Sunday Scripture

 

As I've mentioned, I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do, and I think they are working out quite well for my Sunday Scripture posts.

 As I've noted before, I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing especially when I am studying shorter passages, and I hope others will give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Whenever I do answer it, I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 138.  The verse to focus on was verse 8, but I chose to look at verses 3, 7, and 8.

S= "In the day when I cried, Thou answeredst me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul ...
"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me.  Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.
"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me.  Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands."  (Psalm 138:3, 7-8)

O= This is a psalm of David. C.I. Scofield gives it the title "praise for answered prayer".  David testifies that when he cried to the Lord, God answered him and strengthened his soul.  Even though David walked in the midst of trouble, he knew that God would revive him and would perfect all that concerned him.There is an interesting word picture in verse 7, of God pushing back on David's enemies with one hand, while plucking David out of danger with the other.  God would fulfill His perfect plan for David in spite of his enemies, and he will do the same for us.

J.W. Burgon, quoted in The Treasury of David, wrote: "His creating hands formed our souls at the beginning; His nail-pierced hands redeemed them on Calvary; His glorified hands will hold our souls fast ... forever. "

Spurgeon wrote regarding "and strengthened me with strength in my soul": "Strength imparted to the soul is an inestimable boon: it means courage, fortitude, assurance, heroism."

There are several cross-references here.

For "though I walk in the midst of trouble ":

" He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. ". (Psalm 23:3-4)

For " The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me":

"I will cry unto God most high; unto God who performeth all things for me." (Psalm 57:2)

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

A couple of wonderful quotes regarding verse 8:

"God's work is perfect; man's is clumsy and incomplete.  God does not leave off till He has finished.  When He rests, it is because, looking at His work, He sees it all as 'very good'.  -- Alexander Maclaren, 1879

"God is concerned in all that concerns His servants.  He will see to it that none of their precious things shall fail of completion: their life, their strength, their hopes, their graces, their pilgrimage, shall each and all be perfected.  Jehovah Himself will see to this, and therefore it is most sure." -- Charles Spurgeon

A= Just as David did, we're also to be praising the Lord for answered prayer. I can look back and see so many times when I cried out to God and He answered me and gave me the "strength in my soul" to navigate the trials.  I absolutely love the word picture of God dealing with David's enemies -- holding them back with one hand while rescuing David with the other.  Yes, He will do the same for me.  Even while walking in the midst of trouble, God refreshes and comforts me.  

I can rest in the fact that God has a plan and purpose for my life.  He will complete the work He has begun!

P= "Lord, I thank and praise You so much for all that You have done and are doing in my life!  Things are so uncertain in our world today, but I can trust You to perfect that which concerns me.  I have seen You work through incredibly hard trials in my life.  You have sustained me in the midst of trouble.  You have held my enemies back while keeping me safe.  You have strengthened my soul to deal with hard things.  Because of this, and because of Your promises, I know I can trust You for whatever the future holds.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen."

The reflection question for this lesson includes the following:

"God has a perfect plan for you and while the twists and turns of life may not always feel perfect, God is good and we can trust in His perfect plan for us.  Philippians 1:6 says, 'Being confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.'  How does this truth give you hope?

My answer: 

"This gives me hope not only for my own life but also for the lives of others I'm praying for who are believers.  Sometimes the present can look pretty ugly, in any of our lives.  It's so comforting to remember that it is God who has begun the good work; He is the One who is doing the work; and He will continue to do the work 'until the day of Jesus Christ'.  Not just until the end of our earthly lives, but 'until the day of Jesus Christ'.  What a wonderful promise!

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Hodgepodge for the birds

 

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's Hodgepodge questions cover a variety of topics.   Here goes:

1.  April 26th is National Audubon Day, honoring John James Audubon, the French-American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter known for his detailed study and illustration of birds in their natural habitats. Do you have a bird feeder? Any birds in your home decor? Have you ever owned a pet bird? What's your favorite bird?   

We do have a bird feeder.   It's strategically located in the middle of a clothesline strung from a balcony to a tree -- thus, inaccessible to bears, and even to squirrels for the most part.  I once saw a very determined squirrel making his way along the rope hand over hand -- well, paw over paw.  He only tried it once or twice before deciding (apparently) that it was too much work.

