tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43521790457646899472024-03-04T22:51:32.005-08:00tallgrassworshipA place to think about God-glorifying worship and God-glorifying life.Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.comBlogger375125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-64733199390704503622009-10-02T11:45:00.000-07:002009-10-02T12:33:32.421-07:00A Little Further ExplanationI posted a <a href="http://tallgrassworship.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-never-knew-this.html">video </a>last Sunday that was pretty shocking. I know it doesn't exactly go with the usual postings I have here about more pleasant things- family, gardening, my job as a church musician, or the general musings of an ordinary person.<br /><br />I did receive one comment about the video, from <a href="http://prairierosesgarden.blogspot.com/">Rose</a>, who always seems to respond so thoughtfully, and a couple of comments from friends in person, and I wanted to respond myself. I thought what I wanted to say, in clarification of my reasons for posting it, would be a little longer than usual for the comment section, so I'll just turn it into today's post.<br /><br />I try to read blogs written by ministry people from all over the country, and of many different denominational perspectives, as a way of broadening and deepening my understanding of Scripture and experience of the Christian life. It's been a tremendous blessing. What I receive at my own church is outstanding, no question, but I still think reading widely (and reading blogs is no different from reading anything else) is just part of keeping one's self sharp in ministry. So, first of all, I would encourage everyone to to do this. Don't just focus on the ones you are most aligned with. Read widely.<br /><br />Once in while, as in the case of this particular video, some truth just leaps out and jars my world.<br /><br />When <a href="http://blog.marshillchurch.org/">Mark Driscoll</a> talked about the stinking Roman sponge, like Rose, I had to spend a few days processing that new information. I thought about whether I should post the video; it was gross. Would people find it beyond offensive?<br /><br />Then I thought, "I should schedule this post for Good Friday next spring, when it would really be most appropriate." I still might do that- repeat the post, I mean. I thought about compartmentalizing this new insight into the Passion of Christ into that short season, when Christians allow themselves to let their guard down for a few days (or weeks, if you reflect on Lent).<br /><br />In the end, I felt that it was something that maybe others would see the way I was coming to see it: a reminder that there is a program running quietly in the background of my life, that affects everything about my life, every day of my life, through the life I will live here on Earth and on into the future eternity- that Christ allowed himself to be tortured and killed for my sake.<br /><br />Shame on me for going days, or maybe, sometimes, weeks, without thinking about that. Thank you, Pastor Mark Driscoll, for making this insight available to all of us via one of the most blessed and cursed of human instruments, the internet.Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-39128947718304573612009-09-27T04:00:00.000-07:002009-09-27T04:00:00.819-07:00I Never Knew This...<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6VmyRiBaegE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6VmyRiBaegE&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-49278211560917164822009-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:002009-09-19T04:00:02.572-07:00Saturday Silliness<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HEFE3B0Rje0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HEFE3B0Rje0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-12251678070815277552009-09-05T04:00:00.000-07:002009-09-05T04:00:03.349-07:00Saturday Silliness<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XQcVllWpwGs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XQcVllWpwGs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-57565588459475286772009-08-31T20:03:00.000-07:002009-08-31T20:31:45.912-07:00Back to the Blog WorldThis evening, one of my faithful readers said, "Mom! You never write anything on your blog any more!" Not wanting to lose this reader, who may be the ONLY reader I have, I decided to post again. <br /><br />First, I will give you all my lame excuses for going a month without writing:<br /><br />1. I was busy. Or, at least, distracted. I was serving as general contractor for a big household make-over, involving siding, gutters, demo of a rotting back porch, rebuilding of said porch, and the very sad removal of our huge tulip tree that was deseased and threatening to fall on either the roof or the car. Although I did not do this work myself, it was surprisingly challenging to coordinate the many people who did.<br /><br />2. It's hard to maintain the pretense of being a "garden blogger" when there are concrete mixers driving over your lawn and ladderjacks in your flower beds. The best I could muster up in the way of gardening was to walk around the property every evening clucking about the damage the workmen had unwittingly done.<br /><br />3. Additionally, the aforementioned faithful reader moved out. I was to be the helper with this move, but within minutes of arriving at the new location I managed to fall down the rain-slicked porch steps, requiring a trip to the ER and a month of rehab on an injured rotator cuff. I don't know why, but that kind of threw me off my stride, so to speak.<br /><br />All that is now behind me. The school year and choir season have resumed. There are no more excuses! It's time to get this blog going again! You can expect posts about the hymn of the week, the rehabilitation of my gardens, and the usual general musings, along with some Saturday Silliness and Sunday Strolling. I will amuse at least myself, and perhaps that one other reader.Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-44206777581539588642009-08-02T19:33:00.000-07:002009-08-02T19:35:28.998-07:00Choral Singing Is Still Alive and Well<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6SCgVTMx0qg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6SCgVTMx0qg&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />HT: my friend MindyJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-49966676909511302172009-07-25T04:00:00.000-07:002009-07-25T06:43:13.678-07:00Saturday SillinessJust a reminder that a wedding is a <em>celebration</em>!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4-94JhLEiN0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br />HT:KelliJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-58132077503358366982009-07-23T13:02:00.000-07:002009-07-23T14:02:26.704-07:00Hymn of the Week- Leaning On The Everlasting ArmsA couple of years ago we watched the excellent movie "United 93". The movie takes place on September 11, 2001, and it's director tried to stay as completely faithful to the events regarding that flight as possible, down to the exact words of the various passengers, as recorded or recollected by their relatives. As you may remember, United flight 93 was the airliner on which the passengers chose to attack the terrorists who had hijacked the plane, resulting in it crashing in a field in Pennsylvania rather than into Washington, D.C.<br /><br />One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involved a very young woman calling home on her cell phone. She had just comprehended that the plane was destined to crash, one way or another, and that she was facing certain death. At her parent's home, her stepmother answered the phone. The young woman, in a panicked voice, explained to her stepmother the circumstances she was in. The older woman had already seen news coverage of the other three planes crashing, and quickly understood the situation. She drew a deep breath, and, in the calmest of voices, began to guide the younger woman through her final moments. They expressed their love for each other. Then, the stepmother, seeking to calm the panicked girl, said something like,"I have my arms around you. Do you feel them?" With that, the demeanor of the younger woman changed. She relaxed. "Yes, I feel them," she replied.<br /><br />Ever since then, that scene has come to mind when we use the hymn "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms" in a worship service. When the refrain lyrics were written by A.J. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">Showalter</span> in 1887, he was inspired by Deuteronomy 33:26-27: <em>"There is none like the God of Jerusalem- he descends from the heavens in majestic splendor to help you. The eternal God is your Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."</em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">Showalter</span> had just <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">received</span> word from two different friends on the same day, that their young wives had died. In writing his condolences, he had added this verse in his notes to them.<br /><br /><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">Showalter</span> then wrote to another friend, Elisha Hoffman. Hoffman was an Evangelical Presbyterian pastor in the Cincinnati area, and associated with that denomination's publishing house. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">Showalter</span> suggested that Hoffman compose a hymn based on his suggestions about this verse. Though both of these men would be considered amateur hymn writers, between them they wrote what has become a favorite standard hymn. (Hoffman also wrote another popular hymn, "I Must Tell Jesus".)<br /><br />Though the tune is rousing and joyous, the reassuring message that was illustrated by the scene in "United 93" is there. Believers can "rest" in the finished work of Jesus Christ on their behalf. In times of struggle, we can relax into the everlasting arms of our Lord.<br /><br /><em>What a fellowship, what a joy divine,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms;</em><br /><em>What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>refrain:</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Leaning, leaning,</em><br /><em>Safe and secure from all alarms;</em><br /><em>Leaning, leaning,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>O, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms;</em><br /><em>O, how bright the path grows from day to day,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms.</em><br /><em>(refrain)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>What have I to dread, what have I to fear,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms?</em><br /><em>I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,</em><br /><em>Leaning on the everlasting arms.</em><br />(refrain)<br /><em></em><br />Elisha <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">Albright</span> Hoffman (1839-1929)<br /><br /><em></em>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-59605613435471729162009-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:002009-07-20T06:09:40.215-07:00Forty Years AgoHere's what I remember of July 20, 1969:<br /><br />My parents invited my grandparents over for the evening to watch the moon landing, because we had a better TV. My grandfather came reluctantly. It was always his contention that the space program was a waste of the tax-payer's money. However, my grandmother talked him into coming.