Moving

I am in the process of moving this blog from blogspot to self-hosted wordpress.  I know I don't post often, but new posts from here on out will be found at the following address:

(Not working at the moment...)

Old posts and comments have been migrated to the new site.  The formatting and design still need some tweaking--bear with me, I'll get to it eventually. :)

Still a Zoo

I really like living near a big city, with all the amenities it has to offer, like the parks, and the museums, and the zoo, and the thrift stores.  (Yes, the thrift stores rank very highly in my estimation!)  Our three favorite places are the children's museum, the science museum, and the zoo, all of which are conveniently located within walking distance of each other, and bordering Hermann Park, another favorite spot.  All three offer free admission once per week or month, but as of just recently, we have memberships at all three, so we can enjoy them whenever we want.  When I was growing up, the children's museum and the zoo were very rare treats, so unlimited access feels like a real luxury, you know?

Anyway, last Tuesday was this month's free admission day at the zoo, so my sister suggested that we all (the moms and kids anyway) go.

The boys and I, being zoo members, got to skip the line (the lap of luxury, I tell ya) so while we were waiting for the others, the boys of course had to climb on the rhinoceros.

Mercy and her beautiful daughters:

Luke is a popular little guy.

 Thomas and his mama

Admiring some Ankole cattle.  They have impressive horns!

 Snack time!

The petting zoo was a big hit.

As you may have heard, I now have a new niece.  My brother and his wife were blessed with their fourth child a couple of weeks ago.  She's beautiful (of course) and hopefully at some point I'll post some photos.  But life is busier than ever, so no promises. :)

A Rare Saturday At Home

Most Saturdays I spend at least part of the day up in Houston and/or running errands, but today has been an unusual Saturday in that I have been able to spend the whole day at home.  It's been a beautiful warm day, and we've had the windows wide open, the curtains swaying gently in the breeze.  This morning we hosted a psalm sing.  It was well attended, including lots of children, and a couple of visitors from Canada.

We sang three of my favorite tunes.

First up was Felix, which fits nicely with Psalm 14.

Psalm 14 to Felix


Then we practiced St. Botolph. 

Psalm 27:7-11 to St. Botolph


Last of all we sang a tune that's very familiar to us here in Texas: Ericstane.

Psalm 142 to Ericstane


After the psalm sing, several of us stood and watched as herds (Or is it flocks? Gaggles? Swarms?) of children ran around in the front yard.  Visitors to our Texas congregation often comment on how many small children we have here.  And we have indeed been very blessed. :)  As the children get older, they are participating more in the singing, so our recordings may sound less "polished," but I like them better this way.  I hope you do too. :)

P. S. Remember that you can download these recordings, and others, to your own computer here.

Another Psalm Sing

Shortly after John and Naomi moved into their new place, they invited us all over for a psalm sing.  We had a great time visiting and singing, and recorded several psalms.  The acoustics were great!

 Psalm 71:14-17 to Stracathro


Psalm 107:23-30 to Torwood--note that we don't sing the tune as it's written in the latest version of the Free Church split-leaf psalters.  I believe this is an older version.


Psalm 127 to Artaxerxes--again, we sing a different version from that found in the Free Church split-leaf psalters.


Psalm 139:17-24 to Contemplation


Psalm 143:1-5, 2nd version, to Leuchars


And last but not least, Psalm 150 to Denfield


Hopefully we'll have another psalm sing soon.  Maybe next time I'll get the recordings posted in a more timely fashion. :)

Newest Babies Two, Three, and Four

This year, we've added three more babies.  This one is my youngest niece.  At the time of this photo, she was in my kitchen begging me for a bite of pancake fresh off the griddle.  And how could I say no to this eager little face?

Then over the summer, John and Naomi were blessed with this little guy.  He is actually smiling in this photo, but you can't tell because his mouth is full.  (Might be teething...)  He is a very good natured and smiley little boy.  I think he looks a lot like his mother.

And finally, just a few weeks ago, Carl and Stephanie had this little boy.  Or maybe little is not the right word.  He was and is a very big baby!  Hard to believe he's not much more than one month old.  Look at his little mouth.  It reminds me of somebody.  Hmmm.

Some siblings and cousins of the above, along with Joseph (left) and Rev. K. D. MacLeod (right):

This was taken today at our Thanksgiving dinner.  Mr. MacLeod is visiting from Scotland for two weeks.

GeoGuessr

The boys and I discovered this the other day via Facebook, and have been enjoying it ever since.  GeoGuessr is a simple but fascinating online geography game.  Click to start, and you are plopped down at some random location in the world via Google Streetview; look around you for clues--landmarks, vegetation, road signs, even the angle of the sun--to figure out where in the world you are.

GeoGuessr

This game is a fascinating way to explore the world.  You might be surprised at what you see and learn.  Have fun!

