tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20277504745339854852024-02-10T21:44:06.753-08:00Steven's StoriesWelcome to my blog! Sit back, relax, and enjoy! Feel free to clIck "Follow" and check back regularly!StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-6551778497175165592024-02-10T19:05:00.000-08:002024-02-10T21:43:35.017-08:00God Sent a Cockroach<p>I wrote the following poem on March 23, 2004, remembering one of the strangest answers to prayer that I have ever witnessed as a child growing up in the Philippines. As you may gather, I was the boy in question. The only detail I can think of that I left out is that the cockroach did not live to tell the tale. Also, my mom was sharing about it in a prayer meeting with colleagues later in the day, and someone commented, "God sent you a cockroach and you killed it??"</p><p>I forget the date of the incident, but I believe it was in the late 1980s or early '90s.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI0MXaVAVQksH5HyH6hi2kZVSXdbmHFxuYoLCTlSWH3qDSLsysBrLmPB-LWbsPK-bhWmUx4gYpruIynJkIArcjWtOHVm1eTXctI565ybncqYXGjaL5uQ9dtfe2yCi41o4YiPkjIFyPWooYZIDaWWONIGVq8g38poPfjZG0txANq0F9cfdJhGmb45Ka2s/s4608/AdobeStock_299254790.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI0MXaVAVQksH5HyH6hi2kZVSXdbmHFxuYoLCTlSWH3qDSLsysBrLmPB-LWbsPK-bhWmUx4gYpruIynJkIArcjWtOHVm1eTXctI565ybncqYXGjaL5uQ9dtfe2yCi41o4YiPkjIFyPWooYZIDaWWONIGVq8g38poPfjZG0txANq0F9cfdJhGmb45Ka2s/s320/AdobeStock_299254790.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/208243361/kohyao?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Kohyao</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In a far-off land<br />There lived a boy<br />Who went to school in the morning<br />With his father the teacher<br />In a city not known for its wonderful traffic<br />So at 4 in the morn<br />His mother roused him from bed<br />And every evening he prayed<br />He'd be alert the next day</p><p>And one morning God chose<br />To answer the boy's prayer<br />In the last way the boy would expect</p><p>In the tropical heat<br />There was no blanket on the bed<br />The boy lay on top of the sheet<br />Too hot even for a t-shirt in bed</p><p>His mom came to wake him up<br />The sleepy boy opened his eyes<br />And then it happened:<br />God sent a cockroach!<br />It scurried over the boy's bare belly<br />And suddenly<br />The sleepiness left<br />The boy was alert<br />Very alert<br />And he remembered his prayer<br />And thanked God for sending a cockroach<br />God used an insect to bring glory to His Name</p><p>As the years have gone by<br />The boy has grown into a man<br />He has never forgotten the cockroach God sent<br />To remind him<br />That God can use anything at all<br />To answer prayer<br />And to bring honor to His Name</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-47203103733862909762024-02-09T19:05:00.000-08:002024-02-10T21:38:26.820-08:00How to Write Your Very Own Rodgers & Hammerstein Musical (Take 2)This may sound familiar to people who have been following my blog for a while. A few years ago after watching an Anna Russell sketch in which she details how to write your own Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, I was inspired to write some notes on a similar approach to Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, as they also have many common threads. After writing my notes on paper, they disappeared. Finally, in 2018, having not found my notes, I wrote what I remembered of them for the <i>All Things Broadway</i> blog. When that blog went down, I reblogged it <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2022/12/writing-your-very-own-rodgers.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <div><br /></div><div>I have recently been going through my papers and finally found the notes! So, as I originally intended, I am adapting them here, based on the actual notes and not just my memory of them. I am also incorporating more points that weren't in my notes, but most of the below points were there.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsEvUcB_02aKgH3oyVy1-VvirVhcJXsE2WgGMMFDgbRZHwYgkZiPmAbyvJiophlF_YwYoagtzZREz_LI3Fc30ouGEWa7ST3s9-4YJMCMOK0w4DivA0XKycyjyDFpaMV0Y1vYmjudLiju6PtkjIGQJnMBYHHNaikrVDjzEu_L6qbkZHpRhIztAjDmu7vc/s674/Final_scene_South_Pacific.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsEvUcB_02aKgH3oyVy1-VvirVhcJXsE2WgGMMFDgbRZHwYgkZiPmAbyvJiophlF_YwYoagtzZREz_LI3Fc30ouGEWa7ST3s9-4YJMCMOK0w4DivA0XKycyjyDFpaMV0Y1vYmjudLiju6PtkjIGQJnMBYHHNaikrVDjzEu_L6qbkZHpRhIztAjDmu7vc/s320/Final_scene_South_Pacific.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;">Ezio Pinza, Barbara Luna, Michael or Noel De Leon, Mary Martin,<br />in the final scene of the original production of </span><i style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;">South Pacific</i><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 15.2px; text-align: start;"> (1949)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein III wrote multiple musicals, many of which went on to be classics. They had a very distinct style, however, and you can generally tell by listening to them that they are Rodgers & Hammerstein. Inspired by Anna Russell's lesson on writing your own Gilbert & Sullivan operetta, I sat down a few years ago to come up with some important elements to remember when writing your own R&H musical. I put examples in as subpoints below. The examples, of course, are not comprehensive lists.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The plot should tackle some controversial subject. For example, <i>The Sound of Music</i> involved Nazis. <i>Carousel</i> and <i>Oklahoma!</i> involved abuse. <i>Carousel</i> involved attempted robbery and suicide. <i>Oklahoma!</i> involved drugs ("Egyptian smelling salts"), which brought on a hallucinogenic dream that turned into a nightmare. <i>Flower Drum Song</i> had a mail-order bride, illegal immigration, and a striptease. <i>South Pacific</i> involved interracial and intercultural romance (which was more controversial at the time than it is now), racism in general, and a major character who killed in self-defense. <i>The King & I</i> involved slavery and a harem.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The overture must be relatively or extremely long. If there is an entr'acte, it should also be long.</div><div><br /></div><div>There must be some element of love, no matter how far-fetched.