<br /><br />We all, parents, grandparents, sisters, and myself, gathered in the family room. Of course, watching space launches and capsule <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">reentries</span> always meant waiting through a lot of NASA <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">rigamarole</span> that I didn't understand, and there was a long lead-up to the actual event. We filled the time with hopping up and down to make popcorn and other snacks. Eventually, we could see the actual live footage from the lunar module itself as it eased down, down, down to the surface of the brightly sunlit, but lifeless, moon. Just thinking about the transmission of the images, coming from 3,000+ miles away, through the airless void of space and the layers of the atmosphere I had learned about in school, had us marveling and exclaiming to each other.<br /><br />We perhaps had not realized we were holding our breath until the module was safely down, unscathed. It could have crashed, but it didn't. The video transmission could have <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">fritzed</span> out, but it didn't.<br /><br />And then, a fuzzy image of a bulky figure could be seen descending slowly down a little ladder. He put his foot down, causing a small puff of dust, and his muffled voice, <em>coming from the moon</em>, said, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."<br /><br />I remember that the astronauts behaved a little like kids as they muddled about in their awkward suits on the surface of the moon. I remember recognizing the joy and excitement in their voices, seeing them playfully bound around in the lower gravity. They made footprints in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">moon dust</span>, just as I did in winter when there was a fresh snow. I remember thinking that it was both exciting and sad that their footprints would never go away, never be muted by rain or wind.<br /><br />At one point, late in the evening, I got up from where I was sitting <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">cross legged</span> on the floor, and went out the door into our backyard. I looked up at the moon in the sky. Alone, I stood there, staring, knowing that the distance was too great, but wishing none-the-less that I could somehow see something on the face of the moon. Somewhere up there, gamboling like children, were two men who were the very first humans to set foot on any heavenly orb but our own. I stood there a long time.<br /><br />It was a long evening, and, unlike the adults in the room, I was less concerned about lifting off the moon and reconnecting for the journey home. The dangers were a little beyond me.<br /><br />I went to bed thinking about the serious, scientific astronauts frisking like children. I thought about the footprints. Though I understood it but dimly, the universe had shifted just a bit that night.Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-54631852617716897332009-07-17T09:01:00.000-07:002009-07-17T09:19:31.750-07:00An Older Chapter in the "Worship Wars""I Sing the Mighty Power of God"<br />"O God, Our Help in Ages Past"<br />"Joy to the World, The Lord Has Come"<br />"Alas, And Did My Saviour Bleed"<br />"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross"<br />"At the Cross"<br />"We're Marching to Zion"<br /><br />What do all these wonderful old traditional hymns have in common? They are all written by an eighteenth century English pastor named Isaac Watts. This is but a very abbreviated list. If you have any familiarity with traditional hymnody, you would recognize dozens of his contributions to the world of Christian worship!<br /><br />Though we think of these hymns as traditional, or tried and true, songs of the church, it might surprise you to know that Watts was a cutting-edge, and much maligned, creator of contemporary worship in his day and time. Here is a short biographical video produced by Mars Hill Church of Seattle, that gives you a sense of his role in the history of Christian music. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="275"><param name="movie" value="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/by3roo16pimp"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.marshillchurch.org/v/by3roo16pimp" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" allowscriptaccess="always" height="275"></embed></object>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-58451634246330420522009-07-04T04:00:00.000-07:002009-07-04T08:21:53.191-07:00Saturday Silliness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3kHDpaHMRIqfDJ_-MWIXmmhrvlpafvn6nSBchnPLKeorr6iwUpP8GARzOXPtlR2KSNMEnPXwhuG9Vt1GOwH9jD4CZrDFUFJTst3NsJgW7NUOUutR2fgpmE6WqZ8gl3bdCFfLQLcwopE6/s1600-h/famous.png"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 326px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353952096557549250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3kHDpaHMRIqfDJ_-MWIXmmhrvlpafvn6nSBchnPLKeorr6iwUpP8GARzOXPtlR2KSNMEnPXwhuG9Vt1GOwH9jD4CZrDFUFJTst3NsJgW7NUOUutR2fgpmE6WqZ8gl3bdCFfLQLcwopE6/s400/famous.png" /></a> HT: Ray Ortlund<br /><div></div>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-71892985325963045992009-06-29T05:24:00.000-07:002009-07-02T12:51:36.879-07:00For Tough TimesUnbelief says:<br /><br />Some other time, but not now;<br />some other place, but not here;<br />some other people, but not us.<br /><br />Faith says:<br /><br />Anything He did elsewhere He will do here;<br />anything He did any other time He is willing to do now;<br />anything He ever did for any other people He is willing to do for us!<br /><br />With our<br /><br />Feet on the ground,<br />and our head cool,<br />but with our hearts ablaze with the love of God,<br />we walk out in this fullness of the Spirit, if we will yield and obey.