Psalms 24
“The earth is ADONAI’s, with all that is in it, the world and those who live there; for he set its foundations on the seas and established it on the rivers. Who may go up to the mountain of ADONAI? Who can stand in his holy place? Those with clean hands and pure hearts, who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives or swear oaths just to deceive. They will receive a blessing from ADONAI and justice from God, who saves them. Such is the character of those who seek him, of Ya’akov, who seeks your face. (Selah) Lift up your heads, you gates! Lift them up, everlasting doors, so that the glorious king can enter! Who is he, this glorious king? ADONAI, strong and mighty, ADONAI, mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates! Lift them up, everlasting doors, so that the glorious king can enter! Who is he, this glorious king? ADONAI-Tzva’ot he is the glorious king. (Selah)”

I’ve really loved the Sons of Korah’s music! They have simply taken Psalms right out of the Scriptures and put them to music as a praise offering to our God! What a novel idea! Teaching simply the Scriptures!

There are so many things we can learn from this Psalms. It reminds us that everything is God’s; tells us how we are to come to Him and what our character should be; and it tells us who God is!
When I listened to this song, it reminded me of the Scripture where the Savior is told He needs to reprimand His Disciples when they sing praises to Him on His way to Jerusalem. His answer is one I think we all need to ponder:

Luke 19:40
“But he answered them, “I tell you that if they keep quiet, the stones will shout!”“

If we don’t sing praises, then the stones will cry out. He is so worthy of our praise! I don’t want the stones to have to cry out because I’m not praising my Awesome creator, do you? That would be kinda weird…

I want to praise Him with everything! and that’s what I’m gonna do it! What about you?

©AmandaDixon2010

Each Saturday join Jacque (Mama) @ Walking Therein, and many others who are taking their Saturdays and expressing their praise to the Lord. To participate, you can post a Psalm or a praise and tell what impact it has had on you. Make sure to link up your SP&P too! I hope to see you on there!

Tags: Adonai, Awesome, creator, Jacque Dixon, Jerusalem, Luke 19:40, Meme, music, Praise, Psalms 24, rocks cry out, Saturaday Psalm and Praise, Savior, Scriptures, sing praises, song, Sons of Korah, the earth is God's, the stone will shout, worship

I am soo adoring not only this song, but the meaning behind it. Brayden and Talitha wanted their marriage to be an example to all of how the Savior feels about His people: Us.
This is just beautiful and precious!

Such a wonderful reminder that we need to be constantly ready for our bridegroom to come get us! The time will be soon and unknown to us!

Matthew 25:6
It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, `The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!’

I’m so looking forward to the day when my bridegroom comes! I’m in love with this song!

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: betrothal, Brayden Waller, bride, bridegroom, HaYovel, husband, In Love, love, marriage, Matthew 25:6, music, Savior, Scriptures, song, Talitha Waller, video, wedding

This past week has been extremely hard for me. I lost my Great Grandpa, who I was very very close to. I can honestly say that he was THE best grandpa I’ve ever had. I am so thankful for the last 5 years of being able to grow closer to him, of course, it wasn’t as long as I wanted, but I am very glad I had them. It was wonderful! It was wonderful to grow as close to him as I did.

Over the past 5 years, he really opened up to me about his WWII experiences which he hadn’t shared them at all before. When I presented him the Armed Service album I made for him at his 65th anniversary, he was moved to tears. I knew that all the efforts and the sleepless night I spent on it was so worth it! Getting to know him was truly a blessing to me. I pray it was to him also. Since I did that for him and grew closer to him through it, I have a very important place in my heart for the armed service men. When we took him to the cemetery, they gave him a beautiful Final Military Salute with the playing of Taps and a 21 Gun Salute. I bawled through the whole thing. Knowing that his service was important to him, and that was so very important to me because of him. It was very hard to sit through for me.
Sitting in his funeral service remembering all the times we had together, the tears just flowed. We would color when I was younger and as I grew up, we would sit on his front porch and play cards. He taught me to play rummy, war, slap jack, and more. One of the last times he played cards he was 87 and got down on the floor with the Littles to play go fish with them. It wasn’t easy for him to crawl on the floor but he showed his love to his family by doing it. He truly was a family man. That was all he was worried about: his family. He made it known that his family was all that was important to him.

I truly miss him. I miss his hugs. I miss his smile. I miss his playing cards. I miss praying for him. I now found myself crying when I pray because he is no longer on my list and it reminds me he is gone. I just miss him! But he lived a full and meaningful life. A life devoted to his family. I praise God that Grandpa knew our Savior and that I have the hope to once again see him on Resurrection Day. It hurts and its hard to have to wait for that day, but I know that the day is drawing close. OH, what a glorious day that will be!

