To thee our wants are known

To thee our wants are known,
From thee are all our pow'rs;
Accept what is thine own,
And pardon what is ours:
Praises, LORD, and prayers receive,
To thy word a blessing give.

Oh, grant that each of us
Now met before thee here,
May meet together thus,
When thou and thine appear
And follow thee to heav'n our home,
Even so, amen, LORD JESUS, come!
Rev 22:20

John Newton (1725-1807)
Olney Hymns, 1779

Scans and searches

Recent comments on full body scanning and invasive body searches by the Transportation Security Administration:

Benjamin Franklin: "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."

Patrick Henry: "Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Companion to the 1991 Sacred Harp

The Sacred Harp Publishing Company now has available The Makers of the Sacred Harp by Warren Steel and Richard Hulan.

The authors have put a great deal of time and effort in this work. The Makers of the Sacred Harp references all the tune and hymn writers with songs and hymns in the 1991 edition published by The Sacred Harp Publishing Company. Since many of the hymn writers and composers also have material in other books, it will be useful beyond just the 1991 edition of the Sacred Harp.

Bless This House

Bless this house, O Lord we pray,
Make it safe by night and day.

Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out.

Bless the roof and chimneys tall,
Let thy peace lie over all.

Bless this door that it may prove,
Ever open, to joy and love.

Bless these windows shining bright,
Letting in God's heavenly light.

Bless the hearth, a-blazing there,
With smoke ascending like a prayer!

Bless the people here within,
Keep them pure and free from sin.

Bless us all that we may be,
Fit O Lord to dwell with thee.

Bless us all that one day we
May dwell, O Lord! With Thee!

Words and Music by Helen Taylor and May H. Morgan, 1927

Text codes

Parents, don't know what your teen is saying in those crazy text messages? Try No Slang.com Internet Slang Dictionary & Translator to translate internet slang and acronyms.

In Immanuel's land

In heaven:
The bride eyes not her garment,
But her dear bridegroom’s face;
I will not gaze at glory,
But on my King of Grace:
Not at the crown He giveth,
But on His piercèd hand;
The Lamb is all the glory
Of Immanuel’s land.
--Samuel Rutherford

Did you vote?

Two days ago, Americans in great numbers went to polls (or not). Were you among them? I want to focus this post on why or why not people vote. Did you vote? If so, why? If not, why not?

Yes
It is a valuable right/duty/privilege.
I can change/support the direction the government is headed.
I wanted to cancel the vote of my spouse/brother/sister/uncle/cousin.
My employer gives me time off to go vote.
My brother was running for dog-catcher, and it's a good paying job.

No
Dumb and dumber is not an option; there was no way to select "none of the above".
Christ's kingdom is not of this world; we are strangers and pilgrims who should focus on the gospel and remain apolitical.
It doesn't matter; nothing ever changes.
I was too lazy to walk/run/drive/ride to the polling place.
My brother was running for dog-catcher.

The above are given as thought-provokers. Don't confine yourself to any idea I suggested. Please tell us from your heart why you did or did not vote.

Singing this weekend

Something to do, Saturday November 6th

The annual Little Hope Church and Russell Singing meets this weekend (d.v.) at the Little Hope Primitive Baptist Church building on FM 1669, north of Huntington, Texas. For more details, click HERE.