<br /><br /><br />A.W.Tozer<br /><br /><br /><br />HT: Justin TaylorJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-52572481407653973032009-06-20T04:00:00.000-07:002009-06-20T04:00:40.289-07:00Saturday SillinessA friend of mine posted this on FaceBook, titled "Are Women Just Born This Way?".<br /> <br /><iframe src="http://www.snotr.com/embed/2630" width="400" height="330" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />HT: KellieJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-9813499668648778632009-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:002009-06-19T11:34:50.140-07:00Shuffle<span style="color:#990000;">Article #1:</span><br /><br />Here's a short interview with a pastor who is revitalizing a dying church in a place where people "don't do God".<br /><br /><object height="230" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5101384&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5101384&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="230"></embed></object><br /><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5101384">Andrew <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Baughen</span> – St. James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Clerkenwell</span></a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/marshill">Mars Hill Church</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Vimeo</span></a>.</p><p><span style="color:#990000;">Article #2:</span></p><p>If you are interested in the Christian debate about Global Warming you might like Dean <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ohlman's</span> <a href="http://www.wonderofcreation.org/2009/06/10/thinking-about-global-warming/">excellent article</a>.</p><p><span style="color:#990000;">Article #3:</span></p><p>Finally, here's a wonderful post from local blogger, <a href="http://prairierosesgarden.blogspot.com/2009/06/abc-wednesday-v.html">Rose</a>, about volunteering with her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">grandchildren</span>. What a great idea!</p>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-88089423308103034832009-06-14T12:29:00.000-07:002009-06-15T13:23:16.432-07:00Sunday Stroll-June 14, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4H_8svz1taF5jfcImw9WotpA9aCAbCEXFPFLa9vPwvJ_5EFLkKbOCsiU56iB8D8KUOz-n2GoUKQSzIC_wBMdWzqk0YK2ojPJAfc3MvFdIfN-rDheVFFWOaME8RH1LvOJMbykK5dzuS1Kz/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347269062600010370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4H_8svz1taF5jfcImw9WotpA9aCAbCEXFPFLa9vPwvJ_5EFLkKbOCsiU56iB8D8KUOz-n2GoUKQSzIC_wBMdWzqk0YK2ojPJAfc3MvFdIfN-rDheVFFWOaME8RH1LvOJMbykK5dzuS1Kz/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" /></a> Yesterday my husband finished removing the tough roots of an old yew hedge, in anticipation of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">workmen</span> coming this week to tear off our old porch and rebuild a new one. He's not a very big guy, and I think he pried them out by sheer force of will. Fortunately, my dire warnings that he was going to kill himself doing this did not come true. The workmen could have removed them for us, but doing it ourselves was going to save $150 dollars. But only because he didn't wind up in the emergency room!<br /><br />I wanted to really savor my stroll around the back yard today, because I know it will be a mess most of the rest of the summer from all the construction. I was glad to see there are a few things that had bloomed for the first time within the last twenty-four hours.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSvs3-LnRKzqp6wNtd3t2TtJz9KlzXxUMTUnSO-LiI3fx79odOTfBOwOElAlLspuasO7MLDdl6oUbhb5WnVQwy2QGFsJj8CXn-Xn6K2BJFK8sOU2eF2cviNltYr6f6OVlEVCbDIEI3hfj/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347268861522413730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSvs3-LnRKzqp6wNtd3t2TtJz9KlzXxUMTUnSO-LiI3fx79odOTfBOwOElAlLspuasO7MLDdl6oUbhb5WnVQwy2QGFsJj8CXn-Xn6K2BJFK8sOU2eF2cviNltYr6f6OVlEVCbDIEI3hfj/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>These are the first hollyhocks of the season. I love hollyhocks! Some are growing from seeds my sister gave me; others are from seeds I scavenged from a stand of hollyhocks that are self-sown on drainage district property, along a ditch. I had driven by those several times, admiring them. One day in the fall I just pulled over and took some seed pods and put them in my pocket. I just couldn't help myself!<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgTlozOYMLW434e0yuvnLaV_uAfJtmRp1v3-zGlvRc9NfAh7kt0AHjyI5kIbnDIf_81thRHZSABMLLV5VMg59woebYgBfjJGjILx5CjE1mX4mwBQtj8FKqI11zW_MBEaJHxX0H5OeVfw2/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347268662758915778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgTlozOYMLW434e0yuvnLaV_uAfJtmRp1v3-zGlvRc9NfAh7kt0AHjyI5kIbnDIf_81thRHZSABMLLV5VMg59woebYgBfjJGjILx5CjE1mX4mwBQtj8FKqI11zW_MBEaJHxX0H5OeVfw2/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> Purple <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">loosestrife</span> has started to bloom. Now, before you call the police, let me tell you I know they're invasive and no longer available to plant. This is the last of a very old planting of them. They have gradually died out in my garden. I think the fact that they are much loved by Japanese beetles has a lot to do with that. I'm not too worried that my particular plant is causing any problems. I don't think it ever has a chance to set seed, since it is so thoroughly eaten down by the beetles each summer.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaU-3pcL8KvPs_mnrC3TPZ3snDnmk9jaYYKk579fUrh5IMYLwxhCHEziP2htftSi5wXDwjwD-VcWo9RvLmX9X036jAJ7ZTxpLZd9aN9ZL7KjYyFXuiUS8_4bMzn7qFoA_XJP19_KVYNqR/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347268416524454466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKaU-3pcL8KvPs_mnrC3TPZ3snDnmk9jaYYKk579fUrh5IMYLwxhCHEziP2htftSi5wXDwjwD-VcWo9RvLmX9X036jAJ7ZTxpLZd9aN9ZL7KjYyFXuiUS8_4bMzn7qFoA_XJP19_KVYNqR/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+004.jpg" border="0" /></a> The first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">day lilly</span>! This one came from my brother-in-law's garden.