Aha Moment

The kids and I were at our home school co-op today, discussing Ancient Egypt in the context of Moses and the Exodus. We've been studying the culture, its polytheism, the oppression of the Israelites, etc. Ancient Egypt was, despite all of its innovations, a big G, Godless place. You tell yourself, wasn't it a good thing that the Israelites finally got out??? And good riddance, too!

But then, I thought... It was that very same land which earlier had sustained Joseph and his brothers and families. It was that very same land to which baby Jesus and His family would flee when Herod killed all the baby boys. This very same oppressive place sheltered our Lord and saved His life.

God can use anything for His purposes, in His time, for His glory, and for our salvation.

"Lift High the Cross"

The last hymn in this week's Sing for Joy broadcast is "Lift High the Cross." If you go towards the end of the broadcast, you'll hear this version sung with organ and brass.

"Lift High the Cross"

Refrain

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,
Till all the world adore His sacred Name.



Led on their way by this triumphant sign,
The hosts of God in conquering ranks combine.

Refrain

Each newborn servant of the Crucified
Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Refrain

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,
As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Refrain

So shall our song of triumph ever be:
Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Refrain

"King of Glory, King of Peace"

I just discovered this hymn at Sing for Joy and have been singing it repeatedly! I can't find this version elsewhere on the internet, but you can go to the Sing for Joy website. This particular hymn is about 2/3 of the way through the program. If you find the blue "knob" that shows how far you've gotten into the show, and push it about 2/3 of the way across, you'll be close to this hymn. It's worth trying to figure it out.

Or, better yet. Just listen to the whole show! Remember to silence my blog music first (down on the righthand side bar).

There's an interesting story about the hymn's author, George Herbert (1593-1632), pictured above. See if you don't agree with me that we should be grateful that the manuscript was saved by his brother.

"King of Glory, King of Peace"

King of glory, King of peace,
I will love Thee;
And that love may never cease,
I will move Thee.
Thou hast granted my request,
Thou hast heard me;
Thou didst note my working breast,
Thou hast spared me.

Wherefore with my utmost art
I will sing Thee,
And the cream of all my heart
I will bring Thee.
Though my sins against me cried,
Thou alone didst clear me;
And alone, when they replied,
Thou didst hear me.

Seven whole days, not one in seven,
I will praise Thee;
In my heart, though not in Heaven,
I can raise Thee.
Small it is, in this poor sort
To enroll Thee:
E’en eternity’s too short
To extol Thee.

"Built on the Rock"

"Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord:
Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one, and I blessed him and made him many."

Isaiah 51:1-2

One definition from Webster's for the word hewn is:
to give form or shape to, with, or as if with heavy cutting blows.

Life certainly deals heavy cutting blows. But when you acknowledge that it is He who is forming and shaping you, it doesn't seem so difficult to withstand. It is all in His time and for His glory.

Here is a hymn to prepare yourself for the coming Sabbath, based upon one of this week's scripture readings.

Built on the Rock

Built on the Rock the church doth stand,
Even when steeples are falling;
Crumbled have spires in every land,
Bells still are chiming and calling;
Calling the young and old to rest,
But above all the soul distressed,
Longing for rest everlasting.

Surely in temples made with hands,
God, the Most High, is not dwelling;
High above earth His temple stands,
All earthly temples excelling;
Yet He whom heavens cannot contain
Chose to abide on earth with men,
Built in our bodies His temple.

We are God’s house of living stones,
Builded for His habitation;
He through baptismal grace us owns,
Heirs of His wondrous salvation;
Were we but two His Name to tell,
Yet He would deign with us to dwell,
With all His grace and His favor.

Go here to read all of the verses and hear the music. (Please silence the blog music first.)

"Dear Lord and Father of Mankind"

After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still small voice.
I Kings 19:12

The American poet, John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), wrote the words to this hymn as part of a longer poem. Sunday's Old Testament reading from I Kings was part of his inspiration.


Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.

Go here to see the text of all of the verses.

And be sure to go here to see this hymn sung by the Westminster Abbey choir and congregation. (Remember to first silence the blog music at the sidebar on the right.)

The music in this version of the hymn was written by British composer C. Hubert Parry (1848-1918). The photo is of Westminster Abbey.

I played in an orchestra last week for Debbie Reynolds. She had a good rapport with the audience and they really enjoyed the show. She talked about how her first husband left her (with two young children) for Elizabeth Taylor, and her second and third husbands left her in great financial difficulty. Yet, she laughed about it, and using her self-deprecating humor, she got the audience to laugh along with her.

