Could planning for variety re-invigorate my crafting life?

 

 Today is International Craft Day and so it seems an appropriate time to address this thought I've had mulling around in my brain for months now.  Regular readers may remember a post I did back in June concerning variety in my devotional life.  (For those who missed that post,  it had to do with assigning days of the week to my various devotional and spiritual growth pursuits.)   So what I've been wondering is, could I take that same concept and make it work in my crafting life?  

My crafting life needs work, that's for sure.  When I look back at all of the crafts I made in earlier years, in what was a much busier season of life, I feel so sad that I can't seem to find much time for crafting at all anymore.  I seem to be limited to my granny square temperature blanket (which thankfully ensures that I do something creative each day, or almost every day), plus the occasional paper crafting or Shutterfly project, and sometimes some scrapbook journaling.  The thing is that I have sewing projects I should do, both hand and machine sewing, I have other crochet projects in progress, and I have cross stitch and embroidery projects in various stages of completion.  And I desperately want to work on them. But I seem to be stalled, getting very little accomplished.

So  I've made a little plan.  We will see where it goes.  It looks like this:

Sunday: counted cross stitch

Monday: machine sewing

Tuesday: crochet

Wednesday: paper crafting, scrapbook journaling

Thursday: embroidery

Friday: hand sewing, felt food

Saturday: mending, alterations, DIY pantry and household formulas.

Of course I will continue with crocheting a square or two each day for my temperature blanket.  My thought is that if I have this list to turn to, if I have extra time in the evening, or unexpected downtime during the day, I can work on one of my unfinished (or, in the case of machine sewing, unstarted) projects in that day's category.  

Almost-current progress on the temperature blanket; I have added a row since this photo was taken.

 
It's absolutely worth a try, don't you think?

Sunday Scripture

 

 It's time for another Sunday Scripture!  This is the first post of what will be an ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I will attempt to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 1. 

S= "Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
"But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.
"And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; its leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
"The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 
"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."  (Psalm 1:1-6)

O= In the Scofield study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles this psalm "Two men, two ways, two destinies."

The first man does not "walk in the counsel of the ungodly".  He also does not "stand in the way of sinners" nor does he "sit in the seat of the scornful".

Instead of doing these things, this man:

Delights himself in God's Word
Meditates in God's Word day and night.

He will then be like a tree that is ...

Planted by water
Fruitful in season
Filled with green, healthy leaves

And whatever this man does will prosper.  The LORD knows his way.

But the second man, the ungodly man,  is not like this.  Instead of being like a rooted tree, he is like chaff which the wind drives away.  He does not sit with the righteous and will not even be able to stand in the day of judgment.  The way of the ungodly shall perish.

My Bible has a note that "man" in this Psalm is "The singular Hebrew word for man ... used here to portray a representative example of a godly person."

Cross-reference for "walketh" (v.1) -- "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men men.  Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away."  (Proverbs 4:14-15)

Cross-reference for "the counsel of the ungodly" (v.1) -- "Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me."  (Job 21:16)

Cross-reference for "way of sinners" (v.1) -- "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."  (Proverbs 1:10)

Cross-references for "the seat of the scornful" (v.1) -- "I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers."  (Psalm 26:4)

"I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand; for Thou hast filled me with indignation."  (Jeremiah 15:17)

Cross-references for "scornful" (v.1) -- "How long, O ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity?  And the scoffers delight in their scoffing, and fools hate knowledge?" (Proverbs 1:22)

"Surely He scoffeth at the scoffers, but He giveth grace unto the lowly."  (Proverbs 3:34)

Cross-reference for "delight" (v.2) -- "Praise ye the LORD.  Blessed is the man who feareth the LORD, who delighteth greatly in His commandments."  (Psalm 112:1)

"Law" in verse 2 means "instruction".

