Day by Day

This is a favorite hymn of mine. It helps me to remember that the Lord Himself takes on the task of caring for His children...

Day by day, and with each passing moment,
Strength I find, to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He Whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best—
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day, the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me,
He Whose Name is Counselor and Power;
The protection of His child and treasure
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”
This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then in every tribulation
So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,
That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation
Offered me within Thy holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
Ever to take, as from a father’s hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.

More pictures

We've had so much rain this spring, for which I am so grateful. I hope that we do not have a drought! This tree root was filled up with water. I thought it was very pretty.

Ok, don't laugh but I think these are so much fun! I try to show little kids how these whirl in the air only to have them respond with blank stares or "I already know." I guess I'm just easily entertained!

Since it's spring outside, I wanted it to be spring indoors too. These flowers brighten up my living room. They are fabric, so they don't smell pretty, but they will last longer!

I made this wreath for my front door for spring/summer. I thought it turned out well. I had made one for Valentines Day and I hope to make one for Fall and one for Christmas.

Spring pictures

I love the springtime. I am enjoying so much the warm air that isn't stifling hot. I love the flowers. I love sleeping with the windows open. We've been blessed with a late spring this year, and I am so grateful that the hot weather is not yet here!

These lilacs were so beautiful I thought. The bush grows in the front yard at a friend's house. I love the smell of lilacs.

I love these white star flowers. They grow in abundance in my side yard. I think they are lovely!

Hello

Just thought I'd drop in and encourage you all to focus on glorifying our Lord this week. Afterall, He created us, has given us everything that we have, and sent His Son to save us. What else can we do but bring glory to Him? It was for this purpose that we were created. Bring honor to Him this week!

Prince of Peace! Control My Will

Prince of peace! control my will,
Bid this struggling heart be still;
Bid my fears and doubtings cease-
Hush my spirit into peace.

Thou hast bought me with Thy blood,
Opened wide the gate of God;
Peace I ask, but peace must be,
Lord, in being one with Thee.

May Thy will, not mine be done;
May Thy will and mine be one;
Chase these doubtings from my heart;
Now Thy perfect peace impart.

Savior, at Thy feet I fall;
Thou my Life, my God, my All;
Let Thy happy servant be
One forevermore with Thee.

by Mary A. S. Barber

Just Put it On My Tab

Have you ever heard that statement? Just put it on my tab. I hear it often in my job. It annoys me greatly! Customers who refuse to work and instead draw disability or unemployment take for granted the goodwill of my employer. They act as if I owe them a favor. The attitude does not become them!

Have you ever acted that way toward the Lord? I have. How many times have I sinned, and just taken for granted His grace. "Just put it on my tab," I think. How offended the Lord must feel when we treat Him as if He owes us His grace. My sin ought to hurt me. I ought to remember that the Lord owes me nothing. His grace is just that, grace. I do not deserve it. Without the Lord's goodwill, I would be stuck with a debt I could not pay.

May we always remember to sorrow over our sins and thank the Lord for His rich and abundant mercy!

A Good Lesson

Yesterday I heard a very helpful sermon. We are studying through Luke on Sunday mornings, and it has been extremely helpful. Yesterday, he preached on part of Luke 9, preaching about the Transfiguration, the demon that the disciples could not cast out, the argument over who was the greatest, the turning away of the little children, and the disciples trying to stop a man who was casting out demons. Jesus' disciples made so many mistakes, and I am impressed by Jesus' patience with them. We can learn a lot from the individual mistakes themselves, and maybe sometime I will post on that. Today, however, think about Jesus' patience. We often think that we cannot serve the Lord because we won't be able to do everything He requires. We are right - we won't. We will likely be a lot like the disciples and make many mistakes, but thanks be to our God, he forgives us and is so patient with us. If we humbly try to please Him, turning to Him for help, He gives us the strength, grace and mercy needed, and we can please Him!