{HSCRC12} Hymn #18, O Holy Night

Hymn Challenge #18: O Holy Night
Words Written by: Placide Cappeau
b. October 25, 1808; d. August 8, 1877

Placide Cappeau was a French poet and the author of "Minuit, chrétiens" (O Holy Night) which was set to music by Adolphe Adam. Mr. Cappeau was the son of Mathieu Cappeau and Agathe Louise Martinet. At the age of 8, Mr. Cappeau had to have his hand amputated after his friend accidently shot him while handling a gun. He was a wine mer­chant and may­or of Roque­maure, France, where he was born. He also studied literature which became his life's focus. Not much else is known about Mr. Cappeau.

I hesitated as to what to write in this post for today. I had this song picked long before the horrific events in the Connecticut shooting on Friday. Mr. Cappeau lost his hand due to a gun accident while on Friday, we see innocent children lose their lives at the hands of a troubled person with a gun. I am at a loss for words. I grieve incredibly for these families. I know those precious babies are in Jesus' hands but I grieve as a mother thinking of those moms and thinking that their empty arms. My girls have asked 'why'. We have prayed; we continue to pray. But as I look at the verses of this hymn, I am struck by several words.  First we start with the famous two lines of Verse 1: "Oh, holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!" Jesus was born. He is our light in the darkness:

Psalm 18:28 "You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."

Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

Part of Verse 2 of this hymn says:

"In all our trials born to be our Friend! He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger."

Job 16:20 "My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God;"

Jesus intercedes on our behalf. If you are hurting during this season or know others that are, call on Him, pour out your tears to Him. He was born and knows our aches; He knows their aches. He is there helping them, helping you, or maybe He is using you to help someone else. Be there for them showing His love as Verse 3 continues with:

"Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His Gospel is peace."

Hug someone in need today. Give them a smile. Show His love; show them Jesus. If you have not seen Max Lucado's Christmas Prayer that he posted Friday in response to this tragedy, I encourage you to read it here.

Below you will find the sheet music to "O Holy Night." Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Listen here to hear Carrie Underwood sing "O Holy Night."

For my 6x6 page today, I used the December sketch challenge from C'est Magnifique. It's always hard to fit a lot of elements on a 6x6 page but I try. LOL! Anyway, I used the Psalm 18:28 verse listed above. I felt it was appropriate as I think of His birth and that Holy Night when He Himself was the light brought into this dark world.

Papers: Ruby Rock-It Becalm, Pion Design Silent Night cut out sheet, Memory Box mocha, Bazzill cs
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink frayed burlap
Embellishments: Poppystamps Simple Banner die and Lorelai Leaf die, Studio Calico wood veneer birds and title, Prima flower (green), misc. flower, misc. pleated ribbon, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here.

Note, I will be announcing our 2013 study in a week or so. I don't feel it's appropriate to post today. Please continue to join me in prayer for these families. May God bless each of you!

{HSCRC12} Hymn #17, Sweet Hour of Prayer

Hymn Challenge #17: Sweet Hour of Prayer
Hymn Attributed to: William W. Walford
b. 1772; d. June 22, 1850

First, if you notice above, I state that this hymn is attributed to William W. Walford. Some hymnals I referenced showed "W. W. Walford" under the title of the hymn and some referenced "Attr. to William W. Walford." Be sure to check any hymnals you have or look next time you are at church. The true author of this hymn is actually unknown. Some say that Rev. Walford was a blind, English minister but here is what I found in "Then Sings My Soul Book 2" by Robert J. Morgan:

"No one, however, has ever found a trace of a blind preacher named W. W. Walford in Coleshill, England. There was a congregational minister named William Walford who wrote a book about prayer containing striking similarities to this poem, and some believe he was the author. But he was neither blind nor uneducated, and the authorship of this hymn remains a mystery."

We do know that the tune was composed by W. B. Bradbury in 1859. Interesting for sure!

Wednesday morning of this week as I woke up this hymn, "Sweet Hour of Prayer," popped into my head. I began singing it, and then I got on the computer and looked up all of the verses. I tried to just read the words without humming along. I was so touched by the words that I really felt we were to look at this hymn this week. So, let's begin by just looking at the words (try not to sing). LOL!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! 
that calls me from a world of care, 
and bids me at my Father's throne 
make all my wants and wishes known. 
In seasons of distress and grief, 
my soul has often found relief, 
and oft escaped the tempter's snare 
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer! 

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! 
the joys I feel, the bliss I share 
of those whose anxious spirits burn 
with strong desires for thy return! 
With such I hasten to the place 
where God my Savior shows his face, 
and gladly take my station there, 
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! 

