Rejoice!
Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Jesus, the Savior, reigns, the God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains He took His seat above;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o’er earth and heaven,
The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus given;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
He sits at God’s right hand till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command, and fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
He all His foes shall quell, shall all our sins destroy,
And every bosom swell with pure seraphic joy;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice,
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Rejoice in glorious hope! Jesus the Judge shall come,
And take His servants up to their eternal home.
We soon shall hear th’archangel’s voice;
The trump of God shall sound, rejoice!
**********************************
Alastair has a great post on the origin of Halloween, and how much we have to rejoice over.
Friday, October 31, 2003
Have I been missing out on something all my life?
What do you call the night before Halloween? I responded the same as all Arkansans who were surveyed: "I have no word for this."
What do you call the night before Halloween? I responded the same as all Arkansans who were surveyed: "I have no word for this."
Thursday, October 30, 2003
The days have gone down in the West
There was a time when the passage of the day was reckoned by the movement of the sun which God made to rule the day, and was measured out by the ringing of the parish church bells. For a thousand years, the church bells called us to worship and tolled our passing out of this life.
But for us moderns, instead of having the sun's rule, we have the Secretary of Transportation telling us what time it is in our district, which was set up for "the convenience of commerce."* Instead of living our lives to the sound of the church bells, we change our clocks for the civic virtue of saving energy.
Every time we go on daylight saving time I pitch a little fit because daylight saving time reminds me of the death of Christendom in the west, and the fact that I and my children will most likely not live to see its resurrection.
This touches on a discussion going on at Gideon's blog about different flavors of the conservative movement. Dave Koyzis mentions that conservatives lack an "animating vision of life." If we see Old World Conservatism as a last desperate effort to preserve Christendom, it gives us a clue as to why we are so ineffective at communication our vision. Either we've forgotten what it looks like ourselves since it has been dead and gone for so long, or we just have not found a good way to communicate it to the modern mindset.
There was a time when the passage of the day was reckoned by the movement of the sun which God made to rule the day, and was measured out by the ringing of the parish church bells. For a thousand years, the church bells called us to worship and tolled our passing out of this life.
But for us moderns, instead of having the sun's rule, we have the Secretary of Transportation telling us what time it is in our district, which was set up for "the convenience of commerce."* Instead of living our lives to the sound of the church bells, we change our clocks for the civic virtue of saving energy.
Every time we go on daylight saving time I pitch a little fit because daylight saving time reminds me of the death of Christendom in the west, and the fact that I and my children will most likely not live to see its resurrection.
This touches on a discussion going on at Gideon's blog about different flavors of the conservative movement. Dave Koyzis mentions that conservatives lack an "animating vision of life." If we see Old World Conservatism as a last desperate effort to preserve Christendom, it gives us a clue as to why we are so ineffective at communication our vision. Either we've forgotten what it looks like ourselves since it has been dead and gone for so long, or we just have not found a good way to communicate it to the modern mindset.
Well, look at that!
you are dutch. no other possibility.or, you are
from belgium, that could be the case too.
can you speak Dutch????
brought to you by Quizilla
Actually, I'm just good at guessing answers on a multiple choice quiz. :-p
I found this quiz at the site of a young blogger named Hannah, who likes music and ballet. Warning: this is a Xanga blog and Xanga is very clique-ish - one must have a Xanga account in order to comment.
you are dutch. no other possibility.or, you are
from belgium, that could be the case too.
can you speak Dutch????
brought to you by Quizilla
Actually, I'm just good at guessing answers on a multiple choice quiz. :-p
I found this quiz at the site of a young blogger named Hannah, who likes music and ballet. Warning: this is a Xanga blog and Xanga is very clique-ish - one must have a Xanga account in order to comment.
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
The Laughing Linden Branch
Forum friend Isaac has entered the blogosphere with two lovely haiku (or is it haikus?), observations of the effect of kimshi on a lineoleum floor, and thoughts on the current state of Anglicanism.
Forum friend Isaac has entered the blogosphere with two lovely haiku (or is it haikus?), observations of the effect of kimshi on a lineoleum floor, and thoughts on the current state of Anglicanism.
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Title goes here
Every time this week that I've thought of something I wanted to blog about, either I haven't had time to do it, or I haven't been able to get my thoughts organized enough to write anything worth the time it would take to read it. Tonight I have several random observations. That way I don't have to blog about not blogging anything at all, the way Theognome did once. :-D
I subscribe to two magazines: Credenda/Agenda and Organic Gardening.
