worthy words

sunday songs

The hymn ‘Just as I Am’ has been around since 1835. It became the 'official' invitation song of the Billy Graham Crusades. Many souls have found Jesus as Savior in response to the simple beauty of this song.

When poet Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871) was 46 years old, an elderly man approached her at a dinner party and asked if she was a Christian. She considered him rude and unkind, and that his question was inappropriate. After the man walked away, Charlotte could not get his question out of her mind so she went to find the man, and asked how to become a Christian. That night she received Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Soon after, she wrote Just as I Am as a testimony to her new found faith, and as a tribute to the man who had told her how to become a Christian just the way she was... 

These are the first three verses of the song.

Just as I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

.

As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs after You. You alone are my heart's desire and I long to worship You.

-Martin J. Nystrom

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We may not always realize
That every thing we do,
Affects not only our lives
But touches others, too!

For a little bit of thoughtfulness
That shows someone you care,
Creates a ray of sunshine
For both of you to share.

Yes, every time you offer
Someone a helping hand ...
Every time you show a friend
You care and understand ...

Every time you have
A kind and gentle word to give ...
You help someone find beauty
In this precious life we live.

For happiness brings happiness
And loving ways bring love;
And Giving is the treasure
That contentment is made of.

...Amanda Bradley

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my duty

Got a Superior Court Jury Summons in the mail yesterday. It states: I must report at 8:30 am (I’m not totally sure I can comply with that time), I can not bring my child, there are no child care services available for my child should I bring my child, appropriate dress is required (what is their definition of appropriate?), I must bring my summons, I must bring any desired reading material (hmmm), and most importanly...ABSOLUTELY NO WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COURTHOUSE, (hmmm, all captial letters, bold, and underlined). I think I’d better leave my sling shot at home.
Get this – I get free parking!

Sunday songs

When the world-re­nowned lay preach­er, Dwight Ly­man Moody, lay on his death bed in his North­field, Mass­a­chu­setts home, Will Thomp­son made a spe­cial vi­sit to in­quire as to his con­di­tion. The at­tend­ing phy­si­cian re­fused to ad­mit him to the sick­room, and Moody heard them talk­ing just out­side the bed­room door. Re­cog­niz­ing Thomp­son’s voice, he called for him to come to his bed­side. Tak­ing the Ohio po­et-com­pos­er by the hand, the dy­ing evan­gel­ist said, “Will, I would ra­ther have writ­ten “Soft­ly and Ten­der­ly Je­sus is Call­ing” than an­y­thing I have been able to do in my whole life.”

(Emurian, p. 109)

This hymn was sung in the Acad­e­my Award win­ning mo­vie Trip to Boun­ti­ful (1985), and at a me­mor­i­al ser­vice for Amer­i­can ci­vil rights lead­er Mar­tin Lu­ther King, at the Eb­e­ne­zer Bap­tist Church, At­lan­ta, Georg­ia, Ap­ril 8, 1968.

( Words & Music: Will L. Thomp­son, in Spark­ling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, by J. Cal­vin Bush­ey (Chi­ca­go, Ill­i­nois: Will L. Thomp­son & Com­pa­ny, 1880)

“Softly and Tenderly”

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.

Refrain

Come home, come home,
You who are weary, come home;
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading,
Pleading for you and for me?
Why should we linger and heed not His mercies,
Mercies for you and for me?

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,
Coming for you and for me.

O for the wonderful love He has promised,
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon,
Pardon for you and for me.

quick quotes

tears for Anaia

Yesterday afternoon, I had to stop by a lab for blood tests.  (Ouch!)  There was just one woman, ‘Maisha’, working the check-in window and drawing blood.  When I sat down waiting for the needle stick, I saw some adorable pictures of a baby girl displayed on one wall.  One was of her first birthday wearing a princess crown.  So sweet!  I asked Maisha how old she was now, and she said Anaia, her granddaughter, was 18 months old.

I couldn’t find the right words to say when Maisha told me Anaia had an inoperable brain tumor.  She told me about the struggles and about the radiation treatments and about the chemo treatments and about how that precious baby still played and still smiled and still ‘talked’.  That brought tears to my eyes.  Maisha wanted to know why, what terrible sins had she committed to be passed on to Anaia?  She wanted to know why, why, why Anaia? And, why not her?  I told Maisha that I would pray daily for Anaia, for her mother, and for her.  As I was leaving, we shared a teary hug.

I’m so ashamed and disappointed with myself.  Why couldn’t I explain the two Bible verses?  For me, even researching commentary after commentary, I still don’t know if I could.
 
You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:5-6 NAS

I’ve decided to write a note to Maisha and drop it by the lab.  I hope my note will somehow make it clear that her sins aren’t the reason for Anaia’s cancer.   This family has heavy hearts and I pray that God will strengthen and comfort them every step of the journey they must take.  May God be glorified in the life of Anaia.