Quote of the Week: M'Cheyne

The purest joy in the world is joy in Christ Jesus." - Robert Murray M'Cheyne 

Sunday Hymn: O Jesus, We Adore Thee

Original Trinity Hymnal, #193

O Jesus, we adore thee,
Upon the cross, our King!
We bow our hearts before thee,
Thy gracious name we sing.
That name hath brought salvation,
That name in life our stay,
Our peace, our consolation,
When life shall fade away.

Yet doth the world disdain thee,
Still passing by the cross;
Lord, may our hearts retain thee;
All else we count but loss.
Ah, Lord, our sins arraigned thee,
And nailed thee to the tree:
Our pride, our Lord, disdained thee;
Yet deign our hope to be.

O glorious King, we bless thee,
No longer pass thee by;
O Jesus, we confess thee
The Son enthroned on high.
Lord, grant to us remission;
Life through thy death restore;
Yea, grant us the fruition
Of life for evermore.

Thankful Thursday

Psalm 111:1 Praise the Lord!
I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the Lord,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the inheritance of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy;
8 they are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name!
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever!

Sunday Hymn: All things that on the earth do dwell

Original Trinity Hymnal, #1
Psalm 100

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forth-tell,
Come ye before him and rejoice.

The Lord ye know is God indeed;
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

Sunday Hymn: O God, Most Holy are Thy Ways

Original Trinity Hymnal, #41
Psalm 77:13-20

O God, most holy are thy ways,
And who like thee deserves my praise?
Thou only doest wondrous things,
The whole wide world thy glory sings;
Thine outstretched arm thy people saved,
Though sore distressed and long enslaved.

O God, from thee the waters fled,
The depths were moved with mighty dread,
The swelling clouds their torrents poured,
And o'er the earth the tempest roared;
'Mid lightning's flash and thunder's sound
Great trembling shook the solid ground.

Thy way was in the sea, O God,
Through mighty waters, deep and broad;
None understood but God alone,
To man thy footsteps were unknown;
But safe thy people thou didst keep,
Almighty Shepherd of thy sheep.

Quote of the Week: Calvin

No one, who is seriously touched and moved by the fear of God, will ever dare to raise up his eyes to heaven, since the more he strives after true righteousness, the clearer he sees how far he is from it. 

John Calvin, Commentary on Romans

Quote of the Week: Anonymous

‎"You'll never plow a field by turning it over in your mind."

Irish Proverb

Sunday Hymn: O Lord most high

Original Trinity Hymnal, #44
Psalm 9:1-2, 7-11

O Lord most high, with all my heart
Thy wondrous works I will proclaim;
I will be glad and give thee thanks
And sing the praises of thy name.

The Lord, the everlasting King,
Is seated on his judgment throne;
The righteous Judge of all the world
Will make his perfect justice known.

Jehovah will a refuge prove,
A refuge strong for all oppressed,
A safe retreat, where weary souls
In troublous times may surely rest.

All they, O Lord, that know thy Name
Their confidence in thee will place,
For thou hast ne'er forsaken them
Who earnestly have sought thy face.

Sing praises to the Lord most high,
To him who doth in Zion dwell;
Declare his mighty deeds abroad,
His deeds among the nations tell.

Trinity Hymnal 

Sunday Hymn: Laden with Guilt

 Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spir­it­u­al Songs, 1707-1709

Laden with guilt, and full of fears,
I fly to Thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears
But in Thy written Word.
The volume of my Father’s grace
Does all my griefs assuage;
Here I behold my Savior’s face
Almost in every page.

This is the field where hidden lies
The pearl of price unknown;
That merchant is divinely wise
Who makes the pearl his own.
Here consecrated water flows
To quench my thirst of sin;
Here the fair tree of knowledge grows,
Nor danger dwells therein.

This is the Judge that ends the strife
Where wit and reason fail,
My guide to everlasting life
Through all this gloomy vale.
O may Thy counsels, mighty God,
My roving feet command;
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to Thy right hand.

The Rest of the Story

Do you read Ligonier's blog?  If you don't, you'll be missing this excellent article, The Rest of the Story, by RC Sproul, Jr.

This upcoming Sunday, I'm going to remember that, while Monday through Saturday are 'not yet' days, every Sabbath day is an 'already' day.

Quote of the Week: Sinclair Ferguson

[W]hen you begin to understand that in Christ you died to sin and have now been delivered from the dominion of sin; that you are no longer under its bondage; that you no longer need to be a victim of its subtle paralysis—then you find yourself saying not only “Isn’t this amazing grace?” but “What glorious freedom Jesus Christ has bought for me on the cross.”

