Rebecca Stark is the author of The Good Portion: Godthe second title in The Good Portion series.

The Good Portion: God explores what Scripture teaches about God in hopes that readers will see his perfection, worth, magnificence, and beauty as they study his triune nature, infinite attributes, and wondrous works. 

                     

Sunday
Sep302007

Sunday's Hymn: Reader's Choice

This hymn was chosen by Rosemary, who gave me a list of her favorite hymns. Several of her favorites have already been featured, but this one hasn’t, and it’s a good one that has a couple of affirmations of the imputation of Christ’s righteousness for our justification. Can you find them?

My Hope Is Built (The Solid Rock)

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame1,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

 —-Edward Mote (Listen.)

1You’ll find a discussion of the term “sweetest frame” at the old blog. 

Other hymns, worship songs, etc. posted today:

Have you posted a hymn this Sunday and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list. If you’d like to see your favorite hymn featured as a Reader’s Choice hymn, go here and leave a comment. Just tell me your favorite hymn and a little bit about why you like it and I’ll feature your hymn when your turn comes. But you’d better do it soon, because we’re coming to an end of the list of the already suggested favorite hymns!
Saturday
Sep292007

Saturday's Old Photo

We don’t have very many old photos from my husband’s side of the family, and the ones we do have have been reprinted from already developed photos instead of negatives, so the quality is not good. This one is of Keith’s mother and father, Albin Stark and Ann Louise Peterson, with their first child (invisible, almost) who, incidentally, grew up to be an occasional commenter on this blog.
 
One of the fun things about photos of the grandparents when they were young is that you can look for family resemblances in the grandchildren. Everyone always said that Keith looked just like his dad Albin—and he does—but with youngest son the resemblance is even stronger. Youngest son’s hair is exactly the same—dark and curly—while Keith’s was lighter brown and straighter. Youngest son’s build, nose, mouth, eyes, hands, and swarthy Mediterranean complexion—everything, really—are all very similar to his granddad’s.
 
Youngest daughter may look a little like her grandmother, and in some photos (not so much this one), oldest daughter does as well. 
 
Both grandparents were born to immigrant parents. Albin’s parents were Slovenian and Ann Louise’s were Norwegian. The only family recipe I have from that side of the family is one for pasty, which, according to Wikipedia, originated in Cornwall, United Kingdom. There is, however, a good explanation for that seemingly odd traditional food. Both grandparents grew up on Minnesota’s Cuyuna Iron Range, one of the areas world-wide where Cornish miners brought their “expertise and traditions”, including their pasty recipes.
Saturday
Sep292007

In Ukraine

Columbine reminds us that tomorrow (Sunday) is election day in Ukraine.

This is a very serious election. Tensions are high around the country. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out tomorrow and the next few days afterward.

…So, if you think of it, pray for Ukraine tomorrow.

She points us to this story, as an example.

If you are interested in missions (and you should be), I recommend Columbine’s blog as a place to get a glimpse into the challenges of daily life for a missionary couple. Lately, she’s been fixing up their flat a little, mostly with paint and elbow grease. It’s a lot more complicated for her than it is for me when I paint a room. I can choose my paint color, drive down to the hardware store, color sample in hand, and come back 2o minutes later with exactly what I need to complete the job. Not so for Columbine.