The Beauty of God's Creation in Northern Wisconsin

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Ruffed Grouse



Loon

Sunset on Lake Bastine

Sunday's Hymn: How Vast the Benefits Divine

How vast the benefits divine
Which we in Christ possess!
We are redeemed from guilt and shame
And called to holiness.
But not for works which we have done,
Or shall hereafter do,
Hath God decreed on sinful men
Salvation to bestow.

The glory, Lord, from first to last,
Is due to thee alone;
Aught to ourselves we dare not take,
Or rob thee of thy crown.
Our glorious Surety undertook
To satisfy for man,
And grace was given us in him
Before the world began.

This is thy will, that in thy love
We ever should abide;
That earth and hell should not prevail
To turn thy Word aside.
Not one of all the chosen race
But shall to heav'n attain,
Partake on earth the purposed grace
And then with Jesus reign.

Augustus M. Toplady, 1774
Tune: St. Matthew, William Croft, 1678-1727

Thankful Thursday

I haven't posted much about our vacation (an omission I intend to correct) but one incident was something we would have preferred to avoid. Charlie got hurt. He jumped off the bed and hurt his rear right leg. Charlie sleeps with us at home too and sometimes he needs to go out in the middle of the night (he is an old guy, remember). At home, he wakes us up by scratching at us, waiting patiently on the bed until one of us responds. Perhaps he was confused in unfamiliar circumstances but he jumped rather than waiting. The result was he was unable to put any weight on the leg. So on our second day of vacation, we visited a local vet who X-rayed the leg and determined that nothing was broken or dislocated. Charlie had torn or strained the equivalent of a human ACL. If it was indeed torn, she told us, he would be unable to bear weight on the leg for a month and it would take two more for it to heal. No surgery for dogs under 30 pounds...or dogs of 14 and a half years.

Well, he began to bear some weight on it in a few days. Its now four weeks since the injury and Charlie is walking, albeit with a little limp, and this week he began bearing enough weight on the leg to lift the other one as boys do. Praise God for His healing of my little pet! I thank Him for His care for Charlie and His care for me in my love for Charlie!

Each Thursday of 2010, I am thanking God for His goodness to me together with Kim of The Upward Call and several others. Won't you join us?

Sunday's Hymn: Before Thee, God, Who Knowest All

Before thee, God, who knowest all,
With grief and shame I prostrate fall.
I see my sins against thee, Lord,
The sins of thought, of deed, and word.
They press me sore: I cry to thee:
O God, be merciful to me!

O Lord, my God, to thee I pray:
O cast me not in wrath away!
Let thy good Spirit ne'er depart,
But let him draw to thee my heart
That truly penitent I be:
O God, be merciful to me!

O Jesus, let thy precious blood
Be to my soul a cleansing flood.
Turn not, O Lord, thy guest away,
But grant that justified I may
Go to my house at peace with thee:
O God, be merciful to me!

Magnus B. Landstad, 1861
Tr. by Carl Doving, 1909
Tune: The Lord's Prayer (Vater Unser), Schumann's Gesangbuch, 1539

Thankful Thursday

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.~Phil. 4:8

I am thankful for a dear and faithful sister in Christ who points me in that direction and reminds me of the sovereignty of God when I am feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.

What are you thankful for today? Please join with Kim of the Upward Call and many others who are sharing in the thanksgiving to our good God each Thursday of 2010.

Sunday's Hymn: By Grace I'm Saved

By grace I'm saved, grace free and boundless;
My soul, believe and doubt it not.
Why stagger at this word of promise?
Hath Scripture ever falsehood taught?
Nay; then this word must true remain:
By grace thou, too, shalt heav'n obtain.

By grace! None dare lay claim to merit;
Our works and conduct have no worth.
God in his love sent our Redeemer,
Christ Jesus, to this sinful earth;
His death did for our sins atone,
And we are saved by grace alone.

By grace! O, mark this word of promise
When thou art by thy sins oppressed,
When Satan plagues thy troubled conscience,
And when thy heart is seeking rest.
What reason cannot comprehend
God by his grace to thee doth send.

By grace! This ground of faith is certain;
So long as God is true, it stands.
What saints have penned by inspiration,
What in his Word our God commands,
What our whole faith must rest upon,
Is grace alone, grace in his Son.

Christian L. Scheidt, 1742
Tune: Aus Gnaden Soll Ich Selig Werden, Justin H. Knecht, 1796

Thankful Thursday

We returned this past Saturday evening from our two weeks in Northern Wisconsin. It was a wonderful time of rest and relaxation. Decisions consisted of shall we go fishing or just relax by the cabin? What game shall we play tonight? Should I read or crochet? You get the idea. It was just wonderful! And I am so thankful that God's provision for us included this special time together!

We came home to all kinds of catching up at the home front. Some things we expected, others we didn't and they are still not fully dealt with. But I am also thankful to God for His provision of this home to come to, this life that He has given us, and the strength to deal with the issues that awaited us, fully aware that that strength comes from Him.

