Birthday Blessings!

God's Word says:  "Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward.  Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them."  They say your quiver is full if you have five arrows in it!  Well, I have just one "female" arrow in my quiver, but she has brought much joy and blessing to the family and others, as well--- and, of course, she was always "daddy's girl"!!

May God's sweet presence be especially near you today, Sissy, as you celebrate another birthday, and may you determine anew to live your life in the light of His Word, always digging deeper and climbing higher in your journey toward heaven and home!

I think it is probably impossible to adequately define a Mother's love.  It seems it must be implanted in a Mother's heart by our Heavenly Father.  So---

     "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." 

PSALM 19

I like to choose a verse or portion of scripture at the beginning of the year which is sort of like an anchoring spot which I can come back to often.  This year I have chosen Psalm 19:

"The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth His handywork.
 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.
 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.  In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun.
 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and His circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.
 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
 The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
 Who can understand his errors?  cleanse Thou me from secret faults.
 Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer."
      Verses 7-9 are such wonderful verses where the Psalmist speaks of the LAW of the Lord, the TESTIMONY of the Lord, the STATUES of the Lord, the COMMANDMENT of the Lord, the FEAR of the Lord and the JUDGMENTS of the Lord.
      I also love the beautiful prayer in the last three verses--12-14--especially the last verse.  I want not only my words, but the meditation of my heart to be acceptable in God's sight who is my strength and my redeemer!

As you begin another week, I trust that this Psalm will minister to your heart and draw you ever closer to our wonderful Lord!     
 

Happy Birthday!

Granddaughter No. 3 is celebrating her 17th Birthday today!!  And it is always a time of joy and blessing to celebrate the grandchildren's birthdays whether they are 7, 17 or 27!! 
I am very blessed to have 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren  - they are all unique and very special to me!  We have lots of happy times when we all get together!

I have carried this little quote in my Bible for a long time, and it is the longing of my heart for my sweet grandchildren today!
        "Dear Lord, make my children (and grandchildren) uncomfortable with sin.  Help them to know the beauty and simplicity of walking with a sweet and humble spirit in obedience and submission to You"!!

HAPPY 17th, BROOKE!  I love you, and am counting on you to remember that your outward beauty will fade with age, but your inward beauty can increase more and more as you walk with Jesus and obey His sweet will for your life!

Gold - Jasper - Pearls

I arrived home a few hours ago after attending the home-going service of a sweet friend.  It is a dreary day -- not the kind of day you like for a funeral service.  It is cold and damp -- snowy and slick in some spots -- but in spite of the weather, the people came in large numbers because they had loved Patsy.  She had a gift of knowing how to make everyone feel that they were her "sweet friend".

In my mind, I picture her now in the "Pearly White City" making new friends -- maybe Queen Esther or Mary and Martha -- and probably she would want to stop and admonish us again to pay all the price -- whatever it costs -- to make it to the beautiful City of God!

      "There's a holy and beautiful city, whose Builder and Ruler is God;
John saw it descending from heaven, when Patmos in exile he trod.
       Its high, massive wall is of jasper; the city itself is pure gold.
And when my frail tent here is folded, mine eyes shall its glory behold.

      No sin is allowed in that city, and nothing defiling nor mean;
No pain and no sickness shall enter; no crepe in that city is seen.
      Earth's sorrows and cares are forgotten; no tempter is there to annoy;
No parting words ever are spoken; there's nothing to hurt and destroy.

      No heart-aches are known in that city: no tears ever moisten the eye --
There's no disappointment in heaven--no envy and strife in the sky.
      The saints are all sanctified wholly; they live in sweet harmony there.
My heart now is set on that city, and someday its blessings I'll share.

      My loved ones are gathering yonder; my friends are fast passing away --
And soon I may join their bright number, and dwell in eternity's day.
      They're safe now in glory with Jesus--their trials and battles are past:
They overcame sin and the tempter; they've reached that fair city at last.