I'm Workin' On It

A few people have kindly pointed out to me (errr...have been pointing out, for some time now) that my catalog of psalm recordings is in need of some updating.  If you've checked it out recently, you may have noticed a few broken links; and you may also have wondered why I haven't yet included many excellent recordings that have popped up online in recent years.

So, I've finally begun the process of updating the list.  I'm removing broken links, and adding new recordings as I see fit.  I'm no longer including every recording that I find; I'm just listing one recording for each psalm or section of the psalms, plus extras when I can't decide on a favorite (which is often).  Hopefully you'll enjoy my selections.  If not, remember that you can always visit the sites listed on this page to find more recordings that I haven't included.

The list-updating-process will be a gradual one.  Psalms 1 through 49 have been updated, and hopefully over the next few weeks, I'll get through the rest of the list.  Thanks for your patience. :)

Project Psalms Nearly Complete

I've mentioned Project Psalms before.  Project Psalms is an effort by some folks in Australia to record all 150 Psalms from the Scottish Metrical Psalter.  They've hired a professional tenor to do the singing; you can hear sample recordings here and here.

The recording has been finished, but additional donations are needed to pay for the editing/mixing and various other expenses.  Once the remaining $5250 has been collected and the project is complete, the recordings will be made available to the public to download for free.

If you donate $500 to the project (that's Australian dollars), you'll receive a full 15 CD set of the recordings, plus various other bonuses including the sheet music for the tunes used, and a hard copy of the Scottish Metrical Psalms with John Brown of Haddington's notes.  Of course, smaller donations are also welcome.

I look forward to the completion of the project; I think the recordings will be a valuable resource indeed, and I'm happy that the plan is to make those recordings freely available to the public.  I think this is a worthy cause, don't you?  Please consider donating today.

Psalm 103 to Kilmarnock

We're in the middle of a communion season here, so I don't have much time, but I thought I'd stop in to post an old recording of a psalm we usually sing during communion services: Psalm 103, the first six stanzas. I like London New best for this psalm, but I know a lot of people prefer Kilmarnock, so perhaps y'all will appreciate this recording.

This is an old recording of congregational singing, with my dad precenting.

Psalm 103:1-7 to Kilmarnock


For Psalm 103 to London New, see this old post.

Still Here

I'm still here, and I don't intend to let this blog die just yet. :)  I'm as busy as can be, but I thought I would stop in quickly to say "hello" and to offer an excuse for my absence: namely, that I've got a new job, working for a friend's roofing business.  It's just a part time temp job, but what with work, homeschooling, keeping house, and various other commitments, my days are very, very full. 

I take lots of photos that I intend to post, but I don't get to it quickly enough, and as the months tick by, I decide that they are no longer relevant.  So when I took this photo just a few minutes ago, I decided to post it right away, before it's too outdated. :) Here's Elijah with a happy smile as he listens to his favorite radio program, StarDate.  

He is growing up so fast!  And his hair is growing fast too--looks like it's about time his Aunt Mercy cuts it again!

St. Botolph

Thank you Connor Q. for posting this beautiful recording.

Psalm 27 v 7-10

7 O Lord, give ear unto my voice,

when I do cry to thee;

Upon me also mercy have,

and do thou answer me.

8 When thou didst say, Seek ye my face,

then unto thee reply

Thus did my heart, Above all things

thy face, Lord, seek will I.

9 Far from me hide not thou thy face;

put not away from thee

Thy servant in thy wrath: thou hast

an helper been to me.

O God of my salvation,

leave me not, nor forsake:

10 Though me my parents both should leave,

the Lord will me up take.

A Psalm Sing At Last

After a very long stretch of time without any psalm sings, we finally managed to arrange a last-minute psalm sing earlier this month.  We had a very nice time singing, visiting, and eating delicious leftover birthday cake.

We worked on two tunes: Glenluce and Bloxham.  Glenluce is a very old and very simple melody with a very interesting and unusual harmony.  You may have heard other recordings of this tune, like this one and this one.  We thought it was a good fit for the last half of Psalm 42.

Psalm 42:6-11 to Glenluce


Bloxham starts out just like Colchester, but then heads in a very different direction.

Psalm 119:97-104 to Bloxham


Enjoy!

The Psalms Sung

A friend in Scotland has put together a nice website with recordings of psalm singing.  He's posted recordings from several different psalters, but they are now sorted so that you can easily listen to just the recordings from your favorite psalter.  Here's the link to the recordings from the Scottish Psalter:

The Scottish Metrical Psalter (1650) on The Psalms Sung

If you hit "play" the tracks will play through consecutively, so I like to pull up this site when I have housework to do, or sweaters to unravel.

In other news, we had a very nice communion season earlier this month, with a number of visitors, including a family that stayed with us for two weeks; so it's been a busy but enjoyable month.  I would have a lot to blog about, if I had time for blogging. :)  I'll try to at least post a few photos some time soon.