Cross-references for "law of the LORD" (v.2) -- "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is pure, making wise the simple."  (Psalm 19:7)

"Is the law, then, against the promises of God?  God forbid; for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.  But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe."  (Galatians 3:24-25)

Cross-reference for "law doth he meditate day and night" (v.2) -- "This book of the law shall not depart out of out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."  (Joshua 1:8)

Cross-reference for "like a tree" (v.3) -- "For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be anxious in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."  (Jeremiah 17:8)

Cross-reference for "whatsoever he doeth" (v.3) -- "For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee."  (Psalm 128:2)

Cross-reference for "chaff" (v.4) -- "[The wicked] are as stubble before the wind; and as chaff that the storm carrieth away."  (Job 21:18)

Cross-reference for "will not stand" (v.5) -- "The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity."  (Psalm 5:5)

Cross-references for "knows" (v.6) --  "I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy: for Thou hast considered my trouble; Thou hast known my soul in adversities."  (Psalm 31:7)

"LORD, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him?  Or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him?"  (Psalm 141:3)

Cross-reference for "the way of the righteous" (v.6) -- "Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass."  (Psalm 37:5)

 A= If I'm going to be blessed I will not live my life according to the counsel of the ungodly.  I won't stand with sinners or sit with scorners.  Instead, I will delight in God's Word and spend quality time meditating on it throughout each day. This will cause me to be a fruitful, growing believer, experiencing God's blessing and continuing to grow and bear fruit even in difficult times.

P= "Lord, how I thank You for the clear instruction in Your Word!  I praise You for its guidance, its comfort, its clarity, its beauty, and that it is living and powerful and growth-producing.  I thank You for the delight it is to meditate on Your Word and for how You use that to help me grow and bear fruit, even when difficulties come.  Help me to remain strong and steadfast, rooted and grounded, and to be an encourager who helps others grow in their faith.  I praise You for all that You are doing, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen."

Reflection question for Psalm 1:  "What fruit are you seeing in your life as a result of your love for God and His Word?  Is there anything in your life that causes you not to produce fruit?

My thoughts: Here is a note from Scofield regarding John 15:8, "Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."

"As we bear 'much fruit' the Father is glorified in us.  The fruit may be converts (Romans 1:13); Christian character -- the fruit of the Spirit -- (Galatians 5:22-23); and conduct -- the fruits of righteousness (Romans 6:21-22)." -- C.I. Scofield

It's encouraging to me to see that there is fruit in my life, that I am exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit on a daily basis.  Of course, I have a long way to go, and of course I battle sin on a daily basis, but I'm encouraged to see some fruit, and pray that there will one day be "much fruit" to glorify God.

And there is our Scripture Sunday for today!  I truly hope it has been an encouragement to someone.

Sunday Scripture

 

 It's time for another Sunday Scripture!  This is the last post of an ongoing series on my simple study of Rachel Wojo's Everything Beautiful.  You can read about the plan here if you are interested in it for yourself: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan. My answers and input on this series are a combination of what I learned back in 2018, and what I found in looking over the Scriptures now, six years later.  I'm attempting to SOAP the passages too, though some of them are longer. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Today's study is from Isaiah 60:1-9. 

S= "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
"For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples, but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.
"And the darkness shall come to the light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
"Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; they all gather themselves together, they shall come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
"Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged, because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the nations shall come unto thee.
"The multitude of camels shall cover thee; the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; they all from Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD.
"All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.
"Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like the doves to their windows?
"Surely the coasts shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD, thy God,  and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.  (Isaiah 60:1-9)

O= In the Scofield Study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles chapter 60 of Isaiah "Glorious Zion in the Kingdom Age."  

In With the Word, Warren Wiersbe focuses on three words that sum up the various sections of Isaiah 60.  Two of them describe our passage.

For verses 1-3 (and also v. 19-22) he uses the word "light".  He notes: "As Isaiah looked ahead to the redeemed people and the restored city of Zion, the thing that impressed him most was glory.  It would be the dawning of a new day for the nation."

For verses 4-9 he chooses the word "unity".  He writes, "Jews and Gentiles alike will delight in worshiping and serving God.  Our world is plagued by division and conflict, but one day, God will give peace."

Cross-references for "risen upon thee" (v.1) --"And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of the countries to which I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase." (Jeremiah 23:3)

"And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Zion a Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (Romans 11:26)

Cross-references for "glory" (v. 2) -- "And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defense."  (Isaiah 4:5)

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did light it, and the Lamb is the lamp of it.  And the nations of them who are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it."  (Revelation 21:23-24)

Cross-reference for "light" (v.3) -- "I, the LORD, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations."  (Isaiah 42:6)

The above is clearly speaking of Christ.

Cross-reference for "come to thee" (v.4) -- "Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold; all these gather themselves together, and come to thee."  (Isaiah 49:18a)

Cross-reference for "Ephah" (v.6) -- "And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah.  All these were the children of Keturah." [Abraham's second wife following the death of Sarah.]

