I just came across this song on Praise 106.5, and I love the words.
It includes Philippians 4;13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," one of my all time favourite verses.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, September 9, 2011
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
December pictures
Well, my pictures from December are up!
It was a busy month. I got to go to a play with a friend of mine, in which another friend played Elizabeth Bennet -- in Pride and Prejudice. I had a great evening!
Later that weekend I took the kids to the Mormon's display of nativity sets they have collected -- several hundred of them! Some of them were very beautiful, some interesting -- made of local materials or styles in far away places. They also had a great craft room for the kids!
Two weeks later, my choir sang in the local Ministerial concert -- many churches from town sent their church choirs, and the songs were interspersed with readings and congregational singing. The choir members outnumbered the guests by almost five to one, I think! It's a really neat evening.
Two days later, Bethany and the primary students at their school put on a play about the Mice who saved Christmas. I found out that you have to get there at least half an hour early to get a seat! I got there 45 minutes early, and found the auditorium half full already! The next day, the middle school students (Matthias' section) ran a Winter Carnival -- Matthias helped at the concession.
That Sabbath was our church's Christmas program -- songs and readings interspersed with lots of special music. Creston is a very musical town, I think, and the SDA church is particularly musical. I had the privilege of doing one of the readings and leading one song -- why is it they always pick songs I don't know well? Bethany and her Sabbath School class sang Away in the Manger, and the choir sang our song again ("Twas the Birthday of a King").
By the end of all that, I was exhausted, and the next week first Bethany fell sick, then myself, then Carrie Ann, and finally Matthias as well. (Frank got it a little bit, two weeks later.) So Carrie's birthday was a quiet day at home, though Grandma came over with presents and strawberries to go with the cake. We did manage to bake a cake and blow out candles. Very important: always let the cake cool off before you put the candles in! I put them in right away and the bottoms of the candles melted into the cake! Then I had to scoop the wax out, creating big holes in the cake. Oh well, it tasted great with those nice strawberries!
Hard to believe she's three already! When she was born, I remember looking at her and thinking, "I can't wait until you are three, and can walk and talk and feed yourself, and are done with diapers!" It is finally here!
Carrie Ann Dancing on her birthday:
Christmas eve, we were still sick, so Grandma brought over some presents again, and from Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Deborah as well (Frank's sisters). (Rob and Hyang Ju's gift came earlier.) The Sunday after all the holidays (Jan. 3) we finally got to go to Grandma's house for hot cocoa! I got the kids all a toy and a pack of socks -- but after all the neat gifts from everyone else, mine were anti-climactic!
Carrie Ann with her favourite present:
The next week, I realized that Carrie Ann had not wet her pants since the day before her birthday! A whole week, day and night! I had promised her a doll when she accomplished a whole week dry, so we went shopping and she picked out this Barbie. So many toys in a row! I was so proud of her, though, and happy to be free, finally, of diapers! (She actually made it three weeks before her first accident, awesome!) Now I just have to teach her to do it on her own, instead of always needing help. She is getting there. This week she showed me that she can undress herself -- she wanted a bath, and next thing I knew she was running around stark naked. And she managed to dress herself, at least partway. One day she got panties, tights, socks and a dress on all by herself, all I had to do was the buttons and bow!
My baby is growing up, and finally I don't have panic attacks when I see other people pregnant or walking around with newborns. That doesn't mean I want another one, though!
Last thing this year, the sweater MaryAnna was knitting for Bethany finally arrived! Bethany picked the colours when we were visiting in Niagara Falls. They agreed on a pattern together, and went shopping together for just the right yarn (MaryAnna said it was an eye-opener shopping with Bethany, because she knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to shop around until she found it!). The sweater turned out just beautiful.
Other than that.... I'm trying to save up for my trip to Korea for Rob's wedding, so if you have any typing or transcribing you need done, let me know! (Or anything else I can do quietly on the computer at home for an hour or two per day.
If you go see the December pictures, don't miss the girls' artwork, "Jesus Baby" by Carrie Ann, and "Baby Jesus" and the "Rose Princess" by Bethany.
