Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Lead Me,Guide Me was written by Doris Akers. Doris Mae Akers was born on May 21, 1923 in Brookfield, Missouri. She was one of ten children born to Floyd and Pearl Akers. In the 1930s, she and some of her siblings had a group known as “Dot and The Swingsters”. In 1948, she formed the Simmons-Akers trio with Dorothy […]
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Sitting at the Feet of Jesus, tells the story of Mary, sitting and listening at Jesus feet. Can you imagine the lessons and wisdom she learned from the Lord? The account is found in Luke 10:40 and this Mary is the sister of Martha and Lazarus. If you recall the story, you will remember that Martha was upset because her […]
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Lift High the Cross was written by George Kitchin in 1887. At the time he wrote the song, Kitchin was the Dean of Winchester for the Church of England. “It has been suggested that the hymn was inspired by the story of Constantine the Great’s conversion to Christianity after seeing a cross with “In hoc signo vinces” on it. It […]
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I had a request for the song history on “Let Others See Jesus in You”. The gentleman shared a special memory of his grandmother. “Her personal favorite was “Let Others See Jesus in You.” We sang the song at her funeral. Indeed, Jesus was visibly evident in her life. I suppose that is the primary reason the song means so […]
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Reach Out to Jesus was written by composer Ralph Carmichael. Ralph Carmichael was born on May 27, 1927 in Quincy, Illinois. He was the son of a Pentecostal minister. As a child, he learned to play the violin. By the time he was a teenager, he was playing with the San Jose Civic Symphony. He grew up in the days […]
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The Gloria Patri is another doxology sung by many denominations from the Catholics to the Orthodox to the Presbyterians and Lutherans to the Methodists and Baptists. This is often referred to as the Lesser Doxology {in contract to Gloria in Excelsis Deo, the Great Doxology}. The English version is translated from the Latin text, “Gloria Patri, et Filio, et […]
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“Gloria in excelsis Deo” is a doxology based on the words the angels sang to the shepherds. {Luke 2:14} “Gloria in excelsis Deo” is often referred to as the Greater Doxology. {Gloria Patri is the lesser doxology}. The Latin translation is attributed to Saint Hilary of Poitiers {310-367 AD}, the Bishop of Poitiers. This translation is believed to have […]
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Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow is a popular Doxology in the protestant church. The song was often sung as a blessing when the offering was returned. But, what is a doxology? The word doxology means a short hymn of praises to God. The tradition of a doxology began in the Jewish synagogue. Various denominations have their own doxology […]
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Getting Used to the Family of God is another Gaither song that I often love to sing along with The Family of God. While the titles of these songs are similar, they are two very different, yet beautifully touching and expressive songs. Getting Used to the Family of God was written in 1974, four years after The Family of God. […]
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The Banner of the Cross was written by Daniel W. Whittle. Daniel Whittle served in the Civil War, obtaining the rank of major. He was known as Major Whittle the remainder of his life. After the war, he went to work for Elgin Watch Company. In 1873, he resigned his job and became a revival evanglist in the Dwight L. […]
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The fourth of July is in just a few days, so I thought we would enjoy a Patriotic favorite. Some Gave All was written by Billy Ray Cyrus and debuted on his 1992 album of the same name. Billy Ray and his first wife, Cindy Smith, wrote the song together after talking with a Vietnam Vet. This occurred sometime during […]
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We are one in the bond of love is another popular chorus that originated in the early 1970s. The song is known both as We Are One in the Bond of Love and Bond of Love. The text is based on Colossians 2:2, Colossians 3:14, Ephesians 4:1-3 and John 17:23. The chorus was written by Otis Skillings in 1971. The […]
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The Family of God is a song that I grew up singing in church and is ingrained on my heart and soul. At one church, we gathered together and held hands as we sang this song. Even four decades later from the toddler I was at the time, this song remains deep in my soul and heart. The Family of […]
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This month we will be exploring popular praise hymns from the last few decades. Let’s Just Praise the Lord was written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. In their book Something Beautiful, Gloria shares that one evening at one of their concerts in 1972, the praise and applause moved from praising God to praising them. This led them to become very […]
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Mary Bridges Canedy Slade lived in Fall River, Massachusetts. This was the town made famous by the 1892 Lizzie Borden murder case, who was tried for the brutal murder of her father and step-mother. Mary Slade was a pastor’s wife and lived her entire life in Fall River. By the time of the Lizzie Borden tragedy she had died, but […]
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In 1953, two young missionaries, Charles and Mary Greenaway attended the Grand Paririe conference in Texas . The couple shared their journey and experience as missionaries to Africa. They shared that they felt Africa was not for them in the beginning. They had gone their as medical missionaries, yet Mary was very sick in those early years. Poverty was so […]
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Mansion Over the Hilltop was written by Ira F. Stanphill in 1949. He is described as a gifted musician, who had been playing the piano, organ and other instruments since he was ten years old. He was composing songs and singing by the age of seventeen. He went on to become a pastor and was known as a singing evangelists. […]
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Ira Stanphill was an accomplished musician and minister. Ira served with 9 different organizations in the capacities of youth director, music director and pastor. He preached across America, and in 40 other countries. He wrote over 500 gospel songs, such as “Mansion Over The Hilltop”, “Jesus and Me”, “We’ll Talk It Over” and “Happiness is the Lord”. On April 23, […]
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Mary Bridges Canedy was born on January 18, 1826 in Fall River, Massachusetts. She was the eleventh of thirteen children born to William and Susan Luther Canedy. As a young woman she married Albion King Slade and the couple had at least four children. She was a teacher and served as assistant editor of The New England Journal of Education […]
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He was saved at the age of twelve. By the time he was seventeen he was composing and performing his own songs and began preaching by the time he graduated college at the age of twenty-two. He was ordained into the ministry on April 28, 1939. Stanphill served several churches and was known as a singing evangelist, singing and preaching […]
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