Sunday's Hymn: All People That on Earth Do Dwell

All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, his praise forth-tell,
Come ye before him and rejoice.

The Lord ye know is God indeed;
Without our aid he did us make;
We are his folk, he doth us feed,
And for his sheep he doth us take.

O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless his name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is for ever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

Psalm 100 adapted by Wm. Kethe in 1561

Price of Gas: August 28, 2008

Gas is down another 2 cents per gallon in Crystal Lake, IL this week! Okay, two cents is not a whole lot but the downward trend is the thing that matters here.

So what's happening with the price of gas in your area? Is it up or down or the same as last week? Rebecca is the one who is compiling all of our gas price info each week so stop by her place and get your two cents worth in. Pun intended!

Sunday's Hymn: Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners!

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Saviour, makes me whole.

Hallelujah! what a Saviour!
Hallelujah, what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in him;
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my strength, my vict'ry wins.

Jesus! what a help in sorrow!
While the billows o'er me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a guide and keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night o'ertakes me,
He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive him,
More than all in him I find,
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am his, and he is mine.

J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910

Camping

Andy has another week of vacation coming up. In fact, it starts tonight when he gets home! And we're going camping! I really do love to camp but this year we're giving it a new twist. We're camping from the cottage! We're going to put up rope lights around the screen porch, make s'mores on the stove and use our candlelit fireplace for a campfire! We might even bring in the camp chairs to put in front of that campfire!

And during the day, we'll go canoeing and fishing, maybe bicycling, walk around the neighborhood....oops, I mean campground. But at night, we get to sleep in our real beds! And we can keep our food in a real refrigerator instead of a cooler! And when its hot and sticky, we can turn on the air! Maybe read a book by electric light! Plus we have private showers! Charlie will be a lot cleaner too!

Oh, and did I mention that this campground has wifi? And nearby Starbucks and Caribou both?

But the very best part is getting to spend some relaxing time with "my boys." The rest is just icing on the cake. So I know I'm going to have a wonderful week! I hope all of you do too.

Price of Gas: August 21, 2008

Here's a first for me. I get to reuse my photo from last week since the price of gas is exactly the same as it was last Thursday! That's not to say nothing had happened with the price of gas in the last week. Its been as high as $4.05 during that time but its slipped back down and for that, I am glad.

What's going on with the price of gas in your area? Stop by Rebecca's and let her know. Some of us are interested in these things.

15 Words or Less Poem

Perfection on the water,
Waiting for the magic
of being under sail.





More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Crocheting Again!

I've enjoyed crocheting since my teenage years...and that's a long time! In the last couple of years though, I've developed a wrist problem that is somewhat related to carpal tunnel but for which surgery is not an option. Of course, this is in my right hand, the one I use for everything. Crocheting had become increasingly painful and I could only do it for short periods at a time. Until now.

About a month ago, I was at the library and if you know my reading habits, you know I like to have some sort of a book that is primarily pictures on hand. So I chose one called 200 Crochet Tips, Techniques and Trade Secrets by Jan Eaton. Very near the front of the book, the author mentioned ergonomic crochet hooks, something that had never occurred to me might even exist. There was a picture of one design which I found at Joann Fabrics but that design did not change anything about the pain in my wrist that worsened as I crocheted. But I found another design upon doing some internet research and guess what! This type of crochet hook is also available at Joann's! I searched for more coupons and off I went again. Here it is with my current project. And praise God, I can crochet for a good long while again without pain!



In my research, I found that this design was requested by a woman with Multiple Sclerosis of her husband so that she could continue hooking rugs. He originally carved a handle for her out of wood and you can find those hooks online but they are quite spendy! My little plastic handle with six hooks that screw into it retails at Joann's for about $20.00. I got it for $10.00 with a 50% off coupon and I am a happy camper!

A Healthy Mouth

I had my teeth cleaned recently and the dental hygienist was talking about the connection between oral health and cardiac health. Since its pretty hard to be a part of the conversation with her working in my mouth, I was left to ponder what she said on my own. The verse that came to my mind was from Matthew 12:

34b For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.

When I got home, I looked up a few more:

Psalm 49:3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Matthew 15:18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'

Romans 15:5-6 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

These verses all indicated to me the connection between the mouth and the heart when it comes to spiritual health. Why would I not think that our Creator God would link the physical health of our mouths and hearts as well?

Sunday's Hymn: God, Be Merciful to Me

God, be merciful to me,
On thy grace I rest my plea;
Plenteous in compassion thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within,
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions I confess,
Grief and guilt my soul oppress;
I have sinned against thy grace
And provoked thee to thy face;
I confess thy judgment just,
Speechless, I thy mercy trust.

I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Saviour art,
Teach thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

Broken, humbled to the dust
By thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice
And in gladness hear thy voice;
From my sins O hide thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true;
Cast me not away from thee,
Let thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation's joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

Sinners then shall learn from me
And return, O God, to thee;
Saviour, all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing thy love;
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord.

The Psalter, 1912

Price of Gas: August 14, 2008

The downward trends continues! Gas at "my" local gas station in Crystal Lake, IL is 4 cents per gallon cheaper this week than last. Now this is the gas station that I photograph each week and use as my standard to measure the price of gas in our town. And usually all of the plain old gas stations along the main drag here are within a couple of pennies of each other. Not this week! The prices were all over the place with $3.89 being the low and prices ranging all the way up to $4.09. In the neighboring town of Algonquin, just to the south of us where our Costco is located, prices were even more erratic. $3.91 was the low there but one station was $4.15 per gallon!

How are gas prices in your area? Is there more uniformity of price in your town or are the prices rather erratic like here? Check in with Rebecca and let her know what you are paying for gas. We want to know.

15 Words or Less Poem

Calm the fears,
Take the plunge,
Chin up,
Emerge victorious!



More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Sunday's Hymn: Who is This So Weak and Helpless

Who is this so weak and helpless,
Child of lowly Hebrew maid,
Rudely in a stable sheltered,
Coldly in a manger laid?
'Tis the Lord of all creation,
Who this wondrous path hath trod;
He is God from everlasting,
And to everlasting God.

Who is this, a Man of Sorrows,
Walking sadly life's hard way,
Homeless, weary, sighing, weeping
Over sin and Satan's sway?
'Tis our God, our glorious Saviour,
Who above the starry sky
Now for us a place prepareth,
Where no tear can dim the eye.

Who is this? behold him shedding
Drops of blood upon the ground!
Who is this, despised, rejected,
Mocked, insulted, beaten, bound?
'Tis our God, who gifts and graces
On his church now poureth down;
Who shall smite in holy vengeance
All his foes beneath his throne.

Who is this that hangeth dying
While the rude world scoffs and scorns,
Numbered with the malefactors,
Torn with nails, and crowned with thorns?
'Tis the God who ever liveth
'Mid the shining ones on high,
In the glorious golden city,
Reigning everlastingly.

William W. How, 1867

Price of Gas: Aug. 7, 2008

Well, gas is down another 4 cents per gallon this week in Crystal Lake, IL! I am sure hoping this downward trend continues for a good while to come!

How much are you paying for gas in your area this week? Are your prices heading up or down? Rebecca is keeping track of these things so stop over at her place and let her know.

Sunday's Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God:
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.

See, from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down:
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Isaac Watts, 1707