I have a number of tiny ceramic birds in various colors that I use in decorating for various seasons.  They are fun to tuck into a vignette to add a note of color.

I have never owned a pet bird.

Favorite bird: possibly the chickadee.  They are such friendly, agreeable birds.

These bird books are from my childhood.

2. What's something you took to 'like a duck to water'? 

I will say cooking.  I think I was around 10 years old the first time I cooked a meal all by myself.  I used the cookbook below.

 But speaking of ducks, which we were, I feel like a proud great-grandma (joking, folks) as I share the above photo of grandson's Josiah's ducks which he incubated and which hatched in December. (He's their foster parent, so I'm the great-grandparent -- get it?) Aren't they beautiful?

3. Empty nest, nest egg, proud as a peacock, free as a bird, birds of a feather flock together, or the early bird catches the worm...choose one and tell us how it currently applies to your life. 

The early bird catches the worm.  Even in retirement, we are so busy that we rise between 5 and 5:30 am in order to have good quality time with the Lord before jumping into our day.

4. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds...your favorite seed and a favorite food or dish made with that seed or topped with that seed? Have you tried all the seeds on the list? Any you don't care for? 

Probably sunflower seeds would be my favorite.  I like to put them in homemade granola.  Lemon poppy seed muffins are wonderful but I seldom have one.  I've tried all of those seeds and the only one I really don't care for (though I will eat it) is flax seed. 

Beautiful sketch of a saw-whet owl by my friend Cyndy 

5. Something in the past week that made you 'happy as a lark'?

Seeing the "field daffodils" blossom in a field adjacent to my childhood home.  The house has been torn down but those daffodils don't care.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Every one of my thoughts feels random today.  But speaking of thoughts (and this one is far from random), I was so blessed to come upon this quote from preacher-of-old Charles Spurgeon: 

"It should fill us with adoring wonder and reverent surprise that the infinite mind of God should turn so many thoughts toward us who are so insignificant and so unworthy!"

Spurgeon wrote this in reference to Psalm 139:17-18a: "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God!  How great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand."

I find that truth -- that God's thoughts toward me are "more in number than the sand" -- does indeed fill me with reverent surprise.  How about you?

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!  We were working at our volunteer jobs on Tuesday and Wednesday, so that's why I am a day late.

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Trying again for another  Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

The Weather:::

Dreary and showery.  It poured all day yesterday. 

As I look outside my window:::

Things are quite muddy still, especially after our recent rainfall.  Trees are beginning to leaf out.  My forsythia is doing excellently, and I'm encouraged how large it has grown over the few years I've had it.  As mentioned previously,  I always find early spring to be an ugly season here, but there are promising signs appearing.  Yesterday I saw a male goldfinch that has turned yellow -- a great sign of spring.

 

Right now I am:::
 

Trying to make good use of time until I am able to eat lunch.  Just had a front tooth prepped for a dental crown.  (Yes, that's a total of two, but thankfully last week's was a back tooth.) So I'm finishing this blog post and trying to accomplish other riveting tasks to distract me.

 

Thinking and pondering:::
 

On spiritual growth and maturity.   So important.  Our pastor started a series on this yesterday.  He mentioned two of the Greek words translated mature or maturity and how one has to do with progress and the other with process.  Lots to ponder here.

 

 

On my bedside table:::
 

Books, a pen, vial of Deep Relief essential oil, a jar of lavender infused olive oil.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 

Listening to:::
 

Again today, the monotonous but cheerful call of a tufted titmouse.  And the hum of the dryer.

Image from Pixabay

On the Breakfast plate:::
 

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch is going to be something very, very soft. I'm thinking scrambled eggs.

 

 On the dinner plate::: 

 

Not sure yet.  It's got to be something that doesn't require much chewing.  Just a little paranoid about this temporary crown coming detached.

