Easter Sunday - Hymn "He Lives"

Happy EASTER !!!

Please read:  He Is Risen and then listen to this hymn.

Today's feature song is "He Lives" by hymnist A.H. Ackley (1887-1960).  A young man asked Reverend Ackley: "Why should I worship a dead Jew?" and Ackley responded with a hearty:  "HE LIVES!!  I tell you, He is not dead but lives here and now!!  Jesus Christ is more alive today than ever before.  I can prove it by my own experience, as well as the testimony of countless thousands."  It was soon after this encounter that A.H. Ackley wrote and composed this hymn.  

Below the lyrics is a YouTube video of this glorious hymn - ENJOY!!

Turn with me to number 161 in your hymnals and let's sing:

He Lives

by A.H. Ackley(1887- 1960)

1.  I serve a risen Savior He's in the world today;  I know that He is living whatever men may say;  I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer, And just the time I need Him He's always near.

CHORUS

2.  In all the world around me I see His loving care, And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair;  I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast, The day of His appearing will come at last.

CHORUS

3.  Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!  The Hope of all who seek Him, the Help of all who find, None other is so loving, so good and kind.

CHORUS

Chorus

He lives................He lives..............Christ Jesus lives today!
                 HE LIVES................HE LIVES............................................... 

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way

He lives................He lives..............Salvation to impart!
HE LIVES................HE LIVES...................

You ask me how I know He lives?  He lives with-in my heart.
YOU ASK ME HOW I KNOW HE LIVES? HE LIVES WITH-IN MY HEART.





A special thanks to "Holding Onto Jesus" for posting this hymn on YouTube

Good Friday - Hymn "Crown Him With Many Crowns"

Today is Good Friday - Please read the following: 
The Crucifixion 
and then listen to this beautiful hymn below.

Today's feature song is "Crown Him With Many Crowns" by hymnists Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) and Godfrey Thring (1822-1903) and composed by George J. Elvey (1816-1893).  This hymn is based on:

Revelation 19:12 "His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns."
 
The original 6 stanzas of this hymn were written by Matthew Bridges in 1851 who became a Roman Catholic at the age of 48.  Then, 30 years later Godfrey Thring added 6 more stanzas to this hymn.  In the verses below, only the second verse was written by Thring but the other three verses were written by Bridges. 

Below the typed verses is a YouTube video of this beautiful hymn - ENJOY!

Turn with me to number 165 in your hymnals and let's sing:

Crown Him With Many Crowns

by Matthew Bridges (1800-1894) and Godfrey Thring (1822-1903)
composed by George J. Elvey (1816-1893)

1. Crown Him with many crowns, The Lamb upon His throne;  Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns All music but its own.  Awake, my soul, and sing Of Him who died for thee, And hail Him as thy matchless King Through all eternity.

2.   Crown Him the Lord of life, Who triumphed o'er the grave, And rose victorious in the strife For those He came to save;  His glories now we sing Who died, and rose on high, Who died- eternal life to bring, And lives, that death may die.

3.  Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose power a scepter sways From pole to pole, that wars may cease, And all be prayer and praise:  His reign shall know no end, And round His pierced feet Fair flowers of paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.

4.  Crown Him the Lord of love; Behold His hands and side, Those wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified:  All hail, Redeemer, hail!  For Thou hast died for me:  Thy praise and glory shall not fail Throughout eternity.

A special thanks to Alexander Czarnecki for posting this on YouTube 

Chain "Linky" Climb - Revamped

 

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Online Seed Catalogs #2



Photo by Angie Ouellette-Tower

Online Seed Catalogs #2

Last year I was protesting any seed catalog that became only "virtual" and didn't send out a paper catalog........I know I know - that's not very environmental of me (I apologize). But I save seed catalogs and I like to watch as the seed varieties change throughout the years. So - if everything becomes virtual only, then I won't be able to have these precious keepsakes.

However, there are a few online seed companies that I can't live without.

Today we will be talking about

 "Richters - Herb Specialists" 

This is a Canadian company & I believe that they still have a paper catalog but must not send to the states anymore. I hope to someday visit them in person - this is the Herb Heaven of North America!

