My Top Ten Favorite Hymns

1. Be Thou My Vision
Irish Hymn, c. 8th century
Translated by Mary E. Byrne, 1905
Versified by Eleanor H. Hull, 1912
Tune: Slane, Traditional Irish melody, arranged by Donald P. Hustad, 1973

I love this one best because it expresses the deepest prayer of my heart, that He would by my
Vision, the Lord of my heart. And I love the way the words build and expand the image of God to Ruler of All!

2. O Soul, Are You Weary and Troubled?
Helen H. Lemmel, 1922
Tune: Lemmel, by Helen H. Lemmel, 1922

This hymn is my comfort and reminder when things are not going well in my world.

3. Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
William Williams, 1745
Translated by Peter Williams and William Williams, 1771
Tune: CWM Rhondda, John Hughes, 1907

My favorite words in this favorite hymn are this line: I am weak, but Thou are mighty; Hold me with Thy pow'rful hand; How could that not comfort a Pilgrim through this barren land?

4. Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Robert Robinson, 1758
Tune: Nettleton, Traditional American Melody

Its the third verse with its reference to my proneness to wander that speaks so clearly to me in this one. Plus I love the tune!

5. Great is Thy Faithfulness
Thomas O. Chisholm, 1923
Tune: Faithfulness, William M. Runyan, 1923

This hymn just makes my heart sing!

6. When We Walk With the Lord (Trust and Obey)
John H. Sammis, 1887
Tune: Trust and Obey, Daniel B. Towner, 1887

If only I could always live this way all the time....

7. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
Martin Luther, 1529
Translated by Frederick H. Hedge, 1852
Tune: Ein' Feste Burg, Martin Luther, 1829

Such a strong, reassuring statement of the sure victory of believers in Christ.

8. Jesus! What a Friend For Sinners
J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910
Tune: Hyfrydol, Roland H. Prichard, c. 1830

More reassuring truth about my surety in Christ.

9. How Great Thou Art
Carl Boberg, c. 1885
Translated by Stuart K. Hine, 1949
Tune: O Store Gud, Swedish Folk Melody

The title says it all!

The link on the title is for the Swedish version. The English version is still under copyright but you can read about it here.

10. Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
Reginald Heber, 1826
Tune: Nicaea, John B. Dykes, 1861

I love this one because its one of the earliest that I remember singing as a child...and its so majestic!

Here they are. This was a tough task! There are so many hymns that I truly love.

Top Ten Favorite Hymns

I've seen this project mentioned at some of my favorite blogs (here and here) and I've decided to join in. It seems that Sherry at Semicolon is embarking on a project to compile our favorite hymns. Here are her guidelines:

1. Make a list of your top ten hymns of all time. Hymn (according to Webster): a song of praise to God a metrical composition adapted for singing in a religious service. For the purposes of this poll, I’m limiting the choices to Christian hymns, but the form of the song doesn’t matter. In other words, the songs on your list should be suitable for congregational singing and should be Christian. Handel’s Messiah is Christian but probably not suitable for congregational hymn singing. Anything you sing in worship service, even what are normally called choruses, is fine. (Oh, English, please, or at least translated into English. Sorry, but it’s all I really speak.)

2.List these hymns in your order of preference. So your #1 hymn would be the one you feel is the best, and so on. I will be giving your first choice 10 points, your second choice 9 points, and so on.

3. Submit your list to me at sherryDOTearlyATgmailDOTcom. Write “Hymn Survey” in the subject line. I’d rather you didn’t leave your votes in my comments here because it’ll be easier to tabulate all the votes if they’re all in my email (plus I want everyone’s votes to be a surprise). Deadline for votes to be sent to me is May 31, 2009.

4. If you like, you can submit a justification for each hymn. Or you can send me a link to an audio or video version online. Include the name of the hymn’s author or lyricist and the composer of the melody you prefer if at all possible, especially if you think I might be unfamiliar with your particular hymn.

And Sherry adds:

Oh, and if you don't mind, I would appreciate your publicizing this poll on your blog. I'd like to get at least 100 nominations or lists for this survey; more would be even better. If you want to post your top ten list on your blog, that's fine. Just be sure you send me a copy.

So look for my top ten list in an upcoming post. I hope to find yours at your blog! But don't forget to email your list to Sherry too!

Charlie's Second Big Trip

Charlie did see his cardiologist yesterday afternoon and she concurred with his regular vet. In fact, she characterized the deterioration in the condition of his heart as "mild." Now that's an adjective that I was glad to hear! Again, I thank God for each day He allows me to enjoy the companionship of this sweet little canine boy.

Sunday's Hymn: A Mighty Fortress

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 power are great;
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

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.

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.

That Word above all earthly powers,
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 for ever.

