Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Patience with Joy - Matthias Loy - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry



“One thing more our text mentions as needful, that we be “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.
“They are wonderful words. We have such great riches in Christ and are waiting for the full enjoyment of our everlasting inheritance in heaven. And now we are to have sufferings and afflictions, and are to learn the lesson of patience, and even to pass through our tribulations with joyfulness.
“You see we are not quite ready yet for the heavenly glory. We still need the fiery trials of earth to burn away the dross that tarnishes our life. Of course the flesh does not like the purifying fires, and we are apt to complain of the hardships endured; and the enemy strives hard to induce us to look upon them as evidence that God is not dealing kindly with us.
“Watch and pray, that you may not be overcome by such temptations. God is guiding you securely, and the treasure of grace which you possess must be effectual in you to move you to patience and make you strong to endure these trials with joyfulness, while you look at the things in store for you after the time of your trials is past and you enter upon your eternal inheritance.
From: Loy, Matthias. Sermons on the Epistles For the Sundays and Chief Festivals of the Church Year. Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern. 1900. LutheranLibrary.org

Those Clever Gardening Catalogs - Fall Bulbs Entice as Spring Blooms Fade

Nothing sets up fall ordering like the fading of the spring, hardy bulbs.

The rain began dripping down yesterday as I went out to empty some rainwater storage. Do not laugh (followed by even more laughter). I put rainwater on the new Joe Pyes because so little rain was coming down. I also did an audit. One was missing entirely - not crushed, not chewed, just gone. Rabbits? Birds? Sassy? The garden police are divided, which means, I do not know. That is a price we pay when planting.

Norma Boeckler said the deer got her Little Joe Pye plants, and Alicia said the deer eat everything outside, especially the deer-proof ones.

The gardening crew told me the flowers and bulbs I shared were growing. They looked for some of the oriental lilies they planted in our yard, and were pleased to see the stalks up and leafed out. We compare notes on roses, lilies, whatever is shared.

I told them, "This year - estate planting!" I figure daffodils are the best candidates for a large bag of them planted all over the front yard. For those with front yards in grass, daffodils can be planted in the lawn, bloom and fade before the first lawn-mowing.

Daffodils do not taste good to critters but they are great in the yard and in the vases.
 Grape Hyacinths come in varieties of blue, white, and mixed colors.

Tiny bulbs like grape hyacinths (neither grapey nor hyacinthy) are very inexpensive in small or estate orders. They can be placed in groups or planted near the daffodils as markers. They seem to last for many years, unlike some other tulips.

Roses and Roots
Easy Does It bloomed before the wild roses, and now the wild roses are competing with dark red and bright red blooms. I was eager to dig up all the wild roses, but they have blended into a wall of Mountain Mint and Spirea bushes, both having grown beyond belief or foresight.

Crepe Myrtles grow rather slowly.

So much has happened quickly that I have to catch up with pruning the non-glamorous plants. Myrtles still have seed pods on them. Removing the pods will help the plants bloom this year.  I counted one row of them dead, but they began to grow from the ground up again. Another row, along the Gardener fence, has three colors of inter-twined Crepes planted together, so I should get some interesting displays in time.

One farmer group convinced me that deep roots really matter, even when the original plants are removed later. The roots account for 75% of the nutrition added to the soil, so deep roots break up the clay soil and add organic matter without kudos or expense. One way to use - and not be bullied - by a deep rooting plant/weed is to cut it at the base to end its meddling or at least to slow down its above ground growth.


Bethany Lutheran Hymnal Blog - New Features

 Norma Boeckler's Christian Art Books


The first step was getting all the public domain hymn details posted, one per page.

I added information so people could easily find all the hymns and hymn translations of:
  1. Luther
  2. Melanchthon
  3. Selnecker
  4. Gerhardt
  5. Kingo
  6. Loy
  7. Winkworth
  8. Neale
I am improving the data gradually, so that feature (called labels) is more inclusive, diverse, and transparent. I realize you have not heard those terms for several hours.

Norma Boeckler is adding her beautiful new graphics to the hymn blog, so I am also adding the tune, a YouTube version, and extra information where it is possible. I dislike abbreviated Scripture citations, so that will wipe out Ps., Gen., and Is. from the original copy and paste. 

Last night Christina and I were singing the hymns as I picked up YouTube versions and alternate tunes.

I am trying to avoid elevator-music versions of hymns. 

Later I will add German YouTube versions and some non-TLH hymns in the public domain.