Worth Repeating - The Red Seas of Life

Some years back we heard a sermon on the subject of the crossing of the Red Sea in Exodus 14. I couldn’t help thinking of these two poems, which I love, and which have been a comfort and encouragement to me. May God bless them to you as well.
[First published here in 2012. Edited 2025.]

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The Red Sea
by Martha Snell Nicholson

When the Children of Israel crossed the sea,
It comforts my heart to know
That there must have been timorous ones
Who faltered and feared to go;

Feared the ribbon of road which stretched
Ahead like a narrow track,
With the waves piled high on either side,
And nothing to hold them back­

Nothing to hold them back but a Hand
They could neither see nor feel;
Their God seemed distant and far away,
And only the peril real.

Yet the fearful ones were as safe as the brave,
For the mercy of God is wide.
Craven, and fearless, He led them all
Dry shod to the other side.

And I think of the needless terror and pain
We bring, to our own Red Sea.
Strengthen Thy timorous ones, dear Lord,
And help us to trust in Thee!

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

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One thought that crossed my mind was how we sometimes make mud puddles into Red Seas. Life surely brings us the apparently impassible seas that require a miracle from our Lord to get us through. But, to be honest there are times when it isn’t a Red Sea at all, but we imagine it is.  I have a natural tendency toward this myself, and I know at least some of you do as well. Regardless of how big the “sea” really is, what a mercy it is from God that He is not limited by our timidity or lack of imagination! 

Ephesians 3:20-21  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

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A Red Sea Place
by Annie Johnson Flint

Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with a trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul "Go on."

And His hand will lead you through - clear through -
Ere the watery walls roll down,
No foe can reach you, no wave can touch,
No mightiest sea can drown;
The tossing billows may rear their crests,
Their foam at your feet may break,
But over their bed you shall walk dryshod
In the path that your Lord will make.

In the morning watch, ‘neath the lifted cloud,
You shall see but the Lord alone,
When He leads you on from the place of the sea,
To a land that you have not known;
And your fears shall pass as your foes have passed,
You shall no more be afraid;
You shall sing His praise in a better place,
A place that His hand has made.

Psalm 106:9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

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Oh, how frightening it is to the flesh to be in a place where “There is no way out, there is no way back, There is no other way but through..” How we tend to chafe and struggle and doubt, even after we’ve seen the mighty power of God over and over, as the Israelites had in Egypt. Would to God our response could always be the response of Moses. Exodus 14:13-14  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

It is so hard to stand still and hold our peace when we think we are about to be destroyed and we imagine God isn’t paying attention. Remember the disciples in the boat when Jesus was sleeping and the storm of wind came up? Luke 8:23-24  But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm. These men had also witnessed the power of God to perform miracles, and yet they thought that their ship was going to sink and they were going to perish when the Son of God was with them! How silly! Yet, how like us. How like me!

What can we do? 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Philippians 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

1 Peter 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 

Evening Song - He That Dwells In the Secret Place

Psalm 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. 

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Tennessee Memories - Hollyhocks

 

Hollyhocks

A Random List from My Life - June 2025

 

I haven't done one of these lists for a long, long time. I ran across one from years back and decided it might be good to do one again. :-) Some things don't change much, but others do. It's interesting to see the differences from my point of view.

Recently I have been…

Making: color palette cards for art, crafting, and graphic design using some of my own photographs.

Cooking: New recipes that are higher in protein and low in sugar.

Reading: Various books. For research purposes I'm reading "Becoming Free Indeed" by Jinger Duggar Vuolo. Making lots of notes. :-) Also, Jeremiah - a saddish, challenging book.

Wanting: courage to get rid of more things, and answers to some life questions. Also to get back to our game nights with my dad.

Seeing: more of the good things in the people I love.

Playing: with color and different food options.

Deciding: what to put in the donate pile, what to put in "possibly keep" boxes, and what to actually keep.

Wishing: for more strength and stamina.

Enjoying: God's creation.

Working: on catching up. (Does this ever change?) Also, on thinning out our stuff.

Liking: seeing things so green here this year after having some dry summers for awhile. Thank you, Lord!

