on this day in 1938.

It was a moment in time that just happened. you look at that exact moment and wonder if you really would remember it in years to come.  It's like the "where were you when the challenger blew up?" conversations and then years later of course the "where were you when the towers were hit?" Questions that no doubt, when answered, evoke a deep emotion regardless of the "where were you?" question.

I will never get asked "where were you?" when this event happened on this day in 1938.  I'd like to say that i was there. Listening. Taking it all in. Remembering. Giving Thanks.

Today, i owe all my allegiance to a God that saw to it that this great country we call America stands tall. I'm so very grateful to those who fought long ago, and to those who are still fighting today for the freedoms that I so often take for granted. It's these thoughts that I would have thought, while I probably dried a tear or two during this "where were you?" moment.

A moment that is replayed over and over again, in honor of the few, the proud and the bravest among us. I'm honored to know a few...and i love you all. The memories and or realities that you no doubt live with everyday are far greater than any "where were you?" moments in my life. 

Today, on Veterans Day. I salute you and what you gave up to help make the country i live in safe and secure...May God Bless America.



 November 11, 1938. Kate Smith sang "God Bless America" for the very first time. It would later become her signature song. Irving Berlin penned the tune in 1917 but never released it until Miss Smith sang it for the first time on her radio broadcast.

the many ways of keep.

My Help Comes from the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is your keeper;
the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The Lord will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time forth and forevermore.

notice any words that are repeated? *oohhohhohh pick me!! pick me!!

ok, Kelly, lets hear what you have to say. 

well, the word keep is repeated six times.

good Kelly,... you get a bolt of fabric!!  *whoooo hoooo!!! doing the happy dance...

when words are repeated in high frequency it means it's pretty important.. so lets find out what the word "keep" really means..

keep  (kp)

v. kept, keep·ing, keeps

v.tr.

1. To retain possession of:

2. To have as a supply: .

a. To provide with maintenance and support:

b. To support

4. To put customarily; store:

a. To supply with room and board for a charge:

b. To raise:

6. To maintain for use or service:

7. To manage, tend, or have charge of:

8. To preserve (food).

9. To cause to continue in a state, condition, or course of action: .

a. To maintain records in:

b. To enter (data) in a book:

a. To detain:

b. To restrain: .

c. To prevent or deter:

d. To refrain from divulging:

e. To save; reserve: .

12. To adhere or conform to; follow:

13. To be faithful to; fulfill:.

14. To celebrate; observe.

did you read it all?? i'm guessing you didn't cuz there isn't pictures between all the words.  so, lets just relook at that list. really read it. don't you dare skim it!!! nope nope nope, there are RULES here. and skimming is NOT allowed! maybe if its written differently you'll slow down enough to read it..

                                    keep  (kp)

v. kept, keep·ing, keeps

v.tr.

1. To retain possession of:

2. To have as a supply: .

a. To provide with maintenance and support:

b. To support

4. To put customarily; store:

a. To supply with room and board for a charge:

b. To raise:

6. To maintain for use or service:

7. To manage, tend, or have charge of:

8. To preserve (food).

9. To cause to continue in a state, condition, or course of action: .

a. To maintain records in:

b. To enter (data) in a book:

a. To detain:

b. To restrain: .

c. To prevent or deter:

d. To refrain from divulging:

e. To save; reserve: .

12. To adhere or conform to; follow:

13. To be faithful to; fulfill:.

14. To celebrate; observe.

  

 Keep includes everything and excludes nothing, nothing. this is huge when you realize that the definition of keep is so freaking huge. it was Charles Spurgeon who wrote in  "The Treasury of David"  " under the aegis of such a promise we may go on a pilramiage without trembling, amd venture into battle without dread."

none are so safe as those whom God keeps.

none so much in danger as the self-secure.

how much?

that bag, yah that big one that the smiley guy is carrying.. yah,

that bag isn't even big enough to hold

all of God's love for you.

believe it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

 that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16

i got me some readers.

the above picture will make total sense to you in a few moments, i promise, but you have to keep with me on this one, because i'm about to show you how God uses seemingly random things to make a point or clarification that i needed.

we start this little ditty last year when our church offered the "stepping up" study series by beth moore. it was all about the Psalms 120-134. these are called the "songs of the ascents." (and if you really want to know more.. open your bible and read them.. they are SO worth it!)

so that study over by a long ways, i,as of late, get to studying the life and times of Hezikiah, right?

i'm also trying with all my heart, and not doing very well, i might add, at  memorizing Ephesians 6, you know about the whole armor of God.. well, i wanted to make copies of it to put around my house so i copied and pasted it from a webpage, well, on this webpage there are cross references.. and one happens to be in Psalm 120.. so i click.

well, not really remembering that i actually learned something back in that "stepping up" series.. i DID remember that this was part of the "song of the ascents." then i read it again, and i start to wonder who wrote these 15 songs that are important enough for beth moore to write an entire study on them.  out comes my handy dandy study books.. and oh my goodness can you just GUESS what i found??

well, "rumor" has it that Hezikizah might have written some of these 15 "songs of accents" after he was given 15 more years to live by God. seriously.. how cool it that? i can just imagine him singing to the top of his lungs about how great and powerful his God is.. its super cool in my book even if he didn't write them to think that there is one written for every year he got to live.

and here is where those reading glasses come in handy.. i needed them to read, but i didn't need them to see. God's hand is ever knowing and all encompassing. HE shows us when we need something and what to do with that knowledge when we finally see it. 

Hezikiah was a great king, and i admire him and his trust in a God that i too serve.. although he went through some pretty tough stuff.. he continued to praise God, and today, God let me imagine what words he might have penned that expressed that praise. 

yes, i did find more really really cool stuff, but it's quite personal, so i'll save that for another day.... 

no, i'm not promising this time.