Jesus, Only Jesus

By John R. Rice

I walked the path of pleasure

I toiled for earthly treasure

But peace beyond all measure

I found in only Jesus.

~~~~~

My boasted goodness failed me

No cure for sin that ailed me

God's Spirit then prevailed me

To leave my sins on Jesus.

God's word I long resisted

~~~~~

His Spirit called insisted

Rpenting I I enlisted

With Jesus precious Jesus.

Oh Christ for love unceasing

~~~~~

For blessing e'er increasing

For all my fears releasing

I praise and love my Jesus!

Chorus

My sins are all forgiven

The Chains of sin are riven

And all my heart is given

To Jesus only Jesus!

Picture of Bethany's sunflower.

Turning Back the Pages of Time

When I was 11 years old I started my first real diary. After keeping one for a few years I became a very dedicated journal-writer, sometimes writing every day. This past year I haven't written as much because I am busier and (truth be told) I don't always like to be accountable for the thoughts I am thinking (since I have always tried my best to be honest with my diary).

Tonight I pulled out one of my old diaries, one I started when I was 15 years old. While I was reading the accounts of fun times at camp or at church, I wished I could relive those moments. Moments when everyone seemed to be my friend, church was great in my eyes, I was always at home away from worldly influences, and yes, love was in the air! (Or at least I thought so in my little 15 year old mind!)

But then I read about the mistakes I made, the attitude that I tried to believe I didn't have, and the "big" worries I couldn't get past. I started to have second thoughts about living those years over again! Maybe being a teenager once is enough!

As I kept reading I was reminded of things I hadn't thought about in a long time. One of the biggest blessings was reading the song I use to love called, "Only Jesus." It was a song I learned while I was at Bible camp the year before. I had went back to this song many times when I was having troubles in my spiritual walk and got a lot of encouragement out of it.

Reading about the more care-free days gone by made me remember how nice it was not to have a lot of worries. It makes me want to let go of some things that aren't in my control and simply live my life for God day by day. No, we can't really turn back the pages of time and relive them . . . but we can remember them and learn from them!

Experiencing the Goodness of God

When God blesses . . . nothing seems impossible!

My Man

My man. When you hear those words I'm sure lots of things come to your mind, namely, what you want in your man. Doesn't every girl have a list of desires they want in their future husband? Things like Christian, handsome, kind, tall, gentleman, romantic . . . we could go on and on! Whether you want to admit it or not, all of those things are probably what you really do want! Who doesn't want a handsome husband?

As for me, I made my "list" when I was 12 years old! Underneath the title "What I want in my Prince Charming" I wrote 23 requirements or dreams that I hoped my man would have. Some of them are very reasonable such as

• loves God
• not lazy
• faithful to church
• wants lots of children

But then there are some that aren't quite as reasonable, like "never forgets our anniversary"! I'm starting to think that finding a man who will remember our anniversary isn't quite that important. : )
Lately I've come to realize just how important it is to have those "wish lists". It was fun to think about what we wanted in a husband when we were younger because they seemed reachable. Finding a godly husband didn't seem impossible back then because we had so much time. But when we turn 18, 20, or even 23, we start to get a little desperate. We start thinking that maybe our standards are too strict or our wish list is too conservative. It is especially hard when we are around attractive men who don't meet our requirements. Flattery can be very tempting to accept from the opposite gender when you've never been given that kind of attention, even if that man isn't a Christian.
So today I thought I would write about what should be on those wish lists. (That was just the introduction!) These inspirations were given by God during a sermon my pastor preached a few months ago.
Prayer Warrior
Our first example is Daniel. One of the things he is known for is his prayer life. In the Bible we can read about the time prayer was banned from the city except for prayer directed to king Nebucanezar. (Banning prayer from the schools is nothing new! They were banning prayer way back then as well.) Daniel could have been fearful for his life and prayed in secret, but he wasn't afraid . . . or at least he didn't show his fear. He continued to pray three times a day in front of everyone unashamed! A husband like him will always go to God when our family has needs or hard times come. We should desire a husband who is a mighty prayer warrior like Daniel.
Protective Father and Husband
