The One Year Book of Hymns

Georgia Settle gave me this book - it seems ages ago - and in it she wrote, "May the songs of our Savior fill your heart to His Glory" Christmas 1997

I love this book and music has always had a way of moving my heart. This last weekend was so tough on me and I found myself crying more than naught. Speaking words I would normally never speak. I found myself so angry - angrier than I have ever been and moments later sadder than I have ever known. In the few days since the move - I've realized I am not being who I want to be - I'm not responding in a manner reflecting Gods love for me or even as a woman that I WANT to be.

In the middle of this heartbreak and loss and unpacking my room - trying to make order in the chaos I found my book - and when leafing through it I found several hymns that bring balm to my crushed soul.

I thought I'd share one of the hymns with you from time to time - today's being:

There is a Wideness in Gods Mercy

There is a wideness in God's mercy,

Like the wideness in the sea;

There is a kindness in His justice,

Which is more than Liberty.

There is welcome for the sinner,

And more graces for the good,

There is mercy with the Savior;

There is healing in His blood.

For the love of God is broader

Than the measure of man's mind;

And the heart of the Eternal

Is most wonderfully kind.

If our love were but more simple,

We should take Him at His word;

And our lives would be all sunshine

In the sweetness of our Lord.

Frederick William Faber ( 1814-1863)

Change does not come easy for anyone and christian growth is not instantaneous but gradual. Thomas Kempis writes, "One thing that draws one back from spiritual progress is the fear of the difficulty of the labor and combat. Don't give up what you have started" I feel lately I'm in the thick of it and do not want to give up! So in this time after the move - I want my heart in the RIGHT place. With hymns and songs as well as scripture - these bring my focus away from me and the sadness and lift me to a place where I can be WHO I want to be and maybe others can see Christ also. That is all anyone can ask really. The songs stay with me throughout the day and remind me of the promises of God so that they are brought back to me again and again.

Almost time to go and pick up children - can't wait to see them today! Its rainy and cold and can't wait to have some hot chocolate cookies for them fresh from the oven. :)

Oh - and I unpacked 4 boxes today in my closet/bedroom/bathroom area!

WV Fun Part 3

I love kitchen windows - and I have to tell you Anne and Max's one of my favorites to look out -

Rachel and that bubble blower; she loved it and it drove me crazy all summer long - kept getting spilled everywhere we went.. but she loved it.

Comparing muscles.... (so funny and cute - considering they have no muscles.)

Cousins - Patrick loved meeting all the 'new' cousins for him - it's so hard to live so far away.

Early game of baseball before breakfast.

Rachel caught a frog - and loved it - had trouble getting her to let it go.

More baseball....

Most of us that day...

Grace didn't know what to think about that 'other' baby on her momma's hip!

Before breakfast - Rachel sitting on the porch swing. :) She loved the porch swing- might have to get one at our new house. :)

Early morning looking towards the barn.

Morning dew on the blueberry fencing with a cool spider web - :)

I think this little blue flower is chicory - not sure will need to read up but it was everywhere and so pretty.

Rachel and Courage kept eating red raspberries from the bushes - it's a wonder they had any left to sell! :)

Looking from over the garden towards the barn... I might have to make a calendar!

Faith and Grace on porch - love this picture.

Mark playing piano - Grace checking out PawPaw's belongings - Max and PawPaw were singing

Ben flying down slide with 'towel cape' - they had so much fun playing down by the Greenbriar River - lovely park.

Mercy - swinging high!

Back at the farm after swimming.....

Cousins riding in the back of the truck to the river... PawPaw and I didn't fit so we followed in the van - and took pictures..

Swimming in the Greenbriar River - we had had so much rain - the river was up 4-5 feet.

PawPaw waving - I brought a chair so he could sit up off the ground.

That cute Katie Dee Robinson - they grow them pretty in West Virginia.

Patience, Ben and Patrick - trying to dunk each other...

Rachel asked me the other day "Mom can we go back to Uncle Max's Farm?" So it's been almost two months and she is still talking about the farm. :) I realized I had not posted pictures of the farm yet. I keep trying to explain to her that he is our cousin but she keeps calling him Uncle Max. :)

I have triple the amount of pictures that are posted - and you probably think we were there for days and days... no ~ just 24 hours! It was just so much fun and so many things to take pictures of - we loved it. There will be one more blog posting of West Virginia pictures and I'll try to get those done before we move.

Gotta run and eat - and then friends are popping in this evening to help pack dishes! yea! I'll update you later.