This Day in Christian History: December 31 December 31, 1837: Birth of John R. Sweney Born in Chester, PA, John R. Sweney discovered his talents at an early age. He became a music teacher and Sunday school music leader while yet a boy. By age 19, he was studying music under German Professor Bauer. He played the piano, violin, and led choir. He specialized in children's music. When the Civil War began, John joined the 3rd Delaware  Regiment, and was in charge of the band. After the war, John continued his musical teaching and accomplishments by accepting a position at the Pennsylvania Military Academy where he served for 25 years. Before his death in 1899, John composed over 1,000 gospel tunes, including Beulah Land, More About Jesus I Would Know, and Tell Me the Stories of Jesus.

This Day in Christian History: December 29 December 29, 1849: The Christmas Hymn It Came Upon a Midnight Clear first published. Born on April 6, 1810 in Massachusetts, Edmund Sears was a minister and author who is best known as the author of the Christmas hymn, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear . He began preaching as a missionary at age 27 in Ohio, and later served several towns in the Boston area. He wrote a good number of theological works in addition to his hymns. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear is said to have been written upon the request of Edmund's friend, William Parsons Lunt. Originally, the poem was written as a reflection on his time as a minister, but it has since become a beloved Christmas carol. It was first published in the Christian Register on December 29, 1849. While we here in America know the song as set to the tune of  Carol by Richard Willis, it is sung to a different tune in the U.K. Arthur Sullivan composed a tune known as Noel and adapted the lyri...

This Day in Christian History: December 26 December 26, 1620: The Mayflower Lands at Plymouth Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor The vessel Mayflower full of ambitious pilgrims looking for religious liberty set sail from Plymouth, England on September 16th, 1620. The 102 passengers spend a miserable 65 days at sea before finally arriving in the New World. As legend has it, they stepped ashore on Plymouth Rock, but their arrival was poorly planned. December in this new world was not ideal for a people with no food stores, no shelters, and no knowledge of the land and climate. The winter of 1620 was very difficult, and by the time spring came, half of them had perished. There is more to this story, of course, but that will be saved for another day.

This Day in Christian History: December 24 December 24, 1818: The beloved hymn "Stille Nacht," or Silent Night was sung for the first time. Franz Gruber On December 5 , we mentioned Joseph Mohr, who was the composer of the lyrics to "Stille Nacht". Today, we're exploring how this hymn came to be.  Joseph Mohr and his friend Franz Xaver Gruber were in need of a new Christmas Carol for their Christmas Eve midnight mass. On Christmas Eve, with the midnight mass only hours away, Joseph brought a poem that he'd written some time earlier to show Franz, who also was the organist and choir master at the church, in hopes that he might be able to set the poem to music. Franz did compose the melody, in only a few hours, and the song was performed for the very first time that night. The song has gone on to become on of the most beloved Christmas Carols of all time and has been translated into about 140 languages. The lyrics to this song still touch our ...

This Day in Christian History: December 20 December 20, 1552: Death of Martin Luther's wife, Katharina von Bora German reformer Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora, a former nun on June 13 1525. Katharina was sent to the cloister in 1504 by her father, and became a nun sometime around 1509. Around 1523, Katharina and some of the other nuns in her monastery gained an interest in the reformation movement and wrote a letter to Martin Luther begging for his assistance to escape the monastery. She and the other nuns escaped by hiding in a covered wagon among fish barrels. After their escape, Luther successfully arranged homes or marriages for all of the nuns, except Katharina. Though she had many suitors, Katharina told Luther's friend Nikolaus von Amsdorf that the only suitors she would accept was Martin Luther, or Nikolaus himself. Martin must have won that one, because Katharina married him in 1525, two years after her escape from the monastery.

This Day in Christian History: December 19 December 19, 1843: Charles Dickens first published A Christmas Carol One of the timeless classics of Christmas, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens was first published on December 19, 1843. It was an instant success, and Dickens is often credited with changing Christmas forever with this novella. One thing is for certain, his tale left a lasting impression on our culture, from the expression of "Bah-Humbug!" to images of Tiny Tim and his words "God bless us, everyone!" In Dicken's story, an old cranky businessman by the name of Ebeneezer Scrooge dreams that he is visited by three ghosts of Christmas. Through his dream, he learns that one can choose joy, peace and kindness, and it can be found even through darkness and despair. Read more about A Christmas Carol on Wikipedia

Today in Christian History: December 16 December 16, 1867: Birth of Amy Carmichael Born on December 16, 1867 in Ireland, Amy Carmichael became on of the greatest missionaries of her time. Among her many accomplishments, Amy is best known for her work of freeing children from pagan temples in India. Amy died in India in 1951. Her wish was that no headstone be placed upon her grave, so instead, the children of India erected a birdbath engraved with a single word, "Amma" which is their word for "mother."