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! 
thy wings shall my petition bear 
to him whose truth and faithfulness 
engage the waiting soul to bless. 
And since he bids me seek his face, 
believe his word, and trust his grace, 
I'll cast on him my every care, 
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

So, what is prayer? Are you experiencing that 'sweet hour of prayer' each day? Prayer is communication with God (listening and speaking) and a way believers experience a relationship with Him. If you missed my post on prayer back in 2010, please click here. What does your prayer life look like? Jesus is our perfect example. He prayed privately, publically, and with his family. Prayer is mentioned in 51 of the 66 books of the Bible.

Look at that first verse of the hymn. How and when are you approaching the Father's throne? Do you have somewhere in your home where you can privately pray and talk to the Lord each day? Does your family know where that place is? Do they know it's your special, uninterrupted time each day? Are you escaping the tempters snare? If we are not consumed by Christ, we are easy prey for evil.

Prayer—

• Is a place to get away from the world and be at the Father's throne.
• It's the place we find relief and peace.
• It's where we see His face.
• It's where we share our petitions and cast our cares on Him.

Are you evermindful of what God is doing in your life? Are you seeking His face, believing His word, and trusting in His grace (verse 3)? When we seek Him daily for His guidance in our decisions and actions we make, we will reap long-term blessings. Are you trusting each day to Him? How do you know what to do next? Do you need direction? Talk to God. Have that sweet hour of prayer each day! I love how 1 Thessalonians 5:17 makes it so easy to understand:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray continually."

And Psalm 61:1 says "Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer."

I also love another quote from the book by Robert J. Morgan I referenced above--"If an hour spent with the Lord is so sweet, why do we race through our day prayerless, then squeeze all our requests into a two-minute segment at bedtime? If prayer is so powerful, why do we neglect it so consistently?" Ouch! I pray that you will remember that daily time with God helps us know what He desires for us and it motivates us to obey Him.

Below you will find the sheet music to "Sweet Hour of Prayer." Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Listen here to this beautiful hymn. If you have never seen this man sing, you should look at some of his other videos. Absolutely amazing!

For my 6x6 page today, I used the 1 Thessalonians 5:17 verse noted above. I just loved how simple it was—"pray continually." I used the prayer hands stamp from the ODBD set called "Lift Up Our Hands," and the sentiment  "Take Time to Pray" comes from the ODBD set called "Time." I used the Dusty Attic keyhole chipboard pieces to indicate that the "key" to growing in Christ is being in prayer.

Papers: Pion Design Silent Night Guardian Angels, misc. cardstock 
Kit: some supplies taken from the C'est Magnifique Kit
Stamps: ODBD Lift Up Your Hands, ODBD Time
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink frayed burlap, SU early espresso
Embellishments: Dusty Attic mini keyholes and birds on a branch #2 chipboard, misc. brads, misc. flowers, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you!
 

{HSCRC12} Hymn #16, Praise to the Lord the Almighty

Hymn Challenge #16: Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Words Written by: Joachim Neander
b. 1650; d. May 31, 1680

Joachim Neander wrote this hymn in 1680, and it was based on Psalm 103 which says:

Psalm 103:1-6
"1 Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things He does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly."

Psalm 150 is also another great Psalm that goes along with this wonderful hymn:

Psalm 150
"1 Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens.
2 Praise Him for His acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness.
3 Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre,
4 Praise Him with tambourine and dancing, praise Him with the strings and flute,
5 Praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord."

Joachim Neander was born in 1650 in Bremen in northwestern Germany. He came from a family of musicians and studied theology from 1666 to 1670. He did not enjoy his studies but became serious about his studies after hearing a sermon by Theodor Undereyk. He then became a pastor in 1679. He wrote over 110 hymns, and he was regarded as a great hymn writer of the German Reformed Church. Catherine Winkworth, a well-known hymn translator, translated this hymn in 1863. He died at the young age of 30 from tuberculosis.

I had another hymn picked out for today; however, as we enter this Thanksgiving week, I felt we needed to study a hymn of Thanksgiving. This hymn shares just that and reminds us of how we are to praise God everyday and thank Him. He forgives our sins, redeems us from death, and He is constantly at our side listening, guiding, loving, comforting, caring, encouraging, etc. We don't deserve any of this yet He offers it to us because He loves us, and He wants to fellowship with us. It's easy to complain about things but there are many, many things in which we need to praise God for. How have you thanked Him for His salvation, constant care, and provision? When you feel like you have nothing to praise God for, read this hymn, read Psalm 103 and Psalm 150!

How else might you give honor, thanksgiving, and praise to the Lord everyday and throughout the year?

**Repent of your sin.
**Thank Him for His gift of salvation.
**Remember Him in all you do and say and let Him be your guide.
**Recognize God by listing one thing that you are thankful for each day. Keep it on your calendar, in a journal, etc. It doesn't have to be fancy.
**Every time you pray throughout the day, thank Him!
**Obey Him.
**Have an attitude of gratefulness in all things even when things are difficult.
**Praise Him for the seen and unseen things (the Holy Spirit, hope, prayer, etc.).

Job 22:26 "Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty and will lift up your face to God."

