Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
There remains a rest for the people of God // Hebrews 4:9
Over a decade ago, right when my health started to fail, I was introduced to the beautiful hymn, “Jesus I am Resting, Resting”. Written in 1876 by Jean Sophia Pigott, whose brother was martyred in the Boxer Rebellion, this beautiful hymn was said to be one of Hudson Taylor’s favorites.
I can understand why.
Written by a woman who had endured loss, trauma, and so many more things, this song has been a balm to many wounded hearts. Over the last 15 months I have found this to be incredibly true for myself.
This simple yet profound hymn has gently reminded me of the truth and hope of Hebrews 4:9. As some of you know these past 15 months have been some of the most stressful, painful, and deeply wounding behind the scenes for me for some very personal reasons and your prayers have been such a blessing during this season.
As this painful season concludes- some with beautiful answers beyond my expectations and some things that most likely will not be answered until Heaven and are tearfully surrendered to the Lord and the Lord has humbly answered several major prayers…and one beautiful thing is that rest and repair are even more treasured words and themes to my little heart in this gentle new season of restoration.
I shared a reel on instagram in September (click HERE to watch) with one of my favorite versions of this hymn. The pictures are from some sacred scenes from places and times I was crying out to the Lord with weeping and begging during this season… and this hymn was brokenly sung through tears. I hope you will go over and watch and share with your community who may need this tender encouragement right now also.
These verses seem so particularly fitting for this season that I find myself in and this hymn seems to hold even more significance to my little heart right now.
I hope that these words encourage your heart and soul today and bring rest and encouragement to the places of needed rest and repair in your leave. If there is anything I can pray for you about- please reach out via email or leave a comment so we can all be praying for you.
I am so grateful for this community.
The Lord will be the place of repair for His people //Joel 3
Jesus I am Resting, Resting Lyrics
Jesus, I am resting, resting
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
as thy beauty fills my soul,
for by thy transforming power,
thou hast made me whole.
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon thee,
as thy beauty fills my soul,
for by thy transforming power,
thou hast made me whole.
Refrain:
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
in the joy of what thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
of thy loving heart.
2 O how great thy lovingkindness,
vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
know what wealth of grace is thine,
know thy certainty of promise
and have made it mine. [Refrain]
vaster, broader than the sea!
O how marvelous thy goodness
lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in thee, Beloved,
know what wealth of grace is thine,
know thy certainty of promise
and have made it mine. [Refrain]
Simply trusting thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold thee as thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
satisfies its deepest longings,
meets, supplies its ev'ry need,
compasseth me round with blessings:
thine is love indeed. [Refrain]
I behold thee as thou art,
and thy love, so pure, so changeless,
satisfies my heart;
satisfies its deepest longings,
meets, supplies its ev'ry need,
compasseth me round with blessings:
thine is love indeed. [Refrain]
4 Ever lift thy face upon me
as I work and wait for thee;
resting 'neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
sunshine of my Father's face,
keep me ever trusting, resting,
fill me with thy grace. [Refrain]
resting 'neath thy smile, Lord Jesus,
earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory,
sunshine of my Father's face,
keep me ever trusting, resting,
fill me with thy grace. [Refrain]
"I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head;
'There is no peace on earth,' I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song
of peace on earth, good will to men.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep;
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."
I have shared the story of the beautiful Christmas Carol, I heard the Bells on Christmas Day, in my book, When Light Dawns, and today I wanted to share a bit more of it here on the blog. This beautiful Christmas Carol was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1863, and came after a series of personal tragedies occurred in his life.
First, in the early 1860s, an unusual heat wave had struck Massachusetts, which affected Longfellow’s family. This prompted Fanny, his wife, to trim the hair of their 7-year-old daughter to help her feel cooler. Sentimentally, Fanny decided to seal the locks of hair with wax, but tragically, hot wax spilled onto her dress and caught on fire. Henry unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the fire with a blanket, and then tried stopping the fire by throwing himself on his wife, which resulted in his face, arms, and hands being burned. Heart-breakingly, Fanny Longfellow died the following morning from her injuries and was buried 3 days later on their 18th wedding anniversary. Due to his own severe burns, Henry wasn’t able to attend her funeral, but later was recorded as saying a line from his famous hymn, The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.
