Sunday, February 20, 2011

I'M SO GRATEFUL TO YOU LORD!



PLEASE PAUSE MY MUSIC SO YOU CAN WORSHIP ALONG WITH BROTHER HEZEKIAH:)

Saturday, February 19, 2011

SERENITY

The Dictionary's meaning of serenity is:  a disposition free from stress or emotion [syn: repose, quiet, placidity, tranquillity, tranquility
the absence of mental stress or anxiety:
You know the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words!  (Hubby will probably get me for this one!
 
We'd had a long day of "picking"!  What I mean is, going to yard sales, Goodwill stores, grocery shopping and just enjoying the beautiful sunshiny day.  The precious man above will turn 63 tomorrow.  All he wants for his birthday is crab legs........so crab legs he shall have!  lol  This is the man I've been married to for 37 years and love him dearly:)
 
TO MY SWEET, LAID BACK, STRESS-                                                                                       FREE, TRANQUIL, SERENE HUSBAND

What Can Wash Away My Sins? Nothing But the BLOOD OF JESUS!

I enjoy the old hymns now more than ever.  Having served as an accompanist in various churches throughout my life, I'm quite familiar with the hymns; but not until the last few years have I truly learned to WORSHIP with the words of the hymns.  The one drawback (if there is one), of being brought up in a Christian home and being taken to church every time the doors were opened, is becoming "accustomed" to the form of worship, or becoming "accustomed" and possibly taking for granted the words of some of these old hymns, or even God's Word! 
If you've never served as a worship leader in the church, it can be a truly wonderful and awesome thing, but also very monotenous if you're not very careful.  It became very evident to me that God was "calling" me into the music ministry when I was in High School.  I went on to a "christian" college.......and I intentionally used a small "c" in Christian because this school was anything but that.  Some of my biggest trials and yet strongest lessons I learned were in college.  I was part of the college choir - sang and played for it.  But our conductor did not want to sing anything that had to do with the blood of Jesus!!  He thought it was too messy, too gorey.  Ohhh, how I knew in my heart that was WRONG!!  
I'm so happy to say I have been washed in the precious blood of Jesus!!   The words to this old hymn go like this:

"What can wash away my sin?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh!  precious is the flow  that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see, Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing, this my plea, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone, Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is ALL MY HOPE AND PEACE, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
This is ALL MY RIGHTEOUSNESS,  Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh!  Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. __Words & Music: Robert Lowry, 1826-1899

I wanted to re-iterate why my blog is here.  To bring hope, peace, comfort, joy, laughter, and Jesus, to those who would have Him.  We live in a world of great turmoil these days and some of you may be feeling over-anxious, fearful, or uncertain about life; or maybe you are wondering why you are here............God does have a plan for each and every person who is born.  But He will never try to force you into that plan or into loving Him.  He wants you to come of your own free will--to choose to follow Him.  I do believe that one will never experience true peace and joy until they have filled that "God-shaped" hole in their heart with Him.  Oh, you may, as I have done in the past, try to fill that void with "things", positions, possessions, etc.  Maybe you've been "knocked down" so many times you feel you can't get up again........I've been there also.  Believe me.  But I'm here to let you know that God "Abba" (your heavenly Daddy),  will hold your hand and lift you up and guide you through your valleys and any situation you feel may be hopeless.

"Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so,
Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong!
Yes, Jesus loves me......Yes, Jesus loves me......Yes, Jesus loves me.....
The Bible tells me so."

I found out that Jesus wants you to "come to Him as a little child.......for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."....Matthew 18: 3-4.



Try not to become bogged down with "religiosity" and "theology".......when all Jesus wants is you.  After you've invited him into your heart, then read his Word and he will make all things clear to you, through the Holy Spirit who will then dwell in you.  You see, Jesus is actually alive today!!  He is in heaven sitting at the right hand of God the Father and is making intercession on our behalf.  When you invite the Lord to be your Savior, he then sends the "Comforter", the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you into all truth.  Don't rely on other men's words for the truth----they will argue with you and try to put you down, just like the Pharisees did Jesus. 
Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6. 

I heard someone describe the blood as a "waterfall of love".  How precious is the flow. 
Jesus came to give us life by dying for our sins on the Cross.  He was the perfect, sinless Lamb, the last and ultimate sacrifice for our sins. 

I want you.........yes YOU who are reading this............to know that I love you, I care about you.  I'm sure there will be those who read this and will dismiss it as another "sermon."  Heaven forbid that I should ever preach a sermon except through the life I live.