      In that bright city  --  pearly white city.
I have a mansion, a harp, and a crown.
      Now I am watching, waiting, and longing
For the white city John saw coming down!"  

Perfect Peace

In two of my recent Blogs, I posted New Year hymns by Frances Ridley Havergal.  According to an article by Mrs. Louis Bouck, she was saved when she was fifteen years old.  About 22 years later, she had another wonderful experience which she tells about in her own words:

     "It was on Advent Sunday, December 2, l873, I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration.  I saw it as a flash of electric light, and what you See you can never Unsee.  There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness.  God admits you by the one into the other."

I think it is so wonderful that God knows each of us intimately, and if we will walk in the light He will be faithful to lead us to that blessed place of full surrender to the perfect will of God eternally!  I am so very thankful that it is still for us all today!!

I looked in a hymnal I have and there were three songs by Frances Havergal.  The one I want to post today is entitled, "Like A River Glorious".  The words are so beautiful, and she wrote it one year after she was sanctified wholly.

     "Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace;
Over all victorious in its bright increase.
      Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day;
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.

      Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand--
Never foe can follow -- never traitor stand.
      Not a surge of worry -- not a shade of care --
Not a blast of hurry - touch the Spirit there.

      Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love.
      We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

      Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest --
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest."

Glory, Fullness and Grace

Last week I posted a song for the New Year by Frances Ridley Havergal.  She actually wrote two New Year's hymns that have been a great blessing to many.  I trust that the following hymn will encourage you to keep digging deeper and climbing higher as we journey toward our heavenly home!

     "From glory unto glory!  be this our joyous song;
As on the King's own highway, we bravely march along.
      From glory unto glory!  O word of stirring cheer,
As dawns the solemn brightness of another glad New Year.

      The fullness of His blessing encompasseth our way;
The fullness of His promises crowns every brightening day.
      The fullness of His glory is beaming from above,
While more and more we learn to know the fullness of His love.

      And closer yet and closer the golden bonds shall be,
Uniting all who love our Lord in pure sincerity.
      And wider yet and wider shall the circling glory glow,
As more and more are taught of God that mighty love to know.

      Oh, let our adoration for all that He hath done,
Peal out beyond the stars of God, while voice and life are one;
      And let our consecration be real, and deep, and true:
Oh, even now our hearts shall bow, and joyful vows renew.

      Now onward, ever onward, from strength to strength we go,
While grace from grace abundantly shall from His fullness flow,
      To glory's full fruition, from glory's foretaste here,
Until His very presence crown our happiest New Year."

I especially love the lovely words in the fourth stanza -- may our adoration peal out beyond the stars of God, and may our consecration be real and deep and true!  Worthy is our King, so may we adore Him and give Him everything!!  

The Battle is the Lord's!!

I Samuel 17:47 says:  "And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands."  I love these words of David -- not King David -- but young David, the shepherd boy, as he faced the mighty Philistine giant, Goliath!  David didn't have any armor--no spear--no shield -- but he had a little sling and five smooth stones.  Most important of all, He had God (praise the Lord), and he was not afraid to confront this nine foot champion of the pagan army in the name of the true God, and soon the giant lay dead with his face to the ground!

In the early days of this new year, let us be careful to remember that the battle must always be the Lord's!  Spiritual battles are not won by any human means.  Psalm 20:7 says:  "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."  In Psalm 33, we read these wonderful words:  Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy."

Sometimes we have a tendency to rely on human abilities and devices, but these will fail, for we must remember that the battle is the Lord's!  He is our strength!
 
Have you enlisted in the Army of the Lord?  What is that in thine hand?  Do you have a little sling you can use for Jesus?  Let us "get in the battle for the Lord and right, and keep on the firing line"!   

ANOTHER YEAR!

Frances Ridley Havergal was born in Worcestershire, England on December 14, 1836.  She has been called Britain's Fanny Crosby, and her wonderful hymns have richly blessed and ministered to many of God's children.  The following beautiful words are a New Year's hymn she wrote in 1874.