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg roll in a bowl
Chicken with artichokes and broccoli
Egg bake with bacon

Burger salad bowl

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

On my to do list today:::
 

 Dental appointment

Write final checks for trust beneficiaries

Work on fabric bookmark

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list

List some kids' books, notions, patterns, and cards on Etsy

Decluttering in the bedroom

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Spend time at my volunteer job

 

What I am creating:::
 
Fabric bookmark
January cross-stitch sampler
Start some pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters

 

A pillow quilt (unfolded) from a few years back

The same quilt, folded into its pillow

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

 

I've just begun the study of Loving God with All Your Mind with my ladies' Sunday School class.  The verse to focus on for the first few chapters is Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, or if there be any praise, think on these things."  We're focusing on thinking on whatever is true -- and guess what?  Things we imagine or speculate about, or conclusions that we jump to, even motives we attribute to others -- are not true.  We need to stop those thoughts in our tracks.

 

On my prayer list:::

 

Friends & family
Church family
Missionaries
Our country

 

And there is this week's Happy Homemaker Monday!

 

 

Sunday Scripture

 

As I mentioned last Sunday, I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do.  In fact, once I finish this GMG Psalms study, I hope to begin the one that preceded it for Psalms 51-100, then maybe tackle a more in-depth study of  Psalms from the The Daily Grace Co.  But we will see.  I don't want to get ahead of myself. 

 I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Most often, when I do answer it, I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 137.  Verse 4 was the one to focus on, but I chose to look at verses 1-4.

S= "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
"We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
"For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
"How shall we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land?" (Psalm 137:1-4)

O= C. I. Scofield titles this psalm "The captive's cry for vengeance".  A marginal note points out that "a song" in verse 3 literally means "the words of a song". 

Believer's Bible Commentary explains, "Written after the return from Babylonian bondage, the psalm looks back to the bitterness of being exiled from Zion.  Whenever they had time, perhaps on the sabbath, they gathered by the rivers of Babylon to pray ... As they looked into the rivers of Babylon, they saw in them a picture of their own rivers of tears and anguish.  They had hung their harps upon the willows -- as we would say, they had put them on the shelf.  From a human standpoint ... there was nothing to sing about.  And without a song to sing, there was no need of accompaniment."

For the Jews, William MacDonald notes, "it would be utterly incongruous to sing the LORD's song in a land of heathen idolaters.  They saw a moral impropriety about mixing the things of the LORD and the things of the world."

F.B. Meyer wrote, "The land of the stranger and the song of the Lord can never be found together."

C.J. Vaughan, quoted in The Treasury of David, wrote: "The feelings of the present life are often adverse to praise.  The exiles in Babylon could not sing because they were in heaviness.  God's hand was heavy upon them ... for their sins.  Now the feelings of many of us are in like manner adverse to the Lord's song.  Some of us are in great sorrow.  We have lost a friend; we are in anxiety about one who is all to us; we know not which way to turn for tomorrow's bread or for this day's comfort.  How can we sing the Lord's song?"

Also quoted in The Treasury of David, William De Burgh wrote, "The one embittering thought that made them ... heavy at heart, silenced their voices, and unstrung their harps, was the cause of this calamity -- their sin.  Paul and Silas could sing in a dungeon, but it was not their sin brought them there ... saints suffering for the name of Christ could say 'we are exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.'  There is no real sorrow in any circumstances into which God brings us, or where He leads and goes with us; but where sin is, and suffering is felt to be  -- not persecution, but judgment -- there can be no real joy."

A= It seems to me that in a very real sense,  believers live "in a foreign land."  This world is not our home.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  So as we seek to live for the Lord in this world, it could be said that we are singing His song in a foreign land.  Another C.J. Vaughan quote makes this point as well:

"Is it not true that, in many senses, we, like the Jewish exiles, have to sing the Lord's song in a strange land? ... The very life which we live here in the body is a life of sight and sense.  Naturally we walk by sight; and to sing the Lord's song is possible only by faith."

As the author notes in our reflection question, sometimes the storms of life threaten to still our song of praise.  Beginning to praise God in a trial opens the door (and our hearts) to further songs of praise.

