What a day!

me:  "Maybe this isn't the best time to write a post?"

God:  " You can do this with my help."

me:  "But Lord...everything has gone so wrong today, everything I put my hand to has failed!"

God: "Look again child, look closer, and you will see things differently."

me: "Well, this morning after reading your Word and thanking you for blessing us in so many ways, I remembered what I had heard from Charles Stanley just yesterday about being grateful no matter the circumstances, and about how we should not only thank you for the stuff that goes right, but when things go wrong, we should have a grateful attitude because:

... we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ( Romans 8:28)

God: "What things?"

me:  "All things."...OK, but what about the computer virus first thing this morning? On the new laptop, of all things? I was ready to just throw in the towel, quit the blog again; I can't afford this stress and expense Lord, you know we just learned  that there will be a decrease in my husband's paycheck! Not to mention we just had to buy a new sofa  last week because the old one literally fell apart on us! Not to mention the clothes dryer decided not to use heat anymore just yesterday! And then there was the missing bank statement~I couldn't balance the checkbook without it because the carbon copies bled through on two checks, making them illegible, and when I tried calling the bank, they could not bring up the information because they just went through a merger and the files are with someone else! Whoever heard of such a thing Lord?

God:  "So, How did your doctor appointment go today?"

me: " I almost forgot about that...She said things are still the same."

God: "And... what else did she say?"

me: "She said the good news is nothing has gotten worse, and that I should not need anything more than some chiropractic therapy.. that means no more shots, no surgeries, no painful EMG's or nerve blocks!"
me:  "Oh yeah, I forgot to take my blood pressure pill today too! I can't believe my blood pressure was so low when the nurse checked it today, especially since I felt as if I was fighting off a panic attack all day long!...Hmm, weird.

God: "I was holding your hand."

me:  "Thank you Father."

me: " I just can't believe that we had to go to TWO banks personally before we could get something as simple as information on two cancelled check amounts. And what is weirder, is that the first bank had found one, but could not access the second check info so they sent us to the other branch nearby to see if they had it, and then the nice teller at that bank locked herself out of the vault where they kept the archives from before the merger, so she couldn't get to it either."

God:  "So, what did you think of that car accident at the intersection of the bank, the second bank you were sent to ?"

me:  "OH dear Lord, that was so scary, we had just pulled into the parking lot and I had barely stepped out from the car when we heard it! I felt sick, they hit so hard, we were just at that spot, it could have been us! I said a quick prayer that everyone was Ok!"

God: "Thank you for praying!"

me:  "Thank you that they were unharmed, and for protecting us!"

God:  " So, wasn't that nice how the teller made a few calls to get your information on that check?"

me: "Yes, and he even asked if they would email my missing statement to me." I thanked you Lord when the check amount  showed that it was only $22, and not the $222 that it appeared to be because the carbon bled through. Thanks again!"

God:  "The teller sure liked your email address once you explained what it meant, didn't he?"

me: " Oh yeah, his eyes lit right up when I explained that nvr4skn stood for NEVER FORSAKEN, he said he liked that. We both thanked you then that nobody was hurt in the accident, as he was the one who called the police when he seen it from his window at the bank...the bank that YOU sent me to today...I'm sorry for calling it a wild goose chase Lord."

God: " So what did the antivirus scan reveal about your computer when you returned home today?"

me: "No threats were found! Thank you Lord."

God: 

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.Jeremiah 29:11.

But all who listen to me will live in peace,
untroubled by fear of harm.”Proverbs 1:33


But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice." (Psalms 55.16-17)

The Invitation

I remember one time when I was a teenager, I received an invitation to a neighborhood girl's 'Mary Kay' party. I was new to the neighborhood as I had just moved in with my sister. It was a nice neighborhood with beautiful homes. I had come from a broken home in a rural trailer park to live with my sister and her husband and two young children.

