Gay's Days, November 3, 2014

Sunday, was a busy day.

Hubby had asked me two months ago to prepare a program on Fanny Crosby. I presented it in church yesterday.

Fanny Crosby was a brilliant, talented hymn writer. Born March 24, 1820, she died on February 12, 1915. During her ninety-five years, she wrote 9000 hymns. As a gifted musician, she played several instruments and also wrote melodies, but she felt her tunes were to complicated to be played.

Blindness failed to keep her from ministry in the slums of New York City. Fanny believed her lack of sight was a blessing and remained positive about it.  As an eight year old child, she wrote the following words.

Oh, what a happy child I am, 
Although I cannot see! 
I am resolved that in this world 
Contented I will be!

How many blessings I enjoy 
That other people don't! 
To weep or sigh because I'm blind, 
I cannot and I won't.

One of her songs, "Praise Him! Praise Him!" was written in 1869.  Just think, that was four years after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox. She later heard that treason charges were dropped against former Confederate States president, Jefferson Davis.

To mention all major world events in her lifetime would take too long, but the news must have been an influence. The impact that electrified her life was her commitment to God. 

Many people dropped by her apartment to ask for lyrics to their melodies. More often than not, Fanny wrote them on the spot.

That fact amazes me. Most of us authors require a large amount of planning and plotting to produce a book. Crosby formed rhyming words instantly.

Here are the songs I featured yesterday. I told the stories behind the compositions.

To God be the Glory”                                                 

“Praise Him! Praise Him”                                                 

“Tell Me the Story of Jesus”                                             

“Rescue the Pershing”                                                      

“Blessed Assurance”                                                     

“I Am Thine” 

“Close to Thee”

“Near the Cross”                                                                

“Give Me Jesus”

"All the Way My Savior Leads Me”                                   

“He Hideth My Soul”                                                           

“Redeemed”                                                                      

“Saved by Grace”

"Pass Me Not"

 

The Bible tells us that our works follow us. Such is the case with Fanny Crosby                                       

 

Gay's Days, October 30, 2014

This statue is a new addition in my doctor's office.

 

 

The statue is almost as tall as I am, and I usually sit in the chair next to the wall.  Now that the gold thing stands there, I sit somewhere else.

 

Not that I'm afraid of it, mind you. The object has no powers. I simply believe in my God, and He doesn't approve of images representing one.

 

Perhaps this item is art, and has no religious significance.  I meant to ask, but after three hours to see the doctor last Monday, I forgot.

 

He's a very good physician, and I'm pleased to find him. His office staff provides professional and friendly service, and his reputation notable. That's one reason I wait for him.

 

I took two of my books to his office the other day. I signed them and asked the ladies to share. I hope the staff will read them. My books are inspirational and God is mentioned often. I've been told my books aren't too preachy, so that's good.  I give away books as a witnessing tool of who I am and the God I serve.

 

One of the ladies I gave a book to lives in Sugar Land, so I brought her a copy of Sarah: Laney's Angel.  The other woman lives in the Houston area. I gave her Sarah: A Mission of Love.  Perhaps they will pass the novels around and others will have an opportunity to read Sarah's story.

 

I'm guessing that most of you who read my blog are Christians.  What do you do to share your faith? Other faiths share. Perhaps in ways we don't like. I wish our radical Islam friends weren't so drastic. Threatening people to convert to a faith is extreme, in my opinion.

 

God gives us free will and choice, so we are welcome to choose any faith we want. Of course, there are major consequences if we don't choose the One and Only True God.

 

Perhaps the physician shares his faith through the art work. I communicate mine through books as well as other ways.  Anyone want to comment on the ways they share their faith? I love comments.

 

 

 

 

 



Gay's Days, October 28, 2014

DiAnn Mills, our FHL President, (Faith, Hope and Love) sent an email to members this week. When we travel, she wanted to know if we found a story when we came upon "the beauty, the downtrodden, the victorious, and the beaten?"

 

I responded that I did, and I've used what I've seen in my travels in several books. But then, I began to laugh as I remembered the photo I'd taken recently while hubby and I traveled in a nearby country town. I've seen lots of items for sale in a yard, but this was the first for a toilet.

 

Let's make up a story about this one, shall we?

 

Well, let's see. This item isn't a thing of beauty, but maybe we could go with the victorious theme.

 

The dialogue could go similar to this.

 

Wife:     "I want a new toilet."

Hubby:  "Why? This one is perfectly good. No need to spend money."

Wife:     "This one is hard to clean and the lid is broken. You threw it away, remember?"

Hubby:  "Yeah, but it still flushes."

Wife:     "Water sprays out the top when we pull the handle."

Hubby:  "Who cares?" 

Wife:     "I care. Did you ever think about the way you fill up the thing? No telling what other mess spews into the bathroom."

Hubby:   "Okay. I'll make a deal with you. You can have a new one if I sell the old one."

Wife:      "Deal."

 

The wife became the triumphant winner. Voila! I just wrote a short story. The Toilet in the Yard.

 

Thanks DiAnn for the suggestion. I think most authors write about what they see, hear, and what (or who) they know. Our imaginations are always at work. So is my outrageous sense of humor.

 

DiAnn Mills is a Christy Award Winner. You can find her and her books on these sites.

 

www.facebook.com/diannmills

 twitter.com/diannmills

 

Have you gotten your copy yet of my latest book?

 

Sarah and a Dad for Mandy.

 

A novella, available in eBook

 

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