The Tapestry

I have several quilts and woven tapestry throws that I hope to pass on to my daughters one day. In the meantime I keep some of them displayed around our home on quilt racks, beds, and couches.

Recently, I noticed a food stain on one of the tapestries throws that I keep on our living room couch, so I threw it in the washer along with a load of white towels. Big mistake. I forgot to set the water temperature to cold. My red and white tapestry throw became my red and pink tapestry throw. My white towels came out light pink as well. The towels were not a big deal but my tapestry throw was ruined. I re-washed it in cold water and it helped it a bit but not enough.

So I went on an eBay search to replace it using the key words, red, white, and tapestry. While searching through endless photos on eBay, the poem, “My Life is but a Weaving” by Corrie ten Boom came to mind:

My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

#CorrieTenBoom

Corrie reminds us that while the underside of a tapestry appears to be a knotted and frayed mess of disconnected threads, the finished product is a beautiful weaving which is revealed on the topside. It’s the events in our life which we consider the “messy” or “dark” things, that are actually instruments of God’s providential care for us that leads to His will being done in our life.

I like the way that Alistair Begg explains it:

“Satan often wants us to stay focused on such seemingly jumbled and discouraging circumstances, doubting God and His good provision. We so easily forget that what appears to be a mess is just the back view of the tapestry God is weaving. One day, though, when we get the chance to see His handiwork from the front, all of those strange and dark threads will prove to have been part of His glorious pattern. Today, remember that “coincidences” are no such thing, that uncertainties and difficulties are opportunities to trust in God, and that behind all of them He is working out His plans to prosper His people in faith and godliness, and to bring them home.”

As I see it, we all have messy and dark circumstances in our lives, sorrows and situations that we may wish would never have happened, and some of which we may not even understand. But I think the key is found in our perspective; a Christian perspective.

A perspective that trusts that the “messy and the dark,” the “gold and silver” are all a part of God’s plan in our lives.

A perspective that He has a purpose for that which we consider as bad, rather as something good, if it has drawn us to Him.

A perspective that God is the Grand Weaver of our lives and of our story, our own personal story of salvation.

A Romans 8:28 kind of perspective:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

By the way, in my search for a replacement tapestry throw, I found one that I like even more than the one I messed up!

Imagine that.

My red, white, and pink quilts and tapestry throws. I also have several others in a variety of colors.

The Sun ☀️

The sun is amazing. It provides light, warmth, energy, and natural vitamin D to support our immune system. These are all provisions that God has graciously made to benefit and sustain us. Without the sun, life as we know it would cease to exist.

I remember when I was in my early teens back in Indiana my friend, Penny, had the prettiest golden tan. Even though I was fair-complected, I figured that surely I could have a tan just like her if I would just lay out in the sun like she did. So, one day after we had spent the afternoon in my backyard sunbathing, and just as I was beginning to think I was getting some color, Penny’s mom came to pick her up and said to me, “Elaine, you need to get out in the sun more.”

Later that summer, I stayed out on the beach all day the first day of our family vacation. I walked up and down the Daytona Beach coastline thinking I was going to get such a good tan. Wrong. I was practically burned to a crisp, from head to toe. I spent the entire rest of our vacation sick in bed with sun poisoning. It was the absolute worst sunburn of my entire life. I remember I was sick to my stomach, dizzy for days, and would faint whenever I tried to stand up. It was awful. To make matters worse, after my skin was done peeling, my shoulders, arms, back, and chest were covered in freckles.

I did learn a lesson though: Too much of a good thing isn’t always good. So, ever since then, I’ve tried to avoid overexposure to the sun. I made a conscious choice to stop laying out in the sun and to seek shade if I was going to be outside in direct sun for very long.

I was in my 30s when I experienced my first basal cell skin cancer. I started thinking about the sun damage I got in my youth and started wearing sunscreen everyday.

In my 40s and 50s I experienced a couple more basal cell cancers. I found some skin care products that lightened some of the brown spots on my face, and I also increased my sunscreen SPF to 50.

In my 60s, I experienced a couple more basal cell cancers and a couple of squamous cell cancers as well. At the suggestion of my dermatologist, I started wearing sun bonnets as much as possible, as we lived and worked in both Texas and Florida.

However, the long-term effects of sun exposure, especially the severe sunburn at age 13, and all the years I did not wear sunscreen or a hat, took a toll on my skin.

While most of my skin cancers were removed with a snip and a stitch or two, I had one surgery that took a big chunk of skin from my left temple which required a few more stitches. However, it was my 2024 basal cell cancer, at age 69, and the subsequent Mohs surgery that took me by surprise. It required a bilobe flap reconstructive surgery by a plastic surgeon, and took several weeks to heal.

July and August 2024, Post Op Bi-Lobe Flap surgery.

The scars are permanent but faded fairly well within about a year and really, I try not to let it bother me. I’m really just thankful that it wasn’t any worse than it was.

In my early 70s, I’m currently dealing with routine follow-ups on a superficial skin cancer on my leg that was originally treated with a topical chemotherapy cream. I also pay frequent visits to my dermatologist to zap any questionable pre-cancers with a liquid nitrogen procedure called cryosurgery.