I took a gander at her website when I got home, and found this quote:

This writer acknowledges there was no intent to mention all of Debbie's starring roles, or her myriad of awards. The foregoing is rather the story of a woman whose solution to adversity is not to merely survive, but to constantly revive, renew, and live life to the maximum.

This isn't the gospel according to Debbie Reynolds. She didn't give any clues that she is a believer. But, since we don't seem to be able to pass through this world without being embraced by adversity, the quote got me to thinking. I agree that we should do more than merely survive. We must rely on the Lord for everything and rejoice for His sustenance. Today I feel like that sums up a Christian walk.

My New Career.....Midwife

If you have ever taken the time to look at the blogs I link on the right hand sidebar, you will notice that most of them are written by Christian agrarians. Believers who are making their living off their own land, using their own hands. When I first started writing in this little corner of blogdom, I hadn't stumbled upon these blogs just yet. But I have been, for a long time, a suburban gal who wished she lived in the country or a little town.

I don't even remember how I first found these blogs, but one led to another which led to another. I now regularly peruse Scott's blog in upstate New York, I find others through his links, I read Northern Farmer whose writing reminds me so much of our cattle rancher friend here in Colorado, I read what the faithful saints are doing in Missouri, others in central Texas, a family in Canada, a family in Idaho, and a mama in Tennessee with her three boys.

It was the family in Tennessee who asked for ideas for a new name for their farm. I submitted an idea, and with some tweaking, they used it! Me, who has never given birth, has now helped birth a new name for an entire farm! Now, how cool is that?! My grandfather would have been proud!

(I stole this picture from the Tennessee Farmgirl blog. It's of her three boys after a hard day's work.)

"My God, How Wonderful Thou Art"

My God, how wonderful thou art,
thy majesty how bright,
how beautiful thy mercy seat,
in depths of burning light!

How dread are thine eternal years,
O everlasting Lord,
by prostrate spirits day and night
incessantly adored!

How wonderful, how beautiful,
the sight of thee must be,
thine endless wisdom, boundless power,
and aweful purity!

O how I fear thee, living God,
with deepest, tenderest fears,
and worship thee with trembling hope
and penitential tears!

Yet I may love thee too, O Lord,
almighty as thou art,
for thou hast stooped to ask of me
the love of my poor heart.

No earthly father loves like thee,
no mother, e'er so mild,
bears and forbears as thou hast done
with me, thy sinful child.

Father of Jesus, love's reward,
what rapture it will be,
prostrate before thy throne to lie,
and gaze and gaze on thee!

These words were written by Frederick Faber (1814-1863), British theologian, preacher, and hymnwriter. Having converted to Catholicism as an adult, and being a strong supporter of congregational singing, he wrote hymns that had lyrics which would be suitable to Catholics. Many of his hymns are sung in Protestant churches as well (sometimes with minor changes to the lyrics).


Go here to see a video of a New Zealand choir singing this hymn. (Remember to stop the blog music first...scroll down on the right to find the pause button.)

You Are With Me

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4

I have a friend who volunteers as a victim's advocate with the Sheriff's Department. What the job usually entails is helping people who've unexpectedly lost a loved one. She's been musing lately that when you strip away the veneer and the things that entangle us in this world, what we really have left is: learning what to do with death.

A quick pass through the girls' clothing area in Target last week illustrated this perfectly. There were colorful girls' t-shirts hanging on the racks, but on the front of the shirts were skulls outlined in sequins. One design even had a cute bow on the skeleton's head. (Perfect back-to-school wear for your first grader, don't you think?)

Many people don't want to contemplate death because it's something to be feared and avoided. Instead, they flirt with it. They pierce their bodies in all sorts of strange ways, participate in dangerous extreme sports, and wear clothing with "cute" skulls. They want to be in control of this strange phenomenon called death. If they downgrade it, ignore it, or gussy it up, perhaps it won't be such a scary thing.

I know of three people who have died in the past week and they leave behind grieving loved ones. But all three people have joined their Heavenly Father, and that's something to rejoice in!

(Golden Gate Canyon State Park, Colorado, July 2008, taken by my husband)

"For the Fruit of All Creation"

I got my "hymn fix" again today from Sing For Joy. I just discovered that you can listen to the entire broadcast online. (If you choose to listen, don't forget to silence my blog music which has an icon on the right if you scroll down a bit.)

Some of today's scripture readings had an agrarian theme to them, so many of the chosen hymns followed suit. It seems quite appropriate, given that farmers are working long hours tending and then gathering in crops as they mature.

