Recent Photographs

O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! 

who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 

~Psalms 8:1~

Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the 

Lord  in the beauty of holiness.

~Psalms 29:2~

All things were made by him; and without him was not 
anything made that was made. 
~John 1:3~

Thy word is like a garden, Lord, with flowers bright and fair;

And everyone who seeks may pluck a lovely cluster there. 

Thy Word is like a deep, deep mine; and jewels rich and race

Are hidden in its mighty depths for every searcher there. 

"Thy Word is Like a Garden, Lord"

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and 
power; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure
they are and were created. 
~Revelation 4:11~

How I praise the great Creator, 

Who did make this world so fair;

As I scan the realm of nature 

I can see His image there.

In the steep and on the hill-top,
There I find His royal throne;
And the God who made the mountain
Ever loves me as His own.

Tiny bud and lovely flower,

All the fragrant bloom of spring,

Show the sweetness and the beauty

Of my Sov'reign and my King. 

Bubbling spring and swirling river,

Lapping lake and tossing sea,

All declare the might and greatness

Of the One who cares for me.

How I praise the great Creator,

Who did make this world so fair;

For I too am His creation,

And I love Him for His care.

~David George Ball~   

Fill me with gladness from above,

Hold me by strength divine;

Lord, let the glow of your great love

Through my whole being shine. 

~Unknown~ 

And thru eternal ages gratefully I sing,
"O how He loved!
Jesus, my Lord and my King."
~Oswald J. Smith~

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise
God, be honour and glory for ever and every. Amen.
~1 Timothy 1:17~ 

They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk

of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his 

mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. 

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion

endureth throughout all generations. 

~Psalms 145:11-13~     

God the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

~Psalms 95:3~

Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

By Johann J. Schutz 

Sing praise to God who reigns above,

The God of all creation; 

The God of pow'r the God of love,

The God of our salvation. 

With healing balm my soul is filled, 

And every faithless murmur stilled; 

To God, all praise and glory!

~~~~~

What God's almighty power hath made, 

His gracious mercy keepeth;

By morning glow or evening shade,

His watchful eye ne'er sleepeth.

Within the kingdom of His might,

Lo, all is just and all is right;

To God, all praise and glory.

~~~~~

The Lord is never far away,

But, thru all grief distressing, 

An ever present help and stay,

Our peace and joy and blessing. 

As with a mother's tender hand, 

He leads His own, His chosen band, 

To God, all praise and glory. 

~~~~~

Thus all my toilsome way along, 

I sing aloud His praises; 

That men may hear the grateful song.

My voice unwearied raises,

Be joyful in the Lord my heart;

Both soul and body bear your part,

To God all praise and glory. 

~~~~~

Evangelist Vance Havner once quipped, "When I was a boy, preachers used to talk about 'holding a revival.' What we really need is somebody who will turn a revival loose." Well, that's what Philip Spener did in Germany, spurred on by his friend and attorney, Johann Jakob Schutz.

Years before, Martin Luther had been all aflame as he established the Protestant Reformation, and the early Lutherans were firebrands of holy zeal. But a generation later, Lutheranism had lost its steam. By the 1600s, church life tended to be formal and shallow. The doctrine was correct but cold. That's when Philip Spener accepted the call to pastor the Lutheran Church in Frankfort am Main. Rather than preaching from the prescribed texts, he began preaching through the entire Bible, calling for repentance and serious discipleship. In 1669, as he preached from the Sermon on the Mount, revival broke out in the church. People were converted, lives changed, families transformed. 

No one was more excited than Johann Schutz, a lifelong resident of Frankfort and prominent city attorney. He suggested Spener take some of these converts and disciple them in small, home prayer and Bible study groups. Spener did so, and it became the talk of the town. These people were called "Pietists" in derision, but the revival spread throughout Germany and is known to history as the "Pietstic Movement." Out of his joy for what was happening, Johann  wrote a hymn in 1675:

Sing praise to God Who reigns above, the God of all creation, 

The God of power, the God of love, the God of our salvation.

