The Old Rugged Cross

For the past six weeks, I’ve been posting a different Lenten or Easter song on my Sunday blog. Today, Christians remember the day our Lord died on a cross to take away our sins, and there is no other song which says it as well as this one.

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the Dearest and Best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it someday for a crown.

2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross, 

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see,
   For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
   To pardon and sanctify me.

So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it someday for a crown.

4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
   Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
   Then He’ll call me someday to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I’ll share.

 (by George Bennard, 1913)

Hopevale  Cathedral in the Glen at Green Lake Conference Center, 2011 

Coming to the Clinic - Part 5

Last week, I told you my tale of woe regarding my foot and a little bit of what it's like to be on the receiving end of health care. There will be more of that story to come, but since things are up in the air right now as I await the MRI results, I'm going to plow forward with the next installment of my series on how to be the perfect patient.

Today's topic will be your medication.

Oftentimes when you make your appointment or receive your reminder call or letter, you will be instructed to bring in all of your medications in their original containers. Today you'll find out why that is important.

 

1) When do you really need to bring all of your medications?

a) If you are new to the provider you are seeing or new to the clinic.

b) If it is your yearly physical.

c) If you have seen anyone else anywhere else since you saw this provider, such as you saw your cardiologist last week or were in the ER the week before. You may have forgotten that they changed one of your meds at that visit, giving you something totally different or taking you off of something.

2) When do you not need to bring your medications?

a) If you just saw this provider less than a month ago and absolutely nothing has changed.

b) If you are on absolutely no medications.

3) What medications am I referring to anyway?

a) I'm talking about pretty much anything you ingest, inject or put on your body that is not food, drink, clothes, deodorant or makeup.

b) This includes all prescription medication, including pills, patches, inhalers, gum, suppositories and insulin. A note on insulin and other items which need refrigeration: I get it that you don't want this stuff sitting in the car in the hot sun while you run in the store to pick up a gallon of milk on your way home from your appointment. It's okay to leave some stuff home in the frig, but then bring an empty box or the label from the pharmacy. You'll find out why later.  

c) Medications we want to know about also include all over the counter supplements and other drugs, such as tylenol, ibuprofen, multivitamin, fish oil, probiotics, that weird pill your sister-in-law recommended for hair loss, that powder your best friend gave you to mix in your water that is supposed to enhance your concentration. Pretty much anything that can or does change anything about how you act, feel, think, talk, metabolize food, etc.

4) Why do we need to know this stuff?

a) If you want us to fill any of these prescriptions, we need to know exactly what you’re taking and exactly how you’re taking it. If you aren’t taking it like the bottle says, you better know why and what you really are doing.

b) And all of those supplements you are taking? Most of those things are okay to take (a lot of them only offer the placebo effect and drain your bank account, but that’s your choice). We do need to know about these things however, because sometimes they can react with what we prescribe and once in a while they may even be the cause of your symptoms. 

c) Prescription medications are only prescribed by licensed practitioners because they are not candy. They are drugs, that can severe side effects and can react with each other in some interesting ways. If we don’t know everything that you are taking, we may end up breaking the Hippocratic oath – you know, the one that says “first do no harm.”

5) But you are on a grocery bag full of meds and don’t want to drag them around.

1) Again, having those bottles in front of us allows us to be sure we know what you are doing. If you have an accurate list on you, one that you up date every time you leave a medical facility, that is wonderful. In fact, you really need to keep an accurate list in your wallet at all times. You may get in a car accident on your way to Green Bay to a Packer’s game and the hospital they take you to does not have any of your records. You can download nice templates off the internet which have columns for the name of the drug, how you take it, when you take, when you last got it filled and even what the drug looks like. If you keep that list up to date, I will give you a gold star.

2) I have had people who have pictures of all their pill bottles in their cell phones. Not the worst idea; it’s better than nothing, but not as good as bringing your bottles or having the gold-star list.  

3) We may ask you if you need refills, and ta-da, it will say that on your bottles if you bring them with you!

4) Lastly, if we change how you take one of your medications, we can write that change right on your bottle, such as we increased your water pill to taking two in the morning and told you to hold that newest blood pressure pill. (Or if you have the gold-star list, we can always change it on there.)