Psalm 69:30 "I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving."

Psalm 100:4 "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name."

2 Corinthians 9:10-12
"10 Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.
11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God."

Below you will find the sheet music to "Praise to the Lord the Almighty." Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Listen here to the London Philharmonic Choir sing this beautiful hymn.

For my 6x6 page today, I wanted to use Fall colors since we are talking about praising God and giving Him thanks. I chose the Simple Stories Year.O.Graphy papers. They were perfect for this. The scripture I used is Lamentations 3:41 "Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven . . ." It comes from the ODBD set called "Lift Up Your Hands." The word 'Thanksgiving' I got from the ODBD set "Scripture Collection 4." I stamped it onto a brown paper bag that was laying on my desk. The color was perfect.

Papers: Simple Stories Year.O.Graphy
Stamps: ODBD Lift Up Your Hands, ODBD Scripture Collection 4
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink gathered twigs, SU bravo burgundy
Embellishments: Pink Paislee artisan chipboard butterflies, misc. washi tape, Scrap FX chipboard flourish, Tim Holtz tiny attacher and paperclip, misc. flower, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. May you have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving, and I leave you with this:

1 Corinthians 1:4 "I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you."

Blessings to each of you!

{HSCRC12} Hymn #15, Though Troubles Assail Us

Note: I was SO excited to meet some of you yesterday that have participated in these challenges. God truly blessed me as I met and spoke with each of you after my class! Thank you for blessing me so!

Hymn Challenge #15: Though Troubles Assail Us
Written by: John Newton
b. July 24, 1725; d. December 21, 1807

We studied John Newton back in our very first hymn of this year, Amazing Grace. Click here to see that study. John Newton also wrote this amazing hymn, and I chose it because of Hurricane Sandy that hit the East coast of the United States. I actually had another hymn chosen but felt this might be more appropriate for what is happening to so many of you right now.

You may know this hymn by the title of "The Lord Will Provide." There is another hymn also by that title but it is written by Martha A. Cook. The hymn we are talking about today is the one written by John Newton. I hope that may clear up some confusion for some of you that may know both hymns or know this one by a different title. Let's look at the words to this hymn:

Verse 1
Though troubles assail us and dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail us and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The promise assures us, “The Lord will provide.”

Philippians 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

God will meet our needs; we can trust that. However, we must realize our wants are different from true needs. Will you trust Him with your needs and His provision for you?

Verse 2
The birds, without garner or storehouse, are fed;
From them let us learn to trust God for our bread.
His saints what is fitting shall ne’er be denied
So long as ’tis written, “The Lord will provide.”

Genesis 22:8 "Abraham answered, 'God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.' And the two of them went on together."

Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.”

Psalm 52:8 “I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever.”

Verse 3
When Satan assails us to stop up our path,
And courage all fails us, we triumph by faith.
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart cheering promise, “The Lord will provide.”

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

Verse 4
No strength of our own and no goodness we claim;
Yet, since we have known of the Savior’s great Name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide:
The Lord is our power, “The Lord will provide.”

Psalm 61:3 "For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe."

Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength."

God never loses His power. You can always trust Him; He is faithful. Where is it that you feel safe and secure?

Verse 5
When life sinks apace, and death is in view,
The word of His grace shall comfort us through,
Not fearing or doubting, with Christ on our side,
We hope to die shouting, “The Lord will provide.”

Psalm 23:6 "Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

How does this hymn help us? What did you see in the verses and scriptures that you need today or in the days and weeks again? What trouble or troubles are you facing? Were you caught in the middle of Hurricane Sandy? Are you now experiencing the aftermath of the storm? Or maybe you are in the midst of another personal difficulty. God will provide. He will be there to hold you up amidst the storm. He is trustworthy. He is the great Promise Keeper and always keeps His promises.

He promised Noah in Genesis 9:8-17 that the rainbow would be a sign that He would never flood the entire earth again. And to this day, He has kept that beautiful promise. And you can trust that His Word is true. The verses you read above are true and applicable to you! His words are for you; He loves you!

Did you see the photos this week of the double rainbow over New York after Hurricane Sandy? If you didn't, do a google image search on "rainbow over ny after sandy." What a comfort that God would remind Himself and His people of His covenant not to flood the earth again. Who doesn't pause when they see a rainbow? What a visual reminder of God and His promise to us that He will never completely flood the earth again. Not only will He not flood the entire earth again, but He is with us and gives us strength through the storm. How are you leaning on Him and allowing Him to carry your burdens? Or is there someone you know that needs to hear of His love and care for them? How can you share Him with them?  I pray these scriptures and this hymn are helpful to each of you as you travel through the storm or help someone else through the storm.

I had a lot of trouble finding this hymn for you to listen but I did find one. I also could not find any sheet music. After having so much trouble, I at least hope that this is familiar to some of you. Click here to listen to this hymn.

