Raining and dark...

Raining and dark - our Savior died....how must God, our Father have felt...sadness...loss - He gave His Son for us...

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me,

    so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

    by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

    you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust;

    they trusted and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were saved;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.

“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,

    “let the Lord rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

    since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;

    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.

From birth I was cast on you;

    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,

    for trouble is near

    and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;

    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

Roaring lions that tear their prey

    open their mouths wide against me.

I am poured out like water,

    and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

    it has melted within me.

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

    you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me,

    a pack of villains encircles me;

    they pierce my hands and my feet.

All my bones are on display;

    people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my clothes among them

    and cast lots for my garment.

But you, Lord, do not be far from me.

    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

 Deliver me from the sword,

    my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

I will declare your name to my people;

    in the assembly I will praise you.

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or scorned

    the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

    but has listened to his cry for help.

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

The poor will eat and be satisfied;

    those who seek the Lord will praise him—

    may your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth

    will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

    will bow down before him,

for dominion belongs to the Lord

    and he rules over the nations.

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

    those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him;

    future generations will be told about the Lord.

They will proclaim his righteousness,

    declaring to a people yet unborn:

    He has done it!

My, what an incredible day.

My, what an incredible day. Our friend Bill's funeral was so good - yes, good. The pastor explained why certain things are done within a Catholic service. He connected traditions to scripture and made sure we would be looking forward to seeing Bill in Heaven. The men that Bill played music with, were there and sang at the beginning and the end of the service. Wayfarin' Stranger was first and as one church assistant stated "the best sung and played version of I'll Fly Away (the band knew how to do it)" - they did! 

Tonight we go to the Maundy Thursday service, one of my favorites. Easter fast approaches!

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice;

    he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me,

    I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death entangled me,

    the anguish of the grave came over me;

    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:

    “Lord, save me!”

The Lord is gracious and righteous;

    our God is full of compassion.

The Lord protects the unwary;

    when I was brought low, he saved me.

Return to your rest, my soul,

    for the Lord has been good to you.

For you, Lord, have delivered me from death,

    my eyes from tears,

    my feet from stumbling,

that I may walk before the Lord

    in the land of the living.

I trusted in the Lord when I said,

    “I am greatly afflicted”;

 in my alarm I said,

    “Everyone is a liar.”

What shall I return to the Lord

    for all his goodness to me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

    and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the sight of the Lord

    is the death of his faithful servants.

Truly I am your servant, Lord;

    I serve you just as my mother did;

    you have freed me from my chains.

I will sacrifice a thank offering to you

    and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the house of the Lord—

    in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord.

Long day! Bless the Lord, oh my soul!

Long day! Bless the Lord, oh my soul!

Psalm 94

The Lord is a God who avenges.

    O God who avenges, shine forth.

Rise up, Judge of the earth;

    pay back to the proud what they deserve.

How long, Lord, will the wicked,

    how long will the wicked be jubilant?

They pour out arrogant words;

    all the evildoers are full of boasting.

They crush your people, Lord;

    they oppress your inheritance.

They slay the widow and the foreigner;

    they murder the fatherless.

They say, “The Lord does not see;

    the God of Jacob takes no notice.”

Take notice, you senseless ones among the people;

    you fools, when will you become wise?

Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?

    Does he who formed the eye not see?

Does he who disciplines nations not punish?

    Does he who teaches mankind lack knowledge?

The Lord knows all human plans;

    he knows that they are futile.

Blessed is the one you discipline, Lord,

    the one you teach from your law;

you grant them relief from days of trouble,

    till a pit is dug for the wicked.

For the Lord will not reject his people;

    he will never forsake his inheritance.

Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,

    and all the upright in heart will follow it.

Who will rise up for me against the wicked?

    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?

Unless the Lord had given me help,

    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.

When I said, “My foot is slipping,”

    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.

When anxiety was great within me,

    your consolation brought me joy.

Can a corrupt throne be allied with you—

    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?

The wicked band together against the righteous

    and condemn the innocent to death.

But the Lord has become my fortress,

    and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.

He will repay them for their sins

    and destroy them for their wickedness;

    the Lord our God will destroy them.

...finally made it to the fabric/quilt store...

It's been a very long day, running errands. I finally made it to the fabric/quilt store to get some supplies for a banner. I do hope to start quilting again. I found a sweet new pattern, and I hope to say soon - that in spite of everything, I was able to pick out my fabric - we will see.

