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.

Sunday's Hymn: Great God, We Sing That Mighty Hand

Great God, we sing that mighty hand
By which supported still we stand;
The opening year thy mercy shows;
That mercy crowns it till it close.

By day, by night, at home, abroad,
Still are we guarded by our God;
By his incessant bounty fed,
By his unerring counsel led.

With grateful hearts the past we own;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before thy feet.

In scenes exalted or depressed,
Thou art our Joy, and thou our Rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.

When death shall interrupt these songs,
And seal in silence mortal tongues,
Our Helper God, in whom we trust,
Shall keep our souls and guard our dust.

Philip Doddridge, 1755
St. 5, line 4, alt.

Tune: Wareham, William Knapp, 1738

15 Words or Less Poem

Life's fragile resilience in the face of trials by fire and ice;
God amazes!



More 15 Words or Less Poems here.

Its Raining Today...

...and Charlie's not happy about it!

Mini-Golfing

Emily and I went mini-golfing yesterday. Its an annual outing for us and we always go to the same course, located at one of Crystal Lake's parks. Neither of us is very good at mini-golf (probably because we only play it one time a year) so we always go early in the morning, hoping to finish our game before anyone else comes to play. But I'll bet there is no one who has a better time playing than we do! We laugh and have a great time together while we're coercing our balls along the course.

I am so thankful that Emily and I are playing the same course in life as well. Besides our mother-daughter relationship, we are sisters in Christ. And its such a joy and a privilege to encourage each other along, often with a gentle sense of humor, as we pursue our Christian walks. I thank God for the blessing that my precious daughter is to me in so many ways!

Sunday's Hymn: From Out of the Depths I Cry, O Lord

From out the depths I cry, O Lord, to thee;
Lord, hear my call.
I love thee, Lord, for thou dost heed my plea,
Forgiving all.
If thou dost mark our sins, who then shall stand?
But grace and mercy dwell at thy right hand.

I wait for God, the Lord, and on his Word
My hope relies;
My soul still waits and looks unto the Lord
Till light arise.
I look for him to drive away my night,
Yea, more than watchmen look for morning light.

Hope in the Lord, ye waiting saints, and he
Will well provide;
For mercy and redemption full and free
With him abide.
From sin and evil, mighty though they seem,
His arm almighty will his saints redeem.

From Psalm 130
The Psalter, 1912

Tune: Sandon
Charles H. Purday, 1799-1885

An Orchid of My Own!

As mentioned, I recently had a birthday. (I'm not saying which one.) I also mentioned in another post, the guests on my porch and how I might like to have an orchid of my very own. Well, a dear friend of mine was listening! Isn't this an elegant beauty! I love the pale pink, don't you? This one I'm keeping in the kitchen so I can see it for most of my day. Its been in my care for exactly one week tomorrow and so far so good.

Birthday Indulgence

The fact that Andy, Emily and I all have our birthdays within three weeks makes for some interesting celebrating. I haven't had cake for my birthday since Emily was born. After two cakes in two weeks, who wants a third the next week? Usually, I've opted for a pie. Last year, when Emily was living five hours away, we just scheduled one big "birthday bash." Okay, that one did include cake for me too! This year, we had three separate birthday meals again and the requisite desserts as well. Emily made this for my dessert and it was so very delicious!

Peach Raspberry Crisp

10-12 ripe peaches
zest of one orange
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups plus 2-3 tablespoons flour
1/2 pint raspberries
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold, unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter inside of a large oval baking dish.

Immerse peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, turning once or twice. Then place in ice water to halt cooking. Peel peaches when they are cool enough to handle and slice into thick wedges. Add orange zest, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour. Toss well and gently mix in raspberries. Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Add another tablespoon of flour if there is a lot of liquid. Pour into baking dish.

Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, salt, and oatmeal. Cut in cold butter until it is pea-sized and mixture is crumbly. Spread evenly on top of fruit mixture. Bake for 1 hour until top is browned and juice is bubbly. Serve warm...with whipped cream or ice cream!


After three weeks of celebrating, its feeling like the other holiday season...the one that begins with Thanksgiving and ends after Christmas. I've thoroughly enjoyed this but I'm glad my birthday has finally come and gone. Its time to get back to more normal dietary patterns around here or none of my clothes are going to fit!

