Mountain Musings

Rejoicing to Yield

“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

Romans 3:31

When the believer is adopted into the Lord’s family, his relationship to old Adam and the law ceases at once; but then he is under a new rule, and a new covenant. Believer, you are God’s child; it is your first duty to obey your heavenly Father. A servile spirit you have nothing to do with: you are not a slave, but a child; and now, inasmuch as you are a beloved child, you are bound to obey your Father’s faintest wish, the least intimation of his will.

Does he bid you fulfil a sacred ordinance? It is at your peril that you neglect it, for you will be disobeying your Father. Does he command you to seek the image of Jesus? Is it not your joy to do so? Does Jesus tell you, “Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect”? Then not because the law commands, but because your Saviour enjoins, you will labour to be perfect in holiness. Does he bid his saints love one another? Do it, not because the law says, “Love thy neighbour,” but because Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments;” and this is the commandment that he has given unto you, “that ye love one another.” Are you told to distribute to the poor? Do it, not because charity is a burden which you dare not shirk, but because Jesus teaches, “Give to him that asketh of thee.”

Does the Word say, “Love God with all your heart”? Look at the commandment and reply, “Ah! commandment, Christ hath fulfilled thee already—I have no need, therefore, to fulfil thee for my salvation, but I rejoice to yield obedience to thee because God is my Father now and he has a claim upon me, which I would not dispute.” May the Holy Ghost make your heart obedient to the constraining power of Christ’s love, that your prayer may be, “Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” Grace is the mother and nurse of holiness, and not the apologist of sin.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

Quilt Tour Begins

Today begins the Star-Struck Quilt Tour! Be sure to visit all the participants and check back on Saturday, August 28th for our questions and answers with Barbara Cline here on Mountain Musings--and enter our giveaway!

Passionate Housewives Book--Free!

Get a free copy of the book Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God and only pay shipping!

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God is an exceptionally well written book. Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald do not pretend to be the perfect wives, mothers, and homemakers, but they do have a heart for God and His glory.... This book will make you think, will convict you, and will.... give you a “fresh vision for the hopeful homemaker.” —Martha Peace, biblical counselor and author of The Excellent Wife

Vision Forum is offering this book for free until Friday, if you simply use the coupon code FREEPHDG at checkout.

While shopping, why not peruse some other helpful products such as this inspiring DVD series:

That banner is making me want spring to come very soon!

Or how about these crafting help books:

I enjoyed browsing all the new items from Vision Forum, and hope you will take advantage of this special offer!

~Hannah

A Life That Says Welcome ~ Book Giveaway

I've written so many times before about hospitality here on the blog, that Hospitality should have it's own category!

So when I read about this giveaway over at Making a House a Home, I knew I would be writing a post about this book by Karen Ehman.

Mrs. Ehman says this on her website:

"A Life That Says Welcome helps you make others feel refreshed, rather than impressed, in your presence. It’s packed with delicious, simple recipes and inspiring tips on how to:

• ensure that your family feels loved, wanted, and welcome

• decorate well on a budget

• de-clutter your home

• make the most of your space (no matter how small)

• be prepared for unexpected company

You’ll be encouraged to not only open your home but to open your life as an avenue for God’s love everywhere you go.

"The secret to hospitality is more about the condition of your heart than the condition of your home."

If you'd like a chance to enter the giveaway for this book, head over to Making a House a Home and leave a comment before Sunday, December 20, at 8:00 p.m. EST.

~Deb

Introducing...Olde-Books.com!

We'd like to point you to a brand new business begun by a friend of ours, Ben Wagner. Olde-Books.com features out-of-print old books in downloadable e-book format. Ben is a connoisseur of old books and has turned this love for history into an entrepreneurial endeavor.

"Olde-Books.com exists to present 1800's authors to the modern world. We use e-Books to bring the godly authors into your home on your computer or e-Book reader. Olde-Books.com has a Christian flavor and chooses books that present a Biblical Worldview throughout their pages. We also offer e-Books by authors of the past which teach skills that are still applicable in today's world."

Olde-Books.com currently offers e-books for very reasonable prices in the following categories: historical fiction, history and biography, literature for the family, Old West, and skills for the family. There's even an e-book on the subject of knitting.

