Yes I know there’s a wedding on today, but just to be different I don’t want to talk about that! Instead I want to conclude my series about Easter by sharing the words of the following song with you:
He could have left that cross that dayTo feed the hungry who were thereHe could have wiped the children’s’ tears awayTo show them He still caredHe could have once again reached out His handTo give sight to the blindHe could have kissed His mother one more timeBut He had to hold to CalvaryTo ever hold to meHe could not free himself and set me freeHe had to surrenderTo win my victoryHe could not save himself and save meHe could have proven to JerusalemThat He truly was God’s sonHe could have shown those who scorned HimThat He was the mighty oneHe could have grieved the crown and filled the skyWith angels to set Him freeHe could have walked away from CalvaryBut He had to hold to CalvaryTo ever hold to meHe could not free himself and set me freeHe had to surrenderTo win my victoryHe could not save himself and save meBut He had to hold to CalvaryTo ever hold to meHe could not free himself and set me freeHe had to surrenderTo win my victoryHe could not save himself and save meHe had to surrenderTo win my victoryHe could not save himselfHe could have walked away from CalvaryHe could not save himself and save me
Those are the words of the song He Had To Hold To Calvary which to me, totally sum up Easter, and the real reason we celebrate Easter.
I first came across this song a few years ago when Sydney Staff Songsters spent a weekend “specialing” at Rutherglen Salvation Army during their UK tour that year. I remember sitting in our Senior Band, at the front of the hall, right in front of the platform, and Garry Druery, one of their soloist stood at the front of the platform just a few feet away from me, and sang this song…I was mesmerised…I was deeply moved…I was there – I really felt as though as Garry was singing I was there watching Jesus being crucified on the cross…what emotions I felt that first time I heard that song.
Please listen and watch the following video as Garry Druery singing He Could Not Hold To Calvary:
Still to this day, every time I hear/watch this song it brings tears to my eyes, as it sums Easter up for me.
I hope and pray you have been reminded of the real meaning of Easter by reading some of my blog post during these last 2 weeks. If nothing else I hope you may have been made aware that Easter isn’t just about Easter eggs, chocolate etc, but it’s about just how much Jesus gave up for you and for me….His life!
Loving you means I’m happy. It means I’m with the person I want to spend the rest of my life with.
Loving you means I am loved by the person I care most about. It means I’m satisfied and excited about life. It means I feel complete.
I hope you’re as happy as I am on our anniversary, for loving you means everything to me.
Those are the words on the small laminated card I gave to my hubby today on our 16th wedding anniversary. You know when I gave it to him tonight I do believe I saw a small tear appear…not that he will ever admit to that of course.
We’ve had some tough times over the last few years with various family things as well as some health issues, but there’s no doubting our love has grown in strength over the last 16 year. It’s maybe because of the times we’ve been through in the last while that prompted me to give him this card, as neither of us as particularly prone to great sentimentality when it comes to gifts etc. But given the response I got, I think he realised I really did put a lot of thought into this and that I really do mean what the card said.
We had hoped to get the music for the Gerry Rafferty song The Light of Lovefor our wedding so one of our friends could sing it, however we were unable to source it in time. So today, I’d like to share this song with you, I hope you enjoy it:
Today I’ve thought about my life with hubby over the last 16 years, but also my Christian relationship with God. So how does my Christian relation with God measure up now compared to 16 years ago?
Well for many years my relationship with God, just trundled along at the same pace, never particularly up or down. then when faced with a series of difficult situation over a period of time, my faith hit an all time low, and if I’m honest I truly questioned whether God really did exist and indeed whether He really did care about me. But unsurprisingly, God stayed with me throughout that time, he sent various “angels” to me to help me through and eventually when I acknowledged God had done all this for me and had indeed been surrounding me with His love and guidance during all of this, my faith was no only restored in the existence of God, but in fact was stronger than ever. Nothing has changed on that front, I still consider my relationship with God to be stronger now than ever before.
It is true what you hear folk saying, it’s the tough times in our lives that make us stronger and make our faith stronger.
Today, please have a think back over your life and consider how your relationship with God compares now with what it was 16 years ago. If you find your faith has waned over the year, maybe it’s time to renew your relationship with God today. Go for it, your life will be all the richer for doing so.
The Light of Love byGerry Rafferty
Love comes with a new expression
And the sentimental moon shines in our eyes
Love grows with each new impression
Like an elemental tune that never dies.
But all too soon arrives the dawning
And I awaken to the light of love
The kind of love I want to share with you everyday
We make a promise on this night of love
Let’s say a prayer that it might all come true.
Love comes like a revelation
And it changes everything that we can see
Love comes with new inspiration
And it show us everything that we can be.
But all too soon arrives the dawning
And I awaken to the light of love
The kind of love I want to share with you everyday
We make a promise on this night of love
Let’s say a prayer that it might all come true.
How many times have you been lost
And even now you count the cost
Of saying all those last goodbyes
Something’s come alive on this new morning
You’re looking at one more day.
Love comes with a new expression
And the sentimental moon shines in our eyes
Love grows with each new impression
Like an elemental tune that never dies.
But all too soon arrives the dawning
And I awaken to the light of love
The kind of love I want to share with you everyday
We’ll make a promise on this night of love
Let’s say a prayer that it might all come true … everyday.
August is month full of lots of family birthdays as well as our wedding anniversary (see yesterday’s clog post called Love). So today was one of my cousin’s 50th birthday!
So this afternoon I got a phone call at work to see whether Sandy and I wanted to go out for dinner with my cousin and all the rest of our family. Unfortunately Sandy did not feel up to going out tonight so I went along without him.
We all went for a lovely Chinese and a good old blether which was good as we don’t see each other all that much. It also got to see my cousins grandchild for the first time too, so that was good.
All in all it was a good night with my family, even though Sandy wasn’t with us.
Today I’d just like to say thank you to God once again for my family and the love they’ve all shown me over the years.
I pray too for those estranged from their family, and ask that reconciliation may be found so that they might all become one again. For those with no family, I pray they find someone special to them who they can share their lie with.
Thank you God for the love of family.
I’ve chosen the same song as yesterday to conclude, but make no apology for it as it is a song full of powerful words…The Power of Your Love, this time by Rebecca St James:
Those are the words on the small laminated card I gave to my hubby today on our 16th wedding anniversary. You know when I gave it to him tonight I do believe I saw a small tear appear…not that he will ever admit to that of course. 
