it over the hill and stream.
Look, look, look to the rainbow.
Follow the fellow who follows a dream.
Follow the fellow;  follow the fellow;
Follow the fellow who follows a dream. ♪

 Thanking God this evening for His rainbows and for my fellow...

Work, for the Night is Coming

My hour's drive home from Ohio last night was full of harvest scenes.

Corn and bean fields.

Combines, reapers, tractors and trucks.

As I rounded one corner, the sight above captured my attention.

As I transferred the photo from phone to computer screen,

the words of an old gospel song came to my mind and instructed me.

 

(1) Work, for the night is coming,

Work through the morning hours;

Work while the dew is sparkling,

Work 'mid springing flowers;

Work when the day grows brighter,

Work in the glowing sun;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man's work is done.

(2) Work, for the night is coming,

Work through the sunny noon;

Fill brightest hours with labor,

Rest comes sure and soon.

Give every flying minute,

Something to keep in store;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man works no more.

(3) Work, for the night is coming,

Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing,

Work, for daylight flies.

Work till the last beam fadeth,

Fadeth to shine no more;

Work, while the night is darkening,

When man's work is o'er.

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. 

The night is coming, and then no one can work.  John 9:4, Words of our Lord Jesus

The Countdown

Floors vacuumed, furniture dusted.

Pot of soup made and frozen into smaller portions.

Bed carried downstairs.

Suitcase packed

After our outdoor worship service and picnic this morning,

my husband and I will drive to Ohio.

We'll stay overnight at my father's place - it is near the hospital

where I'll have knee replacement surgery on Tuesday.

Doctor appointments tomorrow along with some blood typing.

By Thursday night, I expect to be back home in this bed!

This print of a painting I "found" many months ago in a thrift store

is near and dear to my heart.

"Here in our weakness you find us,

falling before Your throne.....oh, we're falling before Your throne."

(From "Wonderful, Merciful Savior")

Courageous

 "Courage is grace under pressure."  (Ernest Hemingway)

These two were the Essence of Courage this week.

I was blessed to be a witness.

They LIVE courage.  Not only when observed by others,

but quietly in the day-to-day challenges of their lives together.
This (grace), I know, is their secret....

♫He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength as our labors increase;

To added afflictions He addeth His mercy,

To multiplied trials He multiplies peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance,

When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,

When we reach the end of our hoarded resources

Our Father’s full giving is only begun.

Fear not that thy need shall exceed His provision,

Our God ever yearns His resources to share;

Lean hard on the arm everlasting, availing;

The Father both thee and thy load will upbear.

His love has no limits, His grace has no measure,

His power no boundary known unto men;

For out of His infinite riches in Jesus

He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.♫

(Annie J. Flint)

I love you, Dad and Mother.

Update:  My mother is back at home.  They will probably not be
very happy that I've gone public with their experience...
but I decided it was worth sharing.

Generations

This sight got me to thinking this morning

as I strolled around our yard looking at the beauty....

thinking about generations.  

The fading roses in the background feel increasingly familiar to me.

I see in them a bit of myself hanging on with determination.

I can identify with them hovering a slight distance from the full, beautiful bunch 

of more vibrant ones.

I remember the psalmist's urging:

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
    let them proclaim your power. ( Psalm 145:4.)

Before (and as) the petals darken, dry up and fall

I will proclaim my Father's power and faithfulness;

His goodness and love...

to our children -- and theirs.

Youngest of our 11 grandchildren

♪ Oh Lord, You have been good
You have been faithful to all generations
Oh Lord, Your steadfast love
and tender mercy have been our salvation
For by Your hand we have been fed
And by Your Spirit we have been led
Oh Lord, Almighty God
Father Unchanging, Upright and Holy
Oh Lord, You have been good
You have been good
You have been faithful, You have been good ♪

Wise Up

It's an OLD song (revived a few years ago by the Promise Keeper movement, I think).  Once I get past the "men" and "brotherhood" language, it speaks to me, too.  As with much biblical language, I think the intent is meant to be inclusive and universal.  This morning, a John Wayne quote on Twitter was what reminded me of this song.  "Life's hard.  It's even harder when you're stupid", he is said to have said...

So, why did that remind me of this song?  Well, sometimes I sing the song THIS way:  "Wise up, O men of God!"  Here it is in its entirety.

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.

Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong.

Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequal to her task;
Rise up and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.  (Ephesians 5:15-17)

 

The Greatest Love

 While putting away "Christmas", 

 I stumbled upon traces of the NEXT holiday--

Valentine's Day tins...

...reminding me...

of the Greatest Love!

O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

Singing and Making Melody

 Music is an important part of my life.  

Recently I found these books of piano solos at a thrift store.  

I enjoyed the arrangements themselves as well as the memories of

 Gloria Roe  and Don Wyrtzen that I associate with them...

 I did a little bit of song writing myself last week!

 I put the words of Proverbs 19:23 to a simple tune.

 (I fill in the bass as I play it and may write those notes in at a later date...)

"The fear of the Lord leads to life.  Then one rests content, untouched by trouble"  Proverbs 19:23.

To me, "fearing the Lord" means trusting and obeying Him with abandon.

THAT leads to life.  That results in contentment and peace - being unruffled by trouble.

