Mountain Musings

Write Them on the Doorposts of thy House ~ Part 1

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.  Deuteronomy 6:6-9

On Saturday our family spent the day over at Jonathan's house helping him work on the next step in the long process...which was installing top plates.

Since it's been awhile since I showed pictures of the progress, I thought Saturday would be a good day to take my camera with me and take some photos. Here are Tom and Jonathan getting all set up for work: Jonathan and Hannah took a moment out for a smile for the camera before getting started. It was quite chilly, and we were all bundled up for the long hours we'd be there: The girls have both been helping whenever and wherever needed. They have become quite adept at house-building and helping their brother! I helped by putting as much pressure as I could on the board Tom was chiseling so it wouldn't slide. Doesn't it look like I'm doing a great job? Ha!But that wasn't the main reason I was there on this particular Saturday. Jonathan had put me in charge of writing scriptures on the studs and framework all through the house before the drywall goes up...so his house would be completely bathed in scriptures in every room...like this one in the kitchen:

"Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them." ~ Jeremiah 29:5

I had my trusty clipboard ready along with 19 pages of scriptures I had selected and designated for various rooms of his future home: One verse I selected was II Chronicles 7:16, which is a scripture my sister calligraphed for our wall many years ago and one which I like a lot:

"For now have I chosen and consecrated this house that My name may be there forever, and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually."

 Here I'm writing this verse above the front door: I ran out of room to write the complete verse like I wanted, but here's what it looked like when I finished:Hannah took a turn and wrote over one of the dining room windows using scripture from Psalm 128:

"Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord."

Here she's all finished writing her selection, and you can also see verses I've already written on both the left and right of the windows: Since Sarah is our bookworm, she wanted to pick a verse designated for the library and selected 2 Timothy 2:15..."Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." And this verse in Joshua greets folks coming in the back door:I forgot to take a photo in the laundry room, but there's the perfect verse for that area:

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."  ~ Psalm 51:7

The rest of the gang continued working while I kept going from room to room writing verses in the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom, library, dining room, and living room. I was having a great time!Since I haven't posted a picture of the front of the house, here's one we took before leaving for the day showing the front porch with the windows and door installed. The design is a country farmhouse look:
And another view of the side of the house that shows the front porch again. And, yes, that's pure mud! all around the house. It's quite a balancing job for me to keep upright on those boards leading around to the back door: Next post, Part 2: I'll climb the ladder (no steps yet) and head upstairs to show you the verses written in the nursery, master bedroom and bath, guest room, and kids' room. Stay tuned later this week!

"Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."  ~ Psalm 127:1

~Deb

 

Arise and Be Baptized

Our church gathered at the local river to witness 5 people give testimony to their faith in Christ. It was a beautiful day for a baptism and picnic!

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

"...there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized."

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."

"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

  " And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

"And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Speaking of breaking bread, we did just that after the baptisms.

Decker and Sons Grilling Co. took charge of the main course.

Sarah created this special cake for the occasion:

Afterwards there was plenty of fellowship and playful activity as part of the joyful celebration.

~Hannah

Sunday Scripture

Sunday Scripture

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"  ~ Micah 6:8

Sunday Scripture

And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:  I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;  and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

~Genesis 9:12-17

Scripture Silo

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” ~ Mark 10:27

We spent one afternoon this past week riding out in the country. It was a beautiful fall day, and we were delighted to see this silo in Churchville on the way out to Millboro.

On our way back home, we stopped in here at Cestari's country store and bought two pecks of apples which had just been delivered from orchards in Charlottesville. We could hardly wait to get home and fry up a pan of Granny Smiths and Galas for a side dish for that evening's meal. Oh-so-yummy!

And...how could we not document this particular day--Granny had spent the entire morning in the emergency room of the local hospital with chest pains--and give thanks to the Lord that nothing is impossible with Him. She's fine now and adjusting to some new heart medication. We are so thankful!

What a very appropriate scripture silo to remind us we're not alone in life's unexpected happenings!

~Deb

Real Hospitality

"For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end you may be established; That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me."    ~ Romans 1:11-12

This morning we traveled two hours south to a church fellowship meeting in Radford, Virginia. The teaching passage was in Hebrews 4 about the rest the people of God have available to them. Excellent message, and we enjoyed our time there.

However, the highlighted verses above in Romans also really stood out to me as the speaker was getting across the difference between regular hospitality and real spiritual hospitality. I'd like to practice the real kind...and enjoy the mutual building up of one another as we come together, wouldn't you?

Old passages...but new understanding.

After the morning service, the rest of the family went back home in the van, and I continued traveling south four more hours this afternoon in another vehicle headed to my sister's home. So...I'm writing this post from her computer in South Carolina (hence, no pictures).

This is the week Granny comes back to Virginia to live with us until the end of the year. I'll be here a couple of days to visit with my sister a bit before we pack up Granny's things and travel home.

Then later this week we're going to practice some real hospitality as we welcome our friend, Erich, home from Afghanistan and invite some families over to fellowship with him and give him a send-off back to Texas. We'll see if we can put into practice Romans 1:11-12!

~Deb

Wisdom From the Word

"Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

~ Isaiah 43:18-19

~Deb

Sunday Wisdom

"My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." ~ Proverbs 2:1-5

~ Deb

Grace

"But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." ~ Romans 5:20-21

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Words:

Julia H. Johnston, in Hymns Tried and True, 1911

Music: Daniel B. Towner, 1910

~Deb