6)  What not to say when we ask you what medications you are.

1) One of the things which drives all health care professionals bonkers is when we ask our patients what medications they are on and they reply, “Well, you should know, you have my list.” I am sooo sorry if someone reading this has said that to their health care professional. But I don’t live in your house, I don’t fill your pill organizer once a week, I don’t pick up your prescriptions at your pharmacy. I am only looking at the list that is in front of me on my computer. There is no way that I know how accurate that list is.

2) “I take a little pink pill every morning and a big white horse pill every night”. Not helpful, not helpful at all. That’s all I have to say about that.

7) Closing Thoughts - I really care about you and your health. Your provider really cares about you. We really want what is best for you. And that includes being sure that you are on the right medications, the ones that will make you the best that you can be.     

Riding On.

Each Sunday since Ash Wednesday, I’ve been posting a hymn for the Lenten season. In my search for these various songs, I’ve found most of them to be sad and mournful, which I guess is a bit of what Lent is all about. Today, however, Palm Sunday, the mood and the hymns we sing are much more upbeat. We’ve spent the last five weeks reflecting on the life and death of Jesus, but today we welcome Him home.

 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (Matthew 21:8-9, NIV)

"Ride On, Ride On in Majesty!" was written in 1820 by Henry Hart Milman, a priest and professor of poetry at Oxford University. It's the song I always think of on Palm Sunday in my church. 

1. Ride on, ride on, in majesty!

Hark! all the tribes hosanna cry.

0 Savior meek, pursue Thy road,

With palms and scattered garments strowed.

2. Ride on, ride on, in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die.

0 Christ, Thy triumphs now begin

O'er captive death and conquered sin.

3. Ride on, ride on, in majesty!

The angel armies of the sky

Look down with sad and wondering eyes

To see the approaching Sacrifice.

4. Ride on, ride on, in majesty!

Thy last and fiercest strife is nigh;

The Father on His sapphire throne

Expects His own anointed Son.

5. Ride on, ride on, in majesty!

In lowly pomp ride on to die.

Bow Thy meek head to mortal pain.

Then take, 0 Christ, Thy power and reign.

Judson Tower at the Green Lake Conference Center in Green Lake, WI. 

One Week Ago

A week ago today, we left Missouri to head back home to snow-bound Wisconsin. Our vacation had its ups and downs, the deepest down being the weather. I kept telling myself that at least they didn’t have snow on the ground, but I will probably go into detail on all of that at another time.

I only have a few minutes before I have to go, so am going to post just a quick blog today with pictures of the resort where we stayed.  

The place was Lakewood Resort in Osage Beach. Right on the water, just off the highway, and though our two-bedroom unit was on the fourth floor, because of the hill it was on, we only had to hike up two floors to get there from the parking lot. We had great views, plenty of room for everyone, the walls were all sound-proof. Couldn’t find anything at all to complain about as far as our accommodations. 

 The resort viewed from the highway, our unit is circled.

 View from our balcony.

 From the beach, which wasn't being used this time of year, except by a pair of geese.

 The parking lot side of the building we were in.

 Living room, looking towards the dining room.

 Dining room and kitchen.

 Our bedroom.

 The other bedroom. No, I didn't get pictures of the two full bathrooms, which actually were pretty small.

I think they called this Club House, but it hardly seemed like a large enough space for that title. Besides this lounge and the hot tub, it housed the laundry room. I didn't get any pictures of the rec room. The first time I was up there, some kids were watching TV, the second time a family of five were doing yoga.

Ok, so doesn't look like an exciting place, but it was comfortable and good enough for our crew.

Veering Off Course

            For the last four weeks, I have been posting “Chris’s Crash Course on Coming to the Clinic: how to be the perfect patient” every Wednesday. I know all the subjects I need to cover yet, but since the first of the week, have been thinking of veering off course.

If you don’t know me personally and don’t remember reading this blog post from a while back, you probably don’t know about the trouble I’ve been having with my Achilles tendon. And like I told the podiatrist who I saw yesterday, I didn’t just wake up with this the other morning. This has been troubling me for five years. Yes, five years. Can you say “stubborn, bull-headed kraut”?

