Sunday Hymns - A Mighty Fortress is Our God

1. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
   Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
   For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
   His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
   On earth is not his equal.
2. Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
   Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
   Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
   Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
   And He must win the battle.
3. And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
   We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
   The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
   His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
   One little word shall fell him.
4. That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
   The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth;
   Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
   The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
   His kingdom is forever.

-Martin Luther 1529

Music and More

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Sunday Hymns - O God, Our Help in Ages Past

1. O God, our help in ages past,
   Our hope for years to come,
   Our shelter from the stormy blast,
   And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
   Thy saints have dwelt secure;
   Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
   And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
   Or earth received her frame,
   From everlasting Thou art God,
   To endless years the same.
4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
   “Return, ye sons of men”:
   All nations rose from earth at first,
   And turn to earth again.
5. A thousand ages in Thy sight
   Are like an evening gone;
   Short as the watch that ends the night
   Before the rising sun.
6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
   With all their lives and cares,
   Are carried downwards by the flood,
   And lost in foll’wing years.
7. Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
   Bears all its sons away;
   They fly, forgotten, as a dream
   Dies at the op’ning day.
8. Like flow’ry fields the nations stand
   Pleased with the morning light;
   The flow’rs beneath the mower’s hand
   Lie with’ring ere ’tis night.
9. O God, our help in ages past,
   Our hope for years to come,
   Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
   And our eternal home.
10. -Isaac Watts 1719
11. -Music and more

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Thankful Thursday 8.22.13

~Warm sun to ripen the vegetables in my garden

~A good nap after a tough night

~Little laughter from sweet boys

~The family of God

~A morning to myself. Half Price Books, Dunn Brothers, and Joanne Fabrics made for a very refreshing Saturday morning.

~Good neighbors

~Blessed fellowship

~An almost-three-year-old who loves to go hear "Grandpa Bob preach the Gospel."

~Mercies that are new every morning

~One night of eight consecutive hours of sleep

~Fun at the playground

~The kiddie pool

Sunday Scripture Songs - Create in Me a Clean Heart

Create in me a clean heart
Oh God and renew a right spirit within me (2x)


Cast me not away from thy presence, o Lord
And take not Thy Holy Spirit from me
Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation
And renew a right spirit within me

Psalm 51:10-12




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Thankful Thursday 8.15.13

Two weeks ago one of the boys quite accidentally broke my camera. And I quickly realized that I'm one of those camera-crazy moms that takes about 20 pictures of the kids per day. I was lost without it, and didn't have the funds to replace it. But God provides:

And I'm back to capturing everyday moments:

Make a Joyful Noise - take two!

Psalm 100

100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

2 Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

 It seems that all little kids love to sing and be sung to. And while there surely is a place for fun children's songs, I think it is important to teach them that God made music for HIS glory. I love singing hymns and Scripture songs to the boys, and it is amazing how fast they can learn them. Not only are they having fun singing, but they are learning Scripture and sound theology while praising the Lord.

Part of our morning routine is to sing a hymn and read a portion of Scripture at breakfast time. This morning I captured just a few minutes of this. Someday these boys will be grown and I will miss the sweet sound of little voices singing "Holy, Holy, Holy."



(Can't see the video? Click HERE.)

Even at 17 months James knows some the words words and loves to sing along. His favorite hymn is "Be Thou My Vision" and he really belts that one out.

We sing all throughout our day, and it is worth every moment of it to hear these little ones praise the Lord.

Sunday Hymns: Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah

Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land. I am weak, but Thou art mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful hand. Bread of Heaven, Bread of Heaven, Feed me till I want no more; Feed me till I want no more. Open now the crystal fountain, Whence the healing stream doth flow; Let the fire and cloudy pillar Lead me all my journey through. Strong Deliverer, strong Deliverer, Be Thou still my Strength and Shield; Be Thou still my Strength and Shield. When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Death of deaths, and hell’s destruction, Land me safe on Canaan’s side. Songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to Thee; I will ever give to Thee.

Words: William Williams
Music: John Hughes

Music and more. 



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Thankful Thursday 8.8.2013

~Beautiful weather

~Petting Zoo fun

~Happy boys

 

~The sweet fellowship of the family of God.

Sunday Hymns - It is Well with My Soul

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul
.
But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

-Music and more




(Disclaimer: I like Selah's rendition of this song, but posting this video is not in any way an endorsement of TBN)

Can't see the video? Watch on Youtube.

Thankful Thursday 8.1.13

~Beautiful, cool weather

~A much needed theological "A-ha" moment this Sunday

~The sweet fellowship of the family of God

~A bountiful raspberry harvest and delicious raspberry jam

~A walleye-eating boy

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever. Psalm 107:1