Cross-reference for "Kedar" (v.7) -- "And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Israel, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam."  (Genesis 25:13)

Verses 14-15 of Genesis 25 go on to list 8 more sons of Ishmael.  So Kedar was one of twelve sons of Ishmael.  And Nebaioth (also in verse 7) was Kedar's eldest brother, according to Genesis 25:13.

Cross-reference for "acceptance" (v.7) -- "Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and m ake them joyful in My house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar; for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples."  (Isaiah 56:7)

Cross-reference for "glorify" (v.7) -- "And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts ... The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former, saith the LORD of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts."  (Habakkuk 2:7-9)

Cross-reference for "bring thy sons from far" (v.9) -- "Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the nations; and set up My standard to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders."  (Isaiah 49:22)

Warren Wiersbe writes in Be Comforted, his Bible study on Isaiah: " 'Arise and shine!' is God's 'wake-up call' to Jerusalem because a new day is dawning for Israel.  This light is not from the sun, but from the glory of God shining on the city.

    "God's glory had once dwelt in the tabernacle, only to depart because of Israel's sin.  God's glory then came into the temple, but it departed when the nation turned to idols.  The glory came to Israel in the person of Jesus Christ, but the nation nailed that glory to a cross."

A= For this Scripture, there were also a number of ways to apply it as prompted in the journal.  

"May His glory be seen in me." -- Rachel Wojo

My thoughts about this: These verses are all about God's glory.  God wants me, and all of His people, to bring glory to Him with our lives.

 

"Today, God's glory dwells in His church and in His people individually; but one day His glory will be revealed to the earth when He answers His people's prayer: 'Thy kingdom come'." -- Warren Wiersbe

 
Rachel also shares a "focus word" in each of the devotional pages.  For this lesson the focus word is "radiant". 

 
The question was asked: Which of my own words have blocked the beauty of God's Word?

My response in 2018: Maybe my worries and concerns as to what people may be thinking of me or may be saying about me.  I need to pay attention to bringing glory to God, and leave everything else in His hands.

Answering this same question in 2024: Life feels a little uncertain right now with our national circumstances.  But I must look to all that I know about God and not to the circumstances.  And there is so much truth about God just in these few verses from Job!

This prompt was given, along with a list: Today I will keep my eyes open for God's beauty in one or more of these places.

These are the places I circled: The words I read; the places I go; the air I breathe; the weather I experience; the rest I receive.

In 2024 I can note that for the words I read, I recently came across an essay by Hal Borland in a 1960s Readers' Digest magazine.  Titled October Splendor, the essay gave a lovely picture of October in New England.

For the air I breathe, it's been a joy to get out in the fresh air and walk many mornings lately.

For the weather I experience, I mentioned a string of perfect September days.  It felt like such a gift!

For the rest I receive, I'm so thankful that at the recent ladies' retreat, I slept all night.  That was unusual, as I don't usually sleep all night.  What a blessing not to have to leave the cabin to go out to the rest room.

A journaling prompt was this:  List one or more ideas to remind myself to intentionally look for God's beauty throughout the day.

My response in 2018: Go for a walk if possible.  Enjoy birdsong.  Breathe deeply.  Notice the beauty of God's Word.  Appreciate the beauty of the privilege of prayer. 

For my response in 2024, I added: Observe the leaves just beginning to turn color on isolated trees -- splashes of red and orange.  Notice the night sky -- the moon looks like a mandarin orange slice right now, and I recently observed several planets.  Watch for the progress as the sedum we planted at camp gradually changes color.

P= "Lord,  I thank You for how You have worked in my life through this study.  It has been a true exercise in looking to You and not my circumstances.  My circumstances personally in 2018, and circumstances in our country in 2024, have been especially challenging, but this study has forced me to see Your beauty in spite of them. What a blessing it has been to focus on Your beauty!  May I continue in Your strength to do this every day of my life regardless of circumstances.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen."

 And there is this week's Sunday Scripture -- as mentioned, the last in this particular series.  I pray it's a blessing to someone.  Next week we will be starting a new series on Psalms, though that may be interrupted by Thanksgiving, Christmas, and possibly something else.  We'll see!

Some goals for October

 

A new month means new goals (and with me, always some ongoing ones as well).  October is going to be an exceedingly busy month -- so here goes!