Shortly after this in 1863, Henry was informed (by letter) that his oldest son joined the Union soldiers during the fight of the American Civil War. In November of 1863, Charles was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church. These two events together, proved to be the foundation for Henry’s famous poem Christmas Bells, which was later put to music and became a famous Christmas carol.
I am so humbled that this post was originally shared over at Mundane Faithfulness in 2016. You can find the original guest post HERE!
First, in the early 1860s, an unusual heat wave had struck Massachusetts, which affected Longfellow’s family. This prompted Fanny, his wife, to trim the hair of their 7-year-old daughter to help her feel cooler. Sentimentally, Fanny decided to seal the locks of hair with wax, but tragically, hot wax spilled onto her dress and caught on fire. Henry unsuccessfully tried to extinguish the fire with a blanket, and then tried stopping the fire by throwing himself on his wife, which resulted in his face, arms, and hands being burned. Heart-breakingly, Fanny Longfellow died the following morning from her injuries and was buried 3 days later on their 18th wedding anniversary. Due to his own severe burns, Henry wasn’t able to attend her funeral, but later was recorded as saying a line from his famous hymn, The wrong shall fail, the right prevail.
Shortly after this in 1863, Henry was informed (by letter) that his oldest son joined the Union soldiers during the fight of the American Civil War. In November of 1863, Charles was severely wounded in the Battle of New Hope Church. These two events together, proved to be the foundation for Henry’s famous poem Christmas Bells, which was later put to music and became a famous Christmas carol.
The tragedy that Henry Longfellow endured—and so many others walk through—astounds and humbles me. It is a great reminder that a year can be filled with incredible losses and pain as well as joys and triumphs. Unfortunately, the holiday season takes no exception and can sometimes compound the grief that we have experienced.
Sometimes in the midst of pain, I have questioned what I really have to celebrate. Sometimes the pain can make it difficult to get into the holiday mood. Sometimes real life doesn’t allow us to have a Pinterest-worthy Christmas, yet what I am finding in the cracks and crevices of this Christmas season is that there is simple joy and peace to be found at Christmas.
In focusing on Christ and those whom God has placed in my path to embrace with grace and love, I see the hope of what Christmas is all about. In the midst of the incredible divisions in our country, I bow my head and think, as Henry did back in the Civil War era, that there is no peace on earth; yet the bells that echo throughout this season remind me there is much to rejoice in celebrating the birth of Jesus.
My prayer and dream this Christmas is that I will be preparing my heart as much as my home for this holiday season.
My prayer is that I will take the time to stop and love those who are hurting before me, as much as I take the time to decorate my tree.
My dream is that I will be challenged to give gifts not only to those whom I know well, but also to the hurting person who may need the physical reminder of Christ’s tangible love in more ways that I can imagine.
My hope is that the best gift I can give this year is more of God’s love and more of His grace each and everyday.
My wish is to remind those whom I love that the bells are still ringing with God’s grace and truth.
Happy Tuesday friends! I hope that you are having a wonderful week so far! Today I am excited to share a bit about the Collingsworth Family Concert that we attended on our first night of our 2023 Fall Road Trip!
As a reminder- this picture shows are course that we took during our fall road trip earlier in October. We had such an amazing time doing so many different things and it was great to start out with this as part of our opening trip time.
After checking into our hotel we quickly made our way over to the concert.
If you have been around the blog for any period of time then you know that I love music.
If you know me at all then you know that this statement is a bit of an understatement as I truly adore different kinds of music, and the Collingsworth Family has truly had an impact on my life.
Their music has been being played around our home for years. Many times with tears streaming down our face and this was a beautiful way to start our trip where we were celebrating mom's one year surgery and all of the amazing miracles that have taken place.
For many years their music ministered to my heart through the very long minutes, hours, and days and years of treatment, gently speaking to my hurting heart.
But it was this song, "Great is His Faithfulness" that has been played over and over and over these years as I have deeply grieved the the loss of my precious daddy.
Thank you to the entire Collingsworth Family for your legacy of ministry and a beautiful evening of worship and encouragement to two very tender hearted women in the audience.
