Now Thank We All Our God

For my final March entry of things I’m very thankful for, it is at follows:



On Day 86 in a book I’ve been reading (mostly daily), titled A Year With God: Living Out the Spiritual Disciplines, Edited by Richard J. Foster and Julia L. Roller, there is an entry titled “Everyday Worship”. In this entry, the reader is encouraged to “spend each day in praise and adoration”, adding that “When we pour worship out over our daily lives, we grow ever more sensitive to God’s voice and presence” and the reader is also encouraged to try to “live in constant awareness of and openness to Jesus as teacher”. The reader is also counseled to “try to integrate worship more fully into your everyday life. This practice could take many forms: singing a praise song, remembering to thank God . . .to sit in silent adoration . . .” and others. Writing down a list of things I’m thankful for during the previous days has helped me to try to do this, and I keep a hymn CD (or Southern Gospel CD), in my CD player when I’m doing errands (and usually sing along with it). On Day 87 of this same book, a quote from William Temple gives further understanding of worship. “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to feed the mind with the truth of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, to devote the will to the purpose of God.” I am thankful for these remarks that have helped me on my journey of faith, and for the reminders therein also

The title of today’s post comes from a hymn of the same name by Martin Rinckart . Some of the words to the hymn are as follows: Now thank we all our God / with heart and hands and voices/ Who wondrous things has done / in Whom His world rejoices; / Who, from our mothers’ arms, / has blessed us on our way / With countless gifts of love, / and still is ours today. Aren’t those beautiful words? I’m thankful for hymns that put words to my feelings, and encourage me.

I’m thankful for a safe trip to and from Mississippi last week, where we spent some time with our daughter and her family, and with T.’s brother and his wife. More about that later . . . our trip by car to and from Mississippi was uneventful, and I am truly thankful for that. I’m also thankful that my husband is such a good driver, and I can have naps (which he encourages) so that the 500-mile trip passes quickly.

While in Mississippi (where my daughter and her family lives), my oldest granddaughter and I sang some hymns in harmony. She’s an excellent pianist with a beautiful voice, and I know enough “alto” to get by. We enjoyed our little music endeavor.

We took some of the Franklin Springs media/Homestead Blessings DVDs as a gift to my daughter & family, and we enjoyed watching some of those together, especially “The Art of Gardening”. This DVD tells about making a “lasagna garden” (or layered garden) which doesn’t need a tiller or anything. A partial demonstration of this is found on the Franklin Springs Media website under Homestead Blessings DVDs. We (mostly T.) then proceeded to provide materials and some labor to help them put in a garden, and get it mostly planted. I am so glad this has been provided for them. My daughter is a very good cook and we planted things she often uses in her cooking. She has been studying a lot about nutrition, and the value of eating mostly plants, so the garden should serve them well, and help with grocery bills at the same time.

Thursday of last week was T.’s birthday, and my oldest granddaughter baked him a cake and decorated it. That night, my son-in-law grilled steaks, and all-in-all we had a very nice celebration (67 years now!)

On Friday of last week, we met T.’s brother and his wife for lunch, and later went to see the work that has been done on The Old Homeplace. My brother-in-law purchased full rights to the house and he and his sons-in-law have been busily doing a lot of home improvement to it (new roof, siding, floors, windows, central air&heat, etc.). T.’s brother’s two daughters live in Mississippi (one in NE Miss. and the other on the coast), and when they all pile in, there’s just not enough room for them all in T.’s brother’s house (which is next door to the old homeplace), so they’ve been staying at the “old house”. . . . works out better for them all. It was interesting sitting in the den of the old house, where we spent so much time before my inlaws passed away. We enjoyed very much our visit with T’s brother and his wife..

We had lots of sun while we were there, and Mississippi is about two weeks ahead of us in Spring’s arrival, so it was wonderful to see so many blooming things. Today, I rode through Atkinson Park down along the river here in Henderson, and although most of the jonquils are fading on the left side of the road, the Spring Beauties have beautifully carpeted the right side of the road. Spring’s on its way, and some of the things we planted in our little garden are up and looking healthy.

