Prayerful Piety

I recently found this published work from 1892 in a local thrift store for $1.99!  Being that I LOVE old things, especially a good book, I started reading it tonight, and already I am enjoying it very much!  

For example, (concerning Charles Hadden Spurgeon's mother)...

"... a woman of marked character and devoted godliness, whose wise and prayerful piety was rewarded by the conversion of each of her children.  Her husband was once troubled by doubt if he were acting rightly in going from home so often to preach the gospel;  ought he not to remain at his home and to care for the salvation of his children?  As he passed the door of his wife's room, he heard her praying for each of the children, and especially for Charles.  The husband felt that he might safely carry on the work of God and leave the children to the care of the Lord and of such a mother."  

Ohh, to be such a praying mom! 

The Gift: The Incarnate Christ

"Herein is wonder of wonders:
He came below to raise me above,
He was born like me that I might become like Him.

Herein is love;
when I cannot rise to Him He draws near on wings of grace,
to raise me to Himself.

Herein is power;
when Deity and humanity were infinitely apart
He united them in indissoluble unity, the uncreated and the created.

Herein is wisdom;
when I was undone, with no will to return to Him,
and no intellect to devise recovery,
He came, God-incarnate, to save me to the uttermost,
as man to die my death,
to shed satisfying blood on my behalf,
to work out a perfect righteousness for me.
...
In Him Thou hast given me so much that heaven can give no more."
Valley of Vision, The Gift of Gifts

Covenanted Together With God

I cherish the treasure
The treasure of you
Lifelong companion
I give myself to you
God has enabled me
To walk with you faithfully
And cherish the treasure
The treasure of you

As I obey the Spirit's voice
And seek to do His will
I then can see the wisdom of His plan
For as He works His will in me
I then can love you selflessly
And by His grace, can pledge my love to you
Chorus

This sacred vow I make to you
Does not contain an "if"
Though I'm aware that trials lie ahead
I will love you and pray with you
And through it all, I will stay with you
Our home will be a refuge of
Unconditional love
Chorus

Cherish the treasure
The treasure of you
Words: Jon Mohr

O Thou Who Art...My Deep Repose

“O Thou who art my quietness, my deep repose,
My rest from strife of tongues, my holy hill,
Fair is Thy pavilion, where I hold me still.
Back let them fall from me, my clamorous foes,
Confusions multiplied;
From crowding things of sense I flee, and Thee I hide.
Until this tyranny be overpast,
Thy hand will hold me fast;
What though the tumult of the storm increase,
Grant to Thy servant strength, O Lord, and bless with peace.”
― Amy Carmichael, Toward Jerusalem

³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 
³¹ And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.  
³² And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.  
Mark 6:30-32, ESV 

Walk Worthy

When walking unworthy,  "love" discords, and ...

absence aches

bitterness beckons

communications cease

differences divide

expectations encroach

favor fails

grief growls

heartache hinders

imaginations invade

judging jilts

"kisses" kill

lies linger

manipulation mounts

negotiations nullify

obstinance offends

prejudice puffs

quarrels quake

resentment rages

silence severs

transgression taunts

unruly utters

vices violate

words wound

-xacting -xiles

yearning yells

zeal zaps

When walking worthy, Love accords, and...

Adoration appeases

Blessings build

Charity cherishes

Delighting draws

Edification energizes

Forgiveness forgets

Grace grows

Humbleness hallows

Invocation illuminates

Justice joys

Kindness kindles

Liberty lifts

Mercy meets

Nurturing nourishes

Obedience overcomes

Prayer purifies

Quiet qualifies

Rejoicing restores

Scripture shapes

Thankfulness triumphs

Unity upholds

Virtue values

Worship washes

-Xalting -xults

Yielding yokes

Zion zones

KCGray, 2015

"I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 

2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 

3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—  
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 

7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

8 Therefore it says,

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
    and he gave gifts to men.”

9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?

10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 

14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 

15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 

16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."  

Ephesians 4:1-16, ESV