I’ve also cut seed oils out of my diet as much as possible because vegetable oils extracted from the seeds of plants, like canola, soybean and safflower, are now known to not only be unhealthy to consume, but they also increase the likelihood of getting sunburned. Some studies attribute inflammation, UV-induced oxidative skin damage, and a weakened skin barrier to the combination of consuming seed oils and being exposed to the sun. I wish I had known about seed oils earlier; however, at my current age of 71, I’m thankful for the overall good health that God has blessed me with so far, and hope to stay healthy as long as the good Lord sees fit.

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.” Psalms 103:2-3

Gilligan’s Island

What fun it was to watch Gilligan’s Island when I was a kid! I was 10 years old in 1964 when it first came out. It ran for 3 seasons and I suspect it’s been in re-run syndication somewhere in the world ever since.

As I’ve mentioned before in some of my earlier writings, I spent a lot of time watching TV when I was young. Probably too much. It kept me “busy,” a bit distracted from reality, but for the most part it entertained and kept me company.

🎼 “Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port, aboard this tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailor man, the skipper brave and sure. Five passengers set sail that day for a three-hour tour. A three-hour tour.” 🎶

It was all about a group of seven people who were stranded on a deserted island, and in which most of the episodes were centered around getting off the island. They also entertained themselves with crazy skits and just plain silliness.

The irony and endlessly frustrating thread throughout the series was that somehow other people came to the island but somehow always managed to get off the island. But, the seven castaways always failed to get off of the island! And invariably, it was Gilligan who sabotaged their attempts to escape the island.

Recently, I learned that the show’s creator, Sherwood Schwartz, was noted as saying that each of the “Gilligan’s Island” characters represented one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

For example,

1. The Professor was guilty of pride.

2. Mary Ann was envious of Ginger.

3. Ginger was lustful.

4. The Skipper was a glutton.

5. Mrs. Howell was angry often.

6. Mr. Howell was wealthy and greedy.

7. And last, but not least, Gilligan was the sloth.

Interestingly, I also found an article that deepened the plot. The plot twist being that Mrs. Howell was actually the sloth, that the Skipper had two sins, gluttony and anger, and that Gilligan represented the devil. The writer reasoned that since Gilligan always wore a red shirt, and sabotaged every attempt to get off the island, aka “hell,” that he represented the devil. Hmmm…..

I prefer the first theory over the second. I always liked Gilligan, but who knows. I could be wrong. So maybe Gilligan was the devil and he just acted likable? The Bible does warn us that Satan sometimes disguises himself as an angel of light. Maybe Gilligan’s sabotages were ultimately to keep them all there in their private hell, forever bound in their sin….

Wait!

it was just a TV show!

Anyway, I found it interesting that the inspiration behind the creator of Gilligan’s Island was based upon the theology of the Seven Deadly Sins.

While I’m not a Catholic, I do agree that sin is deadly, but more so because it’s a matter of life or death as it pertains to our salvation.

Because…..

The bad news is that we’re all sinners, (Romans 3:23.)

And, the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23a)

But the good news is,

…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,… 1 Timothy 1:15

….the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23b)

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

So,

Whoever stays in their sin and never comes to an authentic faith and relationship with Jesus Christ will “never get off that island” and will spend eternity separated from Him.

Sin is a snare of the devil. Don’t be fooled. Don’t “castaway” your life for the fleeting pleasures of sin.

Turn to Jesus today in repentance and faith; place your trust in Him alone.

And rest assured,

Christians not only make it “off the island” but have eternal life beginning here and now and forever into eternity with Jesus.

Deception

While in Paris on our honeymoon back in 1980, Harold and I walked by a bakery window and saw some delicious-looking pastries. So we went inside and picked out a couple of them along with some hot coffee, but…

We were so disappointed. They didn’t taste anything like they looked. They looked so good but they tasted awful.

I had a similar experience in 2011, once again while in a foreign country. It was at the Bolshoi Ballet and Opera Theatre in Moscow, Russia. It was intermission time and I decided to buy a dessert. I picked out a cute little cake that looked yummy, but as soon as I paid for it I realized it was way too expensive. I wondered why this dessert was so expensive. As I cut into the first slice I suddenly realized that the cake was topped with caviar. I discreetly set it down and left it there for anyone else who might be brave enough to eat it.

So the French pastries just didn’t taste very good, and the Russian cake was an expensive mistake on my part, but in both cases, my eyes deceived me. And now,

Living in today’s world, I think it’s safe to say that many of us have been noticing an increase in deception, and I’m not referring to French pastries or Russian desserts. No, I’m talking about…

Deception involving worldwide mainstream media in their silence and suppression of the truth concerning COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine.

Deception involving world organizations such as the WEF, IMF, and the WHO, individual politicians, regardless of political party affiliation, and several of our three-letter government agencies, regarding privacy issues, misinformation, and questionable practices.

Deception involving the health and well-being of our entire nation concerning food contamination issues, the recommended childhood vaccination schedules, and questionable medical practices that promote profit over health. We also have widespread misappropriation of federal funds involving outright theft of U.S. tax dollars in programs that produced COVID-19 relief fraud, healthcare fraud, disability fraud, child feeding program fraud, and childcare fraud, to mention just a few.

Deception concerning our God-given gender and sexuality in the current worldwide indoctrination of young children into the transgender and homosexual agenda.

Deception involving the whereabouts of thousands of children that have gone missing in the past few years.

Deception concerning our climate and the so-called “climate change” initiative.

