April 2022 Daily Scripture Writing Plan

...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Philippians 3:10-11

EASTER and The Life We Now Live

The month of Easter is my favorite month.  While I do love Christmas and remembering the gift of Jesus and all the music and all the lights that remind us of His presence here on earth, I love Easter because we remember and celebrate His love for us by His substitutionary death for us on a cross.  And more than that: He arose from physical death to give us life everlasting!  Rejoice!  Hallelujah!

I hope this collection of verses help remind you of why He came to earth, but also encourage you to live your life in the bone deep conviction of His truth, His victory, and His Life.  

Enjoy!

Sweet Hour of Prayer

 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints... Ephesians 6:18

Sweet Hour of Prayer
William W. Walford (1772 - 1850)

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care.
and bids me at my Father's throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter's snare,

by Thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

The joys I feel, the bliss I share

of those whose anxious spirits burn

with strong desires for Thy return!

With such I hasten to thy place

where God my Savior shows His face,

and gladly take my station there

and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

to Him whose truth and faithfulness

engage the waiting soul to bless;

and since He bids me seek His face,

believe His word and trust His grace,

I'll cast on Him my every care,

and wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer!

...

The author of this hymn, according to one account, was a blind preacher and curio shop owner in Coleshill, England.  He carved ornaments out ivory or wood and sold them in his small store.  He also wrote poetry.  A local minister stopped at the store one day, and the blind shop owner mentioned that he had composed a poem in his head and asked that the minister write it down for him.  A few years later, the minister visited the United States and gave the poem to a newspaper editor.

No one knows what happened to William Walford.  Researchers found a William Walford, a minister of Homerton, England, who wrote a book on prayer that expresses many of the same thoughts that are mentioned in this poem.  That may be the true author.

I have been writing verses of Scripture every day for over a year and the thought of preparing for Easter through fasting and prayer is a fascinating study for this month before Easter.  In fact, I wrote the verse at the beginning of this post just the other day!  How serendipitous that that specific verse would be brought to my attention.  The verse centers on God Himself, reminds me that my life should be focused and attentive to Him, and encourages me to pray earnestly for all Christians everywhere.  

The identity of this hymn's writer is not as important as knowing a God who hears and answers prayer.  In our hymns, prayer is frequently rhymed with care.  Whenever we are aware of care, we should equally aware of prayer.  God cares about us and that should motivate us to prayer.

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[OFFICIAL VIDEO] Sweet Hour of Prayer - Radiance Acappella - YouTube  

I love love love acapella music

Sweet Hour Of Prayer - YouTube  The Magnificent Mahalia Jackson

So many recordings of this hymn are out there--find your favorite.

My Bible Tote - a tour

 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

This is my current Bible tote.  Current, because I do change things up from time to time, hoping to keep things fresh and interesting.  Not that I need change anything when it comes to my Bible work, but maybe it's my creative, organizational need to aesthetically change things up from time to time.  I usually sit at my craft table that I've got in our living room, but there are times when I want to do Bible work on the couch.  Hey, I'm not a spring chicken anymore and I like my bit of comfort, haha.   #whocanrelate 

As you can see, it is a Craftsman tool tote I found on Amazon.  They used to sell these at Sears, do you remember?  It is really sturdy and comes in a few colors.  It is not currently available, but there are other totes like this available.

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Here is the Bible I am using for 2022.  I am using it as mostly a reading Bible as I do have another Bible that is full of underlining and notes and stickers.  But you know I am doing a daily Scripture writing plan and I am highlighting and dating each daily verse(s), which you can see below.

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Below is my current setup of my Bible work A5 binder.  It is a Carpe Diem product; they do not sell this particular pink blush color anymore (I think) but they are selling different colors and patterns.  In this binder, my tabs are: 

Hymns - a small collection of my favorites
Daily Reading - keeping me on track
DSW - where my current and past months are kept
DSW Ideas - where I keep ideas for themes or specific verses that capture my interest
Study Ideas listing (#AllTheBibleProjects) - my list is ever growing
Faith Planner - a place where I keep interesting lists, ideas, and topics for future inclusion or tweaking in my current set up.

,,,..

I keep a few stamp sets in here for whenever and wherever the fancy strikes me. Some links are below.

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Here is my Sticker Book!  It just half pages of sticker sheets attached to half sheets of paper and already-cut stickers in zipper pouches contained in a disc bound half-size booklet.  I made the covers from thin plastic cutting mats I find at the Dollar Store and cut down to size.  Get yourself a couple of packs and have fun!

  

   

 

    

I have other sticky notes in another little pouch in this tote but the printed sticky notes pictured above are too cute and I need to remember to use them!  I put these stickers in my DSW but I don't want to take my focus off the written verses so I use them sparingly.  That's just me.