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The lovers must sing a duet in which one of them sings the first verse and then the other sings the first verse nearly verbatim back to them. </li><ul><li>"Sixteen Going on Seventeen" from <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>"Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" from <i>Cinderella</i></li><li>"If I Loved You" from<i> Carousel</i></li><li>"I Have Dreamed" and "We Kiss in a Shadow" from <i>The King & I</i></li><li>"People Will Say We're in Love" and "All er Nothin' " from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li></ul><li>The male lover may be a widowed man with children, though the number of children he has varies. </li><ul><li>Captain Von Trapp in <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>Emile de Becque in <i>South Pacific</i></li></ul><li>The main female lover may have a quirky friend who is also in love </li><ul><li>Carrie Pipperidge (friend of Julie Jordan) in <i>Carousel</i></li><li>Ado Annie Carnes (friend of Laurey Williams) in <i>Oklahoma!</i></li></ul><li>At least one of the lovers should go through a short period of time when they are, or look like they are, or think they are, in love with someone else. </li><ul><li>Laurey Williams and Curly McLain/Jud Fry, as well as Ado Annie Carnes and Will Parker/Ali Hakim, in <i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li>Sammy Fong/Wang Ta and Linda Low/Mei Li (it's complicated) in <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>Captain Von Trapp and Maria Rainer/Baroness Elsa Schraeder in <i>The Sound of Music</i></li></ul><li>A pair of lovers should sing a song dreaming about their life together. </li><ul><li>"An Ordinary Couple" from <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>"Sunday" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>"When the Children Are Asleep" from <i>Carousel</i></li></ul><li>The lovers don't always have to marry each other, but that is preferable. </li><ul><li>Some couples marry, though the wedding may or may not be shown onstage:</li><ul><li>Curley and Laurey (<i>Oklahoma!</i>)</li><li>Julie and Billy, Enoch and Carrie (<i>Carousel</i>)</li><li>Maria and the Captain (<i>The Sound of Music</i>)</li><li>Cinderella and the Prince</li><li>Nellie and Emile (<i>South Pacific</i>) are engaged. </li><li>Things look promising for Ado Annie and Will (<i>Oklahoma!</i>)</li></ul><li>Some couples do not marry, for various reasons:</li><ul><li>Liesl and Rolf (<i>The Sound of Music</i>) </li><li>Cable and Liat (<i>South Pacific</i>)</li><li>Tuptim and Lun Tha (<i>The King & I</i>).</li></ul></ul><li>One of the lovers may sing a solo love song. </li><ul><li>"Younger than Springtime" and "I'm in Love with a Wonderful Guy" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Mister Snow" from <i>Carousel</i></li><li>"The Surrey with the Fringe on Top" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li></ul></ul><div>A hate song is an added bonus. The singer may or may not actually hate, but they would like to think so. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Stonecutters Cut it on Stone" from <i>Carousel</i></li><li>"I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right Outta My Hair" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Many a New Day" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li></ul></div><div>In lieu of a hate song, or along with it, the lovers might sing a love song trying to convince each other (or trying to make it look like) they aren't actually in love. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"People Will Say We're in Love" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li>"If I Loved You" from <i>Carousel</i></li></ul></div><div>There should be a song giving advice about what happy or positive thing to do when experiencing negative feelings. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"My Favorite Things" from <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>"I Whistle a Happy Tune" from <i>The King & I</i></li><li>"You'll Never Walk Alone" from <i>Carousel</i></li></ul></div></div><div>A major character may sing a soliloquy, in which he ponders a major decision set before him. His decision at the end of the song determines the course of the rest of his life. He does not survive the show. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Soliloquy" from <i>Carousel</i></li><li>"Lonely Room" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li></ul></div><div>Someone should sing a song trying to convince another character to (or not to) do something. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Happy Talk" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Don't Marry Me" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>"Climb Every Mountain" from <i>The Sound of Music</i></li></ul>Sometimes, this song has a haunting, wistful melody. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Bali Ha'i" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Something Wonderful" from <i>The King & I</i></li></ul></div><div>There should be at least one song that the whole company (or nearly the whole company) sings, which is accompanied by a dance. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"The Farmer and the Cowman" and "Oklahoma!" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li>"It's a Grand Night for Singing" from<i> State Fair</i></li><li>"This Was a Real Nice Clambake" and "You'll Never Walk Alone (reprise)" from <i>Carousel</i></li></ul>A variation on this would be the company dancing while the two lovers sing their duet to each other, oblivious to the company's presence. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" from <i>Cinderella</i></li></ul></div><div>If the state or territory where the musical is set (if it's set in the US) is important enough to the plot, there must be a song about that state or territory, preferably one which spells out the name of aforementioned state or territory. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Oklahoma!" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li>"All I Owe Ioway" or "It's the Little Things in Texas" from two versions of <i>State Fair</i></li><li>"Grant Avenue" (San Francisco, California, USA!) from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li></ul></div><div>Characters in the musical may put on a stage production, in some cases a "play within a play." </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Honey Bun" in <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Small House of Uncle Thomas" in <i>The King & I</i></li><li>"Do Re Mi (reprise)" and "Edelweiss" in <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>"Fan Tan Fanny" in <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>Pretty much the entire plot of <i>Me and Juliet</i></li></ul></div><div>One group of characters may sing a song about how they don't understand or can't stand another group. It can be men and/or women singing about each other, generations singing about each other, or really any two groups that don't fully understand each other.