"May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, oh Lord, my Strength and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14.


Tuesday, February 8, 2011

THANK YOU MARY :)


I'd like to thank Mary Hutchins, of "Visits with Mary" for choosing my blog as a recipient of this award!
I am certainly humbled and appreciative.  You would do well to visit her blog by going to this URL: http://www.visitswithmary.blogspot.com/
It has been obvious to me by the posts and comments she has shared that she has a true heart for the Lord and all things beautiful and pure.  Make sure you visit her site, it's beautiful!
In accordance with receiving this award, I am to share with you seven things about myself that you may not know............so here goes!

1.  When I began piano lessons at the age of 7, I never had to be prodded to practice----I found out that I was the exception to the rule after teaching piano for 30 years :)

2.  I love the Lord so much and am blessed beyond measure with His grace and mercy!

3.  I went to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for ONE semester.......actually looking for a husband...lol.......when he was right back here where I grew up.  We met very shortly after I returned home and got a job as organist at the church he was attending.  I knew I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, for all the wrong reasons.  It wasn't until I said, "Lord, I gave my life to YOU, so I'm going home to serve you, and if you want me to get married, I will, if you don't, I won't."

4.  Now I know this may be weird, but I've always had a fascination with planes.........I love watching them take off and land.......

5.  I am the oldest of 3 siblings, two younger brothers.  It was hard being the oldest, because Momma and Daddy always left me "in charge" when they left the house.  Which, needless to say, was fruitless.  I tried Brubber and Gwee.....lol

6.  I don't know if you'd call me a "trekkie", but I have always been a Star Trek fan, all the way back from the first t.v. episodes, right down to the big movie sequels:)

7.  I tried my hand at planting gourds for the first time this past Summer.  It was very successful with varying shapes and sizes.......what I really want to plant is  GIANT PUMPKIN seeds and have a winner at the fair!

I've been asked to forward this "Stylish Blogger Award" on to 7 bloggers.  I'm not sure I can pick out 7 right at the moment, because I only have 11 followers right now, but these are the ones I have picked to receive the "Stylish Blogger Award":

Toyin O.  is a special lady with a beautiful testimony.  She has great insight into God's Word and it's evident she wants to glorify Him in everything she does.  Please visit her blog, she has some wonderfully thoughtful posts!


Here is a beautiful young mother with 5 children making her way one day at a time with God's help.  She's more talented than you can imagine.  She is homeschooling her children and has a real heart for Christ's will in her life :)

Laura is a wonderful author and a woman of great faith in the Lord.  She has a special gift when it comes to penning her words.......they fall like liquid gold!

This lady's name is Joy and she certainly lives up to her name!  Her blog is a sheer joy to go to and so colorful, refreshing, with lots of tidbits about life and her family.  It is, indeed, a JOYful experience to visit her blog.  Joy, you may already have this award, but you got it again!

All to whom I send this award to, please follow the instructions as were sent to me.  Tell 7 things about yourself that probably your readers do not know.  AND, by sending it on to 7 more bloggers that you feel warrant this award.........thx:)


Again, thank you Mary for thinking of me as a recipient of the Stylish Bloggers Award!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

AS YOU GO TO WORSHIP TODAY.......REMEMBER.......

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn--  shout for joy before the Lord, the King.  Let the sea resound and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.  Let the rivers clap their hands, and let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth.  He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity."  Psalms 98:4-9






I TURNED 62 YESTERDAY! - HOW I SPENT MY DAY:)


PLEASE PAUSE MY MUSIC AT BOTTOM OF PAGE AND TURN UP YOUR VOLUME, THX:)




LOOK FOR #11- MY GRANDSON JESSE!

The alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. this morning, and there's very few things I would get up for that early on a Saturday,.....but we were going to see our grandson, Jesse,  play basketball and his twin sister, JoyAnn , cheer!
JOYANN IS THE ONE WITH SHORT BROWN HAIR AND SLEEVELESS BLOUSE IN FRONT

After the game, hubby took me to the Folkart Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway, where you will find some of the more exquisite works made by craftsmen in and around this area.  I got a basket making kit and a "birding" book.  You know how I love my backyard birds, but now I'm wanting to extend my experiences to areas close by that are known for other different species.
THEN, we came home for a nap!!  LOL
Oh!  Did I mention I get my first Social Security check next month!  Woohoo!!
All in all, it was a wonderful day, but I have to say that hubby treats me each day as if it were my brithday.  I love you honey:)

And if that wasn't enough, I received these beautiful mums from my brother and sister-in-law!