Archive for the Celebrate Life Category

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Sunday’s Psalms

Posted in A Song to Sing, The Lord's Day with tags on Sunday, June 20, 2010 by Becky

This is what we are listening today.

“My Cry Ascends is a graceful collection of new Psalms and hymns for the church composed by Greg Wilbur. The music is recorded in a folk tradition with elements of Celtic style and southern harmony. Listeners will enjoy the hardy musical instrumentation: piano, viola, flutes, tin whistle, acoustic guitar, mandolin, bagpipe, hammer dulcimer and percussion..”

Keep reading…

May this Lord’s day be one full of praises, and songs, and psalms!

Just a note: I bought my own copy in iTunes!

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Sunday’s Poem

Posted in A Song to Sing, Read This, The Lord's Day with tags , on Sunday, June 13, 2010 by Becky

I just found a treasure, a treasure to be shared, poetry that glorifies our Sovereign God. The author is Nathan Pitchford, and this is one of his many beautiful poems:

Lovely Progression

Jesus, how sweet your virgin birth,
Deep, lovely mystery:
Out from the unsewn womb sprang forth
God of eternity!
I kneel before your bed so rough,
My Savior in a feeding trough,
Divine before the world began,
And now in time become a man.

Jesus, how sweet your life on earth,
Your public ministry,
Your miracles of saving worth
O’er sin and misery;
I hear in reverential awe
Your thund’rous utt’rance of the Law,
And offer in my own defense
Your life of pure obedience.

Jesus, how sweet your saving death,
The atoning sacrifice!
My plea rose up on your last breath
Like incense to the skies;
I weep before that blessed tree
Where priceless blood was spilled for me,
Where all the wrath of God was poured
On the Beloved of the Lord.

Jesus, how sweet your rising up
Victorious from the dead
To fill my upheld mercy cup,
To crush the Tempter’s head!
I come by grace before your throne
And there in trembling joy bow down,
Before my King who now must reign
Till he make all things new again.

Bless the Lord, our King who reigns!

You can buy Nathan Pitchford book of poems here, 
or you can even download them for free here.
Cross image from here.

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18 Years

Posted in Celebrate Life, Just Us with tags , on Wednesday, June 9, 2010 by Becky

I opened my eyes as I felt his hand over mine. I came closer to him and we whispered “Happy Anniversary”

18 years of happy marriage can only happen because of God’s grace. A man and his woman come together and walk into a covenant that resembles Christ’s perfect union with his Church. A holy union that makes them one body, one soul, One.

Marriage is a mystery indeed. When I think on how we have walked 18 years together under His grace, I ponder on what marriage really is: two sinful creatures pursuing what might look impossible, love each other as we die to ourselves. Marriage can never survive where two never become one, and even fight not to become one.

As another year passes and we touch and kiss, and hold hands, and dream together I am the more convinced that marriage is the best place to grow in the Lord. I remember when I was a teenager and I wanted to change the world and go to the mission field to serve my Lord there; yet in His providence He did not allow me to do so, instead he brought me to my Man; and here, by his side in our home is where I have found that God wants me to serve Him, where dying to myself produces delicious fruits.

Sometimes it might seem easier to serve outside our home, yet for me, the trial has been more than once as simple as to bring my husband a glass of water when he is thirsty and we are already in bed and I am tired of a long day. Other times, the growing process has been to learn to honor him in every conversation, always lifting him up and not tearing him down. Marriage is a place where we need to take off our sandals because it is indeed holy ground. Marriage was from the beginning a place where the Man and his Woman come naked before their Maker and doing so they glorify Him.

18 years and we still have dreams, and we still hold hands, and we still look for each other’s bodies in the night. It is a mystery, it is holy ground.

Other related posts:
Marriage and Wine
One + One= One
Marriage and Sola Scriptura
In Love for 63 Years
Another great post about Marriage and the Ten Commandments, 
by Douglas Wilson, is found here.
And one of my favorite articles about love, My Song is Love Unknown, 
by Toby Sumpter is found here.

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Sunday’s Psalm

Posted in Bible, The Lord's Day with tags , , on Sunday, May 30, 2010 by Becky

P salm 103: 17-18 says,

“But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.”


