Tag Archives: Song

God’s Sense of Humor

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Big fat, fluffy, flakes of falling snow are accumulating all around my field of vision which happens to be in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Now this is to be expected in the throes of winter but today is April 6th!

The crocuses and daffodils were beginning to smile their way up through the thawing earth, and have had to postpone their journey…for who knows how long?

Snow shovels and salt pails stored away for the next eight months or so are about to be resurrected. Robins were chirping their spring songs and are now hiding in various tree branches.

I’m very happy that God has a sense of humor but would rather he give me something warmer to laugh about.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; Psalms 2:4

 

 

Once In a Blue Moon

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If you have something you can only do once in a blue moon, tonight’s the time to do it because it is the night of the blue moon.

Now, the moon won’t actually be blue; it is just that it is the second full moon this month which is a rare occurrence. So don’t strain your eyes looking for a blue hue, just enjoy the extra full moon lighting up the universe…a celestial phenomenon.

You may want to click on the following link and enjoy Frank Sinatra’s rendition of the song “Blue Moon” as you gaze heavenward. Enjoy.

Frank Sinatra Blue moon. – YouTube

 

PHOTO: There is a blue moon on Friday.

July 31, 2015

Then Sings My Soul

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How Great Thou Art is the name of the hymn from which this title is taken; a hymn, according to Wikipedia, based on a Swedish traditional melody and poem written by Carl Gustave Boberg (1859-1940) in Sweden in 1885. This powerful hymn never fails to cause me to raise my hands in praise whenever it is played. It has been sung by the well known George Beverley Shea, Elvis Presley, and Carrie Underwood. Here then, is How Great Thou Art:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

The current six week course, Soul Keeping, I am attending, along with a talk I heard yesterday, given by a member of our congregation, titled “The Gospel According to Hymn”, has inspired this post.

Celebrating Life

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On Saturday I attended two different life celebrations. One was a memorial for a dear friend’s husband, and the other was an 80th birthday party for a dear friend. Both events celebrated a continuation of  life; one here, and one in the hereafter. One celebration was as moving as the other, and I would not have missed either for anything.

Sunday’s events, besides the church service, were a committal and a concert. Once again different celebrations in different ways. The committal saw another member of our congregation on his way to continuing life, and the concert celebrated life’s commitment to music and song with a neighbouring church. The hymns we sang were chosen in memory of loved ones of that church’s congregation who also had transitioned.

It was a wonderful weekend of song and celebration, honouring the lives of those with us and those who haved passed on; a weekend of celebrating life.

Nostalgia Ends the Day

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It is said we should not live in the past, but I spent a few hours last night doing just that.

I tuned into a TV program, Jukebox Oldies, and was swept away into so many parts of my past, it was incredible.

Each song had its own place in my heart and life. Each emotion was as real in this time as it was in the years of my youth and young adulthood.

Paul Anka, Patti Page, Pat Boone and a host of other popular artists from the past put the finishing touches on an already perfect day…my 78th birthday. (There you go, Christine!)

Did I have a happy birthday? Indeed I did, and that bout of nostalgia was a welcome end to the day.

What has been will be again….Ecclesiastes 1:9

 

 

 

 

 

Wake Up! There is a Better Way

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Who of us is immune to the effects of vandalism, terrorism, random acts of violence, and the life-snuffing behavior of some people who seem to have a complete disrespect for their fellow person?

We see it around the world; Russia, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, America, Canada…each country has its own lack of human values to deal with: guns, knives, machetes, bricks, sticks, stones, whatever…to prove what?

I even noticed it in our own recent Provincial elections, to a lesser degree but noticeable, indeed. I call it a new kind of party animal (if you will pardon the pun) where,  instead of sticking to their own agendas, and offering voters some substantial food for thought, two of the three candidates went on a bashing spree against the third one; verbal yes, but still bashing. It reminded me of Genesis 50:20 when Joseph said to his brothers, who sold him into slavery, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good…”

It is all an assault on my senses, and I go on a writing spree. The G-20 Toronto Summit riots in 2010, and the Vancouver Stanley Cup riots in 2011, prompted the following:

WAKE UP! THERE IS A BETTER WAY!

To all who are asleep in vandalism and violent acts,

unconscious to the fact

that destroying the lives of other people and their property

is not a joke, hear this!

What gives you the right to take a rock

and with your might

smash the life another person lives?

Hear what I say:

“Wake up! There is a better way.”

Look at you!

What do you see?

That thoughtless, senseless person

is not who you’re meant to be!

Wear the shoes of the destroyed

rather than the destroyer.

See how it feels

to be ground

under the heels

of people

who are not aware

of their good side.

Again I say,

“Wake up! There is a better way!”

Find it! Change your wicked ways!

Humanity awaits the new you.

©2011

Can you imagine a world where we work together instead of against each other? Do you remember John Lennon’s Imagine? Imagine if we try.

More on Not to Worry

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In 1989 the Canadian economy experienced the beginning of a downturn, and the booming business I had been used to for four years in my pretty little gift shop was suddenly not booming anymore. In fact it got to the point where I was behind on my rent. While trying to get past this hurdle without reverting back to the old worry habit, I turned the radio on to this line of Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit, Don’t Worry, Be Happy…The landlord says your rent is late…he may have to litigate…but don’t worry, be happy.

It made me laugh, and freed my mind to thinking through my dilemma, which got suitably sorted out in the end.

And then there’s this from Alpha’s Challenging Lifestyle by Nicky Gumbel:

It’s an excerpt from the chapter, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.

There are seven reasons why we should not worry:

First…To worry is to miss the point in life

Second…Worry is illogical…it is a slander on God’s character

Third…Worry is a complete waste of time; it is futile, unproductive and pointless. So many things we worry about never happen.

Fourth…Worry is incompatible with faith

Fifth…Worry is un-Christian

Sixth…Worry is unnecessary

Seventh…Worry is incompatible with common sense. (This is my favorite)

And then there is this from All Things Are Possible Through Prayer by Charles L. Allen

Worry? Why worry? What can worry do?

It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you.

It gives you indigestion and sleepless hours at night

And fills with gloom the days, however fair and bright.

It puts a frown upon the face and sharpness to the tone.

We’re unfit to live with others and unfit to live alone.

Worry? Why worry? What can worry do?

It never keeps a trouble from overtaking you.

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?

Praying really changes things, arranges life anew.

It’s good for your digestion, gives peaceful sleep at night

And fills the grayest, gloomiest day with rays of glowing light.

It puts a smile upon your face, the love note in your tone,

Makes you fit to live with others and fit to live alone.

Pray? Why pray? What can praying do?

It brings God down from heaven, to live and work with you.

Finally, this from an unknown poet:

In life there are only two things to worry about,

whether you are well, or whether you are sick.

If you are well, you have nothing to worry about,

but if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about;

whether you will get better or whether you will die.

If you get better, you have nothing to worry about,

but if you die, there are only two things to worry about;

whether you will go to heaven or to hell.

If you go to heaven, you have nothing to worry about,

and if you go to hell, you will be so busy shaking hands with your friends,

you won’t have time to worry!

That’s the end of the worry topic. Now for tomorrow’s post. Hmmm, let me think!