Intercession: The Privilege and Gift of Prayer

June 19, 2018 By 6 Comments

Interceding in prayer for others takes commitment and work, and in the process, we may sometimes forget what a privilege it is to take the needs of others and present them to the God of the universe. What better gift could we give? I need this message today and maybe you do too.

Intercession

What a privilege
When I can go to God
On someone else’s behalf.
What a comfort to know he listens
And answers with perfect wisdom.
What peace in knowing
It’s the best I can give —
That nothing less will do . . .

I give you my best today —
I’m on my knees for you.

“…night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3 NIV

*Are you on your knees for someone today? Trust God to answer in his perfect time, in his perfect way!

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, will come out in early August. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride check out my Books/My Work page.

*I hope this slightly revised encore post from June 2010 blessed you today!

*Public Domain photo by Pierre martinfr

6 Comments Filed Under: blessing, burden, giving, help, poem, prayer Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Guest Blogger Jane M. Tucker: Praise Ye the Lord! In Celebration of Hymns

April 17, 2018 By 6 Comments

When I spend my daily time with the Lord, I like to incorporate sacred music in my worship. Sometimes I look up a current-day worship song on YouTube, but I find the very act of picking up my phone distracts me from my purpose. More often, I turn to an old hymnal for inspiration.

Many hymns, such as “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and “Be Thou My Vision”, anchor my faith in its deep childhood roots. I sing these hymns, and I’m once again standing with the congregation while organ music swells around us, repeating the same words our ancestors once sang. I sing those beloved old tunes boldly to the Lord, my unremarkable voice reverberating in my empty living room.

I don’t always sing from my hymnal. Sometimes I run across an unfamiliar hymn, whose tune I can’t decipher without help. On those days I content myself with reading the verses aloud. Many a hymn started life as a heart-stirring poem before it was ever set to music. Consider the fourth verse of “O Worship the King”:

“Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In Thee do we trust, nor find Thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender! How firm to the end!
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.”

Are you looking for inspiration for your personal worship times? Consider dusting off your old hymnal (or buying one second-hand—they’re cheap these days). Hymns are a treasure trove of faith-filled thoughts.

May the hymns of the past bless your worship time today!

“O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord,
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1 NASB

*Do you have a favorite hymn or worship song? Won’t you share it with me in the comments?

Here are a few hymn titles to start with:

“Come Thou Almighty King”
“Crown Him with Many Crowns”
“When Morning Gilds the Skies”
“Holy, Holy, Holy”
“Amazing Love”
“Christ the Solid Rock”
“Praise Ye the Lord, The Almighty”

*Photo by Michael Maasen on Unsplash

Jane M. Tucker is a lifelong writer and reader with a deep love for the art of storytelling. Her Midwestern roots inspire the stories she tells, both in her books and on two blogs: Postcards from the Heartland, and Midwest Almanac. Jane is the author of the Lottie Braun series, about an Iowa girl with a big gift for music, and the sister she loves with all her heart. Lottie’s Gift and Lottie’s Hope are available at Amazon.com and Crossrivermedia.com.


Follow Jane on social media:

Website: JaneMTucker.com
Facebook: Jane M. Tucker Author
Twitter: @JaneMTuckerAuth
Instagram: JaneMTucker

From Cheryl:

*The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out in early May. One lucky subscriber will receive a $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*For info about my book Mother of the Bride and my Wedding Inspiration cards check out my Books/My Work page.

6 Comments Filed Under: guest blogger, memories, music, old, poem, praise, worship Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Christmas Poem 2017: Touching Baby Jesus

December 12, 2017 By 2 Comments

Friends, my annual Christmas poem tradition lives on! What started as a creative whim in 1982—back in my early days of stay-at-home-mommy-hood—has turned into a tradition of thirty-five years now! Wow, huh?

After receiving that first poem with their Christmas card in 1982, my parents requested another poem the next Christmas. And what kind of self-respecting daughter can turn down a request like that? Of course, once it happened twice, it took on a life of its own and the annual Christmas poem tradition was born.

I have so enjoyed being able to share these poems with friends and family over the years. I’m always blown away by God’s faithfulness to supply the idea for a new poem each year and how he helps me find just the right word or phrase to best express the message. I pray that God will use this year’s poem to touch your heart in a special way.

By the way, I’ll be taking a holly jolly blogging break until after the first of the year. May all the blessings of Christmas and the New Year be yours, my friends. I’ll see you back here on January 2!

   Touching Baby Jesus

Close your eyes and journey back
To history’s most holy night,
Imagine the Babe that changed the world
Imagine those drawn to his light.

His parents the first to look on his face
The first to touch the divine,
The first to kiss his tiny cheek
To see his glory shine.