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Get back to working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Spend time with our friends who are younger believers
* Enjoy our church ladies' gathering
* Post in this blog as often as possible
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Use Charles Swindoll's devotional Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life for my quiet time daily
* Continue studying and preparing for my Sunday Scripture blog posts
*Work on Even If, a study of Habakkuk from the Daily Grace Co.
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Touch base with teen grandchildren regarding the Stand Firm Bible study
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Continue to work on memorizing the book of James
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week
* Help in many ways with our church's missions conference
* Host missionaries during the conference
* Do a lot of cooking/baking for various hospitality opportunities
* Prepare lunch for our friends from TWNE who are helping us to get our wood in the cellar for winter
* Host friends at our camp for lunch
* Get together with our friends Syd and Cyndy for Columbus Day
* Spend time with our friend Charlotte up north
* Attend a couples retreat (combined with a getaway)
* Attend a Bible conference
* Start a 40-day sugar fast

HEALTHY HABITS FOR OCTOBER:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs

WORD FOR 2024: Continue 

And there you have it -- my goals for October.   We will see how I do!

Sunday Scripture

 

 It's time for another Sunday Scripture!  This is part of an ongoing series on my simple study of Rachel Wojo's Everything Beautiful.  You can read about the plan here if you are interested in it for yourself: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan. My answers and input on this series are a combination of what I learned back in 2018, and what I found in looking over the Scriptures now, six years later.  I'm attempting to SOAP the passages too, though some of them are longer. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Today's study is from Psalm 119:12-18. 

S= "Blessed art Thou, O LORD; teach me Thy statutes.
"With my lips have I declared all the ordinances of Thy mouth.
"I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
"I will meditate in Thy precepts, and have respect unto Thy ways.
"I will delight myself in Thy statutes; I will not forget Thy Word.
"Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live, and keep Thy Word.
"Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law."  (Psalm 119:12-18)

O= Psalm 119, as we know, is devoted entirely to the praise of God’s Word and the role of His Word in the life of the believer.  There is so much that can be said about this psalm!

Just for starters, Psalm 119 has been called the golden alphabet of the Bible.  It is divided into 22 sections, one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Every section contains 8 verses, and every verse in a particular section begins with the corresponding Hebrew letter.  For example, the first section —  verses 1 through 8 — is titled Aleph.  And, in the Hebrew, each verse in this section begins with the letter Aleph.  The second section is titled Beth.  So in the Hebrew, each verse in that section — verses 9-16 — begins with the letter Beth.  And so on.
  
What a work of art this psalm is!  C.S. Lewis described it this way: “The poem is … a pattern, a thing done like embroidery, stitch by stitch, through long, quiet hours, for love of the subject and for the delight in leisurely, disciplined craftsmanship.”

A cross-reference for "teach me" (v. 12) and for "ways" (v.15) -- "Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths."  (Psalm 25:4)

Cross-references for "declared" (v. 13) -- "I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest."  (Psalm 40:9)

"And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."  (Deuteronomy 6:7)

"All the ordinances" (v.13) can be read "all the just decrees".   

Cross-references for "riches" (v.14) -- "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.  For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.  She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her."  (Proverbs 3:13-15)

"Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.  For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it."  (Proverbs 8:10-11)

"Testimonies" (v. 14) indicate "God's own declarations concerning His nature and purpose".*

Cross-reference for "meditate" (v. 15) -- "O, how love I Thy law!  It is my meditation all the day."  (Psalm 119:97)

"Precepts" (v.15) -- "Man's moral obligations as enjoined by  God". *

Cross-reference for "delight" (v. 16) -- "Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet Thy commandments are my delights."  (Psalm 119:143)

"Word" (v.16, 17) = "Speech or utterance, a general word for the disclosure of God's will."*

Cross-references for "deal bountifully" (v.17) -- "Return unto thy rest,  O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 116:7)

"I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me."  (Psalm 13:6)

Cross-reference for "that I may live" (v. 17) -- "The righteousness of Thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."  (Psalm 119:144)

"Law" (v.18) = "Primarily God's instruction or teaching, then all of God's revelation for life."*

* Definitions for testimonies (v.14), precepts (v.15), word (v.16,17) and law (v.18) are from the Scofield Study Bible.

A= The well-known Bible commentator of old, Matthew Henry, said that his father, Philip Henry, “recommended that his children take a verse of [Psalm 119] every morning and meditate upon it, and so go over the Psalm twice in a year, and that will bring you to be in love with all the rest of Scripture.”  I have read through a chapter of the Gospels a day, and a chapter of Proverbs a day, at different times in my life.  But I am thinking seriously of taking Mr. Henry’s advice and meditating on one verse of Psalm 119 per day.