Martin Luther, 1529
Tr. by Frederick H. Hedge, 1853

Tune: Ein' Feste Burg, Martin Luther, 1529

Charlie's Big Trip

My little old guy, Charlie, had his annual big trip to the vet for a major health assessment on Wednesday afternoon. Charlie is 13 years old now and has some heart problems as well as his long history of bladder stones. I'm happy to report that there is absolutely no trace of bladder stones in there now! His heart is a different matter. Its a bit more enlarged than last year. That is reflected in his shortened walks and slower pace on them. He sleeps more than he used to too. Eats less as well. But overall, not too bad! He sees his cardiologist on Monday but, preliminarily, all looks pretty good. I love this little boy and am so thankful for every day that God allows me to have and enjoy him.

Just as I Was Poised for a Comeback...

...my laptop got quite sick. No, there was no pig that kissed it. In fact, I am not quite sure what did happen. At first it seemed like an unexpected power outage caused the corruption of some file or other. That diagnosis comes from Andy. I don't even have enough computer savvy to know that I shouldn't have unplugged it (its battery is totally dead) and just moved it from one location to another without shutting it off. I just thought it was kind of like moving a lamp across the room without turning it off before unplugging it. But then, Andy said that wasn't the whole problem and I can't really relate what was the whole problem. I just know that he had to totally wipe it out and "rebuild it." And that happened last night.

Its good to have Daisybelle back! We name our computers over here and they all have "belle" names. Andy's is Annabelle. Emily's is Lilybelle. Anyway, Daisybelle does not have all of her programs back yet but I can use her again now. And I am getting a belated Mother's Day gift. Its a new battery for my laptop aaand...a backup drive. Woohoo!

Now, you may think I am pretty computer inept...and its true. But the rest of the truth is that I have learned so very much about using a computer from having a blog! And next to what Iused to know about computers, I am pretty smart now! It just seems sometimes like all the computer knowledge I gain has to be the hard way.

God's Love

One of the things that has been the focus of my attention during my hiatus from blogging is the Bible study I've been doing this year on the life of Moses. We've studied through the books of Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers this year and are now finishing up the book of Deuteronomy. And this book, Deuteronomy, has surely captured my attention! Right now, its my favorite book of the Bible! The leader of our study has described it as similar to a commencement address, this series of addresses to the Israelites that Moses gives before they cross the Jordan to inhabit the land God has promised them for generations now. I can see her point. There is certainly a retrospective quality to how Moses speaks to them as they are about to commence a new stage of their life as a nation, the nation chosen by God. But to me, no commencement address conveys the kind of love that Moses does. Its the kind of love a father might convey to his beloved children as he gives them his final advice from his death bed. And in a very real way, it is that. Moses knows that he will die before his people enter Canaan. He's grown to love these "stiff-necked, rebellious" people through his forty years of leading them, as a parent loves his recalcitrant children. But still, he could not love the people the way he does as a human shepherd. He is a servant of God and he is really conveying to them the love of God. By extension, Moses is conveying God's love to all of us present day people of God people too. And that's the part I've been just soaking up!

There are lots of warnings of curses, as well as blessings, in the book of Deuteronomy; curses in the form of pronouncements of what will happen to God's people if they incur His wrath by their disobedience to Him, especially by idolatry. But I find that oddly comforting too. He doesn't just let us go our own way when we turn away from Him. He does all of those terrible things to bring us to the end of ourselves so we have no where to turn but back to Him. Now if that isn't love, I don't know what is!

15 Words or Less Poem

A perfect web
Spider spun
Enhanced by dew drops
God done.

Go visit Laura Purdie Salas to contribute a poem of your own or read more.

P.S. I know its bad grammar but I like it anyway.

Time for a Comeback

Its been another dry spell at Field Stone Cottage. Quite a chunk of time has passed since I've posted anything other than Sunday hymns. I made an agreement with myself back in January that I owned the blog, not the other way around, and I guess you could say that I've kept that agreement. But I'm ready for another comeback, I do believe! I'm going to start posting more than just Sunday hymns (much as I love them) starting right now.

Sunday's Hymn: Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the Head and Cornerstone,
Chosen of the Lord and precious,
Binding all the church in one;
Holy Zion's help for ever
And her confidence alone.

All that dedicated city,
Dearly loved of God on high,
In exultant jubilation
Pours perpetual melody;
God the One in Three adoring
In glad hymns eternally.

To this temple, where we call thee,
Come, O Lord of hosts today:
With thy wonted lovingkindness
Hear thy people as they pray;
And thy fullest benediction
Shed within its walls alway.

Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
What they ask of thee to gain,
What they gain from thee for ever
With the blessed to retain,
And hereafter in thy glory
Evermore with thee to reign.

Laud and honor to the Father,
Laud and honor to the Son,
Laud and honor to the Spirit,
Ever Three and ever One,
One in might, and One in glory,
While unending ages run.