The animals sharing the stable that night
Must have watched the miracle birth,
They must have drawn near to nuzzle the Babe
To touch heaven come to earth.

The shepherds, the first to hear the news,
Arrived breathless in wonder and joy,
With tender touch they must have reached out
To this Savior, this baby boy.

Now it’s your turn to approach the manger
Jesus is calling, “Will you draw close?”
How will you answer, what will you do,
Reach out and touch—he’ll be reaching to you.

—Cheryl, 2017

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 KJV

*What will you do to draw close to Jesus this Christmas season?

*Have you subscribed yet to Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue? If not, sign-up is FREE and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, just scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by Aurimas Adomavicius, Creative Commons License

2 Comments Filed Under: Above and Beyond, cheer, Christmas story, faithfulness, family, holidays, memories, poem, tradition, writing Tagged With: , , , ,

Fall Comfort

October 31, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Fall is a season of comfort for me. The comfort of comfy things, the comfort of nature’s beauty, the comfort of a Father who is always near at hand no matter the season.

When I thought of the phrase “fall comfort” not long ago, I thought “poem.” So here is my latest poem, friends, brought to you courtesy of Autumn herself. I hope it helps you enjoy the season even more than you already are. Fall blessings to you all!

Fall Comfort 

The oven-hot heat of summer
finds us longing for fall’s arrival,
the comforts of a cooler season
taunt and tease us from a distance.
Then one morning the air carries a nip.
We call “Fall is here!”
and pull out a pair of cozy socks
as we ready ourselves for the day.
If the chill lingers all the day through
we declare more fall comforts in order.
Mom’s chili in the crock pot
home-baked cookies cooling nearby,
comfy pants for easy living
and a favorite hot drink in hand.
Then add a scented candle
for the perfect finishing touch.

Of course, nature’s beauty in fall
holds a comfort all its own.
God’s splendor on display
for all to see.
The brilliant colors, short-lived as they are,
cause us to cherish autumn days
cause our hearts to be warmed.

And what comfort to be found
in our Father in heaven,
the Creator and Sustainer
of not only nature’s seasons
but the ever-changing seasons of our lives.
He is always near at hand,
he is never far away.
Comfort for fall and beyond.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” 2 Corinthians 1:3

*What things about fall bring you comfort?

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter, comes out this week. One lucky subscriber (subscribed by noon Oct. 30) will receive $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble and a signed copy of my book to use personally, give as a gift, or donate to a library. Sign-up is free and to the right. Giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*Flickr photo by niseag03, Creative Commons License

Leave a Comment Filed Under: autumn, change, comfort, faith, nature, poem Tagged With: , , ,

Ever-Ready Refreshment

August 1, 2017 By 2 Comments

Have you noticed how we set our sights on the summer months for periods of rest and refreshment, for times to recharge? We take breaks from regular activities and make efforts to get away from home for a while, whether to a vacation destination or a trip to see family or friends. We long for a change and a chance to catch our breaths.

Sometimes that works for us and sometimes it doesn’t. Life may have other plans. We may not get to go on that getaway. Or sometimes we go, but for whatever reason, it doesn’t provide the rest and refreshment we desired and needed.

Whether our plans to refresh and recharge work for us or not, we can take comfort in the fact that nature’s ever-ready refreshment is within our grasp each day. And that, my friends, is a truth that inspires poetry. Hope my latest blesses you!

Ever-Ready Refreshment

Just outside my door I find it
nature’s own remedy,
a ready retreat
an instant vacation
the ever-ready refreshment I need.
When my body needs fresh energy
or my spirit needs a lift,
when my soul cries for God’s own touch
the great outdoors soon beckons me.
A few steps and moments later
the very air around me changes
as I pass from indoors to out,
as I breathe in nature’s tonic.

The miracles in God’s world around me
never disappoint,
as I listen for the song of birds
or hear the wind sashaying through the trees.
The sights, the smells, the sounds, the feel,
and yes, the taste of God’s ever-ready refreshment
set my weary heart to singing,
re-energizes me once again.
And I found it all
just outside my door.

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” Jeremiah 31:25 NIV

What aspect of creation particularly refreshes you? The ocean? The mountains? Maybe the wide-open fields or the forest? Perhaps flowers? Do tell!

The next issue of Life Notes, my quarterly inspirational newsletter with a giveaway in every regularly scheduled issue, comes out tomorrow. It’s not too late to receive it (though you won’t be eligible for the giveaway until the next issue.) Sign-up is free and to the right! (If you’re on a mobile device, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click View Full Site to find it.)

*My photo

2 Comments Filed Under: beauty, creation/creative/creator, miracle, nature, poem, refresh, summer, unfailing Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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