With healing balm my soul is filled and every faithless murmur stilled:

To God all praise and glory. 

Schutz died in Frankfort at age 49, on May 22, 1690. But his hymn lives on. It was first published in the United States in 1879, where it appeared in Hymnbook for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Schools and Congregations. It is sung to a traditional Bohemian melody named "Kirchengesange."

The story of Spener and Schutz reminds us we should never give up on revival. If you don't see a revival starting around you, let it begin in your own heart, then let it overflow to others.
Taken from "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan. 
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Eternally His,
Ashley

The Sweet By and By

"Sweet By and By" 

By: Sanford Fillmore Bennett

There's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar; for the Father waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there.

In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 

~~~~~

We shall sing on that beautiful shore the melodious songs of the blest, and our spirits shall sorrow no more, not a sigh for the blessing of rest. In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 

~~~~~

To our bountiful Father above we will offer our tribute of praise, for the glorious gift of His love and the blessings that hallow our days. In the sweet by and by we shall meet on that beautiful shore. In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 

~~~~~

In 1868, a pharmacist named Sanford Fillmore Bennett, 31, was filling prescriptions and handling sales at his apothecary in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. His friend Joseph Webster entered the store. Joseph was a local musician, vocalist, violinist, and amateur composer who suffered from periods of depression. The two men had occasionally collaborated on hymns and songs, Sanford writing the words and Joseph the music. 

On this particular day, Joseph was unusually blue and his face was long. Looking up, Sanford asked, "What is the matter now?" 

"It's not matter," Joseph replied, "it will be all right by and by." 

An idea for a hymn hit Sanford like a flash of sunlight. Sitting at his desk, he began writing as fast as he could. The words came almost instantly. Two customers entered the drugstore, but no attempt was made to assist them-Sanford was too absorbed in his poem-so they sallied over to the stove and visited with Joseph. Finally, Sanford rose and joined them, handing a sheet of paper to his friend. 

"Here is your prescription, Joe," he said. "I hope it works." Webster read the words aloud: 

There's a land that is fairer than day, 

And by faith we can see it afar;

For the Father waits over the way, 

To prepare us a dwelling place there. 

In the sweet by and by,

We shall meet on that beautiful shore. 

In the sweet by and by, 

We shall meet on that beautiful shore. 

 Instantly a tune suggested itself, and Joseph jotted down some notes. Picking up his fiddle, he played his melody over a time or two, then said to the others, "We four make a good male quartet. Let's try the new song and see how it sounds." As "Sweet By and By" was being sung for the first time, another customer, R. R. Crosby, entered the store. "Gentlemen," he said, "I never heard that song before but it is immortal." 

He was right. For over a hundred years we've been singing an immortal hymn that was written in less than thirty minutes in a drugstore. 

John 14:2

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." 

I hope you all have a very good and godly week. 
With eternity's values in view, 
Ashley

All Creatures of Our God and King

All Creatures of Our God and King

By: St. Francis of Assisi

All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia! Alleluia! Thou burning sun with golden beam, thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

Thou rushing wind that art so strong, ye clouds that sail in Heaven along, O praise Him! Alleluia! Thou rising morning praise rejoice, ye lights of evening find a voice. O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Let all thing their Creator bless, and worship Him in humbleness. O praise Him! Alleluia! Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son, and praise the spirit, Three in One! O praise Him! O praise Him! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! 

~~~~~

So many stories have arisen around St. Francis of Assisi that it's difficult to separate truth from fiction. We know he was born in 1182 in central Italy, son of a rich merchant. After a scanty education, Francis joined the army and was captured in war. He came to Christ shortly after his release, renounced his wealth, and began traveling about the countryside, preaching the gospel, living simply, seeking to make Christ real to everyone he met.

