The Cross He Gave May be Heavy

Greetings friends! I hope you are well and joyfully resting in the power and love of Jesus Christ. I hope you all have been having a good week . . . even if you are going through great difficulties, it is my prayer that you are finding strength to continue pressing heavenward. I am well; life has been quite busy lately since I started school again. Something I believe Momma taught while home-schooling is a love for learning. I do love challenging my mind and figuring out things; after taking a break from school (of which I am very thankful for), I am more than ready to tackle some brain-challenging subject. :o) 

Today, I came across a hymn written by Ballington Booth. “The Cross He Gave May be Heavy” is very neat (pardon my understatement!). It was quite convicting and encouraging. Convicting in that the trials I often claim are so small and pitiful compared to the trials, burdens, and sufferings Christ bore for me. Encouraging because the sufferings and toil we endure bring others to Christ and bring us, if we let them, closer to our Heavenly Father. Truly, the Christian life is a blessed one. I hope you are blessed and encouraged! If you would like to hear the tune of this hymn, please click on this link.

The cross that He gave may be heavy,
  But it ne'er outweighs His grace;
The storm that I feared may surround me,
  But it ne'er excludes His face.

Chorus:

The cross is not greater than His grace,
The storm cannot hide His blessed face;
  I am satisfied to know
  That with Jesus here below,
    I can conquer every foe.

The thorns in my path are not sharper
  Than composed His crown for me;
The cup that I drink not more bitter
  Than He drank in Gethsemane.

The light of His love shineth brighter,
  As it falls on paths of woe;
The toil of my work groweth lighter,
  As I stoop to raise the low.

His will I have joy in fulfilling,
  As I'm walking in His sight;
My trials more blessings are bringing,
  Christ in them is my delight.

May the Savior bless you as you endevour to follow Him! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Light!!

Your sister in Christ,

Frannie

Sources: Hymn: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php/h/722#ixzz1CG65xH00

Clipart: antiqueclipart.com

How Firm is Our Foundation and His Goodness Never Ceasing!

Hello dear sisters,

I hope this finds you all well. I had a very nice trip up to Alaska and praise the Lord for allowing me to go! I spent my pleasant week going yard saling, visiting with my dear, old church family at the Memorial Day picnic, had a good lunch with my violin teacher, a challenging and great lunch with my old pastor, and many special moments with my Mom, Jeremiah, and our good friends, the Rowlands. In short, it was wonderful! :)   

While I greatly enjoyed my visit, I was very excited to come home. Why, you may ask? My pastor encouraged (and challenged) me to go home and apply myself to becoming my Dad's best friend. You see, who better to teach me how to be a godly woman than my father? . . . a man who knows what character traits make a good person and wife. If I learn how to be a blessing, a joyfull servant, help-meet, and a listener now while serving my father, I can be a blessing, joyful servant, help-meet, and listener when and if I get married. And my husband (and everyone else I meet) will be greatly blessed. My pastor also encouraged me to ask dad what character traits I need to improve on. I have not done this much in the past, but surely, this could change my life. I know that this coming year is going to be life changing as I live away from home and start school. It is so important that I learn what and who I believe in and to gain godly character; I know that by listening and obeying my Papi, I will gain a godly foundation which will carry me.  I just want to encourage you, my fellow sisters in Christ, to seek to win your father's heart. God was very wise in giving us the parents that He did; He never makes a mistake and is very purposeful in all He does. Whether or not you have honorable parents, seek to honor and lift them up. In honoring un-honorable people we gain godly character and the Lord's blessing!

 "Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth." Ephesians 6:2, 3

Well, I guess I'll get off of my soap box. :) I just love how God will us authorities in our lives to change us into His likness! How good He is to us! Finally, a true and encouraging hymn, "How Firm a Foundation."

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said,

You, who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

In every condition, in sickness, in health;

In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;

At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea,

As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.

Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;

I’ll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand

Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,

My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;

The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design

Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

Even down to old age all My people shall prove

My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;

And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,

Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not, I will not desert to its foes;

That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,

I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.

-John Rippon

God bless you dear sisters with His peace and grace!

Please Excuse my Lack of Control

Oh, I just cannot resist! Have any of you heard of the hymn titled, "Buried with Christ" by William James Kirkpatrick? It is so amazingly true and it cuts to my heart in how my Christian walk should be. I just found it tonight on cyberhymnal.org. If you would like to hear its tune go to this link.

Buried with Christ

Buried with Christ and raised with Him, too,

What is there left for me to do?

Simply to cease from struggling and strife,

Simply to walk in newness of life.

Buried with Christ and dead unto sin;

Dying but living, Jesus within;

Ruling and reigning day after day,

Guiding and keeping all of the way.

Risen with Christ my glorious Head,

Holiness now the pathway I tread;

Beautiful thought from walking therein,

He that is dead is freed from all sin.

Living with Christ, who dieth no more,

Following Christ, who goeth before;

Not under law, I’m now under grace,

Sin is dethroned, and Christ takes its place.

Do you have a favorite hymn? Please share!

He Hideth My Soul

I know this picture is blurry, but I think it gives a picture of Mrs. Crosby's song. A rock is strong, permanent, grounded, in climbing upward it gives one a handgrip or foothold, it offers a shelter and foundation. 

"He Hideth My Soul" by Mrs. Fanny Crosby

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away;

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,

And filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God

For such a Redeemer as mine!

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise

To meet Him in clouds of the sky,

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love

I’ll shout with the millions on high."

How could someone not love Fanny J. Crosby? What a couragous, contented, godly woman! Oh, that I can be like her! Sometimes, people will innocently call me "Fanny" and then will quickly and sometimes blushingly say, "Oh, I mean Frannie." Yes, I guess being called Fanny could be seen as a terrible mistake or insult, but in all honesty, who better to be called? :)

I was playing my violin earlier today and this hymn came to me. It was not played beautifully (infact, it was dreadfully squeeky :), however, I was blessed because I felt like I was playing a song which glorified our Lord and I was beginning to feel more at rest. The following verse of Mrs. Crosby's hymn speaks amazing, calm truth to me: 

"A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away;

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day"

 .

God bless you tonight, dear sisters! Let us press onward!

And thank you for entering the give-away! I'm so excited!

With love, 

Issac Watt's- I'll Praise my Make While I Breath.

During difficult times in life I have found Issac Watt's hymn very helpful and encouraging. During times of intence struggle God uses song to push us on in His ways. Thank you Lord!

I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath, And when my voice is lost in death,Praise shall employ my nobler powers;My days of praise shall ne’er be past,While life, and thought, and being last,Or immortality endures.

Why should I make a man my trust?Princes must die and turn to dust;Vain is the help of flesh and blood:Their breath departs, their pomp, and power, And thoughts, all vanish in an hour, Nor can they make their promise good.

Happy the man whose hopes rely On Israel’s God: He made the sky, And earth, and seas, with all their train:His truth for ever stands secure;He saves th’oppressed, He feeds the poor,And none shall find His promise vain.
The Lord has eyes to give the blind;The Lord supports the sinking mind;He sends the labr’ing conscience peace;He helps the stranger in distress,The widow, and the fatherless,And grants the pris’ner sweet release.

He loves His saints, He knows them well,But turns the wicked down to hell;Thy God, O Zion! ever reigns:Let every tongue, let every age,In this exalted work engage;Praise Him in everlasting strains.

I’ll praise Him while He lends me breath,And when my voice is lost in death,Praise shall employ my nobler powers;My days of praise shall ne’er be past,While life, and thought, and being last,Or immortality endures. Taken from cyberhymnal.org