I was thrilled to be invited to this party, as the girl was very popular and only her friends were invited, I thought she considered me a friend also...Well, back then I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life and it really showed..on my face, in the form of zits..lots of them!
I walked to the girl's home and felt the goosebumps rising as I was ushered into the foyer..this home was truly magnificent, beautifully decorated and huge! I made my way into the formal dining room and sat down at the large table laden with various bottles and trays, bowls and sponges, all the elements necessary to turn a awkward teen into a beautiful supermodel!
The  Mary Kay representative showed us the method for closing facial pores, and spoke about the different foundations available for every skin type..great I was learning something new; but just when I thought I had arrived to a party in Heaven itself, the representative singled me out...She asked if there was some stress in my life causing my face to break out so badly? What could I say, I was surrounded in that beautiful home by other teen aged girls who lived in similar homes, who had moms and dads and healthy families...I certainly was not going to pour out my sad story, it really was none of their business anyway, I was not there to talk about my problems..I just wanted to make new friends  and maybe buy some make up for goodness sakes! 
Then she stepped closer and pointed out the fact that I had blackheads and large pores..oh dear, I felt my face turning red as sweat began to drench my entire body; 

I can still remember the torment of taking that 'walk of shame' back to my sister's house...replaying the whole scene  in my mind of the other girls leaning in closer to one another and behind veiled hands, trying to hide their snickers. To this day I will never understand how any adult could be so callous to a child. I had already been through so much in my young life. She had no idea.

I am happy to report that my complextion has cleared, although I still use 'Mary Kay' products (for wrinkles now); and as an adult I have recieved many invitations to parties and other events,  however, even though I may still get those familiar goosebumps of excitement there is still that shadow looming. What if when I get there, I say or do something stupid? What if...
There is one invitation that I received twenty seven years ago. This invitation had my name lovingly written on it, it also had a couple of other names written there, pretty high profile names too! This invitation was to the most exquisite mansion, in the very best neighborhood ever! This invitation promised a feast and the finest wine and music, and with a massive choir singing throughout. Best of all, this invitation was for a party that never ends! The invitation is a standing invitation, sent by the Creator Himself, given in  honor of His Son Jesus Christ, (told you they were high profile names) It was sealed with His royal stamp. When I opened it, I immediately RSVP'd. Here is what it read:




 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb  is come, and his wife [ the Body of Christ] hath made herself ready.  
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.   And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. (Rev.19:7-9)

  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

 "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out."

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you." (John 14:2)

 "I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2,3)

I hope to see you there on that day!
~God Bless~
Lisa

Overcoming Fear with Faith

Those of you who know me know that I struggle with anxiety. Even writing this post here today is difficult since I intend to be a bit more transparent today than I am normally. So here goes...

I woke up today, drank my coffee, showered, and fully intended to do what I do most days...stay home, do some housework, take care of the dogs and check on my blog friends. The Lord had other plans for me.

While getting dressed I kept getting little nudges like "Don't put on your slippers..wear real shoes today." and then, to my dismay I found myself packing a day bag with a light lunch and some water, and then I unplugged the laptop and got ready to embark on my outing adventure. I called the library to make sure that they still provided free wifi, filled my gas tank, and away I go!

Now, most people might read this and think: "So what, what's the big deal?"
The big deal is that this is the first time I have ventured out of the safety of my home without my husband, my safe person...other than to do a quick errand, or for a doctor's appointment in almost a year. And just like the afore mentioned outings alone, Today I had to deal with the same physical symptoms that accompany the onset of a full blown anxiety attack: nausea, rapid heartbeat, stomach & intestinal cramping, shaking...the same way you feel when you are afraid!
At one point while I was getting ready this morning, I told myself to pretend that I was going to a meeting (like when I was working), and pretend that I am expected to give a public speach or report like I used to, and then once I fully invisioned that, I then reminded myself that I was not speaking publicly, or even standing in front of an audience of people, but that I was only going into the public library to sit amongst the other people, being no different than they...this helped.

So on the way to the gas station I realized that I had forgotten something! (remember the nudge earlier?) That's right...I looked down at my foot on the gas pedal and realized that I was wearing my comfy slippers! Now, certainly my slippers could pass for street shoes (they are moccassins), but they aren't very practical for doing things like pumping gas, so I turned around and went back home to change into real shoes. Once back inside however, I had to resist the temptation to stay there in the cool air-conditioned safety with my dogs who, after all, were very happy to have me return home so soon ! But as I leaned over to tie my shoes, again I felt that inner nudge...and the words of the Lord's prayer began to resonate within my mind,  I finished tying my shoes all the while reciting the Lord's prayer:

                                                     Our Father, which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,

The power, and the glory,

For ever and ever.

