Archive for the ‘Psalms’ Category

Spiritual Sundays

Sunday, April 11th, 2010

My friend Susan of A Life of Grace did a blog post about a blogging theme called Spiritual Sundays. I need all the help I can get to draw nearer to the Lord and keep my mind on Him, so joining in a special Sunday meme is a great opportunity.

One verse that has often helped to quiet my heart in difficult times is found in Psalm 37:1, “(A Psalm of David.) Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” Verse 3 directs further, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”

The thoughts I take from this verse are:

  1. Nothing good will come from focusing on all the bad things that happen in this life. It’s OK to be aware of evil and to fight against it using godly means, but to fret about it will be hurtful.
  2. As I trust the Lord for my spiritual welfare, it is His will that I trust Him also for guidance and protection when evildoers trouble me or others.
  3. By God’s grace, I will ask Him for wisdom in difficult situations.
  4. By God’s grace, I will focus on Him, not on circumstances.

How about you, dear blogging friends? Would you like to participate in Spiritual Sundays, too? Just read about it and link up at Charlotte and Ginger’s Spiritual Sundays site.

Posted in Bible Thoughts, Psalms, Spiritual Sundays, Sunday Thoughts | 7 Comments »

Simple Woman’s Daybook

Monday, December 1st, 2008

Hosted by Peggy

For Today…December 1, 2008

Outside my Window…Well, it’s dark, raining, and 45 degrees. Much of today it was sort of foggy, after a very foggy day yesterday. The curtains are pulled shut, and the house is all cozy within.


I am thinking…I’ll continue this post after our time of reading the Bible, singing a psalm, memorizing questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and prayer. We call this time ‘family worship.’ This evening we’re singing from Psalm 119, the 7th part, verses 49 through 56. Here are verses 49 and 50:

Remember, Lord, thy gracious word

    Thou to thy servant spake,

Which, for a ground of my sure hope,

    Thou causedst me to take.

This word of thine my comfort is

    In mine affliction:

For in my straits I am reviv’d

    By this thy word alone.

 

From the learning rooms…I have started reading Love & Logic Solutions for Kids with Special Needs by David Funk. I’m hoping to glean some great advice about helping students with learning challenges be more successful.

I am thankful for…my husband’s help in finding a midi file so you can get an idea of the tune that we sang tonight. It’s a common meter tune from the 1635 Scottish Metrical Psalter called Caithness.

From the kitchen…Tonight we enjoyed a simple, warming meal of homemade cornbread, vegetable chowder, and canned peaches.


I am wearing…my black ‘everyday’ skirt with black leggings, topped with a pink and grey striped short sleeved polo top.

I am reading…(rereading) chapters 7 and 8 of Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney for ladies’ book club Wednesday evening. We usually have some rousing discussions, which are enjoyed by all of us, plus some delicious refreshments to end the evening.

I am hoping…to sort through all my pantry items and canned goods. I want to use up as much of what we already have as possible, to pinch pennies during these leaner times.


I am creating…with the children’s help, an updated job chart for our young people. I tend to ease up on my expectations when the children are so busy with school and sports. Really, though, each member of the family needs to contribute to the family’s welfare. Each one’s contribution is important.

I am hearing…granddaughter Carly crying a bit, two of the children conversing with one another, and my husband talking on the phone.


Around the house…I’m looking forward to the two week long break this month. I want to get some serious cleaning done, so that I feel more prepared to show hospitality. We love to host church friends at our home for a game night on New Year’s Eve. I’m thinking about getting ready.

One of my favorite things…is the satisfied feeling of getting a good dinner on the table, and then feeling free to relax a bit afterward.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week…Our youngest son plays two basketball games this week. I would like to attend the home game tomorrow. It will be fun to see if the guys are working together as a team yet.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

These little hills are at the bottom of our road. You can see how bare the deciduous trees are now. Now that I have the photo uploaded, I notice that daughter Laura had the ‘green’ filter turned on, so the colors aren’t totally realistic. We usually go walking together, and she takes the pictures. 🙂

Hostess Peggy says this about The Simple Woman’s Daybook:

Are you content to linger on the simple things of life…then join me in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those of us who are focusing on simplicity…the beauty of the everyday moments around us. That is my vision for this idea!

Posted in Family, Homemaking, Psalms, The Simple Woman's Daybook | 2 Comments »

Sunday evening

Sunday, May 4th, 2008

(Image from Snapshots of Joy.)

I have been blessed, once again, to join with my family and others in worshiping the Lord this Sunday. We enjoyed good fellowship with one another as well, and now, it is late. Therefore, I will leave you with only a wee post, an excerpt from the metrical version of Psalm 19, verses 1 through 6:

1 The heav’ns God’s glory do declare,
the skies his hand-works preach:
2 Day utters speech to day, and night
to night doth knowledge teach.
3 There is no speech nor tongue to which
their voice doth not extend:
4 Their line is gone through all the earth,
their words to the world’s end.

In them he set the sun a tent;
5 Who, bridegroom-like, forth goes
From’s chamber, as a strong man doth
to run his race rejoice.
6 From heav’n’s end is his going forth,
circling to th’ end again;
And there is nothing from his heat
that hidden doth remain.