It is mind boggling how many different herbs that this wonderful company has for sale!!

Enjoy looking through their online catalog!

Other seed catalog reviews on this blog:

Saving Your Own Seeds - Greens

Vermont Bean Seed

Jung Seeds and Plants

Farmer Seed and Nursery

R.H. Shumway's

Johnny's Selected Seeds

Kitchen Garden Seeds

Nichols Garden Nursery

Pinetree Garden Seeds

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Jesus - The Miracle of GRACE & MERCY

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:4-10 

Many people do not know the difference between GRACE & MERCY.

GRACE - is the gift that we don't deserve but are given anyway.  That is the gift of eternal life that we are now able to receive just by believing in God the Father, Jesus the Son and Savior & the Holy Spirit.

MERCY - is the punishment that we do deserve but are spared from receiving.  This punishment is the eternal damnation that we are now able to avoid through Jesus' death on the cross for our sake.

It is important to note and make clear that we cannot boast - we are NOT saved by our own works - only God can receive the glory.  See the verses above where it is stated:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."  We did NOT and can NOT save ourselves - it is all from God.  It is also important to study the next sentence - "created in Christ Jesus to do good works" - our actions cannot save us HOWEVER - we must act in a Christ-like manner always striving to follow His example and glorify Him.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin.  Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  Hebrews 4:14-16

Grace and Mercy seem to go hand in hand.  In these verses above it is important to note that it is a daily struggle.  Jesus was here in human form - He totally understands our weaknesses and our struggles.  God's forgiveness is never ending and unlimited - which is why we can "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy."  We might have to ask for forgiveness many times a day - & that's OK - do this through prayer any time of the day or night - God IS and WILL be there.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."  1 Peter 1:3-5

I just love these verses above!!!  - This gift of salvation is our inheritance!  This Inheritance can NEVER "perish, spoil or fade."  This means that nobody else can have the "Power of Attorney" to steal your inheritance away - this inheritance will NEVER become old, it will NEVER rot, it will NEVER lose it's value, it will NEVER die away & it will NEVER be forgotten.  This gift of eternal life is guaranteed - it's a for sure thing - All we have to do is believe & accept this gift!!!

Let us never forget what Jesus did for us - We receive both GRACE & MERCY through Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins and then rising again - AMEN.

GFC Freakout Is Over - Loving Bloglovin

I have to admit, when I heard that GFC (Google Friend Connect) will be shut down this summer - I freaked out!  A few of my Blogging friends told me about "Bloglovin" and now I feel much better.  If you don't already have a Bloglovin account - please open one!!  I would hate to lose touch will all of the wonderful Bloggers out there just because of GFC disappearing.

Please follow me on Bloglovin by clicking the button below:

I also included the traditional follow button below (both will work):




Thank you and I hope to see you in the bloglovin world!!!

 

 

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Cardamom - The forgotten Spice

Cardamom - The Forgotten Spice

Many people  have either never heard of Cardamom or have never tried it.  CardamoM can also be spelled CardamoN -  both are correct.  Cardamom is native to India and is the third most expensive spice in the world (after saffron & vanilla).  

I use Cardamom when I cook curry and I just love it!  However, my mother-in-law said that her Swedish mom & grandmother used Cardamom in many of their Swedish baked goods (I will be sharing one of those recipes with you in a few weeks).




To me Cardamom has a peppery taste with a hint of cloves & a little cinnamony flavor - It is worth trying if you haven't tried it before!

It is cheaper to buy Cardamom in the pod than to buy already ground.  I use the entire pod when I am cooking most curry dishes but when I bake with Cardamom I peel the pod away & separate the black seeds (see picture below).  After that I use a rolling pin to grind the seeds for baking (see the top picture above) (you may also use a mortar & pestle or a coffee grinder for this step).





 Cardamom is also healthy - it aids in digestion, stimulates the metabolism, has detoxifying properties, improves blood circulation to the lungs and can help if you have a sore throat (again - I'm not a doctor - please see my "disclaimer" at the bottom of this post).