Isaiah 25:8
He will swallow up death forever. Adonai ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. For ADONAI has spoken.

Revelation 21
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.”

Love you, Grandpa!

Please continue to pray for us and also my Great Grandma who is by herself now, and also for my Uncle Keith. It’s been hard for them too.

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: 21 Gun Salute, Armed Services, coloring, cry, family, Final Military Salute, funeral, grandpa, Great Grandma Walters, Great Grandpa Walters, He will swallow up death forever. Adonai ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. For ADONAI has spoken., He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death and there will no longer be any mourning crying or pain because the old order has passed away.", hurts, important, Isaiah 25:8, military salute, pain, playing cards, Resurrection Day, Revelation 21, sad, Savior, scrapbooking, Taps, WWII

Growing up that was a song I always loved to sing. Everyone wishes to have peace in their lives.  Everyone is searching for:

Philippians 4:7
“Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.“

People want to have a peaceful life. There are different ways people try to get peace from: watching streams or waterfalls, watching the sun set, reading a book, listening to music, drinking their favorite beverage, watch the snow falling, or listening to the rain, taking a drive, etc. Each person tries to find a way to receive peace in their lives. We all know those will never really give us the peace we long for. They are not the way to have peace in your life. They will not last!
Scriptures tell us that peace is a fruit of having the Holy Spirit in our lives:

Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self control. Nothing in the Torah stands against such things.“

Letting the Holy Spirit in our lives gives us so much fruit and peace is another one of those wonderful fruit! We will have peace and life when we live in the Spirit and have a mind of the Spirit:

Romans 8:6
“Having one’s mind controlled by the old nature is death, but having one’s mind controlled by the Spirit is life and shalom.“

I don’t want to have a flesh-ly mind. I don’t want death. I want everlasting life and peace that passes all understanding. Before you can have true peace in your life, you have to know Christ.

John 14:27
“What I am leaving with you is shalom — I am giving you my shalom. I don’t give the way the world gives. Don’t let yourselves be upset or frightened.“

Jesus is the only one who can give us true peace. His peace is something that only He can give. It is a peace that is like no other. The world’s peace will not last. It is a temporary fix. If you do things to get peace, they are just temporary… You can only watch a stream or waterfall for a while. You can only read a book til its over. You can only listen to music til the song ends. You can only watch the sun til its down. You can only drink your favorite beverage til its gone. You can watch the snow falling til it stops and melts. You can only listen to the rain til the sun comes out. And you can only take a drive til the road ends! There is only one way to have peace and a peace that lasts and that is the peace that you can only find in our Savior… its eternal! It is everlasting, and it is perfect!

Isaiah 26:3
“A person whose desire rests on you you preserve in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.“

When we trust in the Lord and do what He wants from us, then we shall have peace! I have found that it doesn’t matter what we are going through in our lives… no matter what it is… we can find peace. Even in the midst of the hardest time of your life and you cannot see the end of the anxiety you have, its already there in our Savior. He has it!

The only satisfying peace that we long for comes from God. He wants to give us peace.

Psalm 29:1 1
“May ADONAI give strength to his people! May ADONAI bless his people with shalom!“

Not only will the He bless us with peace, but when we have peace its much easier to make peace and that is another blessing:

Matthew 5:9
“ How blessed are those who make peace! for they will be called sons of God.“

We all know how much we need peace, when you have it, don’t you want to make sure everyone can have peace too? When Jesus gives us His peace, our lives will be so enriched! When you have peace in your life it is very easy to share peace with us and live in peace.

Hebrews 12:14
“Keep pursuing shalom with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.“

See? When we live in peace the world shall see that it is from God. What a wonderful testimony to the salvation of Christ! When people see us living in peace and have peace in our lives, people will want it and wonder what makes us so peaceful. We can share Christ with them and tell Him that we have His peace. And sharing the salvation, love, and peace that comes through Christ is our mission as a child of God.

Everyone wants peace to flow like a river that never stops moving! I think the true meaning behind the song is to have the peace that will never end. Rivers don’t usually end… they are always flowing with water. I want my life to be flowing with peace all the time!
Shalom to you!

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: bless, blessed, children of God, drink, driving, Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, God, Hebrews 12:14, Holy Spirit, Isaiah 26:3, Jesus, John 14:27, lasting, life, Matthew 5:9, Messiah, music, peace, Peace Like A River, peace that passes all understanding, peaceful, Philippians 4:7, Psalm 29:11, reading, Romans 8:6, Savior, Scriptures, shalom, song, sunsets, temporary, Torah, watching waterfalls

What kind of friend are you? Are you a friend that can be counted on to be there when someone needs you? Are you a friend that feels deeply when something bad or good happens to your friend? Are you a true friend?