Anonymous, Latin, 7th Century
Tr. by John Mason Neale, 1851

Tune: Regent Square, Henry Smart, 1867

Sunday's Hymn: Thy Works, Not Mine, O Christ

Thy works, not mine, O Christ,
Speak gladness to this heart;
They tell me all is done;
They bid my fear depart.

To whom, save thee,
Who canst alone
For sin atone,
Lord, shall I flee?

Thy pains, not mine, O Christ,
Upon the shameful tree,
Have paid the law's full price
And purchased peace for me.

Thy cross, not mine, O Christ,
Has borne the awful load
Of sins that none in heav'n
Or earth could bear but God.

Thy righteousness, O Christ,
Alone can cover me:
No righteousness avails
Save that which is of thee.

Horatius Bonar, 1857
Tune: Darwall's 148th, John Darwall, 1770

Daffodils!

Daffodils just might be my favorite flower! At least, they are my favorite flower at the moment because they are prolifically in bloom right now! I love their cheerful faces, especially this spring when we've waited so long for them to come. So this sunny bouquet from my dear friend, Norma's garden, cut fresh this morning was so very, very welcome.

Sunday's Hymn: To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that we may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father through Jesus the Son,
And give him the glory, great things he hath done!

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood!
To ev'ry believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus forgiveness receives.

Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Fanny J. Crosby, 1875
Tune: William H. Doane, 1832-1916

Sunday's Hymn: 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

George W. Kichin and Michael R. Newbolt, 1916

Tune: Crucifer, Sydney H. Nicholson, 1916

He Has Risen! He Has Risen, Indeed!

⁶You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. ⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! ¹⁰For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! ¹¹Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Romans 5:6-11

Quotes About the Cross

¹¹When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. ¹²He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. ¹⁴How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:11-14

This week, Rebecca is gathering our posts of quotes related to the cross of Christ. Please visit her to share your quote in celebration of Holy Week or read the posts of others.

Quotes About the Cross

It was quite essential that Christ should die neither a natural nor an accidental death; and that He should not die by the hand of an assassin, but under a judicial sentence. He had to be counted with the transgressors, had to be condemned as a criminal. Moreover, it was providentially arranged by God that He should be tried and sentenced by a Roman judge. The Romans had a genius for law and justice, and represented the highest judicial power in the world. It might be expected that a trial before a Roman judge would serve to bring out clearly the innocence of Jesus, which it did, so that it became perfectly clear that He was not condemned for any crime which He had committed. It was a testimony to the fact that, as the Lord says, "He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due." And when the Roman judge nevertheless condemned the innocent, he, it is true, also condemned himself and human justice as he applied it, but at the same time imposed sentence on Jesus as the representative of the highest judicial power in the world, functioning by the grace of God and dispensing justice in God's name. The sentence of Pilate was also the sentence of God, though on entirely different grounds. It was significant too that Christ was not beheaded or stoned to death. Crucifixion was not a Jewish but a Roman form of punishment. It was accounted so infamous and ignominious that it might not be applied to Roman citizens, but only to the scum of mankind, to the meanest criminals and slaves. By dying that death, Jesus met the extreme demands of the law. At the same time He died an accursed death, and thus gave evidence of the fact that He became a curse for us, Deut. 21:23, Gal. 3:13.
Louis Berkhof, Systematic Theology, p. 339-340

As we approach the celebration of the most significant of events for Christians, that is, Easter, Rebecca has suggested that we post quotes relating to the Cross of Christ on our blogs this week. To read what others have posted or contribute something of your own, visit Rebecca Writes.

Quotes About the Cross

He is entered "into heaven itself"...there "to appear in the presence of God." There in His glorified human nature, bearing plain marks of degradation and suffering--"a Lamb as it had been slain"--He appears before the throne of God for us, as our Representative, as our Advocate, making intercession on the ground of His all-prefect atonement.
John Brown, Hebrews, p. 425

Join Rebecca (and many of us) in celebrating Holy Week, the week leading up to the celebration of Easter, a very significant season for Christians, by posting a quote relating to the Cross of Christ and letting her know so she can gather them all on her blog.

Quotes about the Cross

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
1 Corinthians 1:18-19

For each day of Holy Week, Rebecca is posting quotes referring to the cross of Christ. She invites us to join her as she gathers them in her posts each day. Let's spread the message of the cross of Christ to our readers this week.

Seasonal Confusion

Is it winter or spring? Maybe sprinter. These bright green shoots of my roadside day lilies sticking up through the snow seem like such a reflection of both seasons at once. At least the sun is shining and I'm grateful for that any day of any season!

Early April Morning

Last night's April showers came in the form of snow showers. But, oh, it is pretty, isn't it!

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

From Psalm 51:1-15
Tune: Ajalon (Redhead No. 76), Richard Redhead, 1853

15 Words or Less Poem

God's perfect plans
Unfold with sovereign beauty.

To participate or read more 15 Words or Less Poems, visit Laura Purdie Salas.

