The other day, during my homemaking break, I sat down to read my old hymn book. It was published in 1989. Instead of reading (or singing) all the familiar ones I knew, I started reading through the words of new ones.
As I read, I was reminded of when my children were little. I vividly remember Amy (possibly 4 or 5 years old at the time) sitting on the couch, with a hymn book in her hand. She was just sitting there, reading through the hymns. No one told her to do this. It was a precious sight.
Years ago, in my Father's library, I picked up his old hymn book. The cover is tattered and worn. It is filled with old hymns I never even heard of. But the words were so very precious to read!
While I was reading my hymn book this week, I found some very dear words:
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"Out of the ivory palaces
Into a world of woe,
Only His great eternal love
made my Savior go."
- From "Ivory Palaces" by Henry Barraclough
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"There's a church in the valley by the wildwood,
No lovelier spot in the dale;
No place is so dear to my childhood
As the little brown church in the vale."
- From "The Church in the Wildwood" by William S. Pitts
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"O the friends that now are waiting,
In the cloudless realms of day,
Who are calling me to follow
Where their steps have led the way;
They have laid aside their armor,
And their earthly course is run;
They have kept the faith with patience
And their crown of life is won.
They are calling, gently calling,
Sweetly calling me to come,
And I'm looking through the shadows
For the blessed lights of Home."
- From "The Lights of Home" by Fanny Crosby
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"Lead me gently Home, Father, Lead me gently Home,
When life's toils are ended, and parting days have come;
Sin no more shall tempt me, Ne'er from Thee I'll roam,
If Thou'lt only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently Home.
Lead me gently Home, Father, lead me gently,
Lest I fall upon the wayside, Lead me gently Home."
- From "Lead me Gently Home, Father" by Will Thompson
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"By and by when I look on His face, Beautiful face, thorn-shadowed-face;
By and by when I look in His face, I'll wish I had given Him more.
More, so much more. More of my life than I e'er gave before -
By and by when I look on His face, I'll wish I had given Him more."
- From "I'll Wish I Had Given Him More" by Grace Reese Adkins
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"Shall I empty handed be When beside the Crystal sea
I shall stand before the everlasting throne?
Must I have a heart of shame As I answer to my name,
With no works that my Redeemer there can own?"
- From "Shall I Empty Handed Be?" by N. A. McAulay and Maud Frazer
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"I've wandered far away from God, Now I'm coming home;
The paths of sin too long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming home.
Coming home, coming home, Never more to roam.
Open wide Thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home."
- From "Lord, I'm Coming Home" by William J. Kirkpatrick
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"There's a dear and precious Book, Tho' it's worn and faded now,
Which recalls those happy days of long ago;
When I stood at Mother's knee, With her hand upon my brow,
and I heard her voice in gentle tones and low.
Blessed Book, precious Book, On thy dear old tear-stained leaves I love to look; Thou art sweeter day by day, As I walk the narrow way That leads at last to that bright Home above."
- From "My Mother's Bible" by M. B. Williams
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Blessings
Mrs. White
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