Lift your head
Morning is coming, there's more to the story
Don't forget
In grief and in glory, still great is His faithfulness
If you've felt broken and betrayed
No one to trust, alone, afraid
He'll comfort you, He knows your name
If you've wrestled with the ache of loss
And why this has been your road to walk
He bore your pain, He wore your cross
Lift your head
Morning is coming, there's more to the story
Don't forget
In grief and in glory, still great is His faithfulness
Lift your head
Morning is coming, there's more to the story
Don't forget
In grief and in glory, still great is His faithfulness
If you've felt broken and betrayed
No one to trust, alone, afraid
He'll comfort you, He knows your name
If you've wrestled with the ache of loss
And why this has been your road to walk
He bore your pain, He wore your cross
Lift your head
Morning is coming, there's more to the story
Don't forget
In grief and in glory, still great is His faithfulness
Want to read about our other adventures on our 2023 Eastern Fall Road Trip? Click on the links below!
2023 Eastern Fall Road Trip Posts
Happy Wednesday friends! As I shared several months, I am excited to re-share some of the most popular devotional posts that I wrote in 2017-2018 (if you would like to see the complete list you can find it HERE!) and am excited to share this one this week! I am excited that these continue to be a blessing to so many of you! I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!
When life crashes in around us and the days of darkness seem to have no end, it can become tempting to run and fight the path and the course that has been set out before us. It can be tempting to believe that the winds of change are not bringing any good but only bad. It can feel impossible to believe that there could ever be a blessing and hope found in acceptance. And yet, there is... the blessing and hope is peace.
The popular rendition of the saying “and if not He is still good” has been a phrase that has been seen countless times across social media accounts and in passing. I recently even saw it on a greeting card.
This popular phrase is actually a paraphrase from Daniel 3:18. Daniel has just concluded his response to King Nebuchadnezzar who had threatened to throw Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the fire if they did not follow his commands. Daniel in faith shared that God could rescue and deliver them from this certain fate of death, but even if he did not, they would still refuse to worship the idols that were placed before them. The paraphrase, “and if not He is still good” is a powerful summary showing the faith that these young men had in God. Stating bravely and courageously that no matter the circumstances, God, who is the King of Kings is still God and is still good.
To be honest, I fell in love with the catchy phrase years ago and I used to say this phrase so easily that it practically just rolled off my lips. Did I mean it? Absolutely. But then... the very hard things in life occur and sometimes you are forced to re-evaluate what you used to say so easily. Sometimes you learn the hope beyond the lines that you used to say. Sometimes someone asks you if you still believe everything you used to say despite the circumstances that you now currently find yourself in.
I received an email from a former student a while back asking if I still believed God is still good (despite my health issues, pain, and heartbreak from these last several years). I wept because I knew the sorrow that was surrounding this question in this individual’s life and I wished that I was well enough to travel to them to say face-to-face what my heart was screaming. Yes, absolutely yes dear one. Oh Yes. He is still good.
Circumstances, if we let them can be refining windows into our hearts shining a light on what we truly believe. My circumstances in this life doesn’t change His goodness. I can attest in new and marvelous ways than I could ever before of His profound goodness through this trial. His faithfulness astounds me even on the most difficult day. The hard and the messy and the difficult don’t change who He is.
His goodness rests solely on the truth of who He is and the reality that He has promised to never leave us, never abandon us, and has promised that He will walk with us through the fire. Whether we see it in this lifetime on this earth, or we don’t see the promises fulfilled until Heaven, He has done everything for us.
These years of difficulty and pain have gently taught me the beautiful blessing and hope found in acceptance.
You may be struggling in the heart of your own crisis of a dark night right now. You may be broken-hearted and it may seem that your life is in ashes right now. It may seem that life is unbearably cruel and difficult and you wonder how you will ever take the next step in front of you. My heart weeps with you... My heart hurts for the pain that you are struggling with. I have been there. I am there sometimes. And there will be times in life where I again will struggle through to find acceptance.
Dear friends, let us resolve to go bravely forward and trust in the deep truth that even if nothing in our life looks right, we can still trust the Lord fully and rely on His goodness. Let us, as Laurel says to her husband, accept the hand that He has dealt us, understanding that no matter what, He is still good.