Yesterday morning we got a call from Elder Jeff Winfrey, who had nominated my husband for the Governor’s Kentucky Volunteer awards for 2009, and we learned that T. had won in the “Kentucky Ambassador” category for his work in the Philippines. Previously, Jeff had sent us copies of the paperwork that he and his wife Christy had filled out in the nominating process, and they had spent so much time on it and it was so good that my feeling was that T. definitely had a chance with all of the work they did. But we had forgotten about it while we were gone, and it was a nice surprise to get the news yesterday morning. The Awards Ceremony is in May, and I think it’s in Frankfort (our state capitol). I will probably report on this further later on.

There are so many things I’ve failed to mention that I’m so thankful for, but my time for this today has to end here. God bless you all in the weeks ahead. Praying a blessed Easter for each of you and your families, and praying the deep meaning of Easter will be with you as you go through each day, remembering “Because He lives we can face tomorrow!”

Rejoice with those who rejoice . . .

I’m rejoicing with thankfulness for many things, but I only have time to mention a few, . . . I wanted to get these few down before we leave town for the week!

We’re planning to head south in the morning, and plan to spend a few days with family in Mississippi. Frankly, we’re mostly going to see our daughter and her family which includes five of our grandchildren. The grandchildren have plans for us to help them with a garden next week, so it won’t be all fun and games, but we’re both looking forward to time with them. And that is of course one of the things we’re most thankful for – all of our grandchildren, which I feel blessed to be able to say are being taught and trained well and, most especially, they are being instructed in the Truth that the Bible contains. Several have become of an age to be baptized, and I feel like they all eventually will. This is a source of great joy to me!

I’m also thankful that Spring has arrived. There are jonquils blooming along side the road in lots of places. Henderson, our city of residence, has many parks and one of the parks is located along the Ohio River, and it has a “drive through” road which I like to take a shortcut through on my way home. Every Spring the hillsides on one side of the road – not the side with all the picnic tables, playground equipment, and ball fields – are covered with jonquils and daffodils and Spring beauties. It is heartening to drive through there after the winter we’ve had. I enjoyed my ride through the park yesterday, not as a shortcut but just to see the yellow flowers everywhere!

I read somewhere that last week was “Daughter Week” . . . is this a Hallmark Holiday? I had never heard this before, but since I always take something for my daughter anyway when we go to visit her and her family, I didn’t “observe” it outwardly. But I have to say I was blessed with a wonderfully sweet daughter? And I’m so proud of her, and the choices she has made, and the way she runs her household and is bringing up her children! She has always been a joy!

I mailed the April Bible Reading Schedules yesterday, and was so glad to check that off before we left. We plan to return on March 28, and that would still have given me time to get them out, but I was just thrilled to be able to have it done and over with until late April when it’ll be time to send out the May schedules (which I have already prepared – just not the letter I send with the schedules that I hope will encourage the Bible readers.) But that’s for later . . .

I’ll close with some comments about the March 13 reading in Philip Yancey’s book titled Grace Notes. He starts out with the following statement: “The Cross is the central image of Christianity.” And then he goes on to tell of an incident in theologian Karl Barth’s experience. The reason this reading meant so much to me is that when I was growing up in the south among a group of energetic Southern Baptist folks (who were and are good friends), they’d often ask me if I was saved, and if so WHEN was I saved? They’d be able to tell of dramatic experiences and I don’t doubt their experiences, I just didn’t have a dramatic experience. I was brought up to love Jesus, and I never doubted His love for me. Philip Yancey tells of a similar experience of Karl Barth in the following paragraph:

“When a questioner tried to pin down the theologian Karl Barth on when he had been “saved,” Barth replied, “It happened one afternoon in A.D. 34 when Jesus died on the cross.””

If I’m ever again asked about the time of my salvation, this is going to be my answer also. Now I have knowledgeable and learned friends who take issue with some of Karl Barth’s theology, but I believe he’s right on with his response here.

Blessings to all,
Elaine

"Thankful, Thankful, We adore Thee

Joyful, Joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love:
Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee, Hail Thee as the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of Day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and Heav’n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain, Blossoming meadow, flashing sea,
Changing bird and flowing fountain, Call us to rejoice in Thee.


These words of Henry Van Dyke (1852-1933), written in 1908 and set to the music of Beethoven, have been echoing around in my brain and I decided to introduce this week’s list of blessings (also including last week’s blessings) with these lines.

