Thursday Thankfulness and Friday Foto Friends

It's Thursday of Holy Week...many will be observing this day as "Maundy Thursday", "Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday, or Thursday of the Lord's Supper, among other names,[note 1] is a Christian feast during Holy Week that marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum, and commemorates the Washing of the Feet (Maundy) and Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the Apostles, as described in the canonical gospels.[1]" (Wikipedia).  Our church does not have a special Maundy Thursday service, but we will be having a Good Friday service tomorrow night.

HERE is a link to a post I have shared several times in the past regarding Maundy Thursday, or the observance of The Lord's Supper.  You may want to read it again for a special blessing today. (I actually reposted this earlier today, so may have already seen it.  I just couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging how special this day was in the life of Christ and for Christians today).

I am so excited that my Amaryllis flowers have finally blossomed!  I was afraid they weren't going to make it this year, and now they are open and beautiful for Easter! To me, this is significant, that they are blooming in time for Good Friday...the crimson red of this flower reminds us of the blood that Jesus shed on the cross for our sins.  The white Easter lilies on Easter Sunday will remind us of His resurrection from the dead and that He, the perfect and spotless Lamb of God has overcome sin and death on our behalf.  Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Hallelujah! What A Savior! 

by Philip B. Bliss

“Man of Sorrows!” what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Back to the present...This morning we took a ride to the Blueberry Farm! The blueberries are finally ready to be picked...and thankfully they pick some for us for a little higher price...

You could also purchase your own blueberry bushes, already loaded with berries!  I did that a few years ago, but most of them have never really produced anything since...

Except for this this one..it looks like it will have some berries for us this year in a little while...

So until then I will purchase the already picked variety and enjoy them! They are so plump and juicy I may have eaten a few before we even got home.  Hubby said "They haven't been washed yet!"  I said, "If they kill me I'll die happy!" LOL.   I didn't eat that many...and if that little bit could kill me then they shouldn't be allowed to sell them! LOL.  Besides, I know the people who pick their own berries eat them while picking and I haven't heard of anyone getting sick or dying from it yet.  I'll trust these berries more than the ones I buy in the grocery store, which can't even compare in flavor and quality.

The plan is to bake a blueberry pie for Easter Sunday...hopefully I'll still have enough left by then. LOL.

I know you are probably wondering about the kitty-cat situation here...

Well, here's Blackie Sue, still just relaxing in her favorite blue chair on the back porch...no kittens yet...and the full moon is over...so she's on her own schedule, and the kittens will appear when they are good and ready!

And this picture is hilarious to me...this is how Sunshine was posed this morning as we were leaving to go get blueberries...He'd just had his breakfast, and because it had been a chilly night (or maybe he's just all tuckered out from whatever he was doing last night!??) I think he wanted to soak up some "sunshine" for himself!  I've never seen him able to get up on the porch railing before...and his face was resting on the little light fixture there. He seems to be a bit more frisky lately...oh...and there's been a pretty little black and white female cat coming over to visit from down the street...I hope she's been appropriately "fixed"...and so I am thinking something is going to need to be done about Sunshine. Here I thought he was just a tired old cat...but I think he still has some tricks up his paws.  I am anxious to see what color Blackie Sue's kittens are...that will tell us the true state of their "friendship".  

Good caption "It's been a hard day's night..."

Oh My Goodness!  I just heard via Facebook that our family's former store, "Dixie Cottage", is moving out of Interlachen to Keystone Heights (a town about 20 miles northwest of here)!  The person who bought the business from Benton and Rose a couple of years ago lives in that area, and apparently she has found a place there that is more reasonable rent and it will be closer to home for her, so we wish her well.  There will be a big sale here at the store before she leaves at the end of the month. 

 

This is how the store looked on our Grand Opening Day

This is a link to when our kids first opened the store here in Interlachen, after moving it here from St.Augustine.

Our kids enjoyed owning the business while they did, but they were also happy when God provided a buyer so they could sell it! Owning your own business takes a LOT of work, time, and money.  They are much happier now working from home (Benton), building things and selling them online and in local farmer's markets.  Rose has continued to work at Home Depot all these years, so for her trying to run a business and work outside of that was pretty exhausting.  

Although we are sorry to see the store leaving our town, we wish the owner much success and blessings in starting over in a new location.  And so closes another door...but a new window of opportunity for her and for that community.

Here's some thoughts to carry us through tomorrow on Good Friday...

