Saturday Psalm & Praise: Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners

The hymn I've chosen for this week is "Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!". If you are unfamiliar with the tune, then click on the link below for a rough feel of what this lovely hymn sounds like. It it one of my favorites!


Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
[or Jesus! I do now adore Him,]
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

Refrain


Shalom,

Names of God: Jehovah Tsidkenu

Jehovah Tsidkenu
(yeh-ho-vaw' tsid-kay'-noo)

The Lord Our Righteousness

Yahweh is our righteousness. Jesus lived the perfect life on earth so that we don't have to. He, who knew no sin, became sin for us, that we might become the righteouss of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21) I am so grateful for God's divine mercy on us, through the gift of His son!

Shalom,

A Few Things I'm Counting Down To:

My Bookshelf

I don't know about y'all, but I have a tendency to read more than one book at a time. Right now, my reading shelf consists of The Lord's Day, Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Getting Serious about Getting Married and How Should We Then Live. All non-fiction...I know, I'm weird. :-p Occasionally I read fiction, though it's been a while. Last one I've read was a great book called November by J William English. Up next, I hope to finish Les Miserables. It's the unedited version, so it's taking me a while. I don't usually want to read edited books, but this is one where I feel like it'd be necessary. :-)

Keep an eye out, I'm working on a post addressing some of the things I've been reading in Getting Serious about Getting Married: Rethinking the Gift of Singleness. A great book, I would recommend it to both women and men. So brace yourselves!
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Monday Nights in Charlotte

For those who don't know, there is a great contra dancing group up in Charlotte that meets every Monday night. Check out the website here. For those who don't know what contra dancing is...well, it isn't exactly the easiest thing to explain. Some say it's like an amusement park ride that you make for yourself. Others would say it's seeing how many different ways and times you can spin. It has some English Country dance elements in it - like heys, rights and lefts, and courtesy turns - but it is a bit more rambunctious. I say you just need to come join us and find out for yourself!

Names of God: Jehovah Shammah

(yeh-ho-vaw' shawm'-maw)
The Lord Is There

The Lord is there. Just think on that amazing thought for a moment. Yahweh, maker of heaven and earth, is always there, ready to listen and eager to talk with us. He is with us all day, everyday. He is with us as we gather together to worship Him tomorrow. Remember that the one who we worship is there with us as we sing His praises and worship Him on His day!

In Yahweh,
Jessica

Future Generations

I've had this in my blogger drafts for a while - I'm just now getting around to posting it! In it, you will find seven suggestions for praying for future generations. Just think of the rich heritage you can bless future generations with!


(You can read the original here.)

Seven Generational Prayers

Our Visionary Womanhood group is going to be watching the first two DVD's in the DVD set entitled, How To Disciple Your Family. Wow. This conference is amazing and chock full of greatness. Here is just one little treasure...a list of "generational" prayers to pray for your children AND the next 7 generations after. Doug Phillips shares that one of his ancestors prayed that there would be no divorce in his future posterity...and since he lived, there has been NO DIVORCE in that family line. Imagine what God would be pleased to do if His people could, by faith, begin thinking and praying generationally again. That is what this conference is all about. I HIGHLY encourage you to get it and watch it. Go to the Vision Forum Website and type in How To Disciple Your Family.

And now here are seven prayers. We've decided that to pray these prayers on our Monday Morning Fast and Pray times...means that we ARE praying for the future revival of our country. The future of this world lies in what Christ will do through out posterity. Start praying!

1. Pray that God would save the souls of the children early in life.
2. Pray that the children would be faithful covenant keepers with God.
3. Pray for Christ-loving spouses for all children and that there would be no divorce for 200 years.
4. Pray that the children would continue to home educate, following the Biblical/Hebrew model for discipleship.
5. Pray that the wombs of the daughters and daughters’-in-law would be blessed with a multitude of covenant keeping children.
6. Pray that God would bless and make fruitful the dominion labor of the family in all its generations.
7. Pray that the children would honor their fathers and mothers and be faithful to the vision that their fathers give them.

I Remember

I remember this morning eight years ago. I remember watching the footage, my ten year old mind not quite grasping the implications or changes that it the attack would cause. I remember seeing those looking for their loved ones - their sisters, sons, friends. The raw emotion felt when faced with never seeing them again, never having that chance at a final "I love you. " or "Goodbye". The emotions one woman faced at the lose of her sister, whom she had fought with and hadn't talked to in years. I remember the television being turned off and gathering in prayer. The prayer vigils. The unity felt across America through our shared grief. I remember the day that changed the future of America forever. I remember.