<br /></div><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqjmvMli5KkWXe7ezK3-Oyk8-qsVWD7qdQ_-4xnRlx6hoXdEzuBp0gLCYdfXFjVnc3MLDhyPm3Aukz3i2SO2irtqQ4hr57pj1cB3t83_Skt-H1pAhOI3PRCzmGxF8qkve3fwJI8Fntw6i/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347268214561768722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqqjmvMli5KkWXe7ezK3-Oyk8-qsVWD7qdQ_-4xnRlx6hoXdEzuBp0gLCYdfXFjVnc3MLDhyPm3Aukz3i2SO2irtqQ4hr57pj1cB3t83_Skt-H1pAhOI3PRCzmGxF8qkve3fwJI8Fntw6i/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+005.jpg" border="0" /></a> This was the first week of bloom for the oak leaf hydrangeas.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgb2CAhhaIHP5CTeShIkq0QAKldH3LUKuhH7J-7_pHwvejbV0d0OT_AHgHeSkD1CmOUtlRxUkLCWafGHG9D6Q-Z0a7aXbIDdO7OYliZ9eVujvyVJGdy7ODTTKtXd4CWCm4QG8njJY4axr/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347267994163138562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgb2CAhhaIHP5CTeShIkq0QAKldH3LUKuhH7J-7_pHwvejbV0d0OT_AHgHeSkD1CmOUtlRxUkLCWafGHG9D6Q-Z0a7aXbIDdO7OYliZ9eVujvyVJGdy7ODTTKtXd4CWCm4QG8njJY4axr/s400/Sunday+Stroll-+June+14,+2009+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>Finally a plant I know the real name of: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">penstemon</span> "Husker Red", developed, I believe, at Nebraska State University. I planted them because I'm trying to gradually shift to prairie natives throughout my garden, or, at least, go that direction when I plant new things. The goal is to make the garden tolerant of our climate and welcoming to our particular birds and butterflies. I like the wine red of the stems and early foliage on these.</div><div></div><div>To see who else is strolling today, visit <a href="http://quietcountryhouse.blogspot.com/">The Quiet Country House.</a></div></div></div></div></div>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-62105343896851187522009-06-13T04:00:00.000-07:002009-06-13T12:31:57.425-07:00Saturday Silliness<strong>God texts the ten commandments</strong><br /><strong><br /></strong>1. no1 b4 me. srsly.<br />2. dnt wrshp pix/idols<br />3. no omg’s<br />4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)<br />5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool<br />6. dnt kill ppl<br />7. :-X only w/ m8<br />8. dnt steal<br />9. dnt lie re: bf<br />10. dnt ogle ur bf’s m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.<br /><br />M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.<br />ttyl, JHWH.<br /><br />ps. wwjd?<br /><br />HT:ShannonJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-63787847370384650752009-06-09T10:56:00.000-07:002009-06-09T11:41:55.148-07:00Hymn of the Week- "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending"I've always loved to study music history; it was one of my favorite classes at the University of Illinois, where I got my degree in Music Education.<br /><br />I also love to study the sources of the music we use in church, both old and new, and find out a little about what specifically inspired the composers and lyricists in each case.<br /><br />I thought it might be interesting to post about music that will be used in an upcoming service, so that those attending will perhaps enjoy the piece more. If you are reading this from a distance, maybe you'll also find some of this background interesting. Even if you're not a church attender, it can be fascinating to have a peek into the historical roots of some of our most influential musicians and poets, and perhaps gain insight into what Christians are reflecting on, whether you agree with it or not. This research is really for my own benefit, but I'll just put it out there anyway. I can't promise that I'll post something weekly, but I'm going to shoot for that as a goal.<br /><br />This Sunday, the topic of the sermon is The Second Coming of Christ, as it is described in Luke's Gospel, chapter 17, verses 20-37. It's a subject that is endlessly debated, and I have no intention of going into the theology of it here. However, I, and the planning committee I meet with, was responsible for coming up with the music for the service that would support that sermon.<br /><br />One hymn the congregation will sing is "Lo, He Comes With Clouds Descending". Though it's words are attributed to the great hymn writer Charles Wesley, it was actually based on a poem written by an eighteenth century land surveyor from Reading, England, named John Cennick. He eventually became a Moravian preacher. However, Wesley and two others, Martin Madan and a London cobbler named Thomas Olivers, adapted it for use in the Methodist movement.<br /><br />Don't you love that? A surveyor, a cobbler, and one of the most famous hymn writers of that time, all contributing to this hymn! It's great poetry, too, based primarily on the first chapter of Revelation.<br /><br /><em>Lo! He comes with clouds descending, </em><br /><em>Once for favored sinners slain;</em><br /><em>Thousand, thousand saints attending</em><br /><em>Swell the triumph of His train;</em><br /><em>Halleluiah! Halleluiah!</em><br /><em>God appears on earth to reign.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Every eye shall now behold Him,</em><br /><em>Robed in dreadful majesty;</em><br /><em>Those who set at naught and sold Him,</em><br /><em>Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,</em><br /><em>Deeply wailing, deeply wailing</em><br /><em>Shall the true Messiah see.