My Heart Shall Rejoice

The Lord is my strength, and He is my shield.
I will trust in Him, and I shall be healed.
My heart shall rejoice, and my song will praise His name.
My soul shall rejoice, and my voice will bless His name.
Come bless the Lord with me.

The Lord is my strength, and He is ever near.
I will rest in Him, and I shall not fear,
My heart shall rejoice, and my song will praise His name.
My soul shall rejoice, and my voice will bless His name.
Come and rejoice with me.

by Nathan Dunlap,  17th  of August, 2013,  Inspired by Psalm 28

Note:   The Lord is bringing us joy as we place our trust in Him while we sing this song together.  He has been helping us put some parts of the Psalms to music.  Then the words become personal to our lives. Bwana Yesu asifiwe!!  (Lord Jesus be praised!!)

Emmanuel's Song

Make my heart and your word a rhyme;
In my giving be a living sign,
     A living sign.
Submit my desire to thy holy fire;
Submit my will to thy will divine,
     Thy will divine.

     Emmanuel,
     Our God with us.
I look to thy hands, thy feet, and thy side;
I look to Thy wounds to be my guide,
     To be my guide.
Bread for the world, wounded indeed;
Wound my soul along with Thee,
     Wound my soul
     Along with Thee.

Make my heart as a broken field;
In my motion, thy focus revealed,
     Thy focus revealed.
Humble my time to thy holy mind;
Humble my will to thy will, I yield,
     Thy Will, I yield.

     Emmanuel,
     Our God with us.
I look to thy hands, thy feet, and thy side;
I look to thy wounds to be my guide,
     To be my guide.
Wine for the world, poured out indeed;
Let my life flow out with Thee.
     Let my life
     Flow out with Thee.


by Nathan Dunlap  1-21-2001

Note:  Today is Nathan's birthday, and I thank him for sharing in the journey of life in Christ,  that we are companions along the way.  It is such a blessing to have and be a companion. May God bless you, Nathan, with His peace and joy always abiding in your heart and mind.

Isaiah 43

Remember not the former things, nor the days of old;
Behold, I do a new thing.

Remember not the former things, nor the days of old;
Behold, I do a new thing.

Sing with joy, my people. Sing aloud.
Sing praises to the King of Kings now.
Sing with joy, my people. Sing aloud.
Sing praises to the King of Kings now.

Sept., 2013

Happy birthday, Baba Anna!!!

Psalm 84:4-8

Happy are they who dwell in Your house,
They will always be praising You.
Happy are those whose strength is found in You;
Whose hearts are set on the pilgrim's way.
Those who dwell in the desolate valley
Shall find it a place of springs;
For the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
They shall climb from height to height,
And the God of gods shall reveal Himself in Zion.
Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Hearken, O God of Jacob.

Joy of the Redeemed

The desert and the parched land will be glad,
The wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
It will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

Isaiah 35: 1-2a

An Acrostic Poem

                              Amiable
                              Festive
                              Resilient
                              Inviting
                              Caring
                              Authentic
                              Numerous

                              Beloved
                              Evangelistic
                              Lively
                              Interactive
                              Expressive
                              Vocal
                              Enjoyable
                              Rustic
                              Synchronized


               by Julie Dunlap,  6th of September, 2013

Note:  We have been privileged to have several months to become friends with the African believers here in  Nyakato.  The local church has a choir which practices song and dance almost every afternoon for two hours.  All the ladies have the same dance movements, and all the men have their same dance moves.  They line up in several straight lines to dance and sing.  They also wear coordinated colors when they sing and dance during a church service.  This is typical African worship.  Also, after each service, the clergy goes out the door and stands there to shake hands as all the people go out the back door  in order together, and they shake hands with every person that attended the service, forming a large circle outside.  Then they all pray together outside.  This creates a closeness and inclusiveness for each person present. 

A Fisherman's Song of Praise

Lord, I sing your praise the whole day through, until the night.
Dad's nets are filled; I have helped him.
We have drawn them in, stamping the rhythm with our feet, the muscles tense.
We have sung your praise.

On the beach there were our mammies,
Who bought the blessings out of the nets,
Out of the nets and into their basins.
They rushed to the market, returned and bought again.
Lord, what a blessing is the sea, with fish in plenty.
Lord, that is the story of your grace:
Nets tear, and we succumb because we cannot hold them.
Lord, with your praise we drop off to sleep.
Carry us through the night.
Make us fresh for the morning.
Hallelujah for the day!
And blessing for the night! Amen.

Ghana
From An African Prayer Book by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, copyright 1995

Note:  Fishing in Lake Victoria is a way of life for many people here.  They throw large nets into the lake, and several men pull them in with a catch.  We see both fresh and dried fish at the markets, especially on the weekends, and there is always dagaa, very small dried fish and a main staple of the Tanzanian diet. Today we bought two dried Talapia for dinner.