All posts by CMLAdmin

Author of a dozen books available on barnesandnoble.com, amazon.com and other online bookstores.
Abundant Divine Provision

SILENT SATURDAY

Silent Saturday. This is what today – the day between the cross and the empty tomb – is sometimes called. It is a day that both God and Christ were silent. This morning, it occurred to me that for the followers of Jesus, it was also “shut-in Saturday.” They were sheltered in place. If they showed their faces, they would be arrested – and perhaps brutally beaten or crucified, too. The authorities were watching for them.

The big difference between those Believers and the Believers of today who are sheltered in place was the silent part. We can stand in our doorways or our windows and shout praise to the name of Jesus. The followers of Christ on the silent Saturday before Resurrection day could not do this. Singing praise to the Lord or shouting His name would have been a sure death sentence for them.

What they were, that we are not, was together. Yet, we have social media and video chats and telephones – ways to be together in fellowship, even though we are not together physically. Their only communication between small groups was a messenger with a note – a messenger who might not make it to his or her destination.

So, as we shelter in place on this Silent Saturday, let us remember the many blessings we have as 21st Century Believers in Jesus Christ and be thankful that we do not have to be silent!

Miscellany

A Prayer For Today

I have been working my way through, “Stand Out: The Outstanding Person and Prophecies of Daniel,” by Dr. David Stroder in my “spare” time. I do more writing than reading, so it takes a pretty special book to capture my attention (and time).

When I got to Page 103 a couple days ago, the prayer at the end of Chapter 4 [The Rise and Fall of Pride – Daniel 4] really struck me as relevant to what the world is going through today. It’s an “everything is turned upside down, what now?” prayer. So, I asked Dr. Stroder if I could share this prayer with my readers.

In the preface to the prayer, Dr. Stroder writes, “Is there an issue of pride in your heart? Are you self-focused, self-important and self-reliant? Are you at the center of your life? Regain your sanity and proclaim – Heaven rules! Get off the throne of your life and surrender it to the only One worthy of being called King of kings.”

Stand Out - David Stroder

If you are interested in purchasing “Stand Out,” send me a message with your email contact information and I will pass it along to Dr. Stroder.

That Kind of Love - Finding and Keeping Your Everyday Valentine

It Takes Three

“Christ is the head of our household, and love is the language spoken here.”

Several times in recent months, I have seen posts on social media asking what people thought were “essentials” to make a Christian marriage successful. On each of them, I posted the “theme” of our marriage, that I wrote and put on our refrigerator the first week we were married:

“It’s plain to see,
A good marriage takes three.
First, our dear Lord,
Then you, then me!”

Keeping Jesus Christ first and foremost as the head of household is critical.

  • When both of you understand that neither of you is actually, “the boss,” it can eliminate virtually all arguing and disagreements. Yes, the husband is the physical head of household; you are a team with a team leader.
  • When both of you are focused on what will please Christ, it is very difficult for you to treat each other poorly.  His example of serving those he encountered is our example for serving each other; seeing a need even before it is expressed because he was truly looking inside the person.
  • When both of you share the common goal of serving Christ in every aspect of your daily living, you will seldom disagree on any aspect of day-to-day living: where you attend church, who your close friends are, how you will decorate your home, what you will eat.

Will you ever disagree? Probably now and then. But, if you are dedicated to being a true follower of Jesus Christ and a true partner to your sweetheart, disagreements should be few and far between.

God bless you, as you consider these thoughts.

YANKS

JUST THINKIN’

JUST THINKIN’
Standin’ up here on the fire-step,
Lookin’ ahead in the mist,
With a tin hat over your ivory
And a rifle clutched in your fist;
Waitin’ and watchin’ and wond’rin’
If the Hun’s comin’ over tonight –
Say, ain’t the things you think of
Enough to give you a fright?