Francis loved nature, and many stories spotlight his interaction with animals. Once as he hiked through Italy's Spoleto Valley, he came upon a flock of birds. When they didn't fly away, he decided to preach them a little sermon: "My brother and sister birds," he reportedly said, "you should praise your Creator and always love Him. He gave you feathers for clothes, wings to fly, and all other things you need. It is God who made your home in thin, pure air. Without sowing or reaping, you receive God's guidance and protection." The flock, it is said, then flew off rejoicing. 

That perspective is reflected in a hymn Francis composed just before his death in 1225, called, "Cantico di fratre sole" - "Song of Brother Sun." It exhorts all creation to worship God. The sun and moon. All the birds. All the clouds. Wind and fire. All men of tender heart. All creatures of our God and King. 

Though written in 1225, an English version didn't appear until 1919, when Rev. William H. Draper decided to use it for a children's worship festival in Leeds, England. But is it sound theology to exhort birds and billowing clouds to lift their voices in praise? Yes! "All Creatures of our God and King" simply restates an older hymn - Psalms 148:1-13 - which says:

Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heaven of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created. He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word: Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars: Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl: Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth: Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children: Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Taken from "Then Sings My Soul" by Robert J. Morgan
 

~~~~~

^{With the eternal perspective in view,
Ashley}

Time to announce the winner!!!

Hello everyone,

It's time to announce the winner of the giveaway!!! 

Congratulations, Mrs. Neal!!!! I'll be emailing you soon. I want to say thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway.  :) 

I hope you all have a good and godly day!
Joyfully His,

Ashley

Philippians 4:4

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Happy Mother's Day // Winners of the Mother's Day Giveaway

To all the mothers: Happy Mother's Day!

"Motherhood is the privilege of molding a life and

shaping a character whose influence will extend into eternity. 

It is the opportunity of beginning a life and leading it back to God."

~ Author Unknown 

~~~~~

I am so very thankful for my own sweet mother... she cares for us so much, and

is a godly example of what a mother and friend should be. :) Thank you for 

everything you do, mommy. :) Mother's Day is such a lovely holiday

 as we honor mothers...what an extraordinary gift from the Lord. I sincerely 

hope all of you mothers had a peaceful and lovely Mother's Day. 

~~~~~

Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. It is not something to do if you

can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for. 

~Neil L. Anderson

~~~~~ 

I am thrilled to announce the winners of the Mother's Day giveaway. 

The two winners are............................

My very own dear, precious mother, and

Marilyn from Mountain Top Spice!!!!!!

Congratulations to both of you. :) 

Marilyn, please leave a comment with your email address (it won't

be published).

~~~~~

Proverbs 31:25-31

Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time 

to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is 

the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household,

and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and

call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many

daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth 

the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; 

and let her own works praise her in the gates.

~~~~~

Sweet blessings to you all in the name of the Lord,

Ashley

A Giveaway To Honor Mothers

Dear friends,

As you know, Mother's Day is rapidly approaching. Because mothers are so special and unique, a gift of God, I wanted to do something a little extra special for mothers. So, in honor of mothers, I am offering an exclusive Mother's Day giveaway, available only to moms.

I want to give a huge thank you to Victoria @ Ruffles and Grace, and Sarah @ The King's Blooming Rose Ministries for sponsoring this giveaway.  There are two different prizes, so there will be two winners.                            The prizes are:

 This Scripture Stationary Set from The King's Blooming Rose,

 and a headband set (2 headbands) made by Victoria.

The winner of the headband set will be able to pick from any of the following colors.

This giveaway will end on May 8th at 6:00 AM EST, and the winner will be announced later that day. The giveaway is only open to all moms who live in the U.S.A. 

To enter, just answer this question below in the comments:

What is your favorite thing about being a mother? 
Please state which item you would like to win.

Have a joyful day!
Blessings in Christ,
Ashley

O Taste And See That The Lord Is Good~~A Giveaway!!!

O taste and see that the Lord is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

~~~~~Psalms 34:8~~~~~

 ~~~~~

 Today is the 3 year anniversary of this blog! I 

can't believe I've been blogging 3 years already!