Thoughts on Good Listeners

A few days ago, I posted about the sermon we heard at Emily's church in Ann Arbor, MI. The substance of that message (at least to me), drawn from Genesis 16:7-16, is that God wants us to pour our hearts out to Him and that being a fully engaged listener to others honors Him. This message has kept my mind busy in contemplation ever since I heard it. Here are some of my thoughts on it:

1. Having someone give you the kind of listening ear that Pastor Del Belcher speaks of in this sermon is a very rare thing. In fact, its impossible in our humanness without God's enabling.
   
2. The gifts mentioned in His Word are not all there are (as, for example, there are so many, many ways to express love to others) but this one seems so incredibly important to me, although I know there is no hierarchy of importance among the gifts.
   
3. But my heart aches for those in need of the benefits of this gift in others. I've been the one who needed the listening ear and had no one to listen to me. I've been the one who offered (in my imperfect way) that listening ear to others.
   
4. The benefit of being able to pour your heart out to another and have them really listen is nothing short of healing.
5. Maybe loneliness and a feeling of isolation is the biggest epidemic in our culture. And in our churches too.
   
6. The opposite of this pandemic loneliness is a sense of community, even if that sense of community, of being loved and valued, is with only one other person. Ideally, especially in a church body, it should be with much more than that. It should be unity in the whole body of believers. Not unity of thought necessarily but a unity of underlying love for each other, the love of Christ.
7. Good listening is only one expression of this underlying love. But I am praying that God enable me to exercise it in increasing measure.
   

Blue Skies and Open Water!

We got a sneak preview of today's warmer, sunny weather yesterday afternoon after the snow storm but its continuing into today...as promised! Doesn't Crystal Lake look beautiful with the dark blue, open water between the snowy shoreline and the lighter, sunshiny blue sky!

Spring Changes

Almost overnight, it went from this:


to this:


Yes, its that most unpredictable of seasons...Spring. The one we may long for the most but its hide and seek game can be oh, so frustrating! For now, we've got about six inches on the ground in Crystal Lake, IL and its still snowing. Its that wet, dense stuff that clings to everything and is so lovely from the windows but backbreaking to shovel. Thank God for snowblowers! And for the promise of 45 degrees and sun tomorrow!

Sunday's Hymn: I Need Thee Every Hour

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like thine
Can peace afford.

I need thee, O I need thee,
Ev'ry hour I need thee,
O bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to thee.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Stay thou near by;
Temptations lose their pow'r
When thou art nigh.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
In joy or pain;
Come quickly, and abide,
Or life is vain.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Teach me thy will,
And thy rich promises
In me fulfil.

I need thee ev'ry hour,
Most Holy One;
O make me thine indeed,
Thou blessed Son.

Annie S. Hawks, 1872; refrain by Robert Lowry, 1872
Tune: Robert Lowry, 1872

Good Listeners

We went to Emily's church with her when we were recently in Ann Arbor, MI for the weekend and I've been thinking about the sermon we heard ever since. I wish it was online because, believe me, I'd be linking to it! As it is, you'll just have to put up with me telling you about the aspect of it that particularly interested me.

The pastor, Del Belcher, is working his way through Genesis on Sunday mornings and this sermon focused on Genesis 16:7-16. The passage follows the mistreatment of Hagar by Sarah (Sarai) after Hagar becomes pregnant by Abraham (Abram) at the instigation of Sarah. Here it is:

⁷ The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. ⁸ And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
"I'm running away from my mistress Sarai," she answered.

⁹ Then the angel of the LORD told her, "Go back to your mistress and submit to her." ¹⁰ The angel added, "I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous to count."

¹¹ The angel of the LORD also said to her:
"You are now with child
and you will have a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
for the LORD has heard of your misery.

¹² He will be a wild donkey of a man;
his hand will be against everyone
and everyone's hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
toward all his brothers."

¹³ She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me." ¹⁴ That is why the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; it is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵ So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne. ¹⁶ Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore him Ishmael.

Five points were made in this sermon about this particular passage but it was the second one that really intrigued me. The pastor pointed out that God gave Hagar an opportunity to tell her story in verse 8 when He asked "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?" Certainly God already knew the answers to those questions just as He also knew the answers to the questions He asked of Adam and Eve following the Fall (Genesis 3:9,11, 13). And God asked the same sort of leading question of Saul in Acts 9:4; "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Furthermore, God gives each one of us the opportunity to come to Him and tell our story, tell our deepest thoughts and feelings to Him in prayer and confession. As if that isn't encouraging enough, there is more.

To be a good listener, to ask leading questions and be willing to really listen, to give someone an opportunity to pour out where they are coming from and where they are going is to behave in a manner that emulates God and honors Him. It demonstrates caring and love to others. This pastor put it even more strongly. He said that this sort of behaviour, this willingness to really listen, is an act of worship. But, he cautioned, you must be very patient if you ask these sort of open-ended questions of another. Be prepared to give generously of your time, your attention...and your love. So don't ask if you really don't want to know!

