Miracle in a Small Town

Many times I have driven through Monticello, Kentucky on Christmas morning on the way to my parents house. The quiet streets and the stillness of the moment let me know that people were indeed at home spending Christmas with their families. What remained, in all its serenity, revealed a simple, but humble, nostalgic quality of a town that is endearing. Kentucky These charming traits, combined with its history, is something sweet to cherish.

Seeing God's beauty in places like Monticello is a common theme across the world. Qualities that define God's nature are seen, not just in grand miracles, but in everyday creation. The Bible speaks of places where God's glory shines. Seeing the quiet beauty of my little corner of the world in trips to my parents' home on Christmas morning reminds me of the story of that first Christmas morning.

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:8-11).

The beautifulness of God's handiwork is not only seen in a drive through town, but you can also find it in a walk in the woods, or in a quiet sunset, or in a gentle breeze. Asking God to open your eyes to see His presence in everything will give you the perspective that God isn't just confined to grand events or holy buildings.

"O Little Town of Bethlehem" tells the story of Jesus' birth in a humble town, a small place on a quiet night for such a momentous event. The song was written in 1868 by Phillips Brooks, a minister at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia. The words resonated themes of stillness and peace, reflecting hope in the aftermath of the Civil War.

While Brooks was not Abraham Lincoln's pastor, when the president’s slain body arrived in Independence Hall in Philadelphia on April 22, 1865, he had delivered the eulogy. The event served as a massive emotional release for a grieving nation. Hundreds of thousands of mourners had filed past the open casket in the Assembly Room, the same place where the Declaration of Independence was signed,

After that, Brooks took a sabbatical to Bethlehem. It was Christmas Eve when he attended a service at the Church of the Nativity. The visit had a profound impact on him, and he was inspired by the peaceful, humble atmosphere of the town, and the world-changing birth that occurred there.

At first, the song was a poem. The church's organist, Lewis Redner, was asked to put it to music. Trying as he did, he could not come up with an appropriate melody. One night he went to bed feeling defeated. It was the night before the Christmas Eve service. During his fretful sleep it seemed that he heard music. Immediately, he got up and wrote it down just as we sing it today. When he presented it to Rev. Brooks he said, "I think it was a gift from heaven."

The carol emphasizes that Jesus entered this world through a small, seemingly insignificant town, fulfilling prophecy found in Micah 5:2, and showing God's plan often works through humble means...the peaceful, quiet night of the first Christmas.

"O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight

Merry Christmas!

(A story that I wrote for the Wayne Weekly)

Hymns of Hope: Fanny Crosby

Fanny Crosby, the prolific hymn writer, wrote several Christmas-themed songs. Though she's more famous for hymns like "Blessed Assurance" and "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior," which she wrote after hearing the cry of a prison inmate, some of her notable Christmas works include "Christmas Carol (Cheerily Hail the Christmas Morn)," a joyful carol celebrating the birth of Jesus....

"Merrily now the bells we hear
Chiming in chorus sweet and clear
Gather and sing, gather and sing
Welcome the children's King"

Another one, "Sing Hallelujah," encourages praise for the infant Redeemer....

"Come to the feet of our infant Redeemer
Come where today in a manger He lies
Lift up our hearts in a song of devotion
Let our hosannas with gladness arise"

I encourage you to find and listen to her Christmas hymns. At six weeks old, Fanny developed an eye infection, and a doctor applied the wrong medication, which causing permanent blindness. Later, she would say that she believed it was God's plan, and that she would thank the doctor if she met him, as it led to her profound spiritual life and prolific writing.

While attending a Christian camp near Lake Erie, she said to Pastor John Sweney, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition to my Creator, it would have been that I should be born blind?” When he asked why, she said “Because, when I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”

In her diary, she wrote, "It seemed intended by the blessed Providence of God that I should be blind all my life. I could not have written thousands of hymns if I had been hindered by the distractions of seeing all the interesting and beautiful objects ther would have been presented to my notice."

Fanny Jane Crosb - mission worker, poet, lyricist, composer, prolific hymnist - lived from 1820 to 1915. By the end of the 19th century, she had become a household name.

Hymns of Hope: O Holy Night (the origins)

The first major radio broadcast with voice and music was by Canadian inventor and radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden. It was on Christmas Eve in 1906, in Brant Rock, Massachusetts. It was heard by radio operators on ships along the Atlantic Coast. During the transmission, he played a piece of music on his violin and followed it by reading from Luke chapter 2. The song he played was John Sullivan Dwight's 'O Holy Night.'