Each Thursday of this year, I am joining with Kim of The Upward Call and others in praising God for the good gifts He gives us. What has He given you this week? Please share in the thanksgiving.

Sunday's Hymn: Thou Art the Way

Thou art the Way: to thee alone
From sin and death we flee;
And he who would the Father seek
Must seek him, Lord, by thee.

Thou art the Truth: thy Word alone
True wisdom can impart;
Thou only canst inform the mind,
And purify the heart.

Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
Proclaims thy conquering arm,
And those who put their trust in thee
Nor death nor hell shall harm.

Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
Grant us that Way to know,
That Truth to keep, that Life to win,
Whose joys eternal flow.

George W. Doane, 1824
Tune: Arlington, Arr. by Ralph Harrison, 1784
from Thomas A. Arne, 1762

Sunday's Hymn: How Lovely Shines the Morning Star

How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
The light in Judah shining.
Thou David's Son of Jacob's race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For thee my heart is pining.
Lowly, holy,
Great and glorious,
Thou victorious
Prince of graces,
Filling all the heav'nly places.

Now richly to my waiting heart,
O thou, my God, deign to impart
The grace of love undying.
In thy blest body let me be,
E'en as the branch is in the tree,
Thy life my life supplying.
Sighing, crying,
For the savor
Of thy favor
Resting never
Till I rest in thee for ever.

Thou, mighty Father, in thy Son
Didst love me ere thou hadst begun
This ancient world's foundation.
Thy Son hath made a friend of me,
And when in spirit him I see,
I joy in tribulation.
What bliss
Is this!
He that liveth
To me giveth
Life forever;
Nothing me from him can sever.

Philipp Nicolai, 1597
Tr., composite
Tune: Wie Schon Leuchtet Der Morgenstern, Philipp Nicolai, 1599
Arr. Johann Sebastian Bach, c. 1730

Sunday's Hymn: Under the Care of My God

Under the care of my God, the Almighty,
Safe in the secret place of the Most High!
He is my Refuge, the Lord is my Fortress,
Him I am trusting when trouble is nigh.

Under his wings, under his wings,
Safe in the refuge hide thee;
Trusting his truth and faithfulness,
No evil can betide thee.

Be not afraid for the terror of midnight,
Nor for the arrow that hasteth to slay;
Fear not the pestilence walking in darkness,
Nor the destroyer that wasteth by day.

Seek the Most High for thy sure habitation,
Unto Jehovah for refuge now fly;
There shall no evil befall thee nor harm thee,
Unto thy dwelling no plague shall come nigh.

Love thou the Lord, surely he will deliver;
He will exalt thee and answer thy prayer;
He will be with thee to honor and give thee
Life without end, his salvation to share.

From Psalm 91
United Presbyterian Bible Songs Hymnal, 1927
Tune: Under His Wings, Ira D. Sankey, 1840-1908

Thankful Thursday

There are two things on my mind this morning that I am especially thankful to God for. First, He has called me to return to a position of leadership in a Bible study program that has been important in my life for several years now. I am feeling so joyful about that privilege!

And secondly, we are embarking on a two-week vacation on Saturday! We'll be spending that time in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin doing some fishing and reading and relaxing together. I am so thankful for this time of renewal and refreshment that God is providing for us! So I've got my Sunday hymns ready to publish automatically on the next three Sundays but other than that, its going to be very quiet over here at Field Stone Cottage.

So what are you thanking God for today? Please join with Kim of The Upward Call and several others of us who are sharing our praises of God for His good gifts to us each Thursday of 2010.

Sunday's Hymn: From Every Stormy Wind that Blows

From ev'ry stormy wind that blows,
From ev'ry swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat,
'Tis found beneath the mercy-seat.

There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads,
A place than all besides more sweet;
It is the blood-stained mercy-seat.

There is a spot where spirits blend,
Where friend holds fellowship with friend,
Tho' sundered far; by faith they meet
Around the common mercy-seat.

Ah, whither could we flee for aid,
When tempted, desolate, dismayed,
Or how the hosts of hell defeat,
Had suff'ring saints no mercy-seat?

There, there on eagle wings we soar,
And time and sense seem all no more,
And heav'n comes down our souls to greet,
And glory crowns the mercy-seat.

O may my hand forget her skill,
My tongue be silent, cold, and still,
This bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget the mercy-seat.

Hugh Stowell, 1828, 1831
Tune: Retreat, Thomas Hastings, 1842

Thankful Thursday

I'm so thankful for a good cardiology report for our little Charlie today! It was the day for his annual echocardiogram to check on his mitral valve problem and the result is that his murmur is actually less than it was a year ago because there is less leakage through that valve and, according to his cardiologist, Charlie is compensating very well for his heart problems! The cardiologist said that for this to occur is so rare that they don't even tell people that it is a possibility at all. She was delighted with the news and so are we! Praise God!!!! We love this little 14 and a half year old dog of ours and want him to enjoy a healthy life with us as long as possible!

Each Thursday of 2010, I'm joining with Kim of The Upward Call and others in thanking God for His good gifts to us. Join us, won't you?

Happy Mother's Day!