Carrie Ann has decided that she can make up new words as well! Recently she started using "innervating", which means something like annoying. Also, if it's not "his", it must be "shis" -- rhymes with his, means hers. Three year olds are so cute (but they still do cry, which she is doing right now, so I guess it's bedtime!).
It was a busy month. I got to go to a play with a friend of mine, in which another friend played Elizabeth Bennet -- in Pride and Prejudice. I had a great evening!
Later that weekend I took the kids to the Mormon's display of nativity sets they have collected -- several hundred of them! Some of them were very beautiful, some interesting -- made of local materials or styles in far away places. They also had a great craft room for the kids!
Two weeks later, my choir sang in the local Ministerial concert -- many churches from town sent their church choirs, and the songs were interspersed with readings and congregational singing. The choir members outnumbered the guests by almost five to one, I think! It's a really neat evening.
Two days later, Bethany and the primary students at their school put on a play about the Mice who saved Christmas. I found out that you have to get there at least half an hour early to get a seat! I got there 45 minutes early, and found the auditorium half full already! The next day, the middle school students (Matthias' section) ran a Winter Carnival -- Matthias helped at the concession.
That Sabbath was our church's Christmas program -- songs and readings interspersed with lots of special music. Creston is a very musical town, I think, and the SDA church is particularly musical. I had the privilege of doing one of the readings and leading one song -- why is it they always pick songs I don't know well? Bethany and her Sabbath School class sang Away in the Manger, and the choir sang our song again ("Twas the Birthday of a King").
By the end of all that, I was exhausted, and the next week first Bethany fell sick, then myself, then Carrie Ann, and finally Matthias as well. (Frank got it a little bit, two weeks later.) So Carrie's birthday was a quiet day at home, though Grandma came over with presents and strawberries to go with the cake. We did manage to bake a cake and blow out candles. Very important: always let the cake cool off before you put the candles in! I put them in right away and the bottoms of the candles melted into the cake! Then I had to scoop the wax out, creating big holes in the cake. Oh well, it tasted great with those nice strawberries!
Hard to believe she's three already! When she was born, I remember looking at her and thinking, "I can't wait until you are three, and can walk and talk and feed yourself, and are done with diapers!" It is finally here!
Carrie Ann Dancing on her birthday:
Christmas eve, we were still sick, so Grandma brought over some presents again, and from Aunt Kathleen and Aunt Deborah as well (Frank's sisters). (Rob and Hyang Ju's gift came earlier.) The Sunday after all the holidays (Jan. 3) we finally got to go to Grandma's house for hot cocoa! I got the kids all a toy and a pack of socks -- but after all the neat gifts from everyone else, mine were anti-climactic!
Carrie Ann with her favourite present:
The next week, I realized that Carrie Ann had not wet her pants since the day before her birthday! A whole week, day and night! I had promised her a doll when she accomplished a whole week dry, so we went shopping and she picked out this Barbie. So many toys in a row! I was so proud of her, though, and happy to be free, finally, of diapers! (She actually made it three weeks before her first accident, awesome!) Now I just have to teach her to do it on her own, instead of always needing help. She is getting there. This week she showed me that she can undress herself -- she wanted a bath, and next thing I knew she was running around stark naked. And she managed to dress herself, at least partway. One day she got panties, tights, socks and a dress on all by herself, all I had to do was the buttons and bow!
My baby is growing up, and finally I don't have panic attacks when I see other people pregnant or walking around with newborns. That doesn't mean I want another one, though!
Last thing this year, the sweater MaryAnna was knitting for Bethany finally arrived! Bethany picked the colours when we were visiting in Niagara Falls. They agreed on a pattern together, and went shopping together for just the right yarn (MaryAnna said it was an eye-opener shopping with Bethany, because she knew exactly what she wanted and was willing to shop around until she found it!). The sweater turned out just beautiful.
Other than that.... I'm trying to save up for my trip to Korea for Rob's wedding, so if you have any typing or transcribing you need done, let me know! (Or anything else I can do quietly on the computer at home for an hour or two per day.
If you go see the December pictures, don't miss the girls' artwork, "Jesus Baby" by Carrie Ann, and "Baby Jesus" and the "Rose Princess" by Bethany.