For my 6x6 page today, I used the amazing Memory Box boysenberry paper. The color is so very rich, and it just reminds me how Jesus is King! He is in control! I really wanted the focus of this page to be this majestic color. I also found that the Adirondack Color Wash wild plum matches the boysenberry paper perfectly. I spritzed a bit of it on the page for fun. For the hymn, I printed it out on a paper bag and crumpled it up. I then cut the writer's information out and added it as a tag.  The verses I used were Philippians 4:19 and Proverbs 18:10 from above.

Papers: Memory Box boysenberry and dill cs, Paper Trey Ink white cs
Embellishments: Poppystamps meadow leaf die, Poppystamps Lorelai Leaf die, Memory Box white pearl, Project Life cobalt journaling card, The Crafter's Workshop mini hexagons template, Adirondack Color Wash wild plum, Prima Flaxence Oasis flower, misc. ticket, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you!

{HSCRC12} Hymn #14, Take My Life and Let It Be

Hymn Challenge #12: Take My Life and Let It Be
Words Written by: Frances R. Havergal
b. Dec. 14, 1836; d. June 3, 1879

Frances Ridley Havergal was a poet and hymn writer. She was born in Astley, England, and her father was a priest in the Anglican church. Frances began reading at the age of 3 and was able to read adult books and the Bible at age 4. Frances' mother died when she was 11 years old, and her father remarried when she was 16 years old.  Her many poems were printed in three books entitled "Ministry of Song," "Under The Surface," and "Under His Shadows." This particular hymn she used for her own devotions and prayer. Miss Havergal said:

"Yes, it was on Advent Sunday, December 2, 1873, I first saw clearly the blessedness of true consecration. I saw it in a flash of electric light, and what you see you can never un-see. There must be full surrender before there can be full blessedness."

Frances Havergal died at the young age of 42 of peritonitis. There is a lot of information regarding Frances Ridley Havergal on the web. If you want to read a very detailed account about her life, please click here. I hope you enjoy it!

The opening line of this hymn says:

"Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee; Take my moments and my days, Let them flow in ceaseless praise, Let them flow in ceaseless praise."

So, what does "consecrated" really mean? Dictionary.com says:

"to make or declare sacred; set apart or dedicate to the service of a deity; to devote or dedicate to some purpose: a life consecrated to science."

The above definition says "consecrated to science." Well, how about your life? Is your life set apart or consecrated to the Lord?

I was involved in an online discussion this week with believers, unbelievers, atheists, etc. The unbelievers could not understand why people say "praise the Lord" and give God the glory. They couldn't understand dying to self and living for the Lord or being consecrated to the Lord. I know God's Word says that unbelievers will not understand because they do not have spiritual discernment.  They are not filled with the Holy Spirit thus they cannot understand God's Word.

1 Corinthians 2:13-15 "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment."

I truly wanted to help these unbelievers understand but I was like a mouse on a wheel just spinning and spinning. I pray that God will use the words shared to draw someone to Himself. But it also made me think about how much this world needs God! How are you living so that the world sees Him? Are your hands dedicated to the Lord and doing things for Him? How about your tongue? How are the words you say to people you come in contact with dedicated to the Lord? Are you surrendering your entire 'self' to Him or just the parts you want to give to Him? I love this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."

Look at the remaining verses to this hymn. Each verse talks about how we are to consecrate ourselves to Him. Think about how you are using your hands, your voice, your money, your will, and your love for the Lord. How are you setting your life apart for Him and His glory?

Verse 2: "Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love; Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee."

Verse 3: "Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King; Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee."

Verse 4: "Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold; Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose."

Verse 5: "Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine. Take my heart; it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne."

Verse 6: "Take my love; my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store. Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee."

We need to continue sharing and living our daily lives for the Lord because you never know what seeds you are planting or when someone will accept Christ. Will you completely consecrate your life to the Lord each and every day even in your thoughts, your decisions, your entire being? And why not use this hymn as your own prayer as Miss Havergal did?

Hebrews 12:14 "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

1 Thessalonians 4:7 "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."

Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Below you will find the sheet music to "Take My Life and Let It Be." 

You can click here to listen to this beautiful hymn.

For my 6x6 page today, I used washi tape with the days of the week. Even though I could not fit on all 7 days, it is still a reminder to me to live for Him daily. The scripture I chose was the Hebrews 12:14 verse from above. If I am not consecrated to the Lord daily, then how will anyone see Him in me?

Papers: Memory Box mango distressed dots, Bo Bunny Country Garden
Stamp Ink: Tim Holtz black soot
Embellishments: Probe card, Making Memories tiny alpha, Distress Stickles walnut stain, Tim Holtz tiny attacher, Prima wood buttons, Paper Trey ink buttons, Basic Grey writer's block tag, May Arts black twine, misc. washi tape, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you!
 

