The past two days have been full of the unexpected. You know, when life happens! My middle son, Caleb, started having abdominal pain on Monday and by Wednesday it had gotten to the point where he felt he needed to see a doctor. He had a CAT scan and it was confirmed that it was his appendix. Thursday morning was blood work, consultation with the surgeon at his office, admission to the hospital, hours of waiting, and surgery. He is fine (other than being in pain) and is already home this morning! What a whirlwind!
So today, I thought I would share one of my very first blog posts and one of my first pillow designs I made for my Etsy shop. I'm reworking the design a bit and it will again be available for sale in my shop in the next week or so. I'm so happy that my sales have been picking up, but that means I'm definitely more busy filling orders and have less time to work on home projects. I'm hoping that this weekend I can get some spring decorating done to share with you early next week! Hang in there with me!
Fairest Lord Jesus!
Crusaders' Hymn
1. Fairest Lord Jesus! Ruler of all nature!
O Thou of God and man the Son! Thee will I cherish,
Thee will I honor, Thou my soul's glory, joy and crown!
2. Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring: Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer, Who makes the woeful heart to sing.
3. Fair is the sunshine, Fairer still the moonlight,
And all the twinkling starry host; Jesus shines brighter,
Jesus shines purer Than all the angels heav'n can boast.
4. Beautiful Savior! Lord of the nations!
Son of God and Son of Man! Glory and honor,
Praise, adoration Now and forevermore be Thine!
I think it is my yearning for spring and the image of that leaping rabbit that made me want to use "Fairest Lord Jesus" for this pillow I made to sell in my Etsy shop. 1677 is the date the hymn was written. I know it is hard to read, but it is Verse 2, that is included on the pillow:
"Fair are the meadows, Fairer still the woodlands,
Robed in the blooming garb of spring: Jesus is fairer,
Jesus is purer, Who makes the woeful heart to sing."
One of the most beautiful spring days that I can remember is from my early teen years. We lived on a farm in western Pennsylvania. There were 200 acres and included some woodland. My friends and I would go for walks in the woods often. This particular day, we wandered into what was once an orchard area and all of the fruit trees were filled with tiny pink and white blooms. The sun was peaking through, and the dew glistened like diamonds on freshly made spider's webs. It was just breathtaking! A few years ago, before my Dad moved to Lancaster County, we made one last trek into the woods. I wanted to find that orchard because it held such a beautiful memory for me. Of course, the orchard was much smaller than I remembered and it was October, so it didn't quite measure up to my memory. It was good to have the last walk in the woods with my Dad, Mark, and the boys. I was able to show the boys what my childhood playground was like and I had the chance to say goodbye.
If you have a favorite memory of spring, I would love for you to share it in the comments section below!
Have a Blessed Day!
