Word-Filled Wednesday ~#79~ Worship ~ There's a Reason

"After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise Him for the splendor of His holiness as they went out at the head of the army saying:

'Give thanks to the LORD,

for His love endures forever.'"

~2 Chronicles 20:21

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

Worship the LORD with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs . . . 

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His

name." 

~Psalm 100:1,2,4

 Playing my hammered dulcimer on a praise team.

There is hardly anything I enjoy more that to sing praise and worship to the Lord. Most churches have a sort of "schedule" that they follow each Sunday and most congregations join their hearts and voices in worship just before the Pastor blesses us with the sermon the Lord has laid upon his heart to preach.

Why is it that we worship before the sermon? It's not an accident. 

Scripture tells us to sing our praises to the Lord 85 times! In Old Testament Scripture, repeating something 3 times makes it supremely important, what do you think 85 times means? I'd say . . . important.

The Lord uses music in our lives for many reasons ~ 

~to lead His people into battle (Joshua 6, 2 Chron. 20:18-22)

~to prepare our hearts to come into His presence (Ps. 100:1-2) 

~to remind ourselves of our safety in Him (Ps. 91)

~the stars and all creation sings their own songs to the Lord (Job 38:7, Ps. 104, Ps. 148)

~the angels praise Him (Ps. 148)

~King David reminds us to "sing in the assembly of saints" ~ in church ~ to rejoice, dance and make music to the Lord and that His praise should always be in our mouths (Ps. 149) 

~Mary praised the Lord in song while He was still in her womb (Luke 1:46-55)

~And mostly, because the Jesus sang His own praises to His Father in heaven just before He and the disciples went to the Mount of Olives, knowing what lay ahead (Matt. 26:30)

Do we only sing when we are happy? When things are going well? In church? Obviously, if Jesus offers us His example of singing God's praises, even in the most trying of times, it is appropriate for us as well. Once again, David reminds us that praise music affects our attitude and can be good for us, "A cheerful heart is good medicine . . ." (Prov. 17:22)

We are blessed with so many different styles of praise music and so many opportunities to sing; find your style and sing your praise to the Lord!

Blessings from Ohio . . .  Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#178~ 2/11/13

For Today . . . 

Outside my window . . . grey & cloudy, the sun is trying it's best to come out.

I am thinking . . . that I wish I had the evening off.

I am thankful . . . that I could "kidnap" THE Man over the weekend & take him out for some early Valentine's Day fun. I took him out to eat at a favorite restaurant & met some friends that he didn't know were coming at a movie theater to see Top Gun at IMAX in 3D & then supper w/our friends. Great day.

From the kitchen . . . tea pot on the stove, I'm listening for the whistle.

I am wearing . . . black jeans, black turtle neck, taupe cable-knit cardigan sweater.

I am creating . . . a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am going . . . to wrap up a project before I leave for work.

I am wondering . . . how the Lord will make my plans unfold.

I am hoping . . . that it's SOON.

I am reading . . . still re-reading "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living" by Dr. Rex Russel.

I am looking forward to . . . the cup of tea I'm about to pour.

I am learning . . . keep my ears open.

Around the house . . . I'm embarrassed at what I didn't get done today. :-( I needed to do some important research on the internet . . . well . . . tomorrow is another day.

One of my favorite things . . . the humility of my sweet husband, THE Man, when someone does something for him just because we love him.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, cleaning the house, writing project, working on another project . . .

A favorite quote of the day . . . "'Self-surrender IS NOT the same as commitment.' ~ E. Stanley Jones; Commitment is something I have to do, surrender is voluntary." ~Notes from Sunday's sermon.

Scripture thought . . . "Then He said to them all: 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'" ~Luke 9:23 [emphasis mine] I choose to carry my cross for Christ.


A picture thought for you . . . 

 Isn't this sweet? An Irish Cottage on a teacup.

 

Read 100's of other Daybooks at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook & join the fun!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><    

Rosemary Tincture for Women's Health

I have taken tinctures for a few years now, mostly Echinacea for building immunities ~ fast. They work quickly because they are liquid (or glycerin) & liquids get into you system much faster than capsules or tablets.
 
Rosemary tinctures are so beneficial, especially for women, & are very easy to make.