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Easter Exponentially

I've been thinking about Easter lately and trying to decide what kind of blog post to publish on that subject.  I was looking over my posts from the past and realized that I have already published quite a few.  So this is a compilation of all my posts from the past that have something to do with Easter. 

There are 6 categories: 
Eggs
Ham
Sweets
Rabbit
Veggies
and the most important - Resurrection

Below each collage are the posts pertaining to that category  - please click on any title to see more details.

ENJOY!





Osterstrauch (Egg Tree)
Egg Basics:  Poached,
                         Hard Boiled
                           & Soft Boiled
Rainbow Swiss Chard Quiche
Fiery Hot Deviled Eggs
Maple'n Bacon Biscuits with Poached Eggs
Bacon Kale Tomato Egg Sandwich





Stock from leftover bone
Ham Asparagus Potato Pancake
Asparagus Rice Soup from Ham Stock





Hot Cross Buns
Lime Strawberry Cookies
Jello Rainbow Jiggle
Blueberry 5th Symphony
Strawberry Mango Trifle
Sweet Potato Lemon Poppy seed Bread






Dapper Easter Bunny
Lady Easter Bunny





Candied Carrot & Parsnip Medley
Curried Sweet Potato Croquettes
Alfredo Asparagus Pizza
Creamy Parsnip Soup
Seven Layer Salad with Peas






Good Friday
Easter Sunday - He is Risen!!
Hymn- "At The Cross"



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Unlimited Forgiveness

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

 Today we are going to talk about "Forgiveness."  Our goal and example of forgiveness is the type of total forgiveness that we receive from our Heavenly Father through the blood of Jesus Christ - His one and only Son who died on the cross so that we might have everlasting life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  John 3:16

The post today is in a "Q & A" (Question and Answer) format.  If you have any question or answer to add then please do so in a comment at the end of the post (Thank You).

 Q: How can my sins be forgiven?

"........forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 6:37

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Matthew 6:14 & 15

A:  Just as we learned above - the first step is to believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins - Pray to God thanking Him for the gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

The next step is to follow God's example of forgiveness and forgive everyone around you - forgive whatever wrong that has been done against you and then you will also be forgiven in that same way.  "Treat others as you would want to be treated" and "Forgive others as you would want to be forgiven."

Q: Are there some sins that can never be forgiven?

"When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us ALL our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13 & 14

A:  There's nothing more simple than "all".  That means every huge and horrid sin and every tiny seemingly insignificant sin.....ALL....."The whole lot"........"The whole kit and caboodle"........"The whole shebang"...........Every single little, moderate, big and everything in between sin......Everything is forgiven through Jesus' sacrifice.

Q: Are there certain people who are exempt from receiving forgiveness?

"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him EVERYONE who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." Acts 3:38 & 39

A:  Again, another simple answer - Everyone.  That includes people of every kind of race, every religion, people from any country;  it includes family, friends, neighbors, strangers & enemies;  that also includes the young, old and everything in between and men and women alike - EVERYONE!

Q: What if someone doesn't know that they are sinning? - Do we still have to forgive if they haven't repented?

"When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals - one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots." Luke 23:33 & 34

A:  This is one of the most difficult things to do - forgive someone even if they don't know that they are sinning.  Tears come to my eyes every time I think about this verse & what Jesus endured for our sins - for our salvation.  Not only did Jesus forgive the 2 criminals that were being crucified with Him but He also forgave the people who were nailing Him to the cross & He also forgave the people who were gambling His clothes away!!!  He cried out "Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."  So, the answer is YES - we need to forgive everyone and every sin even when that person doesn't realize that they are sinning.

Q: OK - so we have to forgive but do we have to forget also?

"For I forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12

A:  I'll answer this question with a question - Is it really forgiving if you are not forgetting?  Now, I know that we are human and of course we will remember what was done to us in the past -  but if we do not forget that means that we are constantly bringing up that sin in present and future arguments or conflicts.  When you have been hurt by someone it is so easy to bring up all of the other "hurts" from the past - but that's NOT forgiveness - that's holding onto that offense.  We MUST forget because that is part of forgiveness.

