Sunday's Hymn: Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Put no confidence in princes,
Nor for help on man depend;
He shall die, to dust returning,
And his purposes shall end.

Happy is the man that chooses
Israel's God to be his aid;
He is blessed whose hope of blessing
On the Lord his God is stayed.
Heaven and earth the Lord created,
Seas and all that they contain;
He delivers from oppression,
Righteousness he will maintain.

Food he daily gives the hungry,
Sets the mourning prisoner free,
Raises those bowed down with anguish,
Makes the sightless eyes to see.
Well Jehovah loves the righteous,
And the stranger he befriends,
Helps the fatherless and widow,
Judgment on the wicked sends.

Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,
O my soul, Jehovah praise;
I will sing the glorious praises
Of my God through all my days.
Over all God reigns for ever,
Through all ages he is king;
Unto him, thy God, O Zion,
Joyful hallelujahs sing.

Psalm 146, The Psalter, 1912
Tune: Ripley, Arr. from a Gregorian chant by Lowell Mason, 1839

National Dog Week

Did you know that National Dog Week started this past Tuesday, Sept. 22nd? I didn't. At least not until I stopped in at the library this morning. So while I was there, I picked up a book on caring for your senior dog and promptly came home to give Charlie some extra love and cuddling. Isn't he just the cutest!

Sunday's Hymn: O Lord, How are My Foes Increased!

O Lord, how are my foes increased!
Against me many rise;
How many say, "In vain for help
He on his God relies."

Thou art my shield and glory Lord,
My Saviour, O Most High.
The Lord from out his holy hill
Gives answer when I cry.

I laid me down and slept, I waked,
Because the Lord sustains;
Though many thousands compass me,
Unmoved my soul remains.

Arise, O Lord; save me, my God;
For thou hast owned my cause,
And oft hast beaten down my foes
Who scorn thy righteous laws.

Salvation to the Lord belongs;
In him his saints are blest;
O let thy blessing evermore
Upon thy people rest.

From Psalm 3

Tune: Eden, William Henry Havergal, 1793-1870

Sunday's Hymn: Blessed Jesus, At Thy Word

Blessed Jesus, at thy word
We are gathered all to hear thee;
Let our hearts and souls be stirred
Now to seek and love and fear thee,
By thy teachings, sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love thee solely.

All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded
Till thy Spirit breaks our night
With the beams of truth unclouded.
Thou alone to God canst win us;
Thou must work all good within us.

Glorious Lord, thyself impart,
Light of Light, from God proceeding;
Open thou our ears and heart,
Help us by thy Spirit's pleading;
Hear the cry thy people raises,
Hear and bless our prayers and praises.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Praise to thee and adoration!
Grant that we thy Word may trust
And obtain true consolation
While we here below must wander,
Till we sing thy praises yonder.

St. 1-3, Tobias Clausnitzer, 1663
St. 4, Anon., 1707

Translation by Catherine Winkworth, 1858
Translation, St. 4, Anon.

Tune: Liebster Jesu, Johann R. Ahle, 1664

Sunday's Hymn: From All That Dwell Below the Skies

From all that dwell below the skies
Let the Creator's praise arise:
Let the Redeemer's name be sung
Through every land, by every tongue.

Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends thy Word:
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore
Till suns shall rise and set no more.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

From Psalm 117
Isaac Watts, 1719

Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen
Geistliche Kirchengesang, Cologne, 1623

Unstuffed Shells

12 oz. small pasta shells (other small pasta works just fine too)
10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed
2 tablespoons chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 egg
3 cups marinara sauce (or tomato sauce of your choice)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta and set aside.

Saute spinach, onions and nutmeg in small amount of oil. In a medium size bowl, mash ricotta cheese with milk and parsley and add spinach mixture. Beat egg and add to spinach and cheese mixture. Stir in cooked pasta.

Pour half of tomato sauce into bottom of baking dish. Spread ricotta and pasta mixture over that. Pour the other half of tomato sauce over the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Emily and I made this for supper last night. Its quick, easy and good. We all love it served with soft French bread and a salad.

Late Summer Blooms

Technically, its still summer for another couple of weeks but it does feel decidedly fall-like in our neck of the woods. And I love that! But still, I hate to see the summer flowers fade and that makes me especially appreciative of these late summer blooms. Here at the cottage, the roses always seem to perk up again right about now and these blooms on the plantain lilies are making a lovely show.


So...how are the flowers doing by you? I'd love to know what's blooming right now in your little plot of earth.