P= "Lord, I am so thankful that it is possible to sing Your song in a foreign land!  The very world in which we live is foreign to us -- we are pilgrims, just passing through.  We often find ourselves surrounded by difficulties in this life and our hearts feel too heavy to sing.  Yet there is always something to praise You for -- our salvation, or Your presence with us in the trial.  I know that when we take that step of obedience and begin to praise You, we begin to see victory in our trials.  I praise You for how You work in our lives, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection Question:

Our God is good and worthy of all our praise but sometimes life's storms bring us low.  Tell of a time when you were in such despair you could not lift your voice to sing in worship.  How did God bring you through this difficult time?

My answer: I do recall times like this.  I was trusting God and keeping my eyes on Him, but it was difficult to do more than that at first.  I remember praising God that He was in the difficulties with me, and it helped tremendously that there was something concrete I could praise Him for.  Godly counselors, a supportive church family, those who offered supportive, practical help and wisdom, and God's Word, especially Psalms, were all things God used to bring me through the hard times.  And it all started when I began to praise Him.

That's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

The Hodgepodge 500

  It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week marks the 500th Hodgepodge, which is pretty impressive in my book.   Here are the questions (which I found particularly challenging this week):

1. Last time you drove/flew 500 miles (ish)? What's a place you'd like to visit that lies approximately 500 miles from your current location? 

Last long trip would have been spring of 2021 when we flew to Nevada with granddaughter Julia to surprise granddaughter Emily for her 13th birthday.   We are hoping for a trip to Florida later this year to visit friends, and we also have a train trip we'd like to take this year.  We will see how all of that plays out.

Julia, Grampa and some of the others at the taco truck in 2021

Lots of games took place on the living room floor in our 2021 visit

2. Tell us about a time recently it felt like you were 'racing against the clock'. 

Getting ready to have guests over for Sunday lunch.  We used to do this nearly every week when we had  speakers coming in to do pulpit supply for our church, and pretty much had it down to a science.  We thought we were busy then!  Planning a workable meal for right after church was relatively easy, but we had been out of town all day Friday so most of our prep work and cleaning happened on Saturday.

I love using vintage dishes to serve guests.

3. Have you ever attended any really large sporting events? What was your impression of the experience?  

The Superbowl, The Kentucky Derby, The World Series, FIFA World Cup, The Indianapolis 500, The Daytona 500, The Olympics, The Masters, Wimbledon, The Boston Marathon, March Madness, Tour de France, Monaco's Grand Prix, The Open (golf), The Ryder Cup, The Stanley Cup Finals..of the events listed which would you most like to attend in person? Or maybe one that's not listed? 

I have not ever attended any large sporting events and honestly don't feel I have missed anything.  I've been to Fenway Park a few times for Red Sox games, but that is about the extent of any sporting events.  Of those listed, the World Series interests me most but I'm fine with watching it on TV (a few times, we've been on a vacation or getaway during the World Series, so had a TV to watch it on).

Then again, who would want to watch the World Series when one had a view like this?

4. Are you an iced tea drinker? If so, do you drink it year round, or only in the spring and summer months? Do you make your own or buy it bottled? Sweet or unsweet? Flavored? Lemon or no lemon? How about a Long Island Iced Tea? 

I do love iced tea and could drink it year round, but am more apt to drink it in the spring and summer. (As a kid, I always requested iced tea as part of my birthday supper in January.  My mom's homemade iced tea.)  I prefer unsweetened iced tea with lemon, but now and then a bottle of flavored iced tea can really hit the spot on a hot day -- like peach or raspberry.  I had to look up Long Island Iced Tea.  No, thanks.

5. April 20th is Volunteer Recognition Day...do you volunteer in some way? Tell us about it. If not, tell us about a volunteer you appreciate.

My hubby and I do volunteer.  We have always done so, really, teaching Sunday School and serving in other capacities in our church for years and years. Now that he has retired, we volunteer regularly at a Christian camp.  He has lots of expertise in painting, carpentry, drywall and other building skills -- he's a practical fellow who can do almost anything, really (except computer tasks -- he's technology-challenged).  My own skills lie mostly in just having a willing pair of hands. I do lots of cleaning tasks plus things like inventorying or whatever else they ask me to do.)

