Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Make a joyful noise unto the  Lord , all ye lands. Serve the  Lord  with gladness: come  before his presence with singing. Know ye that the  Lord  he is God: it is  he  that hath made us, and not we  ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the  Lord  is good; his mercy is  everlasting; and his truth endureth to  all generations. Psalm 100

  I waited patiently for the  Lord ; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the  Lord . ~Psalm 40:1-3

I love the  Lord , because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2   KJV

Revive us Again was one of the first hymns I learned, possibly because we only went to church during revival meetings and it was always sung. It is still one of my favorites. William MacKay was born in 1839 in Scotland. He trained and worked as a doctor, but left that profession to become a minister. In 1863, he penned Revive us Again . We praise Thee, O God! For the Son of Thy love, For Jesus Who died, And is now gone above. Refrain Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again. We praise Thee, O God! For Thy Spirit of light, Who hath shown us our Savior, And scattered our night. Refrain All glory and praise To the Lamb that was slain, Who hath borne all our sins, And hath cleansed every stain. Refrain All glory and praise To the God of all grace, Who hast brought us, and sought us, And guided our ways. Refrain Revive us again; Fill each heart with Thy love; May each soul be rekindled With fire fr...

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the  Lord  is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. Psalm 100:4-5   KJV

Did Mary know? Surely her back was aching as she rode the donkey; maybe caused by travel weariness, maybe the first contractions, faint at the beginning. For months she had known she was the chosen one. She had felt and watched the baby grow inside her. Surely her young skin was riddled with stretch marks, her feet swollen. As she continued mile after mile, did she wonder if there would be a resting place for her tonight, if there would be a place of welcome? Did she know that this was the last day; the last day the Savior, our blessed Jesus, would reside in her womb? Did she know that by tomorrow, she would be different, the world would be different, all time and eternity would be different? Could her heart and mind comprehend spiritual things so glorious? For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton 226. New friends 227. A car with everything working 228. Grandchildren wondering about gifts under the tree 229. The way the smell of oranges triggers Christmas memories 230. Rest for the weary 231. Hub bringing me coffee in bed 232. Apple cider 233. Laughing 234. Making new Christmas traditions 235. Remembering old Christmas traditions 236. Mountain music 237. Glasses 238. Handmade baskets 239. Pipes that never freeze 240. Goals met 241. New goals set 242. The beauty of silence 243. Caramel apples 244. Christmas mugs 245. Wrinkles with wisdom 246. Warm shelter 247. Flannel pajamas 248. Kitchen makeovers 249. Christmas cookies 250. Promises set in stone When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace tha...

We are never alone. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.” Isaiah 43:2-3 The Word is full of promises that we will never be left alone. Promises hard to remember when the night is long and friends can't be found. Promises we must remember with spiritual hearts. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you. Joshua 1:5 It is impossible to foolishly choose to be alone, to run away from everything that hurts. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10 Thank you, Father, for hugging us with loving arms when the world is heavy and we can't find our way.

We wait in lines, at work, at school, in traffic. Always waiting, our vaporous time on this earth dictated by clocks, buzzers, lights, ringing. Life around us constantly flowing, everyone about their business, everyone running and waiting. Isaiah waited for a Savior while preaching of His majesty, His healing. David waited as he sang psalms and adored the one he had not seen with fleshly eyes. They knew the promise. The Messiah was coming. We celebrate the Advent, this season of anticipation, and we imagine that we are tending sheep in cold silence, wondering about the star in the east, wondering when this promise will walk among us. The Word, which always was, took on flesh, flesh that laughed and cried, flesh that needed food and water, flesh that felt cold and heat. Flesh that awoke, worked, rested, slept. Flesh that walked among us. Divine flesh that died for our redemption. Two thousand years later, we wait. We know the promise. The Messiah is coming...

Celebrate this cold Saturday by enjoying your old homemade ornaments, or making some new ones. Bits of glue, cloth, string, and paper joined together to brighten your Christmas tree and your heart. Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6

Born to missionary parents living in China, Eric Liddell was sent to school in England at age six. At school, he excelled in all sports, and became known as the "fastest runner in Scotland." He attended the University of Edinburgh, with his brother Rob, in 1921. Again, he excelled at running and other sports. His numerous awards sent him to 1924 Olympics held in Paris. Liddell was a committed Christian. The 100 meters race, his best event, was being run on Sunday, the day he worshipped, and he refused to run. He felt he had no choice but to withdraw from that competition. Liddell had seen the schedule months earlier, and began training for the 400 meter race. Eric Liddell ran the 400 meter race with a slip of paper in his hand that read, "Those who honor me I will honor. 1 Samuel 2:30". He not only won the race, but broke the existing world record for that event. Eric Henry Liddell ran for God. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your he...