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The dear tokens of His passion</em><br /><em>Still His dazzling body bears;</em><br /><em>Cause of endless exultation</em><br /><em>To His ransomed worshippers;</em><br /><em>With what rapture, with what rapture,</em><br /><em>Gaze we on those glorious scars!</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Yea, Amen! Let all adore Thee,</em><br /><em>High on Thy eternal throne;</em><br /><em>Savior, take the power and glory,</em><br /><em>Claim the kingdom for Thine own;</em><br /><em>Halleluiah! Halleluiah! </em><br /><em>Everlasting God come down!</em>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-16217857472399409242009-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:002009-06-06T15:30:28.370-07:00Saturday Silliness<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV7goV2klT8tdKq40BKVdaEvxyYnLmTSO6fVUaXhSn_8_Z6PBddShN88WhLajTUWxcG_zomMEvnKNJrfNzbwDKgEqJedvLbIE3vYollfuQeKUpsoBlbuKYa4Nc4V2R4Ma2HlZ1cEvRUCA/s1600-h/Fail-Jesus+Saves.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343573914046791346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaV7goV2klT8tdKq40BKVdaEvxyYnLmTSO6fVUaXhSn_8_Z6PBddShN88WhLajTUWxcG_zomMEvnKNJrfNzbwDKgEqJedvLbIE3vYollfuQeKUpsoBlbuKYa4Nc4V2R4Ma2HlZ1cEvRUCA/s400/Fail-Jesus+Saves.bmp" border="0" /></a> This was titled "Jesus Saves"<br /><div>No disrespect intended:)</div><div>HT: Fail Blog</div>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-28006549831701022492009-06-04T07:49:00.000-07:002009-06-04T09:14:28.355-07:00The Fifth Sunday Family GatheringOur church has kind of a unique arrangement for our multiple services. We have an 8:15am contemporary style service, followed by Sunday School at 9:30am (with a coffee time in between), and then we have two 10:45 am services, one contemporary and one traditional. That means that Pastor Randy preaches three times each Sunday, and that at 10:45 we "share" him. He preaches early in the 10:45 contemporary service, and then walks to the other side of the building to give his sermon in the traditional service.<br /><br />Three years ago, when we first started doing this I, with my gift of encouragement, predicted disaster. I was wrong, thank goodness. Though there are challenges for the staff in this schedule, it has worked out pretty well, and our attendance has grown steadily. All three services are well attended.<br /><br />One thing we all wanted to prevent, since we are an almost 145 year-old congregation, and have many multi-generational families, was the development of three "congregations" that had no sense of connection with each other. One way we did that was to keep our very strong Sunday School system untouched. Most people can remain connected through those classes even if they attend different services.<br /><br />Another thing we did was institute our Fifth Sunday Family Gatherings. Four times a year, when there is a fifth Sunday in a month, we scrap our usual schedule and meet for a joint service. Sheer numbers means we have to meet in the room that is used for the contemporary service, as we won't all squeeze into the sanctuary. Unfortunately, this means we can't use the pipe organ, but when we plan this service we work very hard to make sure the music is a blend of old and new, and that we use worship elements that feel accessible to every age group. We use musicians from both "sides". We use those services to highlight "family" celebrations: welcoming new members, giving the children entering fourth grade their first Bibles, hearing from the youth about their mission trip, and recognizing those who are graduating from high school or college. These are things the whole congregation likes to unite in celebrating.<br /><br />This past week was the Sunday we met together, and we recognized the graduates. No, graduating from school is not a particularly "spiritual" thing, but we want to offer encouragement and prayer for those who are moving on to a new stage in their lives. That thought led me to choose a fairly contemporary choral piece for the choir, "Be Strong, and Take Courage", by Basil Chaisson. Before singing it, four of the choir members read these verses:<br /><br /><em>"Yes I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NLT)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowlege and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation-the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ-for this will bring much praise and glory to God." (Phil. 1:9-11, NLT)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"So we keep on praying for you, asking God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Thess. 1:11-12, NLT)</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jer. 29:11, NLT)</em><br /><em></em><br />It was meaningful to the choir to give this benediction to the graduates on this special Sunday, the Fifth Sunday Family Gathering.<br /><br />And then, being Baptists, we just had to follow that with a potluck!Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-33914304037146884002009-06-03T14:46:00.000-07:002009-06-03T14:52:35.754-07:00Are You Incurable?The following are excerpts from a letter from a governor named Pliny to the Roman emperor Trajan on the growth of Christianity less than one hundred years after the crucifixion of Christ:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlcDl9rr5WxRz5h62h2G__tAl_skS5PTbV8Q03_tTg-LLhR7EOXSYydmUeIwpvWo6lngHR-VmlOxkuvfNiHMgDR8Mc0y-rtbJrbWAoBfyfbXprlIjdRKpmyenIlH9ahzz4W0a35SyXETQ/s1600-h/PlinyLetterMS%5B6%5D.jpg"></a><br /><br /> <em>I have never been present at any of the Christians’ trials, and I am unaware of the methods and limits used in our investigation and torture. Do we show any regard to age or gender? If a Christian repents of his religion, do we still punish him or pardon him?<br /> Currently, I am proceeding thus—I question them as to their religion; if they state they are Christian, I repeat the questioning, adding the threat of capital punishment. If they still persist, I order them to be executed. I do not believe that their stubbornness should go unpunished.