Marilyn's Musings
September 29, 2026
I’ve been catching up with things today after being away for 9 days on a cruise. I had written last week's musing early so I wouldn’t miss a week. My husband and I had a great time cruising. We went up north to Halifax and Saint Johns in Canada, stopping along the way in Boston and Portland. Of course, mother nature threw a wrinkle in our plans with the storm that came this weekend. We had to leave Saint Johns, New Brunswick a day earlier than planned to make sure we would be home before the brunt of the storm came. We spent our last day anchored in New York Harbor as we couldn’t get off the ship a day early. It’s ok. I know they did what they thought was the best for us. I tease that Bob wasn’t tempted to throw me overboard until Wednesday night and that was 7 days into the cruise so next time, we will do a 7-day cruise and I’ll be safe (so will he, LOL). I thank God for the beautiful land He has made and the oceans with all their beauty. When I look out at the ocean and just see more and more ocean I feel like it is God saying that is how His love looks – never ending.
Coming home Saturday, gave me the time to go to church on Sunday. I did miss it last week and they didn’t have anything on the cruise. I had planned on watching it before I did my musing but haven’t gotten the chance so I will talk a little about this past Sunday’s service. First, I’d like to thank our visiting musician. He was amazing and did a great job following the service or should I say “leading us in the worship time with music”. After Nate did the reading for us and we sang “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”, I really appreciated learning about Joseph’s life and how difficult it was. I didn’t know what he went through, or should I say I knew very little and didn’t know how little until Pastor Debbie talked about him. I was amazed at Joseph’s faith, how he knew God was with him ALL the time, no matter what he was going through, good or bad, God was there. I am in awe of Joseph’s strong, unending faith in God being with him. I have my faith in God and I know He is with me, but I don’t know if I could really believe God was with me if I went through what Joseph did. God tells us He is with us. When you think about it, His love for us is really endless, just like the water in the ocean that rolls in waves that just keep on coming- never stopping or ending.
Can you imagine someone writing 3,000 songs in their lifetime with a third of them being gospel songs? Thomas Dorsey writing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”, and “Peace in the Valley” will forever remind us that God is holding His hand out for ours. All we have to do is reach out.
I’d like to sing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” again. I remember my mother loved singing it. I could feel her faith when I sang it with her, sitting in “our” pew at Old North.
Join me and feel the peace from this wonderful hymn.
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=zeZn6v_gA7Y&si=rtl4i0TK0rMdpR59