Anyway, to make a long story short, shortly after someone challenged me to run in the 5K on the Fourth of July in 2013, and I started running, my left Achilles heel has been aching. I bought better shoes and some orthotics to put in them. It settled down a little bit and I powered through. The next year, when I started running again in earnest in the spring (coz I just cannot get into it on the treadmill), that tendon started up again. I started taking ibuprofen and got some exercises to stretch it out.

Then in June of 2015, my hip went out as well. I finally gave up the whole running thing. The hip didn’t get better until I finally started going to the chiropractor in the fall, but the heel just kept right on hurting.

Sometime after that I broke down and saw an orthopedic surgeon. He took x-rays of both ankles, showing me bone spurs on not just the left heel, but the other one as well. He didn’t offer me a lot of hope, no quick fixes, just ibuprofen, ice, and rest, and in fact he said he was surprised I didn’t have pain in both of heels. I told him that was not a helpful thing to say.

Here it is coming up on Spring again and for some bizarre reason, I want to get out and start running the roads again. Or even, for not a bizarre reason, but just because, I thought I would start walking all the roads of my town again, a quest I had started four years ago. But I finally had to admit that something had to give with that left ankle. Not only was the ache becoming more of a constant pain, it was warm and swollen at the end of each day.

I saw the podiatrist Monday morning. She put me in this wonderful boot, recommended icing it, told me to avoid strenuous exercise on it, and scheduled me for an MRI.  I go back to see her in two weeks to get the results of the MRI, see if this boot is helping at all, and come up with a game plan moving forward.

And the whole time, I’m just thinking that I want to be the perfect patient. I want this heel pain to go away not just for my sake but for the sake of the medical professionals who are trying to help me. Such is the curse of working in health care. I’ll keep you posted.

And off to work I go. 

The Precious Blood of Jesus

I feel pretty guilty that here we are, four weeks into Lent, just a few weeks from Easter, and I don’t know, I’m feeling like I haven’t spent any time in that time growing closer to my Savior. All I’ve pretty much done is post these Sunday song lyrics.

I’m sure this is true for most of you. Lent is just another set of six weeks throughout our busy lives and we go to church on Sunday, maybe to our mid-week Lenten services, maybe read our Bibles. But our world just keeps moving forward and sometimes we feel like we are just along for the ride.

I have no answer for that. Except to give thanks that God did send His Son to forgive us of all our sins and inadequacies. That the blood of Jesus is able to make us come clean.

1.   What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

o   Refrain:
Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

2.   For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

3.   Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

4.   This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

5.   Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

6.   Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

[By Robert Lowry (1826-1899), published in 1876. And as with most of the songs I have been presenting here this year, I found multiple versions of the lyrics on-line. My apologies if these are not the original ones.]

The Estonian Martin Luther Church in Gleason, WI, the first Estonia church in America.
It needs a lot of renovations, kind of like us, huh?  

Taking a Look Back

I don’t know how other authors do it, those who have ten, twenty published books. I’ve been so busy promoting my most recently published book, my first novel, “Where the Sky Meets the Sand”, that I forget about the first three. (And sometimes I even forget about that book, as I am busy editing the second novel and beginning to write the third one!)

This week, however, my first publisher, Aneko Press, is offering those three nonfiction books for free as e-books. I thought, then, that it would be fitting to share an excerpt from my very first book, my first baby, the memoir, “A Time For Every Purpose Under Heaven.”

By late morning, it was finally time to do something, so our team boarded the bus for the first of many drives. The ride to Brydges Orphanage in the village of Ngong, west of Nairobi, was tenuous at best. The streets were busy and filled with potholes large enough to swallow compact cars, yet the drivers wove in and out of traffic at harrowing speeds. The road into the orphanage was unbelievably narrow, and no one had any idea how our twenty-passenger vehicle reached its destination, much less turned around. If we put our hands out of the windows, we could have touched some of the buildings we passed. Not that we wanted to.

Most of the buildings were dreary, decayed, and appeared deserted. Then we would see children playing in front of one of these sheds or clothes hanging on a line. People actually live like this? It would be a question in my mind many more times throughout the trip.