These spring flowers are from last year at The Wilds of New England.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Thinking today about balance.  It's hard to juggle everything.  I was folding laundry today and came to this dish towel.  I nearly cried thinking about how I love embroidery and how little time I find for it anymore.  Still, one must focus on God's purposes for the available time each day -- and I am truly hoping there will be needlework in heaven for those who are so inclined.

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

Trying again for another  Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  As my friend Elisha, who inspired me to join in, commented: "With so much emphasis on what we do outside our homes it's always nice to see how others are managing the inside stuff of home and family."  I agree with that thought, though many times I don't feel I manage the inside stuff all that well.   We will see how I do!

The Weather:::

Dreary and rainy.  Not pouring so far, just drizzly.

As I look outside my window:::

 The snow is gone from the woods and things are quite muddy still.  Trees are beginning to leaf out.  My forsythia is beginning to blossom, and my one crocus has bloomed. I always find early spring to be an ugly season here, but there are promising signs appearing.

 

An antique card from my collection

Right now I am:::
 

Trying to make good use of time until I am able to eat lunch.  Cement is setting on a dental crown.  So I'm finishing this blog post and trying to accomplish other riveting tasks to distract me.

 

Thinking and pondering:::
 

Continuing to think, ponder, and write on the topic "taking a bird's-eye view" as I prepare a devotional to share with a group of ladies in mid-May.

On my bedside table:::
 

Books, a pen, vial of Deep Relief essential oil.

On my tv this week::: 

Nothing this week.

 

Listening to:::
 

The monotonous but cheerful call of a tufted titmouse.

Image from Pixabay

On the Breakfast plate:::
 

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch is going to be a salad with cubes of cheese and turkey.

 

On the dinner plate::: 

 

Leftover meat loaf, hash brown casserole, and broccoli salad from a company lunch yesterday.

 

On the menu for this week::: 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg roll in a bowl
Chicken with artichokes and broccoli
Egg bake with bacon

 

Last week our Market Basket had cod fillet on sale and I made a baked fish and spinach dish with it.  It was wonderful!  I haven't checked this week's flyer but I'm hoping it's on sale again. 

Not a current ad ... this is from a few years back.  And, actually, from a different supermarket.

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

On my to do list today:::
 

 Dental appointment

Laundry

Work on my devotional for a ladies' brunch in May
Ladies Bible study this evening
Wash bathroom floors

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list

List some kids' books, notions, patterns, and cards on Etsy

Decluttering in the bathrooms

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Spend time at my volunteer job

 

What I am creating:::
 
Fabric bookmark
January cross-stitch sampler
Start some pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters

 

In the center of this photo is a fabric bookmark I've already made and gifted.  This Readerville fabric is so much fun!

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

Reading through the Daily Walk Bible.  Today I was reading in 2 Chronicles 13-16.  So many instructive passages in these chapters.  I was struck once again by the prayer of Asa in 2 Chronicles 14:11 -- 

"And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude.  O LORD, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee."  

That last sentence is one I am praying frequently in the times we're experiencing.

On my prayer list:::

Friends & Family
Missionaries 

 

Lovely graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 And that is this week's Happy Homemaker Monday!  Happy Monday, everyone!

 

 

 

 

Sunday Scripture

 

As I've mentioned, I'm finishing up a One Chapter a Day study of Psalms 101-150 from Good Morning Girls.  Although I love working on more in-depth Bible studies, these simpler ones are also a blessing to do.  In fact, once I finish this GMG Psalms study, I hope to begin the one that preceded it for Psalms 51-100, then maybe tackle a more in-depth study of  Psalms from the The Daily Grace Co.  But we will see.  I don't want to get ahead of myself. 

 I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method.  I find this method a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, so I hope you'll give it a try if you haven't ever done so. Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.

This study also includes a reflection question for each passage.  Sometime I answer this in my study, and sometimes not.  Most often, when I do answer it, I'll do so right after the SOAP part.

Today's study is from Psalm 136.  Verse 1 is the one to zoom in on, but I chose to do verses 4-6 also.

S= "Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever ... To Him who alone doeth great wonders; for His mercy endureth forever.  To Him who by wisdom made the heavens; for His mercy endureth forever.  To Him who stretcheth out the earth above the waters; for His mercy endureth forever."  (Psalm 136:1, 4-6)

O= C.I. Scofield titles this Psalm "The LORD's enduring mercy."   Charles Spurgeon says, "We know not by whom this psalm was written, but we do know that it was sung in Solomon's Temple (2 Chronicles 7:3, 6) and by the armies of Jehoshaphat when they sang themselves into victory in the wilderness of Tekoa.  From the striking form of it,  we should infer that it was a popular hymn among the Lord's ancient people.  Most hymns with a solid, simple chorus become favorites with congregations, and this is sure to have been one of the best beloved.  It contains nothing but praise."

Cross- references for "His mercy endureth forever" include the following:

"Oh, give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)

"And with them Heman and Jeduthun, and the rest who were chosen to give thanks unto the LORD, because His mercy endureth forever." (1 Chronicles 16:41)

"And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for His mercy endureth forever." (2 Chronicles 20:21)

Cross-reference for verse 5 -- 

"He hath made the earth by His power; He hath established the world by His wisdom; and hath stretched out the heavens by His understanding." (Jeremiah 51:15)

Cross-references for verse 6 --  

 "And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place; and let the dry land appear; and it was so."  (Genesis 1:9)

"He hath made the earth by His power; He hath established the world by His wisdom; and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion." (Jeremiah 10:12)

Spurgeon writes in The Treasury of David that this psalm "commences with a threefold praise to the Triune Lord (verses 1-3), then it gives us six notes of praise to the Creator (v. 4-9) six more upon deliverance from evil (7-15) and seven upon the journey through the wilderness and the entrance into Canaan.  Then we have two happy verses of personal gratitude for present mercy (23-24) one (v.25) to tell of the Lord's universal providence, and a closing verse to excite to never-ending praise."

A= A psalm that contains nothing but praise should move me to praise also, as the Psalmist exhorts: "O, give thanks unto the LORD!"

His mercy, also translated "steadfast love", endures forever.  And that, though it is repeated 26 times in this psalm, is only one of the many reasons to praise Him, as also alluded to in these verses.  I can praise Him for who He is, for His amazing work in Creation, for His guidance and care of His people, His provision in our lives, and much more.

P= "Lord, I am so thankful that Your steadfast love for me endures forever. Your mercies are unfailing throughout every day of life.  I praise You for Your goodness.  I praise You that You provided a way for me to have a relationship with You.  I praise You for Your glorious work in creation and for Your providential care for Your people every day.  The reasons to praise You are literally endless.  I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is the Sunday Scripture for this week!  Let's praise our Lord together!

 

April 12 hodgepodge

 

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.  This week's Hodgepodge questions cover a variety of topics.   Here goes:

 1. April 13th is National Scrabble Day...are you a fan? Do you enjoy word games in general? What's an eight letter word that tells us something about your life currently?

Oh yes, I am very much a Scrabble fan.   (I'm also a fan of these Scrabble players, below, at our camp a few years ago.  It has come so far since then!)  I do enjoy word games in general, too.  How about a nine-letter word?  S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D.

 
2.  Do you have a junk drawer? Is it full? Do you know what's in it? What's in it? 

I do have a junk drawer -- and one at the cottage, too.  The one at the cottage is fuller and contains a bit more.   Mostly the junk drawers contain things like pens, pencils, sharpies, scissors, rulers, tape, stapler/staples, etc.   The one at home is fairly organized, but I'm thinking seriously of seeing if I can make it resemble the one below.

Oh, that my junk drawer looked like this!  This one's from Pixabay.

3. When does time pass quickly for you? When does it pass slowly? 

Time passes quickly almost all the time these days.  Only exception might be during a dental appointment.   It seems that everything takes longer than it used to, and before I know it a substantial amount of time has passed rather quickly.

 

4. These eight vegetables are in season during spring-asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, collard greens, garlic, herbs. What's your favorite? Any on the list you refuse to eat? Last one on the list you ate? 

My favorite on the list is probably asparagus. There are no vegetables on this list that I refuse to eat.  Last one on this list I ate would have been carrots with honey, butter and thyme at Easter dinner.

The carrot dish didn't exactly look like this, but close enough.