<br /> I recently questioned a group of Christians who, after interrogation, denied their faith. From this event, I could see more than ever the importance of extracting the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female prisoners. But I was able to discover nothing except depraved and excessive superstition.<br /> I therefore thought it wise to consult you before continuing with this matter. The matter is well worth referring to you, especially considering the numbers endangered. This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has also spread throughout the villages.<br /> Nevertheless it still seems possible to check and cure it.</em><br /><em></em><br />HT:<a href="http://www.persecutionblog.com/2009/06/are-christians-easily-cured-of-their-christianity.html">Stacy</a><br /><br />This is worth pondering; I hope and pray I would be found "incurable".Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-820793058425029492009-05-31T13:44:00.000-07:002009-05-31T14:22:00.162-07:00Sunday Stroll- May 31, 2009<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342098514976970370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRASQoqcEo3pd3y84i5TfwNS6Ht7lQuw4vIcG75i3awMPNQL62r99DGaq6Jbc2dTnvDBIqHgh9Zz4Vqe_Tj0sg-KxSe4pklmhMpteDWSibfOtl6bUGC4UBgGZz0ekVrxOxDseQ_D8xgeic/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+001.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div>I didn't post a S<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">unday</span> Stroll last week, but that doesn't mean I wasn't running- er, strolling! It's important to take time to stroll with a 22-month-old, so that you can be reminded of how thrilling it is to stand on the water-main cover, or drop gravel down the storm sewer grate, or giggle at each bit of cottonwood "fluff" that floats past on the the breeze. Every so often she would stop in her tracks and lift her face to the sky and say, "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">feelthewind</span>?" or "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">hearthebird</span>?". And, suddenly, I did feel the wind, or hear the bird. Miraculous!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342098319085151906" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFIobh-hY6VQz_J-pB6n1sPCpZUZgUMdrcpy0dzvx2Wuos5xyTwoRhAiQLQrfFkvagGAdTNdhBdHEoJfNzfL8MtZGmkG7XLOhvF0Q7ws_0b_IkOHgicRrmGZEqDZtmD2LJjtRNn0LvQhYt/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342098126020011858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66g5zJlA2Q7klsIZcU20nz82bN_mSLPpf_MWH2G82ginjvY6JotuQQIg7SWWEGSijUYBGTYSgMzgOmAy03O0vRKcXC_4R6Uel-PiRE7fzVk0T6-76nqWC1OKX19D__qRyttwqfzK7u46T/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+002.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>But this weekend I was on my own to notice things. We have a woodpecker living on our block, now. I can hear it, but haven't yet seen it. I couldn't help thinking about how fast it hammers on the tree trunks, or how strong it's beak and skull must be to take that pounding. It's really one of the wonders of the universe, don't you think?</div><br /><div>And, while we were gone, everything decided to burst into bloom. It was all out there for our enjoyment today.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342097896703555538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2rAjx9YunIbhbZvs8bzDsLJ27Iq9R934HDIyszxdJLFzSqiE3ORaV8Lf0JdKm2KIXNtPIZqA0Iq2QhP61N2GZVqfRpETbN7d4M_7ViRGnX-M-PfU8-x4dA_nQlsclRB1CXZUc49iK5e2_/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+005.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342097702154549938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfU3Fj4AB4VPze9lR5d7qtPprxtev6YHVNc64XOdI1jWtepZmLLZfbXYeqPj5nrHxGVSqa6QiVxyorCNLcHlrP_GNDFG3cVfgKspvlJ9eJdK644Bs4zJoPL3lHPDVQ8ABL1j5C4WM81bt3/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+004.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342097468083387394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYM6CjR5kpL7xO7S4QnzrMqRnQg4idiJxrx8bIEZ2KuBdPAyOpxmqtW6K5gyCc8MDSeWCoEFlCuWsEZsXADJXm3AzJafVMPqdXvrqcir1i3WrUnPqMFGzUFR8esCK4JEtRk08O316lq5v/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+008.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342097282020124290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpsTWMan9_U9M35S4TduGQyDRTuJ4Tk4FmTr1ulXX3y3OJ0w9XgBf8G6OPGDCjDkUrwlf5JrFKv5no4ZUeF2IVYQHLbGxtiVqUDwjgk8p_RTRe2JB0MGusaleeWWemmGSREXJk_dJ_3lE/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+007.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342097036729821394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRwBIqB6rfo1p9MvGhjZNs7e6H6r23cDGXE82mQr_I31n-D_hIDUgL2m6ghvfDY1-OOriUQr5lxO7oM_SYUTH_eMbUmwI9wg6NVALSu2AZbjkdjQPTW5VmjZ1yMuBSJxOwjiq1tFnOv68n/s400/Sunday+Stroll-May+31,+2009+006.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br /><p>If you go for a stroll, be sure to stop and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">feelthewind</span>, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">hearthebird</span>. Oh, and throw some more gravel in the sewer grate for me will you?</p><p>To see what other strollers are noticing, visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/quietcountryhouse.blogspot.com">The Quiet Country House</a>.</p>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-58020646516475151572009-05-30T07:35:00.000-07:002009-05-30T07:37:28.140-07:00Put Him FirstExcellent points from <a href="http://http//christisdeeperstill.blogspot.com/2009/05/come-to-me.html">Ray Ortlund</a>:<br /><br />"If our functional purpose in church is to connect with one another and build community, that's what we'll get -- one another. And we'll end up angry. Only Jesus gives us rest. If we will put him first and come to him first, we'll have something to give one another.