A Hymnal of My Own

This month I celebrated my first anniversary as a member of Hermanville United Methodist Church. I had been attending before that, but last April was when I decided to make to transition from my former church to HUMC. 

Last Sunday, our pianist, Daphne Bruce and I were presented with our very own personalized hymnals. I was surprised and (momentarily) speechless. Our pastor, Charles, told the story of his first Sunday at HUMC. He was holding off beginning the service. One of the members told him he might as well go ahead and start. Charles asked about a pianist or a music leader and was told "We don't sing." 

Well, the members of HUMC now sing! Hymns, the Doxology, the Gloria Patri, and special music are now part of every service. I feel so blessed to be a part of the two person "music department." 

Many years ago, my paternal grandmother gave me my first Bible. I was a white leather King James Version. I opened it and the first scripture I saw was this one. It is still one of my favorites. 

Psalm 100

King James Version (KJV)

100 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.

² Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
³ Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
⁴ Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
⁵ For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

 

The Book!

After many years in the making, my husband's book about the old cemeteries of Claiborne County is out and available. 

This book was many years in the making. Bill personally hiked to and through these cemeteries himself, with the exception of one that was forbidden to him. He did his best to uncover every stone and, where possible, leave the cemetery in better shape than when he found it. 

Not only did Bill track down and document these cemeteries, he cross referenced names with marriage and death records in order to link families together. The result is a very nice book that should be a wonderful resource for anyone interested in the history of the Claiborne County or Genealogical research. 

The book can be purchased through amazon.com, dorrancebooks.com, and I usually keep a couple of signed copies at The Cricket Box. Cost is $31.00 for a signed copy at the Cricket Box and you would be supporting a local business. You can also message me on Facebook if you are interested in a copy.

The cover artwork is my own rendition of Grand Gulf Cemetery. I painted it for Bill several years ago and was honored that he used it for his cover. I also took the photograph of him that appears on the back with my iPhone 5 camera at Greenlawn Gardens. It only seemed proper to have his photo taken in a graveyard. 

Getting a book published is not an easy task. The back and forth between the writer and the editors can get tedious at times. But, after many months, Bill's dream is finally a reality.

I could not be prouder.