Things you ain’t even thought of
For a couple o’ months or more;
Things that ‘ull set you laughin’,
Things that ‘ull make you sore;
Things that you saw in the movies,
Things that you saw on the street,
Things that you’re really proud of,
Things at are – not so sweet.

Debts that are past collectin’,
Stories you hear and forget,
Ball games and birthday parties,
Hours of drill in the wet;
Headlines, recruitin’ posters,
Sunsets’way out at sea,
Evenings of pay days – golly,
It’s a queer thing, this memory!

Faces of pals in Homeburg
Voices of women folk,
Verses you learnt in schooldays,
Pop up in the mist and smoke,
As you stand there, grippin’ that rifle,
A-starin’, and chilled to the bone,
Wonderin’ and wonderin’ and wonderin’,
Just thinkin’ there – all alone!

When will the war be over?
When will the gang break through?
What will the U.S. look like?
What will there be to do?
Where will the Boches be then?
Who will have married Nell?
When’s that relief a-comin’ up?
Gosh! But this thinkin’s hell!
HUDSON HAWLEY, Pvt. MG. Bn.

1918 Yanks publication
Yanks 1918
Hudson Hawley, Pvt. M.G. Bn.

 

YANKS

DAD’S LETTERS

My dad ain’t just the letter writin’ kind –
He’s rather let the women see to that;
He’s got a mess o’ troubles on his mind,
And likes to keep ‘em underneath his hat.

And p’raps because he isn’t very strong
On talkin’, why, he’s kind o’ weak on ink;
But he can work like sin the whole year long,
And, crickey, how that dad o’ mine can think!

When I set out from Homeville last July,
He didn’t bawl the way my sister did;
He just shook hands and says, “Well, boy, good-bye.”
(He’s got his feelin’s, but he keeps ‘em hid.)

And so when mother writes about the things
That I spend half my time a-thinkin’ of,
There’s one short line that every letter brings;
“Father will write, and meanwhile sends his love.”
“Father will write,” Well, some day p’raps he will –
There’s lots of funny prophecies come true;
But if he just keeps promisin’ to, still,
I’ll understand, and dad’ll know I do.

1918 Yanks poetry
Yanks 1918 – Dad’s Letters

YANKS – Copyright 1918 – FOREWORD

The verses that make up this little book have all been published in THE STARS AND STRIPES, the official newspaper of the American Expeditionary Forces. They have come in from the field, the back areas, the ports; they have been written on the eve of battle; the men who wrote some of them have paid the great price. They are the heart and soul of the American Army in France. It is their only claim to distinction. It is enough.

YANKS

ON LEARNING FRENCH

YANKS – Copyright 1918 – FOREWORD

“The verses that make up this little book have all been published in THE STARS AND STRIPES, the official newspaper of the American Expeditionary Forces. They have come in from the field, the back areas, the ports; they have been written on the eve of battle; the men who wrote some of them have paid the great price. They are the heart and soul of the American Army in France. It is their only claim to distinction. It is enough.”

Throughout the remainder of November, we will be posting excerpts from this amazing little 100-year-old book that is literally falling to pieces. It is time to share it, rather than just have it sitting on a shelf in a plastic bag. We will eventually make a slide show gallery of photos of all of the pages in the book.

ON LEARNING FRENCH

Like silver bells heard in a mist,
Or moonstone echoes from some brook
Where silver birches wall a nook,
Or like sea ripples moon-lit kissed,

Or like a lake of silver ledges
Where iris water-lilies lave,
Or like some lark’s translucent wave
Of song above white hawthorn hedges,

The maiden ripples French to me;
But I am like an argonaut
In some mute agony of thought,
Lost in sound’s sweet tranquility.

ALFRED J. FRITCHEY, Camp Hospital 30

1918 military poetry
On Learning French
Alfred J. Fritchey, Camp Hospital 30
YANKS

YANKS – 1918

YANKS – Copyright 1918 – FOREWORD
The verses that make up this little book have all been published in THE STARS AND STRIPES, the official newspaper of the American Expeditionary Forces. They have come in from the field, the back areas, the ports; they have been written on the eve of battle; the men who wrote some of them have paid the great price. They are the heart and soul of the American Army in France. It is their only claim to distinction. It is enough.

