Blog Archives

JOHN 12:12-16 (NIV)

3/26/2015

JOHN 12:12-19-16 (NIV)

The next day the great crowd
that had come to the festival
heard that Jesus
was on his way
to Jerusalem

They took palm branches
and went out to meet him
shouting "Hosanna!"
"Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord"
"Blessed is the king of Israel"

Jesus found a young donkey
and sat on it
as it is written:
"Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion,
see
your king is coming
seated on a donkey's colt"

At first, his disciples
did not understand all this
Only after Jesus
was glorified
did they realize that these things
had been written about him
and these things had been done
to him

PALM SUNDAY (1978)

3/26/2015

PALM SUNDAY (1978)

                                   We lay our palms down, dear Lord
                                   We cast them in your way
                                   We shout hosannas loud, dear Lord
                                   Don't you love our grand display?

What, dear Lord, desert you?
                                   Never, never, nay
                                   Just listen how we praise you
                                   Just listen how we pray

                                   We shall deny you, dear Lord?
                                   Before the cock crows thrice?
                                   But, that's already been done once, Lord
                                   And it wasn't very nice

                                   Don't you want our palms, dear Lord?
                                   We thought you'd be impressed
                                   Are all our words vain repetitions
                                   And all our gestures merely jest?

                                   You mean there's still a cross to bear
                                   There's still a bitter cup?
                                   And we must join you at Calvary
                                   If we're to sit with you and sup

                                   Then let us go with thee, dear Lord
                                   With courage and stout heart
                                   And see the Cross as not the end
                                   But simply as a start
                                   Of something good

(First published on March 19, 1978)

THE TRIP

3/26/2015

THE TRIP

Well, the "Great Western Trek" has
finally ended. Oh, we could probably write
a few more articles about what we've seen
and where we have been.

But, like most things, good or bad,
there usually has to be an end to them.

Perhaps in another year, or another season
there shall be another trek. But, for now we
must travel the more familiar and well worn
by-ways to which we are accustomed.

We hope you will continue tripping (oops)
with us as we seek out new frontiers
of courage, new paths of love and joy
new roads of spiritual excitement.

After all, no one likes, for very long, to travel
the road alone.

Come along with us won't you. Yes, the trek
has ended, but the Trip has just begun.

(This is the last of "Our Great Western Trek
1997" series of articles that we began being
posted here on October 30, 2014)

PSALM 55:1,4,6,14,16,17,22

3/19/2015

PSALM 55:1,4,6,14,16,17,22

Give ear to my prayer, O God
and hide not thyself from
my supplication

My heart is sore pained within me
and the terrors of death
are fallen upon me
And I said O that I had wings
like a dove
for then would I fly away
and be at rest

We took sweet counsel together
and walked into the house
of God
in company

As for me
I will call upon God
and the Lord
shall save me

Evening and morning and at noon
will I pray and cry aloud
and he
shall hear my voice

Cast your burden upon the Lord
and he shall sustain me
He shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved

GOD WAS NOT ECLIPSED

3/19/2015

  GOD WAS NOT ECLIPSED

Today, much of United Kingdom
and other European countries such
as Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Finland
as well as parts of France and Germany
had an excellent opportunity to view
our sun's latest total eclipse.

In the natural course of time, usually
a few hours, the shadow of the eclipse
is gone and the sun shines brightly once
again.

God was not bothered by the eclipse.
And on this day he had us listen to the
daffodils as they welcomed us to the
season of renewal, the season of sunshine
and bright hopes that only a new Spring
could bring.

Though the sun was shadowed for awhile,
God was not eclipsed at all. Never has been.
Never will be. For in Him there is no shade
or shadow of darkness at all

(Written March 19, 2015)

BEAR THE CROSS

Is your life battered and torn
Do you face perils, danger or scorn
Have all your dreams taken flight
Are your hopes ever so slight

When your troubles of this old world
Seem to bring you down
Here's a truth you should know
Where there is no cross
No crown may be found

Would we wear the victor's crown
Then our hearts must be heaven bound
Let us willingly bear the cross
With triumphant song and joyful sound

SAINT PATRICK

3/16/2015

   SAINT PATRICK

  “Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.”
― St. Patrick

Saint Patrick was born in Scotland
in 387 A.D. to Roman parents.
When he was fourteen years old,
St. Patrick was captured by a raiding
party and was taken to Ireland to
serve as a slave.

When he was twenty years old,
Patrick escaped from his captors
and returned to his parents in Britain.
During this period of his life, St. Patrick
had a dream in which the people of
Ireland called out to him to "come and
walk among us once more."

St. Patrick went, and stayed in Ireland
for over forty years, converting many
to the Christian faith. He died at Saul,
County Down, Ireland on March 17,
461 A.D.

(May your lives be as rich as
the springtime grass is green.)

PSALM 54:1,2,4,6,7

3/13/2015

    PSALM 54:1,2,4,6,7

Save me, O God
by thy name
and judge me
by thy strength

Hear my prayer, O God
Give ear
to the words
of my mouth

  Behold
God is my helper
The Lord is with them
that uphold my soul

I
will freely sacrifice
unto thee
I will praise thy name
O Lord
for it is good

For he hath delivered me
out of all trouble

THE LOLLIPOP MAN

3/13/2015

      THE LOLLIPOP MAN

The lollipop man sells to us all.
And all of us buy. Sooner or later,
his sin suckers make suckers of
us all. His toffee on a stick tempts
us through an array of shapes, colors,
and tastes. If the red or purple pops
don't snare us, then the lemon or lime
treacle surely will.

W. C. Fields was well known for his
"There's a sucker born every minute."
And surely, we know a sucker when
we see one, for we too have been
one. The lollipop man's molasses is
surely sticky stuff.

Not until we have indulged, do we
realize the damage done to our sweet
innocuous souls.

Ah, what motley fools we be.

(Written on March 8, 2015)

AFTER ALL THIS

3/13/2015

AFTER ALL THIS

After traveling more than five weeks
After covering more than 5,000 miles
After passing through twenty-one
of these United States

After meeting relatives ranging in age
from under two years to over ninety-five
After seeing dozens of monuments honoring
the tenacity of man.

After seeing countless splendors
of a highly diversified divine nature.
After all this, and much much more
that is simply grand about our land

Still we exclaim, with the poet of old
"Be it ever so humble
There's no place like home."

(This article is one of a series of articles
we wrote while taking what became known
to our family in 1977 as our Great Western
Trek, as we travelled from Maryland to Utah.)

PSALM 53:1,2,3,6

3/5/2015

   PSALM 53:1,2,3,6

The fool hath said in his heart
there is no God
corrupt are they
and have done
abominable iniquity
  there is none that doeth good

God looked down from heaven
  upon the children of men
to see if there were
any
that did understand
that did seek the Lord

Everyone of them has gone back
they are all together become filthy
There is none
that doeth good
no, not one

O that the salvation of the Lord
were come out of Zion
When God bringeth back
the captivity
of his people
Jacob shall rejoice
and
Israel shall be glad