5. What's the oldest thing you own? Tell us about it. 

I will have to think about that for awhile.   I'm not really sure.  I have some cards and other things from the 1930s, and even some older than that.  Pretty sure I have some postcards from the early 1900s, and a bracelet from the same era that was my grandmother's.  I may even have some older things, but I am not sure.

The advertising card above was from my great-aunt's collection, as was the Bible verse below.  I am not sure of the age of these cards, but am guessing early 1900s.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

It's nice to have some warmer temps.  We were able to have our large screened windows (and all of the other windows) open at the cottage yesterday and it was just so nice.   I hear that cooler weather is to return next week (and there are still piles of snow under the aforementioned windows) but for now it's wonderful and we are enjoying it.

 

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

 
Trying again for another  Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  As my friend Elisha, who inspired me to join in, commented: "With so much emphasis on what we do outside our homes it's always nice to see how others are managing the inside stuff of home and family."  I agree with that thought, though many times I don't feel I manage the inside stuff all that well.   We will see how I do!

The Weather:::

Gorgeous and sunny blue-sky day.  A really sunny week is predicted and we are hoping to spend some quality time at our little camp.  Now that the winter is pretty much past, we'll be hanging out the sign again:

As I look outside my window:::

 

I still see lots of snow in the woods, mud in the driveway, bare trees.  The sap buckets are down and stacked but yet to be washed.  As I mentioned last week, early spring is an ugly season here in New Hampshire.

 

Right now I am:::
 

Just back from a walk and thinking about what I need to accomplish with the rest of the day.   While on our walk we heard the distinctive call of a red-winged blackbird.

Thinking and pondering:::
 

On the topic "taking a bird's-eye view" as I prepare a devotional to share with a group of ladies in mid-May.

On my bedside table:::
 

Books, a pen, vial of Deep Relief essential oil.

On my tv this week::: 

We have a TV, but it's stored in a box upstairs and we bring it out only when we want to watch a movie.  Our DVD player isn't working so it's been awhile since we watched one.  We did watch two episodes of The Andy Griffith Show at our daughter and son-in-law's home last evening.

Listening to:::
 

Nothing right now; I'm enjoying the quiet.

On the Breakfast plate:::
 

I do intermittent fasting so don't have breakfast.  Lunch is going to be a salad with cubes of cheese and roast beef.

On the dinner plate::: 

 

Some sort of crockpot chicken dish with zucchini and red peppers.  Making it up as I go along.  Idid have a recipe published in the book below, but this chicken dish isn't it, since I'm inventing it today.

 

On the menu for this week:::

 

I usually plan my menus from Thursday to Thursday, and grocery shop on Friday morning.  A few meals on my menu plan:

Egg roll in a bowl
Healthy burger salad bowl
Chicken with zucchini and red peppers
Egg bake with bacon 

 

On my reading pile:::

 

Stories that Bind Us by Susie Finkbeiner

We Travel an Appointed Way by A.W. Tozer

On my to do list today:::
 

 Dishes     

Laundry, lots of laundry

Clean the top shelf of a cabinet
Supper in crockpot
Scrub kitchen sink

Plans for this week:::

Plan menus and make grocery list

List some kids' books, notions, patterns, and cards on Etsy

Plan a meal for guests at Sunday lunch after church

Decluttering in the bathrooms

Write blog posts
Work on my Sunday School lesson

Just listed on Etsy

What I am creating:::

 
Fabric bookmark
January cross-stitch sampler
Start some pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters

 

From the camera:::

 

Ari and Jim on their little pond.  Josiah's ducks in the foreground!

 
I snagged the photo from Carrie's Instagram.   So lovely and sunny down by the pond yesterday afternoon.  The three ducks are the ones Josiah incubated back in December.  Aren't they amazing?

 

Bible verse, Devotional, Quote:::

Continuing through a study of Lamentations.  Pondering this verse today: "Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?"  (Lamentations 3:37)  Such a statement of God's sovereignty!  A cross-reference is Psalm 33:9 -- "For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast."

 

On my prayer list:::

Friends & Family
Missionaries

There is Happy Homemaker Monday for this week!