     "Another year is dawning!  Dear Father, let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with Thee.
      Another year of leaning upon Thy loving breast;
Another year of trusting--of quiet, happy rest.

      Another year of mercies; of faithfulness and grace --
Another year of gladness in the shining of Thy face.
      Another year of progress--another year of praise;
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

      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!"

      What beautiful words!!  I especially love the words of this lovely last stanza!  Let us take time to absorb them, and determine in the early days of this New Year -- whatever it may bring -- we will live it in "The Fullness of God's Blessing"!

Praise the Lord!

I love the 50th Psalm.  Verses 7-15 are wonderful verses, but this morning let's look at the last verse:
     "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God."
Probably one of the best spiritual vitamins we can take in the morning is one of praising our wonderful Lord!
The apostle Paul said in I Corinthians -- "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do  all to the glory of God."
What a wonderful challenge!!  Every aspect of our lives should be ordered as to glorify God in whatever we say and do!

I Thessalonians 5:18 says:  "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  We are not necessarily thankful for everything that happens, but we can find things to be thankful for in every situation.  Last night in my hurry to leave for church, I somehow fell and landed on my side where I have a hip replacement.  I wasn't really blessed about falling, but I have thanked the Lord many times that my hip seems to be fine, and though my eye is very black and swollen--I was very thankful, also, that I did not break my glasses which I have to have to be able to read.
So as we begin this New Year, let us determine that we will let praise and thanksgiving pour from our hearts and lips!  The Psalmist said again:  "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."
Let us take time to often "Count our many blessings and see what God hath done"!!   

  

Let Us Kneel

In the 95th Psalm, we read:  "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.  For He is our God: and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand."
What a sweet scripture, and what a blessed privilege to Come -- to Worship -- to Bow Down -- to Kneel before the God who made us!

In a little devotional I was reading, these words spoke to my heart:  "There's something about the kneeling posture that bends us.  It makes us more pliable and able to hear."
As I begin this New Year, I want my posture before God to be a bent one!

     "Oh, the beautiful garden, the garden of prayer!
Oh, the beautiful garden of prayer! 
      There my Saviour awaits, and He opens the gates
To the beautiful garden of prayer."

The Greatest Gift!

I received so many special, wonderful, sweet and beautiful gifts this Christmas, and the reason they were all so very special, wonderful, sweet and beautiful is because they were given with love!
It makes me think of our Heavenly Father who gave the greatest Gift ever given -- "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."

As we begin this New Year, we have many, many blessings to be thankful for.  It reminds me of the beautiful scripture in Psalm 68:19 -- "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits."
But there is another verse in II Corinthians 9:15 that seems to indicate  there is one blessing so great that it cannot even be put into words -- the apostle Paul tells us it is "unspeakable" or indescribable!!  "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift." This unspeakable gift is the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour.

To think that the mighty Creator, God the Son, would take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, suffer the unimaginable agony of the Cross and separation from God the Father in order to deliver us from the penalty of sin speaks of such wondrous love and grace that it is beyond my ability to fully comprehend and grasp.

I want my prayer and desire for this New Year to be:
      "Take me -- use me as Thou wilt, dear Saviour!
               Thine, Lord -- only Thine!"  

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

My home is quiet this afternoon.  It has rung with laughter and happy times throughout the past week as I was blessed to have all the family here over Christmas!  But Jonathan and family headed back to Kansas City about four hours ago, and I am left with many wonderful memories!

I am greatly enjoying looking back over the week and thinking about all the "spoiling" I got throughout each day from the children and sweet grandchildren!!  I am a very blessed Mom and Grammy!

But as I am enjoying recounting all the pleasant memories, I am reminded of these words in the 3rd chapter of Philippians:  ". . .this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

So as we begin this New Year of 2018, let us make sure our hand is in God's hand -- ready to follow where He leads and pasture where He feeds!  And don't forget these wonderful words:

     "Fear not; I am with thee.  Oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, I will still give thee aid.
      I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My gracious, omnipotent hand."