Worst of all, we have deception in progressive mainline churches throughout America; churches that declare that homosexuality is not a sin and that abortion is perfectly fine. These churches also allow women to preach to men, which is in direct defiance of God’s Word. These churches are full of progressive pastors who defile their Sunday-morning pulpits by drawing more attention to themselves than God. They seem to march in lockstep as they promote their social justice issues to a higher level of importance than the gospel itself as they simultaneously attempt to redefine what they believe it means to be a Christian. And this is all while they entertain their congregation with popular contemporary “Christian” music and stage productions as opposed to teaching and preaching the inerrant, infallible word of God.

Charles Spurgeon warned us about this very thing.

“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, a church will have clowns entertaining the goats.”

The Bible talks quite a bit about deception in the Last Days. Do I think we’re there yet? No, not just yet, but based on the deception we’ve been seeing, we’re probably getting pretty close to it. Look what the Bible says:

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” 1 Timothy 4:1

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” Matthew 24:11

“For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” Matthew 24:24

“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

The more corruption, falsehoods, and deception I see going on in the world today, the more I am reminded that this world is not my home.

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20

So in the meantime,

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

And,

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Heart Surgery

First came the dress. Was it white and gold or was it blue and black?!

Then came the audio recording. Was it Laurel or was it Yanny?!

They were both quite the internet buzz when they first came out and I found them quite fascinating.

The “dress” was a viral internet phenomenon in 2015, and the “audio recording,” which was just as popular, was in 2018.

While I saw white and gold, it turns out the dress was actually blue and black.

And,

While I heard “Laurel,” others heard “Yanny.”

I wondered….

How can two people look at the same photo but see something different?

And….

How can two people hear the same audio recording and hear something different?

Apparently, there were scientific explanations for both phenomenons, but I still found them fascinating.

On a more serious note, I believe there is a phenomenon that relates to the hearing of the gospel message.

How can two people hear the same gospel message but only one actually listens, receives the message, and takes steps toward Christ?

Yet they did not listen or incline their ears, but stiffened their necks in order not to listen or take correction. Jeremiah 17:23

Likewise, a similar phenomenon that relates to seeing Christ in the gospel message.

How can two people see Jesus in the gospel message but only one receive Him as Savior?

The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

So the problem is not really our ears and eyes, the problem is our hearts.

The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? Jeremiah 17:9

For the heart of this people has become dull, And with their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart and return, And I would heal them.”’ Acts 28:27

And people like their sins,

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. John 3:19-20

Keeping in mind,

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” John 6:44

And knowing that,

The root of our heart problem is sin.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

And,

The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23

But God made a way,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezekiel 36:26

Why do we need a new heart?

It’s like a heart patient who’s in need of heart surgery. Not someone who just needs some medicine, but someone who’s in desperate need of heart surgery; someone who must have surgery in order to live.

So how do we get a new heart?

By turning away from sin, and turning toward Christ, in repentance and faith.

By faith believing He is God’s only Son, who died a sacrificial death on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve. Believing Christ died and rose again three days later, according to the scriptures.

Trusting in Christ alone.

And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Hearing,

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

And seeing,

To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ Acts 23:18

With thanksgiving,

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

Being born again,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3

So,

Are you in need of heart surgery?

Don’t wait.

Your very life depends on it.

Book your appointment with the Great Physician.

Call out to Him in repentance and faith today.

Tomorrow may be too late.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” Matthew 9:12

Friday Faith

This year I’m highlighting some of my favorite people of faith by sharing bits and pieces of some of their quotes, poems or lyrics as a #FridayFaith blog post. This month I’m focusing on Annie Johnson Flint. She lived a very hard but blessed life (1866-1932) and wrote many hymns and poems about her saving faith in Jesus Christ. My first post for the month of January highlights the first few lines of her hymn, He Giveth More Grace:

#FridayFaith #AnnieJohnsonFlint January 7, 2022

#FridayFaith #AnnieJohnsonFlint January 14

#FridayFaith #AnnieJohnsonFlint January 21

#FridayFaith #AnnieJohnsonFlint January 28

This month I’m focusing on some of the inspirational writings of John Newton. He was a slave trader back in the 1700’s. Through a series of events, beginning with a life threatening storm at sea, in which he cried out to God for His help, he began his spiritual journey which eventually led to his conversion to Christianity. It was during this time that he began his fight against slave trading. Within a few years he became an Anglican priest, a well known poet, and author of hundreds of hymns, including Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace was first published in 1779, and speaks of the forgiveness, redemption, and mercy found through a relationship with God, and has become one of the most popular hymns in history.

#FridayFaith #JohnNewton February 4

Helen Howarth Lemmel was a gifted concert singer, poet, song writer, and vocal music teacher. She wrote more than 500 hymns and poems in her lifetime, and is most well know for writing the hymn, “Turn your Eyes Upon Jesus,” which was first published in 1918, and to this day, continues to hold out a promise of Christ’s help for troubled souls. Lemmel continue writing until her death in 1961 at 97 years of age.

#FridayFaith #HelenHLemmel March 4

Approximately 14 years before her death, Helen H Lemmel was struck with an eye condition that cause her to go blind. It was during this period of her life that her husband, who was a world traveler, abandoned her. In spite of both of these trying circumstances, Helen remained faithful to Jesus and continued to write and sing about Him until her death in 1967 at the age of 97.

