Post from Ukraine!

Hello from Kiev everyone! Things are going very well. We just finished our first camp today, and everything went fairly smoothly. I am falling in love with a few Ukrainian foods that I will most certainly attempt to make in the United States. Second camp next week at the Hospital and then home. I'm having a great time, learning Ukrainian, learning the culture, and adoring the kids. More news as soon as possible. Goodbye!

Discovery of the Week

The Discovery of the Week this week is a fact. Or several facts, actually. In my reading 1776, I was very intrigued by the description of King George the Third's coach. Boring, right? Sorry.
The King's "colossal golden chariot" was huge. It weighed nearly four tons, being twenty-four feet in length and thirteen feet high, "enough to make the ground tremble when under way." Eight Hanoverian Cream horses were required to pull this royal coach. Over each of the heavy wheels were four gilded sea gods, a reminder that Britannia ruled the seas. On top of the carriage were three gilded cherubs holding high a gilded crown, symbols of England, Scotland, and Ireland. I find it interesting that there was not a fourth cherub representing England's colonies around the seas. Any thoughts as to why? Food for thought!

Caleb's Birthday Surprise

Thought I'd share this. Today my brother turned 12. Hooray Caleb! Well, my mom was sneaky with his cake. She put "Magic Candles" on it, which are impossible to blow out. Once you have lit them and let them sit for 60 seconds, they will continue to burst in flame again after being blown out. It gave Caleb quite the surprise and a hilarious moment to be archived.

"WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS, MOM?!?"

Book

I'm starting a new book today! I've been meaning to read this book for a while, but never got around to it. It's 1776 by David McCullough. I love history, especially the history of our nation's beginning. I'm looking forward to learning from it, and will give you a review when I have finished!

Hymn of the Week

Starting now, each week I will post a hymn and talk some about it. It helps me to rediscover the hymns that forgot all about, such as this one, What Wondrous Love Is This. There is no information on the author of these beautiful lyrics but that it is an American folk hymn. The tune is incredibly beautiful and fits the theme of the words perfectly. Surely what wondrous love is this, that my King would bear the curse of death and the wrath of God for my soul?

What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul, what wondrous love is this, O my soul!

What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul, for my soul, to bear the dreadful curse for my soul!

To God and to the Lamb, I will sing, I will sing, to God and to the Lamb, I will sing; to God and to the Lamb, who is the great I AM, while millions join the theme, I will sing, I will sing, while millions join the theme, I will sing!

And when from death I'm free, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and when from death I'm free, I'll sing on; and when from death I'm free, I'll sing and joyful be, and through eternity, I'll sing on, I'll sing on, and through eternity I'll sing on!

Discovery of the Week

Here's my first "Discovery of the Week" post! Discovery of the Week may be a song, a book, a fact, a Bible verse or anything new that I learn or find. This week, it's a song by Sanctus Real called "Lead Me." I heard it on the radio the other day and was struck by how real it is. How much that really is what we think and need, and how much we need our Father to help us.

Lead Me lyrics Sanctus Real - “Lead Me” I look around and see my wonderful life Almost perfect from the outside In picture frames I see my beautiful wife Always smiling But on the inside, I can hear her saying... “Lead me with strong hands Stand up when I can't Don't leave me hungry for love Chasing dreams, what about us? Show me you're willing to fight That I'm still the love of your life I know we call this our home But I still feel alone” I see their faces, look in their innocent eyes They're just children from the outside I'm working hard, I tell myself they'll be fine They're in independent But on the inside, I can hear them saying... “Lead me with strong hands Stand up when I can't Don't leave me hungry for love Chasing dreams, but what about us? Show me you're willing to fight That I'm still the love of your life I know we call this our home But I still feel alone” So Father, give me the strength To be everything I'm called to be Oh, Father, show me the way To lead them Won't You lead me? To lead them with strong hands To stand up when they can't Don't want to leave them hungry for love, Chasing things that I could give up I'll show them I'm willing to fight And give them the best of my life So we can call this our home Lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone Father, lead me, 'cause I can't do this alone

Why I Love Hymns

I love hymns mainly because of their words. Hymns have such beautiful words! It's sad how often people either ignore the words or just don't go to a church that uses hymns. I read an article by one man supporting contemporary worship music, saying that it had "singable lyrics." What is not singable about hymn lyrics? What makes them so unacceptable in so many churches today? Forget the often slow music that (I admit) sometimes threatens to put you to sleep, and focus on the words! "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me save that thou art---thou my best thought by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light", "Amazing love, how can it be, that thou my King shouldst die for me," "When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first begun." Just read through the hymnbook! There are so many beautiful, unknown hymns with amazing lyrics in there. I don't see how people today can just throw it all away. Or say that "I wish we wouldn't sing songs in church that I don't know." Really? Are you being serious? Learn! Go home, look it up, learn it! Read it through, look up the passage it is based on if there is one. Its always good to keep learning, and there is no reason not to sing a hymn just because you don't know it.

I don't just love the "old" hymns that are in the Trinity Hymnbook. There are new, modern hymns that are just as good. "In Christ Alone," "See What a Morning," and "The Power of the Cross" are just a few new and amazing hymns. We should add them to our list of those we sing in church.

I also love the hymns that are old and traditional. They have stood the test of time. They have been sung for centuries in the church, so why not now? Why all of a sudden do we have to change? I don't buy the whole "contemporary music to reach out to teens" thing. Teens are perfectly capable of singing hymns and understanding them. Do Hard Things! Sing some thee's and thou's and thy's and ye's!

I love hymns because of the many occasions where you can look at the history of the person writing the hymn and see why they wrote it. Horatio G. Spafford wrote "It is Well with My Soul" after he lost his wife and children to a shipwreck overseas. "When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll; whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my soul.'" What great faith and trust in God to be able to write such words when going through such pain! I am sure I could not do it.

So you see why I love hymns, their words, their endurance, and their history. What great songs to sing in worship to God! Praise be to Him alone.