Nothing But the Blood

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Words & Music by Robert Lowry

Robert Lowry was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 12th March 1826. He studied theology at the University of Lewisburg and on graduating, in 1854, became ordained as a Baptist minister. He had charge of churches in a number of places including New York, Brooklyn, West Chester, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 1869 he returned to Lewisburg as a faculty member (having previously served as a professor of literature) and later went on to become its chancellor. From 1880 until 1886 he was president of the New Jersey Baptist Sunday School Union. He is most remembered as a composer of gospel music and a hymn writer, and also worked as a music editor at the Biglow Publishing Company. He was responsible for around 500 compositions, including Beautiful River and Nothing But the Blood.

Despite his success as a hymn writer, it was as a preacher that Lowry would have preferred to be recognized. He once stated: "Music, with me has been a side issue... I would rather preach a gospel sermon to an appreciative audience than write a hymn. I have always looked upon myself as a preacher and felt a sort of depreciation when I began to be known more as a composer."

Despite this, it is as a hymn writer that he remains renowned, songs such as I Need Thee Every Hour and Christ Arose as popular now as they ever were.

Lowry was married with three sons and died in Plainfield, New Jersey on 23rd November 1899.

Hat Tip: Poem Hunter

In the Backyard

Holland

Three years ago this week, I used my passport for the very first time. My mom, 3 sisters, a sister-in-law, a niece and I went to Holland. It was just the girls; no boys allowed. Truthfully, the guys would have hated our trips through every flower garden and shop we passed. We spent 8 days traveling the countryside in a mini van taking any side trip that struck our fancy. My sister, Melanie, had made reservations at three unique places in one in Delft and two in Noord Holland. She had sent questionnaires to each of us. From there she learned our individual priorities and created an itinerary to best accomplish all of them. So, she was the navigator and I drove as we traveled from town to town. We often got lost, but every time we did something wonderful came of it. We traveled to the town my great-grandparents were from. We painted tiles at the Royal Delft Factory. We rode on a Stoomtram (steam train). We wandered around small town squares. We visited churches and the museums within. All in all we laughed and cried and grew closer to each other. We created memories that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

The first photo is the whole group at the Keukenof Gardens. Left to right: Melanie (sis), Donella (niece), Mom, Sheri (sis), Cheri (sis-in-law), Janelle (sis) and me. The second is the Museummolen (Windmill Museum) at Schermer. And the last is a picture of me at the North Sea.

I Like Change

I do. I like change. My hubby knows this since he gets asked to help move furniture fairly often. I just get tired of looking at things the same way day after day, season after season. I guess this applies to my blog as well. So, I made the change again. I like dark lettering on a light background. I think it is easier on the eyes. What do you think? What is easier for you to read? And the greater question, do you like change?

Ducks, Geese & Frisbees

Sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful. We headed out on another YRE that starts at a store in a new shopping area. The walk took us through a variety of milieus--the first being a park with a duck pond which we visit fairly often. With the bright spring weather, the park was filled with families picnicking and playing. We stopped a several times to let children pet Casey. He is such a fluffy dog that children and parents watch him as he promenades by like a king on parade. He occasionally pauses to offer his attentions to his admirers, but usually he shows disdain as he sniffs the air (and the grass and the posts and the…).

As we crossed the bridge over the pond, several families were feeding the ducks and geese or taking photographs. One duck was different than any I have seen there before. It was black with green iridescent green feathers on his head and neck. The geese were all the ordinary white variety. All however, were enjoying the feast presented to them.

From there we headed through a business park and on to a frisbee golf course. It is a really nice park with paved pathways meandering around a creek and through wetlands. Again the beautiful day brought the families out to play. Some children were searching the best way to get their disc into the holes while others were rolling down the slopes in the fresh green grass. It brought to mind the first time I played frisbee golf when I was about 7 or 8. It was at a church picnic in Iowa. I got my disc in the whole, when my sister, Janelle, looked at me and said, “You got a hole-in-one!” She then proceeded to brag about it to everyone else. That evening in church I was given an award for my hole-in-one—a stuffed Snoopy dog. I was a bit embarrassed over the fuss people were making, yet I felt very special that they though it was good enough for an award.