My 11-year-old found Lingua Latina to be too challenging, so this week we started Minimus Latin. The stories in the book are based on a real family, a Roman prefect and his wife and three children, who lived in the north of England from AD 97-102. After two days I can say with complete confidence: "So far, so good." ;-p
Several of my kids have croup this week. We seem to go through this two or three times during the fall and spring, when the weather is very cool at night and very warm in the day. I've learned that the best way to deal with croup is generous use of eucalyptus oil, both in a vaporizer and sprinkled on the child's pillow.
Today I read P.G. Wodehouse's Laughing Gas for the first time. It's probably not one of his better ones, but the plot took a very surprising twist along about chapter four, the story was entertaining, and it had a sweet ending. I would recommend it. (Has anyone ever not recommended a Wodehouse?)
My 14-year-old, who is taking an online history class through Studium Discere Tutorials, has been assigned an 8-10 page research paper on a topic of her choosing, related to the class, of course. She is considering comparing different creation accounts with the Biblical account. This is her first big paper, and I've never taught anyone how to do it before. Prayers and advice, as Valerie says, would not be underappreciated.
I enjoy reading the theological threads over at A Better Country but too often my sole contribution to any discussion is to ask people to explain their terms. I have learned more "-isms" since becoming Reformed than I ever knew existed. Recently, an innocent question sparked quite a discussion that included the term "amyraldianism." Rather than display my ignorance yet again, I did a web search and found this very helpful site - a Theological Terminology Dictionary.
Things I learned tonight by looking through my referrer logs
- There are people do web searches on getting a whipping
I wonder if they need one, or know someone who does?
- Somebody out there is in the market for a terror alert level necklace
Do you suppose they actually do any good?
- If you do a web search for the terms "lingua latina" "ran screaming" or "white linen and pipe-clay" I am the only hit you will get
Am I a niche blogger, or what!
- If you ask the question can you re pot broken aloe? or go looking for seamus haney, beowulf, study notes you will not find the answer online
But I thought the internet had all the answers!
Every time this week that I've thought of something I wanted to blog about, either I haven't had time to do it, or I haven't been able to get my thoughts organized enough to write anything worth the time it would take to read it. Tonight I have several random observations. That way I don't have to blog about not blogging anything at all, the way Theognome did once. :-D
I subscribe to two magazines: Credenda/Agenda and Organic Gardening.
My 11-year-old found Lingua Latina to be too challenging, so this week we started Minimus Latin. The stories in the book are based on a real family, a Roman prefect and his wife and three children, who lived in the north of England from AD 97-102. After two days I can say with complete confidence: "So far, so good." ;-p
Several of my kids have croup this week. We seem to go through this two or three times during the fall and spring, when the weather is very cool at night and very warm in the day. I've learned that the best way to deal with croup is generous use of eucalyptus oil, both in a vaporizer and sprinkled on the child's pillow.
Today I read P.G. Wodehouse's Laughing Gas for the first time. It's probably not one of his better ones, but the plot took a very surprising twist along about chapter four, the story was entertaining, and it had a sweet ending. I would recommend it. (Has anyone ever not recommended a Wodehouse?)
My 14-year-old, who is taking an online history class through Studium Discere Tutorials, has been assigned an 8-10 page research paper on a topic of her choosing, related to the class, of course. She is considering comparing different creation accounts with the Biblical account. This is her first big paper, and I've never taught anyone how to do it before. Prayers and advice, as Valerie says, would not be underappreciated.
I enjoy reading the theological threads over at A Better Country but too often my sole contribution to any discussion is to ask people to explain their terms. I have learned more "-isms" since becoming Reformed than I ever knew existed. Recently, an innocent question sparked quite a discussion that included the term "amyraldianism." Rather than display my ignorance yet again, I did a web search and found this very helpful site - a Theological Terminology Dictionary.
Things I learned tonight by looking through my referrer logs
- There are people do web searches on getting a whipping
I wonder if they need one, or know someone who does?
- Somebody out there is in the market for a terror alert level necklace
Do you suppose they actually do any good?
- If you do a web search for the terms "lingua latina" "ran screaming" or "white linen and pipe-clay" I am the only hit you will get
Am I a niche blogger, or what!
- If you ask the question can you re pot broken aloe? or go looking for seamus haney, beowulf, study notes you will not find the answer online
But I thought the internet had all the answers!
