Haven't Posted Lately

I apologize for not posting lately. I especially apologize for not posting the weekly hymns. So many things have been going on in my mind. I think I had posted that I have started to having singing as part of my morning devotional time with God. Some of the songs I have been singing involve bringing the lost to Christ and revival.

My heart yearns especially for all those of Hollywood who are lost. So many of them are counting on their money, looks and success to bring them happiness but unfortunately these people are truly unhappy. If only they would just turn their hearts towards God and repent of their sin.

Then there;s the OCCUPY movement who aren't making their cause any better by breaking the law. Such a fallen world we live in.

On a postive note our family through a $1.00 off coupon has been introduced to Nutella. Nutella is a hazelnut/cocoa spread that I told myself I would never buy such a product because I thought it was taste terrible. After seeing a commercial for it I thought I would give it a try. I got the coupon for $1.00 off and it happpened to be on sale so I bought it and my children were the first to try it. Can I say it was love at first taste? I tasted and so did my husband and we are now hooked on Nutella!

You use it on toast, crackers, whatever. My daughter Miranda said you can use it on a spoon! Yes I did take just a tiny bit with the sppon and ate it straight from the jar but because it has a lot of sugar we really won't be doing that. And though we really like the Nutella nothing beats good ole peanut butter!

Hallelujah Praise Jehovah

I also sang this during my devotion time. I had never thought about singing during my devotion time with the Lord. Just this week I decided to add singing as part of my prayer and Bible reading.
This is a beautiful hymn
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/h/p/r/hpraisj1.htm


Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,


O my soul, Jehovah praise;

I will sing the glorious praises

Of my God through all my days.

Put no confidence in princes,

Nor for help on man depend;

He shall die, to dust returning,

And his purposes shall end.



Happy is the man that chooses

Israel’s God to be his aid;

He is blest whose hope of blessing

On the Lord his God is stayed.

Heaven and earth the Lord created,

Seas and all that they contain;

He delivers from oppression,

Righteousness He will maintain.



Food He daily gives the hungry,

Sets the mourning prisoner free,

Raises those bowed down with anguish,

Makes the sightless eyes to see.

Well Jehovah loves the righteous,

And the stranger He befriends,

Helps the fatherless and widow,

Judgment on the wicked sends.



Hallelujah, praise Jehovah,

O my soul, Jehovah praise;

I will sing the glorious praises

Of my God through all my days.

Over all God reigns forever,

Through all ages He is King;

Unto Him, thy God, O Zion,

Joyful hallelujahs sing.

Covered by the Blood

I had to share this song. I sang it during my devotion time and I'm so glad my sins are covered by the blood!
http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/c/o/v/covblood.htm

Once in sin’s darkest night I was wand’ring alone;


A stranger to mercy I stood.

But the Savior came nigh

When he heard my faint cry,

And He put my sins under the blood.



Refrain



They are covered by the blood;

They are covered by the blood;

My sins are all covered by the blood.

Mine iniquities so vast

Have been blotted out at last,

My sins are all covered by the blood.



From the burden I carried now I am set free,

For Jesus has lifted my load.

O the love and the grace I received in its place

When he put my sins under the blood.



Refrain



I can ne’er understand why He sought even me,

Why His lifeblood on Calvary flowed.

But sufficient for me,

Since He died on the tree,

He hath put my sins under the blood.



Refrain



Now He comes to my heart and removes ev’ry care;

He bears all my cumbering load.

In a pathway replete

With His love are my feet,

Since He put my sins under the blood.



Refrain

Husband's Take

My husband just finished Ornament of a Spirit and his opinion is about the same as mine. He saw all the pictures of the various styles of hanging veils and kapps and was surprised there were so many. His only frame of reference as far as coverings are the hanging veil I wear which is worn by our Conservative Mennonites friends and one style of kapp worn by my friends in PA.

We both came to the conclusion that if we were part of a conservative Anabaptist church then perhaps it would matter. We both realize that the kapp identifies them as Anabaptists but isn't it better be known as a Christian first and Anabaptist second?
Would the early Anabaptist martyrs be happy with the debate over whether a kapp is acceptable or a veil?
Do we veil wearers want to argue that the kapp is wrong?

And Can It Be

I'm sure I have posted this hymn before but I love it and we sang it at church today. The verses don't seem to be in the same order as we sang in church but it is still a beautiful hymn. Thank you Jesus!

http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/a/c/a/acanitbe.htm


And can it be that I should gain


An interest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain—

For me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be,

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?



’Tis mystery all: th’Immortal dies:

Who can explore His strange design?

In vain the firstborn seraph tries

To sound the depths of love divine.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore,

Let angel minds inquire no more.

’Tis mercy all! Let earth adore;

Let angel minds inquire no more.



He left His Father’s throne above

So free, so infinite His grace—

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race:

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!

’Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For O my God, it found out me!



Long my imprisoned spirit lay,

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

My chains fell off, my heart was free,

I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.



Still the small inward voice I hear,

That whispers all my sins forgiven;

Still the atoning blood is near,

That quenched the wrath of hostile Heaven.

I feel the life His wounds impart;

I feel the Savior in my heart.

I feel the life His wounds impart;

I feel the Savior in my heart.



No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;

Alive in Him, my living Head,

And clothed in righteousness divine,

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Bold I approach th’eternal throne,

And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

One More Thing

The book also mentions that some ladies find the kapp diffucult to sew. Perhaps one Saturday a month or more perhaps the ladies could get together for a sewing session to learn how to make the kapp. It is so much more fun to learn to sew with other ladies. It can be a special time for the sisters of the church to bond together.

Book Review- The Ornament of a Spirit

 I just finished reading Cory Anderson's  book The Ornament of a Spirit and frankly I was a bit offended. I know that's not his intention but he almost made it sound as though the cap coverings are the only acceptable coverings for sisters in the Anabaptist churches. He seems to think the hanging veil which some of the Mennonite and Amish-Mennonite groups have started using have become "smaller,more transparent or more stylish" I guess he figures the caps or kapps as they are sometimes called are being tossed out because some churches think they are " Old-fashioned or too plain"

Now I'm going to have to disagree with this notion. I see pictures of ladies with the kapp coverings and I personally find them more "fancy" if you will, than a hanging veil that is just a plain white no fancy stuff added. My veils are certainly "boring" compared to the caps although I do have a couple with  tiny scalloped edges.

Personally I think the Anabaptist churches that want to allow the hanging veil could have some sort of guidelines so that there isn't any problems with size, color etc. If they want veils to be opaque then they need to decide that what they want to do.

Our friends in Gorman and Frazier Park,CA are Mennonite and the sisters there wear white hanging veils. Does this make them less of a Mennonite because they don't wear kapps? Most importantly does this make them less of a Christian?

I Corinthians 11:1-15 doesn't say what style of covering to wear. When people start making man made rules about what is a covering and what isn't then it becomes  a "Thus saith Brother So and So" or  the scripture because " An Anabaptist woman who prayeth with her kapp off her head dishonoreth her head" making it seem that only like only Anabaptist women should obey I Corinthians 11 or even wear a kapp covering.
I don't know what your Bible says but my Bible definitely doesn't say that!

Having said all that I think Mr.Anderson's book is interesting but I think he has put too much emphasis or the style of covering and I think he should be thrilled that there are congregations whether they are Anabaptist or not who are obeying the scripture.