After leaving the golf course, the walk continued down a greenway with a wide path. We passed a few joggers, walkers and cyclists. All were friendly as Oregonians tend to be when the sun shines. We saw nearly as many garter snakes as people along this stretch. One snake was nearly two feet in length as it slithered across the pathway. At one point we saw a blue heron at the edge of a pond. At the end of the greenway, the walk headed toward another business park and back toward the starting point.

Just As I Am

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou biddest 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, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yes, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Words by Charlotte Elliott

Without question, this hymn has touched more hearts and influenced more people for Christ than any other song ever written. The text was born within the soul of an invalid woman who wrote these words out of intense feelings of uselessness and despair.

Charlotte Elliott was born in Clapham, England, on March 18, 1789. As a young person she lived a carefree life, gaining popularity as a portrait artist and writer of humorous verse. By the time she was thirty, however, her health began to fail rapidly, and soon she became a bedridden invalid for the remaining years of her life. With her failing health came great feelings of despondency. In 1822 a noted Swiss evangelist, Dr. Caesar Malan, visited the Elliott home in Brighton, England. His visit proved to be a turning point in Charlotte's life. In counseling Miss Elliott about her spiritual and emotional problems, Dr. Malan impressed upon her this truth, "You must come just as you are, a sinner, to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Throughout the remainder of her life, Miss Elliott celebrated every year the day on which her Swiss friend had led her to a personal relationship with Christ, for she considered it to be her spiritual birthday. Although she did not write her text for this hymn until 1836, fourteen years after her conversion experience, it is apparent that she never forgot the words of her friend, for they form the very essence of this hymn.

In all, Charlotte Elliott wrote approximately 150 hymns. She is generally regarded as one of the finest of all English women hymn writers. It is said that after her death more than a thousand letters were found among her papers from individuals around the world, expressing testimonials for what this one hymn had meant in their lives.

Only eternity will reveal the vast number of individuals whose lives have been dramatically changed through the use of this one hymn from the pen of an invalid woman. It is a hymn that can and should be used more frequently than merely an invitational number at the close of a service. Its message is one that we as believers need to be reminded of frequently-that our eternal standing and peace with God depends solely on Christ's merits and not our own.

Hat Tip: Dr. Chadwick’s Hymn Backgrounds

Hens?

In a previous post I talked about my sister's new chicks. I went to visit her Friday afternoon and she took me out to her hen house to show me her hens. She was disturbed because that morning she had heard what sounded a lot like a rooster coming from her backyard. So, I needed to take a look to help her decide if this particular hen is really a hen. Now the females of this breed have a larger comb than most breeds, but this chicken has also started chasing the others around the run. The chicken walked, or rather struted, up to the fence and seemed to look up at me with a challenge. I took one look at it and decided it must be a rooster with the amount of attitude in his stride. Now, I really don't know much about chickens, but I told her I knew some people who do. So, to all you who know chickens, is this a rooster or a hen? We would really like to know.

(Sorry the pictures are so bad. I only had my camera phone with me.)

Simple Pleasures

I’ve been tagged by Stevin to list ten of my simple pleasures in life. They are listed in no particular order, so don’t be offended.

1. Petting a dog
2. Phone Call from a Friend
3. Kiss from my Hubby
4. A Walk in the Sunshine
5. Fresh Baked Bread
6. The Scent of Vanilla
7. Real Mail, not spam or junk
8. A smile on a Child's Face
9. Finding the Perfect Gift for a Loved One
10. Hearing a Favorite Song on the Radio

What are your simple pleasures in life? What brings a smile to your face and brightens your day?

So, now the question of who to tag. Stevin tagged Patrick and Gayle so they are out. My tags go to Little Miss Chatterbox, Suzie, ABFreedom, Lone Pony, Big White Hat, Pirate, Crystal, Hick, Shoprat and Cheryl. Whew! Ten is a lot. I hope others can figure out some others to tag.

Stuff!