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Stonecutters Cut it on Stone" and "Give it to 'em Good, Carrie" from <i>Carousel</i></li><li>"Many a New Day" and "It's a Scandal! It's a Outrage!" from <i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li>"The Other Generation" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li></ul></div><div>An instrumental break accompanied by a dreamy ballet is a plus. This is very important to the plot.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Oklahoma!</i></li><li><i>Carousel</i></li><li><i>Flower Drum Song</i></li></ul></div><div>A major character may teach another character a dance.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Laendler" from <i>The Sound of Music</i></li><li>"Shall We Dance?" from <i>The King and I</i></li></ul></div><div><div>Upon thinking they have lost the love of their life, a lover sings a lament about what they believe they have lost. It generally turns out all right.</div><div><ul><li>"Geraniums in the Window" from <i>Carousel</i></li><li>"This Nearly Was Mine" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Love, Look Away" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li></ul></div></div><div>The musical should include the word "dope" (as in, foolish person) in there somewhere. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"Marry a dope, innocent and gaga" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>"The gentleman is a dope" from <i>Allegro</i></li><li>"I sit around and mope, pretending I am wonderful, and knowing I'm a dope" from <i>State Fair</i></li><li>"I'm stuck like a dope with a thing called hope" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"Because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes, impossible things are happening every day" from <i>Cinderella</i></li></ul></div><div>Something should also be "cockeyed" (askew or quirky). </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"I'm only a cockeyed optimist" from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"While somersaulting at a cockeyed angle, we make a cockeyed circle round the sun" from <i>The Sound of Music</i>)</li></ul></div><div>It may also include the word "gay" (as in happy or fun). </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>"I feel so gay in a melancholy way that it might as well be spring" from <i>State Fair</i></li><li>"Younger than springtime am I. Gayer than laughter am I." from <i>South Pacific</i></li><li>"The games they played were bright and gay and loud" from <i>Flower Drum Song</i></li><li>"Keep it gay" from <i>Me and Juliet</i></li></ul></div><div>No matter the subject, the finale must be called "Finale Ultimo."</div><div><br /></div><div><div>It's an added bonus if your audience has collapsed in tears by the end of "Finale Ultimo."</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Carousel</i></li><li><i>South Pacific</i></li><li><i>The King & I</i></li></ul></div><div>I hope this helps get the juices flowing. Have fun with your new R&H show!</div></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-12823548222016265282024-02-08T19:05:00.000-08:002024-02-08T21:23:43.542-08:00Pardon Me, Sir<p>The commercials are classic. A car pulls alongside another, in which a man is sitting in the backseat with an fancy sandwich on a plate, with elegant silverware and the works, laid out on a seatback table. The gentleman is spreading Dijon mustard (which he just pulled out a special compartment in the car just for Dijon storage) on his sandwich. In a (usually) British accent, the man in the first car says, "Pardon me, would you have any Grey Poupon?" The man who is eating graciously says, "But of course!" He may or may not hand it to the man who requested it.</p><p>I recently found the following poem in my papers. I handwrote it at some point, but did not date it, so I don't know when it was written. I was trying to sound British, but in retrospect, I may have been trying a little too hard. All the same, I hope people find it entertaining. Perhaps it will inspire you to share your Dijon mustard. Also remember, "It's one of life's finer pleasures."</p><p>It is best read in a British accent.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjusbwuBAq_LR65WrSLH6HgfpRLAfx0ITfvphe8ucr4d7B0D1YpsVP60UaiBPWCchfdtnR3iNOQ0Nbqx2Occq4zc6XSUeLhDdNno7Avq8HXXOAhWCJVnMWQYy2DjGlloforygJZI8FB6_AwDXEJscJCzxmYbCvqvYdV9sIBbDF3-_veQZfWwKbIS3WsVsc" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="6720" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjusbwuBAq_LR65WrSLH6HgfpRLAfx0ITfvphe8ucr4d7B0D1YpsVP60UaiBPWCchfdtnR3iNOQ0Nbqx2Occq4zc6XSUeLhDdNno7Avq8HXXOAhWCJVnMWQYy2DjGlloforygJZI8FB6_AwDXEJscJCzxmYbCvqvYdV9sIBbDF3-_veQZfWwKbIS3WsVsc" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/200467009/prostock-studio?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Prostock-studio</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><p>Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />Could I make just one little request?<br />Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />Could you tell me, full of zest?<br />Would—<br />Oh dear, the traffic light is green!</p><p>How I crave it!<br />Oh to taste it!<br />My stomach's set<br />I need it yet!<br />I hope that gentleman has a bit!<br /></p><p>Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />Could you grant one small request?<br />Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />Of this I do not jest<br />Would you—<br />Oh, the traffic light is green!</p><p>Oh I crave it!<br />Oh to taste it!<br />My tummy's set<br />I need it yet!<br />I sincerely hope he won't waste it!</p><p>Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />I would like to make a request<br />Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me<br />If you could tell me, with some zest<br />Would you have any Grey Poupon?</p><p>But of course you do!<br />But of course!<br />I thank you, kind sir!<br />I thank you so very much!<br />You make me jolly!</p><p>Pardon me, sir<br />Pardon me...</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-79616798791123484282023-07-14T00:00:00.086-07:002023-07-14T00:00:00.139-07:00Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité<p>During the French Revolution, the people called for <i>liberté, égalité, fraternité !