Amen.

So here I am sitting in the public library with a pounding headache (another symptom), fighting the urge to pack up and run! Knowing that my car is parked  just a few yards away in the parking lot across the street does help keep me from a full blown panic attack. (There is an escape if needed!) 

This time last year I was attending church quite regularily. The panic became so severe however, that I found myself spending most of the duration of the service downstairs in the ladies room, or in the hallway near an open window. I even took a friend with me for awhile, but eventually I just stopped going, as the symptoms became too noticable and since nobody really knew me there yet, I was not missed, no questions were asked when I no longer showed up.

Well, quite recently the Lord began drawing my heart back to the church where we used to take our children for many years, the church where I used to teach sunday school and fill in for the women's Bible study once in awhile. Many people have returned to this church in recent years. There was a major split several years ago when the church seemed to have one pastor after another after another behind the pulpit...the love of many waxed cold..and many Christian brothers and sisters were back-biting one another. After witnessing many unpleasant events take place and even speaking up once reminding everyone about how the Lord has given us a guide to the proper way to settle a dispute within the church..It went unheeded, and I ended up walking out into the church foyer to sit down and cry. I never returned.

 A couple years later it was reported to me that most of the members had left. I will never forget getting a phone call from one of the pastors (the one I stood up to defend against the verbal assaults)..He was asking advice about what was going wrong..I simply told him that he needed to pray about it, but there just seemed to be a huge mis-communication and disconnection between the congregants and himself, as nobody seemed to hear what the other was saying, and that they were communicating much like the locals down the street at the bar, or the brawlers at the township meeting the previous week! And that was because they were letting their emotions guide them instead of trusting in the  Word of the Lord for instruction, and there is no excuse for us who are redeemed from the former things of life to return to the ways of the world.

I will admit, I became very disenchanted with church after that, and I have been to several different ones. I was even a founding member of one; but my heart has always remained with the one where my kids grew up, and I want to return, but the anxiety must be overcome first, (especially since I won't be able to sneak in and out without notice there!). I am doing what I can to acclimate myself back into the outside world..so that is the purpose behind today's excursion.

Our contract with our internet/cell phone carrier expires in August. We are not renewing it, and there are few options where I live for affordable and dependable internet, so I will be posting to the blog from here..the library so I am going to need to get used to this concept as well.

Although not ideal, I am slowly becoming a bit more comfortable in the secluded corner where I have chosen a seat which turns out to be right in front of the air-conditioning vent...the very loud air-conditioning vent. Ah well, I am remaining undisturbed since sitting down here almost an hour and a half ago! So today was baby steps, but steps in the right direction non the less.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

  






                                                       

A Word To The Wise

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

I'm getting old. Last night I asked my husband if he liked his lunch, and he said he did. Then I told him that I didn't know whether I would make him another salad or just a sandwich for tomorrow's lunch...Well, the poor man had neither, because I forgot to pack him a lunch last night before I went to bed!

Having said that, I am now going to attempt to write about wisdom!
It only goes to prove the truth of the scripture which says He uses the foolish things (me) of this world to confound the wise (worldly).

There are so many things I should pray for. Definately I should always pray for whomever asks me to. But when it comes to praying for myself, well I could surely make a long list. But what if God were to look into my heart (and he does), what does he see? What are the 'desires of my heart'? Is it financial freedom, better health, better relationships? I'm sure those are all there, but what is my heart's cry?