Carrie Ann has decided that she can make up new words as well! Recently she started using "innervating", which means something like annoying. Also, if it's not "his", it must be "shis" -- rhymes with his, means hers. Three year olds are so cute (but they still do cry, which she is doing right now, so I guess it's bedtime!).
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Jesus on His Throne
The first Sabbath in September, I led Praise and Worship at church. I started with a song based on Ps. 95, "O Come let us sing unto the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our Salvation!" Next, we magnified his Name with "O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing His wonderful love" (my childhood version said, "His power and His love"). During this song, I imagined God on his throne, robed in power but full of love towards us. The final song was "Children of the heavenly Father, safely in His bosom gather," and during this song I imagined the whole congregation joyfully approaching the Lord on his throne, taking comfort in the assurance that we are his beloved children. As I sang and envisioned these things, I prayed that the others in the congregation would share them. When I sat down, I saw that Bethany had drawn a little sketch of exactly what I envisioned! God answered my prayer! So I asked her to make a larger version, and we shared copies with the church the next week. Several of the ladies saw deeper meaning in parts of the picture, and I was just thrilled that Bethany and I could bless the body of Christ in that small way.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Hallelujah, Salvation and Glory (Revelation 19:1)
Wow.
Tonight in choir, the director introduced a new song which I first learned over 15 years ago during highschool. It was at a mass choir concert (all the Christian highschools of Southwestern Ontario), and we learned it during the preparation for the concert. It was an amazing experience, a real high -- singing praise with so many at once, without worrying about sheet music or perfection, just singing with our whole hearts (I believe the director had us swaying, like the first video below).
Huge children's choir
Later, we sang the song again at the end of our Gr. 12 camp (we must have learned it in the end of Gr. 11 or something), and it was again a very emotional experience, I think because of the bonding we went through as a class during the camp. It was very similar to this:
At the end of camp
Today, when the choir director started playing it, I could only sit there with my mouth open -- at the time, it had been a brand new song, and I had never managed to track in down in all these years, then here it comes from a totally unexpected direction. When I did manage to move, I had to run out and cry on the steps for a while. I'm not sure why.
When I got home, I did some research and found out that it is called Revelation 19:1, by Jeffrey LaValley, and is available performed by Stephen Hurd or by the New Jerusalem Baptist Choir. According to YouTube, it went the rounds in 2007 and was performed that year by many church, gospel, and children's choirs.
There is no such thing as luck or coincidence -- only God at work behind the scenes, all the time. He is wonderful!
Tonight in choir, the director introduced a new song which I first learned over 15 years ago during highschool. It was at a mass choir concert (all the Christian highschools of Southwestern Ontario), and we learned it during the preparation for the concert. It was an amazing experience, a real high -- singing praise with so many at once, without worrying about sheet music or perfection, just singing with our whole hearts (I believe the director had us swaying, like the first video below).
Huge children's choir
Later, we sang the song again at the end of our Gr. 12 camp (we must have learned it in the end of Gr. 11 or something), and it was again a very emotional experience, I think because of the bonding we went through as a class during the camp. It was very similar to this:
At the end of camp
Today, when the choir director started playing it, I could only sit there with my mouth open -- at the time, it had been a brand new song, and I had never managed to track in down in all these years, then here it comes from a totally unexpected direction. When I did manage to move, I had to run out and cry on the steps for a while. I'm not sure why.
When I got home, I did some research and found out that it is called Revelation 19:1, by Jeffrey LaValley, and is available performed by Stephen Hurd or by the New Jerusalem Baptist Choir. According to YouTube, it went the rounds in 2007 and was performed that year by many church, gospel, and children's choirs.
There is no such thing as luck or coincidence -- only God at work behind the scenes, all the time. He is wonderful!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Reading and Singing
I posted a couple more videos (below), and added some pictures to my gallery.
Bethany decided the "song with the really long word" was her favourite Christmas carol, and Carrie Ann learned to sing along!
Bethany is getting very good at reading (though she doesn't realize it yet).
Here she is reading a page from Green Eggs and Ham.
Rob posted another great video, from his friend Foreigner Joy.
The advice applies not only to racism, but to any time you may have occasion to comment on another person's actions or character.