Friday, October 17, 2003
Elaienar has posted a couple of her drawings on her blog, dated October 16 and 17. For some reason, she doesn't have permalinks. I'll look into that as soon as I get a chance.
Sunday, October 12, 2003
Butterflies
This is our third fall in west Texas and every year we've seen flocks of monarch butterflies migrating south for the winter. The first fall we were here, a cloud of them hovered over our back yard for several minutes before moving on. They are not so numerous this year, but my son has counted about 200 of them in the last quarter-hour! He and Mosey are trying to take pictures of them, but they are so small I don't know if the pictures will turn out.
This is our third fall in west Texas and every year we've seen flocks of monarch butterflies migrating south for the winter. The first fall we were here, a cloud of them hovered over our back yard for several minutes before moving on. They are not so numerous this year, but my son has counted about 200 of them in the last quarter-hour! He and Mosey are trying to take pictures of them, but they are so small I don't know if the pictures will turn out.
Saturday, October 11, 2003
Afternoon tea for three
The night before
Make loaf of white bread using soy milk - guest is severely allergic to milk and eggs.
The morning of
After eating breakfast, cleaning up kitchen, sending hubby out for forgotten items, nursing baby and putting her down for nap, start bread machine with second loaf of bread, bake birthday cake (to be served with dinner), send 14-year-old and 3-year-old out to garden to pick tomatoes. Have 14-year-old blanch and peel several firm tomatoes, then slice them thin and lay on paper towels to drain. In the meantime, prepare dough for scones, cover with damp cloth and set aside.
Begin preparing sandwiches: slice first loaf of bread thin, butter two slices, put tomates on one slice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with other buttered slice, cut off crusts (feed these to the 3-year-old son and 8-year-old son who are greedily eyeing the loaf), cut sandwich into six dainty pieces. 14-year-old daughter arranges them artfully on plate. Repeat two times.
Take birthday cake out of oven and set aside to cool.
Hubby comes home from shopping. Put away groceries, fix a quick lunch (the birthday girl requested macaroni and cheese - the boxed kind), nurse baby.
One p.m. - the guest arrives
Her mother and two brothers come in with her, bringing a suitcase full of doll things, a doll-sized table and two chairs. 12-year-old son requests that the guest's brothers be allowed to stay so they can go out when Daddy takes all the boys out of the house while the girls have tea. Consent cheerfully. Chat with guest's mother for half an hour or so.
Shoo the menfolk out of the house and put 3-year-old son down for nap, so preparations can resume.
Peel and slice cucumbers, then lay on paper towels to drain. Have 14-year-old rinse and drain watercress. Make four cucumber sandwiches same as tomato sandwiches. Try to find baby in order to put her down for nap. Before panicking, ask birthday girl if she has seen baby. Find out that birthday girl put baby down for nap half an hour ago. Sigh with relief, thank birthday girl, and return to kitchen. Taste watercress, which you've never had before. The stuff tastes like poison! What are people thinking, making sandwiches out of this weed! Make one watercress sandwich anyway, as a concession to tradition. Test one to be sure it won't kill the birthday girl, her sister, or the guest. Find out that watercress sandwiches are quite delicious. Make two more of them.
3:15 p.m
Send birthday girl and guest to set table - this keeps them from eating all the sandwiches in the kitchen. Start boiling water for tea.
3:30 - only one and a half hours after the planned time for tea
Have 14-year-old serve sandwiches and tea. Begin rolling out and cutting scones. Shoo guest back into dining room - the scones will be served after the sandwiches are eaten! Bake three batches of scones. Give dinner bell to guest to ring when she needs something so she will stop coming in the kitchen or shouting for 14-year-old every two minutes. Refill teapot. Serve first batch of scones with non-dairy whipped topping, having been unable to figure out how to make lemon curd or Devonshire cream without eggs and milk. Baby wakes up - birthday girl gets her out of bed and puts her on floor in dining room. Make shortcake. Put baby in swing so she won't eat crumbs off of dining room floor. Consider taking bell away from guest, who rings it every two minutes, in order to teach her how to wait to be served. Decide against it because she is so sweet and 14-year-old is enjoying playing the part of a Cockney kitchen maid. Place shortcake on a warm plate, top with strawberry jam, syrup (sugar-free), and powdered sugar. Serve shortcake. Nurse baby.
