Jesus! What a Friend for Sinners

This song ministered to our whole family on Sunday morning, which was even before my Grandpa passed away.

Jesus! what a Friend for sinners!
Jesus! Lover of my soul;
Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Refrain:

Hallelujah! what a Savior!
Hallelujah! what a Friend!
Saving, helping, keeping, loving,
He is with me to the end.

Jesus! what a Strength in weakness!
Let me hide myself in Him.
Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing,
He, my Strength, my victory wins.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Help in sorrow!
While the billows over me roll,
Even when my heart is breaking,
He, my Comfort, helps my soul.

Refrain

Jesus! what a Guide and Keeper!
While the tempest still is high,
Storms about me, night overtakes me,
He, my Pilot, hears my cry.

Refrain

Jesus! I do now receive Him,
More than all in Him I find.
He hath granted me forgiveness,
I am His, and He is mine.

I was crying as I sang this Sunday morning. What a fitting, beautiful hymn! I hope that our Savior is wooing you to Himself--He sure is doing that for me more and more every day. Sometimes it seems like my faith/love for Him fluctuates, but in reality, He is "my Guide and Keeper". He is the one who granted me love for Him in the first place. He's never going to let me go. He is continually faithful. How I love Him!

p.s. If you haven't noticed, I love my Savior A LOT.

Monday: The start of a week and the end of a life

Yes, a life very dear to me. My grandpa passed away this afternoon. The Lord was gracious, in that it was a very peaceful death. My mom was able to be there with her father--she left yesterday afternoon after hearing Saturday night that he was in pretty critical condition. We had been busy making a cd of stories that we read into my dad's recording microphone and writing cards to send down with my dad when he flew there today. I don't know if my grandpa got a chance to see them or not--I doubt it. This made me so sad, because I felt like I didn't have a chance to tell him I loved him and to say goodbye. I spent a good part of the afternoon crying, as did my younger siblings left with me while my parents are gone. As I was explaining this part of my sadness, my brother Keith said--"Well, now he knows that we made him the cd, and he's probably listening to it right now!" It's true--my grandpa was wholly trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation. We have full assurance of his whereabouts at the moment--he is home with his loving Father and Savior, perhaps listening to some stories and reading some cards from his grandchildren.

Maybe I will post more details later, when I have them. At the moment, I've only talked to my mom for less than two minutes, and so I know very little more than I've already written.

We're going to be spending the evening and night with my sister and her family, so that will be nice and comforting.

Prayers for all of us children at home, as well as for my other siblings, grandma, aunts, uncles, cousins, and mom and dad would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.