Note: My personal reflections to follow in another post.

You've Got to Read This One!

You've heard the expression "Truth is stranger than fiction," I'm sure, but the rest of that quote variously credited to Mark Twain or Blaise Pascal says, "but it is because fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn't." Well, here's a story to prove it. Its at Al Mohler's blog and it leaves me without much more to say than you've just got to read it! Especially if you are over 50...no, make that 40. And then tell me if you don't think of another expression..."There's a sucker born every minute." That one's from P.T. Barnum.

Sunday's Hymn: Christ of All My Hopes the Ground

Christ, of all my hopes the ground,
Christ, the spring of all my joy,
Still in thee may I be found,
Still for thee my pow'rs employ.

Let thy love my heart inflame;
Keep thy fear before my sight;
Be thy praise my highest aim;
Be thy smile my chief delight.

Fountain of o'erflowing grace,
Freely from thy fullness give;
Till I close my earthly race,
May I prove it "Christ to live."

Firmly trusting in thy blood,
Nothing shall my heart confound;
Safely I shall pass the flood,
Safely reach Immanuel's ground.

Thus, O thus, an entrance give
To the land of cloudless sky;
Having known it "Christ to live,"
Let me know it "gain to die."

Ralph Wardlaw, 1817
Tune: Hendon, H.A. Cesar Malan, 1827

15 Words or Less Poem

Giant silver tulip glimmers in the sun.
Genetic engineering gone a bit too far?


For more 15 Words or Less Poems, visit Laura Purdie Salas.

They're Back....And So am I!

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of the tiniest little shoots of my snowdrops. And then we got some more winter weather. But they are back now and fully blooming, along with some purple crocuses! I love these earliest harbingers of spring, don't you?

And speaking of back, we are back from our weekend with Emily in Ann Arbor, MI. And what a wonderful, wonderful weekend it was! The recital was perfect! I believe even she was happy with how she played. She had terrific attendance, especially from her church. Those people really support and love her which was a lovely thing for this mother's heart to see.

Actually, it was a wonderful weekend in so many ways. Remember I mentioned that it felt funny to be going to her apartment to visit? Kind of a role reversal feeling? Well, it was that but it was also just so comforting to see how much love and effort she put into making us feel welcome there. A glimpse of the things a Mom or Dad hopes for throughout all the years of parenting. More than a glimpse. I am still basking in it!

An Irish Quote

So I have come...
where the fields are sharply green,
where a wild beauty hides in the glens,
where sudden surprising vistas open up
as the road rises and falls;
and here I smell for the first time
the incense of Ireland, the smoke of turf fires,
and here for the first time
I see the face of the Irish countryside.
--H.V. Morton

Sunday's Hymn: Jesus, With Thy Church Abide

Jesus, with thy church abide,
Be her Saviour, Lord and Guide,
While on earth her faith is tried:
We beseech thee, hear us.

Keep her life and doctrine pure;
Grant her patience to endure,
Trusting in thy promise sure:
We beseech thee, hear us.

May she one in doctrine be,
One in truth and charity,
Winning all to faith in thee:
We beseech thee, hear us.

May she guide the poor and blind,
Seek the lost until she find,
And the brokenhearted bind:
We beseech thee, hear us.

Save her love from growing cold,
Make her watchmen strong and bold,
Fence her round, thy peaceful fold:
We beseech thee, hear us.

May her lamp of truth be bright,
Bid her bear aloft its light
Through the realms of heathen night:
We beseech thee, hear us.

Arm her soldiers with the cross,
Brave to suffer toil or loss,
Counting earthly gain but dross:
We beseech thee, hear us.

May she holy triumphs win,
Overthrow the hosts of sin,
Gather all the nations in:
We beseech thee, hear us.

Thomas Benson Pollock, 1871
Tune: Gower's Litany, John Henry Gower, 1891

Away for the Weekend

We're leaving tomorrow for Ann Arbor, MI. That's where our daughter, Emily, lives. Its about five hours away from the cottage. Usually, she comes here for holidays and vacations but this occasion is her big recital and that's occurring over there so we're doing the traveling. Its kind of an odd feeling to be the visitors at her apartment, her school of music, her church. We'll enjoy it, I'm sure, but it feels like a subtle change in roles somehow. Still, she's actually learned to cook this year and that part really has some benefits! Maybe I just have to sit back and enjoy some of these role reversals more!

Anyway, as far as blogging is concerned, I've got my Sunday Hymn ready to go at the appointed time but other than that, it'll be quiet at the cottage this weekend. See you all again next week.

15 Words or Less Poem

Who lives within the door of imagination?
Fairies, you say? Maybe in May.
In March, leprechauns rule.

Laura Purdie Salas is the hostess for 15 Words or Less Poems each Thursday. To read more poems or submit one of your own, visit Laura here.