Q:  How many times do we have to forgive someone? 

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me?  Up to seven times?'  Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'  Matthew 18: 21 & 22

A:  The "RSV (Revised Standard Version)" of the Bible actually uses "seventy times seven" - either way I believe that Jesus is stating that forgiveness is unlimited.  Can you imagine how crazy it would have been if Jesus was being literal? - We would then have had to keep a "forgiveness log" on everyone keeping track of how many times that each person had been forgiven - craziness!  The truth is that God's forgiveness is unlimited and so should our forgiveness be unlimited. 

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Themed Blog & Shop Hop - GREEN "Irish Eyes Are Smiling"

 

WELCOME to the 13th

"Themed Blog & Shop Hop"

March 15th 2013!

I'm so glad that you stopped by!

For those of you who are not familiar with "Hops" (a.k.a. Linky party) - a Blog Hop &/or Shop Hop is an event where viewers/followers can upload links onto my blog......Links to their items in their Etsy shops (or online shops) or links to their Blogs. And then we can "hop" from blog to blog or shop to shop.

The theme this month is:
"GREEN" & "Irish Eyes Are Smiling" 
St. Patrick's Day is 2 days away - share with us any item in your shop or from your blog that is green, has anything to do with eyes or smiles or anything Irish.

If you have anything that remotely touches this topic - then please share it with us.

 

Have you ever heard the saying: "The Luck of the Irish"? - well because of that - if you are of Irish descent -then you can link up anything that you want (family friendly of course) - you do NOT have to abide by the theme because you are "lucky" - ENJOY!!

Although I would love it if everyone joined my blog or became followers of my blog - that is not a requirement to participate in this "Hop". All I ask is that you keep your submissions decent - no offensive content please.

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Please checkout this month's wonderful Sponsor!!

Cynthia Tessmer from "Shoreline Designed" creates Natural Beach Stone Jewelry (Please click on the ad below):

Find out more about this amazing artist CLICK HERE

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Well, actually there is a second rule:

only 2 submissions per person please.

If you do not have a blog or a shop then please still stop by and take a digital walk through our virtual mall.

I will be having a "Themed Blog & Shop Hop" once a month - the middle of each month. Next month's hop will be on:

APRIL 16th, 2013

ENJOY!!

To Etsy shop owners - please only upload links directly to the items that you would like to share with us - not a link to your entire shop - Thanks.

To Blog owners - you may submit any post that fits into the theme - it can be an old post from many months ago (it does Not have to be a recent post). Also, please submit the link directly to the post and Not a link to your homepage - Thank you!

 

 

 

 

February Blog & Shop Hop - THE RESULTS

I would just like to thank all of you again for either visiting or participating in my 12th "Themed Blog & Shop Hop" - I had so much fun and I hope that you did also!

Now - The Results (If you haven't already - please checkout these wonderful shops & blogs) (Remember I have 2 "featured buttons" if you were featured and wanted to place one on your blog - NOT a requirement)

Last month there were 4 items that tied for the most "likes" and 3 that tied for the most "clicks"!

With the most "likes":

<a border="0" href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o501/AngieOuelletteTower/ButtonLike150_zps91cbd14b.jpg"/></a>

Margalit from "MosaicMargalita" had 2 beautiful items that both received the most likes!!

Laurie from "createdbylaurie" made this darling Giraffe



Lisa from "That's What She Said" made beautiful Pink Heart Pillow Covers

 

 

With the most "clicks":

<a border="0" href="http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o501/AngieOuelletteTower/ButtonClick150_zps66aa90cb.jpg"/></a>

It may seem like this next feature didn't abide by the theme in February (pink hearts) - but heart=love and "The Redeemed Gardener" is all about the writer's love for God and his love of gardening.

 

Clint Baker from "The Redeemed Gardener" writing about urban gardening

This is part of my Urban Garden!

 

Marci from "Stone Cottage Adventures" with a Tu Tu Tutorial

 

Monica from "Sewlikepatterns" with this amazing quilt

 


Thank you all for your wonderful submissions!!!
 

Please join us tomorrow for the 13th Themed Blog & Shop Hop!