</i> Liberty, equality, fraternity! While I don't agree with their methods (really, the guillotine?), those are important qualities and things we all need to fight for. We all need to be free, equal, and brothers and sisters.</p><p>Just 12 years after the US declared independence, French people stormed the Bastille fortress in Paris on July 14, 1789, starting the process of their own declaration of independence from the crown.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OpX12glUlweoSf_ave9ldVJVjo3ymfSSmxuLBJrPg9Lxc3Rhl9-K4zEpSlkYJopJctjehu-t1W4oM6kWI7FTKAwuYGnnZfJtKMKSzaUJjoUmTAVGwFqYFfGXGvGACxb-YobZYB9QKXWqnV_JXzY1SRdSnt5wbd_r-IqDkaEbxYrN4zFRpmia-JSf/s960/1044747_508532985886210_1177520330_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="960" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OpX12glUlweoSf_ave9ldVJVjo3ymfSSmxuLBJrPg9Lxc3Rhl9-K4zEpSlkYJopJctjehu-t1W4oM6kWI7FTKAwuYGnnZfJtKMKSzaUJjoUmTAVGwFqYFfGXGvGACxb-YobZYB9QKXWqnV_JXzY1SRdSnt5wbd_r-IqDkaEbxYrN4zFRpmia-JSf/s320/1044747_508532985886210_1177520330_n.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In 1790, people began to chant and sing, "<i>Ça ira! Ça ira! Ça ira!</i>" (literally, "That will go!", or "It will be fine!") They looked forward to throwing off aristocracy and oppression, and they were optimistic about the outcome, though, again, I disagree with their methods.</p><p>In 1792, Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote a war song in the city of Strasbourg called <i>Chant de guerre pour l'Armée du Rhin</i> (War Song for the Army of the Rhine). It called on French patriots to rise up and defeat the oppressors who were causing bloodshed, death and destruction. Volunteers from Marseille sang it as they marched to Paris, thus inspiring the name it has today:<i> La Marseillaise</i> (The Marseillaise/from Marseille). It was adopted as the French Republic's anthem in 1795.</p><p>I made the above graphic a few years ago in commemoration of Bastille Day, or <i>le 14 juillet </i>(July 14). It depicts the French flag, along with their slogan <i>Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité</i>, and the fleur-de-lys. Happy Independence Day to France!</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-47858243683097136122023-06-04T18:55:00.253-07:002023-06-05T01:19:17.602-07:00Holy, Holy, Holy: Glorious Visions of an Awesome God<p><i>Jerusalem, c. 742 BC</i></p><blockquote>In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:<br /><blockquote>“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;<br /> the whole earth is full of his glory.”</blockquote>At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.<br /><br />“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.”<br /><br />Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”<br /><br />Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”<br /><br />And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”</blockquote><p></p><blockquote>- Isaiah 6:1-8 </blockquote><p>So wrote the prophet Yesha'yahu (who we know as Isaiah), recalling his vision, likely in the temple in Jerusalem. His words would have a profound impact down through the centuries.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkeW2dxqclxBB5P1U84Zwaojlg_JOi_f9zpuQ6ihLoEM2M0cv07CUIUUk2mSHs7aG-NpsmAdrxBgrZ3DrdfifFPfU-jOakMt70X_OzyB-dVj6mr_3Jn-2KnL_h1v3R9U6Xo_JrpKb8DLTWSk6tmCRewLdnRFsYXlGdlyq6M9kTn4baiMwMAZ1At68/s1280/20170616_215511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1280" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkeW2dxqclxBB5P1U84Zwaojlg_JOi_f9zpuQ6ihLoEM2M0cv07CUIUUk2mSHs7aG-NpsmAdrxBgrZ3DrdfifFPfU-jOakMt70X_OzyB-dVj6mr_3Jn-2KnL_h1v3R9U6Xo_JrpKb8DLTWSk6tmCRewLdnRFsYXlGdlyq6M9kTn4baiMwMAZ1At68/s320/20170616_215511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><i>Patmos, Greece, l</i><i>atter half of the First Century AD</i></p><p>As he sat in prison on the Greek island of Patmos, Yochanan bar-Zebadya had a lot of time to reflect on his long and eventful life. He and his brother Yacov had followed a dynamic rabbi named Yeshua who had turned their lives around, calling them from a life of fishing into one of spreading a revolutionary new message that the Kingdom of God was at hand, and the promised Messiah had come. Three years later, he stood before the cross of his beloved rabbi, who entrusted His mother into Yochanan's care. Three days after that, he got the shock of his life when he was told that Yeshua's grave was empty! He and his friend Shimon "Petros" bar-Yonah rushed to the tomb and found it empty. Yochanan believed a miracle had happened.</p><p>As the years passed, he witnessed Yeshua (who we know as Jesus) return to life and ascend into heaven. His brother Yacov (James) was beheaded for his faith. According to tradition, his friend Petros (Peter) was crucified upside-down. Tradition states that Yochanan (John) was the only one of Yeshua's disciples who would die of natural causes. Jerusalem fell to Rome in AD 70, just as Yeshua had predicted. Nine years later, Mt. Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and others in lava and ash and causing massive loss of life. (The date of his imprisonment is disputed, but if it was in the AD 90s as tradition states, it would have been after these events.)</p><p>Now, in prison on Patmos, Yochanan received a vision from God with a charge to write down what he saw and send it to seven churches. God had an individual message for each church, and prophecies about what was to come. The book of Revelation is the result. As he stood in God's throne room in his vision, he recalled:</p><blockquote>After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirit of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.<br /><br />In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying:<br /><blockquote>“‘Holy, holy, holy<br />is the Lord God Almighty,’<br />who was, and is, and is to come.”</blockquote>Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:<br /><div><blockquote>“You are worthy, our Lord and God,<br /> to receive glory and honor and power,<br />for you created all things,<br /> and by your will they were created<br /> and have their being.”</blockquote></div></blockquote><p></p><blockquote>- Revelation 4 </blockquote><p></p><div><div><i>Hodnet, England, early 1820s</i></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AtnVcaS_rIl0LQo1ZOxL7UIXT1bg8voKzH2ch3lMDVZSAUPRm9lREouHIS1JEoz8NBDmASSo-M1bvFInwll39FAyUdrk3niUpmDjMmJEnsG-Pj6iwAkbfxWRA-Um29GBNKhfCgPuUoEk6NUyqCEeyESY8itLRFAA9B389atefPuH-CJAyvFAOAZR/s957/Reginald_Heber.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AtnVcaS_rIl0LQo1ZOxL7UIXT1bg8voKzH2ch3lMDVZSAUPRm9lREouHIS1JEoz8NBDmASSo-M1bvFInwll39FAyUdrk3niUpmDjMmJEnsG-Pj6iwAkbfxWRA-Um29GBNKhfCgPuUoEk6NUyqCEeyESY8itLRFAA9B389atefPuH-CJAyvFAOAZR/s320/Reginald_Heber.