Computer Mercies

I had a near catastrophe here at the cottage this afternoon. I spilled a full cup of tea as I set it down next to my laptop! You can't imagine (well, maybe you can) the rush of fear and anger at myself that I felt! How could I do anything so stupid and clumsy? I am not even sure exactly what happened--just that all of a sudden tea was splashed on my keyboard and screen and flowing underneath the entire laptop.

So I mopped up the excess with the closest towels I could grab and reached for the phone to call Andy. He's my go-to technology person and I had no idea what to do. All I could remember was a story Emily had told us of a girl at college who spilled hot chocolate on her laptop and tried to dry it with a hair dryer. And the outcome of that story was disaster.

Well, Andy said unplug it right away. I had done that not because I remembered the electricity and water thing in the heat of the moment but just to expedite the wiping up of the tea. Take out the battery was his next instruction. Done, with his help. Turn it over with it opened to let any excess tea (isn't it all excess in a laptop?) run out of the keyboard and leave it until he got home. That was a very long hour and a half!

I met him at the door with a splitting headache. He reassured me that chances are it would be all right, that sweet liquids like coke and hot chocolate are the worst. (I don't put sugar in my tea.) Then he walked into Charlie's room, where I usually use my laptop, and took it downstairs to his workbench while I finished getting supper on the table. He checked out the bottom and said there was no tea in there. The keyboard looked good. We took a break for supper.

Then he opened the part between the keyboard and the hinge for the screen. Some dampness in there. Oh, please God let my laptop live. Andy dried out the excess and took it downstairs again to use Charlie's stand dryer, a professional groomer model that has very low heat but a high volume of air, on it. Back upstairs for the test. All the settings were messed up but Andy fixed that in a few minutes and turned it over to me, fully functional! Thank You, God, for Your mercy in restoring my computer and thank You for such a capable and loving husband! I am blessed.

Sunday's Hymn: Arise, My Soul, Arise

Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears:
The bleeding Sacrifice
In my behalf appears:
Before the Throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on his hands.

He ever lives above,
For me to intercede,
His all-redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood atoned for ev'ry race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.
Five bleeding wounds he bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly plead for me;
Forgive him, O forgive, they cry,
Nor let that ransomed sinner die!

My God is reconciled;
His pard'ning voice I hear;
He owns me for his child,
I can no longer fear;
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And "Father, Abba, Father!" cry.

Charles Wesley, 1742
Tune: Lenox, Louis Edson, 1782

Chinese Garden

On my recent trip to Portland, Oregon to visit with my family, I went to the Classical Chinese Garden in downtown Portland. It is gorgeous! The Garden encompasses a complete city block and, once inside of it, you can almost forget that you are actually in a city. I've set this photo as my desktop and I thought I'd share it with my readers too.

15 Words or Less Poem

Flying on icy currents

Beyond gravity
Until she reaches up with cold, hard fingers.


Laura Purdie Salas hosts 15 Words or Less Poems each Thursday. Visit her to read others or add your own.

Square Root Day?

If you're desperately seeking something to celebrate today, look no further. Its Square Root Day! This big day only happens nine times in a century. Its when the day and month of the date are the square root of the year. Hence, 3/3/09, three being the square root of nine. So how do you celebrate a day like this? Well, you could eat some root veggies cut into squares, you could wear square-toed shoes or you could just walk around with a faint smile on your face waiting for someone to ask why. Or you could blog about it! How do you plan to celebrate this particular day?

I'm Home!

I'm home from my trip to Oregon to visit my family and am starting to feel back in my usual routine. It was a wonderful trip with lots of fun times shared with family. Then, when I got home, Emily was here for her "spring" break! I planned it so she'd be here to walk Charlie the last couple of days of my trip. For me, the fun continued right on through the weekend after my return so there was just no time to blog. Well, all the way through Saturday morning was fun. Saturday afternoon, Andy and I started installation of a new range hood and that project turned out to be a bit less than fun. (Still no time for blogging.) But its up now and tonight is the test of it! I am fixing steak on the grill pan...something that I had given up because our old microwave/range hood just wasn't up to the task.

Anyway...thanks for the good wishes on my little trip and I am slowly catching up on blog reading as well as posting. Its good to be home.

Sunday's Hymn: All Glory be to Thee, Most High

All glory be to thee, Most High,
To thee all adoration;
In grace and truth thou drawest nigh
To offer us salvation;
Thou showest thy good will to men,
And peace shall reign on earth again;
We praise thy Name for ever.

We praise, we worship thee, we trust,
And give thee thanks for ever,
O Father, for thy rule is just
And wise, and changes never;
Thy hand almighty o'er us reigns,
Thou doest what thy will ordains;
'Tis well for us thou rulest.

O Jesus Christ, our God and Lord,
Son of the Heavenly Father,
O thou who hast our peace restored,
The straying sheep dost gather,
Thou Lamb of God, to thee on high
Out of the depths we sinners cry:
Have mercy on us, Jesus!

