A Snowy Daybook

 For Today, February 21, 2022

Looking out my window... currently it is overcast and windy. We are expecting a snowstorm over the next two days and while I'm ready for warmer weather I love a good snowstorm!  It will be nice to see our dirty black snow all covered white again.  We had a windstorm last week and a lot of the topsoil from the field blew in and covered all of our snow.

I am thinking... about the message from church yesterday on being careful and diligent to keep increasing and adding to our faith.  The mark of a transformed life is continual growth and fruit. 2 Peter 1:5-11

I am praying for... My dear friend and spiritual mama who has cancer.  There has been cognitive loss and our relationship is changing.  I am grieving the loss but am so thankful to God for all the years of friendship with her, many Bible study and prayer times.

I am thankful for... God's protection over my son and other drivers this last week when he and the car in front of him hit black ice.  Both cars ended up in the ditch.  I am praising God that there were no injuries and a good Samaritan pulled both cars out of the ditch.  I am also grateful to God for my husband's oral surgery and healing going well.

One of my favorite things... my granddaughter's smile and her one little dimple.

I am creating... a crocheted baby blanket for my great niece who is due in March with her first.  

My daughter in love and granddaughter also came over this last week and we worked on a new to me crochet project.  A reusable grocery bag made from plastic grocery bags that we cut and loop tied together.  We didn't get very far but we had fun and of course I had to give Cookie the hook.  It will be fun to teach her how to crochet when she is older.  I love the focused look on her face and her little tongue sticking out. ☺  Our church hosts a monthly "Scrap and Craft" event and this was one of the projects I brought along.  I didn't get very far though.  My progress and the rolled ball represents 21 bags.  I think I'm going to need A LOT of bags.  *smile*

I am wearing... Cozy comfy lounge clothes.  I'm not planning to leave the house during this snowstorm.

I am reading... In the Bible I am in the book of Deuteronomy.  I am also reading John 18 for this week's women's Bible study.  I am slowly making my way through Dark Clouds Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegrop.

I am listening to... these beautiful instrumental hymns throughout the day.

I am hoping... 

In the kitchen... I'll be prepping food this week for our "I Love You Day" celebration.  On the menu is spaghetti, garlic knots, salad and a cake. My daughter will bring a vegetable of some sort to add to the meal and others are brining snacks and drinks.  My mom is bringing a dessert salad.

Looking forward to... a phone visit with a friend across the country.

A moment from my day...

Be Still

 

Be Still My Soul ~ My memory hymn for the month of November.  The Lord keeps bringing me to this; Be still, my soul.  At our church we sing the following three verses so these will be the ones I will use for memory work.

 

 

Be Still, My Soul

 

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In every change He faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul; thy best, thy heav'nly friend

Thro' thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

 

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as He has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be Still, my soul: the waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

 

Be still, my soul: the hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

Making Your Home a Haven, Week 2 - Music

 

It's week two of the Making Your Home a Haven challenge.  Hosted by Courtney at Women Living Well. 

 

Have you been lighting your candle?  We have - the boys are taking turns each morning lighting the candle and praying for peace in our home before we begin family worship time.  We've read Romans 12:9-21 a few times over the last week. 

 

My Holiday Spice Yankee Candle is just about  burned through and before weeks end I'll need to get another.  ☺  I'm not sure if I'll get the same scent or look for a new one. 

 

 

Over the last few months I've purchased a few new cd's and I've been playing those throughout the day.  In years past (and still) I've enjoyed listening to George Winston but I recently found Paul Cardall and downloaded a selection of his music as well as some Fernado Ortega from Amazon and onto my cloud storage.  I can play it through an app from either my computer or my iPhone which is nice because because its mobile and I can listen to it whenever and wherever I want.  :)

 

 I also have two cd's that I purchased from the Revive Our Hearts ministry with Nancy Leigh DeMoss that I love!  The first is a cd collection of Hymns.  The cd title is Be Still.  The second is Hidden in My Heart:  A Lullaby Journey Through Scripture.   Don't let the lullaby part fool you.  These are beautiful Scriptural truths set to music that are soothing to any age.

 

This summer I watched a talk by Michelle Duggar.  She opened by having everyone sing (a capella) a beautiful hymn titled A Christian Hymn.  I am not sure where this hymn originated but over the summer I've taken it as my own and have sung it to the Lord and a prayer for my family and home.

 

 

A Christian Home

(sung to Be Still My Soul)

 

O give us homes built firm upon the Savior,

Where Christ is head and counselour and guide;

Where every child is taught His love and favor

And give his heart to Christ, the crucified:

How sweet to know that , tho' his footsteps waver,

His faithful Lord is walking by his side!

 

O give us homes with godly fathers, mothers,

Who always place their home and trust in Him;

Whose tender patience turmoil never bothers,

Whose calm and courage trouble cannot dim;

A home where each finds joy in serving others,

And love still shines tho' days be dark and grim.

 

O give us homes where Christ is Lord and Master,

The Bible read, the precious hymns still sung;

Where prayer comes first in peace or in disaster,

And praise is natural speech to every tongue;

Where mountains move before a faith that's vaster,

And Christ sufficient is for old and young.

 

O Lord, our God, our homes are Thine forever!

We trust to Thee their problems, toil and care;

Their bonds of love no enemy can sever

If Thou art always Lord and Master there:

Be Thou the center of our least endeavor

Be Thou our guest, our hearts and homes to share.

 

 

Isn't it lovely?!  May God bless you this week as you work towards building a haven for your family.

 

Making Your Home a Haven - Week 1 was the #1 read post at the So Much at Home Link up!  How fun and welcome to all the new readers who came through the link-up.  I hope you'll stop by again, leave a comment so I can return the visit.  Please click below to visit and read the posts submitted to this week's link-up. 

  

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Marriage Monday, Titus 2sdays, Titus 2 Tuesdays, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Coffee and Conversation, So Much at Home, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Hearts for Home Thursdays, Growing in Grace Link-up,  Front Porch Friday Blog Hop, Simple Meals Friday, Making Your Home a Haven,  Thank you to each of the lovely ladies listed above for hosting.

 

The Mind of Christ

When we made the move to our new church last October, one of the things I was unsure of was if I would like singing hymns after being used to contemporary praise and worship music for over 10 years. That first Sunday we sang a hymn called Nearer Still Nearer* and the words spoke to my heart and over the weeks I found myself falling in love with the old hymns which are so full of Truth.

Over the last 13 months I've been singing and memorizing hymns in my quiet time, in the shower, while I dry my hair or put make up on, while cooking, doing dishes etc.  We sing them as a family each morning during our family worship time and I often catch the boys humming them throughout the day.  I just finished memorizing this hymn and it is one of my favorites to sing in the mornings and so I thought I would share it here with you. 

Be blessed.

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through His power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Him exalting, self abasing,
This is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

* The video in this link is not our church, just a link to the hymn being sung.