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 The other day I saw that Elizabeth Prentiss also wrote more books besides Stepping Heavenward so I looked and found that one can read them for free on Google books. I just finished "the story of the Percys, or A mother's influence" which had me in tears several times. Here's one part that particularly stood out to me. I hope you are also encouraged by it. 

 I suppose one might almost expect it of Charles Wesley; apparently he wrote a few poems or hymns on the occasions of his birthday (one for his wife's birthday too!)  1 Away with our fears, The glad morning appears, When an heir of salvation was born! From Jehovah I came, For his glory I am, And to him I with singing return. 2 Thee, Jesus, alone, The fountain I own Of my life and felicity here: And cheerfully sing My Redeemer and King, Till his signs in the heav'ns appear. 3 With thanks I rejoice In thy fatherly choice Of my state and condition below; If of parents I came Who honour'd thy name, 'Twas thy wisdom appointed it so. 4 I sing of thy grace, From my earliest days, Ever near to allure and defend; Hitherto thou hast been My preserver from sin, And I trust thou wilt save to the end. 5 O the infinite cares And temptations and snares Thy hand hath conducted me through! O the blessings bestow'd By a bountiful God, And the mercies eternally new! 6 What a mercy is ...

 𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗘! My ruling desire is to be wholly given up to the Lord and to His work, and to show forth His praises from day to day. But when I aim at this most--I am baffled, opposed, and always hindered! I see what is wrong, but cannot avoid it. I see what is right, but cannot attain unto it. I know what I wish, but I cannot enjoy it. I read what God commands, but I cannot perform it. In the midst of all, I bless God . . .    for Jesus Christ,    for free grace,    for a full salvation,    for abiding comfort,    for a good hope,    for sweet views of Jesus,    for a glorious inheritance,    for an assurance of victory, and    for the promise of eternal triumph! Nothing can . . .   separate me from Jesus,   turn the current of His love from me, or   change the purposes of His grace for me. His love is astonishing! His ways are marvelous! I change; He remains ...

I hope these quotes from Elizabeth Prentiss, (1818 – 1878), challenge, bless and encourage you, as they do for me.   The longer I live, the more conscious I am of my human frailty—and of the constant, overwhelming need I have of God's grace. Dying grace is not usually given until it is needed. Death, to the disciple of Jesus, is only stepping from one room to another and far better room of our Father's house. And how little all the sorrows of the way will seem to us, when we get to our home above. You never will be really happy—until Christ becomes your dearest and most intimate friend. Seek God—not joy. God delights to try our faith by the conditions in which He places us. What are trials, but angels to beckon us nearer to Him. What does it matter, after all, from what point of time or space, that we go to our eternal home. O how we shall smile after we get there—that we ever gave it one moment's thought. In proportion to your devotion to the Savior—will be the blessedness...

 I think this seems an appropriate piece to share. I hope you find it an encouraging blessing.  "PROVIDENCE AND GRACE "This is the resting place, let the weary rest; and this is the place of repose"— "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord." "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord." Psalm 37:23, 39 Here are two fronds of God's palm-grove bending over His true people. Comforting, as we have seen, is the great fundamental truth of theology—"The Lord reigns"—that all events are ordered and controlled by a supreme superintending Providence. But there is a special comfort to believers—the spiritual Israel of every age—that their 'steps,'—their plans and purposes in life (in a better and nobler than the heathen sense—their "destinies")—are overruled by a gracious covenant-Jehovah. That is a beautiful picture given in Hosea (11:1-5) of God, as a Father, watching and guiding the steps of His own children. I...

 I was listening to a sermon this morning and this phrase the preacher repeated caught my attention because I remembered reading a poem about it. I found the lyrics and a tune but can't find who authored it. 

  The Grace of God "My grace," 'tis the God of all grace who hath spoken, Whose word in the heavens forever is set; Whose covenant promise hath never been broken; Who never can fail or forget; Who knoweth my needs and who seeth my sorrows, However so many and great they may be; Who heareth my prayers for the days and the morrows; His grace is sufficient for me. "My grace;" all His blessings this work is unfolding, His love and His power in harmony blend; 'Tis grace that hath saved me, and grace that is holding, And grace that will keep to the end; 'Tis grace that hath written redemption's glad story, And grace all the song of the ransomed shall be; 'Tis grace that transforms me from glory to glory; That grace is sufficient for me. "My grace is," not "was," and not "will be;" 'tis flowing Each hour and each moment my need to supply, The deeper I dip, still the deeper 'tis growing, No drought can diminish or dr...

