My Commonplace Book... Makings of a Pascha Basket: Just CrossStitch April 2022

 I get the Just CrossStitch magazine and saw this in the April 2022 edition. I loved reading about the Pascha Basket and Wanted to keep it for my Commonplace Book.

A very ancient custom which “fell by the wayside” among the Greeks as a result of the 400 years of Turkish rule, was the custom of “blessing the family baskets” of Paschal food at Easter. It is still widespread among the Slavic nations who inherited the Orthodox Christian faith and culture from the Byzantine Greeks. ~ stjohndfw

My Commonplace Book... Memorial: Mrs. Burma Gail Owens 5/4/53 ~ 1/21/22

 

Burma passed away and again no one told me. I am sad and will miss Burma so much! She was a loving and dedicated Christian and wanted to make everyone happy. Her husband's name is Wylie and he is the classic Wile E Coyote and would pull pranks on people. I remember so much of this family and my interactions with them. My condolences and prayers to Wylie and his family.

OBITUARY

"Burma Gail Owens entered into this live on May 4, 1953 in Hobbs, New Mexico and then passed on to her heavenly home on January 21,2022 at the age of 68. Burma was the daughter of Samuel Gibbs and Katheryn Earnest who both preceded her in death.

Burma is survived by her spouse, Wiley Owens whom she married on September 11, 1980.

Burma had many loving family members she left behind. She is survived by her daughter, Angela Flowers and her son Jason Flowers both of Hobbs, New Mexico. She is also survived by her stepsons, Glen Owens and David Owens, stepdaughters Gaynell Owens, Kendra Sharp, and Mandy Owens. She had 11 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by one brother, Charles Gray Gibbs. Burma was preceded in death by her step father Dave Earnest, her sisters Linda K Gibbs and Montie Rae Ferns and grandson Jason Flowers Jr.

Burma will always be remembered as the sweet loving lady known as wife, nana, great nana and friend. She touched the lives of all who knew her. She enjoyed spending time with all of her family and her friends. During Burma's lifetime here on this earth she was involved faithfully in God's ministry by helping others and making sure everyone received her smile. She created smiles on those all around her."

My Commonplace Book... Favorite songs from Sunday School

 I wanted to save some of my favorite songs from Sunday School and my childhood.

Deep and Wide
Trust and Obey
Give Me Oil In My Lamp
This Little Light of Mine
Only a Boy Named David

My Commonplace Book... Hymn: I Serve a Risen Savior or He Lives

I am going to post favorite Hymns and a little bit about them every Sunday or so.  My first one I posted was "The Old Rugged Cross". Today's song is: "I Serve a Risen Savior or He Lives" by  Alfred Henry Ackley

"Alfred Ackley (1887-1960) showed musical promise at a very young age. His father gave him the benefit of his musical wisdom, and then later sent him to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He played the piano and cello and showed great promise as a composer. After his training in music, Ackley went on to graduate from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland, and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. He served as pastor in several states of the United States, and worked for a few years with evangelist Billy Sunday and the Rodeheaver Music Company. Ackley's musical endeavors were so appreciated that he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree by John Brown University in Arkansas."

Pictures can be found at jessicalynette.com/hymn-lyrics

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.

                           Refrain:

                   He lives, He lives,

                   Christ Jesus lives today!

                   He walks with me and talks with me

                   Along life’s narrow way.

                   He lives, He lives,

                   Salvation to impart!

                   You ask me how I know He lives?

                   He lives within my heart. 

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.

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.

 "I Serve a Risen Savior or He Lives" by  Alfred Henry Ackley

Here is the link for a video for this song:

⁵ and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living One among the dead? ⁶ He is not here, but He has ^[a]risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, ~ Luke 24:5-6 NASB

Footnotes:

1. Luke 24:6 Or been raised

My Commonplace Book... My favorite Hymn: The Old Rugged Cross

When I was a child, about 3-5 yrs. old, I would go around singing the refrain from "The Old Rugged Cross".  I sang just the refrain, because that was all I knew. lol.  It got to bugging my parents and they told me that if I was going to sing a song, I needed to learn the entire song.  So, they taught me "The Old Rugged Cross". 

When perusing the web today, I came upon the following picture:

This made me want to save my favorite song to my commonplace book.

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.

   Refrain:
   So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
   Till my trophies at last I lay down;
   I will cling to the old rugged cross,
   And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary.
3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see,
   For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
   To pardon and sanctify me.
4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
   Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
   Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I’ll share.

The Old Rugged Cross | George Bennard

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “^[a]Cursed is everyone who hangs on a ^[b]tree”— Galatians 3:13 NASB

^[a] Deuteronomy 21:23
^[b] Or cross; lit wood

This and more Hymns can be found here.

Here is a youtube video of it being sung by one of my favorite groups from that same childhood.

Happy Holidays!

Many people become upset at Christmas. They say it wasn't the real date of Christ's birth (it isn't) or they get upset because someone says Happy Holidays! I think that they all are forgetting what it means to be a "Christian".  I celebrate Christmas. I say "Merry Christmas!" but I also say "Happy Holidays", especially before Thanksgiving to signify I am wishing them Happy Holidays (as in Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years).  (Did you know that Happy Holidays is also like saying "Happy Holy Days"?) What is so wrong with that?  Can you really justify all this conflict to JESUS?  Is it being like Jesus when you put someone down?  Not everyone celebrates Christmas. There are the Jewish people who celebrate Chanukah (a holiday that Jesus also celebrated).  There are also groups that don't celebrate any holidays. Paul, in the Bible, had this to say in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 NASB:

¹⁹ For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. ²⁰ To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under ^[a]the Law, as under ^[b]the Law though not being myself under ^[c]the Law, so that I might win those who are under ^[d]the Law; ²¹ to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. ²² To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. ²³ I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it. (emphasis mine)

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
2. 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
3. 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law
4. 1 Corinthians 9:20 Or law

 This, I feel, also applies to holidays.  When you put someone down for celebrating Christmas or wishing someone Happy Holidays, you are NOT winning people to Christ.  You are actually making a spectacle of yourself and running people away from Him.

Remember what you are really celebrating on Christmas.  It isn't words but a Savior come to Earth!

So I want to wish all:  Merry Christmas!, Happy Holidays! Happy Chanukah! and Merry MESSIAHmas! to one and all!!!!!!!!!!

One person considers some days

more holy than others, 

while someone else regards them

as being all alike.

What is important is for each

to be fully convinced in his own mind.

He who observes a day as special

does so to honor the Lord.

Also he who eats anything,

eats to honor the Lord,

since he gives thanks to God;

likewise the abstainer abstains

to honor the Lord, and he too

gives thanks to God.

~ Romans 14.5-6 (CJB)

My Commonplace Book... Poem: He Had No Servants

He Had No Servants

Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master.

He had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher.

He had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer.

He had no army, yet kings feared Him.

He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime, but they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb, yet *HE LIVES TODAY!

~Author Unknown~

"Follow Me."

Luke 9:23

*Emphasis mine

Lessons

I have been developing a Sunday School Book. It has, mainly, all the lessons we have had in grades 1-3 Fall lessons. I have included other lessons along with them.

I really hope people enjoy. :D

Lessons