When this amazing little book came to us from a relative nearly 15 years ago, we didn’t really realize what a treasure it is!

Yanks 1918 Title Page

This type of literature is hard to come by. As you can see, the pages are extraordinarily fragile. The booklet measures 7 1/2″ by 4 3/4″.

Some of the authors are named, some are just initials, some have no name attached to them. In my next post, I will include a list of the poem titles and authors.

A few of these “works” are not suitable for a “mixed audience,” so we will not include them here, this being a Christian site and blog.

Abundant Divine Provision, Miscellany

Spring Flows

As we worked to manage the springs literally flowing straight out of the ground the first Spring season we spent in our new home (Spring 11 approaching now), I decided to pound a small section of leftover PVC pipe into the bank above one of the seeps to see if I could get it to flow out the pipe. It did, and still does – every Spring – for several months, usually.

God provides many “signs” of Spring approaching. One of ours here on Mt. Snowberry is flowing water, straight out of the ground, in a dozen or so areas of our 38-acre mountainside property, even up toward the top of what you can see in the picture below. Our property ends where the sky meets the land.

You can see why we don’t “farm” our acreage!

There are spots during the Spring, where you will be walking along and step right into a water flow coming out of the grassy slope.

We have come to the conclusion, over the years, that this mountain is just one big crumbling rock with varying amounts of dirt on it. The mossy greens that grow around the springs are a unique and welcome pop of color as we transition from white snow to gray death to Spring.

Water lovers
Fertilizer in the making.

Spring seems to be early this year; although it is supposed to snow in a couple of days. The tender young grasses are beginning to poke through in this favorite deer trail that goes right over a rotting log left over from the wildfire that took most of the timber from our side of the mountain more than 50 years ago.

Water flows, in this endless cycle that God created; nourishing, enriching, carving, sustaining life – and soothing, as I sat and listened to the sound of the water arriving on the rocks below the pipe. Thanking Him today for His generous provision!

RSVP Reading2Presentation

New RSVP Spelling and Vocabulary Grade 6

 

RSVP 6th Grade Old Hymns

We’ve been promising you the next study book in the RSVP Reading2Presentation series, and here it is!

Beginning with a carefully chosen set of lyrics from hymns 100+ years old, this 6th grade level spelling and vocabulary workbook offers the usual 18 weeks of study, with a suggested culminating presentation at the end of the 18 weeks.

Click on the book picture or go to the CML Bookstore tab and select RSVP in the pulldown menu for secure purchase through Amazon.

Email info@wordcompanyusa.com for information on discounts for orders of more than 10 workbooks at $8.00 each. We cannot sell bulk discounts through amazon, but can take payments with PayPal or credit card through PayPal and direct ship them to you.

The next book coming out in this series will be for 9th grade, and offers 18 short literary selections from the 1900s for the in-context study material. This book should be available by Fall 2019.

Calendars, Selkirk Devotionals

2018 Calendars Available

Christian Mountain Living is pleased to announce the completed publication of two calendars for 2018. Both are high-quality, full-color on 100# white card stock, wire bound for flush hanging on the wall. All of our calendars will include standard U.S. holidays.

The 2018 Selkirk Mountain Inspiration calendar contains 12 images, paired with Scripture, chosen from among the three SMI devotional books. In the case that a stored image was not of the appropriate size for the calendar, we have used a similar image with the scripture verse from the book.

The 2018 Fabulous Flowers calendar contains 12 floral images, some wildflowers and some garden flowers – or other garden plants – printed with a floral watermark background for a more “formal” appearance.

Although we will likely produce more than two calendars most years in the future, we began this venture with just two. You can preview and purchase them by clicking on the 2018 Calendars tab on this website.