Bethany decided the "song with the really long word" was her favourite Christmas carol, and Carrie Ann learned to sing along!
Bethany is getting very good at reading (though she doesn't realize it yet).
Here she is reading a page from Green Eggs and Ham.
Rob posted another great video, from his friend Foreigner Joy.
The advice applies not only to racism, but to any time you may have occasion to comment on another person's actions or character.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Jesus Up Away
Just when Carrie Ann was learning that hot air balloons go "Up, up and away," she came across the story of Jesus' Ascension. Ever since, her favourite story has been "Jesus up away." She even asks for it when we are thinking of a song to sing! So, finally, I wrote a "Jesus up away" song for us to sing when Carrie Ann asks for it. She sang along on the chorus right way when I sang it to her! Here is a recording with Carrie Ann, myself, and Bethany joining in about halfway.
Jesus Up Away
Frank's comment was that it sounds like I'm singing the alto -- so I asked him to write the melody for me! So one day I may come out with an improved version. For now, it is fun to sing it along with Carrie Ann!
Chorus:
Jesus went up, up and away,
He will come back, one day to stay.
Jesus went up, up and away,
Look, he'll be back, quickly!
Verses:
Jesus was born, lived as a man,
Later he died, but rose again.
He told his friends, "Go tell the world,
I will be back at the end."
Jesus went up to make a place,
In His big house, is lots of space.
There's room for you and room for me,
For all whose hearts are made clean.
While He is gone, the Spirit comes,
To do His work, 'til we go home.
Here on the earth, He'll clean our hearts,
Finish the work of rebirth!
Jesus Up Away
Frank's comment was that it sounds like I'm singing the alto -- so I asked him to write the melody for me! So one day I may come out with an improved version. For now, it is fun to sing it along with Carrie Ann!
Chorus:
Jesus went up, up and away,
He will come back, one day to stay.
Jesus went up, up and away,
Look, he'll be back, quickly!
Verses:
Jesus was born, lived as a man,
Later he died, but rose again.
He told his friends, "Go tell the world,
I will be back at the end."
Jesus went up to make a place,
In His big house, is lots of space.
There's room for you and room for me,
For all whose hearts are made clean.
While He is gone, the Spirit comes,
To do His work, 'til we go home.
Here on the earth, He'll clean our hearts,
Finish the work of rebirth!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Oboe and Beep
We read a book about musical instruments today, so I had to find a movie of them playing too! I thought this one was very good (for oboe):
Well, I looked on some MP3 blogs, and it turns out they put the mp3s in with links, just like I did in the previous post. So there you go. And here are some more.
Beep
Babaludipoo
Grandma
Okay
Bye
And one more picture -- I wanted this one of the smocking on the girls' dresses. One day, someone came up to me and said, "I really like the smocking on Bethany's dress." Turns out she had done smocking herself. So now I know what it is called!
On a second look, I realized that it is hard to tell from this picture what smocking is: embroidery on top of pleats. I finally found a good set of pictures on this site (though Wiki tells you all the different stitches as well as the history...).
Speaking of crafting, did you notice the quilt hanging in the background? Deb and MaryAnna made it for Carrie Ann, using some pieces of one of Mom's dresses. I finally found a good place to put it!
Well, I looked on some MP3 blogs, and it turns out they put the mp3s in with links, just like I did in the previous post. So there you go. And here are some more.
Beep
Babaludipoo
Grandma
Okay
Bye
And one more picture -- I wanted this one of the smocking on the girls' dresses. One day, someone came up to me and said, "I really like the smocking on Bethany's dress." Turns out she had done smocking herself. So now I know what it is called!
On a second look, I realized that it is hard to tell from this picture what smocking is: embroidery on top of pleats. I finally found a good set of pictures on this site (though Wiki tells you all the different stitches as well as the history...).
Speaking of crafting, did you notice the quilt hanging in the background? Deb and MaryAnna made it for Carrie Ann, using some pieces of one of Mom's dresses. I finally found a good place to put it!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Videos I enjoyed
A link from Rob's blog led us to this neat video of a young man singing with himself!
I love the expression he uses -- it reminds me of Mr. Bean.