<br /><br />If our functional purpose in church is outreach and mercy and justice and all those good missional things, we'll end up exhausted and empty. Only Jesus gives us rest. If we will put him first and come to him first, we'll be renewed for endless mission."Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-275502327355150372009-05-28T10:39:00.000-07:002009-05-28T10:40:54.366-07:00Why We Sing"And the duty of singing praises to God, seems to be appointed wholly to excite and express religious affections. No other reason can be assigned, why we should express ourselves to God in verse, rather than in prose, and do it with music, but only, that such is our nature and frame, that these things have a tendency to move our affections. "<br /><br />Jonathan EdwardsJoycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-10431937823180356502009-05-23T04:00:00.000-07:002009-05-23T04:00:00.688-07:00Saturday SillinessI know this may only appeal to ministry geeks, but it cracked me up. I'm dedicating this Saturday Silliness to my son Matt, who actually learned Koine Greek on his own in high school. Which prompted some eye rolling among his fellow youth group members, as you may well imagine.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvVylnHnn9s&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lvVylnHnn9s&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4352179045764689947.post-78969499166679244982009-05-17T12:38:00.000-07:002009-05-17T13:15:30.454-07:00Sunday Stroll- May 17, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWphZ5E6WXmqUuQtPBFFU6yVHpbvsh00xgsVqIwaD_In3mh2iiH7wg0jhaGEssPkdm0becXTmNFO6bqEvepJcM41M7kQ0gNAsVjYzlX1buiTX7cRfIMFnvNkQQLQR16EwDE7mGx9S0y3fI/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+020.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336882348163554226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWphZ5E6WXmqUuQtPBFFU6yVHpbvsh00xgsVqIwaD_In3mh2iiH7wg0jhaGEssPkdm0becXTmNFO6bqEvepJcM41M7kQ0gNAsVjYzlX1buiTX7cRfIMFnvNkQQLQR16EwDE7mGx9S0y3fI/s400/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+020.jpg" border="0" /></a>After a week of intense storms, we're having a perfect May Sunday. It's graduation weekend at the University of Illinois, as well as prom weekend for my family's high school. Those events, celebrated by several generations of my family, are forever associated with "iris time" in local gardens.<br /><br />All of my irises are pass-alongs from family members. My grandmother, who was an ace gardener, made sure that when we moved to this house we would have all the beautiful flowers we wanted from her divisions. Forsythia, iris, lambs-ears, jonquils- all unnamed but much loved, have flourished in my flower beds. Now, I'm ready to share with my children as they get their own homes.<br /><br />These beautiful lavender iris are from Grandma H. I've divided them and sent some on to my sisters. There are also some pale beige-y ones that you can just see in the left corner of the picture. They are not a very pretty color, I'll admit, but they have sentimental value to me, so I keep growing them. No one wants to take divisions of them, though!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fp5_q4DId6O7-w9lLGEr48CYgwmGFxVsrZZ6zwfFXhRe-DMJ4e9Loh3_VA7xoqq-7A48LY4DXTRCK7bi-80gmSWNA8xUZdhYVsCRcyFlbST4xWt-pYk1LPecgkEkzmHriyOYBw-Sw1tt/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+019.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336882095248711282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fp5_q4DId6O7-w9lLGEr48CYgwmGFxVsrZZ6zwfFXhRe-DMJ4e9Loh3_VA7xoqq-7A48LY4DXTRCK7bi-80gmSWNA8xUZdhYVsCRcyFlbST4xWt-pYk1LPecgkEkzmHriyOYBw-Sw1tt/s400/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+019.jpg" border="0" /></a> These royal purple iris are from my sister's garden. She got them from a neighbor. Who needs garden stores? These are very tall and stately, and my very favorites.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UQhuxJyREuqx3YRk9xDliakB2m09ZuFMxhSMtaPGyvXWxRXV2Q5TLwPY13nViP64Ue0cuaUwy3HppLjoqKenpvYF_TBDK0Nx1mQbxROXIGkeu_PIc_xF0gDYvITO17Z6cUVHBw4ZEfyz/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+021.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336881841662802162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6UQhuxJyREuqx3YRk9xDliakB2m09ZuFMxhSMtaPGyvXWxRXV2Q5TLwPY13nViP64Ue0cuaUwy3HppLjoqKenpvYF_TBDK0Nx1mQbxROXIGkeu_PIc_xF0gDYvITO17Z6cUVHBw4ZEfyz/s400/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+021.jpg" border="0" /></a> Finally, there are some shorter gold and brown iris that contrast wonderfully with the purple. These are also Grandma's, and she told me they came from <em>her</em> mother-in-law's garden, so they are a cultivar that goes back to the late nineteenth century. It's just fun to think about the way all that gardening knowledge is passed down in the family.<br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfD9bMe6IMbCnKuJ-NmyIMlQx5MCqs4W_6fBGtCKWc-zrOuflo904s9U3Q2Tzx9P4brkIF5Lpv4HuMeYJ5RZ6OgM4yEtXvJ5U-K7J1s7WU7U-lVKUFCTU0Qvyh2rLtuQrMeS5qPmJ2WVp/s1600-h/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+023.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336881516483834498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfD9bMe6IMbCnKuJ-NmyIMlQx5MCqs4W_6fBGtCKWc-zrOuflo904s9U3Q2Tzx9P4brkIF5Lpv4HuMeYJ5RZ6OgM4yEtXvJ5U-K7J1s7WU7U-lVKUFCTU0Qvyh2rLtuQrMeS5qPmJ2WVp/s400/Sunday+Stroll-Mother%27s+Day+023.jpg" border="0" /></a> To see who else is strolling, and what else is blooming, visit <a href="http://quietcountryhouse.blogspot.com/">The Quiet Country House.</a></div></div>Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10463831506588682774noreply@blogger.com7