A prayer for uncertain times

When I turned 50, my husband and sons presented me with a very special gift, one they knew I'd treasure: a very old book.

While it may not look like much here, inside its covers is a true treasure.

It's a Bible printed in England. You probably can't read the date, so I'll read it for you: 1648. Just 37 years after the King James Version of the Bible was finished.

In times like these, when the world seems to be full of trouble and peril, I like to open this precious book. Times were perilous in 1648, too. And the answer to the troubles of the world was the same then as it is today. Politicians, speechmakers, dreamers, and schemers may propose this solution or that, but the truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever. No help is found apart from the Lord.

In the back of my Bible is a prayer. I don't know who wrote it, but I know that it's as good a prayer for us today as it was back in the 17th century. Perhaps you'll pray it with me.

Lord Jesus Christ, show forth Thy might,
That Thou are Lord of Lords by right:
Thy poor afflicted flock defend
That we may praise Thee without end.
Oh, Holy Spirit, our comforter,
Be our patron, help, and succor;
Give us one mind and perfect peace,
All gifts of grace in us increase.
Thou living God, in persons three,
Thy name be praised in unity;
In all our need, so us defend,
That we may praise Thee, world without end.

It seems that today we particularly need this part: "Give us one mind and perfect peace."

As I see my own country and others across the world in times of unrest and political tension, I pray for one mind and perfect peace which can come only from God.

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations" (Psalm 90:1). Give us grace and courage to dwell with you now.

Will you join me in this prayer?

Screened porch updates

It's full-on summertime here in North Carolina--time for sitting on the porch and enjoying an evening breeze. I've already shared updates I've made to my front porch, and today I'll show you what's happening on my screened porch.



Yes, I know that we're very blessed to have more than one covered porch. This feature is one of the things that sold us on our house.

Here you can see the location of the porch. Our house is three stories in the back, so the porch is perched high. Sitting here is like being in a treehouse!



Our screened porch is not large, but it's big enough for both an eating area and a sitting area.

The dining table is not really an outdoor piece, but it's done just fine here. You can see here that the eating area of the porch is just a few steps from the grill on the deck.



Here's the view from the table out into the back yard.



I like to keep the dining table looking nice, but I'm not one for fancy centerpieces. These Ball jars holding hydrangeas are more my speed. I like displaying three of them on this tray I found recently on Decor Steals.



The small seating area is nestled into the other side of the porch:

The furnishings here are an eclectic mix: an old garden bench that I painted black, a very old wicker chair, an antique farm table, an ottoman made from a styrofoam cooler, and an outdoor rug from Target. If you follow me on Facebook, you may recognize the paisley pillows. I considered them for my new front porch, but decided that I like them better here.

A new addition is this darling galvanized table I found this spring at Decor Steals. 

For years I had a bookshelf in this corner:

I liked the bookshelf, but the whole area seemed a bit crowded. Solution: I had the bookshelf cut in half to make a compact sideboard.

Now we have a space to serve drinks on the porch, and the seating area is more open.

You can tell from the photos that the screened porch is shady, so even on hot days it stays pretty comfortable. Wish you could come sit here and drink a nice glass of iced tea with me!

I'm joining these wonderful parties:

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Thoughts of Home on Thursday at Decor to Adore
Share It One More Time at The Everyday Home

Will your anchor hold?

Like many of you, my heart is heavy these days. In light of the tragedies of the past several weeks, the American political conventions seem ridiculous, almost scandalous.

At church this morning I was reminded that there is no answer for any of the needs of our aching hearts apart from Jesus. And I thought of this old hymn that I haven't sung for years:

Will your anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift, and the cables strain,
Will your anchor drift or firm remain?

Certainly we are facing the storms of life in the United States and around the world. And while political leaders and government policies might be important, they will not save us. They do not offer an anchor that will hold.

Only the Savior offers that.

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll;
Fastened to the Rock that cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior's love.

Thank God for Jesus.