Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
More About Jesus was written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt and John R. Sweney provided the music. More about Jesus was one of the first collaborations of Hewitt and Sweney. The song was first published in 1887 in the hymnal Glad Hallelujahs. During a visit to the Onondaga Reservation, Hewitt was adopted into the tribe. She stated “this relationship has led […]
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The dear old story of a Savior’s love is also referred to as “Sweeter as the Days Go by”. The hymn was written by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt. The hymn was published in 1898 in Songs of Love and Praise No. 5. Following a spinal malady which cut Eliza’s teaching career short, she began to study English literature and write poems […]
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Sweeter as the Days Goes By was written by Genser Smith. The song has a 1984 copyright with LeFevre-Sing Publishing. The sweet hymn is often performed in the Gaither Homecoming videos. I’ve been unable to find any additional information on Genser Smith or the song. However, I love the lyrics and the reminder “The more I trust Him, the more […]
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Mary’s Boy Child is a popular Christmas carol written in 1956 by Jester Hairston. Hairston roomed with a friend who asked him to write a song for a birthday party. He wrote the song with a calypso rhythm for the culture of those attending and titled the song “He Pone and Chocolate Tea”. However, the song was never recorded in this […]
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Imagine standing at the foot of Jesus cross with his mother, Mary Magdalene, the other women and the apostle John. Beneath the Cross of Jesus gives us insight to this time and place. The song was written by Elizabeth Clephane, who also wrote The Ninety and Nine. Elizabeth Clephane lost her parents at a young age and struggled with her […]
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This is the Day is an upbeat song that reminds us that this is the day the Lord has made, we should be happy and rejoice. The hymn is based on Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The practice of writing songs based off of scripture dates […]
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Lord, Speak to Me That I May Speak was written by Frances R. Havergal in 1872. Havergal is one of several women hymn writers who lived in the late Victorian era of England {18th Century}. Her father was an Anglican pastor and devoted himself to the improvement of church music in the Church of England. Frances was inspired by her […]
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In Gabriel’s hand a mighty stone is a song written by Isaac Watts. He is best known as the author of Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound. He was born on July 17, 1674 in Southampton, England. He wrote a large collection of works and served as minister at Abney Park. Watts died November 25, 1748 and is buried at […]
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Breath Thou the Bread of Life was written by Mary A. Lathbury. Lathbury taught art and French in Vermont and New York schools. She also served as a poet in the summer programs at Chautauqua, New York. The expression bread of life refers to Jesus teaching where he referred to himself as the Living bread or bread of life. {John […]
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When I first heard “O What a Savior” it brought me to tears. Over a decade later, I still love to listen to and sing the song. It caused me to wonder about the origin of this beautiful song. I couldn’t find a lot of information, but did discover it was written by musician Marvin P. Dalton in 1948. Dalton […]
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I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart is a popular song with children as well as sung around a camp fire. The tune is upbeat, catchy and hard to forget. George William Cooke wrote the song, which was copyrighted as “Joy in My Heart” in 1925. As a young man, he twice circled the globe in evangelistic […]
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This popular praise and worship song was written by Rick Founds in 1989. Founds began writing music at an early age and has written over 300 songs. He moved to California, where he served as Minister of Music for a church in California. He recounted the writing of this popular song. “The song was born out of a typical Bible […]
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Something Beautiful is a wonderful reminder by Bill and Gloria Gaither about how God can take all our dreams and hopes which have crumbled into ashes and turn them into something even better and more beautiful. Gloria Gaither shares the story came from their oldest child, Suzanne. One day she was painting and spilled some paint. Vigilantly she tried to […]
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John Phillip Sousa composed a song for his unfinished operetta The Devil’s Deputy before financing for the show fell through. A short time later, Sousa an his band manager, George Hinton, attended the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They attended a spectacle of “America” in which a backdrop of the Liberty Bell was lowered. Hinton suggestion to Sousa the title “Liberty […]
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I’m familiar with the song This Ole House, but knew nothing of it’s origin. Only when researching the story behind another song, did I discover the story behind this song. The song was written by Carl Stuart Hamblen, who was the author of Until Then and It Is No Secret {What God Can Do}. Hamblen and his friend and fellow […]
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It Is No Secret, was written by Craig Stuart Hamblen, who also wrote Until Then. Hamblen was the son of a Methodist minister and is considered one of radio’s first “singing cowboys”. He lived a life of “destructive behavior” before attending a Billy Graham crusade in 1949. He met Rev. Graham when he appeared on Hamblen’s radio show. He was […]
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The song Through It All was written by Andráe Crouch and is his biography and testimony wrapped up into one. Andráe Crouch was born on July 1, 1942 in Los Angeles, California. He experienced devesating loss when he lost his father, mother and brother all within two years of one another. He said, “Probably the hardest time in my life…Just […]
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An art museum in Dusseldorf, Germany has a vivid painting on display of Christ, “wearing His crown of thorns as He stands before Pilate and the mob”. Underneath the painting, by Sternberg, are the word “This have I done for thee, what hast thou done for Me?” Francis Havergal came upon the painting while in Germany. Sources differ on whether […]
Read more Priscilla J. Owens was a Baltimore public school teacher for forty-nine years and often wrote hymns for children’s services. She was very involved in the Sunday School at her church. She wrote the words to this hymn for a missionary service in the Sunday School of Union Square Methodist Church. The song was “originally adapted to the chorus “Vive le […]
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The hymn God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is over 500 years. The song we sing today has a completely different meaning then at the time it originated. The hymn is one of the oldest known Christmas carols. Over the centuries, times and meanings have changed. The song we sing today does not have the same meaning that it did to […]
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