4:30 - girls finish tea and go to play with dolls
Begin cleaning up. 3-year-old wakes up from nap and wants snack. Feed him then continue cleaning up. Menfolk arrive home and want snack. Feed them leftovers from tea. Go sit with hubby in living room. Notice how very indifferent your feet and legs feel. Guest's father and oldest brother arrive, but do not want snack - they've been selling Krispy Kreme donuts for a Boy Scouts fundraiser, and are not hungry! Go to kitchen and help 14-year-old clean up.
7:00 - guests have left
Sit on living room floor and stretch legs. Play piano for half an hour to wind down. Nurse baby. Hubby very sweetly asks if he should start the chicken for supper. Consent cheerfully. Doze off nursing baby. Wake up, go to kitchen and make frosting for cake. Hubby and 14-year-old have made delicious chicken/pasta/vegetable dish for supper. 12-year-old has set the table. Sabbath bread is warm - pour wine, turn on Von Weber's clarinet concertos, light candles, bless God, and eat! Give birthday girl her gift. Eat cake and ice cream. Bathe baby, nurse, and put her to bed. Go back to kitchen to clean up, again!
10:45 - finally finished cleaning up!
Understand why those people in Jane Austen's books have a housekeeper, cook, kitchen maid, scullery maid, butler, footman, and nursery maid!
The night before
Make loaf of white bread using soy milk - guest is severely allergic to milk and eggs.
The morning of
After eating breakfast, cleaning up kitchen, sending hubby out for forgotten items, nursing baby and putting her down for nap, start bread machine with second loaf of bread, bake birthday cake (to be served with dinner), send 14-year-old and 3-year-old out to garden to pick tomatoes. Have 14-year-old blanch and peel several firm tomatoes, then slice them thin and lay on paper towels to drain. In the meantime, prepare dough for scones, cover with damp cloth and set aside.
Begin preparing sandwiches: slice first loaf of bread thin, butter two slices, put tomates on one slice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover with other buttered slice, cut off crusts (feed these to the 3-year-old son and 8-year-old son who are greedily eyeing the loaf), cut sandwich into six dainty pieces. 14-year-old daughter arranges them artfully on plate. Repeat two times.
Take birthday cake out of oven and set aside to cool.
Hubby comes home from shopping. Put away groceries, fix a quick lunch (the birthday girl requested macaroni and cheese - the boxed kind), nurse baby.
One p.m. - the guest arrives
Her mother and two brothers come in with her, bringing a suitcase full of doll things, a doll-sized table and two chairs. 12-year-old son requests that the guest's brothers be allowed to stay so they can go out when Daddy takes all the boys out of the house while the girls have tea. Consent cheerfully. Chat with guest's mother for half an hour or so.
Shoo the menfolk out of the house and put 3-year-old son down for nap, so preparations can resume.
Peel and slice cucumbers, then lay on paper towels to drain. Have 14-year-old rinse and drain watercress. Make four cucumber sandwiches same as tomato sandwiches. Try to find baby in order to put her down for nap. Before panicking, ask birthday girl if she has seen baby. Find out that birthday girl put baby down for nap half an hour ago. Sigh with relief, thank birthday girl, and return to kitchen. Taste watercress, which you've never had before. The stuff tastes like poison! What are people thinking, making sandwiches out of this weed! Make one watercress sandwich anyway, as a concession to tradition. Test one to be sure it won't kill the birthday girl, her sister, or the guest. Find out that watercress sandwiches are quite delicious. Make two more of them.
3:15 p.m
Send birthday girl and guest to set table - this keeps them from eating all the sandwiches in the kitchen. Start boiling water for tea.
3:30 - only one and a half hours after the planned time for tea
Have 14-year-old serve sandwiches and tea. Begin rolling out and cutting scones. Shoo guest back into dining room - the scones will be served after the sandwiches are eaten! Bake three batches of scones. Give dinner bell to guest to ring when she needs something so she will stop coming in the kitchen or shouting for 14-year-old every two minutes. Refill teapot. Serve first batch of scones with non-dairy whipped topping, having been unable to figure out how to make lemon curd or Devonshire cream without eggs and milk. Baby wakes up - birthday girl gets her out of bed and puts her on floor in dining room. Make shortcake. Put baby in swing so she won't eat crumbs off of dining room floor. Consider taking bell away from guest, who rings it every two minutes, in order to teach her how to wait to be served. Decide against it because she is so sweet and 14-year-old is enjoying playing the part of a Cockney kitchen maid. Place shortcake on a warm plate, top with strawberry jam, syrup (sugar-free), and powdered sugar. Serve shortcake. Nurse baby.