When we arrived, some of the boys and girls came out into the yard and waved shyly at us, their dark faces filled with toothy smiles, their hair shorn close to their scalps. Their clothes were dirty and worn, hanging from their thin frames.

Most of the orphans were in school that afternoon, but the handful of children who remained behind showed us around. Each small bedroom had at least three bunk beds and not enough space for anything else. But each child still showed off their space, some explaining that they shared their bed with one or two others.

Besides the bedrooms, the main building held a large room used as a dining room and all-purpose room, a small kitchen area, and a small room that was set up as a store. In the store, the children sold the various crafts which they had made by hand. There were beautiful necklaces and beaded bracelets, carved figures of elephants, hippos and birds, braided potholders, and crocheted baskets.

There were several outer buildings, one housing a small library. A few of the children grabbed books and insisted they would read to us.

All of the other rooms were bare, with only the most basic of necessities. How did they live in those kinds of conditions and remain so joyful? We would find out before our journey back to America.

This peek into my first trip to Kenya in 2006 also explains why I continue to go back. I don’t know yet when that will be, but I am anxious to start planning. 

Coming to the Clinic - part 4

A couple weeks ago, I started posting what I call “Chris’s Crash Course on Coming to the Clinic: how to be the perfect patient.” Over the weekend, a co-worker of mine posted the following on Facebook. It tells what many of us working in the medical field go through on a daily basis.

 I was given the opportunity to sit with people who need someone in their room at all times for various reasons. My first thought: easy extra hours. Honestly? It tested me more than anything. I have ADHD and this is why my words don’t always come out like I want them to because my mind is going 100 times faster than my mouth can and I worry about what people will think. I get nervous talking to new people who don’t know this, because I feel like they’re going to judge me for whatever reason. So, it’s hard for me to start the conversation. It’s also kind of hard having to tell a patient “you can’t do that” etc. because that’s not who I am.

 I do believe there is a plan for everyone and everything happens for a reason. I sat with two individuals tonight. The first one looked at me while crying and asked how I ended up in their room, as I was one of the nicest ones yet and one who treated them as a person. That right there almost made me cry. All I did was sit with them and talk about who they were. Given the chance, most people will talk about themselves. I can honestly say that I can tell you where 90% of my patients live, work, how many kids they have, etc., for this reason. Getting to know them is a wonderful thing and if you are going to be a part of their health care you need to create a trust or bond. The things that I’m able to refer to when I see those people again makes them know I listen, and I care.

With the second individual, I knew right off the bat that they were going to test me. They would not do anything I asked them to do. I sat down on their bed and after a long discussion of both of our lives, I made this individual promise me they were going to reschedule their interview, continue school, and pursue possible gastric surgery that they had previously started the process for. Whether or not this really happens, I will never know.

To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world. Be the person who believes in others, be the person who teaches others instead belittles them, just be there for persons most in need. And LISTEN. Hopefully I changed their lives, but without them knowing, they changed mine and reminded me why I do what I do.

Nothing more I can add to that. Thanks, Becca, for sharing these beautiful words and for giving me permission to print them here. And thank you for being who you are. 

I can't, of course, post any pictures of any of our patients, but thought I could share one when I had some testing done four years ago. Sometimes when we forget what it's like to be a patient, it helps to be on the other end. 

Why? Because He Lives

Since the first Sunday in Lent, I have been sharing various songs and hymns which celebrate Lent and the first Easter. Because of the first Easter and Jesus’ death on the cross followed by his resurrection, I have eternal life to look forward to when I leave this Earth. I will never understand how people who aren’t believers can wake up each morning totally uncertain of their future.

This song, written by Bill and Gloria Gaither in 1971, reminds me of why I have no need to fear what's coming next. 

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;

He came to love, heal and forgive;

He lived and died to buy my pardon,

An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he gives;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river,

I'll fight life's final war with pain;

And then, as death gives way to victory,

I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,

Because He lives, all fear is gone;

Because I know He holds the future,

And life is worth the living,

Just because He lives!

This cross marks a grave at the Ottawa Avenue Cemetery in Ottawa, Illinois. Taken in April of 2016. 

