Song for Sunday: Jesus Calls Us, O'er the Tumult

Sometimes, amidst cares, worries, joys, work, hobbies, media, tasks, chores, and so on, we lose track of what's most important. 

We sang this hymn, which speaks to that, this morning. Jesus is calling us to make Him the most important thing in our lives. The message is a forceful one. There are a few references that might be obscure to those who are unfamiliar with the Bible (please feel free to ask) but I think the main gist is clear.

I feel challenged by these lyrics.

Jesus calls us over the tumult
Of our life’s wild, restless, sea;
Day by day His sweet voice soundeth,
Saying, “Christian, follow Me!”

As of old Saint Andrew heard it
By the Galilean lake,
Turned from home and toil and kindred,
Leaving all for Jesus’ sake.

Jesus calls us from the worship
Of the vain world’s golden store,
From each idol that would keep us,
Saying, “Christian, love Me more!”

In our joys and in our sorrows,
Days of toil and hours of ease,
Still He calls, in cares and pleasures,
“Christian, love Me more than these!”

Jesus calls us! By Thy mercies,
Savior may we hear Thy call,
Give our hearts to Thine obedience,
Serve and love Thee best of all.

Have any songs challenged you this week?

Is it a Mom thing?

OK. I have a guilty secret.

I like to eat chocolate. Before breakfast.

I thought it was just me. I mean, eating candy in the early morning isn't exactly a healthy habit. I didn't figure too many folks in my nutrition minded homeschool group would do such a thing.

But one time another Mom and I were talking about chocolate and she began telling me that she snuck candy bars before the kids got up. Then, the other day, I was chatting with yet another Mom and mentioned my AM indulgences. She said, "Tea and a chocolate truffle is the perfect treat first thing in the morning."

So, maybe there is an huge cohort of Moms nipping Hershey's just after they wake up.


Are you in the group?

Song for Sunday: Candy Man by Sammy Davis, Jr.

When I was kid, this was one of my favorite songs. It popped in to my head yesterday and seems perfect for a dreary day.


Who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew
Cover it with choc'late and a miracle or two
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

Who can take a rainbow, wrap it in a sigh
Soak it in the sun and make a groovy lemon pie
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Now you talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes

Oh, who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, oh the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good

The Candy Man makes everything he bakes satisfying and delicious
Talk about your childhood wishes, you can even eat the dishes

Yeah, yeah, yeah
Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream
Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream
The Candy Man, the Candy Man can
The Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
Yes, the Candy Man can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good
a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man
Candy Man, a-Candy Man, a-Candy Man

What was one of your favorite childhood songs?

Random Oddity

Just chalk this one up to random things that happen in homeschool settings. Or maybe it would happen in other settings, too.

We had a Valentine Dance last night. People dressed up. The lights were dim and there were battery operated candles, hearts on the walls, tables full of activities ("stack conversation hearts with chopsticks,"make a tissue paper flower) and snacks. Lights were projected on the ceiling

Girl's danced together at one end of the room. Boys swarmed all over the hall moving crazily to the music. For slow dances, mother's danced with sons or daughters, fathers danced with daughters, or siblings danced together. No kids have paired up yet.

So far normal for a family dance, yes? I think so, anyway. I haven't been to too many.

Then, two kids decided to lie down in the middle of the hall. A few more joined them. Then a few more. Soon all the kids and even some of the  Moms were stretched out on the floor in their finery. I would have joined, but for my crutches. They make it hard to get up.

I didn't really know what was going on, though. Well, I guess I did, I just didn't know why it was going on. At the end of the song, everyone got up at once. I asked my son what they had been doing. "Watching the stars on the ceiling. They move in a thirty second pattern." Oh. That makes sense. I had just never seen anything like it before. Not indoors at a dance.


How about you? Have you seen anything unusual lately?

Count Your Stitches

Lent began yesterday. This season of the Christian year is meant to be a time of self-examination, prayer and sacrifice. This knitting devotional is offered in that spirit.

The elderly woman who taught me to knit told me to count my stitches every few rows to make sure I still had the right number. Mistakes that are caught early are easier to correct than those that go unnoticed.

I continue with that habit to this day.

I have also learned that from time to time it is advisable to look over the piece you are working on to see if there are any mistakes that counting stitches won't catch. Loops, pulls, errors in the pattern: anything you would want to fix without having to do undo half the project.

Just as it is good to count stitches, it is good to keep a watch on our lives. Are our motives not quite pure? Are we sliding into a negative relationship? Are we slipping into sin? The sooner we catch these things, the easier it will be to correct them and straighten things out. If we let them go, fixing them could be come very costly.

Many people ask themselves a series of questions each evening. Things like:

• Have I hurt anyone today?
• Have I been angry?
• Have I failed to forgive somone?
• Have I neglected something I should have done?

This habit can keep negative or inappropriate behavior from becoming a pattern. It can be personalized to help you keep tabs on your own problem areas -- we all have them.

Once or twice a year, or perhaps even each Sunday, we should look at our lives as a whole, in a prayerful spirit, to see if anything needs renewing or changing.