#FridayFaith #HelenHLemmel March 25

This month I’m featuring some of my favorite quotes from Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis, better known as Saint Augustine. He lived from 354 to 430 and developed what would later become known as systematic Christian theology. He very eloquently spoke of mankind’s need for a relationship with God, and is world renown as a prominent and early defender of the Christian faith.

#FridayFaith #SaintAugustine April 1

Isaac Watts lived in England from 1674 to 1749. At age 7 he was an avid reader and writer, and he was especially talented in writing rhymes and verses. His mastery of language included learning Latin at age 4, Greek at age 9, French at age 10, and Hebrew at age 13. At age 24 he preached his first sermon at Mark Lane Independent Chapel in London, and soon after became their senior pastor. While he held that position up until the end of his life, he is most well known as the author of approximately 600 hymns and the “Father of English hymnody.” His hymns paraphrased the Psalms and also his personal expression of his love for God.

#FridayFaith #IsaacWatts May 6, 2022

This is the chorus to “At the Cross,” one of the many hymns written by Isaac Watts. It was published in 1707 and may also be known by its first line “Alas, and did my Savior bleed.” Salvation is the main subject of this hymn and 1 Timothy 2:5-6 describes it well: “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

#FridayFaith #IsaacWatts May 13

“Joy to the World,” was written by Isaac Watts and is one of my favorite Christmas carols. I found it interesting that Psalm 98 was his inspiration for the writing of “Joy to the World” and that the lyrics are actually about Christ’s return, not His birth. Also, it didn’t become well known as a Christmas carol until years later when it was paired with the melody known as “Antioch” by Lowell Mason, who also changed the tune around a bit by borrowing some arrangements from Handel’s Messiah. Thus, “Joy to the World” as we know it today.

#FridayFaith #IsaacWatts May 20

I’m featuring this stanza of the hymn, “The Heavens Declare Thy Glory, Lord, not only because it is yet another great Isaac Watts hymn, but also because it corresponds with my blog this month, titled,
The Sun ☀️

#FridayFaith #IsaacWatts May 27

This month I’m highlighting some of my favorite quotes of Corrie ten Boom. She lived an exciting, sometimes difficult, fruitful, and blessed life from 1892 to 1983. Highlights of her life include helping the disabled, helping hide persecuted Jews during the Holocaust of World War II, spending time in a concentration camp as a result of being caught of hiding the Jews, writing several books, and traveling worldwide spreading the gospel message of forgiveness, love, hope, and salvation in Jesus Christ.

#CorrieTenBoom #FridayFaith June 3

*#CorrieTenBoom #You FridayFaith June 10*

The world and the people who are of it, will invariably disappoint and distress us. Nor can we count on our own self serving human nature. Don’t look to them. Don’t look within. Look to Him! Some good reminders to always keep our focus on Jesus.

#CorrieTenBoom #FridayFaith June 17

One of our great obstacles toward victory is not realizing who our enemy actually is. Corrie ten Boom so eloquently put it this way.

#FridayFaith #CorrieTenBoom June 24

Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788) was born in England and became an extemporaneous preacher and a prolific hymnwriter who wrote over 6,500 hymns during his lifetime. While known as one of the founding leaders of the English Methodist movement he held on to his Anglican roots and affiliation with The Church of England his entire life. In 1739, on the one year anniversary of his conversion to faith in Christ, he wrote an 18 stanza hymn which later was shortened to 5 stanzas by his older brother, John Wesley, and which we know today as
“O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” 🎶

#FridayFaith #CharlesWesley July 1

Charles Wesley originally published this hymn as “Hymn for Easter Day” in 1739. Originally consisting of 11 stanzas, it was later reduced to 6 stanzas with the addition of “Alleluia!” to each of the lines.
Today it is affectionally known as
“Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”

#FridayFaith #CharlesWesley July 8

Today’s #FridayFaith, is also a bit of #ChristmasInJuly.🎄 Charles Wesley’s 1739 original “Hymn for Christmas-Day” began with the opening line “Hark how all the Welkin rings”. This was later changed to the familiar “Hark! the Herald Angels sing” by George Whitefield in 1754. A second change made in a 1782 music publication, with the repetition of the opening line “Hark! the Herald Angels sing, Glory to the newborn king,” as the refrain, as it is commonly sung today. #FridayFaith #CharlesWesley July 15

Charles Wesley came to a saving relationship with Christ in 1738 and soon after wrote in his journal, “I began a hymn upon my conversion.” Which hymn he wrote is not certain, but many historians believe it was this one titled,
“And Can It Be That I Should Gain?”

#FridayFaith #CharlesWesley July 22

After Charles Wesley’s conversion to faith in Christ, he spent most of his time either preaching and/or writing about Jesus. “Jesus, Lover of My Soul” was reportedly written early in his ministry. He was an itinerant preacher that incited revival in some people and outrage in others. He retired from itinerant preaching in 1756 but continued his ministry, including the writing of hymns and poems up until his death in 1788.

#FridayFaith #CharlesWesley July 29

For the month of August, I’m featuring a few of the amazing lyrics written by the extraordinary Fanny Cosby. Francis Jane “Fanny” Crosby (1820-1915), was an American mission worker, poet, and prolific hymnist, writing more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs in her lifetime. Although blind since the age of 6 weeks, she was a remarkable woman who saw the important issues in life more clearly than most people with eyesight. She spent her life helping others, particularly the poor and destitute, and writing about her Savior. “To God Be the Glory” is just one of her beautiful hymns. The first stanza both glorifies God and tells of His perfect plan of salvation.