Dwight lived and died in Boston, MA. The Harvard graduate became an ordained a minister, but ministry proved not to be his vocation. It was music. In 1852, he founded Dwight's Journal of Music, which became one of the most respected and influential periodicals in country. In 1855, he wrote English lyrics for the Christmas carol "O Holy Night,".which was originally written in French.

The origins of this beloved song began eight years earlier when the local priest in French Village asked worldly poet Placide Cappeau to write a poem for Christmas mass.

Not knowing exactly where to turn, he opened a bible to the book of Luke and put himself into the wonder of that night and imagined all the emotions and miracles he might have seen. He was so pleased with Cantique De Noel,” he asked musician friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, a Jew, to write music for it. The French village immediately embraced it. Years later, upon discovering Cappeau was a worldly man and Adams was a Jew, the church banned the song, but parishioners continued to sing it in their own homes behind closed doors.

Fast forward several decades to when John Sullivan Dwight discovered the song and fell in love with it. He published his rewritten version in his magazine and the nation quickly embraced it.

So, there you have it. Upon finishing his reading of Luke 2, Fessenden picked up his violin and played the strains of “O Holy Night,” not only marking the moment as the first broadcast of a man’s voice, but the first song ever to be played over the airwaves.

O holy night
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth
Long lay the world in sin and e’er pining
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees
O hear the Angels voices
O night divine O night when Christ was born
O night divine, O night, O night divine

Hymns of Hope: O to be Like Thee

The words for this hymn were written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm, who lived from 1866 to 1960. He was born in a log cabin near Franklin, Kentucky. He was educated in a one room school and became a teacher at the age of 16. By the age of 21 he was an associate editor of the local newspaper. He was saved at age 27, afterwhich he penned the words to "Oh, To Be Like Thee."

The basis for his words was his desire to shape himself in the image of Christ. Soon, poor health would challenge his efforts to become a newspaper editor and an ordained minister, however he would continue writing poetry. He wrote "Living for Jesus," (Living for Jesus, a life that is true, Striving to please Him in all that I do), but perhaps his most famous hymn is "Great Is Thy Faithfulness."

The words to "O to be Like Him" and "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" might be his personal diary. He started his spiritual journey with a desire to be like Jesus and as he neared the end of his journey on this earth he proclaimed God's greatness and faithfulness. What a testimony. May this be our experience and testimony as well. As we enter 2026, why not make it your prayer to be like Jesus in all that you do?

"O to be like Thee, O to be like Thee
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art
Come in Thy sweetness
Come in Thy fullness
Stamp Thine own image
Deep on my heart"

"O to be like Thee! full of compassion
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting
Seeking the wand’ring sinners to find"

Hymns of Hope: What a Day That Will Be

This hymn was written in 1955 by gospel singer Jim Hill of Middletown, Ohio. The inspiration for it came from two people who were in his life. One person was an orphan girl who had sung at his church. She concluded her song with the words, “What a day that will be,” a phrase that resonated deeply with Hill and stayed with him over the years. The second inspiration came from a personal family tragedy, when his mother-in-law suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed. Hill struggled to comprehend why such a terrible thing would happen to such a kind and devout woman as his mother-in-law was.

One day while sitting on his porch, he founded himself reflecting on the trials she had faced, when the words to the hymn began to flow into his mind. Despite having never written a song before, he shared the words with his family. On their next visit to see his mother-in-law, Hill, his wife, and sister-in-law sang it to her and for the first time in three years, she smiled. To Hill, it was a divine confirmation that his song was blessed by God.

“What a Day That Will Be” is a song of encouragement and hope. Its message of a future without sorrow, pain or death, draws on the promise found in Revelation 21:4: “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

“What a Day That Will Be” is a beautiful reminder of the eternal peace promised to believers. The second verse says it all:

"There'll be no sorrows there
No more burdens to bear
No more sickness, no pain
No more parting over there
And forever I will be
With the one who died for me
What a day, glorious day that will be"

Jim Hill sang with the Stamps and Statesmen quartets. In later years he was part of the Gaither “Homecoming Series.” He was also the worship minister and choir director at Towne Blvd Church of God in Middletown, where he was a long-time member. He passed away on Jan. 9, 2018.

Jesus: Precious Name, Oh How Sweet

Lydia Odell Baxter was born in Petersburg, New York, 1809. A couple of decades later, she and her husband moved to New York City and operated a home that became known as a gathering place for ministers, evangelists and Christian workers; a lighthouse in the big city, offering respite to those spreading the gospel.