This weekend will be pretty busy for us, with Good Friday service tomorrow night, and a wedding at our church Saturday afternoon. (There will also be a community breakfast at the church Saturday morning and an Easter Egg Hunt for the children, but we most likely won't be participating in those). Then Sunday morning we have Sunday School and Church, and our choir will be presenting the Easter Cantata "It Is Finished".  The kids will be coming over after church for dinner.  Rose will be baking a ham and I will hopefully get some potato salad and deviled eggs made on Saturday sometime to have ready for Sunday, as well as bake that blueberry pie. So, if you don't see much of me over the next few days, you will know why!  Praying you and yours will have a blessed and joyful Easter weekend.

 

"The Last Supper" ~ Revisited 4/6/2023

 I have shared this post a couple of times before, but since today is "Maundy Thursday", I find I cannot improve upon this particular post, so am sharing it again, this time without all of the previous comments.  Our country is in so much turmoil right now, due to horrific storms and also storms of both political and world events.  We need this time to come together around the table of our Lord and find solace and peace for our hearts and minds once again. I pray this observance of the Lord's Last Supper will be a comfort to you today.

Note: I originally posted this when we were still under "lockdown" and unable to worship together in person.  Thankfully we are no longer under such restrictions, but not every church has a "Maundy Thursday" service.  Even so, we can still join together wherever we are, in a spiritual bond with our brothers and sisters around the world and observe this remembrance of our Lord's "Last Supper".  Here is what I shared in previous years on this date. I hope it will be a blessing to you:

Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we observe and celebrate "The Last Supper" during Holy Week. I have revised this post from a previous post regarding The Lord's Supper observance from our church, so that we can remember the Gift of Christ's sacrifice for us as He willingly gave up His life so that we might have eternal life with Him.  Whether or not your church observes this particular day or not, many will be joining together across the land to partake even if we are not able to assemble together physically. I believe God is using this time to draw many to Himself as we are focused on finding ways to participate in Holy Week/Easter services from our homes. May God be glorified and praised through these difficult days.

This is from a previous church service.  Please follow along and be blessed:

Our Scripture lesson is from Luke 22:7-20, but the following verses 14-20 were highlighted:

Luke 22:14-20

14.  "When the hour had come, 

He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him.

15.  Then He said to them,

"With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you 

before I suffer;

16.  For I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

17.  Then He took the cup, 

and gave thanks,

and said,

"Take this and divide it among yourselves;

18.  for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine 

until the kingdom of God comes."

19.  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 

"This is My body which is given for you;

do this in remembrance of Me."

20.  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in My blood, 

which is shed for you." 

Our choir sang this beautiful song prior to the message today. It was so beautifully written and sung.

 

Refrain:

"Every time we eat this bread,

Every time we drink this cup,

We proclaim the death of the Lord

Until He comes.

Take and eat this bread,

This is My body.

Take and drink this cup,

This is My blood.

(Refrain)

"I am the bread come down from heaven.

Eat this bread and live eternally."

(Refrain)

"I am the vine,

and you, the branches.

You who live in me

will bear much fruit."

(Refrain)

"My command is love for one another.

This I pray so your joy will be complete."

(Refrain)

In the above passage in Luke 22, Jesus said He desired to eat this Passover with His disciples.  Passover was and is a very special time of remembrance of the great redemption of the children of Israel from the Egyptians.  You can read more about this in the Old Testament book of Exodus, chapter 12. Particularly verses 12-13, God is explaining to Moses what He is going to do to redeem His people...and providing the very first Passover through the blood of the unblemished lamb.

"12.  For I will pass through the land of Egypt on the that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: 

I AM the Lord.  

13.  Now the blood shall be a sign for you 

on the houses where you are. 

And when I see the blood, 

I will pass over you; 

and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

Fast forward to the New Testament and to Luke 22, where Jesus is explaining  to His disciples in essence that He is about to become their "Passover Lamb"...and so when we celebrate Holy Communion, we are to remember Christ's great sacrifice for our redemption.   This is much more than just a history lesson. It is a celebration on the hearts and lives of believers until Christ returns...It is only through the cross of Christ  and the shedding of His blood that we have redemption from our sins.

In Luke 22:16-20 Jesus is foretelling for all of us the glorious promise of when we will one day sit at the banquet table with Jesus at the "Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (see Revelation 19:7-10)

In partaking in Communion we are remembering the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for our sins.  For a prophetic description of the sorrow and anguish and pain that He suffered for us, please read Isaiah 53.  This is a vivid description of the vicarious sacrifice of Christ. Jesus took on Himself all of our sins...and because of this our sins are forgiven when we choose to believe in Him.

Hebrews 9:22 tells us:

"According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission."

In John's Gospel, chapter 6, Jesus tells His disciples in verse 56:

"He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, 

and I in Him."