He has never changed.
He will never change.
His goodness rests on His character alone.
Amy Carmichael, the missionary that I mentioned at the beginning of this post spent fifty-three years in India, where she endured numerous trials in her life. During these years she wrote a famous poem entitled, "in acceptance lies peace". Interestingly it is believed that she wrote this poem in the early 1910 era which would put it around the same time period in which When Calls the Heart is set. I wanted to share a few lines from it, because it is so encouraging.
"In acceptance lieth peace. O my heart be still;
Let thy
restless worries cease and accept His will,
Though
this test be not thy choice;
It is
His- therefore rejoice.
In His Plan there cannot be aught to make thee sad;
In His Plan there cannot be aught to make thee sad;
If this
is His choice for thee, take it and be glad.
Make
from it some lovely thing
To the
glory of thy King.
Cease from sighs and murmuring. Sing His loving grace.
Cease from sighs and murmuring. Sing His loving grace.
This
thing means thy furthering to a wealthy place.
From
thy fears He’ll give release,
In
acceptance lieth peace.”
There is a beautiful blessing and hope that is found in acceptance dear friends... peace. For those of you who are struggling deeply today with this "and if not he is still good" refrain I wanted to link two songs that have been incredibly encouraging to me in my daily struggles. I play both daily, often crying and making them my prayers... may you be blessed and comforted and find peace in the hand that the Lord has given.
It is Well... By Kristene DiMarco and Bethel Music
There is a beautiful blessing and hope that is found in acceptance dear friends... peace. For those of you who are struggling deeply today with this "and if not he is still good" refrain I wanted to link two songs that have been incredibly encouraging to me in my daily struggles. I play both daily, often crying and making them my prayers... may you be blessed and comforted and find peace in the hand that the Lord has given.
It is Well... By Kristene DiMarco and Bethel Music
Sovereign Over Us... By Aaron Keyes
"The Lord gives strength to His people. The Lord blesses them with peace."
-Psalm 29:11-
-Psalm 29:11-
*blog post originally published on Caravan Sonnet in May 2017*
*If you are interested in reading the entire account of Daniel and his friends and the miraculous events that God did in their lives, You can read the entire account of Daniel and his friends in the first several chapters from the book of Daniel in the Bible found in the Old Testament.
** If you are interested in reading about Amy Carmichael, her life, and the poem that I quoted you can read her biography by Elisabeth Elliot HERE.
Looking for past From Hope Valley Devotionals? You can click HERE to find a complete listing of all of the devotionals!
I receive several emails a week asking where you can watch older episodes of "When Calls the Heart". If you have a Netflix account you can find seasons 1-3 there or you can purchase them on Amazon. You can purchase and watch all of the seasons and episodes by clicking on the links below:
*Please note that the quotes used in these weekly devotionals are the sole intellectual property of Hallmark Channel, WCTH, & Crown Media, LLC. These on-line posts are in no way supported, endorsed or affiliated with WCTH, Hallmark Channel, or Crown Media. They are simply encouragement inspired by Janette Oke and this precious show.*
"There remains a rest for the people of God"
-Hebrews 4:9-
Several years ago I was introduced to the beautiful hymn, "Jesus I am Resting, Resting". Written in 1876 by Jean Sophia Pigott, whose brother was martyred in the Boxer Rebellion, this beautiful hymn was said to be one of Hudson Taylor's favorites. In our busy and fast paced world this simple yet profound hymn reminds us of the truth and hope of Hebrews 4:9 and after the last several weeks rest and repair are even more treasured words and themes to my little heart.
"The Lord will be the place of repair for His people..."
-Joel 3-
These verses seem so particularly fitting for this season that I find myself in and this hymn seems to hold
even more significance to my heart right now.
Before my mom's heart procedure surgery I was working on trying to organize the hundreds of photos that are not in albums yet. I have been trying to catch up on older photos from past summers and came across some from an early evening boat ride we took a couple years ago. It was one of those times where we The lake was incredibly still and a gentle fog was rolling over the beautiful Adirondack mountains. This beautiful hymn kept replaying over and over in mind and reminds me of the truth of resting in Jesus. I hope that the words encourage your heart and soul today and bring rest and encouragement in places of needed repair!