What a precious promise! What a joy to read this and know that is God’s inspired Word speaking to us.

I love what John Calvin (1) has to say regarding these verses;

“By taking our children’s children into His care, He shows how precious to Him is our Salvation”

He is the God of the Covenant and  He wisely rules over us, making us able, through Christ’s Saving Grace, to “respond to His calling with faith and prayer to the Covenant of Grace”.

But we must remember, He expects us to remember. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy and remember to do His commandments. Calvin says, “Many are quick to talk about God’s laws, but their feet are slow and their hands are heavy when it comes to the reality of spiritual service”

So, today, I found myself pondering about this, it seems so simple…remember…and even to do so, I need Him, I cannot do it myself. I forget; and being forgetful will not lead me to a godly life under the covenant.

Let us remember this day His commandments.

Let us rejoice in them.

Let us rejoice in the Lord of the Covenant, who delights to take care of our children’s children!

(1) Commentary on The Psalms John Calvin.Abridged by David C. Searle.
Psalm's Book image from here.

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Sunday Worship

Posted in A Song to Sing, The Lord's Day with tags , on Sunday, April 11, 2010 by Becky

Because every Sunday, no matter in which part of the world we live, we, Christians,  have more in common than in any other day, I want to say: May his grace be with you as you walk into the House of the Lord today.

May we go to the house of the Lord, and rejoice in His word. May we live today in His day according to His will.

A great quote from a small little book:

“Please don’t take sunday for granted. Do whatever it takes to rediscover the wonder of it all. ..look around and remind yourself: “These are my blood.bought brothers and sisters in Christ. we are His church, His people. We are here this morning to proclaim His work in our lives. we are here to give witness to the world of His great love and power and glory’“

Joshua Harris; Stop Dating the Church, Fall in Love With the Family of God. (p.118)

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The Tomb is Empty

Posted in Easter, Lenten Season, The Lord's Day with tags , on Sunday, April 4, 2010 by Becky

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” I Corinthians 15: 3- 4

The cross is empty, the tomb is empty…Jesus is alive, alive forevermore.

Alive and reigning victoriously.

Our hope has a strong foundation, our faith is not futile.

Let us rejoice, let us proclaim: OUR SAVIOR REIGNS!

“We must remember that the cross is just as empty as the tomb, and Christ is now glorified, having completed his work. The truth is, we cannot be truly cross-centered without also being empty-grave-centered! Jesus was not just our Prophet and our Priest – He is our reigning King.

At the cross we learn true humility, our hopeless sinfulness, and our need of God. At the empty tomb we fully appreciate what Christ has achieved for us and receive power to live for Him. A deeper, fuller insight into the truth of Jesus’ resurrection will cause our lives to be radically transformed“

Warnock, Raised With Christ, p. 62

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”        John 11: 25- 26

May our days be filled with the joy and hope that an empty cross and an empty tomb mean, may we believe this and live, and never die!

Artist: Barbara Adams, The Empty Tomb. Thank you, Barbara for giving me permission to use this beautiful image.

Please, visit Jael's Tent, Diane did an incredible job 
putting together a great list of quotes from trustable theologians about 
"So, Where Exactly Did Christ Go Between his Crucifixion and Resurrection?"

And read over at Heavenly Springs about the true meaning
of the Gospel message.

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Waiting in the Secret

Posted in Easter, Lenten Season with tags , on Saturday, April 3, 2010 by Becky

“When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him.”               Mt 27:57-58

The disciples were hiding behind locked doors for fear of the Jews (John 20: 19)… because an empty cross, without an empty grave is hopeless, is futile.(I Corinthians 15: 17)

” Christianity hinges not only on the empty cross but also on an empty tomb…only the resurrection transforms the cross from a symbol of despair to a symbol of hope”

Warnock, Raised With Christ, How the Resurrection Changes Everything. 


Artist: Rembrandt, The Descent From the Cross, found here.

A great Hymn, The Power of the Cross, at Jael’s Tent.

For the little ones, God’s wonderful Surprise, at Girl Talk.

For all the family, a great read aloud, The Prince’s Poison Cup, by R.C Sproul, to listen as a broadcast click here, to buy the book, click here.



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