... But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.  Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number.   So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
1 Kings 3 (Solomon asks for wisdom)

---

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

1My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,
2Make your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3For if you cry for discernment,
Lift your voice for understanding;
4If you seek her as silver
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5Then you will discern the fear of the LORD
And discover the knowledge of God.
6For the LORD gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8Guarding the paths of justice,
And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
9Then you will discern righteousness and justice
And equity and every good course.
10For wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11Discretion will guard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
12To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things;
13From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14Who delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways; Proverbs 2:1-15 

Sometimes I find myself lacking in Godly wisdom concerning certain things. I could use the excuse that I must not have been endowed with enough wisdom, perhaps because I am not righteous enough, or smart enough?
But what does God's word say about OUR righteousness...

 

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous acts are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
  (Isaiah 64)

No, It is not by our own righteousness that we recieve Godly wisdom, or any other spiritual gift from the Father:

even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
 (Romans 3:22) 

We are sanctified and justified through the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5

So any believer can and should ask God for wisdom, He promises to give freely to ALL who ask, without doubting whether or not God will give.

  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matthew 21:22)

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

...yet ye have not, because ye ask not. (James 4:22)

We mustn't confuse worldly wisdom with the wisdom that comes from God, for surely not every clever or intelligent person is wise, nor does one need to be overly intelligent or clever in order to have Godly wisdom! (Thankfully)

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"; (1 Cor. 3:19)

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (1Cor.1:27)

For, "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16 )

So, If we are to believe what Holy Scripture says; Any believer who is seeking godly wisdom, who wants to have the mind of Christ for spiritual knowledge and understanding of scripture, Need only ASK  and believe. God has already installed His Holy Spirit within us to help us to learn and understand the things of God.

John 14:16-17

 

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

In conclusion,

I may forget to pack a lunch or mess up my checkbook every once in awhile, or put bleach into a load of laundry instead of detergent, or forget to turn off the hose and flood my garden, or pick up the cell phone to turn the channel on the TV, or .......well, you get the idea;
yet God still chooses to use me, and I am always amazed when he does! But sometimes I forget to ask for godly wisdom, and that is worse than forgetting to pack a lunch or turn off the garden hose, because it is God's will that we have the understanding of His Word and His will. Especially as we see the last days approaching, we must remain sober and alert, always learning of Him and praising Him, and always asking Him for More, because He is always willing to give us more wisdom, more peace,
 more: ___________ (fill in the blank).

So what are you waiting for? Ask God for the desires of your heart today.
Then believe Him when He says He will give it freely to you.


~God Bless~

I'm just being RADICULUS!

Well, it's official, My doctor has diagnosed me with something called 'radiculitis'!
My husband is laughing, and I say I am not surprised at this diagnosis. The prognosis is that there is no cure for my radiculitis, although there may be some relief from the symptoms with an adjustment or two. (the jokes are almost non stop around here lately LOL!)
Okay, I will be serious for a minute and tell you what radiculitis really means:

What Is Lumbar Radiculitis?
By Michelle Kerns

Lumbar radiculitis is a painful spinal problem whose origin is in the lumbar region of the spine, but can create a variety of symptoms that affect the afflicted individual anywhere from the lower back to the foot. The symptoms associated with lumbar radiculitis vary according to which nerve or nerves are affected. A number of treatment options for the condition exist, including various pain management medications, therapy, and surgery.

*surgery is not an option for me because of the diskal sclerosis, which is just a fancy term describing the thickening of the bone tissue because of the displacement of the disks over many years. It is rare, so don't worry about developing this if you have disk problems in your back.

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

Several years ago when our girls were little we took our boat out on the lake for a day of fishing. It was my birthday, and I was blessed with an eagle soaring overhead while we fished. When we sped up, she would speed up as well, when we stopped, she would resume her circling just a few feet above us. I even sketched her and wrote about her in my journal back then.
Well, saturday was my birthday and my husband and I went fishing. We no longer have the boat so we fished from the shore. We were the first to see it...A lone eagle was soaring and swooping! There were several people on the lake and everyone was pointing at the eagle flying overhead. I have dubbed her my 'birthday eagle'!
My girls all remember that day in the boat when we were racing around the lake with an eagle keeping pace with us. We didn't catch any fish on saturday, but we did reel in another good memory.
God sure has blessed me throughout the years with many special little visits from the animal kingdom. One time I was sitting outside visiting with friends when a baby robin just flew onto my arm and sat there. Another time I was getting ready to leave to go to my mother's funeral which was a very tough day, and two baby racoons came up to me and, using their little hands, they took food from my hand with their mother watching closely from a nearby tree...Another time I was having a rough time and took solace at a nearby lake; it was nearing sunset when I hung my feet over the dock and nearly grazed a beaver who swam right under my feet. I will never forget the beauty and peace of the lake reflecting the autumn sunset. The beaver swam ashore just to my right and carried on as though I was not even there!
Another sweet visit comes from a little hummingbird that likes to flutter at my bedroom window. (I should really try to get a shot of him.) And then there's this guy who is here every day: 