The last couple of days I have been packing stuff starting with the knickknacks that I really love. It is amazing how many I have. As I dust each one off and wrap it, I think about where it came from and who it came from. The memories come back as though I am there for the first time. This was from Mom and Dad Christmas 1997; this is from Holland in 2003; my sister made this for me in memory of my sister. Glass, Delft, Tea Cups and antique books all get packed together as some of my most precious possessions.

I actually have a love/hate relationship with my stuff. I love the reminders and the memories they bring as I look at them. Yet I despise dusting and the clutter. Even as I wrap each item in protective paper, I wish I didn’t have so much. But which do I let go and which do I hold close. Viewing the stuff may help bring the memories to the fore, but the memories are within me even when it is not near. I remember that I cannot live for my stuff and I cannot take any of it with me. So, I resolve to move most of my stuff, but not to hold it too dear. There is more important stuff to hold close—my Savior who allows me to have stuff here on earth while I wait to join Him in eternity.


Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves.

Matthew 6:19-20

Birds

I am not very good at identifying birds, but there are some that are no-brainers. For more information on the Red Wing Black Bird, click here. Yesterday we went for a nice walk along a lake and through a golf course from there it headed into a quiet neighborhood. The dark clouds almost missed us entirely!

He Lives!

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
And just the time I need Him He's always near.

Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.
He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives.He lives within my heart.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading thru all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing,
Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

Lyrics By Alfred H. Ackley

“Why should I worship a dead Jew?”

This challenging question was posed by a sincere young Jewish student who had been attending evangelistic meetings conducted by the author and composer of this hymn, Alfred H. Ackley.
Mr. Ackley’s answer to this searching question, ultimately prompted the writing of this popular gospel hymn, He Lives.

The composer answered his inquirer: “He lives! I tell you, He is not dead, but lives here and now! Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before. I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands. "

Mr. Ackley’s forthright, emphatic answer, together with his subsequent successful effort to win the man for Christ, flowered forth into song and crystallized into a convincing sermon in hymn on He Lives!

So he sat down at the piano and voiced that conclusion in song. He says, The thought of His ever-living presence brought the music promptly and easily.

H/T: Tan Bible

Good Friday

Today is a day for both mourning and celebration. I mourn that my sin caused my Lord to die. I celebrate because He loves me so much that He was willing to hang on a cross and suffer so that I may live with Him for eternity.

He Was Nailed To The Cross For Me

What a wonderful, wonderful Savior,
Who would die on the cross for me!
Freely shedding His precious lifeblood,
That the sinner might be made free.

Chorus:
He was nailed to the cross for me,
He was nailed to the cross for me;
On the cross crucified for me He died;
He was nailed to the cross for me.

Thus He left His heavenly glory,
To accomplish His Father’s plan;
He was born of the virgin Mary,
Took upon Him the form of man.

He was wounded for our transgressions,
And He carried our sorrows, too;
He’s the Healer of ev’ry sickness,
This He came to the world to do.

So He gave His life for others
In Redeeming this world from sin,
And He’s gone to prepare a mansion,
That at last we may enter in.

Lyrics By Frederick Arthur Graves

Orphaned at age 9, Graves was di­a­gnosed with ep­i­lep­sy when he was 14. At age 21, he moved to No­bles Coun­ty, Min­ne­so­ta, and it ap­peared for a while that his seiz­ures had stopped. Grate­ful for hav­ing been healed, he be­gan to serve the Amer­i­can Sun­day School Un­ion. He stu­died the Bi­ble and mu­sic in Chi­ca­go, Il­li­nois, and North­field, Mass­a­chu­setts.

Up­on re­turn to Minn­e­ap­o­lis and hear­ing evan­gel­ist John Al­ex­an­der Dow­ie, Graves ex­per­i­enced per­ma­nent heal­ing; this pro­vid­ed a back­drop for his Gos­pel songs. Later, he moved to Zi­on Ci­ty, Il­li­nois, where he lived the rest of his life. All of his child­ren at­tend­ed the Cent­ral Bi­ble In­sti­tute in Spring­field, Mis­souri. Graves him­self was or­dained an As­sem­blies of God min­is­ter in 1918.

