I realized as I was looking at my blog today that I forgot to blog about my choir concert with Sherri Dew. On Friday night, we had the fireside. It was really good, well at least the parts that I was awake for were really good. I will admit that I have a problem with church meetings and dimmed lights, I don't know what it is but it always puts me to sleep. The opening song with the congregation was "We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet" and I must say that the spirit was so strong after we were done singing. Before Sister Dew gave her talk, the choir sang "My Kindness Will Not Depart From Thee". That is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and sang.
For a little while Have I forsaken thee; But with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee For a moment. But with everlasting kindness will I gather thee, And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings, For the mountains shall depart, And the hills shall be removed, And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea, But know, my child, My kindness shall not depart from thee! Though thine afflictions seem At times too great to bear, I know thine every thought and every care. And though the very jaws Of hell gape after thee I am with thee. And with everlasting mercy will I succor thee, And with healing will I take thee ‘neath my wings. Though the mountains shall depart, And the hills shall be removed, And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea, Know, my child, My kindness shall not depart from thee! How long can rolling waters Remain impure? What pow’r shall stay the hand of God? The Son of Man hath descended below all things. Art thou greater than He? So hold on thy way, For I shall be with thee. And mine angels shall encircle thee. Doubt not what thou knowest, Fear not man, for he Cannot hurt thee. And with everlasting kindness will I succor thee, And with mercy will I take thee ‘neath my wings. For the mountains shall depart, And the hills shall be removed, And the valleys shall be lost beneath the sea, But know, my child, My kindness shall not depart from thee! These are the lyrics to the song, beautiful aren't they. Sister Dew's talk was on Joseph Smith and the prophets, and for what I was awake through, it was really good. One thing that she said that really stuck in my mind was something that she said at the beginning of her talk. She told a story about her friend looking for a house and her asking Sister Dew to come help her. They found a very nice house that seemed like the best for the standards that she had chosen, so she asked Sister Dew to pray and ask the Lord if it was the right house. Sister Dew went on to pray and she said in her prayer, "...Let them get this house if it suits Thee, or help them
find something better..." Now this is an indirect quote and I don't know if I even quoted it right, but what stuck with me was asking the Lord to find something better. Not putting a limitation on what God can do for us. It really made me think and realize that that is what I need to do when I ask the Lord if what I am praying for is good, or if He can get me something better if it suits His needs.
Another thing that Sister Dew said at the end of her talk was she was talking about Abraham 3: 16-17, the scripture about the Noble and Great Ones and how before, she used to always attributed that to the prophets and apostles and church leaders. Now she attributes that scripture to everybody, saying that everybody is a Noble and Great One. It was a really good talk and I was glad that I was there to listen to most of it. For a closing song, the choir sang "Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing", arranged by Mack Wilberg.
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 my Ebenezer;Hither by Thy help I’ve come;And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,Safely to arrive at home.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.Jesus sought me when a stranger,Wandering from the fold of God;He, to rescue me from danger,Interposed His precious blood.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.O to grace how great a debtorDaily 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.
Second is Breaking Benjamin's new album, which is Dear Agony, which is available in stores on September 29, 2009.
