" O LORD, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1
In the last part of my last blog post, I said, "Lord willing, I will be posting some exciting news within the next few weeks if all goes as planned." Praise His holy name, all did go as planned, and today I am sharing the exciting news—well, at least to my family and me, it is very exciting news! 😃
"If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." John 15:7
A big congratulations to Trudy!
You won a free copy of Bettie's new book!!!!
Please email us at homespundevotions@gmail.com with your mailing address, and we will get your book in the mail to you right away!
Thank you to all who entered, and to those who didn't win, you can buy your own copy of Bettie's book here.
God bless each one of you, dear readers, and may He meet any need you have during this Christmas season. So many of you are facing such hard circumstances, and I want you to know that I am praying for you right at this moment. If you ever have special prayer needs or would like to email me, always know that you are free to do so at the email address above.
Lord willing, I will be posting some exciting news within the next few weeks, if all goes as planned.
Stay tuned, and Merry Christmas!
On March 22, 2018, I published an "Inner Views" interview on this blog with the following words,
"In this amazing and wonderful world of blogging, I often forget exactly how I came across another blogger and how God orchestrated the details to weave their presence into my life. I usually only remember how dear they have become to my heart over the past several years, and I praise God for allowing our paths to cross and for the encouragement they are to me. Such is the case with the precious woman of God I am interviewing today. Her beautiful blog is chock full of Godly wisdom, profound Biblical teaching, and deep spiritual insight. Her physical suffering continually produces the fruit of Godliness in her life, and the sweet-smelling fragrance of its effects pours out to bless every other life she touches. I am so honored and blessed to call her friend and to share her inner views with you here."
"Thus saith the LORD, 'Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:16
Does anyone else miss the good old days—back when life was simpler and people were kinder and more God-fearing? I think the older we get, the more we think about those carefree days of childhood when we were home under the umbrella of our parents' love. Nostalgia becomes more a part of us as conditions in our current world become more and more upside down, and we miss the normalcy and decency of days gone by.
" Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Jesus
Matthew 5:4
My earliest memory of Loretta Lynn was when I was somewhere around four years old. My Daddy was working as a "jack-of-all-trades" maintenance man for a place called Huber Management, and somehow, one of the perks of his job was for us to get to live in an old, white two-story farmhouse at the end of a long lane in Englewood, Ohio. I can still see the outbuilding out back where I would play church with my dolls and stuffed animals, and the barn where my nephew, Brian, who was just 14 months younger than me, got paint in his eye. Lots and lots of memories in that place, but one that came to mind today stands out above the rest.
"As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country."
Proverbs 25:25
Tonight, I had Zach use the Wheel Spinner to determine who won the t-shirt giveaway!
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| T-Shirt #1 |
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| T-shirt #2 |
The first winner chosen by the Wheel Spinner was Commenter #3 - Ashley, and the second winner chosen was commenter #8 - also named Ashley!
💜💜💜CONGRATULATIONS to both winners!!💜💜💜
Please contact me as soon as possible at homespundevotions@gmail.com, so I can clarify which of you may be willing to take the #1 t-shirt (you both chose #2!) and also to give me your mailing information. We will get your t-shirts in the mail to you right away!
Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway!
Many blessings to all.
"Live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11
Both the lyrics and the music to the song "My Tennessee Mountain Home" were written by Dolly Parton and released on April 2, 1973, when I was six years old. I don't remember the first time I heard it, but I imagine I was probably riding in the car with Mom listening to David G. McFarland's radio show on WONE as she drove me to school. Come to think of it, David was likely the one who introduced me to so many of the country songs that remain special to my heart to this day, and though I never met him, his work as a DJ helped to foster a dream in me to sing those songs. It did my heart good to find out recently that he was inducted into the Dayton Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame. No one ever deserved it more.
Hearing just one chord of the intro of one of those songs from my childhood can instantly propel me back to bouncing along with Mom in our old Plymouth Duster that was in dire need of new shock absorbers. Those are some precious memories and the "Good Old Days When Times Were Bad" (another favorite Dolly Parton song).
I grew up hearing "My Tennessee Mountain Home" often, and my love for it deepened over the years as it reminded me of my Daddy's upbringing in Athens, Tennessee, just about 100 miles southwest of where Dolly was born and raised.
To say Dad was raised poor is surely an understatement.
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Galatians 6:10
I love supporting small businesses, and I especially love supporting small businesses that are owned by fellow Christians. Today, I am sharing a giveaway of two products that come from such a business, owned by Mennonite wife and mother, Megan Fox. You can find Megan's YouTube channel here and her product line here.
"And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
Luke 24:38-39
Years ago, Kevin and I came across the music of Gillian Welch, and I quickly became a fan of a song she co-wrote with David Rawlings called "By the Mark." The song is about the scars on Jesus' hands and feet, and it drew me in the first time I heard it. Fast forward to 2020 when two dear friends, Pat and Chuck, and I started a band called "Mountain Hope." I soon found out that they, too, are fans of Gillian's music and also love the song, "By the Mark." We added it to our repertoire right away, and Chuck and I have been singing it together ever since.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."