#ToGodBeTheGlory #FannyCrosby August 5, 2022

While Fanny Crosby was visiting a friend in 1873, her friend sat at her piano as she played a new composition of her own as Fanny listened. As she finished playing, Fanny clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Why, that says, ‘Blessed Assurance!’“ Fanny quickly composed the words to the beautiful hymn we know today as “Blessed Assurance.”

#BlessedAssurance #FannyCrosby August 12, 2022

Fanny Crosby, blind since the age of six weeks, knew a great many portions of the Bible by heart, and had committed to memory the first four books of the Old Testament, and also the four Gospels before she was ten years of age. What a heart she had for God! “Praise Him, Praise Him” written in 1869, is just one of the over 8000 hymns she wrote in her lifetime to glorify and praise of God.

#FannyCrosby #PraiseHimPraiseHim #FridayFaith August 19

At the age of 60, Fanny Crosby embarked on a new career. Despite her fame as a hymn writer, she chose to live and work in lower Manhattan, in near poverty, ministering to the needy in local rescue missions. It was there she spent the bulk of her senior years, day after day, rescuing the perishing, much like the hymn she wrote years before, in 1869, titled “Rescue the Perishing.”

#FannyCrosby #RescueThePerishing #FridayFaith August 26

Jonathan Edwards was an American theologian, philosopher and revivalist preacher of reformed theology who lived from 1703-1758. He played a pivotal role in “The First Great Awakening,” which led to the revolution of the Protestant religion in British America and Europe during the mid 18th century.

#JonathanEdwards #FridayFaith September 2, 2022

At age 14, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was already a student at Yale University. At age 17, after a period of distress and subsequent revelation from God, he resolved “to lie low before God, as in the dust; that I might be nothing, and that God might be all, that I might become as a little child.”

#JonathanEdwards #FridayFaith September 9

Jonathan Edwards is well known for his many sermons, most notably, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” which he preached in 1741. The preaching of this sermon was the catalyst for what is known as the First Great Awakening.

#JonathanEdwards #FridayFaith September 16

In 1727 Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) began preaching at the age of 20 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Edwards was grieved at the spiritual condition of the church and the community. Many made claim of faith but gave no evidence of genuine conversion and were complacent about spiritual things. Edwards began to preach against this spiritual lethargy. His first sermon series was on justification by faith alone, for he feared that many had come to rely upon their own goodness for salvation.

#JonathanEdwards #FridayFaith September 23

Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) was considered by many as one of the greatest theological minds to ever step foot on a pulpit. Interestingly, Edwards was not an impressive orator. He delivered his sermons with little animation and by reading the words with his face close to the manuscript as he had poor eyesight. However, it was his sincerity and the content of his messages that God used to bring many to repentance and faith in Christ.

#JonathanEdwards #FridayFaith September 30

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) was a Welsh Protestant minister and medical doctor who was influential in the Calvinist wing of the British evangelical movement in the 20th century. For almost 30 years, he was the minister of Westminster Chapel in London.

#MartynLloydJones #FridayFaith October 7, 2022

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) was well known for his particular style of expository preaching. He would take many months, even years, to expound a single chapter of the Bible verse by verse. His Sunday morning and evening meetings at which he officiated drew crowds of several thousand.

#MartynLloydJones #FridayFaith October 14, 2022

Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ (1899–1981) preaching style was set apart by his sound exposition of biblical doctrine and his fire and passion in its delivery. He’s known as a preacher who continued in the Puritan tradition of preaching.

#MartynLloydJones #FridayFaith October 21, 2022

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) was strongly opposed to liberal Christianity, which had become a part of many Christian denominations; and of which he regarded as aberrant.

#FridayFaith #MartynLloydJones October 28, 2022

Sinclair Ferguson (1948) is a Scottish theologian well known for his teaching and writings of Reformed Christian systematic theology.

#SinclairFerguson #FridayFaith November 4, 2022

Sinclair B. Ferguson (1948) is a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow, and a Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary.

#SinclairFerguson #FridayFaith November 11, 2022

Sinclair Ferguson (1948) retired in 2013 as Senior Minister of First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South Carolina, and returned to his native Scotland, where he continues to write about and preach God’s word in churches and conferences.

#SinclairFerguson #FridayFaith November 18, 2022

Sinclair Ferguson (1948) retired in 2013 from a large Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. He deliberately returned to a small city in Scotland, to preach the gospel and help revive his now very secular homeland back toward faith in Christ.

#SinclairFerguson #FridayFaith November 25, 2022

Thomas O Chisholm (1866-1960) was born in a log cabin in Kentucky, became a teacher at the age of 16, and a Christian at age 27. He wrote over 1200 Christian poems in his lifetime, including “Great is Thy Faithfulness” which he wrote in 1923, and set to music by William Runyan. #FridayFaith #ThomasOChisholm December 2, 2022

During a particularly trying time in the life (1866-1960) of Thomas O Chisholm, he received an unsolicited and generous gift from a stranger. Soon after he penned The Mercies of God, in celebration of God’s amazing provision.

#FridayFaith #ThomasOChisholm December 16, 2022

“It is Jesus” is one of Thomas O Chisholm’s (1866-1960) 800+ poems he wrote during his lifetime, many of which were later set to music, as this one was. Here is the first stanza.

