Hymn Story: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory

Strife hung in the air throughout the American Civil War. Wife and mother, Julia Ward Howe, heard the troops singing a song, John Brown’s Body.  She was impressed with the catchy tune, but not the words.  One day in November 1861, she and her husband traveled visiting the troops in Washington, DC.  Her minister, Rev. James Freeman Clarke, was part […]

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Song Story: God Bless America

Irving Berlin’s patriotic love song to his adopted homeland was hidden away for over twenty years before being publicly made known. Irving Berlin was a Russian immigrant living in New York City.  Growing up, Berlin often heard his mother say “God Bless America.” Berlin later said about his mother, “without America, her family would have had no place to go. […]

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Wellness Tuesday: What is sodium?

I often have issues with my feet swelling.  This is especially true when I’ve had too much sodium. Often, when I look at the nutrition facts on food packaging I am surprised by the amount of sodium in the dish. We have tried explaining to my grandmother why she has to limit some foods.  Her response when we mention sodium […]

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Hymn Story: Shall We Gather at the River

The hymn was written in 1864, by Robert Lowry, a poet and composer.  Lowry was born in Philadelphia on March 12, 1826.  From an early age he showed a great love for music.   He served as minister at Hanson Place Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York. He described the inspiration of the song by saying “One hot afternoon in July […]

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Wives of King David: Ahinoam of Jezreel

Ahinoam was the first wife David married after he left Michal to flee for his life.  She is always listed as Ahinoam of Jezreel. She is often confused with “Ahinoam daughter of Ahimaaz” {1 Samuel 14} who was King Saul’s wife.  There is no proof these two women are the same. We know Ahinoam was from the area of Jezreel, […]

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Wellness Tuesday: Treatment for PCOS

I’ve been sharing a little bit about PCOS {polycystic ovarian syndrome}.  We’ve discussed the symptoms, causes and complications over the last few weeks. So how do you deal with PCOS? Well, first see a medical professional.  The doctor will take your medical history, draw blood work and conduct a physical.  You can then discuss any issues or concerns you may […]

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When Joy Won’t Come

So what do we do when joy won’t come? Often, we have to force ourselves to keep putting one foot in front of another and move forward.  Instead, we may want to curl up in a ball and just be left alone. It is important to understand that depression is a serious disease.   First and foremost, please see a medical […]

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Hymn Story: Jesus Paid It All

Elvina Mable Hall was born in 1818 in Alexandria, Virginia.  She was twice married, to Richard Hall and later to Rev. Thomas Myers.  She died in 1899.  She said the hymn was “written on the fly-leaf of the New Lute of Zion, in the choir of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Baltimore, in the spring of 1865.” She shared her lyrics to […]

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Wellness Tuesday: PCOS—A Deeper Look

Last week, I shared some of the symptoms of PCOS.  Let’s take a deeper look this week at the causes and complications of PCOS. Medical personnel are unsure of the exact causes of PCOS.  Genetics and hormonal imbalance are the two largest known causes of this syndrome.             Some of the following factors may play a role in PCOS: Excess […]

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Finding Joy in a Sad World

We live in a world that says “don’t worry, be happy.” When we are depressed, happiness is hard to find.  Not because we don’t want to be happy, but because it doesn’t come. There are some that are able to fake happiness for a time, but eventually the old feelings of sadness will creep back in. There are others, like […]

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Hymn Story: At the Cross

This popular hymn was written by Isaac Watts.  Watts was born in 1674 and died in 1748.  He would become a pastor and wrote poems and hymns to go with his sermons.  He wrote over 600 hymns during his lifetime.  Today we still know some of his songs such as At the Cross and Joy to the World. We don’t […]

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King David

King David is one of the most interesting men in scripture. He transforms from a young shepherd boy, to a confident teen that slays Goliath, into a man on the run for his life, and finally to the King of Israel. He was anointed at a young age, but had to wait many years for that promise to be fulfilled.  […]

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Wellness Tuesday: Symptoms of PCOS

Last week, I shared a little bit about my struggle with PCOS.  So what are some of the symptoms found in PCOS? Often signs may be found after the first menstrual cycle in a teen.   However, the symptoms become more noticeable after weight gain. Some of the symptoms that are more common include: Acne Weight gain Trouble losing weight Irregular […]

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Song Story: Peace in the Valley

This beautiful song was written by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey in 1937. Dorsey was born on July 1, 1899 in Villa Rica, Georgia. The 1930s were a difficult time for him.  In 1930, his wife and newborn son died.   He later said, “I was doing all right by myself, but the voice of God whispered, ‘You need to change a […]

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