For this Scripture, there were also a number of ways to apply it as prompted in the journal.  

"Center my vision on Your wondrous Word." -- Rachel Wojo

As we've said, the entire 176 verses of Psalm 119 are devoted to the praise of God's Word and to the role of His Word in the life of the believer. 

Rachel also shares a "focus word" in each of the devotional pages.  For this lesson the focus word is "fix". 

 

In the ESV verse 15 reads: "I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways."  This is really a great thought for believers in any situation they may face.  Fixing our thoughts on God's Word and our eyes on His ways is incredibly helpful every day.

The question was asked: What one thought can I surrender to create room for seeing moments of grace?

My response in 2018:  The erroneous thought that things are never going to get better, that God is not working in my situation.  That's just not true.  He is working, and things are improving.

Answering this same question in 2024: The thought that our country is doomed.  Sure, things do look bad, but God is not bound by the way a situation looks.

This prompt was given, along with a list: Today I will keep my eyes open for God's beauty in one or more of these places.

These are the places I circled: The words I read; places I go; the music I hear; the people I encounter;  the air I breathe; the weather I experience; the rest I receive.

In 2024 I can note that for the words I read, I was struck anew by the amazingly creative and beautiful way Psalm 119 has been structured.

For the music I hear,  there were beautiful, soaring notes as teen musicians practiced a strings piece for our missions conference.

For the rest I receive, I mentioned sleeping so well in this cooler, late-summer weather.

For the air I breathe, there was the blessing of low humidity.

For the weather I experienced, I noted the recent string of perfect, fall-like crisp blue-sky days.

A journaling prompt was this:  Everything God made is beautiful.  Where have I noticed God's beauty in the past 24 hours?

My response in 2018: In brilliant blue skies and warmer temperatures.  In the descriptive words of writers like Hal Borland and Gladys Taber concerning April.  In the glorious profusion of colors in a variegated yarn I was crocheting with.  I believe it's the one shown below.

For my response in 2024, I added: In a yellow maple leaf plastered against white clapboards by the wind.  In the intricately designed flowers of orange jewelweed.  In a gentle rain the other evening.  In the courtesy of two fine grandsons who escorted us from their house to our car with umbrellas.

P=  "Lord,  I pray that You would indeed center my vision on Your wonderful Word.  Help me never to forget that Your Word is truer than any of my own thoughts, and that it is more real and reliable than any of my feelings or emotions.  I praise You that You have indeed dealt bountifully with me.  Help me to be faithful in sharing Your Word with others.  I thank You for all You will do,  in Jesus' name, Amen."

 And there is this week's Sunday Scripture!  I pray it's a blessing to someone.

September archives from 2018 --

 

 Just wanting to put together a quick post for today.  It occurred to me that the last time I wrote archive posts -- featuring posts from the archives for specific months -- was in 2017.  So I decided to quickly pull together one from past Septembers -- 2018 and forward.  Here goes:

First day of fall, from 2018, features a poem from a vintage magazine page.

A few more late-summer scenes  is from 2019, but it shows pretty much how things are looking around here on my walking route right now.

Making some apple coasters was a fun craft tutorial from 2019.

From 2020, A company meal at our little camp was a fun re-read for me and such a great reminder of all that God did in giving us that cottage.  It continues to be a blessing as a getaway place for us and as a frequent location for hospitality! 

 From 2021, a Sunday Scripture post that just might feel very timely right about now ...

And from 2022 this post about my hubby's very special birthday celebration is short -- but as sweet as he is.

That's a span of five years of archive posts ... hope one of them is a fun or interesting read for someone!

Sunday Scripture

  

It's time for another Sunday Scripture!  This is part of an ongoing series on my simple study of Rachel Wojo's Everything Beautiful.  You can read about the plan here if you are interested in it for yourself: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan. My answers and input on this series are a combination of what I learned back in 2018, and what I found in looking over the Scriptures now, six years later.  I'm attempting to SOAP the passages too, though some of them are longer. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Today's study is from Psalm 145:1-9.  

S= "I will extol Thee, my God, O King: and I will bless Thy name forever and ever.
"Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name forever and ever.
"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable.
"One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.
"I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.
"And men shall speak of the might of Thy awe-inspiring acts; and I will declare Thy greatness.
"They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness.
"The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy.
"The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works."  (Psalm 145:1-9)

O= The Bible titles Psalm 145 "David's psalm of praise".