Isaiah 55:7
This post is a continuation of my last post, in which I talked about the day I recorded two of my original songs in Nashville. It was a day I will never forget.
"The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass." Revelation 21:21
Songwriting has been a part of my life for many years. I can't remember when I wrote my first song or even which song I wrote first, for that matter. I go through seasons where I don't write a song for a long time, then, at other times, I have been known to be in the process of writing two songs at once. One of the most interesting things about my songwriting is how I am almost always inspired with the lyrics and melody simultaneously. I know it sounds odd, but rarely am I given one without the other. The Lord uses many sources to inspire me to write songs, but one of my main songwriting patterns seems to happen during times of deep trials. Today, I want to share one of my original songs with you, along with a bit of the back story.
"Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."
1 Chronicles 16:8
I was recently so blessed to be interviewed by Blake Barbera of the "That You May Know Him" podcast. Blake read my book, "Biblical Minimalism" and reached out to talk to me about it. Sitting down and chatting with Blake was an honor and joy. I hope our interview will be a blessing to you.
"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints."
Psalm 116:15
It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. I am still in shock over what I am getting ready to say. This morning I found out my dear friend and longtime fellow blogger, Ang, left this world to be with Jesus on Wednesday, 7/20/2022. She leaves behind a husband, four children, parents, and many other family members and loved ones.
Blog Issue
Before I get into the meat of this post, I wanted to address one of the blog issues I have been having. If you are a blogger and you have my blog imbedded in your sidebar blog roll, you have probably not been getting my blog post updates or been alerted when I publish a new post. Linda from Life and Linda so kindly helped me figure out this issue and told me you will need to insert this new feed into your blog roll in order to receive my posts:
A Smilestone
I know it is quite late, but I wanted to praise God for a smilestone He allowed to happen on October 1, 2021. That day marked my Ten-Year Blogging Anniversary! How? I have no idea how time goes by so fast. I must be getting old because Mom always told me the older she got the faster time went!
A Happy Goodbye that has Dramatically Improved my Life
I don't know about anyone else, but it feels to me like the whole world has been turned upside down ~ and not in a good way.
"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing." I Thessalonians 5:11
Many of you already know my dear, sweet friend, Marilyn Moseley, who blogs at Mountaintop Spice. I'm not even sure how I came across Marilyn's blog several years ago, but I am eternally grateful to God for allowing our paths to intersect and for the precious gift of Marilyn's friendship.
On her beautiful blog, Marilyn shares her photography - some of the most amazing nature scenes I have ever seen, hands down. She is able to capture such unique demonstrations of the goodness of God through her camera lens, and her photos draw me in so much that I feel I am walking alongside her experiencing those moments in person. Honestly, she is one of the best nature photographers ever.
Recently, she started taking those breathtaking photos of hers and adding music to them, and sharing them on her YouTube channel. How grateful I am that she included our band, Mountain Hope,
"Hear my prayer, O Lord, and listen to my cry; do not be silent at my tears; for I am Your temporary guest, a sojourner like all my fathers. O look away from me, that I may smile and again know joy before I depart and am no more." Psalm 39:12,13 (Amplified Version - emphasis mine)
How serious this gift called life! Every day we are given is more precious than we could ever imagine. Every breath is invaluable. So many began 2021 never dreaming they would not live to see the beginning of 2022. How blessed we are to still be here, alive and breathing, and offered a new opportunity to fulfill the purpose God had in mind when He placed us here. It all goes by so fast, and I do not want to fail Him or waste one minute!
As I sought His face this morning, He began to bring to mind the countless people He has orchestrated to walk alongside me on life's highway ~ sojourners.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:11
I wish all of you a belated Merry Christmas and trust 2022 will be your most blessed, healthiest, and happiest year ever!
Oh, how I praise God that our dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was born on that first Christmas morning! My heart is so full of gratitude for God's many blessings to my family and me. Truly, I could never praise Him enough for the many prayers He has answered on our behalf - and not just prayers. So often, of late, He has given us the desires of our hearts for things that we didn't even pray for. He hears the cries of our hearts, even when those heart cries never make it into the form of words or prayers. He knows us intimately and sees the yearnings inside for things we don't feel like we should bother Him with.
In October 2015, I sat in a rocking chair on our front porch, crocheting, as I watched a beautiful sunset over the field across the road. Many burdens were weighing on me, and as I prayed, I said, "Lord, I want You to do something so big that we all three have to look at one another and say, 'Look what God just did!'" I had and still do have such a longing for Him to be glorified and exalted as He so deserves to be. Over six years and many life-altering changes later, that memory is still vivid in my mind, and looking back, I can recall a multitude of moments that my family and I have indeed, in awed amazement, said those very words to one another. "Look what God just did!"
