The Great Re-Wardrobing; The Anticipation (Ok...dread)

Well, I finally looked through my entire wardrobe today, which I haven't properly done in a few years. The result is that, between clothes that are so worn that they are not modest and clothes that are too tight  now that I'm up to a healthy weight and size (Long story short; accidentally dropped 20+ pounds after high school and became dreadfully, sickly skinny), I have had to toss almost my entire wardrobe. And I am NOT happy.

  Why am I not happy? Because NOW I have to go clothes shopping, and as anyone who knows me is aware of, I DREAD clothes shopping. Clothes these days are mostly tailored to fit super models; i.e. girls with little to no curves. And now that I am at a proper weight, those clothes don't fit me. So now I have to find clothes that are designed for a woman's body, with a body shape that I am no longer familiar with because it has taken me years to get to a proper weight, in a society that hates women's bodies. Weee. I'm not looking forward to this.

  To top it off, it's an entirely new wardrobe! I could completely redo my own style! I could go more into the East Indian tunics that I like. I could go strictly 1940s vintage. I could wear slacks and formal skirts with blazers all the time. I could go more into soft sweaters and nice soft shapes. I could go with a more tailored look. The possibilities are just staggering! It's quite frightening, really! So many choices!

So...I'm going to be trying to figure out what I want to do with my new wardrobe, and when our favorite thrift store has their "all clothes 99 cent sale" this coming weekend, my Mum and I are going shopping for an entirely new wardrobe for me. Oh Goody.

For as much as I love seeing bright, cheery clothes on other people, and as much as I love complimenting people on their clothes, I DESPISE clothes shopping. Once the clothes are in my closet, I won't go clothes shopping again for MONTHS.

Birthday Surprise!

Oh my, can I just say that I LOVE the ladies in my small group? They are so good to me!

This past Thursday was my birthday, but my Bible study was Wednesday. I was feeling a bit down on Wednesday, because only one person had remembered it on Sunday (and her card was absolutely LOVELY by the way!) Because of that, I thought no one would else outside of my immediate family would remember it at all. So I was feeling rather forgotten.

Anyhow, that evening, I left for my small group, and to my surprise, one of the girls met me outside the church. That seemed a bit odd. She actually came out to meet me. And then another. And then the third. And then the fourth, and they were all outside talking to me, and talking about how much they enjoyed being outside. Let me tell you, they don't usually do this. They usually go inside and sit down and wait in the room, discussing their week. They don't usually stand outside. It was mighty suspicious, I tell you!

Then, one of the girls asked if they could speak to one of the others in private, and one by one they all went back inside, telling me to stay OUTSIDE! Well, what with it being my birthday the next day and all, it smelled like the makings of a surprise party. But I didn't want to assume anything and be disappointed, so I tried to distract myself by looking at the small plants outside the church.

Finally, they called me in, and what do you think they had done?! They had tied 5 lovely birthday balloons to my seat (one of them was HUGE! O.o MASSIVE!), a card signed by all of them was at my place, and the best cake baker in church had made us 5 little chocolate fudge pudding cakes with ice cream and strawberries, and they had placed them in a row down the middle of the table on a lovely table cloth. It was marvelous! I felt so loved! And then they all prayed for this coming year for me, and it was just so sweet!  It was a lovely surprise!

And then one of the other ladies had also gotten me some lovely perfume and lotion, and other people wished me happy birthday...it was a splendid birthday!


To all you lovelies:

"Blessed Redeemer"

I was looking through one of the hymnals we have today, an older red hymnal, and I stumbled upon this fantastic hymn written by Avis Marguerite Burgeson Christiansen in 1920.

Image pulled from: "Blessed Redeemer (Christiansen)". Cyberhymnal.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 11 July 2016.

A little more research into the background of this hymn writer;
She was born in 1895, Chicago Illinois, into a home that was very much devoted to serving the LORD, and at a young age she gave her life to the LORD. At the age of 10 she was inspired by her godly grandmother and wrote her first poem, and in her teens she began seriously writing hymns. Throughout her life these poems would be inspired by her wonder of the Gospel and of Salvation, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to GOD. She studied Scripture at Moody Evening School, and she drew from her training there to create deep theologically sound hymns.

She later met Ernest C. Christiansen, and they were married in 1917. Despite the responsibilities she had as a busy housewife, she never stopped writing her hymns. By the time of her Death in 1985 she had written thousands of hymns, many of which we still sing today.

Here are a few of her hymns;

• Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
• Jesus! Wonderful Name!
• Victory in Jesus
• What Must I Do?
• How Can It Be?

But today, we're looking at "Blessed Redeemer."
~~~

Up Calvary’s mountain, one dreadful morn,

Walked Christ my Savior, weary and worn;

Facing for sinners death on the cross,

That He might save them from endless loss.

Refrain:

Blessèd Redeemer! Precious Redeemer!

Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree;

Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading,

Blind and unheeding—dying for me!

“Father forgive them!” thus did He pray,

E’en while His lifeblood flowed fast away;

Praying for sinners while in such woe

No one but Jesus ever loved so.

Refrain

O how I love Him, Savior and Friend,

How can my praises ever find end!

Through years unnumbered on Heaven’s shore,

My tongue shall praise Him forevermore.

Refrain

~~~~~~~~~~

Isn't it wonderful?! I love it! It's a fantastic hymn! Here's the free sheet music for it: Blessed Redeemer Sheet music. It's a different key than the one I play, but I think you can still use it.

Anyhow, isn't that a wonderful hymn! I love finding hymns that tell the Gospel! So many hymns are about us, but this, this one is about HIM! Fantastic! It's right, too! I was blind! I was unheeding! I was a wretched sinner! But JESUS died for me! What an amazing thought! 

Why didn't we grow up with such hymns as these, that look at the cross in awe? I grew up in the church, but so few hymns that we sang portrayed the Gospel! And even in this hymn, we only see a tiny piece of what HE did. There is always more to learn of the Gospel! It's marvelous!

So, I just thought I'd share this with you! Cheerio!