Golden roots. Stored energy from vines that tumble off their hills, form mats of green over clay. Sustainer of life for countless generations of people. Eaten raw for mega-doses of beta-carotine. Baked on coals from winter's fireplace for a bedtime snack. Fried to golden nuggets in sugar-laced fat. Bushels that turn into new shoes and Christmas presents. A lowly tuber that has its own day in many US towns. Talking about a vegetable so freaking good it can be made into a pie! Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. Genesis 1:11

Your actions are shouting so loud, I can’t hear what you’re saying. This poster hangs on my classroom wall. The words leap off to the young teachers who come to this place, training to change the world. They study weather, space, the oceans, rocks. They study authority, truthfulness, fairness. Always absorbing, always imitating. WE.ARE.ALL.TEACHERS! For good or bad, a teacher's influence never ends. We have to be diligent, strong. We have to remember. Omnipresent eyes are on us. Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see, Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see, For the Father up above, Is looking down in love, So be careful little eyes what you see. A civilized, moral society is structured by rules, boundaries. There is a time to say no, a time to set limits, if we love enough. Everything is not okay. Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Psalm 128:1-2

Gratitude for blessings I probably don't deserve: 51. God's artistry in an autumn sky 52. Driving through the countryside 53. Old friends 54. Hands that make music 55. People who can be depended on. 56. Snuggling against Hub's warm back. 57. Gates 58. My good pastor 59. Healing 60. Good memories that make me laugh 61. Good memories that make me cry 62. Good memories that teach, convict 63. Making cinnamon rolls 64. The way my house smells when I bake 65. Seeing beauty in unexpected places 66. Getting letters 67. The continuity of life 68. Family traditions 69. People who continue to work after its okay to stop 70. Acorns 71. The invention of the printing press 72. Martin Luther 73. Parking places 74. Jo Ann 75. Symmetry Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? Psalm 71:19

W e waited as the darkness of winter relented. We waited longing for leaves, for warm nights sleeping with the window open, insect songs and the smell of honeysuckle. We cleaned debris from the deck, envisioning friends in lounge chairs, sipping iced tea. We cleaned perennial beds, searching for green. We stacked the leftover firewood, winter's detritus in a dustpan swept up like the icy wind. Summer was born, a painful birth with pangs of thunder. When summer was new, we went for walks, caught fireflies, cranked up the grill. As she grew, with heat and humidity, we ran to hide in air-conditioned rooms, and we forgot. Then, while we weren't looking, summer leaked through our lives like water through our hands. Now its dead, ended, not a trace remaining. The block party, the week-end trips, Saturday afternoon cook-outs. Horseshoe games in the backyard, building a water fountain, transplanting vines. All the things we meant to do that are not going to happen this year. God grant...

The Gratitude Community is a reminder to be forever thankful. The site will link you to others who are sharing their lists. This week, I am especially thankful for: 26. Good coffee beans 27. Candles 28. Sleeping on sheets that smell like October 29. Fall weekends 30. Hearing 31. Crock pots 32. The smell of supper greeting me at the door after work 33. Order 34. Blank paper 35. Surprises in the mailbox 36. Leather shoes 37. Young voices calling to say goodnight 38. Sherlock 39. Yellow leaves on the deck 40. Things that stay the same 41. Things that change 42. Airplanes 43. Huckleberry bushes 44. Sweet students 45. Charlotte 46. Storm doors that let the light in 47. Hymns 48. Wildflowers 49. Buzzards 50. A bountiful crop of peppers Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8

Celebrate today with Brugmansia arborea . This Angel Trumpet grows in the back yard, a beautiful toxic plant that struts her stuff in autumn. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Matthew 6: 28-29

Just because you have seen something doesn't mean you understand it. Maria blows the stars around, and sends the clouds a'flying. Maria makes the mountains sound like folks were up there dying . From the Paint Your Wagon soundtrack; They call the Wind Maria . The wind is blowing tonight, blustery at times as a cold front pushes in. It rushes past my bedroom window, and I wonder where its going, where its been. Did this gust that scatters yellow over the deck begin small, a whisper that soothed another? It may have been born much colder, growing gentle as it mingled with warm counterparts that had spent the day racing over the Gulf, giving rides to sea gulls, sprinkling sand on tanned bodies. The soft wind that gently supports the wings of a butterfly in Africa can travel across the Atlantic, feeding as it goes, then push ocean waters over entire cities, entire communities, entire lives, before it loses its energy. The same wind that is harnessed for electricity can be the refre...

It was a big gamble. In 1902, debt-ridden Alexander Kerr borrowed money to buy a patent on a glass vacuum jar that could be sealed at home. A San Francisco glass works company believed his dream, and four years later, the business was thriving. When the 1906 earthquake devastated most of San Francisco, Kerr was informed that his factory, in the heart of the conflagration,had undoubtedly been destroyed. When the fires died, the Kerr factory was found intact within the smoldering ashes, not one glass jar broken. The two-piece canning lid, invented in the Kerr kitchen in 1915, increased their business explosively. It is still being used today. When Alexander died in 1925, Ruth took over, managing the successful company in comfortable shoes and the Bible on her desk. The Kerr's business motto: Every time Kerr makes a dollar, God gets a dime . It works. "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the Lord Almight...

Its in the news. Astronomers excited about seeing for the first time many earth-like planets in the solar system. Twenty-first century technology allowing a peep into the heavens; images that Galileo and Copernicus couldn't fathom. An Austrian astronomer recently estimated the number of stars to be approximately 70 sextillion. 70,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. More than the grains of sand on Planet Earth. They have been there since the fourth day. They have been in their place, waiting, serving their purpose. Twinkle, twinkle little star. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1