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee,
And Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
For by Thy transforming power,
Thou hast made me whole.
O, how great Thy loving kindness,
Vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness,
Lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Belovèd,
Know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
Know Thy certainty of promise,
And have made it mine.
Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus,
I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless,
Satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings,
Meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings:
Thine is love indeed!
Ever lift Thy face upon me
As I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus,
Earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory,
Sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting,
Fill me with Thy grace.
Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.
You see, for as long as I can remember I have adored music. It was a constant part of my life...until I couldn't handle sound/noise due to Lyme.
Six years ago in January I was told by a well-known doctor that they had no idea on how to help me or my failing body that was spending more time in the ER than anywhere else (within the next three months I would be diagnosed with Advanced Late Stage Lyme Disease and Cancer among other health issues). Sound & music, a favorite part of my life, (except in very small parts) overwhelmed my collapsing body.
Five years ago I had been with my current medical team for almost 10 months & was starting to SLOWLY begin the long process of healing.
Four years ago this month I came across a Keyboard & fell in love with it. My fingers grazed the keyboard & although I was to weak to play and noise still was difficult, my parents encouraged me to purchase it, "for the future". I purchased it secretly doubting I would remember how to play again even if I ever could.
These past seven years my brain and fingers may have forgotten how to play, and there may have been a LOT of mistakes (hahaha!)but taking a beginning piano lesson last night reminded me my heart remembers my love of music.
Getting to this stage of the healing journey...able to start to follow dreams and long awaited moments like these leaves me speechless.
I know some of you are at those places I was years ago...where the losses and "deaths" are overwhelming, living in doubt about anything in the future. I hope that sharing this small part of my story is an encouragement. It may seem that there is no hope for these "deaths" and feel you have lost who are to the maze of illness, but I promise things will get better. Hold on and keep dreaming of your future dreams even through the tears. You've got this! I am cheering you on!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you are walking through the journey of Lyme Disease and are looking for tips and encouragement you can find more on my page, The Lyme Diaries by clicking HERE.
If you would like to read the parts of my journey that I shared about my journey with Lyme (not the entire story) on my page, Notes from the Porch by clicking HERE.
If you are looking for my Lyme Disease books, please see below:
Rebecca's Lyme Disease Books:
*Rebecca's Lyme Disease Books (Other Language Translations):
*Praying through Lyme Disease has also been translated into several other translations. If you would like more information on these resources until they become available for purchase on Amazon, please let me know by emailing me at: caravansonnet@gmail.com. If you are passionate about translating this book into another language please feel free to contact me! Thank you for your interest!*
Today I am excited to share our time in Homer, Bishop's Beach, and Homer Spit which was one of my favorite spots! Okay- ALL of Alaska spots we saw were a favorite. *smiles* This one just makes me smile... the song brings back so many memories and it seemed to "fit" this time on the trip well. I had a lot of time to think that day and it was so precious exploring this area!*smiles* You can find the video HERE (or watch right below) and the new channel by clicking HERE! Thanks for checking it out, commenting, and following along y'all! *smiles*
Happy Monday friends! I hope y'all have a wonderful day and start to this first full week of the new year!
PS- If you are curious about the specific details of the road trip that we took throughout Alaska or if you are planning a similar road trip (or just want to see and dream about visiting the beauty!) I hope the information below is helpful. You can read all of the posts from the trip by clicking on the links below:
Chugach Mountains: // Eklutna Lake//
Homer (Kenai Peninsula) Area: // Homer Video // Homer Spit // Homer Lighthouse// Bishop's Beach //
// A Brief History of Homer //
// A Brief History of Homer //
Thompson Pass Area: // Thompson Pass Area Video //
// Worthington Glacier Ridge Hike// Worthington Glacier//
// Among the Alaskan Fireweed on Alaska 4-S: A Beautiful Symbol for Hope in the Hard Seasons of Life// A Brief History of and Drive on Alaska 4-South of the Richardson Highway//
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Area: // Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge//
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