Sunday's Hymn: In the Hour of Trial, Jesus, Plead for Me

In the hour of trial,
Jesus, plead for me;
Lest by base denial
I depart from thee;
When thou seest me waver,
With a look recall,
Nor for fear or favor
Suffer me to fall.

With its witching pleasures
Would this vain world charm,
Or its sordid treasures
Spread to work me harm,
Bring to my remembrance
Sad Gethsemane,
Or, in darker semblance,
Cross-crowned Calvary.

If with sore affliction
Thou in love chastise,
Pour thy benediction
On the sacrifice;
Then, upon thine altar
Freely offered up,
Though the flesh may falter,
Faith shall drink the cup.

When in dust and ashes
To the grave I sink,
While heav'n's glory flashes
O'er the shelving brink,
On thy truth relying
Through that mortal strife,
Lord, receive me, dying,
To eternal life.

James Montgomery, 1834
St. 1, line 2, alt

Tune: Penitence (Lane), Spencer Lane, 1879

The Butterfly House

We have a butterfly house in Crystal Lake! I've known that for a year or two but never took the time to visit it until now. I guess I was missing out!! Emily and I have been there twice in the last week! The first time, I was so engrossed in what it was like that I didn't think to take pictures even though I brought my camera. So we went back again this morning and I got some lovely shots.

Here's a couple of monarchs.
A monarch emerging from its chrysalis:
This one is a swallowtail.
Two shots of the zebra longwing:

A fritillary:
The butterflies present in the house vary throughout the summer but these inhabitants are present year round...even during the winter when no butterflies live there! These funny little birds are a variety of button quail from Asia and they live with the butterflies to perform the important function of eating insects. In fact, they are so anxious to eat insects that they gather around any new plant to clean it of the tiniest insects as thoroughly as they can. I found the button quail as interesting as the butterflies!

Sunday's Hymn: Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

Jesus, keep me near the cross;
There a precious fountain,
Free to all—a healing stream—
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever;
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Shed its beams around me.

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

Fanny J. Crosby, 1869
Tune: Near the Cross, William H. Doane, 1832-1916

A Guest on the Porch

This gorgeous plant is temporarily living on our screen porch. I am babysitting it and three orchid "siblings" that belong to a new friend of ours while he and his wife sort out their living arrangements. I have a number of houseplants of my own but no orchids. It feels a little overwhelming to have these plants entrusted to my care. But...I also am feeling like I might have a hard time giving them back. Well, not really. What I really mean is I may be asking for an orchid of my own the next time Andy or Emily asks what I want for my birthday or Christmas.

Meanwhile, I have taken out a couple of orchid books from the library. And I am asking you, my blogging friends, if any of you have orchids and, if you do, what book of basic orchid care do you recommend? Also what type of orchid do you suggest beginning with? Feel free to give me any other bits of information that you think I might need to know as well.

Honey Baked Chicken

One of the really wonderful things about having Emily back home with us now is that she occasionally cooks!! She didn't used to but she sure does now! Last week, she made this chicken dish. And it was so good that I forgot to take a picture of it before it was all eaten!

Honey Baked Chicken

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut up three large chicken breasts and arrange in shallow baking dish.

Combine 1/3 cup melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons prepared mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon curry powder. Pour over chicken and bake for 20 minutes, basting half-way through. Serve over rice.

Sunday's Hymn: God of Pity, God of Grace

God of pity, God of grace,
When we humbly seek thy face,
Bend from heav'n, thy dwelling-place;
Hear, forgive, and save.

When we in thy temple meet,
Spread our wants before thy feet,
Pleading at thy mercy-seat,
Look from heav'n and save.

When thy love our hearts shall fill,
And we long to do thy will,
Turning to thy holy hill,
Lord, accept and save.

Should we wander from thy fold,
And our love to thee grow cold,
With a pitying eye behold;
Lord, forgive and save.

Should the hand of sorrow press,
Earthly care and want distress,
May our souls thy peace possess;
Jesus, hear and save.

And, whate'er our cry may be,
When we lift our hearts to thee,
From our burden set us free;
Hear, forgive, and save.

Eliza F. Morris, 1857
Tune: Eternity, Samuel S. Wesley, 1810-1876