#FridayFaith #ThomasOChisholm December 23, 2022

For my last #FridayFaith post of this year, here is the refrain from the #ThomasOChisholm hymn #GreatIsThyFaithfulness which is one of my favorite hymns. May God bless you today and beyond into the coming new year. 🙏🏻
December 30, 2022

It’s a Love Story

Our youngest daughter, Mackenzie, married the love of her life, Kobe Keller, on December 10, 2021, in Decatur, Texas, at a beautiful and rustic wedding venue that was originally a cattle farm. They transformed the barn into the wedding hall, and the original farmhouse into the bridal dressing room.

I started to cry when I caught the first glimpse of Harold and Mackenzie walking down the path toward the wedding aisle. It was such a sweet moment.

Just minutes earlier, my eyes were filled with tears but it was for a different reason. I was sitting down holding our youngest granddaughter, Remi, while waiting to line up for the ceremony, and she pooped through her diaper and onto my pink dress. Her daddy quickly scooped her up and I ran to the bathroom to scrub my dress in the sink as tears filled my eyes.

While I’m normally as cool as a cucumber, my nerves were a little shaken at this point as the wedding was just about ready to start. Tears filled my eyes as I was frantically scrubbing my dress in the bathroom sink, and simultaneously asking God to calm my nerves. My dress was soaking wet but thanks to a bunch of paper towels and the Texas sun it was partially dried as I walked down the aisle escorted by our grandson, Colby.

The wedding started at 4:30 p.m. and the weather was amazing, especially for an outdoor Texas wedding in December. The temperatures were in the low 80s and the winds were light, whereas just a couple of days before the temperatures were in the 50s. Earlier in the day, the winds were much stronger which gave us a little bit of cause for concern, but our fears were allayed as the winds subsided just as the wedding began. Mackenzie planned the timing of the ceremony to begin at 4:30 p.m. to coincide with the expected sunset.

The reception was a great mix of fun, dancing, and many sweet moments. Toasts were made by the Best Man, Chris Elston, the Maid of Honor, Raquel Blades, and our daughter Megan. They each spoke from their hearts.

First dance as husband and wife, Father/Daughter dance, and Mother/Son dance.

I enjoyed dancing with everyone, especially my grandkids, Harold, my crazy dancing son-in-law Marty, and even my non-crazy, non-dancing son-in-law John!

While I’ve prayed for each of our daughters and their future husbands since they were young, my prayers were fairly generic, asking God for a nice young man and the perfect spouse for each one of them. But, about five years earlier, I sensed my prayers for Mackenzie needed to be more specific. We talked about it and she said she wanted someone who was cute, country, and Christian (Kobe—exactly!), so that’s what I specifically prayed for her.

I’ve learned in life that God often answers prayers in ways that we might not have ever imagined. I believe He arranged Mackenzie and Kobe’s chance encounter one night in 2016 in downtown Fort Worth. They talked for a short while, exchanged phone numbers, and took a selfie together. Kobe captioned the photo and posted it on social media, “Me and the future wife.”

Mackenzie and Kobe, on the first day they met, 2016.

While they were initially just friends who “just happened to meet” in 2016 and sent a few texts afterward, nothing really came of it until 2020 when they began texting again and then dating, and now, well now…“It’s a Love Story!”

“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

Here’s a few more photos from the wedding and reception:

James Crandell & The Greatest Generation

I first met Harold’s parents in the fall of 1977. We had been dating for a little while and it was time to meet them! So we drove down to his home town, Madison, Indiana, which was about a two hour drive from Indianapolis. At this time Harold’s parents were living in a mobile home on 40 acres of farm land on the outskirts of Madison. The home was very simply decorated with clocks and calendars which I found particularly interesting. I suppose they were actually more functional than decorative, which was also interesting to me. While his mom was very talkative, his dad barely spoke, which scared me a little! I wondered if he didn’t like me. I soon learned that James Crandell was a man of few words and that he chose his words wisely. He had a quiet and gentle spirit about him.

Harold and I married about two and half years latter. Over the years I came to love both of my in-laws. They both had a strong work ethic. Mildred worked for 30 years as a nurses aid at the Madison State Hospital. James served bravely as a US Air Force Tech Sargent aircraft mechanic over seas during WWII, and was part of what is affectionately known as “The Greatest Generation.” After the war he worked for 30+ years as the Service Manager at the Oldsmobile Dealership in Madison. By the time I met him he was a successful and hard working farmer. He worked long hours tending to his crops and fields in season and out of season. James was also a man of integrity. He said what he meant and meant what he said.

James loved meeting his friends at the local coffee shop. He loved his dog. He loved good food. He loved his country. He loved God. He loved his family, and he loved his wife, Mildred. Plain and simple, James was a good man and I was blessed to have him as my father-in-law.

By the time James was in his early 90’s, and Mildred in her mid 80’s, they were both in need of some assistance so they came to live with us in Texas in 2011. Soon after they moved in, knowing that James enjoyed working on things we asked him to fix a loose toilet handle. My husband and I went to work and came home that afternoon to find that he had taken the toilet completely off of the base, and it was laying out all over the bathroom floor in several pieces! We had a good laugh and then called our son-in-law, John, to come put it all back together. It was then we realized that his ability to fix things wasn’t quite like it used to be.