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Portrait of Reginald Heber</i><br />Painting by Thomas Phillips<br />Oil on canvas<br />c. 1822, British Library</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>Reginald Heber was Anglican vicar of Hodnet in Shropshire, England. An accomplished poet and man of God, he set out to write hymns based on dates in the Church calendar. His most well-known hymn was written for Trinity Sunday, 8 Sundays after Easter and the Sunday following Ascension Sunday. (This year it falls today, June 4.) Recalling the visions of Isaiah and John, he set out to write about the mystery of the triune (three in one) God, also known as the Trinity. He wrote:</div><div></div><blockquote><div>Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty!</div><div>Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee...</div><div>Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty!</div><div>God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity!...</div><div><br /></div><div>Holy, Holy, Holy! All thy Saints adore Thee,</div><div>Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.</div><div>Cherubim and seraphim, falling down before Thee,</div><div>Which wert, and art, and ever art to be!</div><div><br /></div><div>Holy, Holy, Holy! Those the darkness hide Thee,</div><div>Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,</div><div>Only Thou art Holy, there is none beside Thee;</div><div>Perfect in Power, in Love, and Purity! —</div><div><br /></div><div>Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty! —</div><div>All thy works shall praise thy name in earth & sky & sea.</div><div>Holy, Holy, Holy, Merciful and Mighty!</div><div>God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity! —</div></blockquote><div></div><div>Heber would later be called to minister in Calcutta, India, where he would spend the rest of his life. He passed away of heat stroke in 1826. His hymns were published shortly after his death. The above is typed based on his manuscript.</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the years, his lyrics have largely remained intact, though the last line of the second verse has changed from "ever art to be" to "evermore shalt be."</div><div><br /></div><div>Years later, one John Bacchus Dykes would compose a tune he named "Nicaea," which he wrote to set Heber's lyrics to music. Along with his submission for the first edition of <i>Hymns Ancient and Modern</i> (1861), Dykes wrote:</div><blockquote>I am sorry that I knew nothing of the musical arrangement of the work till just now. I should have felt so happy if I could have, either in the way of suggestion, or otherwise, rendered any little aid whatever to the musical committee. I understand that you are now in an advanced state of progress. However, I just send up these slight contributions, in case they may be of any service. The “<i>Dies Irae</i>” has given me much anxious thought. … The other tunes I have at different times written, finding myself unable to discover suitable music for the hymns. Some of them are sung in the Galilee of Durham Cathedral and are very popular.</blockquote><div>This is one of my favorite hymns. It is deeply meaningful, and I sometimes get chills thinking of Isaiah, John and others who were given visions of standing before God's throne, praising Him, casting down their crowns. The song mentions angels (cherubim and seraphim), but John and Isaiah (and others) were there as humans, observing and interacting. In both visions mentioned above, John and Isaiah received a charge to spread the word of what they had seen. John was assigned 7 specific churches to tell. Isaiah volunteered to go tell the news. Reading about these visions, and singing about them, I can imagine myself standing in God's throne room, in awe, though I'm certain my imagination doesn't come close to the awesome reality of the glory. Someday I look forward to being there along with my dad, my grandparents, so many friends and relatives I have lost, as well as the heroes we read about in the Bible and down through the ages. All of us bowing before our Creator and shouting, "Holy! Holy! Holy!"</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/holy-holy-holy">https://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/holy-holy-holy</a></div><div><a href="https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/holy-holy-holy">https://www.hymnologyarchive.com/holy-holy-holy</a> (This includes Heber's manuscript and Dykes' submission for the hymnal.)</div><div><a href="https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-holy-holy-holy-lord-god-almighty">https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-holy-holy-holy-lord-god-almighty</a></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Heber">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Heber</a></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-81239221862990493282023-05-29T00:00:00.019-07:002023-05-29T00:00:00.142-07:00Honored Glory<p>HERE LIES IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD</p><p>I was deeply moved by this inscription to the unknown soldier in the American Cemetery above Omaha Beach in Normandy, France when I visited in 1999. So many were lost on D-Day, and in many other wars. I made this graphic in memory of the unknown soldiers that we have lost. Each photo is from a different war. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHT5z5WmR_oIwommoxosiU70ZWM1Wo2SrXF6TfDSeUzjEYlIXCJR4dlWvxoI479LyDHy9_pdKqa-gUd3Ca2oL4ZkIzLJbGWPzoF4bw3U5hui9Z1EaCsuEUzyhNXs1Ox645fPHme45Gyzt84OH9oURPPr4YZ61ABKWaDSb0y1kVelGC5n8NzqvPPCu/s2048/477779_10152862831925641_1013426262_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="2048" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHT5z5WmR_oIwommoxosiU70ZWM1Wo2SrXF6TfDSeUzjEYlIXCJR4dlWvxoI479LyDHy9_pdKqa-gUd3Ca2oL4ZkIzLJbGWPzoF4bw3U5hui9Z1EaCsuEUzyhNXs1Ox645fPHme45Gyzt84OH9oURPPr4YZ61ABKWaDSb0y1kVelGC5n8NzqvPPCu/s320/477779_10152862831925641_1013426262_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Honored Glory</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />May 27, 2013<br />Illustration and Historical Photos</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Today is Memorial Day. Today we remember the heroes we have lost over the years in so many wars. Whether or not we remember their names, we honor their memories. May their memory be a blessing.</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-48517280074485733152023-05-17T00:00:00.031-07:002023-05-17T00:00:00.138-07:00Uff da!