And so we come back to the communion service, where we follow Christ's example given to the disciples at that Last Supper before His death.   

I Corinthians 10:16-17 

"The cup of blessing which we bless, 

Is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?  

The bread which we break, 

is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 

For we, though many, are one bread and one body; 

for we all partake of that one bread."

Please read I Corinthians 11:23-34 for the order of Communion, and where we see again how the Lord gave thanks, and then said to His disciples, 

"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you;

do this in remembrance of Me."

In the same manner He took the cup after supper, saying,

"This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

• We need to rejoice together in Communion. I want to live my life in such a way that I can one day stand before Him.

Remember the great gifts He has given us:

• Promise of eternity
• Promise of sins forgiven
• Partaking in the remembrance of Christ Jesus through this ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

(we sang the following song during the Communion service:)

In Remembrance 
(Ragan Courtney and Buryl Red)

"In remembrance of Me eat this bread
In remembrance of Me drink this wine
In remembrance of Me pray for the time
When God's own will is done 

In remembrance of me heal the sick
In remembrance of me feed the poor
In remembrance of me open the door
And let your brother in, let him in

Take eat and be comforted
Drink and remember too
That this is my body and precious blood
Shed for you, shed for you

In remembrance of me search for truth
In remembrance of me always love
In remembrance of me don't look above
But in your heart, in your heart
Look in your heart for God

Do this in remembrance of Me
Do this in remembrance of Me
In remembrance of Me"

Have YOU decided to follow Christ? Take time to remember His great sacrifice for your sins as you celebrate communion with Him and His body, the church.

After partaking of communion  today we closed the service with the following song, (one of my favorite hymns):  "And Can It Be?"  I hope you will sing along with me here:

VERSE 1
And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

VERSE 2
He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace
Emptied Himself of all but love
And bled for Adam’s helpless race
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free
For O my God, it found out me!
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shoudlst die for me?

VERSE 3
Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light
My chains fell off, my heart was free
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou, my God shouldst die for me?

VERSE 4
No condemnation now I dread
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine
Alive in Him, my living Head
And clothed in righteousness divine
Bold I approach the eternal throne
And claim the crown, through Christ my own
Amazing love! How can it be
That Thou my God, shouldst die for me?

2/3/2019: Personal notes from me (Pam) here:  I don't know if your church observes Holy Communion once a month, once a quarter, or every Sunday, but I know for me when we started coming to this particular church at first I was a little uncertain about the necessity for taking communion every Sunday.  But then I remembered that the early church "continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42), and that the believers were encouraged to "proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." (I Corinthians 11:26)  I find the time of communion at the close of our service to be a personal time of worship, prayer, and introspection as I examine my own heart and seek God's will and direction for my life.  It is a cleansing time, where I can once again remember how Christ sacrificed His very blood for me so that I would be washed clean from all my sins, and therefore  I want to surrender my life to Him for service  in whatever way He leads.  Sometimes we get complacent and lazy in our faith walk, and we tend to forget why we are here and what we are supposed to be doing in God's kingdom.  The communion service is a stark reminder to me that my life is not my own. I belong to Christ, and therefore I want to serve Him fresh and new  every day. I am very thankful for this time of remembrance each week. It has been life-renewing to me.  I hope this has been meaningful for you as well.  

Postscript 4/6/2023:  Since I originally wrote this post and comments above in 2019, I wanted to add that now I am blessed and humbled and honored to be able to actually participate in serving Communion alongside my husband in our weekly service at our church. We take the bread and the cup to members of our choir, our Pastor and his wife, and any of those who are unable to get up and walk forward to be served communion in the service. It is a sweet and humbling experience to serve those who are seat-bound, and to extend this blessing of Christ's sacrifice of His body and blood for our sins to each one by name.  It makes these hymns above and the words of Christ's blessing to us so much more meaningful to me personally. All because of God's Amazing Grace.  

Praying that this Holy Week is especially meaningful for you.  Amen.

"Hallelujah! What a Saviour!" (Updated)

Update: I thought this hymn would be appropriate for tonight, which is "Maundy Thursday"...the night on which we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior...the night that He shared the Last Supper with His Disciples and then was betrayed by one of them for 30 pieces of silver. The night before Jesus suffered and died in my place so that I might live...

Originally posted on 8/18/2011:

Hymn for today: "Hallelujah, What a Saviour!" by Philip P. Bliss, circa 1838-1876

Here is one of my favorite hymns...we usually sing this one around the Communion Table.  I hope you know the melody...sing along with me and worship this wonderful Saviour!