{HSCRC12} Hymn #12, Trust and Obey

Hymn Challenge #12: Trust and Obey
Words Written by: John H. Sammis
b. Ju­ly 6, 1846; d. June 12, 1919

Music Written by: Daniel B. Towner
b. March 5, 1850; d. October 3, 1919

John H. Sammis was a businessman and also worked at the YMCA. He then attended seminary and became an or­dained Pres­by­ter­i­an min­is­ter in 1880. He served in Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota. He later taught at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Rev. Sammis received a note from Daniel B. Towner containing a sentence shared by a man at a testimony meeting. The sentence said: "I am not quite sure but I am going to trust, and I am going to obey." Mr. Towner s then delivered these words to Rev. Sammis who developed the lyrics to "Trust and Obey." Daniel Towner then composed the music and this hymn quickly became a favorite.

I think this hymn and Psalm 28:7 say it all for me this week. I have been living this hymn since I chose it earlier in the week. The first verse of this hymn says:

"When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey."

And the scripture says:

Psalm 28:7 "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song."

I love that first line of the hymn--"when we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word." Yes, His Word is our book for living. It's our book for parenting. It's the book that has all we need to live each day.

Two of my girls wanted to get their driver's licenses this past week. We tried to get them shortly after we moved here but they did not accept the Driver's Education they had at our previous home. So, they told us since they were getting ready to turn 18 to just wait and come back after their birthday. At that point, the DMV would not need proof of anything. Crazy! Anyway, we let their permits expire, and so they could no longer drive here. They wanted to take the test this week but they have not driven in several weeks. They were really nervous about taking the test without driving for a while. One of my girls even asked me if I could take her to the road behind us to practice. She only wanted to practice a 3-point turn before going to take the test and that was it. I didn't answer her immediately, and then God put this on my heart:

Ephesians 6:5-6 "Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart."

Colossians 3:20 "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."

After listening to what the Holy Spirit put on my heart, I had to tell her that we couldn't practice a 3-point turn before going to the DMV. I told her what God had put on my heart and told her how sorry I was but that I needed to obey the Lord first and foremost, and He calls me to obey the laws here. Driving illegally would be against what God wanted as we would have been breaking the law not keeping it. She understood but was of course saddened and then she became more nervous. But the hymn tells us:

"What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey."

And I am excited to tell you that God blessed our obedience, and both of our daughters got their licenses without any problem. Our third daughter has no interest in driving yet. LOL! Anyway, I was able to tell my daughter to look at what God showed her through this--He is faithful. She obeyed, and He blessed her for her obedience. And if we are filled with the Spirit, we will want to obey the Word of God. I had to serve Christ first by obeying Him and not allowing my daughter to drive and practice. It killed me as a mom. I wanted her to pass so badly, and I knew the anguish she felt by not being allowed to practice but I had to obey Christ first and not give in. Oh, but the joy we both felt after she passed was probably even more exciting than had I illegally taken her to practice her driving. Just as the second half of Psalm 28:7 says "My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song." The entire family has just been elated and God was glorified through it! Praise Him!

So where do you need to let go, trust His word, and obey Him? What do you need to bring to Him and trust Him fully? Or what old habit are you having trouble shaking because you are relying on self? Let go and trust Him to help you through it, and then experience the joy that comes from obedience!

Psalm 84:11-12 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in You."

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Below you will find the sheet music to "Trust and Obey." Remember to click on the photo to enlarge the music. Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Listen here to Chelsea Moon with the Franz Brothers sing this beautiful hymn. I had never heard of this particular group but found this on YouTube and thought it was beautiful. I hope you enjoy it too!

For my 6x6 page today, I used a verse from the ODBD set called "Scripture Collection 9." The verse says:

Psalm 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope."

So perfect for obeying and trusting Him! I also used the Basic Grey paper pack called PB and J. I just loved the bright colors. It makes me think of when I trust and obey Him, I am filled with joy (bright, happy colors). The die cut bicycle is a new die cut from Memory Box called "Brand New Bicycle." I wanted to use it because it makes me think of riding or walking and following something--in this case following and obeying the Lord and what He wants me to do.

Papers: Basic Grey PB and J, library card
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 9
Stamp Ink: SU night of navy, ColorBox Fluid Chalk chestnut roan
Embellishments: Memory Box Brand New Bicycle die (98404), Memory Box white pearls (on bike tires), Basic Grey Wander chip stickers, Zva Creative flourishes, Creative Café felt butterflies, Pink Paislee wood chip alpha, misc. ticket, sewing machine

Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. May you each be filled with blessings as you trust and obey Him!
 

