Psalms 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures
forever.

Praise the Lord.

Bowling

Yesterday we went bowling with our cousins for our grandma's birthday. Ellen and I had never gone bowling before, but we had a very nice time.

Our cousin Olivia and Ellen.

Grandma

Olivia, Ellen and Amilia.

Snow!

Here are some pictures of the snow in our yard.




I love snow because it is so beautiful. It is also very fun to play in. Dad took Ellen and I sledding this afternoon and we had a lot of fun.

We took our Christmas tree down and put it outside for the birds to enjoy. It is a real tree, not an artificial tree. It looks like it was it was planted there, but the wind has blown it over a few times. The Juncos really like to sit on the branches, out of the wind. :)

Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee

Joyful, joyful we adore Thee,
God of glory Lord of love:
Hearts unfold like flowers be for Thee,
Opening to the sun above,
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

All thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heav'n reflect thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
Center of unbroken praise;
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Chanting bird and flowing fountain
Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,
Ever blessing, ever blest,
Well-spring of the joy of living,
Ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,
All who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began;
Father love is reining o'er us,
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife;
Joyful music leads us sunward
In the triumph song of life.

Words: Henry van Dyke (w. 1907)
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven (w. 1824), arr. Edward Hodges