O Holy Spirit, precious gift,
Thou Comforter unfailing,
From Satan's snares our souls uplift,
And let thy power, availing,
Avert our woes and calm our dread.
For us the Saviour's blood was shed;
We trust in thee to save us.

Translated from German version of Latin hymn, Gloria in Excelsis
Tune: Allein Gott in der Hoh', Geistliche Lieder, Leipzig, 1539
Arr. by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, 1809-1847

Sunday's Hymn: Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
'Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in thy great day;
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully absolved through these I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

When from the dust of death I rise
To claim my mansion in the skies,
Ev'n then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath lived, hath died, for me.

Jesus, be endless praise to thee,
Whose boundless mercy hath for me—
For me a full atonement made,
An everlasting ransom paid.

O let the dead now hear thy voice;
Now bid thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus, thy blood and righteousness.

Nikolaus L. von Zinzendorf, 1739
Translated by John Wesley, 1740
Tune: Germany, from William Gardiner's Sacred Melodies, 1815

Visiting Family

I'm leaving tomorrow to visit my family in Portland, Oregon! Its just a short visit and its only me going. Andy and Charlie will keep the home fires burning...and I will surely miss them! But there is fun planned in Oregon. Even besides the fun of seeing everyone!

So posting here will only be an automatic one for my Sunday hymn. Have a wonderful time while I'm gone, everyone! See you when I get back.

Quotes From the Cottage

...conscious guilt unfits a man for acceptably serving God. The essence of the service which God requires of His intelligent creatures is love. The man whose conscience is polluted with unpardoned guilt cannot love. He knows he has offended God; he knows he deserves punishment; he does not, he cannot, love the Being whom he regards as his enemy; he cannot seek his enjoyment in communion and fellowship with Him. Nothing can fit man for the service of God but what purifies the conscience from the pollution produced by these "dead works;" and nothing can do this but the blood of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
John Brown in Hebrews, p. 403

Its My Anniversary!

Yes, today is the one year anniversary of my blog! I'm not sure what to say about that. I guess I am thinking of the ways blogging has changed my life. I am definitely more attentive to details. I am certainly a better photographer and look at things in my everyday life with an eye to what comprises a good picture, something I never really did before. But even as far as a word picture, I look at things differently. Blogging has made me more aware of communicating the little things that make up my life to others. Whether they want to know about them or not!

And that is another aspect of my life that has changed over the last year. At first, and for a big part of this past year, my blogging was more for other people than me. I had sort of a crisis about that a couple of months ago and came to realize that this blog has to be mostly for me. Now don't misunderstand. I am thankful for each of the new friends I've made through blogging over the past year. And there are quite a few! But doing this blog for anyone other than myself over the long haul just won't make it. Its like trying to change who you are in order to make friends...or keep them. I can't keep it up for very long. So when I am writing about what I think or feel, or even the little everyday aspects of my life, ultimately, its for my own benefit. But benefit, I do! I have to think more clearly and logically and I fit the picture together for my own clarity. And the details of it do matter! In the process of writing things about my life, I learn about myself and my place in relation to my world...my family, my community, and most importantly, my God.

During that above-mentioned crisis, I did question why I blog and I was tempted to give it up. But I won't. Now that I've reassessed its rightful place in my life, I can see more clearly that it does have a right place in my life! A place that I'm not sure anything else could fill. So Happy Anniversary, Field Stone Cottage! I'm thankful for this past year of growing with you!

Sunday's Hymn: Rejoice, The Lord is King

Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore;
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore:

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice.

Jesus, the Saviour reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When he had purged our stains
He took his seat above:

His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o'er earth and heav'n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv'n:

He sits at God's right hand
Till all his foes submit,
And bow to his command
And fall beneath his feet:

Charles Wesley, 1746
Tune: Arthur's Seat, Arr. from Sir John Goss by Uzziah C. Burnap, 1874

Baked Apple Pancake

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Here's what I fixed for my valentine, Andy, tonight for supper. Maybe there's a sweetheart at your house who'd like it too so I'm sharing the recipe.



2 cups apple matchsticks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut apple into matchstick type pieces and mix with the sugar and cinnamon to coat it.

Use heavy cast iron skillet (my choice) or glass baking dish. Heat the butter in the skillet until is sizzles. Meanwhile, blend the flour, milk and eggs. When butter is extremely hot, pour batter into skillet. Let heat for a few minutes while you sprinkle top with apple mixture. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Pancake should rise like a souffle. The secret is heating the butter until it sizzles. Enjoy!

15 Words or Less Poem

The barren rink awaits;
Even the Maple Leaves play indoors these days.



Laura Purdie Salas hosts 15 Words or Less Poems each Thursday. Visit her to read more poems or play along.