{HSCRC12} Hymn #11, Great is Thy Faithfulness

Hymn Challenge #11: Great is Thy Faithfulness
Words Written by: Thom­as O. Chis­holm
b. Ju­ly 29, 1866; d. Feb­ru­a­ry 29, 1960

Music Written by: William M. Run­yan
b. Jan­u­a­ry 21, 1870; d. Ju­ly 29, 1957

This is another hymn that was done by two people--Thomas O. Chisholm wrote the words to this hymn, and William M. Runyan wrote the music. Mr. Chisholm was born in Frank­lin, Ken­tucky. He grew up there and became at teacher at age 16. Five years later, he switched professions and became an editor for the local newspaper called "The Franklin Favorite." He accepted Christ when he was 27 years old and eventually became a Methodist minister in 1903 in Kentucky. He was also a poet and wrote over 1,200 poems. Many of them were published and many others were set to music. At one point, he also worked in insurance. Mr. Chisholm suffered from many illnesses thus his employment was up and down and forever changing. He later moved to Indiana and then New Jersey where he died in 1960.

Mr. Runyan was a friend of Mr. Chisholm's. Mr. Chisholm sent several of his poems to Mr. Runyan who was deeply moved by the words of this hymn. He prayed for God's guidance in writing the music to these wonderful words. Later this hymn became the unofficial theme song for Moody Bible Institute.

The words to this hymn are certainly worth reading before we begin:

"Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Pardon for sin And a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, With ten thousand beside.

Chorus
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me."

I love looking at the words of this hymn. It shows so many of God's attributes. Concentrating on His attributes at anytime of the day can keep us grounded and focused on Him instead of our daily circumstances. But what is faithfulness? How is God faithful? Dictionary.com describes "faithful" as "being true to one's word, promises, vows; constant; reliable; trusted; believed." Well, God is ALL of those things and more! Let's look at some of His attributes we see in this hymn:

God is Faithful and Loving
Exodus 34:6 "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness,"

Lamentations 3:22-23 "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

Deuteronomy 7:9a "Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God,"

Psalm 36:5 "Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies."

He is our Father
Psalm 89:26 ". . . You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior."

John 20:17 ". . . I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

Ephesians 4:6 ". . . one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

God is Never-changing
Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

He is Compassionate
2 Corinthians 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,"

He is the Beginning and the End
Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

He is Merciful
Deuteronomy 4:31a "For the LORD your God is a merciful God . . ."

Luke 6:36 "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

He is our Guide
Psalm 48:14 "For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even to the end."

He Gives Peace and Strength
Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 91:4 “He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

1 Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace."

1 Thessalonians 5:23a "May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through."

Our precious and loving Father is faithful all of the time! That is so comforting to know that in any difficulty we face, we can completely trust that He is there, and He is our constant shield (see Psalm 91:4 above).  Even when things in our lives seem rough or we are walking through a difficulty, we can lean on Him and know that He is faithful in all situations. How will you choose to praise God for who He is instead of dwelling on your current circumstances? How about singing this hymn when things seem difficult? I know this is one hymn that I have every verse committed to memory. I can be reminded through this hymn that He IS faithful, He is my shield, my Father, my guide, my strength, etc. Will you commit this hymn to memory so that at any time you can remember who He is and how He loves you and is faithful in all He does?

Below you will find the sheet music to "Great is Thy Faithfulness." Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Here you can listen to Selah sing this beautiful hymn.

For my 6x6 page today, I used the Lamentations verse from above which is also the verse used in the hymn. The stamp image of the verse comes from the ODBD Scripture Collection 1 set. I also pulled out some of my very old Deluxe Designs chipboard, painted it, and added it to the page. I wish they were still in business because I loved their chipboard!

Papers: Bo Bunny Country Garden, Bazzill cs
Stamps: Our Daily Bread Designs Scripture Collection 1
Stamp Ink: SU Garden Green, ColorBox Fluid Chalk chestnut roan
Embellishments: Prima Miss Kate flower, Zva Creative jewel flourish, Recollections leaves, white leaf from Wild Orchid Crafts, Deluxe Designs chipboard painted with Adirondack Dabber lettuce, sewing machine

I will be singing this hymn this week. How about you? May you know just how much He loves you and that He is faithful in ALL He does! Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you!
 

{HSCRC12} Hymn #10, When we all Get to Heaven

Hymn Challenge #10: When we all Get to Heaven
Words Written by: Eliza E. Hewitt
b. June 28, 1851; d. April 24, 1920

Music Written by: Emily D. Wilson
b. May 24, 1865; d. June 23, 1942

Eliza E. Hewitt was born, lived, and died in Philadelphia, Penn­syl­van­ia. She was a teacher; however, very early on she had to leave teaching due to a spinal problem.  She lived most of her life as an invalid, and so she turned to hymn writing. Her cousin, Edgar Stites, was also a hymn writer.

While Ms. Hewitt wrote the words to this hymn, it was Emily D. Wilson that set the words to music. Mrs. Wilson was the wife of a Methodist pastor and Dis­trict Su­per­in­ten­dent of the Meth­od­ist Phil­a­dephia Con­fer­ence, John G. Wil­son. I could not find much information on either of these talented ladies but I hope you enjoy these bit of notes anyway.