"Man of sorrows," what a name, for the Son of God who came,

Ruined sinners to reclaim!  Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned He stood,

Sealed my pardon with His blood; Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we; Spotless Lamb of God was He;

"Full atonement", can it be!  Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Lifted up was He to die; "It is finished," was His cry,

Now in heaven exalted high; Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

When He comes, our glorious King, All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew this song we'll sing, Hallelujah! What a Saviour!"

"Hallelujah! What a Saviour!!!"

Postscript 4/18/2019:  Please pray for my friend Sharon Watson as she makes plans to travel "home" to Minnesota to be with her large extended family, and to begin Hospice care there.  She is ultimately traveling to her forever eternal home, but wants to make this last journey to be with her loved ones  while she can. Thank you for your prayers as she travels...

This picture was taken last year not long after she began chemo. It's been a difficult journey, but God has been with her all the way. She is such a remarkable woman of faith. I have been so blessed by her friendship.  Here is a link to her Caring Bridge site:  https://www.caringbridge.org/public/sharonwatson

Thank you again.  

God bless you all.  Let us rejoice in Christ our Savior, and all that He has done for us.

A Comforter in the Garden - Updated

This is a repost, but well worth repeating.  

3/29/2018:  This has been a week for "comforting" in the garden. Just last evening I sat in this very garden with my dear daughter in law, whose mother had passed away early that morning after a prolonged illness.  Even after "prolonged illnesses" our hearts are broken when a loved one is finally called home to heaven.  I was able to share some of the ways God had comforted me with the passing of my own mother and also our son. I pray the Lord will comfort our sweet daughter in law and her family during this time of sorrow, just prior to Easter.  My own father passed away just prior to Easter, and I remember thinking how marvelous that he would be celebrating Easter in heaven with Jesus! What a glorious time to enter heaven's gates! And, if it weren't for Easter and all that Jesus did for us at that time, we wouldn't even have an opportunity to enter heaven at all. Hallelujah, What a Saviour! (click here for a previous post about this song)

Original Post 3/24/16:

"Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; 

nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.

And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  

Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

Luke 22:42-44

I was sitting in my garden, enjoying the sounds of the birds and admiring the beauty of the flowers blooming on this lovely spring day, when suddenly it hit me:  Today is Maundy Thursday...the day Christians remember that this was the day that our Lord went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed...the night before His crucifixion and death.  It was in the garden that the Bible tells us He prayed to His Father, pleading if it were possible to "take this cup away from Me"...meaning the cup of His sacrifice of His life for the sins of the world...knowing that He would actually become sin for us, so that we would no longer be lost in our sins.  The Bible tells us that Jesus was actually in agony, so much so that "His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

In Luke's Gospel quoted above, we are told that "an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him."

I had never noticed this particular passage until this past Sunday when we read it in our Bible Study time.  It truly touched my heart to think that our Lord was suffering so greatly that God the Father actually sent an angel to comfort Him and give Him strength for the horrendous journey ahead.

As I was writing this just now a friend called me and asked me to pray for her daughter. We've been praying for this dear one for quite a while. She's been going through some very difficult surgeries and has a serious bacterial infection right now.  As I spoke with this distraught mother, I visualized this angel comforting Jesus in the garden...and I reminded my friend of this story as she had also been here with us on Sunday when we discovered this verse in our time of worship and Bible study. We both were comforted as we thought about the angel comforting Jesus...and realized that God sends His angels to comfort us during times of distress as well.  The angel may come in the form of a friend who is there to pray or lend a helping hand. Or perhaps a word of scripture that gives hope and encouragement at just the right moment...much like this one.

I don't know about you, but I find this so comforting. Jesus was not alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, even though His disciples had fallen asleep just a stone's throw away when He had asked them to watch and pray with Him.  God the Father saw His Son's agony and sent an angel to minister to Him.  God sees our agony and sends His angels to comfort us...just when we need it most.

My garden above is a special place set aside in our yard to honor the memory of our son, who died in May of 2014.  I love to sit there and pray and think about God's mercy and grace.  Even though our son died after a long battle with cancer, God did not leave us comfortless.  He sent His angels to minister to us throughout that long ordeal...and His Holy Spirit is always with us to comfort us during our times of grief.  

Maybe there are some of you who need these words of comfort today. Perhaps you are in your own kind of "Garden of Gethsemane"... and this picture of Jesus being strengthened by the angel might give you hope.  I hope so.  

Remember...even though things may look dark today...Sunday is coming...Easter day! The day we celebrate Christ's resurrection from the dead...the day He burst forth from the tomb victorious over death to give us life everlasting!  So...no matter how bleak things may appear today...we have this hope in Christ Jesus! Victory is on the horizon!