<p><i>Uff da!</i></p><p>This is an all-purpose exclamation in Norwegian. The older I get and the crazier this world gets, the more useful it becomes. It doesn't have a direct translation in English, but we have a lot of phrases that cover some of it, just not the full scope. These are just a few:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Good grief!</li><li>Oh my!</li><li>Oh no!</li><li>Bless your heart</li><li>What a mess!</li><li>What a nightmare!</li><li>That's hilarious!</li><li>You've got to be kidding!</li><li>That's so silly!</li><li>Yikes!</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXJ5YFhmbNUDjvAff-mTelpzJQ9tE7tC-S4IaQk1zCvg03Xga0XJPMjWNm9bN-O7ziwWy4VWxFM2bv0Xn1YjlNdXWtlCPZdgawL-drogUOXXQ6PgeykoWqIPZiUaXDOuJQijpRW0oGtcH9x1DHHa5l7ZyBeFteV5GCphlkCwPCoFPEvn4vfR7--ml/s960/603707_673572679382239_6564232433023785856_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="960" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPXJ5YFhmbNUDjvAff-mTelpzJQ9tE7tC-S4IaQk1zCvg03Xga0XJPMjWNm9bN-O7ziwWy4VWxFM2bv0Xn1YjlNdXWtlCPZdgawL-drogUOXXQ6PgeykoWqIPZiUaXDOuJQijpRW0oGtcH9x1DHHa5l7ZyBeFteV5GCphlkCwPCoFPEvn4vfR7--ml/s320/603707_673572679382239_6564232433023785856_n.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Uff da!</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>I made this graphic a few years ago in commemoration of <i>Syttende mai</i>, or May 17, Norwegian Independence Day. It features part of the Norwegian flag and, well, <i>uff da!</i></div><p></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-33275280376146507092023-05-08T18:55:00.000-07:002023-05-08T18:55:00.164-07:00Kyler<p>A few years ago, I joined a gym and lost a lot of weight (all told, 80 pounds). I blogged about it back in 2014 <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2014/04/my-testimonial.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Kyler was one of the trainers there, and he was particularly helpful and encouraging. Once LA Fitness bought out Vision Quest, he made the leap to working at LA Fitness, and helped me get signed up there. I made an illustration of him:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJb-T1xXS201liAFig5IR5bAustM97Lb8Lq6LeN3ZWw_qPzOREh3au7vMuYLIBJj0Sy_3t8yul9lHm3MsQAZ2rfQtZky5AgQe1140obOEHXIVSU-Ux2Jn1QjK9NAcHfZ5EV7yTTvU3MEai72HUD5trLMsQB4cl54OnpVBbW_Mw7mOJpg-6z3bnOax/s5417/Kyler.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4385" data-original-width="5417" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJb-T1xXS201liAFig5IR5bAustM97Lb8Lq6LeN3ZWw_qPzOREh3au7vMuYLIBJj0Sy_3t8yul9lHm3MsQAZ2rfQtZky5AgQe1140obOEHXIVSU-Ux2Jn1QjK9NAcHfZ5EV7yTTvU3MEai72HUD5trLMsQB4cl54OnpVBbW_Mw7mOJpg-6z3bnOax/s320/Kyler.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kyler Clem</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration<br />2013</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqEHEad1mpmUogNQOmT71c3pFH0aqxbZ-o9bZZYAsI-CBbvj3MCfAJglH8HVmCVASYkn2mMGwMEEDqxSm3G8YYGSyH9XDNVbBxBrTr7Q7hlR2g8qLvwZH21kCMzLBmTvuTBup_p2nxfh9dfJLva1Ua5H9gf3_rbwQlt_gc6oiM6KL7piwWrOwSITA/s3747/FaceApp_1681031444831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3747" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUqEHEad1mpmUogNQOmT71c3pFH0aqxbZ-o9bZZYAsI-CBbvj3MCfAJglH8HVmCVASYkn2mMGwMEEDqxSm3G8YYGSyH9XDNVbBxBrTr7Q7hlR2g8qLvwZH21kCMzLBmTvuTBup_p2nxfh9dfJLva1Ua5H9gf3_rbwQlt_gc6oiM6KL7piwWrOwSITA/s320/FaceApp_1681031444831.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2023 Update</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-90542114884385650992023-05-07T18:55:00.000-07:002023-05-07T18:55:00.136-07:00They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love: Striving for Unity<p></p><blockquote><p>A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.</p><p><i>Jesus Christ, John 13:34-35</i></p></blockquote><p></p><p>The 1960s were turbulent times. John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. Racial tensions were high. Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. Protests abounded regarding the Vietnam War, a devastating war which extended into the following decade. Many longed for peace, while others took the law (or their warped view of it) into their own hands. In alliance with Russia, Cuba threatened the US with ballistic missiles. The Cold War raged, and would continue until 1991. There was so much more that happened in that decade. </p><p>It was during this time that the Catholic Church held the Second Vatican Council, from 1962 to 1965. Pope John XXIII called it to consider updates to the Church in response to an increasingly secularized world. How could they best reach out to a changing and very turbulent world in need of a Savior? Among many subjects they discussed and conclusions they drew, one of them was that "<i>The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council.</i>" This reversed a previous position, where they were less accepting of non-Catholic Christians.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJngJ02flw3mfak7xgZvpCG3yiIP1AnOaeKgbW7S7VQVCFHAEPhq-c67WYdq4IkJiVew8bicitO_03deeGdV9m8PYrBHyIlR_aikdcxPBkC8aOr_kddZjqDsGQ5WZvswzVST6KApDKc2kKa-LMmHNSDPep1vt0L05WFSuMT8lmxowrR9neAA_YR7I/s5760/AdobeStock_454938359.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="5760" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPJngJ02flw3mfak7xgZvpCG3yiIP1AnOaeKgbW7S7VQVCFHAEPhq-c67WYdq4IkJiVew8bicitO_03deeGdV9m8PYrBHyIlR_aikdcxPBkC8aOr_kddZjqDsGQ5WZvswzVST6KApDKc2kKa-LMmHNSDPep1vt0L05WFSuMT8lmxowrR9neAA_YR7I/s320/AdobeStock_454938359.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Photo by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/293582/new-africa?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">New Africa</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>It was following the Second Vatican Council that Catholic priest Peter Scholtes, who served at Chicago's St. Brendan's Parish, needed a song for his youth choir to sing for a series of ecumenical and interracial events in 1966. With people of multiple denominations and races joining together, this song needed to address unity among Christians, without regard to differences. His search came up empty. So the natural solution was to write one!<br /><p>Inspired by John 13:35 (above), Scholtes wrote:<br /></p><blockquote><p>We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;<br />We are one int he Spirit, we are one in the Lord;<br />And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.<br /><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,<br />yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.