Ma

 

Ma! On, the happy ear received,

Mom, on the heart ever recorded,

Moma often thinks her efforts rigid,

Madre operates the home easily rewarded,

Mother occurs to help ease regularly,

Mother’s own touch: heaven’s earthly royalty.

– eab, May ’72

Read Full Post »

MA

Ma! Oh the happy ear received,

Mom, on the heart ever recorded,

Moma often thinks her efforts rigid,

Madre operates the home easily rewarded,

Mother occurs to help ease regularly,

Mother’s own touch: heaven’s earthly royalty.

                – eab, 5/72

Read Full Post »

Katharine Lee Bates – birth, Aug. 12, 1859

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain;
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea.

Such stirring lyrics are good reminders of a wonderful land God has given us.

And they are also reminders we can/should love our native land and be able to

separate her from all the war mongering she has recently been involved in.

And love American enough to oppose the war on her, from within, called socialism.

Katharine Lee Bates born this date, 8/12/1859 at Falmouth, MA.

Read Full Post »

Marcus Trajan – death, Aug. 7, 117 AD

They that are carnal cannot do those things which are spiritual, not they that are spiritual the things which are carnal.

                – Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians (n.d.; reprint, Peabody, MA:

                Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 52.

 

No man making a profession of faith sinneth.

                – Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians (n.d.; reprint, Peabody, MA:

                Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 55.

 

…No longer observing the Sabbath, but living in observance of the Lord’s Day, on which also our life has sprung up again by Him…

                – Ignatius, Epistle to the Magnesians (n.d.; reprint, Peabody, MA:

                Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 62.

 

Marcus Trajan died this date 8/7/117 A.D., Roman emperor

who martyred Ignatius.

Read Full Post »

Charles Luther – birth, May 17, 1847

“Must I go, and empty handed,”
Thus my dear Redeemer meet?
Not one day of service give Him,
Lay no trophy at His feet?

Refrain

“Must I go, and empty handed?”
Must I meet my Savior so?
Not one soul with which to greet Him,
Must I empty handed go?

2.

Not at death I shrink or falter,
For my Savior saves me now;
But to meet Him empty handed,
Thought of that now clouds my brow.

3.

O the years in sinning wasted,
Could I but recall them now,
I would give them to my Savior,
To His will I’d gladly bow.

4.

O ye saints, arouse, be earnest,
Up and work while yet ’tis day;
Ere the night of death o’ertake thee,
Strive for souls while still you may.

 

Charles Carroll Luther was born this date (5/17/1847) Wor­ces­ter, MA.  Luther at­tend­ed Brown Un­i­ver­si­ty, and was a jour­nal­ist and lay evan­gel­ist be­fore be­ing or­dained as a Bap­tist min­is­ter in 1886. He died 11/4/1924 at Farm­ing­dale, Long Is­land, NY.

Read Full Post »

Timothy Dwight – born, May 14, 1752

I love Thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode,
The church our blessed Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood.

 I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And written on Thy hand.

If e’er to bless Thy sons
My voice or hands deny,
These hands let useful skills forsake,
This voice in silence die.

Should I with scoffers join
Her altars to abuse?
No! Better far my tongue were dumb,
My hand its skill should lose.

For her my tears shall fall
For her my prayers ascend,
To her my cares and toils be given
Till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

Jesus, Thou Friend divine,
Our Savior and our King,
Thy hand from every snare and foe
Shall great deliverance bring.

Sure as Thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield
And brighter bliss of Heaven.

Timothy Dwight was born this date (5/14 1752) in Northampton, MA, Congregationalist,  Dwight was a grandson of Jonathan Edwards and later the president of Yale University. He led the revival at Yale which resulted in many students being converted to Christ Jesus.  He wrote some thirty three hymns and/or gospel songs.

Read Full Post »

James Russell Lowell – birth, Feb. 22, 1819

“Once to Every Man and Nation”

 

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,
In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;
Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,
And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

 

Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust,
Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and ’tis prosperous to be just;
Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside,
Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

 

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track,
Toiling up new Calv’ries ever with the cross that turns not back;
New occasions teach new duties, time makes ancient good uncouth,
They must upward still and onward, who would keep abreast of truth.

 

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong;
Though her portion be the scaffold, and upon the throne be wrong;
Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

James Russel Lowell was born this date (2/22/1819) in Cambridge, MA.  Lowell wrote this poem (one of this many poems) as protest to America’s war with Mexico.

Read Full Post »

William Sleeper – birth, Feb. 9, 1819

“Jesus I Come”

Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to Thee;
Out of my sickness, into Thy health,
Out of my want and into Thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into Thyself,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of earth’s sorrows into Thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into Thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into Thy blessèd will to abide,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of Thy throne,
Jesus, I come to Thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold,
Ever Thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to Thee.

William True Sleeper was born this date (2/9/09) in Danbury, NH.  He pastored the Congregational Church in Worcester, MA for 30 years.  Sleeper also wrote “ Ye Must Be Born Again.”  He passed from this life in 1904.

Read Full Post »

Edmund Hamilton Sears – death, Jan. 14, 1876

“It Came upon the Midnight Clear”

It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From Heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.

Edmund Hamilton Sears died this date (1/14/1876) in Weston, MA.  Words to this carol are said to have been published 12/29/1849.

Read Full Post »