Easter Blessings: In Christ Alone, My Hope is Found

"In Christ Alone" is a powerful song written by Stuart Townend & Keith Getty.

We've sung it at our church for many years, and it has come to be my favorite.

It features the timeless message of the gospel-

the biblical truth of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Our hope is in the firm foundation of Christ -alone.

Meaning... just Christ.

Not Christ + going to church.

Not Christ + donating to charities.

Not Christ + obeying the Ten Commandments.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, 

and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9

It's not about what we have to do,

it's about what Jesus already DID.

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, 

he was crushed for our iniquities; 

the punishment that brought us peace was on him, 

and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Each and every verse is dynamic.

"What heights of love!"

"What depths of peace!"

Listen to Lauren Daigle's beautiful rendition

from YouTube, with lyrics below.

Rejoice in what He did for us...for YOU.

We stand in the love and power of Christ.

In Christ alone my hope is found,

He is my light, my strength, my song;

This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!

My Comforter, my All in All,

Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,

Fullness of God in helpless babe.

This gift of love and righteousness,

Scorned by the ones He came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,

The wrath of God was satisfied -

For every sin on Him was laid;

Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain:

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again!

And as He stands in victory

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine -

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,

This is the power of Christ in me;

From life's first cry to final breath,

Jesus commands my destiny.

No power of hell, no scheme of man,

Can ever pluck me from His hand:

Till He returns or calls me home,

Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/in-christ-alone/

Mele Kalikimaka to you!

Aloha!

You may have heard the song "Mele Kalikimaka," 

played throughout the month of December.

It's the Hawaiian Christmas Song, and the title words mean "Merry Christmas."

Written in 1947 by Honolulu-born Robert Alexander Anderson,

it has very upbeat lyrics with a happy, catchy tune.

Although the song has been recorded by many artists including

Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, Train, and even the Chipmunks,

I love the retro, 1950 rendition by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters.

Enjoy this YouTube video, featuring scenes from Christmas in Hawaii!

Charming, Primitive Angels by Country Craftworks

Oh, how we love angels!

They're quite the collectors' items, aren't they?

They remind us of God's promises and His loving care for us.

"For He shall give His angels charge over you,

to keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

Cristine Handler of Country Craftworks stitches lovely 

primitive angels in a variety of sizes and fabrics.

Such fine craftsmanship and attention to detail! 

She welcomes custom orders, too.

These are the Tapestry Angels. Beautiful fabrics with elegant style.

This Irish angel is an example of the top-selling "Apron Angels."

An angel in a plain muslin gown is purchased, 

then waits to be dressed in apron & wings sets.

Each set comes with something to place in the angel's hands,

such as this adorable basket of apples.

Here's where the fun comes in; 

change your angel's aprons & wings seasonally or for each holiday.

Of course, Christmas angels are very popular!

 Cris designs angels to reflect a variety of hobbies and interests:

sports, musical instruments, and even the US Armed Forces.

 Did somebody say "sports?"

A shout-out to our own Philly teams!

Here's a smaller 10" angel, shown on its wood display stand,

which is included with this size angel and larger.

Oh-so-charming!

And how cute are these little guys?

See more of Country Craftworks here:

Website

Facebook

My readers receive a 20% discount on online orders
 during the month of September!
Enter coupon code PAISLEY at checkout.

Country Craftworks participates in various local craft fairs, and is 
always at the hugely popular Kutztown Folk Festival in Kutztown, PA.

Photos taken with permission from Cristine Handler.

Rollin' Out Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

Hooray for summer! Each year on the first day of summer, 
I sing a song made famous by the incomparable Nat King Cole. 
It's just a good old fashioned fun song that is guaranteed to make you happy!
I have to share it with you, so you can learn it and sing along.

For your listening and toe-tapping pleasure,
courtesy of a BBC special back in 1963 called 
"An Evening with Nat King Cole," and YouTube, is
"Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer!"

Another of my posts:
"When I Fall in Love" ~ Nat King Cole

Christian Hymn Art by Little Things Studio

I was so happy to see this lovely art by Kate Whitley of Little Things Studio!

Kate, from Nashville, TN, uses the lyrics from well-known Christian hymns.

She prints them out with her stellar typography,

and then doodles and sketches all around to create

wonderful, eye-catching wall art and calendars!

