1/12/2019
I was looking up “Amazing Grace” this morning, trying to find a version with back up singers whose version was the SIMH today. It is a great memory, but I couldn’t find it. There are so many terrific versions of that great song, but I think my current favorite is the Celtic Woman version that includes some male backup singers. Just terrific. (Amazing Grace could be the SIMH everyday, know what I mean?)
This search caused me to look up some Bible words: wondrous appears in the bible 15 times, all in the Old Testament: 12 times about the Lord’s “works,” and 3 times about His “things” He has done. I believe this lends credence to Israel’s promises of God concerning the land, etc. But, that’s just me.
In the new testament, especially Paul’s writings, his use of adjectives placed upon the Lord and His word are more likely to be glory, glorious, lively, etc. Perhaps to help us define our inheritance and expectations. What a God and Savior we have! He’s thought of everything we might every need to know for peace and security. Read and study your King James Bible daily or as often as you can and the windows of understanding “let the sunshine in!”
In a couple of hours, we’re off to the campus of the University of Alabama to watch a basketball game with Texas A&M. This’ll be a first time on campus for me since I tried to find someone to show carpet to as a wholesale salesman in 1974. Somehow, I doubt the campus will look the same. Tuscaloosa was about 60,000 population if you counted students at that time. Now it is 100,000+ and is in a Metropolitan area of more than 240,000—mercy! there’s people everywhere! I’m looking forward to the lunch with friends, the ballgame and the new view of the city. Usually, I just see only what’s next to the interstate.
About 20 years ago, coming from Texas to Guntersville, AL for a bible conference, I went around Tuscaloosa, had lunch in Northport (across the river from Tuscaloosa) before going cross country the rest of the trip. It was thoroughly enjoyable. I love this country and all it’s back roads and I’ve been on some doozies! From Northport to Jasper to Guntersville was a rolling hills, winding roads trip which I can still recall—some barren looking, some simple country life, some great small towns, but never boring. Maybe I’m the only person who likes doing that. It’s alright if I am, I’ll not stop, when I have the chance, I’ll do it still.
Not long ago, Barb and I discovered there is an appointed route (mostly in Blount County, I think) to see several covered bridges here in North Central Alabama. We enjoyed the day, winding up in Oneonta in a small cafe with its own unique flare and worth. A really fun day. More recently, we’ve done that closer to home in several directions—South, Southeast, North, and West. West in our own county (Dekalb) there are two parks not often even heard of: High Falls (a county park) with beautiful waterfalls and a flat rock bottom river of clean beautiful water running slow enough for children to play, with daredevils diving off the falls into deep pools below and a great walkway; the other is a small state park called Buck’s Pocket, not very developed but great views of hills and dales. This land is our land, this land is your land….
That famous chapter in the bible, you know the one, “to everything there is a season…” Ecclesiastes 3; just after all the poeticism of “a time for…” there is a verse which reads: He hath made everything beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God taketh from the beginning to the end.—verse 11. What does it mean that He set the world in their heart: who’s the their? According to the verse before and after, it is “man.” Personally, I believe that’s why we love being here. It is the hope of Scripture which makes us see there is a better day ahead. The promise of eternal life is truly real, ever before us, and as the song says, “the best is yet to come!”
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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