Of course learning about ourselves isn't quite enough on it's own. When we have done these things, we should commit to fixing what needs fixing and to living as God wants us to live. And then do it.

 You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.

         Before a word is on my tongue
                                       you, Lord, know it completely. 
                 You hem me in behind and before
                   and you lay your hand upon me.
             Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
                  too lofty for me to attain.

                   Psalm 139: 1-6

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

                                                                                   James 1:23-25

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?   

                                                                               2 Corinthians 13:5

Do you have a method for examining your life?

Cast free!!

Got my cast off today. Yeah!! I'll be celebrating in a little while with a looong hot shower.

Jordan had fun watching the removal process and was quite relieved to see the thing go. He figures I won't be treating him quite so much like a house elf now. (I am a good master, really. Quite benign.)

With the blizzard aftermath, getting to my doctor's appointment was interesting...harrowing even.

The worst part was actually getting into the office building. Strangely enough, it is not handicap accessible. This bewilders me. I mean, an orthepedist deals with bone and joint problems, right? Including breaks, brittle bones, and knee replacements. Some of their patients must be in wheelchairs. There have to be quite a few on crutches.

Yet, there is no parking lot. We had to use a public lot a bit down the street. There are stairs with no ramp and the end of the walkway was not properly shoveled. The walkway itself was slippery. I only managed to get in by leaning heavily on my husband.

I mentioned to the receptionist, the x-ray technician and the doctor that the building had accessibility issues. They acknowledged that I was right and quickly changed the subject. I am a disabilities advocate, so this approach didn't really satisfy me. I didn't say anything then and there, but part of me wants to address this. I am looking into the best way to go about it.

If the office doesn't receive any federal funding and there hasn't been any recent construction, they may well be within the law. It still doesn't make sense though.

What do you think? Should I complain or let it go?

Song for Sunday: Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

This Charles Wesley hymn, which we sang in church this morning, is perfect for Valentine Sunday. With old - fashioned language, it reminds us of the depth of God's love. 

Love divine, all loves excelling,
Joy of heaven to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling;
All thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation;
Enter every trembling heart.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit,
Into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit;
Let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its Beginning,
Set our hearts at liberty.

Come, Almighty to deliver,
Let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return and never,
Never more Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing,
Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation;
Pure and spotless let us be.
Let us see Thy great salvation
Perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Charles Wesley, 1747

What is your favorite hymn of love?

Transistions

So I haven't written in a few days. It'll  probably be a few days 'til I post again. Crazy storm coming. Even canceled the CYC Reunion....and I was looking forward to seeing my peeps from Conference. Oh, well. Safety is more important. I think we'll have a game of RISK at my house.


Any way....... I have decided to write that devotional for Christian knitting circles and individual knitters that I have been posting about. Here is another entry for it:


I find that switching colors on a knitting project is tough. It seems that that is the time I am most likely to make a mistake. When adding a new color, I often drop a stitch or mess up the pattern. It takes a little work to get back on track. I have learned to be extra-vigilant at these points.

It can be like that in life, too.

When things change, it can be difficult. Even good changes like marriage, the birth of a baby or moving into a new house are stressful.

It's helpful to remember this and watch for signs that stress is affecting us or our relationships. It can lead to irritability, short-temperedness, depressed mood and even ill health unless we are careful.

Added prayer and meditation can be useful at these times. Connecting with our Creator can help us at all times, even times of severe stress.

Keep watch and pray!


Lord, grant us your peace and direction in times of transition. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Song for Sunday: Mercy Rewrote My Life

This old CYC song came to mind yesterday.

We all need mercy don't we?



Mercy rewrote my life.
Mercy rewrote my life.
I would have fallen,
My soul cast down
But mercy rewrote my life.

Jesus rewrote my life.
Jesus rewrote my life.
I would have fallen
My soul cast down
But Jesus rewrote my life.



What song is on your heart today?

Superbowl Sale..... of young girls

The Superbowl is a great time and a fabulous excuse for a party. Not so much into football myself, but I love a party.

Most Superbowl parties involve watching the game, eating snacks, and maybe drinking a few beers. Pretty innocent stuff. But there are some parties that are not so tame.

We don't want to think about it, but down in New Orleans, the police are bracing not only for potential drunk drivers, but also for an increase in sex trafficking. Girls as young as 12, runaways from America and youngsters from poor villages in foreign countries, are being shipped in for the pleasure of men.

The horror of this breaks my heart. Innocent little girls ....and hardened teens... it's just beyond imagining.

Most of these girls have been tricked into a life of prostitution. They need our help and prayers. Many organizations are set up to care for them and should have our support. Those girls need the hope and comfort of Jesus.

The men who use these girls need prayer, too. This behavior is sick and until these men are healed of this sickness teenagers will be endangered. These men need a cure for their own sakes too. They need the light of Jesus in their dark hearts. One group has declared today "Pray for the Johns" day.

Personally, I am going to pray for everyone involved: the girls, their families, their traffickers, the men, the party hosts, the police, the rescue organizations.


How about you?