Did you know that the rosemary plant represents eternal life? Maybe that's why the Lord made it so useful ~ whether for cooking, aroma therapy or medicinal. Sometimes, I just like to run my fingers through my plants & inhale that delicious aroma. 

It is especially beneficial to women. It can actually promote strength to your body, improve memory, aid in digestion, build immunity & generally revive your mind, attitude & general sense of well-being. Some have said that it helps with headaches, migraines & improves concentration. Just a few drops in a cool glass of water, everyday, will be a great support to your health.

You will need:

~Several fresh sprigs of rosemary
~vegetable glycerine
~brandy OR vodka (most tincture makers use vodka)
~a glass canning jar with a good lid or gasket lid
~amber-colored dropper bottle(s)

Directions:

1) In the canning jar, press in as many sprigs of fresh rosemary as you can
2) Cover the sprigs to the top of the inside of the jar with a mixture of 80% glycerin & 20% vodka OR brandy
3) Seal the lid tightly
4) Leave on the counter, out of direct sunlight, for 2 week
5) Give the jar a few shakes once daily
6) Strain tincture into the dropper bottle(s)

To Use:

~drop 2 full droppers of the tincture into a cup of cold water & drink once per day

Let me know how you LOVE this.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Lord is My Shepherd . . .

. . . I shall not want. ~ Psalm 23:1

"Know that the LORD is God.
It is He Who made us, and we are His;
we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." ~Psalm 100:3  

"The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice . . . I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." ~John 10:2-4, 11

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Simple Woman's Daybook ~#177~ 2/4/12

For Today . . . 

Outside my window . . . it's snowing! Big fluffy snowflakes.

I am thinking . . . how glad I am that I can watch the beautiful snow from inside my warm home.

I am thankful . . . that our car was parked when we saw that it had a flat tire, yesterday; for AAA. Thank You, Lord.

From the kitchen . . . pizza :-P

I am wearing . . . jeans, red & black hoodie.

I am creating . . . a peaceful, Christ-centered home.

I am going . . . to work the late shift. I leave while the others come home. :-(

I am wondering . . . about the timing of a repair.

I am hoping . . . work goes quickly.

I am reading . . . re-reading "What the Bible Says About Healthy Living." I try to read it every year or so.

I am looking forward to . . . watching how the Lord works things out.

I am learning . . . an over-whelming amount of information.

Around the house . . . general pick-up.

One of my favorite things . . . recognizing the Lord's hand in a situation.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . family time, work, praise team practice, a friend's home party, worship with the saints.

A favorite quote for the day . . . "Jesus shows us a better way, a better choice, a counter-intuitive desire: the Kingdom of God. Christians are now the counter-culture people." ~Sunday sermon notes.

Scripture thought . . ."All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away." ~John 6:37

A picture thought for you . . . 

Oh, I would love to have a raised fireplace in my kitchen.

Read 100's of other Daybooks and join the fun at Peggy's Simple Woman's Daybook!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><    

Quercetin ~ Allergy & Asthma Fighter

My husband, THE Man, & DD#2 have terrible allergies. DD#2 even has asthma that may possibly flare up if she has a terrible cold or is around cats. 

Before I started finding out about non-Rx and home remedies, they used to take Claritin or even Advil Allergy-Sinus. Rx can be fine, but ALL Rx, sooner or later, causes some sort of side effect. As much as they are dependent upon these products & need to take something long-term, I DO NOT want them accumulating bad ingredients.

Once I started working in a health food market, I found out about a great suppliment called Quercetin. Quercetin is a bio-flavonoid that's found in apples ~ along w/some berries, onions & nuts. It is proven to be a non-Rx antioxidant, antihistamine & has anti-inflammatory properties.

Quercetin works very well when coupled with Vitamin C & Bromelain. As a matter of fact, the product I get for THE Man & DD#2 is Solgar's Quercetin Complex**. This Complex has Quercetin, Vitamin C (as Ester-C), Bromelain (a pineapple enzyme), Rosehips (contains more Vitamin C than oranges) as the main componants. They have been taking this for at least 2 years & have never looked back on the Rx days.

Quercetin has such a good reputation as an anti-inflammatory that I have heard of people taking it for quick allergy relief, much like you would take Benadryl; & even using it for headache relief. 

In these days when we need to keep our costs down & look after our own health more than we have for decades, this is good information to have.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><    

**I do not work for Solgar. I am simply telling you what our family uses.**