I've met many dear sisters in the Lord, for which 

I am so grateful. I want to give a huge thank you to 

everyone who follows my blog...your friendship is

a treasure, and your comments make my day. :) 

~~~~~

To celebrate my 3 year blog anniversary, I'm having 

a giveaway!!! Since baking is something I enjoy, and 

I know others enjoy it as well, I decided to use baking

as the theme for the giveaway. The theme Bible verse

is Psalms 34:8. :) 

~~~~~

Before I get into the giveaway, I want to share a little 

saying I made up.
~~~~~

Have you been:

added to the family of God,

mixed in with love,

filled with His goodness,

baked in His grace,

cooled with His mercy,

sprinkled with His faithfulness,

&

tasted His kindness?

~~~~~

Now, without further ado, introducing the giveaway! 

Here is what one sweet friend will win:

                        *This baking set which includes a spatula, notepad, and pot holder. 

"Serve one another in love~Galatians 5:13" is printed on the spatula

and notepad, 

*and this scrumptious brownie mix homemade by yours truly.

~~~~~
If you would like to enter this giveaway, just answer this
question by leaving a comment below...
What is your favorite thing to bake?

The giveaway is open to all bloggers and non-bloggers in the U.S. only.
This giveaway will end on May 11th at 10:00 AM EST. 

Thank you all for entering, and may God bless you richly. 
Joyfully His,
Ashley 
Psalms 95:2
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,
and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Is Your All on the Altar

 Is Your All on the Altar

By: Elisha A. Hoffman

You have longed for sweet peace, and for faith to increase, and have earnestly, fervently prayed; But you cannot have rest, or be perfectly blest, until all on the altar is laid. 

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul. 

~~~~~

Would you walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, and have peace and contentment alway? You must do His sweet will, to be free from all ill, on the altar your all you must lay. 

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul. 

~~~~~

Oh, we never can know what the Lord will bestow of the blessings for which we have prayed, till our body and soul He doth fully control, and our all on the altar is laid. 

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul. 

~~~~~ 

Who can tell all the love He will send from above, and how happy our hearts will be made; Of the fellowship sweet we shall share at His feet, when our all on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid? Your heart does the Spirit control? You can only be blest, and have peace and sweet rest, as you yield Him your body and soul. 

~~~~~

Elisha Albright Hoffman, who was born on May 7th,1839, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania, is the author of this beloved hymn. His father worked as a minister in the Evangelical Association for over 60 years, which likely influenced Hoffman’s decision to enter the ministry. Hoffman’s musical education was obtained from his parents. While possessing natural musical abilities, Hoffman never attended a school of music. Any musical instruction Hoffman received came from his experiences at his father’s church or at home^. In addition to singing at church, the Hoffman household had a daily family worship time, of which hymn singing was an important part. Hoffman, therefore, became very familiar with the musical and spiritual tradition of Evangelical hymnology at a very early age. It was during these times of family worship that Hoffman developed a love for sacred music and a belief that songs were “as natural a function of the soul as breathing was a function of the body.  After graduating from Union Seminary in Pennsylvania, he was ordained in 1868. As a Presbyterian minister, he was appointed to the circuit in Napoleon, Ohio in 1872. In Cleveland, he worked with the Evangelical Association's publishing arm for eleven years. Elisha Hoffman served in numerous churches and chapels in Cleveland and in Grafton in the 1880s, among them Bethel Home for Sailors and Seamen, Chestnut Ridge Union Chapel, Grace Congregational Church and Rockport Congregational Church. Hoffman wrote more than 2,000 gospel hymns during his lifetime including "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms," "What A Wonderful Saviour!", "Enough for Me," "Are You Washed in the Blood?", "No Other Friend Like Jesus," and "I Must Tell Jesus." He compiled and edited over 50 song books, two of which were Pentecostal Hymns No. 1 and The Evergreen. On November 5th, 1929, Elisha Hoffman went to be with the Lord in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 90. 

~~~~~
Farewell for now and may the peace of God fill your hearts and minds. 
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Ashley
Philippians 4:8
 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.