Ale for the Soul

You were the Word at the beginning One With God the Lord Most High Your hidden glory in creation Now revealed in You our Christ What a beautiful Name it is What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a beautiful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a beautiful Name it is The Name of Jesus You didn't want heaven without us So Jesus, You brought heaven down My sin was great, Your love was greater What could separate us now What a wonderful Name it is What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus Christ my King What a wonderful Name it is Nothing compares to this What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus What a wonderful Name it is The Name of Jesus How sweet is your name, Lord, how good You are Love to sing in the name of the Lord, love to sing for you all? Death could not hold You, the veil tore before You You silenced the boast, of sin and grave The heavens are roaring, the praise of Your glory For You are raised to life again You h...

What a month this has been!  First, I have been super-productive in accomplishing project after project around the apartment.  After two and a half years living in the same place, I am finally getting to install ceiling fans and to hang permanent curtains to cover the windows.  Why did it take this long to get these items checked off the list, you may ask?!  Quite frankly, I couldn't find anyone willing to take on the tasks.  Maybe the jobs were beneath them and not worth their time and effort.  Who knows?!  Regardless, the place has taken on an almost new identity, and I am pleased with the end result.  Houston will always be my home, but this place has become a decent surrogate, an oasis of sorts, until such time as I can move back to Harris County.  In addition to the accomplished projects, I did have a job interview this month.  Out of all the job applications and resumes submitted, I have only heard one response.  Hmph!  O...

Anyone who knows me, realizes I can not pass up on an obscure holiday like today.  I am a book fiend!  The five dollar word for this is bibliophile.  Yep, that describes me perfectly.  The publishing industry has undergone huge evolutions of growth since the invention of the printing press hundreds of years ago: leaflets, paperbacks, trade covers, hard covers, online, and etc.  Most of those are acceptable forms of production.  In my opinion, reading a book online in the form of an e-book is cheating.  (Or maybe I'm simply too old-fashioned.)  Where is the opportunity to highlight and to make notes in the margin?  I also find the ability to cross-reference much easier in traditional book form.  As nice as hard covers are, paperbacks are really the way to go.  First, they are usually cheaper than their hardback counterpart.  In addition, paperbacks are easier to handle while reading.  No, I'm not talking about wrapping the ...

We've gathered in the name the name that is love We've come with our hearts and our prayers We've lifted our offerings up His touch is all we desire We prayed that his spirit would rain down like fire And it's raining again Mmm, the spirit of heaven is falling on men It's raining Again Mmm, and all of our heartache soon will be cleansed For his love is a consuming shower And it rains down glory and power It's raining again (it's raining again) Yeah, yeah Oh, were washed in the blood The blood that defines, Mmm And he holds the sin they have Any one of the enemies lives Hey all lives are safe in his grace (safe in his grace) And my spirit is strengthened each time that it rains And it's raining again Yeah the spirit of heaven is falling on men It's raining again And all of our heartache soon will be cleansed His love is a consuming shower And it rains down glory and power It's raining again Again! (And no love) No love is like this And no love...

Strangely out of place There's a light filling this room Where none would follow before I can't deny it burns me up inside I fan the flames to melt Away my pride Do I want shelter from the rain Or the rain to wash me way? I need you, I need you, I need you I need you, I need you, I need you You're all I'm living for. I might sound like a fool But I think I felt you moving Closer to me Face to the ground To hide the fatal cut I fight the weight I feel you lift me up You are the shelter from the rain And the rain to wash me away I need you, I need you, I need you I need you, I need you, I need you (All I'm living for) I need you, I need you, I need you You're all I'm living for All I'm living for You're all I'm living for Face to the ground To hide the fatal cut I fight the weight Feel you lift me up Can't deny it burns me up inside I fan the flames to melt away My pride Only had a second to spare But all the time in the wo...

"Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me."—Job 10:2. And will God contend with man? If God be angry, can he not take away the breath of his nostrils, and lay him low in the dust of earth? If the heart of the Almighty be moved unto hot displeasure, can he not speak in his anger, and will not the soul of man sink into the lowest hell? Will God contend—will he set himself in battle array against his creature? and such a creature?—the creature of an hour—a thing that is not, that is here to-day and gone to-morrow? Will the Almighty contend with the nothingness of man? Will the everlasting God take up the weapons of war, and go out to fight against the insect of a day? Well might we cry out to him, "after whom is my Lord the King gone forth? After a dead dog: after a flea?" Wilt thou hunt the partridge on the mountains with an army, and wilt thou go forth against a gnat with shield and spear? Shall the everlasting God who fainteth not, neither is weary, at whose re...

“ I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.”  [2 Timothy 1:6] I suppose that Timothy was a somewhat shy and timid youth and that from the gentleness of his nature he needed to be exhorted to be bold in his witness and testimony. He is told not to be ashamed to testify about our Lord, and to endure hardship like a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He is called to the front though his timid nature would have kept him in the rear, and he is exhorted to command and teach, allowing no one to despise his youth.  Perhaps, also, he was not a man of very forceful action, and needed every now and then a little touch of the spur to induce him to awaken all his dormant energy to energize himself and his church in passionate labor for Christ. He had a very choice spirit, and therefore it was desirable to see it strong, brave, and energetic. No one would wish to arouse a bad man, for like a viper he is all the more worse when awakene...

How can anyone pass on a day like this?  I certainly can't!  Vanilla ice cream has always been my favorite flavor...PERIOD!!!  Of course I realize other people have differences of opinion, which is fine, but don't knock me for what I love.  Several times I vividly remember hearing taunts of how could I love such a bland flavor...gross!  No one is forcing "them" to like anything as it is simply my personal preference.  Some people like pistachio, for instance, which I think is absolutely disgusting.  Ha ha!  I don't run around bad-mouthing these people, even though I question their taste buds and discernment as to what is delicious versus what is edible.  As a friend always says, that's why we have chocolate and vanilla.  We are all different, and that is what makes this world very interesting to live in.  Ponder this scenario...  A banana split without vanilla ice cream: strawberry, chocolate, and...cookies-n-cream.  No, h...

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, Much we need Thy tender care; In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, For our use Thy folds prepare: Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are; Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Thou hast bought us, Thine we are. We are Thine, do Thou befriend us, Be the guardian of our way; Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, Seek us when we go astray: Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray; Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Hear, O hear us when we pray. Thou hast promised to receive us, Poor and sinful though we be; Thou hast mercy to relieve us, Grace to cleanse, and pow'r to free: Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee; Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Early let us turn to Thee. Early let us seek Thy favor, Early let us do Thy will; Blessed Lord and only Savior, With Thy love our bosoms fill: Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us still; Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus, Thou hast loved us, love us...