catlinyemaker

J’s work is pretty much wrapped up; enough that he won’t have to go to the customer site this week.  Since we’ve already extended our stay (no refunds, the signs say sternly) we’ll be taking the time to recuperate from all that driving and do some spring RV cleaning.

We sang two hymns in church this Sunday in honor of the holiday.  America the Beautiful, and this one, that I had not heard before.  It's apropos to the holiday and the times, as it was when it was written in the 1930's.  The music is the Finlandia Hymn; you can find midis of the tune here, as Be Still my Soul (tinny but recognizable), and here, as Finlandia (scroll to find it in all the Christmas music - one chorus intro).

This is My Song

this is my song
oh god of all the nations
a song of peace
for lands afar and mine

this is my home
the country where my heart is
here are my hopes
my dreams my holy shrine

but other hearts
in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams
as true and high as mine

my countries skies
are bluer than the ocean
and sunlight beams
on clover leaf and pine

but other lands
have sunlight too and clover
and skies are everywhere
as blue as mine

oh hear my song
oh god of all the nations
a song of peace
for their land and for mine

words and music jean sibelius, english text by lloyd stone

Amen