Thursday, June 30, 2011

America the Beautiful


One of the views from the Summit of Pikes Peak
 "I will meditate on the glorious splenor of Your majesty." ~ Psalm 145:5

The hymn "America the Beautiful" was written by Katherine Lee Bates after she climbed to the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1983.  She said, "All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse."  She was overwhelmed by the sights of vast, open skies, planted fields, and the majestic Rocky Mountains. These were what inspired her to write the following poem.


America the Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain,
For purple mountains majesties above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And Crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet whose stern impassion'd stress
A thouroughfare for freedom beat across the wilderness.
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty thy law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life.
America! America! May God thy gold refine

Pikes Peak

Till all success be nobleness, and ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Thank You, Father, for the beauty of this land You have blessed us with.  May we do all we can to protect the beauty of America as well as the freedom we enjoy.

"A faithful man will abound with blessings" ~Proverbs 28:20

No comments:

Post a Comment