Good news for all you gardeners out there! Anna is hosting a giveaway of one of the e-books from Olde-Books.com! Go to Gardening for My Family to read the details of how to receive your free copy of The Book of Sports - Gardening by William Martin. This giveaway will end Wednesday at midnight.

Here's an excerpt from this late 1800's book:

The young gardener should make up his
mind before he sets foot in his garden to have no weeds in it; for however assiduous he may have been in other respects, however he may have planted, watered, dug, or attended to his garden, if it show a crop of weeds, he is a bad gardener, and will be sure to get laughed at.

One of my goals this week is to make some headway on removing my "laughable crop" of weeds.....

~Hannah

Last Week's Adventures ~ Part 1

On Sunday I received an email from a friend wondering if I'd been out of town or just plain busy since Mountain Musings has been rather quiet lately! Well...both, actually!

Travel: Hannah and I were in my hometown of South Boston, Virginia, to be with my mom for a few days last week. My sister Bet was there also, along with Barney, visiting from South Carolina. As usual we tried to fit in as much as possible...it was fun!

Flowers and Lamps: Hannah helped Granny plant her spring flowers, and we made a trek back to Olde Lamps & Thangs where we had more of Aunt Bunny's antique lamps repaired and where my sister purchased some beautiful globes. I really like that little lamp shop located in the town of Boydton.

Country Drive: We picked an afternoon and rode out to explore some country roads, and explore we did! And...this was so interesting!! We were riding along near Cluster Springs, and my mom casually said, "That's the house where we got married."

"Huh?" We turned around and drove back by the house very slowly...and took pictures, of course!  I had never, ever heard this story before. I lived in South Boston for 28 years before moving away, and this was the first time I was driving by this house where my parents' wedding took place and the first time knowing they were married here in this parsonage back in 1949. Talk about news to me!

For Sale: A major piece of business taken care of while we were all together was determining what furniture my mom would bring to our house when she moves in with us in the next few months...and also determining what my sister and I would like for our homes, and what gets sold. A big job accomplished! So we are praying for her house to sell in God's timing; would you pray with us?

Friends loaned us this DVD titled Journey of Honor when they knew we were entering this new season of having a parent live with us. We highly recommend it if you are thinking of something similar.

"Journey of Honor" makes the case for the superiority of home-based care for the elderly and infirm over institutional care, when possible. This documentary tells the personal stories of family and friends who have cared for their elderly and infirmed loved ones at home, highlights the services available to assist in these situations, and makes the Biblical case for families taking responsibility for the aged and infirm in their lives.

We had some full days in South Boston and made it home in time for a quilt class, working in the garden, preparing for church services here at our home on Sunday, and geocaching and a picnic with friends on Memorial Day. So much to blog about!

~Deb

Next:

Adventures ~ Part 2, Bloomsburg Mansion

Adventures ~ Part 3, Berry Hill Mansion

The Really Awesome Vision Forum CD series

Our family had the wonderful opportunity this month to review the newly released audio CD album, Let Freedom Ring: The Philadelphia Faith and Freedom Tour. With 13 CDs' worth of messages by Doug Phillips and Bill Potter, we have listened to a "firehose" of American history from a Christian worldview, and we haven't even heard them all yet!

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• The History of Quakers in America
• The Life and Impact of William Penn
• The Nation's Church: Christ's Church Meetinghouse and Graveyard
• Carpenter's Hall: the Continental Congress is Formed
• The First Bank of the United States
• Architecture
• The Brandywine Battlefield
• Crossing the Delaware: Washington's Daring Winter Raid
• The Legacy of John Witherspoon
• Princeton Cemetery: Graveyard of Pastors, Patriots, and Presidents
• Lessons from Valley Forge
• Colonial Maritime Life Explored
• Question and Answer Sessions

Jonathan:

It's been interesting to listen to the Let Freedom Ring CD series. In the introductory message, Mr. Phillips overviewed the tour goals and the historic themes that would be explored. I appreciated the balanced viewpoint that Mr. Phillips had regarding the Founding Fathers. We should not idolize them as perfect Christians but realize that there were destructive humanist influences in some of their worldviews. That said, many of the founders were devout Christians and almost all of them at least respected Christianity and had a basic Christian worldview. 