Sinclair Ferguson

Sunday Hymn: At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing

At the Lamb's high feast we sing
Praise to our victorious King,
Who hath washed us in the tide
Flowing from his pierced side;
Praise we him whose love divine
Gives his sacred blood for wine,
Gives his body for the feast,
Christ the Victim, Christ the Priest.

Where the paschal blood is poured,
Death's dark angel sheathes his sword;
Israel's hosts triumphant go
Through the wave that drowns the foe.
Praise we Christ, whose blood was shed,
Paschal Victim, Paschal Bread;
With sincerity and love
Eat we manna from above.

Mighty Victim from the sky,
Pow'rs of hell beneath thee lie;
Death is conquered in the fight,
Thou hast brought us life and light:
Hymns of glory and of praise,
Risen Lord, to thee we raise;
Holy Father, praise to thee,
With the Spirit, ever be.

Trinity Hymnal #365

Sunday Hymn: O God, the Rock of Ages

O God, the Rock of Ages,
Who evermore hast been,
What time the tempest rages,
Our dwelling place serene:
Before thy first creations,
O Lord, the same as now,
To endless generations
The Everlasting Thou!

Our years are like the shadows
On sunny hills that lie,
Or grasses in the meadows
That blossom but to die;
A sleep, a dream, a story
By strangers quickly told,
And unremaining glory
Of things that soon are old.

O thou who canst not slumber,
Whose light grows never pale,
Teach us aright to number
Our years before they fail;
On us thy mercy lighten,
On us thy goodness rest,
And let thy Spirit brighten
The hearts thyself hast blessed.

Lord, crown our faith's endeavor
With beauty and with grace,
Till, clothed in light for ever,
We see thee face to face:
A joy no language measures;
A fountain brimming o'er;
An endless flow of pleasures;
An ocean without shore.

Trinity Hymnal, #24

I used to share my poetry

Dragonfly

veridian trace

a breakneck evanescence

diverting all thought

I used to share my Calligraphy

I think starting my business is the biggest reason I began to neglect my blog.  Last year was the first year and there was so much to do--setting up my website, getting started on marketing and advertising, making sure I was doing everything by the books for the State of Illinois, expanding my studio to make it conducive for the kind of work I was beginning to take on.  It was a busy year and it seems like a blurrrrr now.

This year has been another kind of blurrrr.  I've been almost fully booked since before Christmas last year, with only an occasional day here and a day there between jobs.  There has been a steady stream of clients dropping off envelopes on one weekend and picking them up the next.  

I've also had the opportunity to do some fun commissioned pieces in between the envelopes and place cards.

I love my job.  I love the doing of it and I love meeting and serving my clients.  In all this time, I've only had one bride that even remotely approached the title of 'Bridezilla' and as it was a big old lucrative job, it really didn't bother me too much. I love working from my home at what I love to do.  I love making people happy and helping to make a very special time of their lives a little more special. 

The one draw back to going into business full time is that it has taken some time for me to adjust.  My house isn't as clean as it once was, we're eating much simpler meals most nights, and I don't have as much time to read (my other passion.)  And, sadly, I don't have as much time to play in the studio and create things for myself.  

But this job has stretched me, forced me to learn new things, forced me to try things I've never tried before, and given me a sense of accomplishment.

I'm never going to get rich at this but it's a great job and I love it! One envelope at a time!

I used to share quotes

For years and years I posted a quotation every week, usually on Saturday.  Most of the time, it was a bit of whatever I was reading.  If you check out my category page, you'll see that I've got more posts in the quotes category than anything else!  There's a lot of good stuff on that page!

This Saturday, I'm going to get back to posting at least one quote every week.

In the meantime, here's one to get started:

Beware teaching that is alloyed, that mixes God's Word with the word of man.  Beware doctrines that are new, that boast to have discovered what the foolish church never grasped before. . .Ultimately, this is our only sure guide when it comes to matters of truth:  Does it agree with the clear teaching of Scripture?  If it presents a new interpretation of Bible passages, does it square with what we read elsewhere in God's Word?  Does it suggest a way of approaching and relating to God other than what was set forth by our Lord and by the agents of Biblical revelation?. . .any teacher is to be rejected if what he says is contrary to the prophetic and apostolic teaching of the Scripture.

Richard D. Phillips, Hebrews Commentary (13:9-14)

This may seem obvious to some and perhaps not even particularly quote worthy, but this is an essential truth and we ignore it at our peril.  I was having a discussion with a friend about how some people can get so quickly into deep weeds, embracing fadish books and false views of Christ, of the church, and of the way of salvation.  It comes down to this, I think.  When we let our own thoughts, opinions, and emotions be the guide, or if we follow another without testing what they are teaching, we get off the path of truth and into the weeds real quick.  There are snakes and alligators waiting in those weeds!