</i></blockquote>We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;<br />We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;<br />And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.<p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,<br />yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.</i></blockquote>We will work with each other, we will work side by side;<br />We will work with each other, we will work side by side;<br />And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride.<br /><p></p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,<br />yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>All praise to the Father, from whom all things come;<br />And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son.<br />And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one.</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,<br />yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.</i></blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p><i></i></p><p>This also calls to mind the words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His crucifixion:</p></div><blockquote><div>My prayer is not for [the disciples] alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>John 17:20-23</i></div></blockquote><div></div><div>Since the 1960s, the world has changed. You can see my "Days of Yore" series the past couple months to see some of the ways, but there have also been social and political changes. While integration has come a long way since the 1960s, we have so far yet to go. Many white people claiming to be Christian see someone with a different skin color, wearing a hoodie, or in some other (usually illogical) way "looking threatening," and rather than reach out and help, or mind their own business, decide to pull out a gun. Or they may choose another way to harm or murder someone. Families have been ripped apart at our Southern border. So many names over the years have joined the list of people being killed for their race, sexual orientation, and other reasons (many, though not all, by people claiming to be Christians). Breonna Taylor. Matthew Shepard. Elijah McClain. George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Atatiana Jefferson. Stephon Clark. Charleena Lyles. Philando Castile. Pulse Nightclub. The January 6 insurrection. Charlottesville. Tree of Life Synagogue. Victims of multiple forms of bullying driven to suicide. Victims of egregious conspiracy theories. This barely scratches the surface. Is this the love and unity Jesus taught and commanded?</div><div><br /></div><div>We are ONE. We are called to LOVE. As Christians, we can and MUST do better. We must work together to bring about unity.</div><div><br /></div><div>I stand firmly in solidarity with my siblings of all shapes, sizes, colors and persuasions. We must love. Not kill. Love. Not rip families apart. Love. Not mock and jeer. Love. Not bully. Guard each person's dignity. Not tear it to shreds. We can disagree on things, but that doesn't let us off loving.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let us pray and strive for unity! Christianity has gotten a bad name because far too many "Christians" have forgotten God's most important command: <b>"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and Love your neighbor as yourself."</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Another good one to remember: <b><span style="color: #f1c232;">"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."</span></b></div><div><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council</a><br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s</a><br /><a href="https://pscholtes.com/obituary.htm" target="_blank">https://pscholtes.com/obituary.htm</a><br /><a href="https://hymnary.org/person/Scholtes_P" target="_blank">https://hymnary.org/person/Scholtes_P</a><br /><a href="https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-theyll-know-we-are-christians-by-our-love" target="_blank">https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-theyll-know-we-are-christians-by-our-love</a><br /><a href="https://wordtoworship.com/song/14526" target="_blank">https://wordtoworship.com/song/14526</a></p></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-57921417475600865362023-05-06T18:55:00.017-07:002023-05-06T19:30:46.091-07:00Tu déchires !<div>Je croyais que tu devais le savoir. Ça, c'est pour toi. Oui, pour toi, la personne incroyable qui lit ceci. Tu es génial ! Ne laisse personne te dire le contraire.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-axHygH_xWXp7F_TwINQ6w50upXmv2fm-toQGaPV8LZGmi9nMhJDQ4LgjG303IrSv7nCfCHWz4bb--nlwOWapm--or7BF1ePSJJYwSHw983iPDhhsMcwO7mxCeFgyka8gOiiW6t4u6tD3xGv45b1XgzWtKu1XhLZaFB9VxKLRFkgz0dkNPlOLvopE/s1369/20170225_150629.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1369" data-original-width="1213" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-axHygH_xWXp7F_TwINQ6w50upXmv2fm-toQGaPV8LZGmi9nMhJDQ4LgjG303IrSv7nCfCHWz4bb--nlwOWapm--or7BF1ePSJJYwSHw983iPDhhsMcwO7mxCeFgyka8gOiiW6t4u6tD3xGv45b1XgzWtKu1XhLZaFB9VxKLRFkgz0dkNPlOLvopE/s320/20170225_150629.png" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tu déchires !</i><br />Dessin, stylet sur Samsung Note<br />Dessiné en Adobe Draw<br />Steven Sauke</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-65798777952275748532023-05-05T18:55:00.058-07:002023-05-05T18:55:00.141-07:00¡Eres la máxima! ¡Eres el máximo!<p>Creo que debes saber. Esto es para tí. Sí, para tí, la persona increíble que lee esto. Eres una persona impresionante. No dejes que nadie les diga lo contrario.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspXz-6fIW6vbypJm_5Wrk6fbHJSpOwGchdBBUf9GyR2M5_z8HZeZv7TnDmUgXKnFYEBVd7KhlhlR0xpydlwVYwvZoYBmTz84vBvUlzrMsoCyZG9LpSpibScKoWTVZYUOpLBO0rs_iMLjB3J8rPAczSiwsx6kg4hOBrhb7t1fBcEcd-GTUxo6gxAKm/s2048/CYMERA_20230504_220552.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspXz-6fIW6vbypJm_5Wrk6fbHJSpOwGchdBBUf9GyR2M5_z8HZeZv7TnDmUgXKnFYEBVd7KhlhlR0xpydlwVYwvZoYBmTz84vBvUlzrMsoCyZG9LpSpibScKoWTVZYUOpLBO0rs_iMLjB3J8rPAczSiwsx6kg4hOBrhb7t1fBcEcd-GTUxo6gxAKm/s320/CYMERA_20230504_220552.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>¡Eres la máxima! ¡Eres el máximo!</i><br />Dibujo, lápiz óptico en Samsung Note<br />Diseñado en Adobe Draw<br />Steven Sauke</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-91527062328121465272023-05-04T21:48:00.000-07:002023-05-04T21:48:12.973-07:00You rock!<p>Thought you should know. This is for you. Yes, you, amazing person reading this! You are awesome. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8xD34izxt48Jy3aPf9Rkxnnyurn8qrZP1TSzJ9AenJtNGb903Ine65_ZgrLDpd6WXBZwvOZN_TqjI3x2UqQ5lF9SGVCm9uvab8XiUGqILbnUyxLrBoSGba5-0YjXg09ffVu5JdcN9q4bwYHwI2eWaWChzrUPzbunuQeSZqxyQLvi-XNBZRZ0uzhp/s3413/Project%20-%20Drawing%2011486358941.