Wondering: what the next step is for us, and also for a family member. Also wondering how the Lord will work out all the details in some situations.

Loving: having my husband work from home a few days several weeks in a row. A rare treat these days.

Pondering: which direction my ministries should take. Also how two people can make so much mess and also dirty laundry and dishes. Hohum.

Remembering: my grandparents and mom.

Watching: the baby foxes play and sleep outside our dining room window. It has been a delightful blessing from the Lord.

Marveling: at the trust the mama fox has had in us to locate her babies so close to our house. Admittedly, we don't use the door on that side a lot, and so we don't wander around that section of the yard much. However, she appears to have removed them now. It was delightful while it lasted. :-) 

Hoping: I can get some more things done that will make a significant difference around here. Also, that the rain won't stop completely and leave us with a high fire risk. (Praying about that!)

Needing: to clean up this house! Also, to be more diligent in my Bible reading.

Smelling: yummy food smells.

Wearing: cooler things.

Noticing: the beauty of the trees, and how good a breeze feels when I'm out walking. Thank you, Lord!

Knowing: that things are fixing to change, but not yet sure how that is going to look. And that the Lord has a plan, and we are going to just have to wait to see how He arranges things.

Thinking: out loud. (Is this a new menopausal phase?)

Feeling: overwhelmed by all the things that need doing. Also, gradually feeling more at home in our "new" church.

Admiring: our cats. They are such pretty animals.

Buying: clothes and supplements and some blank books.

Getting: tired too easily. Also getting new glasses, which have turned out so much better than the last two attempts! I just praise the Lord for His kindness in helping me finally get some I can actually use!

Writing: in my journal that I'm trying to keep this year of my life. I admit that it isn't a daily habit, but I try to keep up with the things that seem worth noting down. It has been a good thing.

Giggling: at the cute antics of the fox pups. Also at the furry funniness of our cats.

Feeling: a bit uncertain about the future and what is coming for us. Also feeling frustrated at my slow progress on things that need doing.

Having: trouble sleeping some nights. It's mostly due to finding it difficult to get comfortable.

Looking forward to: our new bed arriving, and hopefully improving the quality of my sleep.

Learning: Spanish. Sort of. I'm trying. This past week or two I've not kept up with the lessons well, but I intend to keep working on it. My husband is doing really well at it.

Listening: among other things, to some YouTube chats by a Christian author. Listening to her talk has inspired me a bit to work more on my writing. Also to think again about doing my own videos or pod casts. 

Psalm 90:12-17 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. 

Summer - A Poem

Summer

The long, long days of summer,

The sunny days are here;

The ripening grain is bending,

The air is soft and clear.

O God, Thy tender mercies

Like evening dews descend;

Thou givest rain and sunshine,

On Thee our hopes depend.

The glowing heat at noontide,

The hush of evening’s calm,

Remind us of Thy presence,

To Thee we raise our psalm.

In life’s fair summer weather,

Oh, may we look to Thee;

And when the storms o’ertake us,

Our refuge Thou shalt be.

Julia H. Johnston

Psalm 42:5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Psalm 74:16-18 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter. Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

Evening Song - My Hope Is In the Lord

 Psalm 39:7 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.

 Lamentations 3:24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

This video is done poorly as the person who made it seemed to like the old TV effect of the flipping screen which may be very distracting to some people. For this reason I have made it small. If it bothers you, please scroll down so that it is out of sight while you listen, because this really is worth listening to. This grand hymn written by Norman Clayton is sung here by Alfred B. Smith, the musician and the editor of one of me favorite hymnals - Living Hymns. The words are below.

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My Hope Is In the Lord

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me
And paid the price
Of all my sin at Calvary.

Chorus:

For me He died;
For me He lives,
And everlasting life
And light He freely gives.

No merit of my own
His anger to suppress
My only hope is found
In Jesus' righteousness

Chorus

And now for me He stands
Before the Father's throne
He shows His wounded hands
And names me as His own

Chorus

His grace has planned it all
'Tis mine but to believe
And recognize His work of love
And Christ receive.

Norman J. Clayton

Tennessee Memories - Summer Day Part 2

Maiden hair fern

Queen Anne's Lace