Kate has also done Scripture verses like this one~

...and quotes like these~

See more from Little Things Studio here:

Website

Etsy

Facebook

Twitter

Images used with direct permission from Kate Whitley.

Christmas Harmonies by Straight No Chaser

wosu.org

Have you heard of the a cappella group, Straight No Chaser?

Wow, are they terrific!

They began in 1996 as 10 college guys from Indiana University.

They've come a long way since then.

 I'm sharing 2 YouTube videos for your viewing pleasure!

newstalk955

First is my favorite, The Christmas Can-Can! 

So much fun!

Next is the newly released (as of November 2014) video

Text Me Merry Christmas featuring Kristen Bell.

Visit the Straight No Chaser website!

"Mary, Did You Know?" - Art and Pentatonix

VickieWadeFineArt

The video performance of Pentatonix singing "Mary Did You Know"

may have made its way to your ears via social media.

If so, you know what I'm excited about! 

Their fresh rendition of this gorgeous song is amazing!

Before we listen in, though, I'm sharing several beautiful

pieces of art from Etsy; each one depicts the precious bond

between Jesus and his mother Mary, as does the song.

Then hold tight for that video, as well as some info 

about the a capella phenomenon called Pentatonix! 

CiarciArt

ByzantineArt

ExpressivePaintings

FlorLarios

LoveHeartsArt

DorisEttlingerStudio

RoseWalton

kboing

Members of Pentatonix are

Avi Kaplan, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch Grassi, Kevin Olusola & Scott Hoying.

They got their name from the pentatonic -or 5 note- scale, and often abbreviate it as PTX.

They won the 3rd season of the TV competition show "The Sing Off."

Their album "That's Christmas to Me" is on Amazon.com.

Find more of Pentatonix on their

website and on Facebook.

Prince Ea's "Can We Auto-Correct Humanity?"

cnn.com

This artist's video rap is spot-on.

He addresses the electronics-crazed society that we've become.

It really hits home. Be convicted.

While we're at it, check out my post entitled
The Cell Phone Appendange.

Thriller - The Man & The Moves

dailymail.co.uk

In 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller video made a lasting wow-factor impact around the globe.
MTV was only 2 years old at the time and most music videos cost around $100,000.
Thriller's cost was $500,000. Unprecedented.

Plus, it was 14 minutes long. Unprecedented.

The Thriller zombie dance is as popular today as it ever was.
OK. I'll admit. I'd love to learn how to do it.
In fact, I'll even admit that it's on my bucket list.

ifunny

Piece of cake, right? Ha!
There are lots of tutorials on YouTube.
(No doubt I'll need to watch them all.)


Speaking of YouTube, have you seen the Making of Thriller videos?
Worth checking out to appreciate the rehearsals, the make-up, the costumes, the special effects
-all that fabulous behind-the-scenes action we love-
plus lots of other great stuff for MJ fans.

mjjccommunity

Without further ado, here's the video.
Even if, like me, you've seen it dozens of times,
I know you'll want to watch it again,
"...for no mere mortal can resist
the evil of the thriller!"
(Cue ghoulish laugh from Vincent Price.)

Memorial Day Taps

walmart

Daniel Butterfield was a Major General in the Civil War.

He composed a song we all recognize: Taps.

Evoking respect, reverence, and often tears,

it's played as we lay to rest the brave men and women

who served our country, protecting our rights and freedoms.

We're familiar with the tune, but few of us know the words.

As you read the lyrics, take them to heart

in honor of those those who gave all.

"Fading light dims the sight,

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright.

From afar drawing nigh, falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.

All is well, safely rest, God is nigh.

Then good night, peaceful night,

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear. Friend, good night."

The Art of …The Beatles

Thiago Krening

Beatles fans - this one's for you!

This month marks the 50 year anniversary of The Beatles 

taking America by storm on the stage of the Ed Sullivan Show. 

They sang "All My Loving" to an audience of screaming, crying fans, 

and from that moment on, rock and roll has never been the same.

Enjoy this selection of artwork of the Fab Four!

Jonathan Vizcuna

Brigette Barrager

Jonathan Edwards

mozzarellapoppy

manish mansinh

Peerro

perry dixon maple

paloma valdivia

maxim dalton