Friday, February 19, 2010

Peace and Rest in Jesus

The Elsie Dinsmore series are a series of 28 books written in the 1800's by Martha Finley based on the years leading up to and after the United States Civil War.  On Sunday afternoons she would go down to the slave quarters and tell them stories of the Bible and they would sing hymns.  She and her family would sing hymns very often.
I have been listening to hymns this afternoon.  They are so beautiful and peaceful!  I have been thinking about Fanny Crosby for a while and finally took the time to look up some of the hymns she wrote on YouTube.  They are so beautiful!  Some of her most familiar hymns are "To God Be The Glory", "Blessed Assurance", and "Praise Him Praise Him"!  These are just a few of the beautiful songs that were written for the praise of God our Heavenly Father, God Almighty, the Everlasting God who sits upon The Throne!  The circumstances that these hymns and so many others by other people were written under are magnificent!  Fanny Crosby was blind but it did not impair her ability to praise the Father!
I sometimes wonder how I would react under such circumstances.  Would I be able to be content in Jesus and love Him fully if I was in  prison for committing a crime or held captive for being a Christian?  Would I be faithful to Him even in my extreme circumstances?  I want to think I would be...but I don't know.
Do we ever just sit and listen to the words the hymnist (you know like psalmist) wrote?  When ever we are tempted to say we can only worship to contemporary Christian music just take a few moments to read and listen to these words.
I wish I could share my heart on this page but I cannot put into words my heart and mind.
This morning I had my quiet time.  It was so sweet to spend time with Jesus.  Afterward I wondered why I struggle so much to be faithful in my time with Jesus.  He deserves all of me, not just the left overs.  Sadly, that is what I give a lot of the time.
Earlier in the week I was asked if I was being an encouraged woman of God.  I responded, "What is the correct answer to that?" She smiled and said," Know you are a beautiful woman of God and He loves you!" Ok, I don't remember exactly what she said but that was the gist!  I love being at CIU and being surrounded by believers!
One of my friends is at a leadership conference in Orlando right now and his FB status was a quote from one of the speakers (I am assuming).  It said, "So many of America's Bible college students are spiritually constipated. A whole lot goin' in, not much comin' out." - Gary Stratton.  This made me chuckle and then think.  This is a true statement.  We are constantly getting so much in but for the mean time it is hard to have an outlet for it all.  Let's work on finding that outlet!
Well, Puddin' Head Wilson, among other things, is calling my name.
Goodnight!

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