4:30 - girls finish tea and go to play with dolls
Begin cleaning up. 3-year-old wakes up from nap and wants snack. Feed him then continue cleaning up. Menfolk arrive home and want snack. Feed them leftovers from tea. Go sit with hubby in living room. Notice how very indifferent your feet and legs feel. Guest's father and oldest brother arrive, but do not want snack - they've been selling Krispy Kreme donuts for a Boy Scouts fundraiser, and are not hungry! Go to kitchen and help 14-year-old clean up.
7:00 - guests have left
Sit on living room floor and stretch legs. Play piano for half an hour to wind down. Nurse baby. Hubby very sweetly asks if he should start the chicken for supper. Consent cheerfully. Doze off nursing baby. Wake up, go to kitchen and make frosting for cake. Hubby and 14-year-old have made delicious chicken/pasta/vegetable dish for supper. 12-year-old has set the table. Sabbath bread is warm - pour wine, turn on Von Weber's clarinet concertos, light candles, bless God, and eat! Give birthday girl her gift. Eat cake and ice cream. Bathe baby, nurse, and put her to bed. Go back to kitchen to clean up, again!
10:45 - finally finished cleaning up!
Understand why those people in Jane Austen's books have a housekeeper, cook, kitchen maid, scullery maid, butler, footman, and nursery maid!
Friday, October 10, 2003
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Found at Elaienar's blog.
You are Romans.
Which book of the Bible are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
You are Romans.
Which book of the Bible are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
Friday, October 3, 2003
Theognome said that my haiku below was "not bad." Just so you all would know how not bad it is, I thought I post the previous four versions of it.
The first version:
Lone watermelon
so sweet, cool, and delicious -
last taste of summer
After I wrote it I decided to check out my handy-dandy college literature book and see if it said anything about how to write haiku. It said things about restricting adjectives, and being evocative rather than descriptive. That produced versions 2 - 5:
My children ate the
watermelon today and
savored every bite.
My children eating
volunteer watermelon
savor every bite.
My children eating
volunteer watermelon
savor every drop.
My children eating
the only watermelon
savor every drop.
After further consideration, I've come up with another version:
Summer's End
Six children sharing
the garden's only melon
savor every drop
Bloggers are rumoured to be weirdo exhibitionists anyway, so I suppose no one will be surprised if I bare my less than poetic soul in this exercise. I read once that one way to understand poetry is to write it yourself, so I try my hand every once in a while.
Now honestly. If this is really only "not bad" and there is no potential whatsoever for me ever to become "pretty good," somebody please let me know and I won't inflict this junk on the public. But if there is potential, I welcome instruction! :-)
Thursday, October 2, 2003
Interview questions for Elaienar
1. It's your birthday and Daddy has been saving up all year so I can take you out for a fun day. First we go to Hastings where, miraculously, every book and music CD you ever wanted is for sale! But, you can only have one of each. What do you pick and why?
2. Next we go to the mall. I'm going to buy you a complete outfit including accessories. By some great miracle, the stores there happen to have things you actually love. Describe the outfit you pick out.
3. We've eaten lunch and now it's movie time! It just so happens that there is a theater in town that is playing exactly what you want to see. What is it?
4. We have a few hours left to do one more thing before we eat supper and go home, and within easy driving distance is the very thing you want to do. What is it?
5. Now it's supper time and you can eat anyplace you want to as our little Texas town amazingly enough has all the best restaurants in the world. Where do we go and what do we eat?
~*~*~
Post these questions and answers on your blog along with the following instructions:
If you would like to participate too, here are your instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here).
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
1. It's your birthday and Daddy has been saving up all year so I can take you out for a fun day. First we go to Hastings where, miraculously, every book and music CD you ever wanted is for sale! But, you can only have one of each. What do you pick and why?
2. Next we go to the mall. I'm going to buy you a complete outfit including accessories. By some great miracle, the stores there happen to have things you actually love. Describe the outfit you pick out.
3. We've eaten lunch and now it's movie time! It just so happens that there is a theater in town that is playing exactly what you want to see. What is it?
4. We have a few hours left to do one more thing before we eat supper and go home, and within easy driving distance is the very thing you want to do. What is it?
5. Now it's supper time and you can eat anyplace you want to as our little Texas town amazingly enough has all the best restaurants in the world. Where do we go and what do we eat?
Post these questions and answers on your blog along with the following instructions:
If you would like to participate too, here are your instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here).
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
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