We sing this psalm to the tune Crediton, which sounds like this: crediton

Posted in Bible Thoughts, Psalms, Sunday Thoughts | Comments Off on Sunday evening

One Single Impression – GLORY

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

The prompt this week for One Single Impression is GLORY. Immediately I thought of the GLORY OF GOD. Specifically, I thought of how God manifests His GLORY in the creation that we see all around us (and in us).

A helpful summary of Christian doctrine, The Westminster Confession of Faith, says this about God’s GLORY in creation:

It pleased God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for the manifestation of the GLORY of his eternal power, wisdom, and goodness, in the beginning, to create, or make of nothing, the world, and all things therein, whether visible or invisible, in the space of six days, and all very good. – The Westminster Confession of Faith, 1647, Chapter 4: Of Creation.

In our family, during daily Bible reading times, we also sing from God’s song book, the Book of Psalms. One of our favorite psalms, Psalm 148, speaks of God’s GLORY in creation. Here is the metrical version of Psalm 148:1-14 taken from The Scottish Psalter, published 1650:

The Lord of heav’n confess,

On high his glory raise.

Him let all angels bless,

Him all his armies praise.

Him glorify

Sun, moon, and stars;

Ye higher spheres,

And cloudy sky.

From God your beings are,

Him therefore famous make;

You all created were,

When he the word but spake.

And from that place,

Where fix’d you be

By his decree,

You cannot pass.

Praise God from earth below,

Ye dragons and ye deeps:

Fire, hail, clouds, wind, and snow,

Whom in command he keeps.

Praise ye his name,

Hills great and small,

Trees low and tall;

Beasts wild and tame;

All things that creep or fly,

Ye kings, ye vulgar throng,

All princes mean or high;

Both men and virgins young,

Ev’n young and old,

Exalt his name;

For much his fame

Should be extoll’d.

O let God’s name be prais’d

Above both earth and sky;

For he his saints hath rais’d,

And set their horn on high;

Ev’n those that be

Of Isr’el’s race,

Near to his grace.

The Lord praise ye.

Those of you interested in meter (which means all of you, I imagine!) will note that this metrical psalm is written in 66. 66. 88. We sing this Psalm to the tune Darwall, written by John Darwall.darwalls148th

Posted in Bible Thoughts, Music, One Single Impression, Psalms, Sunday Thoughts, Things for Which I am Thankful | 8 Comments »

Because I’m feeling sad . . .

Wednesday, January 16th, 2008

Psalm 42:6 – 11, Scottish Metrical Version

6 My God, my soul’s cast down in me; thee therefore mind I will

From Jordan’s land, the Hermonites, and ev’n from Mizar hill.

7 At the noise of thy water-spouts deep unto deep doth call;

Thy breaking waves pass over me, yea, and thy billows all.


8 His loving-kindness yet the Lord command will in the day,

His song’s with me by night; to God, by whom I live, I’ll pray:

9 And I will say to God my rock, Why me forgett’st thou so?

Why, for my foes’ oppression, thus mourning do I go?


10 ‘Tis as a sword within my bones, when my foes me upbraid;

Ev’n when by them, Where is thy God? ’tis daily to me said.

11 O why art thou cast down, my soul? Why, thus with grief opprest,

Art thou disquieted in me? In God still hope and rest:


For yet I know I shall him praise, who graciously to me

The health is of my countenance, yea, mine own God is he.

Posted in Music, Psalms | 4 Comments »

Late Last Night . . .

Saturday, January 5th, 2008

My daughter Laura commented that I should do more blog posts in which I describe daily goings-on, so here is a wee short one (since not much of substance has been done yet this morning).

It’s been a lovely relaxing morning. We all slept in, since, for various reasons, we all stayed up late last night:

  • Our daughter Rebecca had one of her girlfriends come over to spend the night once Reb, Rick and Seth got home from the basketball game (Our boys won! Barely . . . so, nerve-wracking and exciting was the name of the game.).
  • This means that Reb and her friend, and our daughters Kayla and Lydia, had a Girls Night In the House. This involved watching the DVD of The Nanny Diaries, drinking herbal tea, eating caramel popcorn and – once they are up, I shall find out what else. In any event, it meant keeping late hours.
  • Rick was playing with something electronic he ordered which allows him to record things, and then add to the recording. He and Debra were doing LOTS of singing, trying to sing their parts properly for various psalm tunes from the Scottish Psalter that we like to use for family worship. Let’s see; the owner’s manual says it’s a “multi-pattern USB condenser microphone.”
  • I stayed up late FINALLY balancing my mom’s and our checking accounts, and paying my mom’s bills. I need to hurry to our bank this morning so I can pay some of OUR bills this afternoon. I don’t know why I procrastinate when it comes to doing this paperwork. Is it the dread of not balancing? But all the numbers cooperated, so all was happy.

That’s all for now, folks. The fear that I might not get all done that should get done today is sneaking up on me. Hope you have a great Saturday. 🙂

Posted in Fun Things, Psalms, Things for Which I am Thankful | 2 Comments »

Psalms on YouTube!

Saturday, December 15th, 2007

This is from the Scottish Metrical Psalter, that we have used for many years in our time of family worship.

The psalm sung in Hebrew, accompanied by instruments approximately the same as those used in Temple worship. This one gave me the shivers, it was so majestic.

A young homeschooled girl sings the Psalms.

Wow! This is the most heart-felt singing from God’s songbook that I have yet to hear! This boys choir is wonderful.

Posted in Music, Psalms | 2 Comments »