H/T: Cyber Hymnal

In Memory

Please don't drink and drive!

Lynda Michelle Frein
11/14/77 - 4/13/00

Things Left Behind...

Today was the day of the inspection of the “new” house (I say new, but it was built in ’66). As DH and the inspector dude were checking things out, I took some measurements and such. In my wanderings, I looked at a number of items that have been left behind. You know the ones—the little things that we really don’t want to move, but don’t know what else to do with them. It’s those little things that get added to an offer as “removal of personal items.” The normal things were there—a dresser, a couple of fishing rods, some outdoor toys and, well, Grandma. Yes, there it was a burgundy velvet bag with a gold rope around the top. On the side of the bag was embroidered the name of a local funeral home. I am very curious (read nosy) so I had to check. I reached over and carefully pulled on the gold cord and took a peek. Inside the bag was a rose colored marble urn. Now, I am curious, but not so curious (read inquisitive) that I would open the urn to see if it really was Grandma inside. This was an assumption I was willing to make; after all, I don’t know too many people who purchase urns prior to needing one. I really am hoping that they remember to remove this one personal item in particular before closing. Either that or we will need to charge her for living in our adult foster home.

Eagle Cam

Click here to check this camera focused on an eagle's nest in Kent, Washington. It is really facinating.

H/T: Amazing Facts

All Hail the Power

They praised Him as He entered Jerusalem.

Yet just a few days later they crucified Him.

All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name, Let angels prostrate fall,
Bring forth the royal diadem. And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem. And crown Him Lord of all.

Ye chosen seed of Israel's race, Ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace. And crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him who saves you by His grace. And crown Him Lord of all.

Let every kindred ev'ry tribe, On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe. And crown Him Lord of all.
To Him all majesty ascribe. And crown Him Lord of all.

O that with yonder sacred throng, We at His feet may fall,
We'll join the everlasting song. And crown Him Lord of all.
We'll join the everlasting song. And crown Him Lord of all.

Lyrics by Edward Perronet, 1726-1792

Edward Perronet was born at Sundridge, Kent, England, in 1726. He was a descendant of a distinguished French Huguenot family who had fled to Switzerland and later to England because of the religious persecution in France. Edward's father, a pastor in the State Church of England,was strongly sympathetic with the evangelical movement spearheaded by the Wesleys and George Whitefield.

Edward, too, became a minister in the Anglican Church but was always critical of its ways. Once he wrote, "I was born and I am likely to die in the tottering communion of the Church of England, but I despise her nonsense." Soon, however, he broke from the Church and threw himself strenuously into the evangelistic endeavors of the Wesleys during the 1740's and 1750's. It was during this time that the Wesleys and their followers suffered much persecution and even violence from those who disagreed with their ministry. Concerning these experiences, Wesley made the following notation in his diary: From Rockdale we went to Bolton, and soon found that the Rockdale lions were lambs in comparison with those of Bolton. Edward Perronet was thrown down and rolled in mud and mire. Stones were hurled and windows broken. Another interesting account regarding the relationship between the Wesleys and Perronet concerns the incident when John Wesley announced to a congregation that Edward Perronet would preach at the next service. Being eighteen years younger than Wesley, Perronet had always refused to preach in the elder statesman's presence. Desiring to avoid a public conflict with Wesley, Perronet mounted the pulpit but quickly explained that he had never consented to preach. "However," he added, "I shall deliver the greatest sermon that has ever been preached on earth." He then read the Sermon on the Mount and sat down without comment. Eventually, Perronet's strong-mindedness and free spirit caused a break with the Wesleys, especially on the issue of whether the evangelists as well as the regular ministers could administer the sacraments. Perronet continued to the end of his days as pastor of an independent church at Canterbury, England. His last words have also become classic: Glory to God in the height of His divinity! Glory to God in the depth of His humanity! Glory to God in His all-sufficiency! Into His hands I commend my spirit. Though Perronet wrote many other hymns and forms of poetry, most of which he published anonymously, this is his only work to survive. The success of this text has, no doubt, been furthered by three fine tunes. "Coronation," composed by Oliver Holden, a Massachusetts carpenter, self-taught musician and respected singing-school teacher, is most widely used in America. "Miles Lane" by William Shrubsole, Perronet's personal friend, is the most popular in Great Britain, while the festive "Diadem" tune, composed in 1838 for this text by James Ellor, an English layman, is frequently used as a choir number.

