hymns.

i love hymns. i used to hate singing them in church when i was growing up. i wanted to be singing the cool, contemporary songs. now it is the other way around. i love the story behind the song and the beauty and truth of the lyrics. i have a hymn for each of my children. they have been sung the same hymn since they were babies. now ella can sing with me and it is the sweetest sound. here are their songs:

for ella: as the deer
as the deer panteth for the water
so my soul longeth after thee
you alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship thee

you’re my friend and you are my brother
even though you are a king
i love you more than any other
so much more than anything

you alone are my strength, my shield
to you alone may my spirit yield
you alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship thee

i want you more than gold or silver
only you can satisfy
you alone are the real joy giver
and the apple of my eye

you alone are my strength, my shield
to you alone may my spirit yield
you alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship thee

for beckett: come thou fount
come, thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! i'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

here i raise mine ebenezer;
hither by thy help i'm come;
and i hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

o to grace how great a debtor
daily i'm constrained to be!
let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
prone to wander, Lord, i feel it,
prone to leave the God i love;
here's my heart, o take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

oh, and here is our family verse
zephaniah 3:17
the LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. he will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

there is a really great song to that verse provided by steven. i sing that to the kids, too. it is one of ella's favorite and she likes to sing it with me. it has helped her to not be scared of the badgers or dragons in her closet. thanks, steven!