Introducing Nehemiah

It’s been a month since I last shared an excerpt from my novel “Where the Sky Meets the Sand”. Most of the passages I’ve posted here so far have been from the perspective of the woman Jenny or the boy she saves. Her husband as well as two missionaries to Africa tell their stories within the pages of the book as well.

Today I thought I would introduce Nehemiah. He is a native of Kenya and has a deep love for his country and her people. He is also devoted to the work he and his partner do in spreading the word of Jesus Christ. In addition, when this tall black man has the scene, you will find something to smile about. Besides having a wonderful sense of humor, he never turns down food.

“So how are our travel plans coming along?” John asked his Kenyan friend.                       

Nehemiah put down his spoon. He had forgotten how good the soup was at this particular restaurant. He was glad John had picked this place to meet up to discuss their upcoming mission work. “I have our airline reservations to Nairobi. We leave Indianapolis on the seventeenth. Have you finished your work here?”

“I did the best I could.” John was the speaker of the two. He had spent most of the winter months driving across the country seeking sponsors for their work. The slide presentation he gave at dozens of churches documented their ongoing work throughout Eastern Africa. “We have enough funds to at least get there. God will furnish the rest.”

“That’s what you always say.” Nehemiah picked up his bowl and slurped up the rest of his soup. It was too good to miss a drop. “Have you talked to that woman from Chicago again?”

“No, but I am giving my presentation at her church next week.”

“Really? So, you’ll meet her then?”

“I hope so. Like I said, I haven’t talked to her except the one time.” Their waitress removed their soup bowls and poured more ice water into their glasses.

“Then how?” Nehemiah was confused. He had thought that this woman would have been the first person John had solicited for donations.

“The first time I talked to her, she told me what church she attends. I am just hoping that she sees the flyers and shows up. I wouldn’t think she would miss a slide show of Africa, would she?”

Nehemiah shrugged.

“You’ll have to join me. You’ll want to meet her too, I’m sure.”

Nehemiah craned his neck towards the kitchen, only half listening. If the main course was half as good as the soup, he didn’t want to wait for it much longer. “I’d love to. I just hope you are not disappointed if she is not there. And I hope I am not disappointed with my steak.”

From our first trip to Kenya. Val is doing a teaching on the importance of hand-washing. 

The man in the red jacket is interpreting for her. He was the inspiration for Nehemiah. I regret that I don't remember his name. 

Coming to the Clinic - part 3

For a couple weeks now, I’ve been sharing ways you can get the most out of your appointment with your medical provider. Last week, I gave you some hints on making that appointment. Today I’ll tell you how best to check-in for it.

     1)     When you were making your appointment, if you were told to come early (anywhere from ten to twenty minutes), you should abide by that recommendation. If your appointment is 10:00 and you are walking in the door of the building at that time, you may end up waiting in line for five minutes before you can even check in. Then the PSR (you were told before who that person is, click this link if you forgot) needs to update your insurance information in the computer. You didn’t bring your insurance card? Really? Coz then I think you should be sent home to try again another day. You might also be asked to make your co-payment. I know this is a pain and sometimes even painful. Just remember, the PSR who is asking for your hard-earned money is only doing her job. You wouldn’t expect McDonald’s to give you your Big Mac without paying for it, would you?

     

     2)     After you check in, please have a seat in whatever waiting room the PSR has directed you to. Do not, I mean do NOT go to the bathroom. I am sooo sorry, but didn’t your mom ever teach you to go to the bathroom before you leave the house? If the staff comes out to the waiting room to get you and you are not there, you might lose your turn and end up waiting longer to be seen. Also, another well-meaning patient might announce to God and the rest of the room that you had to empty your bladder. Do you really want to be embarrassed like that?

  

     3)     Speaking of going to the bathroom, there is one time when you shouldn’t go before you leave your house. If you are having any kind of bladder or kidney issues, we are going to need to get a urine sample from you. After you check in, if the PSR hasn’t already mentioned to you about giving us a sample, ask her if you can pee in a cup. We can always dump it if, for some reason, your provider is not so interested in your urine. But better safe than sorry.

     4)     Oh, and before you take a seat in the waiting room, you can hang up your coat. And it’s okay to leave it there. You do not need to bring your coat back with you. I know it is cold in the exam room, but why do you want to drag that heavy thing around with you? (You’ll find out why I mention this next week.)

  

     5)     If you are hard of hearing, it would be to your benefit to sit closer to the door where you are going to be called from, if you know which one that is. Or at least be facing the door and trying to watch for the staff. I know you haven’t seen your old high school buddy in many years and you are thrilled you ran into them in the waiting room, and we hate to interrupt your conversation, but maybe, just maybe you can meet for coffee later.

I’m sure there’s a lot more that I forgot (such as to remind you again to bring all of your medication in their original containers and that it’s okay to bring a well-meaning friend or family member along, especially if things may get complicated and you may forget everything we tell you).

I’d love to hear what other thoughts you have, whether you are a patient or a health-care worker. You can post a comment below. 

The waiting room at the clinic in Saikeri, Kenya, where I volunteered for a couple days in 2013. If I was a patient in this waiting room outside, I probably wouldn't pay attention to anything but the beauty of Africa. 

Where were you?

During the Sundays in Lent this year, I’ve been sharing various songs and hymns which tell about the events of Jesus’ final days. Not a lot of happiness to share here, but still some beautiful words.

Though one version of this song claims Johnny Cash as its lyricist, the song was originally written by African-American slaves in the 1800s. It was first published in 1899 in William Eleazar Barton's “Old Plantation Hymns”.

It looks like a long song, but that’s because of its arrangement, repeating three lines in each stanza. It is beautiful, though. If you’ve heard it before, the tune will surely come right back to you as you read.

1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

6. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

Sometimes I feel like shouting 'Glory, glory, glory!'

Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

My favorite line is “when the sun refused to shine”. The Bible tells us that on the first Good Friday, the sky went dark as Jesus hung on the cross. But the way this line is written makes me think that even the sun was showing respect for our Lord and Savior.

This cross is at the Pilgrim Center in Ripon, Wisconsin, overlooking Green Lake, taken in October 2016. 

A Birthday Wish

     Last Friday, I shared some old pictures from birthday parties from my childhood. Today, I’m sharing the birthday of an icon from everyone’s childhood.

     

     On March 2, 1904, Theodor Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts to Henrietta and Theodor Robert Geisel. The senior Geisel ran the family brewery, but after the brewery closed because of Prohibition, the Springfield mayor appointed him to supervise the public park system. The boy was raised on Fairfield Street which was less than a mile from another street which he would one day make famous.

     He graduated from Springfield Central High School in 1921 and went on to attend Dartmouth College. While in college, he worked his way up to become editor-in-chief of the humor magazine Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. However, one night he and nine friends were caught in his room drinking gin. Due to Prohibition, it was illegal to possess or consume alcohol. As punishment, the young Theodor was told he had to give up all extracurricular activities, including the college humor magazine. So that he could continue working on the Jack-O-Lantern publication, he began signing his work with a pen name, using his middle name which was also his mother’s maiden name.

     

     He graduated from Dartmouth in 1925 and went on to graduate school at Oxford University, hoping to earn a PhD in English literature. While there he met Helen Palmer, the first person to really encourage him to become an illustrator. After two years, he dropped out and returned home, where he created cartoons and illustrations for several magazines and advertising firms. It was lucrative work, enough so that he and his wife Helen were able to live comfortably and travel extensively.  In 1936, returning home from one such trip, the rhythm of the ship they traveled on inspired Theodor to write a poem. He borrowed the title from that street in his childhood neighborhood and after being rejected by over 20 publishers, it would become his first published book.

     

     He would eventually write 48 books, mostly for children. Over 200 million copies of these books would be sold and they would be translated into many languages. A few books he published under the pen name Theo LeSieg, his last name spelled backwards. But most people probably recognize him by the pen name he first adopted during college.

     

     Happy Birthday, Mr. Geisel. Thanks for giving us and our kids all those wonderful words.  

(Hunting for a picture that’s right, to give this subject light. 

But if I posted it here, the man’s name would be too clear.)