The Wonders of Easter

Upon that cross of Jesus
Mine eye at times can see
The very dying form of One
Who suffered there for me;
And from my stricken heart with tears
Two wonders I confess;
The wonders of redeeming love
And my unworthiness.

Stir Up Something Good

Cooking is like love.
It should be entered into with
abandon or not at all.

Harriet Van Horne

Like Peas in a Pod

Everyone needs a friend who knows the thoughts deep in the heart. Someone who will support you and love you unconditionally. I have such a friend, His name is Jesus.

Just felt that the Lord deserved praise today for all He's been in my life...don't you feel the same way?

Unconditional Love

Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.

Deserving?

We will never deserve His love.

A Pattern of Love

A pattern of thorns placed upon a brow
Unveiling a crown, dignity not to allow.
A pattern of heading up Calvary’s hill
Steep and roughed as to break one’s will.

A pattern of pillage of the mind and flesh
Taunting and mocking to amply enmesh
A pattern of rejection encased on a tree
Gnarled and crooked, no beauty to see.

A pattern of royalty hung between thieves
Seizing a moment of overwhelming griefs
A pattern of nails driven in a pure hand
Revealing the cruelty of the cynical man.

A pattern of blood gushing from a King’s side
Piercing the spirit, humility no room to abide
A pattern of a robe engaged in a game
Soldiers gambling lots, to the owner’s defame.

Then comes a pattern of mercy and grace
Because of Calvary, transgressions to erase
For a pattern of love died for our sins to depart
Devotion designed in our God’s own heart.

A Pattern of Love, written by Karen Hopper

Calvary's Voice

Calvary speaks of unwavering love...
Love pressed against a rugged cross,
Crimson trails etching their way downward
in a solemn journey to the ground.

Calvary reaches out in love...
Love that echoes its song across the canyon,
Triumphantly releasing a serenade of conquests
Having mastered death, hell and the grave.

Calvary's Voice, written by Karen Hopper

Mighty Is He

The Lord your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

It's No Secret

Psst! Got something to tell you. Jesus Loves You, and Me. He Loves Everybody!

The Lighthouse

There's a lighthouse on the hillside that overlooks life's sea
When I'm tossed it sends out a light that I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now, will safely lead me home
If it wasn't for the lighthouse. . .my ship would sail no more.

Everyone that lives around us. . . says tear that old lighthouse down
The big ships don't sail this way anymore. . .ain't no use in it standing round
Then my mind goes back to that stormy night. . .when just in time I saw the light
Light from that old lighthouse that stands there on the hill.

And I thank God for the Lighthouse. . .I owe my life to Him
Jesus is the Lighthouse and from the rocks of sin
He has shown a light around me that I might clearly see
If it wasn't for the Lighthouse. . .where would this ship be?

Can you tell? My heart has been filled with song this week - and this 1971 song is just another testimony of the Lord's love, mercy and grace.

Shout to the Lord

My Jesus my Savior, Lord there is none like You...
All of my days I want to praise the wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter - Tower of refuge and strength...
Let every breath, all that I am never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth let us sing...
Power and majesty, praise to our King...
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
at the sound of Your name.

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands...
Forever I'll love You - forever I'll stand...
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You.

Song written by Darlene Zschech

Picture: Highway 1, Big Sur

Help Eliminate Poverty

Hope Does Not Automatically Come to All.

We as God's people must ask ourselves: Are we sharing the Good News? Are we delivering the message of hope to others? True the world will always have physical poverty but we can help to eliminate spiritual poverty. Our hearts need to burn with the desire to do so. If not, God help us!

A Prisoner to?

Harry Emerson Fosdick once said:

Bitterness imprisons life; love releases it.
Bitterness paralyzes life; love empowers it.
Bitterness sours life; love sweetens it.
Bitterness sickens life; love heals it.
Bitterness blinds life; love anoints its eyes.

It is concerning how in the day in which we live that pain and suffering comes racing into meet so many. In pain and suffering, everything has opportunity to get at us. We become a target to be bruised, taunted, mocked, and belittled. Our anxieties bring stress. We are numbed and start to lose vision. We are held prisoners! Our flesh asks, "Where is the Savior?" Doesn't He care one bit? In some situations, it would be far more logical to agree with rejection than believe God really cares. And that is why I am offering my two cents but remember I’m not holding you prisoner to read or agree with my two pennies. You can turn me off right now.

What is my advice? Guard your liberty! Losing our liberty allows hurt (or pain) to turn into bitterness and hate. It is often said that survival goes to the fittest. I say, survival goes to the bravest - daring to stand when there seems nothing to stand for, daring to speak when the whole world is silent, and daring to love when it would be easier to hate. Without liberty, life becomes a prison, not of iron bars but made of life's cares, intermingled with the hurtful/condemning attitudes of others who we highly respected and honored. It is then that darkness and torment start their rule. Our confidence and self-worth becomes void. We start to believe we are of little use to Him, never be used of Him, and that gifts/talents given by Him are overrated. It is then the worst thing happens - we start our journey away from the things that the Lord gave us to use for His glory. We can't see that the Lord is taking us to a new place in Him. We just want to complacently stay where we've felt comfortable for years. We don't want to change - go in His direction. In other words, we are bent on locking our self in a dark, dreary place because it's easier to do that than venture out and do the Will of the Master. God Help Us!!!!

If we find ourselves a prisoner, in our darkness, let's sincerely, earnestly pray that His Will be done - not ours! Prayer is the key that will loosen us from our personal prison. Remember, Jesus never leaves us; we are the ones who leave Him. And if you don’t agree as yet, let me ask: How can we complain of our cross being too heavy for we have not nor will we ever have to carry a cross to Calvary? He's already paid that price (for our liberty).

Free your heart from the bonds of bitterness.

There Is...

There is a river that flows from God above
There is a fountain that is filled with His great love
Come to the water, there is a vast supply
There is a river that never shall run dry

The Fountain shown is located in the Han River, Seoul, and has an off/on switch to elect when to let water spout into the river. Hopefully our spiritual fountain isn't set up that way; and if it is, Sunday is the perfect day to wade out into the water for repair at your local assembly.