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What is This Site About, Anyway?

Let’s ask Peter for some help. Perhaps he can help me explain why this site exists! Before Peter was martyred for his bold witness, he disclosed to his beloved churches his heart’s desire for them. He shared with them what he considered to be the nuggets of gold that they would need, going forward, when his own voice would be silenced. In the last verse of his last letter, this is what we read:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity, Amen. 2 Peter 3:18
Grow, he says! Grow toward Him, grow in His grace, and grow in the knowledge of Him. A house plant, stuck in a dark room with only one window, can even yet keep growing. How? It bends toward the light. It grows toward the sun. It leans ever toward that source of life. We are like those houseplants. There is only one way to grow strong in Christ. It is in beholding His face, leaning into His beauty, soaking in the truth and grace and life of God Himself. Peter’s final words say it better than me:
  • Know God!
  • Grow in grace!
  • Worship Him!

Know Him! Grow in Grace!

Know God? Is it possible? Oh, yes. Such is the invitation of our Lord. We grow in any relationship by hanging out. Our connection to God is no different. By hanging out with Him, studying the Word, reading the Bible, worshipping, and praying, we are very smart houseplants. We are obedient houseplants. We are growing. O, let’s lean every day into that Light, let’s grow more and more in the grace and knowledge of Him. Let’s grow up in Him, while there is still time, while today is still called today. Let’s know our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gracious Father in heaven. Blog posts featuring the Bible are here, in The Word.

Worship

The second part of this verse “To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity” points us toward worship. If you haven’t yet established a practice of praise, let me encourage you to turn your regular attention upon His beauty, majesty, and goodness. Worship Jesus Christ! There is so much power in praise. Blogs introducing worship songs are found here. This site includes mostly modern worship songs, but also features a number of older hymns. Check out this playlist and offer God the worship He deserves. Let’s give Him the glory!

Hard Stuff

It’s a thing. We all go through it. Blogs in this section reveal God’s goodness in the midst of the storms, His presence in the boat makes all the difference. Let’s love Him anyway, even in the storms, losses, and disappointments. Let’s win Him back some of the glory He’s due. Let’s love Him, anyway.

Book Reviews

Finally, this site points our attention to some worthy reads. I hope you enjoy the growing Book Reviews offered here. Who knows? You might find your next favorite!

About the Name: “Salty Sound Girl”

I had been knocking ideas around for this website, and wasn’t sure I liked any of them. Then, it happened: inspiration from Northwest rain! (I live near the Puget Sound, in western Washington, USA.)

One morning, I awoke to yet another day of incessant rain. We’d been in our usual Pacific NW rainy season, but we also had some sort of “atmospheric river” adding to the saturation.

I was so over the wet.

As I looked out on the street and watched the water pouring down, pooling up, and dripping off of everything in sight, I glanced at the alder.

Oh, those endless, sodden, grey alder trees in the swamp across the street—bare of leaves, but bedecked with plenty of lichen and algae. They were so very soggy. I felt soggy just staring at them. I thought:

“You know what you are—you’re a soggy swamp girl. That’s what you are. You could be ‘Soggy Swamp Girl’ for your website.”

Funny as that was, it wouldn’t work. Tweaking it a bit resulted in “Salty Sound Girl”. (I can be salty, so it’s not far off.)

But more than that, let’s recall the words of Christ, when he said in Matthew 5:13 that we are the salt of the earth. He urged us not to lose our saltiness, but to continue to flavor the world around us with Christ, to be effective in His work here on earth. He said those words in the context of us being a light in this world, as well.

So, let’s be salty for Jesus! Let’s Sound Forth His Praise!