I used to share recipes

I've got an entire Notebook on my One Note that I use as a drop box for the wonderful recipes I've found on friends' blogs over the past six years.  I use these recipes regularly and hardly ever reach for a cookbook any more.  I've always believed that one good turn deserves another, so when I've snagged a particularly good recipe, I used to recipricate by posting one of my own.

A quick check of my recipes category showed that I haven't shared a recipe since November '10.  Time to rectify that!  Here's a wonderful recipe from my nephew, Matt, that's just perfect for spring and summer:

Matt's Pasta Primavera

For a full pound of Penne Pasta, I (Matt speaking) use 1- 1 ½ c. of the following:

•        Carrots, chopped
•        Broccoli, cut into small florets
•        Cauliflower, cut into small florets
•        Mix of yellow squash and small green zucchini (one or two of each, depending on size)
•        Plum tomatoes (or cherry) cut into small pieces 

 If you make all of the above, it makes a lot and this dish is not the greatest re-heated, so adjust accordingly for the number of people eating.  The great thing is that all of the vegetable quantities are rough amounts, you can put as much or as little of each as you want.

After you have prepped all the veggies (or while you are doing the prepping) get your water boiling for both the pasta and your steamer assembly, because you will starting cooking both at the same time.  Also, get a large skillet/sauté pan (lg. enough to fit all of the above into it at the end) prepared by placing enough olive oil into it to cover the bottom and add however much diced garlic as you would like (I use a lot because I like it).

Once both your water pots are boiling start cooking the pasta and add the carrots to the steamer.  Steam the carrots for 4 minutes, then add the broccoli & cauliflower and steam for an additional 4 minutes.  Then add the squash and zucchini and steam for an additional 2 minutes.  Then, turn off the heat and add the tomatoes and let sit for 1-2 minutes.  When you add the tomatoes turn on the heat to your skillet/sauté pan with the oil and garlic to medium-high to get it warmed up (make sure you wait until this point to heat up this pan….the worst mistake you can make with this dish is to burn the garlic, I speak from personal experience….it just ruins the whole thing). (Matt speaking but I can certainly join him--been there, done that) 

After you have waited the 1-2 minutes after adding the tomatoes to the steamer (and your oil and garlic is now heated up) add the veggies to the oil & garlic pan and give a quick stir and at this point your pasta is now done, so you can add it to everything else and mix up.  Salt & pepper to taste and serve with grated Parmesan (or your favorite cheese).

I used to blog about what I was studying

I'm still very actively involved in Bible Study.

Our Sunday School class has been studying The Sermon on the Mount for several months.  We're using Sinclair Ferguson's book on the subject and I'm also reading James Boice and D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' books on the Sermon on the Mount for preparation.

We're taking a break from the Sermon on the Mount for a few weeks this summer and our Pastor, Brandon Wilkins, is teaching us about Old Testament Ethics and the Kingdom of God.  It's been an amazing study so far and I'm learning so much!  

We've been hosting a bi-monthly Bible study of the book of Romans in our home.  I've been using John Murray's commentary as my primary resource but I've also been dipping in and out of Sproul's book on Romans along with James Boice's commentary.  Last night our Pastor shared a book I'll be starting to read today--A Biblical Case for Natural Law by David Van Drunen.  Since this is a borrowed book, I probably won't mess around with this book--I'll read it over the next few days.

And last but not least, I've been leading a study in the book of Hebrews for nearly four years.  I think we'll finish up in the next two weeks.  I'm excited to be so close to completing the study, but I confess I have grown to love this book and I do have ambivilent feelings about 'leaving' it.  My primary resource for this study has been the wonderful commentary by Richard D. Phillips, but I have also been reading Owens, Calvin, and Matthew Henry's commentaries and I've benefitted greatly by my friends sharing what they are learning from their commentaries--Dorothy is reading John Brown and Carol is reading Matthew Poole.  Tiffany joined us a few months ago and is reading Hendrickson.  The four of us have been 'joined' by some great theological minds and we've all learned so much!  We've got lots of ideas about what we want to study next but haven't made any decisions yet.  

Any recommendations?

I used to about blog the books I was reading

Some things never change; I've always got several books going at the same time.  Here's the current list:

The Secret of Contentment by William B. Barcley

Running Scared:  Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest by Edward Welch

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

These Last Days:  A Christian View of History edited by Richard D. Phillips

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough

This list does not include the books I am studying. They'll have a post of their own.

So, what are you reading?

I used to blog about my grandkids

That seems like a good place to start.  My grandkids are the apple of my eye (and they are adorable, don't mind if I do say so myself!)

Here's Maddie and Grandpa:

And here's Elliott, who turns three tomorrow:

I need to blog my  grandkids more often.