Psalm 6

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

    or discipline me in your wrath.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

    heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

My soul is in deep anguish.

    How long, Lord, how long?

Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

    save me because of your unfailing love.

Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

    Who praises you from the grave?

I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

    and drench my couch with tears.

My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

    they fail because of all my foes.

Away from me, all you who do evil,

    for the Lord has heard my weeping.

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

    the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Psalm 12

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;

    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

Everyone lies to their neighbor;

    they flatter with their lips

    but harbor deception in their hearts.

May the Lord silence all flattering lips

    and every boastful tongue—

those who say,

    “By our tongues we will prevail;

    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,

    I will now arise,” says the Lord.

    “I will protect them from those who malign them.”

And the words of the Lord are flawless,

    like silver purified in a crucible,

    like gold refined seven times.

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe

    and will protect us forever from the wicked,

who freely strut about

    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

It will be a little quieter here on earth...

A saint called home, today we heard that one of Peter's dear friends had died. Bill was a man that got Peter involved with a group of men that became his dear friends. Bill was a man who called Peter often after his stroke to encourage him to keep playing. In spite of everything,Bill was the man who got Peter out of the house and playing in front of people again. Bill was a banjo player himself, ever cheerful, ever encouraging - a great listener. He knew what music meant to Peter and helped him to keep on playing. I'm not sure how many people have friends like this, but it was special. As every phone call ended, I could hear Bill say, "I love you, brother" - he died in his chair, playing his banjo. It will be a little quieter here on earth...but, Bill "we love you, brother!"

Psalm 71

In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;

    let me never be put to shame.

In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;

    turn your ear to me and save me.

Be my rock of refuge,

    to which I can always go;

give the command to save me,

    for you are my rock and my fortress.

Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,

    from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,

    my confidence since my youth.

From birth I have relied on you;

    you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.

    I will ever praise you.

I have become a sign to many;

    you are my strong refuge.

My mouth is filled with your praise,

    declaring your splendor all day long.

Do not cast me away when I am old;

    do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

For my enemies speak against me;

    those who wait to kill me conspire together.

They say, “God has forsaken him;

    pursue him and seize him,

    for no one will rescue him.”

Do not be far from me, my God;

    come quickly, God, to help me.

May my accusers perish in shame;

    may those who want to harm me

    be covered with scorn and disgrace.

As for me, I will always have hope;

    I will praise you more and more.

My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds,

    of your saving acts all day long—

    though I know not how to relate them all.

I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;

    I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.

 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray,

    do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

    you who have done great things.

    Who is like you, God?

Though you have made me see troubles,

    many and bitter,

    you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth

    you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor

    and comfort me once more.

I will praise you with the harp

    for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre,

    Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy

    when I sing praise to you—

    I whom you have delivered.

My tongue will tell of your righteous acts

    all day long,

for those who wanted to harm me

    have been put to shame and confusion.

...adults waving palm fronds...

I wonder if people driving by our church today knew what we were doing. A group of adults waving palm fronds and processing into the church - celebrating openly Jesus Christ. I hope your Palm Sunday was great.

The beginning of Holy Week, culminating with Easter. We have a wonderful Lord and great things to celebrate! Blessings!

...so, I didn't go anywhere....

I've had a self-imposed rest day. I got up this morning, anxious to get out of the house - but really no where to go - so I didn't go anywhere. I crafted, made pizza for lunch and even took an afternoon nap.

I really wanted to get out of the house, but, in spite of everything - I had a great day. Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, we are almost to Easter, examine the scripture that speaks of Holy Week - go to your "empty" church and think about Jesus...

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.

How good it is to sing praises to our God,

    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

    he gathers the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

    and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars

    and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

    his understanding has no limit.

The Lord sustains the humble

    but casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;

    make music to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with clouds;

    he supplies the earth with rain

    and makes grass grow on the hills.

He provides food for the cattle

    and for the young ravens when they call.

His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

 the Lord delights in those who fear him,

    who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;

    praise your God, Zion.

He strengthens the bars of your gates

    and blesses your people within you.

He grants peace to your borders

    and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.

He sends his command to the earth;

    his word runs swiftly.

He spreads the snow like wool

    and scatters the frost like ashes.

He hurls down his hail like pebbles.

    Who can withstand his icy blast?

He sends his word and melts them;

    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.

 He has revealed his word to Jacob,

    his laws and decrees to Israel.

He has done this for no other nation;

    they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord.