Quotable Quotes

A few from the last few days so I won't forget. I am not good at recording these things:


Hope: When the trumpet blows I am going to fly to heaven with my ladybug wings.


And what a cute little ladybug she will be....here's Hope from Halloween in her ladybug wings:

Makes me sing:
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace.
In the mansions bright and blessèd
He’ll prepare for us a place.
Refrain
When we all get to Heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!


Grayson is obsessed right now with volcanoes.  This was before everything in Japan. So, I have been reading to him about them.  Today he was "reading" to Hope out of his book and said, "Hope this is the earth breaking away, but don’t be scared, the Lord will wrap His arms around you and me and everyone."


Of course, my favorite quote of the last few days was Hope this morning. She came downstairs and proclaimed, "Mommy, Jesus slept last night. He got tired."  I decided if he was tired it was because he had been keeping up with them!  Seriously, we have been talking about the attributes of God and I have been telling them how God doesn't get tired, how He never sleeps or slumbers and will always, always watch over them.  It did make me giggle though.

Slow to Learn

Moses may have been slow in speech, but I am slow to learn.  Mom asked me to reteach a lesson I taught in the fall of 2009 on "Fear Not, I am With You."  I guess I didn't get it the first time, or else I really need to hear it again. Mostly what I find when I teach is that I am not finding out great insights that someone else needs, but rather insights that I need for my own growth. I guess that doesn't say  much on my growth over the past few years.

I still fight fears....fear of something happening to one of my children, fear of finances, fear of fire, fear of moving, fear of change and the list goes on.   One of the things I have been reminded of is this: when we fear we are saying two things, "God I don't trust you" and "I don't accept your providence in my life."

Jerry Bridges says this, "For me I have come to the conclusion that my anxiety is triggered not so much by a distrust in God as by an unwillingness to submit to and cheerfully accept His agenda for me."

Oh I love my agenda and fear His. What kind of pain and heartache or joy and pleasure could it mean?  I guess that is just it, I fear the unknown.  The great commitment that He has made though is that He will be With us! He will be with me, whether good or bad, joyful or sorrowful.   Fear Not, I am with You.  I loved what I read this week:  God's answer to fear is not an argument or a formula. It's a person.  God himself is the final answer to every fear of the human heart.

The hymn that has been running through my head is How Firm a Foundation (and being the good Baptist that I am, I only know 4 of the 7 verses :) )!


How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"

Friday Faves - Hymns!

I am so excited; I have been waiting for this Friday faves! I love hymns. I love the depth with which they were written; I love the theology (yes, I said the "t" word) that they communicate, I love that I can sing them and not just be repeating myself, I love that if I focus in on the words of them that I am singing about what Christ did for me, not what I might try to do for him (b/c my efforts are futile at best). Yes, I love (we love) hymns in this house. There's just not enough room to list all of my favorites!



All time favorite: Great is Thy Faithfulness - it was sung at our wedding and I plan on having it sung at my funeral. There is not a time when the Lord has not been or will not be faithful. He is faithful!



To say I love Christmas would be an understatement (see here for my husband's commentary on my love for Christmas). I listen to Christmas music alot. Our favorite Christmas hymn: Hark the Herald Angels Sing. It's awesome, I tell you, awesome. What joy it brings my heart to hear Grayson sing "God and sinners reconciled." Yes, we have started teaching him hymns and he can sing them better than I can. In fact he corrected me just the other day on the second verse of another fave, O Worship the King.



Modern Hymn - you can't beat In Christ Alone!



Other faves: The Old Ruggeed Cross, Redeemed, Christ the Lord is Risen Today (Easter is not complete without it), Amazing Grace, Oh for a Thousand Tonges to Sing, How Firm a Foundation, To God Be the Glory and Holy, Holy, Holy.



Join in with Missy at It's Almost Naptime!

Amazing Grace

A friend of mine posted on her blog today about hymns and it reminded me again of how much I love the words to hymns. There is such fullness and teaching in them. I love all kinds of hymns, not just the old ones, but some of the new ones as well.

I had actually been thinking about it this week as I have been preparing to teach today on the idol of religion: how we can be religious to the point of neglecting our relationship with Christ, how we focus on our external works rather than the internal change, etc. It's been a great reminder to stop and return to the very grace of God that both saves and sustains us. Jerry Bridges states that we should preach the gospel to ourselves every day to be reminded of the great grace of Jesus Christ our Savior. As I have thought about it, the words to the song Amazing Grace keep rolling over and over in my head....the grace that saved me, the grace that will lead me home and the grace that we will forever proclaim.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come,
Twas grace that brought me safe thus far and grace will bring me home

The Lord has promised good to me, His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endured

When we’ve been there 10K years, bright shining as the sun
We’ve no less days to sing God’s grace, than when we first begun

Oh for a Thousand Tongues...

As I am up especially early this Sunday morning preparing for a Sunday School lesson, I was thinking of one of my favorite hymns, "Oh For a Thousand Tongues to Sing." It is a reminder to me of what I felt called to do years ago when I was convicted of some sin in my life. As I was confessing my sin at the time, I began to pray through Psalm 51 - David's words after his affair with Bathsheba. For whatever reason that day, the words from verses 12-15 jumped off the page at me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways....teach! That was such a scary thing for me, and might I add it still is. However, I had found God's great forgiveness and who am I to keep that to myself? I don't always teach as I should or even to who I should - sometimes to a class, sometimes one on one, but I do know that we are to be pointing others to Christ. The prayer of my heart this morning is found in the first 2 verses of this hymn:
Oh for a Thousand Tongues to sing my great redeemers praise
the glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His name.
My gracious master and my God, assist me to proclaim,
to spread through all the earth abroad the honors of thy name.

Psalms 51:12-15
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

O for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!
My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad The honors of Thy name.
Jesus! the name that charms our fears, That bids our sorrows cease;
’Tis music in the sinner’s ears, ’Tis life, and health, and peace.
He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free;
His blood can make the foulest clean,His blood availed for me.
Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb,Your loosened tongues employ;
Ye blind, behold your Savior come, And leap, ye lame, for joy

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

The last few days, the following song has been playing through my head. Perhaps it is because this is Holy Week and I have been trying to explain to my 18 month old son what Easter is all about. I have been overwhelmed with how much I have to teach him but know that the best place is to start with the story of our Savior who came into this world as a human with the sole purpose of laying down His life for our sins only to be raised in victory 3 days later. The greatest joy for me would be to hear that Grayson understands and believes in Christ as His Savior. For now, I hope that I hear the words out of Grayson's mouth, "Mommy, tell me the story of Jesus" so I can explain this great and wonderful truth to him.


Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus, Sang as they welcomed His birth.
“Glory to God in the highest!Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain
Tell me the story of Jesus,Write on my heart every word.
Tell me the story most precious,Sweetest that ever was heard.

Fasting alone in the desert, Tell of the days that are past.
How for our sins He was tempted, Yet was triumphant at last.
Tell of the years of His labor, Tell of the sorrow He bore.
He was despised and afflicted, Homeless, rejected and poor.

Refrain

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and pain.
Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth again.
Love in that story so tender, Clearer than ever I see.
Stay, let me weep while you whisper, Love paid the ransom for me.

Refrain

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple area, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were indignant. "Do you hear what these children are saying?" they asked him. "Yes," replied Jesus, "have you never read, "'From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise'?" Matthew 21:15-16



Hosanna, loud hosanna, the little children sang,
through pillared court and temple the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises, the simplest and the best.


From Olivet they followed mid an exultant crowd,
the victor palm branch waving, and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children should on his bidding wait.


"Hosanna in the highest!" that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer, the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence eternally rejoice!

He is Risen!

Jesus Christ is Risen Today

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!


Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
now above the sky he's King, Alleluia!
where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!




Low in the Grave He Lay refrain

Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a Victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!


" As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him." Mark 16:5-6

Sunday Hymn - Amazing Grace!

For the longest time, I associated Amazing Grace with being sad, a hymn reserved only for funerals. And while funerals celebrate that someone has graduated and gone to be with our Lord and Savior, there is still a saddness that we as humans feel over our loss. A few months back when I was teaching a Sunday morning class, I decided in preparation for the class to read the Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges. It was such a fresh reminder to me that each and every day we need to be preaching the gospel to our selves. As he states, "Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." I thought long and hard about that and realized that all too often I take forgranted that beautiful gift of grace that saved a wretch like me. So, in effort to begin to remind myself of the beauty of God's grace, every afternoon at naptime I sing Grayson the words to this hymn. May you too be reminded of God's grace as you read the words this morning.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,Was blind, but now, I see.

T'was Grace that taught...my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear...the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares...we have already come.
T'was Grace that brought us safe thus far...and Grace will lead us home.

The Lord has promised good to me...His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be...as long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years...bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise...then when we've first begun.


For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9