Many interesting accounts have been associated with the use of this hymn. One of the most remarkable is a story told by E.P. Scott, a pioneer missionary to India. One day he was waylaid by a murderous band of tribesmen who were closing in on him with spears. On impulse the missionary took his violin out of his luggage and began to play and sing this hymn. When he reached the stanza "let every kindred, every tribe," he saw to his surprise every spear lowered and many of these tribesmen moved to tears. Scott spent the remaining years of his life preaching and ministering God's love and redemption to these people. God in His providence used a simple hymn as a means of introducing the gospel to a group of needy pagans.

H/T: 101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth Osbeck

Now We've Done It!

We bought a new house today. It is 2800 sq ft on .88 of an acre. The floor plan is almost exactly what we were looking for and the lot is dividable so we can sell it or build on it. Our plan is to start an adult foster care specializing in dementia care. It is exciting and scary all at the same time. Yet we cannot continue with the day-to-day, paycheck-to-paycheck life. We want to do more and this way we can make a good living and give forward at the same time. Now it is on to the inspections and the packing and moving and the... Yikes, I need to get off the computer and get to work!

Walking on ice???

Sometimes believing the miracle is easier accepting the scientific explanation. I suppose some have so much trouble accepting a miracle because then they would have to accept that there is an omnipotent God. And to accept that would mean humans are responsible to Him.

Jesus may have walked on ice?

MIAMI (Reuters) - The New Testament says that Jesus walked on water, but a Florida university professor believes there could be a less miraculous explanation -- he walked on a floating piece of ice.

Professor Doron Nof also theorized in the early 1990s that Moses's parting of the Red Sea had solid science behind it.

Nof, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University, said on Tuesday that his study found an unusual combination of water and atmospheric conditions in what is now northern Israel could have led to ice formation on the Sea of Galilee.

Read the rest here.

YRE Volkswalk

We headed out last Saturday for a YRE (Year Round Event) Volkswalk. That is a walk that starts at a specific location and is available most hours all year long. There is a box with a sign up sheet and maps. This one went through the Cedar Hills neighborhoods. The spring weather made for a nice walk and the flowers are really coming out. The hills were covered with new developments, most of which we would not choose to live in. We were surprised again by some of the paths that wandered between neighborhoods. We walked past a waterfall that we never knew was there, even thought we drive past it regularly. I love seeing the new sights that one does not notice until you meander past at a much slower pace.

Another Quiz...

I found this over at Patrick's and had to share. Some of the questions were odd, but I get hooked on some of these quizzes.

Your Political Profile

Overall: 95% Conservative, 5% Liberal

Social Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal / Conservative Are You?

Alas! and Did My Savior Bleed?

Alas! and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sovereign die!
Would he devote that sacred head
For sinners such as I?

Was it for crimes that I have done,
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut its glories in,
When God, the mighty maker, died
For his own creature's sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face
While his dear cross appears;
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

But drops of tears can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe.
Here, Lord, I give myself away;
'Tis all that I can do.

By Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts wrote many papers for places of higher learning but his most famous work is the hymn, “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.” Watts was born July 17, 1674, at Southampton, England. Such compelling lyrics came from a child born into a home of “non-Comformists” during the times when the Church of England persecuted Dissenters and Independents. His father was jailed twice during this time of persecution. Despite the fact that this era of intolerance lasted only a short while; it had a significant effect on Watts. In 1707, Watts wrote the lyrics to “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed.” One line echoes such a impact, “Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree?”

Isaac Watts humbly described his lyric writing ability, “I have made no pretence to be a poet. But to the Lamb that was slain, and now lives, I have addressed many a song, to be sung by the penitent and believing heart.” Hugh Wilson wrote the music to this hymn.

H/T: Gospel Piano