Hymn Study

We are currently memorizing and singing hymns. I love to sing and can still hear my mama sing. I hope to pass the joy and tradition of singing and praising God to my children. The book we use for our study is titled Hymns For a Kid’s Heart. The book gives a brief history of the songwriter, a devotion, and a Bible memory verse. Sweetness has memorized and sings beautifully all five verses of Amazing Grace. She has learned what Grace is and asks for it when discipline is due. So we have lengthy discussion about love, discipline and grace. Cutie Pie has learned two verses of the song and hits the high notes right on time.

We are now studying America The Beautiful, by Katharine Bates. Katharine was a school teacher who traveled in the 1800’s from Massachusetts to Colorado to teach summer school. The song she wrote is both a praise to God and a prayer to God for America. Her song praises God for His creations as she inspiringly looked upon the beautiful landscapes He created. And she prayed that God would shed His grace upon America. I would like to research the birthplace of Ms. Bates as I’m curious where she was born and what other countries she may have lived.

We had a brief lesson in geography as we mapped out the route Ms. Bates traveled and plan to study more of where the amber waves of grain and the purple mountains are located. It was helpful to recount the video Grandma and Grandpa B showed us of their trip out west.

Studying America the Beautiful has taught us the beauty of descriptive words and new vocabulary. Today we visited our warm spot by the creek where golden grasses grow long and tall in the sunshine and enjoyed a glimpse of the beautiful amber waves that Ms. Bates seen. We looked up into the spectacular cloudless sky and Sweetness was able to better understand the phrase spacious skies as I had to gently correct her this morning when she sang “special skies”.

We are grateful to God for granting us this beautiful country in which to live, and for giving Ms. Bates the words and inspiration to write this song that really magnifies His goodness. Let me not forget to pray for our country and may thankfulness abound in my heart for the mercy and grace God has showered upon this country.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain;
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.