A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

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My Faith Looks Up To Thee

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You know what?  I’m actually REALLY surprised that I haven’t done My Faith Looks Up To Thee.  When I saw it in the Lift Up Your hearts hymnal (affiliate link) I almost passed it by.  A nudging had me searching to see if I’ve done it before I have not!   Let’s learn more today shall we? 

My Faith Looks Up to Thee

Lyrics to My Faith Looks Up to Thee

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream shall o’er me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Author and History

Okay, so Ray Palmer palmed the words to My Faith Looks Up To Thee.  He wrote them the day after he saw a vision of Christ.  He had just graduated from Yale.  Mr. Palmer chose not to share this hymn with anyone for two years.  When asked to pen a hymn for a new hymnal, he pulled this one out.  Lowell Mason put his words to a tune, and later told Palmer, he’d probably be long remembered for this hymn. 

Ray Palmer wasn’t just a hymnist though, he was also a pastor within the Congregational church. He not only pastored, but later served as secretary to a large group of Congregationalist churches. Since the pay to be secretary wasn’t good he lent a hand to creating literary works. He wrote 3-4 hymn/poetry books, wrote for quarterly magazines, and as wrote books and discourses.   A father of 10 children, one son and two daughters survived his death (a series of strokes) at age 78. 

Steve Green is one of my favourite Christian singers to listen to.  He shows his faith well in how he sings praise to God. So of course I had to pick a youtube video showcasing his talent.  🙂 

Thinking Deeper

Don’t you just love the call to continue to trust in Jesus?  When we are doubtful or sad, or facing a struggle.  Even when life has run it’s course, the call is to continue to trust in Jesus. 

I don’t know you, but there are times when I question my commitment to the Lord.  I have learned in those times to do as as hymnist does… call about the Lord to booster my faith. It’s only by God’s grace that I have faith in him anyways, so it’s a natural thing, don’t you think, to ask him to give strength to our hearts? 

Jesus, Lover of my Soul

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Jesus, Lover of my Soul…. oh, I’ve sung this song for years.   It was a favourite in the church that I grew up in.  A song written by Charles Wesley who wanted others to know of this God who is our source of refuge.  

jesus lover of my soul

Lyrics to Jesus Lover of My Soul

Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll, while the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Savior, hide, till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide; O receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none, hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone, still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed, all my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head with the shadow of Thy wing.

Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in Thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness;
False and full of sin I am; Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found, grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound; make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art, freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart; rise to all eternity.

Author and History

So imagine this.  You’ve preached a sermon, and people hate you for it.  They want you dead.  A kind person hides you. As you are waiting for your pursuers to get tired of the hunt, the words to a song come you.

This is how Jesus, Lover of my Soul came to Charles Wesley. During a time of stress and persecution.  His life on the line, and what does he do?  Write a hymn not only recognizing who Jesus is but calling upon him for aid.  

Charles Wesley travelled around England’s countryside with his brother John preaching.  He did so at a time when holding to different doctrinal standards could result in mobs of angry people. YET, he did so irregardless of the cost. Known as the “Bard of Methodism”, he wrote some 6500 hymns.  Hymns flowed out of him, whether doctrinally or experientially based. 

This verse is part of the original song, but none of the hymnbooks I own contain it.

Wilt Thou not regard my call? Wilt Thou not accept my prayer?
Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall—Lo! on Thee I cast my care;
Reach me out Thy gracious hand! While I of Thy strength receive,
Hoping against hope I stand, dying, and behold, I live.

Other hymns by Charles Wesley

This tune is one I am not really familiar with

Thinking Deeper

Doesn’t this verse speak well to the depth found within this song?  

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 (ESV)

This truth is what Wesley relied upon. God was his source of strength. When I read of how hymnists use their life experiences to call people to God, it’s an inspiration to me.  It helps me realize that all the ways that God has helped me, are something that I, hopefully, can use to remind others of God’s goodness. 

It makes me ask this…. what inspires you? 

Chance – Escape from the Holocaust

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raincoast FTC

My son did a year long study of World War 2 last year, he learned so much.  Throughout that year, and continuing, we’ve been reading WW2 books together.  I was delighted to see Chance: Escape from the Holocaust.  What a quietly done memorial of a horrible time in Uri Shulevitz’s life.  Difficult questions, difficult time he lived through, this book done in picture and word.   A thoughtful look back. 

Affiliate links will be used in this review. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust review

The Basic Details

I received these Memories of a Refugee childhood from Raincoast Books for my review.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, written by Uri Shulevitz is a picture and prose book published by Farrar Straus Giroux.  

It’s a heavy book, written from the perspective of a child, covering 8 years of his life as a Polish refugee living in Russia and various European countries. 

Written by Uri Shulevitz who is a Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author.  These are his memories.   This book is written for children 8-14 years old.  The language and style suits this age group well. 

Learning more about Chance

Uri conveys his message in a number of ways.  Photos, comic strips, prose, and illustrations are used.  Mostly we get to read, of his hunger, the struggle to survive, the difficulties his parents faced, and the encouragement to draw he received. 