This Day in Christian History: December 10 December 10, 1520: Martin Luther Burns the Papal Bull of Excommunication For Martin Luther's defiance of the Catholic church, and his heresies such as "the just shall live by faith", Pope Leo X issued to him a Papal Bull pronouncing him a heretic and ordering him to recant his teachings, or be severed from the Roman church. Luther reacted by publically burning the Bull, as well as many other books by his enemies, outside the gates of Wittenburg Germany where the Luther Oak stands today. As the flames licked towards the sky, he is said to have yelled above the crackling flames, "Because you, godless book, have grieved or shamed the holiness of the Father, be saddened and consumed by the eternal flames of Hell" . This act was the final straw, and Rome excommunicated Martin Luther less than a month later.

This Day in Christian History: December 8 December 8, 1907: Christmas Seals sold for the first time Emily Bissel 1907 Why is this Christian history? Because the first Christmas seals ever sold were to raise funds to fight tuberculosis. At the time, Tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in America. Born in Deleware during the Civil War, Emily Bissel was an interesting personality. She testified against the women's suffrage movement stating "The vote is part of man's work. Ballot-box, cartridge box, jury box, sentry box all go together in his part of life. Women cannot step in and take the responsibilities and duties of voting with assuming his place very largely." Several years later, Emily felt drawn to help in the fight against tuberculosis. She came up with the idea for Christmas Seals and sold them at post offices for a penny each. It took some persistence, but eventually the charity took off. Still today, the Christmas Seals raise hundreds o...

This Day in Christian History: December 6 December 6, 1769: William Cowper composes the hymn Oh, For a Closer Walk with God. William Cowper was a poet and hymnist of the 18th century. On December 6th, during the illness of one of William's closest friends, he picked up his pen and wrote the lines to the hymn, Oh For a Closer Walk with God. William told his aunt: I be­gan to com­pose them yes­ter­day morn­ing be­fore day­break, but I fell asleep at the end of the first two lines. When I awaked again, the third and fourth vers­es were whis­pered to my heart in a way I have of­ten ex­per­i­enced. These are the words he wrote: O for a closer walk with God, A calm and heavenly frame, A light to shine upon the road That leads me to the Lamb! Where is the blessedness I knew, When first I saw the Lord? Where is the soul refreshing view Of Jesus and His Word? What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void Th...

This Day in Christian History: December 5 December 5, 1848: Death of Joseph Mohr Josephus Franciscus Mohr was born on December 11, 1792. His mother, Anna Schoiberin, was an embroderer who became mixed up with a deserter of the mercenary army. He left her before Joseph was born. Joseph's rough start and upbringing did not cripple him. He went on to become an accomplished violinist, singer, and vicar in the Catholic church.  However, Joseph is best known as the composer of the beloved Christmas carol, Silent Night. On Christmas Eve of 1818, Joseph was in need of a carol for the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass service. He brought along a poem that he had written several years before and got together with the church's choir master and organist by the name of Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber composed the tune in only a few hours and "Stille Nacht" was born.   Read more about Silent Night and Joseph Mohr here.

Moravian Christmas Traditions By Tamera Lynn Kraft In my novella, A Christmas Promise, I write about Moravian missionaries in Schoenbrunn Village, circa 1773. The Moravians brought many Christmas traditions to America that we use to celebrate Christ’s birth today. Here are a few of them. The Christmas Tree: Moravians brought the idea of decorating Christmas trees in their homes in the early 1700s, long before it became a popular tradition in the United States. Christmas Eve Candlelight Services: Most churches have Christmas Eve services where they sing Christmas carols and light candles to show Jesus came to be the light of the world. The Moravian Church has been doing that for centuries. They call their services lovefeasts because they also have a part of the service where they serve sweetbuns and coffee – juice for the kids – and share Christ’s love with each other. For candles, Moravians use bleached beeswax with a red ribbon tied around them. The white symboli...

This Day in Christian History: November 28 November 28, 1904 - Clergyman and hymn writer Jeremiah E. Rankin dies at age 76. Jeremiah Rankin was born on January 2, 1828. Besides being an abolitionist, clergyman, correspondent to Fredrick Douglas, and president of Howard University, Jeremiah was best known as the author of  "To Tell Jesus" and "Till We Meet Again" and many others. He died on November 28, 1904 at the age of 76.

This Day in Christian History - November 25 The Deluge , by John Martin , 1834. Oil on canvas. Yale University November 25, 2348 B.C. - Noah's Flood Begins Archbishop James Ussher's Old Testament chronology records that the "Great Deluge" of Noah's flood commenced on this day. According to Genesis 7, " all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

This Day in Christian History: November 24 November 24, 1838 - Franois Blanchet arrives in Oregon.  Franois Blanchet was a Canadian Sulpician missionary. He spend over 45 years planting churches in the American Northwest. He is known as the "Apostle of Oregon" for the work he accomplished in the territory, and there is a Catholic school in Salem, OR named after him.