James preferred traditional meals with meat, potatoes, and vegetables. So, it wasn’t long before I figured out that pasta dishes, one pot meals, and casseroles were not his favorite meals. My husband would ask him, “How did you like that dinner Daddy?!” He would often reply, “Alright.” Then, every once and a while he’d say, “That’s good stuff!” I was happy to hear these words whenever he said them, and thought I was doing pretty good until one day I figured out that he said the same thing when he ate a McDonald’s chicken sandwich: “That’s good stuff!”

One day I took him for a hair cut and I thought I’d treat him with lunch at Jason’s Deli, one of my favorite restaurants. After we finished I asked him how he liked his meal and he replied, “Not too good.” I was disappointed as that was the first time he’d said that to me. It wasn’t even “Alright.”

Later on, as his condition progressed, it got to the point where he didn’t remember my name, so he just called me “the cook.” My husband joked with him often about problems with “the cook,” which gave my husband endless opportunities to make fun of my cooking! The laughter was good medicine for all of us.

Within a couple of years of coming to live with us, both James and Mildred moved into a nearby assisted living home. Not too long afterward, James passed away at the age of 95, on Valentine’s Day in 2014, leaving his beloved wife, Mildred, a widow after 72 years of marriage. Mildred passed away the following January.

After James’ passing, I found some handwritten notes that he took while a member at North Madison Baptist Church back in the 1960’s. They still hold true today. Here’s a few of them:

⁃ We believe about God what the Bible tells us.

⁃ God created the world.

⁃ God is all powerful.

⁃ God is everywhere present.

⁃ God is all knowing.

⁃ God is a personal God.

⁃ God reveals himself through nature.

⁃ God reveals himself through the Bible, through people, through the Holy Spirit. The greatest way is through Jesus Christ.

⁃ God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.

⁃ Sin is falling short, transgressions, going across boundaries.

⁃ When we sin, we should feel guilty. This is healthy.

⁃ Guilt is God given. It serves as a temperature gauge. It urges us to correct what is wrong.

⁃ Christ died for our sins.

⁃ When we become a Christian, we do not become sinless.

⁃ There is one way. Jesus Christ is the one way of salvation.

I believe James is in heaven today, where he’s spending eternity with Jesus, and not because he was a good man, but because one day, years ago he recognized himself as a sinner, in need of a Savior, and he placed his faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The One who took our place on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins. The same applies to his beloved Mildred.

2010 Family Dinner. This was on our trip to Florida in celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary.

I made a video photo collage in honor of James while he served in WWII and titled it, “The Greatest Generation: In Memory of James E. Crandell” Here’s the link to it: https://youtu.be/WxuNgqphIuE

Martin Luther and The Man on the Middle Cross

It was on October 31, 1517, that Martin Luther, nailed his 95 Theses to the church doors in Wittenberg, Germany and began what is known today as the Protestant Reformation, or simply, the Reformation.

During this time, the nailing of notices on the church door was a way of public communication and proclamation. As a devout Augustinian Catholic Monk, he was inspired to write his 95 Thesis in protest to the various corruptions and injustices he witnessed in the Pope and in the Catholic Church. One of which was the Pope’s solicitation and collection of money from the poorest of the poor to build St Basilica’s Cathedral, all while the Pope was one of the wealthiest men alive. The foremost corruptions included the “selling of indulgences” as a means of forgiving people of their sins, and the preaching of good works as a necessary means of salvation.

To further clarify “indulgences,” it was a corrupt means in which the priests profited from the rich by inferring that they could “buy their way into heaven” and provide “absolution for their sins” by the giving of large sums of money to the Catholic Church. Simultaneously, these “indulgences” inferred a condemnation of the poor as they couldn’t possibly have enough money to “buy their way into heaven.”

No doubt, Martin Luther’s 95 Theses caused quite a stir, as speaking publicly in this way against the Catholic Church was very much frowned upon at this time in history. Luther was subsequently excommunicated from the Catholic Church in 1521 and went into hiding. Now during this time it’s interesting to note that the Bible was primarily only available in Latin. While in hiding, Martin Luther paved the way for the people of Germany to understand what the Bible actually said by translating the New Testament from Latin into German, which took him approximately 10 years to complete. For the first time in history, the Bible was made available for people to read in their own language. At this same in history, the printing press was created which made it possible for many copies of the Bible to be made available. Thanks to John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, the Bible was translated into English and spread during this period as well.

Simply put, Martin Luther’s original intention was to reform the Catholic Church however instead of reforming the Catholic Church, the church divided. Those who agreed with Martin Luther became known as Protestants. Those who disagreed with him remained as Catholics.

As an adult I find Martin Luther and the facts about the Reformation quite interesting. I actually don’t recall hearing or learning about him or the Reformation when I was young. Nor did I realize that Martin Luther was of Calvinist persuasion until I became an adult. I also didn’t know about the differences in Calvinism and Arminianism when I was young. Basically Calvinism teaches that God is sovereign and in control of our salvation, also known as election. Whereas, Arminianism teaches that we choose our salvation, also known as free will. Perhaps more importantly I also believe that we’re not saved by our precise understanding of how this great salvation comes to us (Martyn Lloyd Jones.) There are many great theologians on both sides of the Calvinism and Arminianism school of thought.