Sunday's Hymn: O Perfect Love

O perfect Love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne,
That theirs may be the love which knows no ending,
Whom thou for evermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance
Of tender charity and steadfast faith,
Of patient hope, and quiet, brave endurance,
With childlike trust that fears nor pain nor death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
Grant them the peace which calms all earthly strife,
And to life's day the glorious unknown morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life.

Hear us, O Father, gracious and forgiving,
Through Jesus Christ thy co-eternal Word,
Who, with the Holy Ghost, by all things living
Now and to endless ages art adored.

Dorothy F. Gurney, 1883
St. 4 by John Ellerton
Tune: Perfect Love, Sir Joseph Barnby, 1889

Thankful Thursday

The electrician finished up the big electrical project on Tuesday and the city inspector approved it this morning. Meanwhile, the roofers came and repaired a section of the roof that had been damaged yesterday. I think we're done with contractors doing work around here for a while and for that I say, thank you, God! These men were all nice people who were very competent and I am thankful for that too but its so nice to have the house back to ourselves! Plus I'm thankful not to be running up any more expensive home repair bills! There are finishing-up bits of work to do in the wake of the electrical project but us homeowners can handle that. I'm also thankful for a very handy husband who knows how to do a lot himself and I'm always happy to help him. In fact, its fun to work together!

Each Thursday of 2010, I am joining Kim of the Upward Call and other blogging friends in thanking God for the good gifts He gives us. Won't you share in the thanksgiving?

Sunday's Hymn: Blest be the Tie that Binds

Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love:
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

Before our Father's throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims, are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear,
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

This glorious hope revives
Our courage by the way,
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

From sorrow, toil and pain,
And sin, we shall be free;
And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

John Fawcett, 1782
Tune: Dennis, Arr. from Hans G. Nageli by Lowell Mason, 1845

Thankful Thursday

Tuesday of this week marked the completion of the study of Revelation that I've been doing this year. At the beginning of the book, in Revelation 1:3 is this promise: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." This promise is repeated near the end of the book in Revelation 22:7 with these words: "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

I have been truly blessed by the study of this book and I am so very thankful that I have had the opportunity to study it! I've been blessed by an expanded understanding of the very nature of God, His character and His attributes and His eternal plans and purposes. Who could ask for more? But there were further blessings for me. I've experienced an increased understanding of other passages of Scripture because of my new knowledge of Revelation. I have read the warnings of Revelation with an increased sense of the urgency of sharing the gospel. And reading the commendations and warnings to the churches of Asia Minor was of particular relevancy to me as a member of a relatively new and small church plant. So I praise God and thank Him for the blessings He has so graciously given me through this study, blessings I did not anticipate from studying this particular book.

What are you thanking God for this week? Each Thursday of 2010, I am joining with my friend, Kim, of The Upward Call, and others in giving thanks to God for His good gifts. Please join us!

Rhubarb, Rhubarb, Rhubarb!

Rebecca is inviting us all to join in a big ole' celebration of the joys of rhubarb! A rhubarb fest! And I love, love, love rhubarb!!! I love it almost any way you can serve it...in pie, a sauce, rhubarb cake, rhubarb muffins, in a crisp, a cobbler. Oh, and rhubarb anything jam! Can't forget that! But for the celebration, I'm going to share this recipe for Honey Rhubarb Betty. Its tried and true and if you love rhubarb, I can't imagine that you won't love it.

Honey Rhubarb Betty
1 lb. or 4 cup rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
dash of salt
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup honey
5 slices bread, torn or cut into cubes

Combine rhubarb, sugar, nutmeg, salt and water in a 10 X 6 X 1 1/2 inch baking dish. Blend butter and honey; stir in bread cubes. Spoon evenly over top of rhubarb. Bake in 375 degrees (Fahrenheit) oven about 30 minutes or until topping is a light golden brown. Yield 4-6 servings.

I doubled the recipe and used a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

And here are couple of rhubarb recipes that I've shared in the past; rhubarb muffins and blueberry rhubarb jam. I think you'll like them too!

I've had rhubarb growing at some of the places we've lived before but I don't have a patch here. I was planning on correcting that this spring but along came the big electrical project which involved ditches and men tromping over the planned patch. The project is nearing completion and I'm hopeful that it won't be too late to get in a patch this year. I've had some very generous friends who have kept me in the stuff in recent years but its past time to correct that and be on the giving side of sharing rhubarb.

For information on growing rhubarb, rhubarb varieties, rhubarb history, rhubarb festivals (other than Rebecca's), rhubarb recipes, non-food uses of rhubarb and just about any other sort of rhubarb information you can think of, I've found The Rhubarb Compendium to be the go-to site.

Now its your turn to join the celebration of this wonderful plant. Put up your own rhubarb post and share the link with Rebecca. Or leave your rhubarb thoughts in a comment at her site. Just do it by Thursday to be at the party. See you there!

Sunday's Hymn: To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that we may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus forgiveness receives.

Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Fanny J. Crosby, 1875
Tune: Praise the Lord, William H. Doane, 1835-1916