This is a hymn I had never sung nor heard until we visited a church in our new town. My mother told me she used to sing it as a teen. Who would have known? Anyway, I loved this hymn and felt it would be the perfect hymn to get us started again with this challenge. This hymn reminds me a lot of "Christ Arose" which we studied back in hymn lesson 8.  The chorus of this hymn says:

"When we all get to heaven, 
What a day of rejoicing that will be! 
When we all see Jesus, 
We'll sing and shout the victory."

It has been a rough, rough few days around here with issues involving property lines. My husband and I are trying to do the right thing as God would want us to but the heartache it is causing me is beyond words. We want to show the love of Christ but others are upset. I am saddened and just want to love those I come in contact with. When I read and sing the chorus of this hymn, I just think of that amazing day when there won't be any heartache or disputes but utter and amazing rejoicing!! Can you imagine "when we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory"! Oh I can't wait for that day!

What issues are going on in your life right now? What are you and/or your family struggling with? Do you feel like you are at the end of your rope? Well, not only can we be excited about that time when we finally meet Jesus in heaven where there is no more heartache, we can also rejoice right now! Jesus died so that we might have access to the Father not just by going to heaven someday but that we have access to Him here and now. He is there waiting to hear from you. He is waiting to carry your burdens. He desires that daily relationship with you and wants to hold and guide you. Are you letting Him or are you trying to take it all unto yourself? If you are a control freak like me, that can be hard to put "self" aside and ride behind Jesus. But our days should begin and end with God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 21:6 "He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life."

Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

We need to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him daily. We can rejoice with Him everyday as we watch what He can do if we would just allow Him.

Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."

Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Look how God used Ms. Hewitt's health problem for His great purpose. As an invalid, she was able to write beautiful hymns including "When we all Get to Heaven." How might He be using your situation for His glory?

Below you will find the sheet music to "When we all Get to Heaven," and click here to get the pdf file to print this hymn. Also, be sure to check out the link I have below for you today.

Here you can listen to a country version of this hymn by Brad Paisley.

For my 6x6 page today, I used the Philippians verse mentioned above. While this hymn is about when we get to heaven and can rejoice with Jesus, I also want to remember that I can rejoice with Him daily. The clock is a reminder of how I use my time each day with or without Him and the time when I will get to meet Him face-to-face.

Papers: October Afternoon Farmhouse, Bazzill cs 
Stamp Ink: ColorBox Fluid Chalk chestnut roan 
Embellishments: Cheery Lynn Designs Fanciful Flourish die, Prima flower and wooden buttons, Jenni Bowlin flag banner, misc. twine, leaves from Wild Orchid Crafts, burlap from Save on Crafts, sewing machine

Also, you may have noticed that my pages used to be 5x7 and today I have chosen to do a 6x6 page. Well, as I have been unpacking I find that my favorite pages from the past have been those in my 6x6 albums or those on my ATC holder. So, for the rest of the challenge, I will be doing 6x6 pages.

Now my question to you, will you make it a point to follow Jesus and rejoice in Him this week? Remember to use Keyword HSCRC12 when posting your creations in any online galleries. Also, please leave a link to your creation here using Inlinkz! To see all of the information regarding this challenge and the previous studies, please see this post here. Blessings to each of you!
 

Sunday's {Search} & Other News

Today I wanted to share something that I have been using as my family and I search for our new church home. I found this book called the "Sermon Note Keeper."

Well, most of you have seen the notebooks I alter for Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) each year. Well, I certainly could have altered one for taking sermon notes too but I haven't had time and plus this little gem was 50% off. So, I thought I would give it a try. Well, I must say that I am in love. Inside there is space to write: date and time, place, speaker, topic, notes, and how it applies to my life. I usually have so many notes that I don't have room to write how it applies to my life plus I also like to add the titles of the hymns that we sang that particular morning. (Note: click photo to enlarge.)

This particular Sunday I didn't take as many notes. I wanted to show you a semi-clean page. LOL! Anyway, I have found this to be very helpful and thought I would share it with each of you in case you want to alter your own notebook to make for sermon notes. And for fun, I will give away one of these notebooks to one of my readers. Just leave a comment in the comment section stating if you take sermon notes and what you use to keep your notes in. Leave your comment by tomorrow night, Monday, August 13, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, and I will announce the winner on Tuesday! I will also include one of my canvas bookmarks that I have made. :)

Other News
I also wanted to let you know that I feel I may be able to resume the Hymn and Scripture Challenge on Sunday, August 26th. Please pray that God expand my time and that He give me His words to resume this study. Thanks for stopping by everyone, and blessings to each of you!

Update on the Move!

First, let me apologize about not posting the Hymn and Scripture Challenge last weekend. I unexpectedly went out of town to look for our new house. It was very hard for my husband to do it on his own, so at the last minute we decided that I needed to fly out there to find our new home. It was a hard, hard 5 days but God was evident in so many ways! And my precious mother stayed here with the kids, and I couldn't have gone without her help, prayers, and love. Thank you Mom! I love and appreciate you SO much!

