The Ravens

In a 1 Kings 17 moment, we had a van-load of groceries dropped off at our house today.

3 lbs. apples
3 lbs. sweet potatoes
1 head cabbage
1 lb. baby carrots
4 zucchini

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1 dzn. eggs
1 gallon milk

8 lbs. chicken leg quarters
6 lbs. smoked ham
3 lbs. ground chuck

5 lbs. all purpose flour
5 lbs. self-rising flour

And another friend came by and left behind 6 lbs. of split peas (so I get to make split-pea soup with the left-over ham and ham bone stock!!!)


So yes, despite being a bit "under-employed" at the moment, God's faithfulness continues. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits!! Ps. 103:2

How long has it been?

Since you've heard or sung any of these??


He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own, And the joy we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known. I come to the garden alone while the dew is still on the roses, and voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses... and He walks with me, and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own... and the joy we share, as we tarry there, none other has ever known.

And Jesus said, Come to the water, stand by my side; I know you are thirsty you won't be denied, I felt every tear drop, when in darkness you cried, and I strove to remind you that for those tears I died.

Shackled by a heavy burden, 'neath a load of guilt and shame, then the hand of Jesus touched me, and now I am no longer the same. (or) Since I met this blessed Saviour, since He cleansed and made me whole, I will never cease to praise him, I'll shout it while eternity rolls:
He touched me, He touched me; and Oh the joy that floods my soul, something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole.

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. Oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

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

Just a closer walk with thee, if I falter Lord who cares, none but thee my burden bears, none but thee, dear Lord, none but thee. Just a closer walk with thee, grant it Jesus is my plea, daily walking close with thee, let it be dear Lord, let it be.... I'll be satisfied as long, as I walk, let me walk close to thee.

How can I say thanks for the things you have done for me, things so undeserved, yet you give to prove your love for me, the voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude, all that I am and ever hope to be, I owe it all to thee. To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things He has done. With His blood he has saved me, with His power he has raised me, to God be the glory for the things He has done. Just let me live my life, let it be pleasing Lord to thee; and should I gain any praise, let it go to Calvary. With His blood He has saved me, with His power He has raised me... to God be the glory for the things He has done.


I've been listening to a CD of Dino. One of the songs on it is a medley of the songs above, all in one package. :-) You know it's difficult to transcribe words from dusty memories with tears streaming down your face, right?! I learned some of these at home growing up, or in choir during Jr. High (church or school, or both). Either way, Jr. High was a *long* time ago. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly and clearly the words come flooding back when I hear the melodies of songs I once sang regularly. Nothing can lift the soul in quite the same way that music can...

GOYB Parenting

For alternatives to the usual "spanking is the primary and best tool in the parenting-of-young-ones toolbox" child-rearing paradigm found in Fundamentalism, may I introduce you to: Get off your butt parenting. Gotta love the name! *snickers* So true though. If you want to adopt a less confrontational parenting style, you (the parent) are going to *have* to get off the couch more often. Hollering instructions in from the next room . will . not . cut . it. Seriously.

GOYBP defined:


It's not about spanking.



Connect before you correct.

Can you spell "misspell"?

Spelling mistakes.... gar!!

Anyone who knows me IRL will howl at the thought that spelling mistakes drive me up the wall because I am constantly heard asking "How do you spell...?" But hey, I have the right to be a hypocrite, yes?? ;-)

Few things bother me more than spelling mistakes on people's personal blogs, in e-groups, and mass group e-mails. Very few things. Especially when those mistakes are made by mothers who are homeschooling their children. Especially then. RARH!!!

Granted some of my impatience is born of (literally) countless hours on the phone with home-schooling moms bewailing the abysmal spelling scores on their children's "end of year" standardized test results. "But she/he loves to read!?!" (Did'ya catch the whiney tone?)

Um.... yea, so? Obviously reading ability has precious little to do with aptitude for spelling (or his/her scores wouldn't be so low). They are two separate skills that *must* be taught as such. Spelling is NOT learned by osmosis, or absorbed by extensive reading. Vocabulary perhaps, but not spelling.

Or don't bother teaching your kids how to spell. Why should I care? After all, they're growing up with spell checks embedded in every word-processing program imaginable. Who needs to learn to spell well anyway? Funny thing... when I was growing up (back in the dark ages of course), Mom would always answer my spelling queries with "Go look it up in the dictionary."

I know first-hand how had it is to find a word you're spelling phonetically aloud that's not spelled phonetically in print. I "get it" that homographs are tricky and that spell check won't catch homophones either. And I know if you look, you'll be able to find mistakes in what I've written; so I wouldn't bother taking the time to hunt. It probably wouldn't be much of a hunt. LOL

Besides, I'm not home-schooling so you can't say the pot is calling the kettle black. :-D

/end rant

Of Carts & Horses

A Passion for Thee

Set my heart, O dear Father, On Thee, and Thee only,
Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.
Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly,
Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee; O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer, Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service,
Let love for Christ ev'ry motive inspire,
Teach me to follow in selfless submission,
Be Thou my joy and my soul's one desire.

A passion for Thee; O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer, Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

~Joe Zichterman



Ever think about the words of "A Passion for Thee" above? "Hear now my prayer, Lord, thy power impart... not just to serve, but to love thee with all of my heart" Isn't that cart-before-the-horse backwards?? Shouldn't our service come second, born out of our love for Him??

I know the song is about our passion (love?) for Him, but today (when the little voices in my head sing it) it winds up sounding like "Hey Lord, my service for you is A-OK, but I prolly ought to love you more. Will ya help me with that check-mark??" I'd love to ask Joe Z... especially since he's "out" of "Fundy-ism" now.... I really like most all of the songs that I know he's written, and I've always liked this song especially. But since it was played for the offertory this morning, it's been running through my head... Then the words started sinking in & I started wondering. Things that make you go "Hmmmmmm........ " ;-)

Praying for a heart of love... all the while assuming that I already have a heart bent toward service? What's with that?? To me it seems wrong-headed Scripturally. But given what I know of Joe (he has his head on pretty straight), it behooves me to assume JZ was trying to point out this weak area in the camp not ingrain it more.

1 Corinthians 13 makes much of love/charity being the primary thing--the motivation from which our actions should spring. If the greatest command is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and the second is like unto it--to love our neighbors as ourselves (i.e. service); wouldn't that imply that our service ought to be borne out of our love for God, rather than serving (first?) while we're praying to love Him more?

Not that there's any harm in praying for a deeper love for the Lord and a closer relationship with Him.... I suspect my hang-up is just semantics. :-D Or maybe it's hyper-sensitivity to anything about what I should be "doing" as a believer. When you've been indoctrinated by a definition of grace that includes what I do (grace is God's enabling power and desire to do His will), you start developing jerky knees.

If justification is all God's work & glorification is all God's work, why can't sanctification be (more about) God's work too???

Before the Throne

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great High Priest whose name is love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God, the Just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect, spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of Grace
One with Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

"Before the Throne", lyrics by Charitie Less Bancroft, alt. lyrics and music by Vikki Cook.

© 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).