Saturday Psalm and Praise: Psalm 119X

This week's Psalm is Psalm 119X. I don't recall hearing this Psalm before I sang it at BWSC '09, but I really enjoyed it. Then again, I enjoy just about any Psalm or Hymn that is sung in parts! It is definitely one of my favorites now. I'm very thankful to have a recording of Psalm 119X (and Psalm 98A) so that I can sing it anytime I like. The first line of the second half of each verse is sung first by the bass, then the tenors jump in, then the altos, and finally the sopranos. I'm sure it sounds quite confusing, but it is actually quiet easy to sing when you know which part you sing. I only wish I could share the music with you, but alas, all I have is the words. Enjoy this week's Psalm!


Psalm 119X

Before Thee let my cry come near,
O Lord; true to Thy word, teach me.
Before Thee let my pleading come;
True to Thy promise rescue me.

Since Thou Thy statutes teachest me,
O let my lips Thy praise confess.
Yea, of Thy word my tongue would sing,
For Thy commands are righteousness.

Be ready with Thy hand to help,
Because Thy precepts are my choice.
I’ve longed for Thy salvation, LORD,
And in Thy holy law rejoice.

O let Thine ordinances help;
My soul shall live and praise Thee yet.
A straying sheep, Thy servant, seek,
For Thy commands I ne’er forget.


Soli Deo Gloria,

Eggplant Delight

One of my favorite vegetables to cook with is eggplant. However, I wanted to do something new with it for dinner, so I experimented with a different mix of vegetables than I usually use, and cooked them in a different way. I'm posting my 'recipe' here, in case anyone else feels crazy enough to try it, and so I'll have it in a place that won't get lost. ;-) Admit it, the pictures makes your mouth water. Come on...you know it does!


Eggplant Delight

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 beet
2 cups spinach (I just used a couple of handfuls)
1 onion
1 cup sliced olives (mine were leftovers from tacos!)

Optional:
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. basil leaves
meat of your choice (cooked)

Chop the eggplant, beet, and onion. Combine all ingredients except for the spinach and saute on high until the eggplant is done cooking. Add the spinach and continue sauteing until the spinach is slightly wilted. Serve over rice or couscous. Approx. 8 servings.

I used a griddle to cook this, which was the easiest method for me. This is very quick and easy, and I will certainly be playing with it more in the future. If you try it out, let me know!


Soli Deo Gloria,

Silence

Have you ever noticed the constant barrage of noise that the average American is bombarded with daily? Just think of the size of today's music industry - we have iTunes, iPods, iPhones and MP3 players to make sure we never have a quiet minute. It would almost appear as if we are afraid of silence, afraid of having nothing to do. Have we simply know no other way and accept it as a cultural norm? Or are we afraid of what might happen when we hit the off button?

Our bodies becomes accustomed to the familiar noises we are normally surrounded with. I'm certain everyone can think of a time when it suddenly struck them that something was missing, out of balance because a familiar source of noise had become silent. The most dominant circumstances that this happens in is when we are trying to fall asleep in a new place. We can feel that something, be it the stead whirr of a fan, hum of a computer, trickle of an aquarium filter, or even the spinning of a hamster wheel, is missing. Even when we think it is quiet, there is usually some sort of background noise, whether we are aware of it or not. When devoid of all noise, a room begins feels lonely, lost, forgotten and can stir up the same feelings in us.

We may not need the drastic silence of a Benedictine monastery, but I have recently become convinced that we really need some sort of silence every day. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think it's wrong to turn on something to listen to - I have my own often-used iPod filled with music, sermons and lectures - but to not have a constant bombardment of these things. Times of silence cultivate reflection and meditation on Yahweh, His Word, and His character. It can give us an opportunity to intercede for others in prayer, and to both talk to our Father and to listen to Him. Perhaps we can also use that time when we are busy with our hands but not our minds, to cultivate friendships and to encourage other believers. If you don't do so already, I dare you to try it. Enjoy your music, sermons, lectures, audio books, but just once daily, instead of hitting "play" to fill the silence, let the silence remain.

By Yahweh's Grace,
Jessica