I used to put many verses to music as an aid to memorization when I coached a teens'

Bible quiz team.  The words & tunes come back to me frequently,  

I think I shall set a goal of putting a tune to a verse every week

with the hope of memorizing some new Bible verses in 2013.

Wow!  That would be 52 verses!

Sing Like Never Before.....

My small but mighty keyboard surprises me with its options!

After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to SING to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying, "Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever."  As they began to SING and PRAISE, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mout Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.  2 Cnronicles 20:21-22

I was SO encouraged by the devotional thought my husband and I read together 

this morning from More Precious than Silver by Joni EarecksonTada!

Our faithful piano (definitely deserves a tuning)

She concluded, "If you're fighting darkness or engaged in a spiritual conflict, if the Enemy is  poised and ready to attack, the best defense is to sing.  It's a way of resisting the Devil.  Singing is also the best offense.  Songs of praise will confuse the Enemy and send the Devil's hoards hightailing.  So pick a hymn, any hymn.  Choose a Scripture chorus.  Or make up your own melody to a favorite portion of Scripture.  Victory over the Enemy can be yours for a song."

This past week, all my siblings and mother and father were privileged to be together. 

A good part of the evening was spent around the piano...singing songs of faith.  

My heart is full.  My hope is strong.
Though concerned ("horrified" is a better word)
by the political climate and state of my beloved country,
I WILL sing like never before--whatever may pass and whatever lies before me!

"The sun comes up
It's a new day dawning
It's time to sing your song again
Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes
Bless the lord oh my soul
Oh my soul
Worship his holy name
Sing like never before
Oh my soul
I worship your holy name"

(From 10,000 Reasons)

Come Closer

I woke up rather abruptly at 2:50 this morning.   Two words were strongly present in my mind.  No voice.  Nothing visual.  Just a strong impression as real as if they HAD been spoken.  "Come closer."

"Come closer."  I tried to connect them.  Maybe with a dream I'd been experiencing?  Nothing.  Just  "Come closer."  I didn't go back to sleep right away -- thinking about how the closer one gets to an object, the more details become visible.  Was God inviting me to discover more about Himself?  Could He just be inviting me "closer" because He is interested in my company? I fell back to sleep wondering....

I woke and went about my morning plans...meeting with Bean for coffee and then to Donna's to make some salsa.  What a good time I had being with these special women!

And now I'm home.  The invitation remains clear and persistent.  "Come closer."  And with them, three songs.

1. Thou my everlasting portion, 
 more than friend or life to me, 
 all along my pilgrim journey, 
 Savior, let me walk with thee.

2. Not for ease or worldly pleasure, 
 nor for fame my prayer shall be; 
 gladly will I toil and suffer, 
 only let me walk with thee.

 Close to thee, close to thee, 
 close to thee, close to thee, 
 all along my pilgrim journey, 
 Savior, let me walk with thee.

1.   I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to Thee.

2.  Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

By the power of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

And my will be lost in Thine.

3.  O the pure delight of a single hour

That before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God

I commune as friend with friend!

 Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me,
Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee.

Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!

I'm thankful for some quiet hours this afternoon.   Hours to "Come closer".  I'm not sure what He has planned for me, but I'm expecting something unique and personal--the "pure delight of a single hour to spend before His throne....communing as friend with friend"!

Flowers - scenes from our flower beds

Now I Belong to Jesus!

 I have a stack of magazines beside the "throne" in our "reading room"

Seems that the top one has been there for quite a while...

and I always stop at THIS page.

The quote ministers to me EVERY time I read it! Of course, if you've visited me for any amount of time, you won't be surprised to know that I substitute "person" for "place" and marvel about what Jesus has done for me! While Ms. Didion was referring to a house, I think about how Jesus has claimed me, continues to wrench me from myself, shapes me, renders me, and loves me radically!

And ONE day, "...we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."

(I John 3:2).  Doesn't it just give you GOOSE BUMPS!?!

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;
Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.
(Another of my favorite gospel songs, "Now I Belong to Jesus")

I Go to the Rock

Where do I go when there's nobody to turn to?

Who do I talk to when no one wants to listen?
Who do I lean on when there's no foundation stable?

I go to the Rock--

I know he is able--I go to the Rock.

stuff

This morning I thought I needed to "go" somewhere.

My heart was calling me to a little "retail therapy."

(Well, not retail exactly--but thrift store therapy anyway...)

Then I remembered I still had this stuff in the back seat of my car

from a trip to My Favorite Thrift Store over a week ago!

Obviously, the thrift store is not the place to turn to

when the heart is restless.

Then I remembered this song!

I'm going to The Rock instead.

more stuff

Where do I go when the storms of life are threatening?

Who do I turn to when those winds of sorrow blow?
And is there a refuge in the time of tribulation?

I go to to the Rock--

I know he is able--I go to the Rock.

Chorus
I go to The Rock for my salvation
I go to the Stone that the builders rejected
I run to the Mountain and the Mountain stands by me
When the earth all around me is sinking sand
On Christ, the solid Rock I stand
When I need a shelter, when I need a friend
I go to The Rock.
(Dottie Rambo wrote this WONDERFUL song!)

 "Turn my eyes from worthless things,and give me life through your Word" Psalm 119:37 NLT