No Matter What Happens

John Calvin:

...our chief consolation is that this is the cause of God and that he will take it in hand to bring it to a happy issue.  Even though all the princes of the earth were to unite for the maintenance of our Gospel, still we must not make that the foundation of our hope.  So, likewise, whatever resistance we see today offered by almost all the world to the progress of the truth, we must not doubt that our Lord will come at last to break through all the undertakings of men and make a passage for his word.  Let us hope boldly, then, more than we can understand; he will still surpass our opinion and our hope.

--found in The Puritan Hope by Iain Murray (highly recommended!)

Two Perspectives

Two perspectives on the Christian's duty at election time, by respected Reformed pastors:

By Rev. Joel Beeke of the HRC--
Why My Conscience Won't Let Me Not Vote for Romney

And by Rev. Nathan Eshelman of the RPCNA--
Why the Word of God Will Not Let Me Vote for Mitt Romney

Can you guess which author I find most persuasive?  As you might have guessed, while I have a great deal of respect for Dr. Beeke, on this point, I agree wholeheartedly with Rev. Eshelman. It seems to me that the argument for voting for Mr. Romney is based in fear and pragmatism, whereas the argument for abstaining (or voting for a third party) is based in faith and confidence.  But what do you think? :)

Sleepy in Church?

Found on the RPCNA's Facebook page.

The Union Question

Have you seen these articles yet?

A moving appeal by Rev. Kenny Stewart of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland:
Reformed Scottish Presbyterianism: Reunion in the 21st Century?

An FP response, by Rev. David Campbell and Matthew Vogan:
Reformed Scottish Presbyterianism: A Response

If you haven't seen them, go and have a read, then come back and tell me what you think.

Two Old Psalm Recordings

A while back I uploaded two new recordings to archive.org, but I'm just now getting around to sharing them with you here. If you'd like to download them to your own computer, you can do so here.

The first is an older recording of FP congregational singing in Santa Fe.  The precentor is Nathanael Smith.

Psalm 40:5-9 to St. Paul

The second was sent to me by a blog reader.  This is a recording of Free Presbyterian congregational singing in Glasgow.  I checked with Evelyn, and she confirmed that the precentor is definitely her husband, Rev. Jett Smith.

Psalm 130 to Martyrdom

Enjoy!

Back Home Again In Indiana

In July, I flew back to my old home state of Indiana to attend the Reformed Presbyterian International Conference.  It was a six-day conference with about 2100 attendees, mostly RPs of course, but also a few (like myself) from other denominations.  The week was full of public worship services, lectures, classes, psalm singing, and fellowship with friends both old and new.

The conference was an encouraging experience for me.  The lectures and classes were edifying, and I appreciated the opportunity, especially given that I come from a small and fairly isolated congregation, to spend some time with like-minded people outside my usual circle.

I got to see some old friends, some of whom I haven't seen in well over a decade, and to make new friends as well.  I met some Facebook friends, and some who read this blog.  I even met someone who used to be an FP!  I was encouraged, challenged, and comforted by the people that I met, and have enjoyed keeping in touch with several of them.

I especially appreciated the opportunity to spend some time with a few other single women around my own age.  I also enjoyed visiting the Crown and Covenant bookshop.  I saw a lot of interesting titles in the bookshop, but managed to limit myself to two.  Oh, and I also picked up a copy of the new RP psalter.  I'm tempted to write a review...but probably won't have the time, at least not any time soon. :)

The main speaker was Dr. Beeke.  I heard Dr. Beeke preach often when I was a child, as he was the moderator of the (pastorless) congregation I attended in Kalamazoo; so it was nice to hear him again.  Here are links to recordings of his lectures at the conference, plus outlines.  I really appreciated these lectures, and look forward to listening to them again.
Dr. Beeke's Lectures

One of my favorite experiences of the week was the Scottish Psalter psalm sing.  It was well attended with 150 or so present.  Here's a video of a few of the selections sung.  (Can you see me there in the front row?)

Perhaps you're thinking "It's been a while since you've had a psalm sing there in Texas, hasn't it?" And if so, you're right.  I'm in the process of trying to arrange something.  Hopefully we'll get to do some psalm singing soon!

It never grows old

It's been four years since we discovered this video, and it's still one of our all-time favorites.  It's a great performance of a great piece, and as a bonus, there are bouncing umbrellas. :)

The William Tell Overture

P.S.  Imagine my surprise to visit my own blog and find that I had posted on Sunday!  I actually wrote this post a few months ago, and scheduled it to post automatically, though I'd intended it to post on Monday the 30th, exactly four years after the post linked above.

I believe that Sunday is the Sabbath day as per the fourth commandment.  I try to spend the first day of the week in rest, worship, edifying conversation, and good books.  I don't blog on the Lord's Day, or listen to secular music.  I'm sorry that I gave the impression that I do both, by not double checking the post date.  I've changed the date of this post, and will be more careful in future. :)