No. 1 on my list of blessings is a “mixed bag”. Our friend John was “promoted to Glory” last week, and Travis preached his funeral; on Thursday. When I first heard the news I was “joyful” for John, but felt deep compassion for his wife Jane. John and Jane had been married for fifty years and, being natured very much alike, were very close. We had been growing closer and closer to John and Jane, when he was diagnosed with cancer. They had already been dealing with Jane’s cancer, and she had received recent good news after several trips to Nashville for treatment. We, and they, had been meeting for meals at local eateries from time to time, and we enjoyed their company very much. I was pleased to see in the March issue of The Baptist Witness that arrived today, an article by our very own Rebecca Huffman, titled “Abounding Consolation”. Rebecca’s husband was “promoted to glory” over two years ago, and in this article Rebecca tells of “. . . many evidences of the Lord’s tender care, and His guiding hand even in the seemingly small details”. After nearly forty years of married life, she tells of the experience including the momentary sense of shock that ”numbs the senses”, but also the of the “initial calmness” that Rebecca attributes to “God’s merciful presence”. David and Rebecca had been enjoying their morning coffee, and listening to a Bible CD, when “suddenly he was gone. He simply lay down on the floor and quietly breathed his last breath. As someone later said, ‘One minute he was listening to the Word of God, and the next minute he was seeing the Word of God”. I am thankful for this article, and since Jane also receives The Baptist Witness, I plan to mention specifically Rebecca’s article to her.

2. Also in the March issue, in the “Segment for the Young”, my friend Kara Sacran writes of her mother’s death in an article titled “Trust Him for His Grace”. To my knowledge I never met Kara’s mother, Rhonda Jones, but I heard many good things about her faithful witness throughout her life. I believe someone on this list sent a prayer request for Rhonda throughout her health problems, and we all prayed for her. I was glad to read of Kara’s firm faith, and of her mother’s influence on this young woman. Kara ends her article with words from William Cowper, “a man who knew much suffering”: Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, The clouds you so much dread; Are big with mercy, and will break In blessings on your head.

3. I’m also thankful today for the warmer temperatures that we have enjoyed, and for the “promised” coming Spring. I hung my front door Spring wreath yesterday (the one with the bird’s nest that was built in it last Spring). My husband is out in the backyard right now, planting some onions, and some green peas (love those!).

4. Thankful “all over again” (most daily item of Thanksgiving) for our house. There’s a story that goes with our acquisition of this house, which encourages me all over again each time I think about it. I’m a little pinched for time right at the moment, but maybe I’ll share it sometime.

5. Although we aren’t using it much these days, I’m thankful for our fireplace. The fireplace didn’t come with the house; and was, in fact, ordered (and later arrived) about a year ago, and it doesn’t burn wood. Rather, it burns something called gel fuel. It looks the same, though, and actually puts out heat. The mantle matches some previously bought bookshelves on either side of the “hearth” (which DID come with the house – long story.) There are times when the fire in the fireplace seems to chase away sad feelings that often come with a gloomy, cold day. I can’t explain it, but I am thankful for it.

6. I am thankful for a book titled “Gateway to Joy” by Elisabeth Elliot. This book is subtitled “Reflections that Draw Us Nearer to God”, and the book contains poems, hymn lyrics, quotes, and various writings that point to the “Gateway to Joy”. In the preface, E. E. quotes C. S. Lewis who said that “Joy . . . is the serious business of heaven.” E. E. goes on to say that “ . . .every experience, even the most unwelcome, if offered to Jesus. can become a gateway to joy.” In the section titled “Intercede” she includes the following prayer, which was first published in The Elisabeth Elliot Newsletter, and is entitled For Our Husbands. I include it for any of you that may want to include this prayer in your daily devotions: “Lord, grant me the vision of a true lover as I look at _____________. Help me to see him through Your eyes, to read the thoughts he does not put into words, to bear with his human imperfections, remembering that he bears with mine and that You are at work in both of us. Thank You, Lord, for this man, Your carefully chosen gift to me, and for the high privilege of being heirs together of the grace of life. Help me to make it as easy and pleasant as I possibly can for him to do Your will.”

God bless you all,
Elaine