AZDana

Archive for May, 2009

Some people may not consider this a hymn, but I think it has a great uplifting message about faith in Jesus, which really, if you think about it, isn’t that what a hymn is supposed to be about?

I’m to the point where it don’t add up
I can’t say I’ve come this far with my guitar on pure dumb luck
That’s not to say I know it all
Cause everytime I get too high up on my horse I fall

Cause I’ve got
Somethin’ lifting me up
Somethin’ holding me down
Somethin’ to give me wings and keep my feet on the ground
I’ve got all I need
Jesus and gravity

But I’m as bad as anyone
Taking all these blessings in my life for granted one by one
When I start to thinkin’ it’s all me
Well somethin’ comes along and knocks me right back on my knees
And I’ve got…

Somethin’ lifting me up
Somethin’ holding me down
Somethin’ to give me wings and keep my feet on the ground
I’ve got all I need, Jesus and gravity

He’s my friend
He’s my light
He’s my wings
He’s my flight

I’ve got somethin’ lifting me up
Somethin’ holding me down
Somethin’ to give me wings and
Somethin’ to keep my feet on the ground
I’ve got all I’m gonna need
I got Jesus, I got Jesus,

I got somethin’ lifting me up
Somethin’ holding me down
Somethin’ to give me wings and keep my feet on the ground
I’ve got all I’ll ever need
Cause I got Jesus and gravity

I got somethin’ lifting me up
Somethin’ holding me down
Somethin’ to give me wings and keep my feet on the ground
I’ve got all I’ll need
Cause I’ve got Jesus and gravity
Jesus, I’ve got Jesus, I’ve got Jesus
He’s my everything
He lifts me up
He gives me wings
He gives me hope
And He gives me strength
And that’s all I’ll ever need

As long as He keeps lifting me up
He is my life
He is my God
He is my wings
He is my flight
Lift me
I’ve got Jesus, I’ve got Jesus
And that’s all I need

Music by George D. Moore. Lyrics by Henry Lake Gilmour. Published in 1890 . Homeschoolblogger.com has more information about the history of the hymn, including biographical information about its composers. Scroll down to see the lyrics below the video, in case you want to sing along:

My soul in sad exile was out on life’s sea,
So burdened with sin and distressed,
Till I heard a sweet voice, saying,
“Make Me your choice”;
And I entered the Haven of Rest! Refrain
I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.I yielded myself to His tender embrace,
In faith taking hold of the Word,
My fetters fell off, and I anchored my soul;
The Haven of Rest is my Lord.

Refrain
I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

The song of my soul, since the Lord made me whole,
Has been the old story so blest,
Of Jesus, Who’ll save whosoever will have
A home in the Haven of Rest.

Refrain
I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

How precious the thought that we all may recline,
Like John, the belovèd so blest,
On Jesus’ strong arm, where no tempest can harm,
Secure in the Haven of Rest.

Refrain
I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

O come to the Savior, He patiently waits
To save by His power divine;
Come, anchor your soul in the Haven of Rest,
And say, “My Beloved is mine.”

Refrain
I’ve anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest,
I’ll sail the wide seas no more;
The tempest may sweep over wild, stormy, deep,
In Jesus I’m safe evermore.

Someone recently asked me if Rhodesians make good pets. I told them it depends on what you’re looking for. If you want a dog that follows you around and obeys your every command, get a Golden Retriever. If you want a dog that follows you around but looks for ways to accomplish what they want, then watch this video before deciding on a Rhodesian:

As I type this, Obama is either speaking to the graduating class at ASU or he just finished. Of course, his presence caused great traffic snarls, but I suppose that would be the situation for any president appearing at ASU.  No one was allowed to bring containers of any kind inside the stadium. However, when they got inside, everyone found out that bottles of water cost 5.50 EACH! Considering they started arriving around 1 pm in the hot Arizona sun, I sure hope everyone stayed well-hydrated and safe.

I confess that I didn’t watch the television coverage of Obama’s visit. I would hope he would encourage the grads to start on a path of self-reliance, and to accept responsibility for their prior actions. Then again, the Democrats aren’t accepting any responsiblity for the financial problems that started two years ago when they took control of the Legislature. I mean, how can Obama tell the seniors that they are responsible for their futures when he and Pelosi refuse to accept any responsiblity for their past actions?

I almost died laughing when I heard how long it took to download a newspaper, and how much the service cost:

I know the National Day of Prayer was on May 7th, but I was too busy clearing out my old posts that day, so I’m putting it up now. Better late than never, eh? You go ahead and enjoy this video while I keep on throwing out stuff here that’s no longer relevant. (I just found an old post, “Easter 2008 Gifts for Mom”. Should I keep it around and use it for next year?)

I decided to log in and clean out more of my old posts in draft status, like the ones I wrote last year about the Oktoberfest at Tempe Town Lake. I also installed a banner for Kiva.org because I truly believe in their system. They help needy people in third world countries get loans to improve their businesses and lives. It seems that here in the U.S., our definition of “poverty level” is someone that has a flat screen tv that is less than 32″,  but the borrowers on Kiva are living at a whole different level. Some of them want micro-loans to buy livestock to raise and sell, while others just want to borrow enough to put a roof over their head.

But don’t think Kiva is charity, because it’s not. You choose who you will loan your money to and the amount you want to loan, starting with $25. Here’s how Kiva explains the process:

Choose an Entrepreneur, Lend, Get Repaid

1) Lenders like you browse profiles of entrepreneurs in need, and choose someone to lend to. When they lend, using PayPal or their credit cards, Kiva collects the funds and then passes them along to one of our microfinance partners worldwide.
2) Kiva’s microfinance partners distribute the loan funds to the selected entrepreneur. Often, our partners also provide training and other assistance to maximize the entrepreneur’s chances of success.
3) Over time, the entrepreneur repays their loan. Repayment and other updates are posted on Kiva and emailed to lenders who wish to receive them.
4) When lenders get their money back, they can re-lend to someone else in need, donate their funds to Kiva (to cover operational expenses), or withdraw their funds.

My family and I have been loaning money since January, and have received every repayment when it was due. Of course, you can keep the money when you’re repaid, but it’s fun to find another entrepreneur and loan the money out again.  I could go on and on about Kiva, but I have those old posts to clear out. While I’m doing that, head over to Kiva, you can lurk without logging in. Right now as of this very moment, there are over 700 people who need a loan to change and improve their lives. They’re not looking for a hand out,  just your helping hand.