Remember him? I blogged about him last year.

http://www.theheartandhome.blogspot.com/2011/06/barely-hanging-on.html

The world may be falling apart day by day, but we can still see the wonder and beauty in God's creation. He created this world for His own pleasure.

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.(Rev.4:11)

But do we still please God?

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

I am amazed that He loves us so much, even when we aren't very lovable. Even when we are not 'mindful of' Him very often, when we do not honor and glorify Him in everything we do.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him?"(Psalm 8:4)

I may never understand (on this side of heaven) why God still loves us so much. I believe he never changes, and therefore his love for us will never change.

 But because God  never changes, and sin will always separate us from him, his judgement on the unrepentant sinner is still very real, and final, and to be feared; we must therefore desire to repent of our sins and accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour which is the only way God provided for us to truly mend our broken relationship with our Creator. This is the faith that is pleasing to God.

Why do we love God?

from Spurgeon's sermon, "LOVE'S LOGIC"

"We love him because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:19.


A sense of the love of God to us is the main cause of our love
to him. When we believe, know, and feel that God loves us,
we, as a natural result, love him in return.

In proportion as our knowledge increases, our faith strengthens,
and our conviction deepens that we are really beloved of God; we,
from the very constitution of our being, are constrained to yield
our hearts to God in return.


Where there is fervent love to God there is set up a holy familiarity
with God, and from this flow satisfaction, delight, and rest.

"We love him because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:19.

Aren't you glad that it isn't the other way around? If God's love was conditional upon whether or not we love him what would we have to do to win his favor? What could we do? What would we have to sacrifice in order for Him to decide to love us?

Thankfully we don't have to do anything to win God's heart....~we had him at hello ~LOL!

Just the fact that he created us in HIS OWN IMAGE speaks volumes of his plan for us to be set apart from all the rest of his creation as his very own children! Can you say WoW! And that my friends, is what we, the generation who grew up in the eighties would call RADICAL!

rad·i·cal

   /ˈrædɪkəl/ Show Spelled[rad-i-kuhl] 

adjective:

• of or going to the root or origin; fundamental: a radical difference.

noun:

• a person who holds or follows strong convictions or extreme principles; extremist.
•  a person who advocates fundamental political, economic, and social reforms by direct and often uncompromising methods.

Well now, I guess I do have a case of 'Radiculitis' when it comes to the Lord, and the prognosis is very very good! ( LOL)

~God Bless~

LOVE, FAITH, and PEACE

Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Ephesians 6:23)



I love how the sunlight filters through the top of this iris


This looks like a yellow arrow pointing to the heavens!


.
This is a rare brown iris. The color is actually more of a dusty rose


 Notice the shadows? You can see my hand holding the camera at the bottom, and to the left of that you can clearly see Buddy watching me. I didn't even know he was there until when immediately after I took the shot, he ran up and licked the camera! 
I really like the pattern of the leaves on the ground.


 The start of a small vegetable garden. Planted are tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, string beans, and soon lettuce.


This Ruby Breasted Grosbeak is no longer afraid of us. it will stay put even when the other birds fly away. Yesterday it even took a dip in the garden pond while I refilled the feeder (just a couple feet away from me)!


And finally, my little spot that I create each summer featuring …
LOVE FAITH and PEACE
The fake rock on the porch (against the house) Reads: On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand....Just like the well-loved hymn! (below)

                         THE SOLID ROCK

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

Refrain:
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

—Edward Mote (1797-1874)