True friends are hard to come by, but it is something that everyone needs. Everyone needs a friend they can count on to be there anytime, all the time. Everyone needs to have a friend that will encourage them in the way they should be even when they don’t want to. Everyone needs a friend who will cry when you are hurting or laugh when it’s funny with sincerity. Everyone needs a friend who, though they may not talk to each other for months, would be there no matter what, willing to help you in whatever way they could.

Are you a true friend? Can your friends count on you for anything and everything? I find it a privilege to be able to be a true friend to my friends. I want to be a friend they can count on all the time. I want them to come to me if they need an ear to listen to, or a shoulder to cry on or a prayer warrior on their behalf. I will never forsake my friends. I want to be the type of friend that our Savior, Christ, is. He will never leave you or forsake you either. He is always there, He loves you unconditionally, and most importantly He gave His life for us.

John 15:13-15
“No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”

Christ is the best example we have of a friend and if you want to be a true friend, follow after His example! If you are a friend of Christ, then you must act like He did.

Another example of true friends we can look to is Jonathan and David.

1 Samuel 18:1
“By the time David had finished speaking to Sha’ul, Y’honatan found himself inwardly drawn by David’s character, so that Y’honatan loved him as he did himself.“

Jonathan was a true friend to David. He protected David, he helped David, and saved him when Saul wanted to kill David. Jonathan risked his life to save his friend, and that shows how much Jonathan loved David.

To be a true friend to someone you have to love them. You cannot do something selfless for anyone if you do not love them. Being a true friend is being selfless. A true friend is a blessing to your friends because you will be someone they can always trust, love, and count on.
Being a true friend is continuing a relationship with someone all the time, even if you don’t agree 100% with something they say, do or believe. I have seen a lot of friendships end because one friend disagrees with something another friend believes and so they think they’re wrong. Now I don’t believe we always have to stay friends with people, because sometimes its just unavoidable to end a friendship, but we need to be true blue friends who try to stick it out til there is nothing left to stick to anymore. Not just quitting a friendship because there is one thing we don’t agree about with a friend. I am sure our Savior disagrees with things we do or say or even believe, but He’s not going to quit the relationship with us, is He? No!

So are you a true friend to your friends? Take some time to evaluate what kind of a friend you are. Maybe work on the areas you feel you are lacking in. There is always room for improvement!

I will personally never turn against a friend. Never. I know there will be things we disagree with, because there isn’t one person who agrees 100% with someone else, but I will always be a friend to my friends. I want to be a true friend for my friends because I want to be like Christ who is THE best and truest friend!

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: 1 Samuel 18:1, agree, beliefs, believers, best friends, David and Jonathan, friend, friends, friendship, Jesus Christ, John 15:13-15, No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends., Savior, Scriptures, true blue friend, true friend, turn against

Training Daughters, Teaching Wives holds Sensational Sunday Links so that you can share your fave links of the week. I don’t have as much time for reading sites as I would like and have even less time to comment on the articles I do read, but this week I read some really great articles and I really just wanted everyone else to be able to read them too!

Make sure to stop over at TDTW for even more SSL’s and lots more on the site!

Marshy shares about Mowing and Memories as we near the 1 year anniversary of Christian being called to our Savior’s arms. She has such strength and such encouragement even through this hard time.

Mrs. Leslie posted i believe. Can I get an “amen”?

Mrs. Raine shares about the Rock that is stronger than I. I’m so glad that ADONAI is a strong tower we can go to for refuge!

Holly is taking a look at the whether your life is Full, or Empty? So… which is it?

Mrs. McLean tells about how discipline is Empty Carts Or Empty Promises?

Mrs. Coghlan gives Facebook admonitions so encouragingly and gentle.

Brooke explains how Modesty is Part of Your Ministry and its important that you show the Savior through it all!

And finally some super articles on for the Waiting Gals…
Marian who was recently married (Yay!) shares about how we all have Great Expectations whether we realize them or not before we get married, so take some time to examine your heart!

My “Super” girlfriend, Ally, shares how in In Every Circumstance we need to stay focused and not lose our contentment… especially while we’re Waiting for Superman.

If you have any articles you’ve really loved this week, please share them! I’d love to read them. Be on the lookout this week for a special post that you will “win” just for reading!

©AmandaDixon2009

Tags: admonitions, Adonai, beliefs, believe, Christian Drews, contentment, daughters, discipline, empty, expectations, Facebook, focus, full, Kim Coghlan, life, Life In A Shoe, married, Marsha Drews, memories, ministry, modesty, mothers, one year anniversary, optomist, Penny Raine, pessimist, promises, Ruth McLean, Savior, single, strength, strong tower, super, teaching, Teaching Wives, training, Training Daughters, waiting, Waiting for Superman, Waiting Gals, wives, Young