So, our plan of attack on my trip was to first find the area of the town where we wanted to live. As soon as I arrived at the airport, we began driving and looking at different neighborhoods. Then the next morning, we woke up and spent 3 more hours driving ALL over town looking at more neighborhoods. Then at 2 p.m. that day, we met with our realtor. After spending 5 hours with her, we had a few homes we were interested in. The next morning, my hubby went to work, the realtor picked me up at the apartment, and we began house shopping again. I found another home on that trip that hubby had to see. So, that evening after hubby got off work, we met with the realtor again, and went to the 3 homes we loved so that we could see them again. After viewing those 3 homes again, we truly only had one home we felt we wanted to put a contract on BUT we found out that the physicians that owned the home had another physician renting it from them as he had just moved into town and joined their practice. Their rental agreement was for 90 days. Ugh! We knew we couldn't wait 90 days to move and be together as a family again. God knew that too but that evening we put a contract on it anyway. With God all things are possible, right?

Mark 10:27 "Jesus looked at them and said, 'With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'"

The next morning it looked like the contract we put on the house would not go through without lots of counter offers or even a refusal. BUT truly the impossible happened because the contract was accepted "as is" and the renters are moving out immediately to make this close happen quickly. We will be closing on our new home on June 26th. I am in awe of all that God did during my trip. There were SO many things. His plans and ways are perfect, and I was just in awe of Him!!

So, now the craziness really begins. We hopefully will find out today the day that the movers come to pack us up. I also have to figure out how we are going to move all 5 animals across the country. It's going to be a fun and exciting time. Because of all of this, I won't be able to post the Hymn and Scripture Challenge again until July. I pray that you will understand. I hate to temporarily stop the challenge but there are too many things here to do. I pray that you will hang in there and wait patiently for me to resume with that again. I am blessed SO much by the words God gives me for the challenges so I know I will be anxious to start up again too!

Before I leave you today, I wanted to share two photos. This first photo is one I took of our new mailbox. I have LOVED mail since I was a little girl. In the home we are in now, the mailbox was in a community center, and I REALLY missed having a real mailbox. Well, God has blessed me with a beautiful new one at the end of our driveway! I am SO excited about it. I know y'all probably think I am crazy but isn't it a pretty mailbox? :) :)

And here are two different photos of my new craft room/office. I can't wait to get in here and organize. Yes, you will be seeing LOTS of posts about that as I go along too and set up my new space!!!

Thanks for stopping by today, and we would be blessed by your prayers for this moving craziness over the next 4-5 weeks. Thank you all! You are a blessing to me! Enjoy the holiday weekend!

{HSCRC12} RAK Winners

Happy and Blessed Mother's Day to all of you! I pray that God showers you with blessings today! But I also wanted to take this moment to post our RAK winners from last week. They are:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
20
15
Timestamp: 2012-05-13 21:00:37 UTC

No. 20 belongs to Krystal De Leeuw

 Krystal De Leeuw said...

Prayers to you and your family as you move and begin a new chapter. Our family is facing a similar situation and I'm really struggling with it all. The thought of packing overwhelms me!! Plus leaving close family and friends saddens my heart. But I know I serve a mighty God and He has amazing plans. Just gotta keep trusting in Him! Every minute of every day.

May 9, 2012 10:30 AM

 

And No. 15 belongs to bowdonl

 bowdonl said...

Hello Patter! I enjoy your blog so much, I usually end up reading your site about 1:00AM. I am praying for you in this huge move you are about to undertake. I pray for your family, that everyone will be able to adjust to a new life with ease and that most importantly, you find a church quickly. Reading God's word and really LISTENING to the wonderful Christian music has really been helping me to learn patience, love, acceptance, and that He is always there, holding my hand and lifting me up. My husband was diagnosed February 1 with stage 4 terminal rectal cancer, which has spread to the liver (over 2/3 of the liver is taken over) and both lungs. He has been given 6 - 12 months. I have been reading so many devotionals, looking for a way to calm my fears, to be there for my three children, and my husband. Reading the lyrics of the songs while they are playing on my IPod has really given me a new perspective into my own long surpressed Christian longings, to follow more closely with God, to be a stronger christian and to know He has plans, and that I don't always have to like them.

May 7, 2012 2:20 PM

 

Congrats to both of you! Krystal, I pray that God gives you His peace as you too begin this moving process. Hugs to you!  And Bowdonl, I am SO sorry to hear of your husbands cancer. May God wrap His arms around both of you and uphold you as you walk this path. Also, if you both could please e-mail me your addresses so I can get your books off to you.  And thanks for all of the wonderful comments. It was a joy to read what the study is doing in each of your lives and to get your tips. Thank you!

And I hope to resume our challenge next Sunday according to the schedule. It just did not work out for this week. It's been a wild, wild week with realtors, getting hubby off, etc. Have a blessed week ahead!