Sesame Street sure has changed. I like the international flavour, it reminds me of living in Vancouver.
This video came from a link on Brad's blog:
It is from this page.
I don't know how practical this is on this earth, especially in Canada, but I hope to have a living tree house in heaven for sure!
I love the expression he uses -- it reminds me of Mr. Bean.
Sesame Street sure has changed. I like the international flavour, it reminds me of living in Vancouver.
This video came from a link on Brad's blog:
It is from this page.
I don't know how practical this is on this earth, especially in Canada, but I hope to have a living tree house in heaven for sure!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Singing
Matthias is humming and singing away while he washes dishes! I love it when my kids are happy while they work (okay, it took him almost an hour to stop procrastinating and wash... but now he's really happy!).
Carrie Ann brought her her "There's a Spider on the Floor" board book yesterday morning and started singing -- "pida fow" -- in other words, "Mommy, sing the "Spider on the Floor" song with me!" When she wants to eat, she climbs in her chair ("Zit, zit!") then holds out her hands and starts humming -- "For health and strength..."
We have been teaching the kids to play the harmony line for one of our rounds on their melodicas (a blow-in keyboard). Bethany picked it up really well! (ccccffggccccfgc.... not too complicated, but she's only 5!)
This picture is from about a year ago, but you can see what a melodica is.
Carrie Ann brought her her "There's a Spider on the Floor" board book yesterday morning and started singing -- "pida fow" -- in other words, "Mommy, sing the "Spider on the Floor" song with me!" When she wants to eat, she climbs in her chair ("Zit, zit!") then holds out her hands and starts humming -- "For health and strength..."
We have been teaching the kids to play the harmony line for one of our rounds on their melodicas (a blow-in keyboard). Bethany picked it up really well! (ccccffggccccfgc.... not too complicated, but she's only 5!)
This picture is from about a year ago, but you can see what a melodica is.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Canada, Eh?
Matthias has been studying Canada in his map book, and so I put up on the wall the Canada map which came in the back of the book.
Carrie Ann came over to it during a meal (she always finishes first), and tried to pull the "C" off. I said, "Canada, Carrie Ann, Canada." Then Frank started singing this song:
Ca-Na-Da
(You'll need RealPlayer or something, it is a ram file.)
He explained that it was the Centennial Song in 1967 -- before my time.
That brought to mind another song about Canada which my sister Deb told me about years ago. All I could remember was "trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees -- and water!" So I looked it up on YouTube. To my surprise it was by a group called "Arrogant Worms". At first glance I was put off, but then realized, isn't that what we all really are, in the big scheme of things? Anyway, we enjoyed the song.
It didn't take me long to realize that there were several versions available, since the group themselves did only a music version, not a video. The first is still my favourite, from Doki Doki productions, an anime version:
This version is the most "Canadian,"
Though I wasn't impressed that they used the same pictures for both sets of "rocks and trees."
Others were the "Shangra-La" version and the "Stargate" version.
We had a good laugh (and learned some symbols and history of Canada). Thanks, Deb and Arrogant Worms!
Carrie Ann came over to it during a meal (she always finishes first), and tried to pull the "C" off. I said, "Canada, Carrie Ann, Canada." Then Frank started singing this song:
Ca-Na-Da
(You'll need RealPlayer or something, it is a ram file.)
He explained that it was the Centennial Song in 1967 -- before my time.
That brought to mind another song about Canada which my sister Deb told me about years ago. All I could remember was "trees and rocks and rocks and trees and trees and rocks and rocks and trees -- and water!" So I looked it up on YouTube. To my surprise it was by a group called "Arrogant Worms". At first glance I was put off, but then realized, isn't that what we all really are, in the big scheme of things? Anyway, we enjoyed the song.
It didn't take me long to realize that there were several versions available, since the group themselves did only a music version, not a video. The first is still my favourite, from Doki Doki productions, an anime version:
This version is the most "Canadian,"
Though I wasn't impressed that they used the same pictures for both sets of "rocks and trees."
Others were the "Shangra-La" version and the "Stargate" version.
We had a good laugh (and learned some symbols and history of Canada). Thanks, Deb and Arrogant Worms!
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