I am a Christian, a retired teacher, a mother and a grandmother. I love to read and I love the Lord Jesus Christ! Unless otherwise specified ,all visual illustrations are from the YOU VERSION APP of the Bible.
1. Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before! Christ, the royal Master, Leads against the foe; Forward into battle, See His banner go! (Refrain)
2. At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee; On, then, Christian soldiers, On to victory! Hell’s foundations quiver At the shout of praise; Brothers, lift your voices, Loud your anthems raise! (Refrain)
3. Like a mighty army Moves the church of God; Brothers, we are treading Where the saints have trod. We are not divided; All one body we, One in hope and doctrine, One in charity. (Refrain)
4. Onward then, ye people, Join our happy throng, Blend with ours your voices In the triumph song; Glory, laud, and honor Unto Christ the King; This thro’ countless ages Men and angels sing. (Refrain)
Refrain: Onward, Christian soldiers, Marching as to war, With the cross of Jesus Going on before!
This image goes along with my post yesterday about preparing for each new day with the armor of God. Today, God reminded me of a hymn to spur us on as we go into battle, so I thought a visual of the armor would be appropriate here.
What sounds are in your life right now? For me, it’s the washing machine, the dryer, my husband flipping pages of his notebook as he pays bills. And me hitting the keys on the keyboard. The sounds I want to hear are praise, so that’s what I will share as I surround myself with the comforting presence of the Lord.
So, as you travel down life’s road today, what sounds are you hearing? What are you listening to? Share in the comments and let me know the praise songs you listen to or sing as you start the day. Every day has its challenges, but every day is always better when you start with praise.
1 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home:
—
2 Under the shadow of your throne your saints have dwelt secure; sufficient is your arm alone, and our defense is sure.
—
3 Before the hills in order stood, or earth received its frame, from everlasting you are God, to endless years the same.
—
4 A thousand ages in your sight are like an evening gone, short as the watch that ends the night before the rising sun.
—
5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream, soon bears us all away; we fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the op’ning day.
—
6 O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, still be our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home!
My Musings
I was raised in a traditional church, although I did not attend regularly. But hymns were a regular part of every Sunday when I did attend, and I learned to listen to the words as I sang them. Now that I am a Christian, I have found that the words of the old hymns continue to speak to my heart of a faithful God who is eternal and unchanging. The world may change; the standards all around us may change. But God will never change, so we can count on Him to fulfill His promises and to take us to be with Him one day.
A Personal Note:
I am spending the weekend with our son and his family at a water park in Williamsburg, Virginia. This trip was planned several months ago and we all have been excited about spending time together in a relaxing environment. Unfortunately, on the Friday before our trip, I had to go to the ER because of awful pain in my left foot. After x-rays and an examination, the doctor said that he thinks it is just badly sprained but it may have a hairline fracture. So, later this month, I have to see the orthopedic specialist. Meanwhile, I am in an ortho shoe for support and using pain patches. I cannot get in the water with the rest of my family, but I am enjoying seeing their exuberance and excitement here. So, no worries because God is good all the time and I know and believe it even when my plans don’t work out as I expected!
Lord God, I thank you for who you are and for all you have done for me all the days of my life. I bless your name for your goodness and mercy that you have showered on me abundantly. I thank you for your gifts of children, grandchildren friends and other family. These relationships have taught me so much, Lord, about your character and how you want people to be. Thank you, Lord, for being there for me when I was lonely or afraid. Thank you, Father, for being a father to me when mine was not there. I am overwhelmed by your goodness, Lord and your unimaginable and deep love for all of your creation, including me. May I ever be aware of your presence and your desire to bring everyone to you. In Jesus’s Name.
This was my devotional this morning, after a heart-wrenching day yesterday. The devotional is from the YouVersion Bible App and is entitled “Knowing God Has a Plan: 5-Day Devotional by Anne Wilson.”
When Grief Comes, Is God Still Good?
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5
Some say grief is horror at loss…at not being able to touch them, laugh with them, or make new memories with them. Others may say it is soul-crushing…excruciating…and it makes eternity feel instantaneously close… yet so far away. For me, it is all of this on top of the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens rolled into one.
In the “Seventh of June” song, I wanted to be transparent about the process of grief…how it comes in waves and on anniversaries…how it spills out in tears. We are all in the trenches at times – “praying and trying to make sense of what don’t make sense in this life.” We are all put on notice, waiting for the impossible moment that we never want to face. But we all face loss. We are not getting off of this earth without it.
Grieving people ask themselves: Did they know how much I loved them? What should I have done differently? It can be heavy and full of despair, yet empty of adding up to make sense. How could this have happened? Why did this happen? And the ones no one likes to talk about: Is God still good? And where is God in the midst of our grief?
Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the broken-hearted for they shall be comforted…but ask a new mother holding her stillborn baby if she feels blessed. Ask anyone at the edge of a hospice bed if they feel blessed.
I have learned that the blessing is having Jesus to weep with you. To hold you. To give you supernatural peace that only He can give. At my lowest times and my darkest days, the Prince of Peace is there to encourage me and to catch my tears. I want to remind you that He is good and promises us that weeping endures for a night, but joy comes in the morning.
Here are some questions to ponder as you process your grief with the Lord:
Is God responsible for our loss?