Samuel Rutherford was born in Scotland in 1600 and he died in 1661. I recently started reading his "Garden of Spices" and wanted to share a couple of the poems found therein. Some may find the very old fashioned language harder to understand but I think they're worth reading.  I hope you also find them encouraging. 

Here are a couple of things I want to remember as we head into 2024. No matter what the coming year has in store for us, we can rejoice in the fact that our Saviour is completely faithful and He holds us securely. We can rejoice knowing we are extremely blessed to be part of His family.  We belong to Him so we should serve and worship Him joyfully and gratefully.  He is our Help, our Refuge, our Strong Tower. When we fully trust Him and desire to please Him He will be honoured and glorified.  He invites us to pour out our hearts to Him. Scripture promises there will be difficult times ahead but while we walk humbly with Him, He will always be with us, so we need not fear.    I hope you are encouraged by the above quote by J. C. Ryle.   

Ho, every one that is thirsty in spirit, Ho, every one that is weary and sad; Come to the fountain, there’s fulness in Jesus, All that you’re longing for, come and be glad. Refrain: “I will pour water on him that is thirsty, I will pour floods upon the dry ground; Open your heart for the gift I am bringing; While you are seeking Me, I will be found.” Child of the world, are you tired of your bondage? Weary of earth-joys, so false, so untrue? Thirsting for God and His fulness of blessing? List to the promise, a message for you! Child of the Kingdom, be filled with the Spirit! Nothing but fulness thy longing can meet: ‘Tis the enduement for life and for service; Thine is the promise, so certain, so sweet. Although this hymn is in the Redemption hymnal, I hadn't noticed it there...  Written by Lucy Rider Meyer born in Vermont, 1849, died in 1922.

  The world's politics, pleasures, and pursuits! The world and the Church are essentially and eternally  distinct  — and they ought to be  distinguishable . The Church ought not to  mix  with the world — but to bear a practical testimony against it, that its  works  and  ways  are evil. All through our Lord's prayer, He keeps up the distinction, and twice over He asserts of His disciples,  "They are not of the world — even as I am not of the world!" Believers are not of the world. They are born from above, and possess a  nature  far superior to that of the world — which  unfits  them for its pleasures and pursuits, and  qualifies  them for the enjoyments and employments of the Heavenly world. They are delivered from the  thraldom  of the world — and are raised above its pursuits and its joys. They will not be  conquered  by the world — but overcome it by faith. They will not be ...

  “We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God, and are called according to His purpose!” Romans 8:28 If you are a sincere believer in Jesus, whatever may be your present difficult circumstances, however trying, however perplexing, “It will all end in mercy!” You may not think so now. You may be writing bitter things against yourself. You may be misinterpreting the designs of God’s providence. You may be doubting the precious promises of God’s holy Word. But, notwithstanding your mistakes, your doubts, your fears, your false conclusions – “It will all end in mercy!” You do not think so- nor did Jacob once, nor did Joseph once, nor did Job once, nor did thousands once – who are now in glory! They were mistaken – and so are you! They judged by appearances – and so do you! They changed their minds- and so will you! All your troubles are appointed in infinite love! They are all weighed out by sovereign goodness! They are all limited by perfect...

I searched some sites and found all these quotes from Alan Redpath. I know very little about him but nearly all of these greatly encouraged me in some way.  I hope you are also blessed, challenged and encouraged.  (This first one is abridged to make it more personal.)  "God expects nothing from (insert your name here) but failure. We are no different today from the day before we were converted. We would be capable of committing any sin imaginable but for the grace of God. We are no different as people from what we were as youngsters. And the sins that beset us then beset us now, were it not for a constant, continual dependence upon the blood of Jesus, and the grace of God, and the power of the Holy Ghost to keep us.  As long as I seek by His grace to maintain the attitude of committal and surrender to Him, then every demand, however unexpected or grim, hard, tough; every decision, however difficult; every temptation, every fierce dart of the Enemy of my soul is an at...

Written in the 20th century, but for today....??? Aiden Wilson Tozer 1897 - 1963 "This frightening hour calls aloud for men with the gift of prophetic insight. Instead we have men who conduct surveys, polls and panel discussions. We need men with the gift of knowledge. In their place we have men with scholarship---nothing more. If the church in the second half of this century is to recover from the injuries she suffered in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting. Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray Go...