C.I. Scofield gives this psalm the title "Praise to the gracious God."

Here in these verses 1-9 David seems to alternate between speaking TO God (v.1-2, 4-6) and speaking ABOUT God (v. 3, 8-9).

TO God he says:
* I will extol Thee, my God, O King
* Every day I will bless Thee
* I will praise Thy name forever and ever
* One generation shall praise Thy works, and declare Thy mighty acts, to another
* I will speak:
    • of the glorious honor of Thy majesty
    • of Thy wondrous works
* I will declare Thy greatness.

*Men shall speak:
     • of the might of Thy awe-inspiring acts
    • of the memory of Thy great goodness.
* Men shall sing of Thy righteousness.

ABOUT God he says:
* Great is the LORD
* The LORD is greatly to be praised
* His greatness is unsearchable
* The LORD is gracious
* The LORD is full of compassion
* He is slow to anger
* He is of great mercy
* The LORD is good to all
* His tender mercies are over all His works.

Cross-reference for "great is the LORD" (v.3) -- "For the LORD  is great, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods."  (Psalm 96:4)

Cross-references for "greatness is unsearchable" (v.3) -- "I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause, Who doeth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number."  (Job 5:8-9)

Who doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number."  (Job 9:10)

"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out."  (Romans 11:33)

Cross-references for "gracious" (v.8) -- "And The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty."  (Exodus 34:6-7)

"The LORD is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation."  (Numbers 14:18)

"For Thou, Lord, art good; and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all those who call upon Thee ... But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."  (Psalm 86:5, 15)

Lovely graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy."  (Psalm 103:8)

Cross-references for "good" (v.9) -- "For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations."  (Psalm 100:5)

"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth those who trust in Him."  (Nahum 1:7)

A= For this Scripture, there were also a number of ways to apply it as prompted in the journal.  

"When I think about the Lord's wondrous works, beauty shows up." -- Rachel Wojo

My thoughts about this: Psalm 145:5 says, "I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works."

 
Rachel also shares a "focus word" in each of the devotional pages.  For this lesson the focus word is "meditate". 

 

When we meditate on God's wondrous works, His mighty acts, and His glorious character as David has done in this psalm, we can't help but see His beauty.

The question was asked: What season or circumstance in life challenges me to see God's gifts of beauty?

My response in 2018: With me it is very often not feeling well physically that challenges me in this way.  If tired or troubled, I can usually still see and appreciate God's gifts of beauty.  Physical pain or illness is much more challenging.

Answering this same question in 2024: Challenging circumstances or seasons of difficulty or uncertainty in life.  Things seem very uncertain in our world right now.  Probably the most certain thing is that it seems the forces of evil are working very hard to try and control all of us.  It can be challenging to see God's gifts of beauty -- but if we can do it, it will be a great reminder of His sovereignty and power. and will help us to point others to Him.

This prompt was given, along with a list: Today I will keep my eyes open for God's beauty in one or more of these places.

These are the places I circled: The words I read; the music I hear; the food I eat;  the air I breathe; the weather I experience; the rest I receive.

In 2024 for the music I hear,  I recalled singing around a campfire on a recent Wednesday night.

For the words I read, I commented on how all the verses in this psalm that speak of God's character and work are so beautiful.

For the food I eat, I mentioned colorful roasted vegetables.

For the people I encounter, I noted our recent trip to the Canadian Maritimes and its gorgeous scenery.

For the weather I experience, I noticed that we're beginning to feel the crispness of fall approaching.

A journaling prompt was this:  List one or more ideas to remind myself to intentionally look for God's beauty throughout the day.

My response in 2018: Get out in the brilliant sunshine and breathe deeply.  Take a short walk if possible.  Take time to notice the progress of spring bulbs.  Notice the color and texture in everyday objects.

For my response in 2024, I added: Pay attention to the signs of fall approaching.  Look at the night sky and observe the moon and stars.  Really listen to people when they talk!

P= "Lord, like the Psalmist, my intent is to praise and bless you every day.  You are gracious, full of compassion, slow to anger, of great mercy, righteous, great, good to all -- just to name a few of Your majestic qualities.  Help me to see and appreciate Your beauty even when my circumstances are less than ideal.  I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

 And there is this week's Sunday Scripture!  I pray it's a blessing to someone.