Chance Escape from the holocaust

I’m not going to say it’s an easy read.  Hard things happen with refugees.  Politics get involved which can make it easier or harder for the refugees who are at the mercy of how the wind blows.  They have no permanent home and a hard time finding work.   This makes for hunger, illness, death, being taken advantage of, and more.  It’s not an easy life and Mr. Shulevitz helps his readers understand that reality. 

The artwork tended toward darkness.   This was not an easy time in Uri’s history and everything in the tale conveys the difficulty of these years.  BUT you also find moments of light and encouragement.  Moments when you can see glimpses of the artist he will become, and the constant support he received from his parents.  The love of family was evident throughout.

Should you get it?

Yes.  Chance – Escape from the Holocaust, opened up an area of WW2 that I had not previously studied.  I was unaware of Polish refugees fleeing to Russia and what their reception was. 

Sensitive readers might need to have their parents alongside to help them process the difficulties that Uri and his family faced.  

How to use?   Just to read and have a better knowledge base, as part of your WW2 studies, in understanding the plight of refugees, to get a better understanding of a good artist/illustrator, and to observe the growth of an artist, even in difficult times. 

Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour

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Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour is a song that we’ve always sung quietly.  It’s never been a belt it out at the top of your voice type of hymn.  A song that is a call out to the Lord to hear us.   It did surprise me though, I did listen to a couple of youtube videos that were a wee bit peppy.  It struck me as a bit um… odd?  unexpected? different?

pass me not o gentle saviour

Lyrics to Pass Me Not O Gentle Saviour

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Refrain

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.

Refrain

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Refrain

Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?

Refrain

Author and History

Fanny Crosby wrote this lovely hymn after she ministered at a prison where she was often interrupted by the prisoners calling out to God to “not to pass me by”.  She was so moved by their pleas that she wrote this song.  As Fanny said, “I wrote the lines with the men’s plead­ing wail still in my ears.”

Fanny Crosby is also known as the “Queen of Gospel Song Writers”.  Over the course of her lifetime, she wrote more than 8000 hymns.  A medical treatment when she was a wee child left her blind. She did not let this stop her from writing poetry, working in missions, or composing music. 

She met her husband, van Alstyne, at the NYIB. Even though she was friends with her husband, it was not a happy marriage. Their only daughter was lost shortly after birth. For all of her success in writing hymns, Fanny often lived in very poor conditions. 

Other Hymns by Fanny Crosby:

Pondering Deeper

Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV) 

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Reading the story of how such a great lyricist often lived a life of poverty saddened my heart. When I think today of how so many people make a living off writing music, and Fanny lived in poverty.   

But she maintained her faith in God.  She didn’t let the circumstances of her life lead to live in despair. She really understood the meaning of relying on God. The words from Psalm 73 really show the heart of Fanny.

Do they show your heart as well? 

If You But Trust in God to Guide You

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If you but trust in God to guide you, a song I’ve sung with thee’s and thou’s, and also with the more current you’s.   This song calls for us to trust in God faithfully. Sometimes we need to be patient within that trust, waiting for God to act.  We are called to follow God unsweringly, regardless of the situations he leads us into. 

If you but trust in God to guide you

Lyrics

If thou but trust in God to guide thee,
And hope in Him through all thy ways,
He’ll give thee strength, whate’er betide thee.
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God’s unchanging love
Builds on the rock that nought can move. 

What can these anxious cares avail thee,
These never-ceasing moans and sighs?
What can it help, if thou bewail thee,
O’er each dark moment as it flies?
Our cross and trials do but press
The heavier for our bitterness. 

Only be still and wait His leisure
In cheerful hope, with heart content
To take whate’er thy Father’s pleasure
And all-deserving love hath sent,
Nor doubt our inmost wants are known
To Him Who chose us for His own. 

He knows the time for joy, and truly
Will send it when He sees it meet.
When He hath tried and purged thee throughly
And finds thee free from all deceit;
He comes to thee all unaware
And makes thee own His loving care. 

Nor think amid the heat of trial
That God hath cast thee off unheard,
That He whose hopes meet no denial
Must surely be of God preferred;
Time passes and much change doth bring,
And sets a bound to everything. 

All are alike before the Highest.
‘Tis easy to our God, we know.
To raise thee up, though low thou liest,
To make the rich man poor and low;
True wonders still by Him are wrought
Who setteth up and brings to nought. 

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving.
So do thine own part faithfully.
And trust His word ; though undeserving,
Thou yet shalt find it true for thee —
God never yet forsook at need
The soul that trusted Him indeed.

History and Author

Georg Neumark was a German poet and a composer of hymns.  This is his most famous song and was originally entitled Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten.  His studies in law got interrupted when he needed to flee due to war. He was able to finish, and even as he studied for the law he wrote more poetry and hymns.   

Twice he lost nearly all his possessions, once through robbery, the second time through fire.  In fact, after he lost all his possessions the first time and found himself in dire straits, he finally landed a job as a tutor.  This was when he wrote “If you but trust in God to Guide You”. 

Overtime his fortunes picked up and he was introduced to people who could help his career.   He died at age 60, in 1681. 