But God had a different path for Lydia – one that would take her through the valley of suffering. She developed a serious chronic illness that would confine her to bed for most of her remaining life – nearly three decades. While many would have grown bitter from such an affliction, Lydia maintained a cheerful and patient disposition that inspired everyone around her. Friends who came to offer comfort left having received it instead.

Lydia filled her days and nights with intensive Bible study and writing. She had a particular fascination with Biblical names and their meanings. Among those names, the one she found most precious was, "Jesus." Her outlook was positive. When asked how that could be in light of her suffering, she would say, “I have a very special armor. I have the name of Jesus.

Invoking Jesus’ name as spiritual protection became the inspiration for her most famous hymn, “Take the Name of Jesus with You,” written in 1870, just four years before her death. Writing it was not merely a creative outlet during her illness, but a ministry, a way of sharing the comfort she had found in Jesus’ name, with anyone who would read or sing her words.

"Take the name of Jesus with you
Child of sorrow and of woe
It will joy and comfort give you
Take it then, where’er you go"

(Taken from hymcharts.com by Don Chapman)

"I Surrender All...a Cause to Sing"

We all love that great hymn, but do you know the story behind how it came to be? The words were written by Judson Van DeVenter of Dundee, Michigan around 1890 and were later put to music by Winfield S. Weeden and published in 1896. Van DenVenter was an accomplished musician who started out as an art teacher. He taught in Sharon, Pennsylvania for 15 years, and during that time, was active in the Methodist Episcopal Church doing evangelistic work. Soon his friends began encouraging him to leave teaching to become an evangelist.

“I was conducting a meeting at East Palestine, Ohio… For some time I had struggled between developing my talents in the field of art and going into full-time evangelistic work. At last the pivotal hour of my life came, and I surrendered all. A new day was ushered into my life. I became an evangelist and discovered down deep in my soul a talent hitherto unknown to me. God had hidden a song in my heart, and touching a tender chord, he caused me to sing.”

"I Surrender All" was first published in Gospel Songs of Grace and Glory, a collection of old and new hymns by various hymnists. It has continued to appear in numerous other hymnals since its publication.

Van DeVenter went on to write more than 60 hymns and songs. In the 1920s, he served as a professor of hymnology at Florida Bible Institute near Tampa, which was later attended by Billy Graham. In “Crusade Hymn Stories,” by crusades singer Cliff Barrows, he writes that the evangelist said students often gathered in Van DeVenter's home for fellowship and singing. Graham was with the hymn writer when he died on July 17, 1939, recounting that Van DeVenter sang “I Surrender All” on his deathbed. Graham regularly used the hymn in his crusades.

All to Jesus I Surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now
All to Jesus I surrender
Make me, Saviour, wholly thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord, I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me
All to Jesus I surrender
Now I feel the sacred flame
Oh, the joy of full salvation
Glory, glory, to His name
Refrain:

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee, my blessed Savior
I surrender all

Thanks to Kelly Reneau for allowing me to use her beautiful photo.

How Firm a Foundation

An original verse in "How Firm a Foundation," goes like this...

"In ev’ry condition, in sickness, in health, in poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land, on the sea, as thy days may demand shall thy strength ever be."

Originally published in London, England in 1787, the hymn first appeared in America in 1832, and became much loved and adored. It is good to know that in today's world, no matter the circumstance, no matter where we find ourselves, we can rely on God to provide us with a firm foundation to keep us calm and encouraged. God's love for us is rich and pure, measureless, strong and enduring. The hymn assures believers that God's strength will always be sufficient, regardless of their circumstances.

During the Civil War, both sides could be heard singing it, a testament to how God bridges the gap between all men with a calming realization that the foundation of God is our refuge. Andrew Jackson requested it be sung at his deathbed, and Robert E. Lee and Theodore Roosevelt both requested it be sung at their funerals.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American war, tensions between the North and the South were still high. A divided American army. needed to put aside differences to face a new conflict, but that was easier said than done, and then on Christmas eve of 1898 a sentinel’s call rang out, “twelve o’clock, and all’s well!” It was Christmas morning. With thoughts of home on his mind, suddenly there arose the sound of an old, familiar hymn, ringing out along those moonlit fields: ‘How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord!’ One voice, then another and soon another, and another, and in a moment a whole American army corps was singing:

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed; For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I’ll strengthen thee, help thee and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand."

With lyrics like "In ev'ry condition, in sickness, in health, in poverty's vale or abounding in wealth, at home or abroad, on the land, on the sea" believers are assured that God's strength will always be sufficient, regardless of their circumstances. The promise of God's strength applies to all situations, both good and bad. What an amazing comfort.

