Midweek Musings

Some thoughts this week...

Sunday - Sanctity of Human Life Day
For You yourself created my inmost parts;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I will thank you because I am marvelously made;
Your works are wonderful, and I know it well.
Psalm 139: 12-13

Monday - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
King's "I Have a Dream" speech ~ Lincoln Memorial ~ August 28, 1963

Tuesday - Inauguration Day
"The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
Barak Hussein Obama ~ Inaugural Address ~ January 20, 2009
(Depending upon how he defines "all", it would seem that this should include the unborn. Just saying.)

Wednesday - Day 1
Yesterday, our new president told us, "Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourseslves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."

Whatever he meant by remaking America, did he mean this?
Worst Inaugural Day Slide
The Dow's 4 percent slide was the most on an Inauguration Day in the measure's 112-year history...

Did he mean this?
Now that Obama has announced that we are stopping off-shore drilling, the gas station I pass has raised its price 10 cents. Since yesterday.

I need some Hope and Change...Mmmm...Let's see...How about this?


The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.
George Washington ~ First Inaugural Address ~ April 30, 1789

Day One. We've obviously got work to do. It's going to be a long four years. Don't give up hope. Pray. And preserve the sacred fire of liberty.

The Imitation of Christ - Part 8

The Imitation of Christ - Thomas a Kempis
Book 1 Chapter 8
Of the Danger of Too Much Familiarity

I have just been praying about the importance of good friends for our children, and how we can foster healthy Christian relationships between them and their peers.

God was gracious to point me to this quote from Kempis.

Let thy company be the humble and the simple, the devout and the gentle, and let thy discourse be concerning things which edify.

Lord, help me to teach my children these truths and to discern between those relationships that fit this standard vs. those that don't.

(our daughter with her dear, dear friend from ballet)

"We Know That Christ Is Raised"

I was looking for hymns about baptism to go along with today's church calendar, and there aren't very many. The words for this hymn were written in 1969 by John B. Geyer (b. 1932). The melody was written by Charles Stanford (1852-1924) as the music for "For All the Saints." Two years later, Ralph Vaughn Williams, wrote a different, and very effective, melody for "For All the Saints," which has prevailed to this day. Stanford's music was virtually forgotten until it was matched with Geyer's words.

As we study the baptism of our Lord by John at the River Jordan, we can understand more fully our own baptism into the family of faith. Although it's probably speaking of the resurrected Christ, verse three gives a symbolic picture of Jesus being in the presence of the other two persons of the trinity at His own baptism, and our relationship with the same.

The Father's splendor clothes the Son with life.
The Spirit's power shakes the Church of God.
Baptized we live with God the Three in One.
Alleluia!

The hymn is still under copyright, but this site published the words and a simple piano version of the music for "study" purposes.

Pretty COOL

Two weeks ago I was at the grocery store buying ground beef. I noticed that the country of origin label (COOL) said, "Product of Canada, US, or Mexico." Huh? I buy a pound of ground beef, and the best they can do is tell me it comes from one of three countries?! Not cool!

Luckily, we had already planned to visit our ranch friends over Christmas break and buy a 1/4 side of beef from them. Now, not only do we know the country of origin, we know the ranch and the family of origin! We were there when the calves were branded in the spring. We know our meat wasn't pumped up with hormones. Our friends are letting us pay on the installment plan. And their kids played with my kids for hours the day we drove there to pick up the beef. Pretty cool!

(Two happy girls: our daughter, and their younger daughter on the right, after spending time in heaven - AKA with the horses.)

Epiphany

When I was a girl, January 6 meant: my younger brother's birthday. We never took our tree down until after his birthday. I suppose Mom thought having the tree for his birthday made it more festive somehow, and somewhat lessened the downside of having a birthday so close to Christmas. And she was right. Now that I'm married and have a family of my own, I still leave our tree up through Epiphany, in his honor, even though my brother lives half-way across the country.

Now that I'm a Christian, I can see Epiphany in another light. In Sunday's sermon, pastor said:

There is no star, no baby to draw people in. Where will God lead people? To us. Ephesians 3 says, through the church God is showing His wisdom to heavenly rulers and powers. Through the church, God will manifest His glory. We are the light of the world. The grace, patience, and mercy that God has shown us, we should extend to others. Let's be what we are; the light of the world.

Dear Lord, help me to show grace, patience, and mercy. Help me to be a light in my little corner of the universe.

"As With Gladness, Men of Old"

You may be familiar with this first stanza of the Epiphany hymn, As With Gladness, Men of Old:

As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold;
as with joy they hailed in light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious Lord, may we
evermore be led to thee.

These last two verses are probably less well known, but so full of hope and wonder:

Holy Jesus! every day
keep us in the narrow way;
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.

In the heavenly country bright,
need they no created light;
thou its light, its joy, its crown,
thou its sun which goes not down;
there for ever may we sing
alleluias to our King.

This hymn, written by William Chatterton Dix (1837-1898), is not his most famous. Dix, the manager of a marine insurance company in Scotland, is most famous for writing the words to "What Child Is This?" (Photo above is of the Parish Church in Somerset, England, where Dix was buried.)