Mom’s Musings

This is such a random post, I know, but you can thank the slide show shuffle function that I have on my desktop for it. This picture came up, and instantly I was transported back in time to the era of the busy life with little ones.

In this picture I have just finished giving Philip (almost 3 years old) a haircut, and little Laura (about 18 months old) is in the foreground. I’m pregnant with our fourth child. So . . . Way back then, we were renting an old farm house on Double Ditch Road in Lynden. The ditches were so deep that the spawning salmon swam up them! Big kids would go inner-tubing down the ditches in the summer. We only lived there three years, but the children have such happy memories of this old place that they asked to drive by there to see it for many years after we had moved.

This picture is of the front of Double Ditch house, and you can see Laura’s twin, Sarah, as well.

Here you go, Bianca. This is how Lyd and Cadet looked two years ago, at the time of Laura and Darren’s wedding. Sorry for the confusion and delay. They weren’t in the wedding party picture because they were the music makers, playing violin as the bridal party came down the aisle.

As I was making my way through new blog posts on my Google Reader, I came to Tim Challies’ blog, Challies Dot Com. Under his A La Carte listings he recommended a post by Rev. Colin Adams on the blog Unashamed Workman. I really enjoyed the post, Ten Commandments for Our Day of Rest, and decided to subscribe to the blog.

Next I noticed that great online resources were listed on the sidebar, causing my enthusiasm to grow. This is something I can return to in the future! Next, I checked out the blog which Rev. Adams’ wife authors with two other pastors’ wives, titus2talk, and found that here was another blog to which I just HAD to subscribe! I do so enjoy hearing what other Christian ladies have to say, both in person and via blog.

My Google Reader is getting a bit crowded (I subscribe to 47 blogs at present). Thankfully not all writers publish daily (although some publish as many as five times daily!), so I haven’t had to cut down yet. I am thankful for this wonderful way to connect with others. I have been informed, challenged and edified. I have more interesting and varied topics of conversation with my husband and children, too, thanks to those whose blogs I read.

This morning was truly one of serendipity: the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for. Now, I must return to the here and now: There are dishes to wash, a house to vacuum, a math meeting to attend at the Middle School, bread to bake, a dinner to plan, etc. Have a good day, my dear blog friends!

This is the little church building we rented about two years ago (on September 10th, actually) for Laura and Darren’s wedding. That was such a special and busy time, and we rejoice with Laura and Darren in the life together which the Lord has given them. He has given them a dear son as well, as you will see if you click the link to Laura’s blog.

Happy Anniversary, Laura and Darren (one week early)!

Darren and Laura on our back deck.

An informal shot of the wedding party, in our backyard.

I like this picture of Laura and Darren!

LORD, from the depths to thee I cry’d. 2 My voice, lord, do thou hear:

Unto my supplication’s voice give an attentive ear.

3 Lord, who shall stand, if thou, O Lord, should’st mark iniquity?

4 But yet with thee forgiveness is, that fear’d thou mayest be.

5 I wait for God, my soul doth wait, my hope is in his word.

6 More than they that for morning watch, my soul waits for the Lord;

I say, more than they that do watch the morning light to see.

7 Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with him mercies be;

And plenteous redemption is ever found with him.

8 And from all his iniquities he Isr’el shall redeem.

In our family, we sing this psalm to the common meter tune Martyrdom.

The thought that really “gets me” in this psalm is God’s great mercy to us, people who are full of iniquity. Though we by nature are children of wrath, like all mankind, He has provided for us the way of salvation. He has provided “plenteous redemption” to His people, through the Lord Jesus Christ.

These pages are scanned from The Psalms in Metre, Scottish Metrical Version with tunes, supplement, and additional versions published for the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Ireland by Oxford University Press, London, 1979.

This is a “split-leaf” psalter. The tunes are on the small top pages, and the metrical psalms are printed on the lower, larger pages. Since the psalms are arranged by musical meter (such as common meter, short meter, long meter, double common meter, double short meter, etc. - There are more!) you have a number of tunes available from which to choose when singing a psalm. In the back of the Psalter, there is also a listing of tunes arranged by categories, such as Plaintive, Prayerful, Restful, Didactic, Cheerful, Jubilant, etc. This way, as the mood of a psalm changes, you can select another, more appropriate tune. Also, if you are singing through a long psalm, you can change tunes to alleviate the monotony.

One part of our family worship time involves singing a Psalm, using the metrical psalter. We find singing through God’s songbook in this way to be enjoyable, beneficial and edifying!