Another part I liked about the series was the lectures on the Quaker sect and their beliefs. I had never heard what the Quakers actually were (or if I had, I had forgotten). While generally within Christian orthodoxy, they departed from it by stressing inner revelation over Scripture. Their church meeting was primarily not based on Scripture but rather on the messages of "inner light" from the members.

Another notable lecture was one on the Declaration of Independence. Mr. Phillips discussed some of the salient points of the document as well as giving biographies of some of the lesser-known signers.

Hannah:

I skipped ahead to hear the tour of the Princeton Cemetery, and it was quite an interesting presentation. Containing the graves of the likes of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards, Samuel Davies, John Witherspoon, the Aaron Burrs, president Grover Cleveland, and members of the Alexander and Hodge families, this location could definitely inspire awe. As someone present exclaimed, "This place is gonna blow [on resurrection day]!"

My interest was also piqued to hear about godly men with connections to Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley who were buried at this site, such as Archibald Alexander and William Graham. I will have to find more to read about their lives and involvements.

As the tour group gathered around the grave of Sarah Edwards, several men prayed especially for all of the young ladies in attendance, that they would be faithful to the Lord in much the same way that Sarah was, as a godly helpmeet, mother, and hospitable and influential Christian lady.

I'm sure the rest of the CDs will be enjoyable for more car-riding, treadmill-walking, or quilt square-cutting hours. :) It's almost as good as being there.

~And if you'll notice the ad on the right sidebar, if you purchase $95 worth of products from Vision Forum through April 1st, you will receive a $50 "Passport"--that would kind of be like getting this Faith and Freedom Tour album free!

Textbooks on Half.com

I just recently discovered Half.com,  a part of Ebay that features books, music, and other media for sale--at half the list price or less. Jonathan had some semi-new and used textbooks that had been sitting around from some of his completed community college courses. I decided to give Half. com a try and listed all three textbooks.

Soon after listing them for sale, I was able to sell one of the nicer, more expensive textbooks. I was glad to recover at least part of the original cost. The good thing about selling on Half.com is that you don't have to pay a listing or closing fee and can keep the listing up for as long as you want. They do take a higher commission than Ebay does, though.

Now I am keeping an eye on certain titles I'm interested in buying myself. :) This is a good resource for those of you who are needing books for the coming school year, or if you have books and other media to get rid of and don't want to worry with the auction-style format of Ebay.

~Hannah

Simply in Season

A friend recently blessed me with a gift of the Simply in Season cookbook. This cookbook is packed with "recipes and reasons to eat seasonal foods grown locally." It has 4 sections, one for each season of the year (plus an All Seasons part), that include recipes using fresh ingredients which are in their prime during that particular season. For example, in the Winter chapter, the featured list of produce is apples, beets, cabbage, carrots, citrus, parsnips, potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and turnips.  All of the comforting and nutritious breakfasts/breads, soups, sides, main dishes, and desserts use one or more of these winter staples.

There are so many delicious-sounding recipes in the book that I would like to try. I'm tempted to pick out something to make from the Spring or Summer sections, but that would defeat the purpose of the authors, wouldn't it? :) Last night we tried a dish from the Winter pages called Bounty Rice, pictured at right. I made the Cajun version and served it from a skillet in the middle of the table. Everyone seemed to think it was good! I'm looking forward to using this cookbook frequently. (Click below for the recipe.)

~Hannah

The Power of Hospitality

I just received a new book in the mail today titled The Power of Hospitality (An Open Heart, Open Hand, and Open Home Will Change Your World) by Chuck and Kathie Crismier. I'm looking forward to reading it!

Here's part of the writeup on the book jacket:

"God's plan for you includes hospitality. An open heart, open hand, and open home is God's divine design to open the hearts of people everywhere it is practiced.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that we must all be "given to hospitality." Pastors and leaders must be "lovers of hospitality." And the Apostle Peter declared, "The end of all things is at hand...use hospitality...without grudging." Here is hidden power reserved by God for those who dare to practice it. The Power of Hospitality will change your life, even your family, church, city, and world if you will let it."

~Deb