In the past few years however, I find myself more drawn to Calvinism or Reformed Theology, as it’s more commonly called today. I believe that God is sovereign over everything and is in ultimate control, including our salvation. I also prefer Baptist churches that are not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as I have found the liberal, progressive, and corrupt leadership in the SBC to be intolerable. Perhaps the subject of a future writing.

So, I’m thankful for Martin Luther, and for his brave writing and posting of the 95 Theses. I’m thankful for his diligence in translating the Bible, and for the birthing of the Reformation; the foundation of Protestantism. Martin Luther established the fact that the Bible is to be the central source of authority for Christ followers, and that salvation is reached through faith, not deeds.

Martin Luther’s teachings also birthed the beginning of what we know today as the 5 Solas: sola fide, sola scriptura, solus christus, sola gratia and soli deo Gloria!

By Scripture alone.

By Faith alone.

By Grace alone.

Through Christ alone.

To the Glory of God alone!

So, I agree with Martin Luther; I am a Protestant.

I believe we are saved by grace through faith, and that,

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them. John 6:44

And,

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

I repeat,

Ye must be born again. John 3:7

And that,

Salvation cannot, nor could it ever, be obtained through indulgences, sacraments, or good works.

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Salvation is by faith alone, in Christ alone, and by the grace of God alone. It is a gift of God.

We are saved as a result of what Christ achieved on the cross, as it was on the cross that He paid the penalty for both my sin and yours. On the cross He made a way of salvation for all who turn to him in repentance and faith.

It was over 2000 years ago, on a hill called Calvary, that Jesus and two thieves were each nailed to a cross. One thief turned toward Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

And Jesus, the Man on the middle cross, replied,

“…Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

I repeat, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8

Hot!

Hot coffee! My love for it first began when I was a little girl. It was the aroma. My mom drank hers black, hot, and in a small White Castle coffee cup. The first time I actually tasted it was not until I was a teenager. I was surprised it didn’t taste as good as it smelled. But by the time I was old enough to live on my own, I was an official coffee lover, as I had discovered that instant coffee with a little milk and sugar made the perfect cup of coffee.

Nowadays my requirements for a good cup of coffee are pretty simple. I prefer Folgers Classic Roast Instant Coffee Crystals, with a little skim milk, monk fruit sweetener, and most importantly, it must be hot! Lukewarm coffee will not do.

So, you can imagine how excited I was to own my first microwave oven back in 1980. It was a wedding gift from my mom, and it wasn’t just any microwave; it was a Sharp Carousel Microwave. I actually didn’t cook much in it, but I found it perfect for making a cup of coffee and keeping it hot.

Fast forward to May of 2021, our youngest daughter, Mackenzie, got me an Ember Temperature Control Smart Coffee Mug for Mother’s Day. I love it! When used properly, it keeps my coffee a perfect 140 degrees.

Three things I’ve learned about using the Ember mug:

1. You need to start out with hot coffee. For example, you can’t pour cool or lukewarm coffee in the mug and expect it to work properly.

2. You need to start out with a full cup. It doesn’t work well if you only pour in half a cup. It needs to start out full.

3. You need to keep it charged. While it will work off of its charging base, it doesn’t work for long periods of time. It needs to be connected to its base often in order to keep a good charge.

Thinking about my love of hot coffee reminded me of this verse:

“I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!” Revelation 3:15

In this Bible verse, Jesus was referring to the church at Laodicea. It was a dead church; their hearts were lukewarm and their deeds were hypocritical, done for show and not with the heart or the love of God. Basically, the church was full of unconverted, pretend Christians who saw themselves as “rich” believers, but in reality they were self-sufficient hypocrites who relied on their own prosperity and their own good deeds. The Lord saw them as wretched, pitiful and “poor” unbelievers, whom he chastised using the analogy of the temperature of their water.

Interestingly,

Their drinking water was disgustingly lukewarm. It came from a viaduct via a nearby spring, but it was practically worthless. It wasn’t hot like a hot spring that people could bathe in, nor was it refreshingly cold for drinking: it was lukewarm, basically good for nothing, and nauseating to drink. Thus, the analogy is of the Lord’s response to the Laodiceans, who sickened Him like the lukewarm water.

So here’s a stern warning,

And a simple analogy.

1. Lukewarm won’t do: First and foremost you must be born again. Have you turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, and placed your trust in His sacrificial death on the cross for the penalty of your sins? If so, be passionate about matters concerning the Lord! Allow the Holy Spirit to transform your desires to line up with God’s will for your life.

2. You need to be full: There are no halfhearted Christians. To be a “lukewarm Christian” is the equivalent of being an unbeliever. You’re either saved or you’re not saved.

3. Stay close to God: Christians grow in their relationship with God through prayer, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and by growing in the truth of God’s word through meaningful Bible study. It’s the process of santification. And just as a reminder, attending or being a member of a church doesn’t make you a Christian. Nor is there any value in trusting in church traditions, your status, or your possessions. Good works are not a substitute for salvation. Good works are a result of salvation, not a means of salvation.

Something to think about the next time you enjoy a delicious cup of hot coffee.

More importantly,

Something to pray about.

Treasure In Jars of Clay

My life story and journey of faith.

Author: elainecrandell

The Tapestry

The Sun ☀️

Gilligan’s Island

Deception

Heart Surgery

Friday Faith

It’s a Love Story

James Crandell & The Greatest Generation

Martin Luther and The Man on the Middle Cross

Hot!