For the Fruit of All Creation

For the fruit of all creation,
thanks be to God.
gifts bestowed on every nation,
thanks be to God.
For the plowing, sowing, reaping,
silent growth while we are sleeping,
future needs in earth's safekeeping,
thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labor,
God's will is done.
In the help we give our neighbor,
God's will is done.
In our worldwide task of caring
for the hungry and despairing,
in the harvests we are sharing,
God's will is done.

For the harvests of the Spirit,
thanks be to God.
For the good we all inherit,
thanks be to God.
For the wonders that astound us,
for the truths that still confound us,
most of all that love has found us,
thanks be to God.

Stand Firm

"If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all."

Isaiah 7: 9b NIV


My husband snapped this shot a few days ago while he and the boys were hiking from their campsite to a fishing hole. It makes me wonder about the people who originally built this structure. Did they finish it? Did they ever live in it? Why did they leave the area? Did they go on to build something more permanent in another location?

I recall from my reading of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books that log cabins were always planned to be temporary structures until something more suitable could be built. Has something that was supposed to be temporary in my life, instead lulled me into a stupor of satisfaction? The fact that I'm not at ease about many things should prove to me that this is not the case.

As I've been reading Michael Bunker's series on Off-Grid Living, this photo and verse were quite sobering. His writing is pretty radical for this suburban gal. I want to be realistic, but I don't want to use the excuse that my husband and I are too old to make a wholesale change in our lives. I pray that we come to uncover how to be faithful and pleasing to God.

(An aside: In the original Hebrew, this verse is a play on words, which makes for difficult translation. Some commentators say that the NIV reflects the intent of the pun quite effectively.)

Happy Birthday!

We have so much for which to be thankful. Our son turned 14 today. He's such a good kid and brings us much joy. It's hard to believe he's growing up so fast. This summer I am doing research on colleges so I can plan a solid curriculum for his high school years. (Exciting and daunting all rolled into one!) And it just doesn't seem that long ago that we brought him home from the airport.

Here he is doing his favorite thing (fishing). My husband took our son and four other boys up camping (his second favorite thing) two days ago as our son's big present. The boys ranged in age from 10 to 16, all from Scouts and/or church. They got along splendidly and had a ball.

God bless you, Son. May you walk with Him all the days of your life. And may the dear woman who gave you life, be comforted by the Lord to somehow know that you are loved and cared for and thriving.

"Lord of All Hopefulness"

Sing for Joy, always posts the four scripture readings for each Sunday, and includes appropriate music to go along with the texts. One of today's suggested hymns is "Lord of All Hopefulness." The melody is the same one used for "Be Thou My Vision." The lyrics were written by Jan Struther (1901-1953), the British author who penned the original Mrs. Miniver story. (Struther was actually the pen name for Joyce Anstruther, later Joyce Maxtone Graham and finally Joyce Placzek. Unfortunately, the lyrics are still under copyright, so I can't print them here.)

Here's a nice version sung by a boys' choir in England. Be sure to first silence the blog music on the right.

(photo is of choristers from Winchester Cathedral)

Independence Day Eve

I was taking my son's sheets off the clothesline. The sun's unmistakable fragrance still clinging to them, although the source of that familiar scent had just recently disappeared behind the mountains.

It was then that I spied the large bird out of the corner of my eye. 'Probably a goose,' I thought at first, not giving it much thought. And yet, it was alone. My mind perked up a bit. 'Perhaps a blue heron,' I decided as I removed the pillowcases. I searched for those tell-tale impossibly long legs trailing behind, but there were none.

Just as the creature glided noiselessly overhead, I realized I had almost missed its signature white feathered head and tail. I was being blessed in my chores by a bald eagle! God, in His infinite mercy and majesty, had reminded me of His truth while I humbly removed the clothespins and wash from my line.

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

More Like Gomer

As I was reading Hosea last week, I was struck with his obedience to God. Infidelity is obviously life-shattering to the person who is sinned against, and God asked Hosea to practice his obedience in some very difficult ways.

But as amazing as Hosea's obedience and forgiveness are, what's more amazing is that God wanted to redeem His people, even though there had been generation upon generation of unfaithfulness towards Him.

It's so easy for us to look down our noses at Gomer and hautily think that we would never flaunt our sin in the way she did. And yet, I don't think God made sure this story was included in the Bible just so we would marvel at Hosea, but so we would see God's love and forgiveness towards Israel. And, of course, ultimately towards ourselves. We like to think we're like Hosea, when we are no better than Gomer. Yet, God in His infinite mercy has chosen to forgive us and redeem us.

Let us rejoice and praise Him!