Sunday's Hymn: How Sweet and Awful is the Place

How sweet and awful is the place
With Christ within the doors,
While everlasting love displays
The choicest of her stores.

While all our hearts and all our songs
Join to admire the feast,
Each of us cry, with thankful tongues,
"Lord, why was I a guest?

"Why was I made to hear thy voice,
And enter while there's room,
When thousands make a wretched choice,
And rather starve than come?"

'Twas the same love that spread the feast
That sweetly drew us in;
Else we had still refused to taste,
And perished in our sin.

Pity the nations, O our God,
Constrain the earth to come;
Send thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

We long to see thy churches full,
That all the chosen race
May, with one voice and heart and soul,
Sing thy redeeming grace.

Isaac Watts, 1707
Tune: St Columba, Old Irish hymn melody

Update: As AuntE pointed out in her comment, the word "awful" did not mean what it means to us when Isaac Watts used it in this hymn over 200 years ago. I know that some newer hymnals substitute the word "awesome" in its place. "Awesome" or "full of awe" is what the word "awful" meant in Isaac's time. But we sang the hymn in its original form this morning in church so that is how I posted it.

Snow Drops!!

Look, look!! Those little green shoots are the snow drops coming up! Its February 7th and the snow drops are starting to come up!

Now, I do know that spring really isn't here yet and that they'll probably get snowed on quite a bit more before they actually do sprout up enough to have flowers on them but for today...I am so happy to see them! Its been quite a spring-y day!!

Equal Exposure

Andy was complaining that Charlie gets many more pictures on my blog than he does and I suppose its true. So here they both are. And if you look closely, there are some mud spatters on Andy's jeans and boots too. Mostly from Charlie kicking up his back legs at him. But aren't they a handsome pair?!

Mud Season!

Its sunny and 55 degrees today! Yesterday was sunny and 41 degrees Fahrenheit! Our plentiful snow is melting fast and it feels so warm and spring-ish! All of us, Andy, Charlie and myself, just want to be out there! So we took a nice, long walk. The problem is that there is muddy snow melt everywhere. At first, Charlie was trying to walk out around the puddles. He's really not a water lover. But pretty soon, even he realized it was hopeless and just waded through. Here's the result. Mud and white dog are not a great combination.

15 Words or Less Poem

Atomic clock?
I think not.
Digital face?
Not my taste.
Character is what its got!

More 15 Words or Less Poems at Laura Purdie Salas's place. Why not try your hand?

Big Brown Eyes

Have you seen the photo of her dog, Eve, that Kim is submitting to iheartfaces for both the eyes category and the pets category? I saw it yesterday and that lovely photo of Eve's warm eyes inspired me to enter one of my own sweet Charlie in the same categories. Thanks, Kim!

This photo was taken several years ago right after a bath. Charlie always runs around like crazy rubbing his face wherever he can after a bath! Even now at 13 years old! In this photo, I caught him running around (literally) in Emily's comforter. That's why some of his hair is sticking up like it is. Talk about a bad hair day! But its the look in those big, brown eyes that got to me.


Why not submit a photo of yours to one of this week's contests over at iheartfaces? The guidelines are listed here and I'd love to see the beautiful eyes, pet or people, that are a part of your life.

A Destination Walk

We're having our third day of mostly sunny and decidedly warmer weather today and Charlie and I have gotten in TWO walks! Now let's keep things in perspective here. That would be warmer than single digit, both positive and negative, degrees Fahrenheit. This afternoon, it is 26 degrees out there and yesterday was 34. I think Saturday made it all the way to 37 degrees! Still, relative warmth and sun...that's a good thing! The blue skies and the white snow are making it quite lovely...if you don't look at the melty, muddy patches underfoot.


I snapped this picture of what is now known as the Lakeside Legacy Arts Park over the weekend. The cottage is located just a block behind this historic complex which consists of Dole Mansion, the Victorian mansion on the left of the picture, and Lakeside Center, the obviously "newer" addition which was added to acommodate an early transformation of the property into Crystal Lake's first country club. There have been several owners and uses of the building throughout the years including a stint as a prepratory seminary for the Fransciscan Order. Now the vision for this building is as a home for various arts education programs. We do enjoy its presence in our back yard and walking around "the Dole" is a great short walk for Charlie!

Sunday's Hymn: O Worship the King

O worship the king all glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love;
Our shield and defender, the ancient of days,
Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

O tell of his might, O sing of his grace,
Whose robe is the light, whose canopy space.
His chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
And dark is his path on the wings of the storm.

The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy pow'r hath founded of old;
Hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
And round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air; it shines in the light;
It streams from the hills; it descends to the plain;
And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
Thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

O measureless might! ineffable love!
While angels delight to hymn thee above,
The humbler creation, though feeble their lays,
With true adoration shall lisp to thy praise.

Sir Robert Grant, 1833
Tune: Lyons, Arr. from J. Michael Haydn, 1737-1806