Well, there you go.  Tell me about what you have in your portable Bible tote!  I love hearing about them and love learning new ideas!  If you don't have a Bible tote, will you be making one for yourself?  You can put things in there like I have, and also put in books you are currently reading, or whatever you want that gets you to spend time reading and studying your Bible.  Let me know!  If you have any questions about anything shown here, please let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Could this signature line BE any bigger?  haha I'm working on it #eyeroll

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BIBLE

NASB Journal the Word Reference Bible 
https://amzn.to/3LaOb5e

DAILY SCRIPTURE WRITING plan (DSW)

 (March 2022) Staying Salty: March 2022 Daily Scripture Writing (saltedstudy.blogspot.com)  I curate these myself based on a theme every month and usually post these on the last day of the month.  April 2022 will be Easter-related; please subscribe so you don't miss the posting!

STAMPS

Craft Social Kelli  SHOP | Craftsocial (craftsocialstudio.com)

The Paper Studio - I found this set at Hobby Lobby one day and do not know if they still sell it.

Illustrated Faith Stamps Archives - Illustrated Faith I could not find the specific stamp set I have but they have other cute stamps!  

INK PADS

I was a CTMH Consultant in another life and have older product; they have lovely ink pads and other things, too.

Inks & Coloring | Close To My Heart

STICKERS    

The Reset Girl  

Sign up to be notified when the Sticker Truck comes back into town!  Their ordering window is open for only a short time, so when you hear the music, order quickly!

Sticker Truck Gone (theresetgirl.com)

Monster Stickers 

https://amzn.to/3ujB8rj

These come and go on Amazon so keep an eye on them.  I've heard these may be found at Walmart.

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Frixion highlighters

https://amzn.to/3JD5lrw

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I need -okay, want- more of these binders--how about you?  #savingmypennies

Carpe Diem Planners - Fun & Functional Planners & Planning Accessories

Carpe Diem Planners ($20.00-$49.99) (scrapbook.com)

Never Further than Thy Cross

 When you were dead in your transgressions and uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.  Colossians 2: 13-15

Never Further than Thy Cross
Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828 - 1896)

Never further than Thy cross,
never higher than Thy feet; 
here earth's precious things seem dross;
here earth's bitter things grow sweet.

Here, O Christ, our sins we see,

learn Thy love while gazing thus;

sin, which laid the cross on Thee,

love, which bore the cross for us.

Here we learn to serve and give, 

and, rejoicing, self deny;

here we gather love to live;

here we gather faith to die.

Pressing onward as we can,

still to this our hearts must tend;

where our earliest hopes began, 

there our last aspirings end.

Till amid the hosts of light,

we in Thee redeemed, complete,

through Thy cross made pure and white,

cast our crowns before Thy feet.

...

Elizabeth Rundle Charles was the daughter of a member of Parliament and her husband was a lawyer.  She became a renowned writer, scholar, musician, and artist in her own right.  For a time she was one of the most famous women in Britain.

Coordinates are laid out in the first stanza:  latitude, Jesus' cross; longitude, Jesus' feet. This is where we stay.  Not that our lives are static but we "press onward as we can."  We need to keep coming back to those familiar coordinates: Jesus' cross, Jesus' feet.  This text reveals an intricacy of symmetry and light contrast.  One scholar compared it to the sewing of a sampler--there is sort of a light cross-stitch pattern, especially in the last two lines of each stanza.

In this hymn, Mrs Charles points out that all we do is checked by what Christ does.  This is where we belong, His devoted children: at Jesus' cross, at Jesus' feet.

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Never Further Than Thy Cross (Aletta) - YouTube

Never Further than Thy Cross | Hymnary.org

March 2022 DSW  Staying Salty: March 2022 Daily Scripture Writing (saltedstudy.blogspot.com)

Lenten Hymn

 Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness.  And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.  Mark 1: 12-13

Lenten Hymn
Claudia Frances Hernaman (1838 - 1898)

Lord, who throughout these forty days
for us didst fast and pray,

teach us with Thee to mourn our sins,

and close by Thee to stay.

As Thou with Satan didst contend

and didst the victory win,

O give us strength in Thee to fight,

in Thee to conquer sin.

As Thou didst hunger bear and thirst,

so teach us, gracious Lord,

to die to self, and chiefly live

by Thy most holy Word.

And through these days of penitence,

and through Thy Passiontide,

yea, evermore, in life and death,

Jesus! with us abide.

Abide with us, that so this life

of suffering overpast,

an Easter of unending joy

we may attain at last!

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Have you ever wondered what exactly happened during the forty days Jesus in the desert?  We do not know many details from what the Bible has recorded.  We do know it was a time of fasting and probably of prayer.  When the devil came to Him, the words of Scripture were quick on Jesus' tongue, so it surely may have been a time of meditation and a special communion with His Father.

This song draws a comparison between Jesus' forty days in the desert and the forty days of Lent.  Traditionally, people give up something for this time of fasting.  This is not to punish ourselves but to put aside something that may distract us from our communion with God.  It is a special time of devotion to God, a time when we invite Him to abide with us in a more focused way.  Not that we should abandon or lessen our relationship with Him after Easter is over, but that we can come nearer and closer to Him so that we may always feel the need to be closer to Him.  

This is a time to refocus on our relationship with Christ.

Grace and peace to you.

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Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days (Lenten Hymn) (Cover) - YouTube

Lord, Who throughout These Forty Days - YouTube

Claudia Hernaman — Hymnology Archive