I think we can all agree that Noah was very protective. When God told him to build an ark, Noah obeyed and took his family with him. He separated himself and his family from the wicked world and spared not just their life, but also their spiritual life. Of course, it was God who actually spared them, but Noah played a big part in the picture by being obedient. Make sure you marry a man who will protect your family from the harm of this world!
Obedient to God
Abraham was tested by obedience like no other man I've read about in the Bible. When God told him to move away from his family - he did it. When God told him to sacrifice his son- he was going to do it until God spared him from such pain. This is a hard thing to ask for in a husband! Sometimes I'm not so sure if I want a husband who is that obedient! I don't expect God to tell me or my future husband to kill one of our children, but God could really test our obedience and we really should obey. All joking aside, I want a husband who is very obedient to God's word.
Strong
Okay, I'm not talking about muscles or the ability to carry heavy sacks of feed on his shoulder (although it would be nice to have such a strong husband!) I was thinking more along the lines of strength of spirit. The man who comes to mind is Job. He was strong! After loosing everything - children, cattle, servants, his income, health - he worshipped God! He didn't give up, he didn't stop serving God, he kept on fighting the good fight! Everyone goes through trials in life, having a husband who knows how to make it through them will be a blessing you could never thank God enough for! We need a husband like Job.
These are just a few of the many characteristics we find in the Bible. We could name many more, but for now I think these will do. If you really desire to marry a man who is pleasing unto God you can dig in to the Word of God and find out what God wants for you and your husband.
And finally I'll leave you with a verse that has encouraged me for a long time.“Trust in the LORD and do good. . . Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:3-4 For after all, our desire should not be to marry the perfect man, but to marry the man who God has ordained perfect for us. Now that's my kind of man!

The Renshaw Family

I love hearing the Renshaws sing! Their music is touched by God and is always a blessing! I thought I would share one of my favorite songs they sing. I couldn't get the embedded code to work so you'll have to click on the link below to hear them. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I do!

Wedding Day in Heaven.

Happy to be Me?

"The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself." — Anna Quindlen

"Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess, and to gain applause which he cannot keep." ~Samuel Johnson, The Rambler, 1750

A few months ago I met a man my parents have known for a long time. I knew him when I was young, but it was so long ago that I cant' remember him. This man really sticks out from the rest of the crowd because he is different. Some might think he is different in a bad way, but others love him for who he is and over look some of the odd things about his personality. I am one of those people who like him even though he isn't like most people. He is very nice, easy to talk to, fun to be around, stays active in his church, and loves God. But what I love most about him is the way he has accepted who he is. It really encouraged me to be myself.

I don't think I can say I want to change myself so that I am accepted by others or so I can gain man's applause, rather I wish I were different so that I could have more fun. I am so quiet and so unsociable that I usually don't enjoy big gatherings unless I know the people very well and I have been around them for a long time. Unfortunately there aren't many people like that in my life who I am comfortable around. So I usually stay to myself and watch everyone else have a good time. (Sometimes I wonder if this will hender me from finding a man I can talk to!)

But you know what? That is who I am! God did not create me to be a social butterfly and I am exhausted from trying to be one. I still wish I could talk to anyone with ease and jump in a crowd of people and have fun, but the awkwardness is still there and I don't know if I will ever overcome it. My timid spirit simply will not go away. So instead of getting discouraged about myself I am going to try to accept who I am . . . even if it mean dying an old maid! : )

A Gift in a Jar!

This past Sunday our church recognized our graduates. Our pastor charged them from the word of God and then we had lunch afterwards. We gave a gift to one of the girls who had just graduated from high school. Mama bought ever thing and I did the decorating! (I had the fun job!)

I got this neat idea from A Day in the Life of Gina. I think hers turned our a lot cuter, but mine does have a nice different look. I decided to use brown instead of black because of the Hershey bars. One of the things that makes this so much fun is all the possibilities! There are so many colors, ribbons, scrapbook paper, and rain dots to choose from! Over all, it is a fun, easy, and afordable gift to put together!