This Day in Christian History: November 22 November 22, 1873: Horatio Spafford's daughters drown. Horatio Spafford was a lawyer from Chicago. After losing his son to sickness, and most of his wealth to the Chicago fire, he and his family decided to cross the Atlantic and spend some time in Europe on vacation. Horatio was delayed by business, but his wife and four daughters went ahead on the ship. On November 22, 1873, the passenger ship carrying Horatio's family collided with another vessel and sank to the depths of the sea. Horatio received a telegraph from his wife with two words: Saved Alone. With a broken heart, Horatio made arrangements to join his grieving wife in Europe. The heartbreaking experience of passing over the spot where his four beautiful girls had drowned is what gave us the beloved hymn, It Is Well With My Soul.

THANK YOU!!! We can’t say it any more plainly. As each day grows closer to those times of the year that makes one pause and reflect on what they are thankful for and what their year was like, we cannot help but come back to the one place any Author or Publisher needs to think of and consider with each and every word- YOU – our readers and supporters . We count on you each and every “Thirsty Thursday” Party for your feedback, every review you give, every email and direct message you send the Authors in our Community. Without your guidance and support we know that we would cease to exist. “THANK YOU!!!!”   As a small token of our appreciation we are going to try to do a few fun things for you over the next 4 weeks. We are going to offer all of the paperbacks, audio books and ebooks in the Helping Hands Press Store at 30% off from Nov. 20 to Dec.18 th .All you need to do is use the code word “ THANKYOU ” when you check out to receive the discount.   We a...

This Day in Christian History: November 21 November 21, 1947: Religious Anthology First Airs on Television In 1947, CBS created a television show entitled Lamp Unto My Feet that aired on Sunday mornings. This show was a mix of dramas, music and interviews that highlighted the cultures, theology and history of the Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths. The first show aired on November 21st, and it became one of the longest running network shows. It merged with another show in 1979.

This Day in Christian History - November 20 November 20th, 1850 - Fanny Crosby's Conversion at Age 30 Frances Jane van Alstyne née Crosby better known as Fanny Crosby , was born on March 24th 1820. She was the only child. At six weeks old, Fanny caught a cold and the sickness spread to her eyes, blinding her for life. Fanny wrote her first poem at age eight. She was educated at the New York Institution for the Blind where she became a skilled singer and musician. She later became an instructor at this institute. After nursing the sick of the cholera epidemic of 1849, Fanny recognized her need for the Savior and the assurance of her eternal destination. It was on November 20th, 1850 that Fanny experienced a touch from God. Her conversion story is amazing, and you can read the full testimony here. Fanny went on to write over 8,000 hymns, many of them being our most beloved gospel songs such as Blessed Assurance, Pass Me Not Oh Gentle Saviour and Softly and Tenderly .

Today in Christian History: November 19th November 19th, 1862 William (Billy) Sunday was born.  Billy Sunday is one of America's finest revivalists. He was born near Ames, IA to William Sunday and Mary Jane Corey Sunday. Billy's father, William enlisted in the 23rd volunteer infantry, and he later died of disease. Billy's mother later remarried, but her second husband abandoned the family. At age ten, likely due to her inability to provide for him, Billy's mother sent the boy to a Soldiers' Orphans Home. This is where he gained his education and first discovered his ability in sports. Sunday became a major league baseball player 1883-91, and gained popularity. While in Chicago, Sunday overheard a church service at the Pacific Garden Mission. Recognizing some of the hymns that his mother used to sing, Billy began attending services which led to his conversion. His habits of drinking, gambling and swearing vanished. The change in his behavior was noted by ...

Today, Special Guest Ada Brownell joins us to talk about her experience growing up in a large family.    Ada is a retired newspaper reporter who also has written for Christian publications since age 15. She is author of five books, two fiction and three non-fiction: The Lady Fugitive; Joe the Dreamer: the Castle and the Catapult; Imagine the Future You; Swallowed by LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal; Confessions of a Pentecostal, out of print but now available for Kindle. Read the first chapter of The Lady Fugitive here: http://ow.ly/CHtxB Ada’s Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KJ2C06 Her blog: http://www.inkfromanearthenvessel.blogspot.com A late October day I arrived in Fruita, Colorado, screaming. The doctor and Mama grinned, but to some ears it wasn’t a welcome sound. Mama and Daddy had seven children. I was the eighth and the fifth girl. The family had escaped from the Kansas Dust Bowl and the Great D...