Because this Sacred Harp Hymn...

Six year old Lorraine Miles leads Sacred Harp shape-note singing in Texas, 1931.

Genesis 28:16-17 New King James Version (NKJV)

16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!”

...brought me nearer to God tonight.  Surely, truly, the Lord was in this place.

Nearer My God to Thee. - 488b

Sacred Harp singing at Mount Pisgah in Stroud, Alabama. May 24,2008

Just Say It

1 Chronicles 16:36 New King James Version (NKJV)

36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel

From everlasting to everlasting![a]

And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Amen.

Say Amen (Reprise) - Finding Favor 

"Say Amen (Reprise)"

If there's anybody here who's found Him faithful

Anybody here who knows He's able

Say Amen.

And if there's anybody here who's seen His power

Anybody here brought through the fire

Say Amen.

Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow

Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow

And seen it time and time again

Just say Amen.

Even in the valley of the shadow

Or when you feel alone in the unknown

Just say Amen, just say Amen.

Even when the storms are raging

Stand and know you are not forsaken

Just say Amen, just say Amen.

Is there anybody here

Tell me is there anybody here

Come on and say Amen.

And if there's anybody here who's seen His power

Anybody here brought through the fire

Say Amen.

Anybody here found joy in the middle of sorrow

Peace in the storm, hope for tomorrow

And seen it time and time again

Just say Amen.

The Other Proverbs Woman

Mona felt like she had a few more things to say to her husband; but, to her surprise, discovered that there were no corners on the top of her house!

Proverbs 21:9 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop,

Than in a house shared with a contentious woman.

Armed with this knowledge, she then went searching for him in the wilderness...

 Proverbs 21:19 New King James Version (NKJV)

19 Better to dwell in the wilderness,

Than with a contentious and angry woman.

But he was last seen hitching a ride...

Proverbs 27:8 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

8 Like a bird that wanders from her nest,

So is a man who wanders from his [a]home.

It was good for Mona that her mother was in that car, and she was able to return him safely home. 

Proverbs 31:10King James Version (KJV)

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

They soon rekindled their love and lived reasonably happy ever after...

Proverbs 18:22 English Standard Version (ESV)

22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing

    and obtains favor from the Lord.

...after he got over his fear of rain.

Proverbs 27:15 New King James Version (NKJV)

15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day

And a contentious woman are alike;

Seek and Build

Now seek the Lord your God with all your heart. Build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord's covenant and the holy vessels of God into the Temple built to honor the Lord's name. I Chronicles 22:19

Seek and build.

The context here is David rounding up support for his son Solomon to get the Lord's temple built. David has a vision for this, but was told that he wasn't the king who would see it through. Solomon was.

Seek and build. Were they sequential or simultaneous? Were they one time or ongoing? I would say that seeking was praying, which we often think of as the first step of a spiritual project. However, there is a jumping-off point where we ought to do something relative to what we've been praying about. But, God wants our fellowship with him (I John 1:3), so we ought to pray again, then work again, and so on. Maybe that's why we hit snags in our projects, so that we don't take a one-and-done approach to prayer.

I ask myself: when has enough prayer been offered up relative to my "building"? Do I ever procrastinate the building by saying I should pray more? When do I assume I know what I am doing and don't consult God?

Some say the real work is done on one's knees, because it harnesses God's necessary power. In spiritual work, that has to be partially true.  On the other hand, the temple did have to be built through human effort. So should we spend most of our time working or most of our time praying? I think if we do both right along and avoid extremes, well, things will get done.

Seek and build.

beanscot's husband

Bill Monroe and The Bluegrass Boys - I'm Working On A Building

Work in Progress

I may struggle with this truth at times, but I am not a half-made child of a half-baked god.  I may be in progress but my almighty God, the architect of all creation, will complete me.  He will not abandon His purpose and plan for my life, which will one glorious day be fully realized.  Now if I could just stop meddling in the work He is doing that would be good.  There's no sense in making His job any harder than it already is.  

It's Sunday!

God bless church ladies everywhere.

Colton Dixon - Through All Of It