For 223 years, our church has been a source of strength and comfort for its members; a place for fellowship, spiritual nourishment and support; providing a sense of belonging, connection and opportunities for spiritual growth, prayer and learning about faith; offering comfort and direction during difficult times. We praise God for that.

Unexpected Blessings

I could hardly see through my windshield because of the slush and gook that had been splattered on it, so on my lunch hour I drove to the car wash, only to find it closed. Of course, we had just encountered a winter storm and the wind chill was near zero. I was resigned to the fact that I would have to wait another day to wash my car.

Since Burger King was next door, I decided that was where I would get lunch. I pulled up to the pickup window and immediately there was water dripping from the awning above, dripping onto the dirty windshield I was having trouble seeing out of. In seconds my windshield was clean!

In the process of living, we sometimes face struggles, but God sure does have a way of working things out. Here's a shout-out to unexpected blessings that let me know just how good God is.

"For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Matthew 25:35

Long may our Land be Bright with Freedom's Holy Light

Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Great Britain on July 2, 1776, but after voting to approve it, a draft document was needed to explain it to the public. The proposed draft was made by a committee that included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. It took two days for Congress to agree on the edits, and so the actual Declaration of Independence document was approved on July 4th.

In just two years from now, it will be exactly 250 years since the original Independence Day. We have come a long way since that time. Starting then as the smallest and youngest of the nations of the world, we have become the greatest and most powerful.

But today, God, as the ruler of all nations, is being at­tacked both internally and externally and it is having too much ef­fect for us to be complacent any longer. It is time that we should remind ourselves that we have a heritage of dependence on God, so well authenticated that it would be impossible to remove this from our history, even if we wanted to.

Our Declaration of Independence states that the right of mankind to enjoy freedom is a gift of God. Here are the words....

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Our coins state "In God We Trust." Our pledge of allegiance declares that we are "one nation under God." The president of the United States, when he takes the oath of office, places one hand on a Bible and raises the other toward heaven as he pledges to uphold the constitution.

The Bible says. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." If our nation needed God's help in overcoming its enemies when it was the tiniest infant nation in the world, and its leaders then said that it did, can we afford now to take the attitude that we have outgrown the need of Divine assistance?

When we take this attitude, we are on the road to disaster. Wouldn't it be far better to acknowledge now that we need the Lord and to ask Him to intervene in our affairs?

Abraham Lincoln said, "1 have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go." J. Edgar Hoover said, "The force of prayer is greater than any possible combination of man-controlled powers, because prayer is man's greatest means of tapping the infinite resources of God.

One of our favorite patriotic songs, "America," has a stanza, which is really a prayer....

"Our fathers' God to Thee
Author of liberty
To Thee we sing
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light
Protect us by Thy might
Great God our King"


This Independence Day. let's pause our celebration long enough to pray this prayer.

Ice Cave

In 1945 at the Kentucky State Fair, Wayne County placed fourth in natural resources with things like oil, timber, coal, the largest number of miles of natural fishing streams and abundant wildlife and natural scenery resources like the 'ice cave.'

An ice cave?

The Louisville Courier-Journal reported in 1899 that there was an ice cave on old "Uncle" Tom Kelsey's farm, about 14 miles east of Albany and 1.5 miles from Gap Creek Store, near the Clinton/Wayne county line, on a spur of Poplar Mountain. Inside, a sink of some eighty yards almost perpendicular opened up a cavity in the earth filled with rooms of various sizes and dimensions. On all sides was large deposits of the most perfect process of the refrigerator, compact pure, lasting and perfect in every respect. The cave was high up on the ridge and anybody in the surrounding community having a yen for ice could go in and get it.

The newspaper wrote that Mammoth Cave had been praised and eulogized time and again as being the greatest curiosity of Kentucky, and even of the world, but It remained for the county of Clinton to come to the front with a phenomenon in the nature of a cave that surpassed all others.

In the article, Bony Baker and William Cheek, who had visited the cave and used the ice, vouched for "the truth of it, and said ice cave was the finest refrigerator In the world. They reported that people for miles and miles around would go there during the summer for their ice. Cheek said he explored the cave on July 4, 1880, took out a lump of ice, wrapped it In a bed blanket and drove to Somerset, where the Ice weighed fifty pounds, thus showing Its compactness and endurancs of heat.

In 1933, the Times Tribune in Corbin, Kentucky said Ice Cave had gotten its name because of its ability to preserve ice through the summer months. Kelsay said he had known of ice being removed from the cave as late as September. The ice formed early in the spring and if properly taken care of would be a great help to a family through the summer. Cheek had gone into the cave in late May of 1933 and brought out ice for freezing ice cream.