Sunday Night Snippets...

I have wanted to post all week. I have planned to post all week. But...it has not been a blog-friendly week around here. :) Camp preparations have taken over every nook and cranny of the schedule. In lieu of all the posts I wanted to make this week, I'm going to do a quick post with a few highlights:

1) Conversation lately at our house, at least among the kids, has been about 85% camp-related. After tonight's camper/parent meeting, the percentage has gone up even higher. :) I asked Ammah Grace what her favorite thing about camp was last year. Her reply was quick, and not terribly surprising: swimming. :) Then I asked what her next two favorites were. I *was* a little surprised by these. Second runner up? Taking showers. (We live in a very old house with no shower...just a bathtub. :)) And her third favorite thing about camp? Pulling her suitcase out from under her bed to get her clothes. :-D It doesn't take much to excite my kids...no sir! ;-)

2) We sang my favorite verse of one of my favorite hymns tonight in church! That is noteworthy, because over the years, I've noticed that this particular verse of this particular song is very often skipped. Maybe because there are five verses as opposed to four? At one point several years ago, I made a special request of Lyndel that we sing the 4th verse of "He Keeps Me Singing" the next time we sang it, because we had sung it *several* times in a row omitting the 4th verse. He made it a special point the next time. :) I was so glad to sing the whole hymn tonight!

1. There’s within my heart a melody
   Jesus whispers sweet and low,
   Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
   In all of life’s ebb and flow.
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
     Sweetest Name I know,
     Fills my every longing,
     Keeps me singing as I go.
2. All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
   Discord filled my heart with pain,
   Jesus swept across the broken strings,
   Stirred the slumb’ring chords again.
3. Feasting on the riches of His grace,
   Resting ’neath His shelt’ring wing,
   Always looking on His smiling face,
   That is why I shout and sing.
4. Though sometimes He leads through waters deep,
   Trials fall across the way,
   Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
   See His footprints all the way.
5. Soon He’s coming back to welcome me,
   Far beyond the starry sky;
   I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown,
   I shall reign with Him on high.
6. ~ Luther B. Bridgers

3) Ammah Grace has just been making me laugh in all kinds of ways this week. Today we were on our way home from lunch, and there were a bunch of (big, orange) OG & E (power company) trucks on the road. Billy said, "What's going on here?" to which Gracie replied, "Tennessee Vols, Dad, Tennessee Vols!!" At which point, she and Emlyn began to cheer. How in the world did I (and more to the point, my dad and my Granny Marks???) end up with 2 children who are Tennessee Volunteer fans like their dad?? At least Peter and Bayley are red-blooded hog fans through and through. Hmph.

4) I am *so* loving the series Bro. Kent is doing right now on Sunday mornings on the topic of "Worship" from Isaiah 6. At some point I have a whole blog post (or two or three) I'd like to do on it. I am so thankful for a church where "worship" is truly still worship. I am thankful for a church with a high view of the Bible and of worship, with high standards for worship music, and with a commitment to expository preaching. This morning the choir sang "Praise Ye the Lord of Hosts" by Camille Saint-Saens. What a gorgeous piece. Saint-Saens is a favorite composer of mine, probably because he was a favorite composer of my dad's. :) I remember listening to his "Carnival of the Animals" over and over and over again with my dad. To this day, I can still remember his comments at various spots. Good memories...

There is so much more I could type...but it's time to get back to work on this list! Hope everyone has a great week. :)aint-Saens