There must be a reason we have a period on earth to experience truth, beauty, and goodness but also deception, ugliness, and evil. What could God’s purposes be?
Now, back to me and my losses. Two good friends and former colleagues passed away this week, but I just heard of their deaths yesterday on my way home from my urologist. I was rejoicing that my bladder scan was good and the solution proposed was an easy one of long-term, low dose antibiotics. Then, I got the text that shattered my world and sent my heart into a tailspin. Ann Garner, the attendance secretary at the high school where I worked for so many years here in Virginia, passed away on Sunday morning. Ann was a dear friend as well as a co-worker. She and I used to go out to lunch together several times a month. After my stroke, she was gracious to include my husband Harry in our outings, since I couldn’t drive myself. We shared laughter, tears and a lot of happy times together. I spoke to her just before I went on the grad tour. She called me to tell me that a former student wanted my phone number and she wouldn’t give it to her without my permission. When I called her back, she sounded really weak, not like herself at all. So I asked her what was going on in her life these days. We hadn’t seen each other for over a year since I had health issues, she had health issues and we just couldn’t make our schedules work. But we stayed in contact, so I was devastated to hear her news that her cancer was not only back but she was on home hospice care. I asked if there was anything I could do and she just asked me to pray. So, my husband and I did. I knew then that the end was close, but I refused to accept that truth and kept praying for healing. After all, she had survived for twelve years with cancer. But the end came in spite of my prayers because God called Ann home to be with him. A widow since 2006, she is reunited with her beloved Clarence now, so I know that her cup is filled with joy. I, on the other hand, feel distraught and a deep grief, a sense of longing for our times together that won’t happen again.
The second blow came as I was online trying to find the information about Ann’s services. I finally found it on Facebook, of all places, and in scrolling, I discovered that a second colleague, Coach Joe Harper had passed away yesterday. Joe was a wonderful man and a good friend who encouraged everyone to enjoy life while we had it. After my stroke, he used to come by my room almost daily just to check in with me and ask how I was doing. I should note here that he taught all the way on the other end of a very large building, but he made the trek to the language hallway because he cared about others, including me. He used to greet us in the office at the mailboxes each morning with the same big smile and the words, “Another day in Paradise!” I truly believe that this kind and loving man who was unselfish to his core is also in the presence of the Father.
After these two deaths had time to settle in my conscious, I cried quietly, then I sobbed. Then, I went to bed early, long before my regular time. In fact, I was asleep before 6:30 last night, praying for peace and comfort for all of the friends and family and that God would give me peace and allow me to rest. He did, and I did. I awakened a couple of times as usual, made my bathroom stop and fell back to sleep. Today, I am feeling a little numb and like I have entered a world that is not well known to me. The death of two friends within days of each other invokes grief but also a wake-up call to my own mortality. None of is promised tomorrow, but if we know the Lord, we are promised eternity.
So, to answer the questions in the devotional: God is not responsible for the loss. Sin came into the world and death follows sin. God’s purpose is not always known, but He is always working out His plan, in others and in me. May the deaths of these loved ones point others to Christ. I know this must be part of His plan.
I am not really feeling joy this morning, but I am feeling a peace and a comfort that can only come from God. Whoever you are missing today, I hope that as you read these words, you will know that God is close beside you and longs to comfort you with His loving presence.
I am creating this post early since tomorrow my husband and I are traveling to a nearby town to celebrate our 52nd wedding anniversary. But I couldn’t let the day go by without wishing everyone in my little blogosphere a Happy Easter!
Easter is my favorite holiday. Most people say that Christmas is their favorite, and I think that used to be my answer when I was younger. But now that I am counted with the elderly, I look forward to Easter and the joy and hope it brings.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his wife are in Israel now, serving our nation as he has done for most of his life. As you read this scripture, say a prayer for him and Janet to be safe and well there.
What does it mean for the Lord to be our shepherd? This video explains well and I hope it blesses your heart to know all the ways God is your shepherd.
I particularly enjoyed the part about God’s being there in the valleys. We seem to have a lot of challenges in this life, but God is right there, leading us and keeping us safe. I also liked the part about God’s preparing a table for us before our enemies, teaching us to rely on His protection. The Psalm is from the beginning of the video until about the four minute mark and the other seven plus minutes are a prayer based on the psalm. It was very relaxing and uplifting for me to start my day with this today.
Then I followed this scripture and prayer with this song from Phil Wickham. I hope you have a blessed day, knowing that God is with you always and you will be with Him for eternity.
This is one of the first songs that I learned as a new Christian over five decades ago. To this day, the song brings back wonderful memories of all of the people I met in the first little church I attended and then the small country church in South Carolina. I hope you enjoy this stroll down memory lane and that this song brings you the hope that is so evident in its verses.
Lyrics
God sent His son, they called Him Jesus He came to love, heal, and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living just because He lives.
How sweet to hold a newborn baby, And feel the pride and joy he gives. But greater still the calm assurance, This child can face uncertain days because He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living just because He lives.
And then one day I’ll cross the river, I’ll fight life’s final war with pain. And then as death gives way to victory, I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives.
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, All fear is gone! Because I know He holds the future And life is worth the living just because He lives!
Vickie's Book Nook and Meditation Corner 