Thinking Deeper

Did you notice?   Both youtube videos contained different verses.  It was actually a bit of a challenge to choose lyrics because the hymn that I grew up with, was not in the preponderance of versions I found.   The second video actually contained a couple of the verses that I know. 

It’s one of the beauties of music right?  Take a tune, find words that fit the tune and sing praise to God. It’s also part of the frustration of singing songs out of different songbooks. Different editors keep different verses. And hymns get updated to current language sometimes changing word order and/or usage as well.

I know how much this frustrated me and I’m only in my mid-50’s. I wonder what it does to our faithful seniors when we change the words to the hymns they have sung for years?  Do we even consider them when we so blithely change songs to fit modern sensibilities?  I find it regretful. 

Marie’s Ocean

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raincoast FTC

You know what I love?  Well okay, one of the things I love?   Picture books that have meat to them.  These are books that not only entertain a child, but also teach.  Marie’s Ocean introduces us to the life and work of Marie Tharp.  Don’t know who she is?  A remarkable woman you lived in a time when what women could do work-wise was limited, and yet, she forever left her mark in history.   This is my review for Raincoast books.  

Affiliate links will be used. 

marie's ocean

Who is Marie Tharp

In Marie’s Ocean we get to know about Marie Tharp, a girl who was fascinated by the world from the time she was quite young.  She was determined that one day she would sail on a ship.  One obstacle – she lived in a time when women were not welcome aboard a working ship.  They were considered bad luck… it took years before she was able to work on a ship, but in the meantime, she studied and worked.  Eventually, she proved there was a rift, and through that, the theory of continental drift. 

What do you get?

I received an ARC version of Marie’s Ocean for this review.  You’ll find it comes as a hardcover picturebook of 68 pages.   Published by Henry Holt and Company Books for Young Readers, and written by Josie James.    After reading this woman’s biography I find myself wondering if Ms. James will tackle any other women of history. 

Written with children 5-9 years old, I can easily see older students using this well-illustrated picture book was a primer for a study of Marie Tharp. 

The finer details for Marie’s Ocean

Josie James is both author and illustrator.    I enjoyed learning how sounding works and seeing the paths the ships took.  It was excellent to learn her work progressed as she worked through her studies. 

This mixed-format picture book is detailed in both illustration and word.  We are privy to her thoughts and explorations, an excellent primer into the life she lived so well. 

I found the variety in which the material was presented an integral part of the story.  Seeing her bravery in standing up for her findings, her dismay that she couldn’t present her own work, observing her discoveries, and the pictures of what it all means. 

Marie's Ocean, sample page

At the close of the book we’re given the rest of Marie’s story and how for so long she and her work forgotten. She is now known as one of the four greatest woman cartographers. 

Should you Get Marie’s Ocean?

If you have any interest in oceanography, geography, science, noted women of history, numerology, or more….you can find much of interest in Marie’s Ocean.  This meaty picturebook is a great introduction to all those fields.  Teaching children what you can do as a woman if you are good with numbers, or are determined to follow your dream, or just want to follow where your research takes you.   

Marie was so patient and yet observant, willing to speak her observations and prove them.  There is so much you can do with it, the biggest of course is… just enjoying the story!  So go out, get a new book for your shelves.  🙂 

O God, Our Help in Ages Past

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O God, Our help in ages past…. our hope for years to come… 

All I have to do is hear those first few words and in my mind I’m belting out the words in my slightly off-key voice.  Sitting here the thought makes me smile.  I think perhaps this was Mr. Watts goal.  Create simple tunes that help people long-term learn about the God they worship. 

O God our help in ages past

Lyrics

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
 
Benearth the shadow of thy throne,
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
 
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
 
A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
 
Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
 
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home!

Author and History

Isaac Watts was a prolific songwriter who was born in Southampton, England.  A congregation minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician.

He once bemoaned the state of spiritual singing in church saying :  “To see the dull indifference, the negligent and thoughtless air that sits upon the faces of a whole assembly, while the psalm is upon their lips, might even tempt a charitable observer to suspect the fervency of their inward religion.”   He very much wanted people to pay attention to the words they lifted up in praise to God, ergo he wrote hymns.   Mr. Watts wrote some 750 hymns, in language that the common man could easily sing.

In 1703 he began suffering from a psychiatric illness which caused him to depend more and more upon his assistant when he was pastoring at London’s Mark Lane Independent Chapel.  He needed to resign in 1712. 

Other Isaac Watts Songs:

Thinking Deeper

So… do you see how God is your help and hope?  

I was talking with my mom the other day about how I have learned to trust God more deeply.  By seeing how his word has been lived out in the people in my life, the changes he wrought in them, to enable them to be people of God he has called them to be.  This, in me, builds trust.  It’s what God’s word does as well doesn’t it?

Shows us God in action in the lives of people. Shows how people can depend on God, and how God provides for his own throughout the years. 

So how have you seen God’s help in your life? What have you experienced that helps you to dwell securely in him?  In what ways have you been aware of his guiding hand? 

If you aren’t aware and would like to talk… I’m always happy to talk about the things of God with folk.