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="3413" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8xD34izxt48Jy3aPf9Rkxnnyurn8qrZP1TSzJ9AenJtNGb903Ine65_ZgrLDpd6WXBZwvOZN_TqjI3x2UqQ5lF9SGVCm9uvab8XiUGqILbnUyxLrBoSGba5-0YjXg09ffVu5JdcN9q4bwYHwI2eWaWChzrUPzbunuQeSZqxyQLvi-XNBZRZ0uzhp/s320/Project%20-%20Drawing%2011486358941.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You Rock!</i><br />Drawing, stylus on Samsung Note<br />Designed on Adobe Draw<br />Steven Sauke</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-26422049306101591362023-05-02T18:55:00.004-07:002023-05-02T21:18:33.128-07:00How Great Thou Art: God's Awesome Symphony of NatureCRASH! The thunder was deafening as lightning lit up the sky! The wind was whipping powerfully over the meadows, and the travelers rushed for cover! They were returning home from church in Kronobäck, on the southeastern Swedish coast. Once the storm had died down, they continued their journey, awestruck by a stunning rainbow.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjVgDY8u4M36HQCnG3lvPu5B7XGAHA2iuIfxilCDdCTu81Nju2wx2rDvcapXl0rqOnI2oaK40pXYBD57t9Bky7zEwcSP8_haPZduLWx-F-4ayjYbAgsVAjTlVs4xXCqvTy-CE7XwzrlzOdocJS-Sj9Y6x3WvDMl27O0DJzEWtWZEw132QdZkTS57O/s4300/AdobeStock_43951446.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2867" data-original-width="4300" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjVgDY8u4M36HQCnG3lvPu5B7XGAHA2iuIfxilCDdCTu81Nju2wx2rDvcapXl0rqOnI2oaK40pXYBD57t9Bky7zEwcSP8_haPZduLWx-F-4ayjYbAgsVAjTlVs4xXCqvTy-CE7XwzrlzOdocJS-Sj9Y6x3WvDMl27O0DJzEWtWZEw132QdZkTS57O/s320/AdobeStock_43951446.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/201494177/igorzh?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">IgorZh</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Upon reaching home, Carl Boberg opened the window of his house, which had a beautiful view of the sea. The church bells were playing a hymn. The birds sang from their perches in the trees. The brook rippled. It was 1885, and at that time of year, the colors all around were particularly vivid. The powerful winds had become a gentle breeze.</p><p>That evening, Boberg wrote a poem entitled <i>O Store Gud</i> (literally "O Mighty God"). It would later be set to music, using a Swedish folk tune.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vAkmUd0XHjML2z0fpjIYNk0EUktTJaUxxE8VSGlkzXvHM5X3Vu6S7NiafkrBJgz87Ss1104HDPo59FIKskMPXzy4HPO5V-VXA-ZPx5b1GazeVsJHfizEp3igMVyDZcDL_6mVi23C5KH9nxWljuoFUL54tghLPMafBYVQP2ACpZibjZljGtv_knlj/s5376/AdobeStock_580353172.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="5376" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1vAkmUd0XHjML2z0fpjIYNk0EUktTJaUxxE8VSGlkzXvHM5X3Vu6S7NiafkrBJgz87Ss1104HDPo59FIKskMPXzy4HPO5V-VXA-ZPx5b1GazeVsJHfizEp3igMVyDZcDL_6mVi23C5KH9nxWljuoFUL54tghLPMafBYVQP2ACpZibjZljGtv_knlj/s320/AdobeStock_580353172.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/211331609/%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F-%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%85%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B0?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Наталья Евтехова</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In 1907, it was translated into German by Manfred von Glehn, and a few years later, Russian pastor Ivan Prokhanoff would translate it into Russian. In the 1920s or 1930s (sources disagree on the decade), English missionary Stuart K. Hine was in Ukraine, where he heard the Russian version of <i>O Store Gud</i>. He and his wife would sing it for years, until one day he translated it into English:</p><blockquote>O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder<br />Consider all the works Thy hands have made,<br />I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,<br />Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed!<br /><i><blockquote>Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!<br />Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!</blockquote></i>When thru the woods and forest glades I wander<br />And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,<br />When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur<br />And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,<br /><i><blockquote>Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!<br />Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!</blockquote></i>And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,<br />Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in –<br />That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,<br />He bled and died to take away my sin!<br /><i><blockquote>Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!<br />Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!</blockquote></i>When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation<br />And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!<br />Then I shall bow in humble adoration<br />And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!<br /><i><blockquote>Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!<br />Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;<br />How great Thou art, how great Thou art!</blockquote></i></blockquote><div>As far as I know, the main change since Hine translated it into English is that in the version that I grew up singing, "works" in the first verse changed to "worlds", though some hymnals have a footnote stating the original word was "works."</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the course of my life, I have seen so much awesome beauty and power in nature. Tropical downpours in the Philippines make a typical Seattle rain look like a little trickle. Lightning in Wisconsin (and in the Philippines, for that matter), stretches all up and down the expanse of the sky. The earthquake in Seattle in 2001 was a terrifying experience. Philippine beaches, coral reefs, rice terraces and more, are breathtaking. The French and English countryside is stunning. I have never felt so cold as waiting at a bus station in Chicago in the winter. Sleeping under the stars at the foot of Taal Volcano, Philippines, away from city lights and smog, the sky was almost white with stars. I have never seen so many stars as I did that night. It was awe-inspiring. Some friends in Surigao, Philippines once lost their roof in a typhoon. The mountain ranges where I have been (including Olympics, Cascades, Rockies and Smokies) are spectacular. I have thankfully never experienced a tsunami, but I have seen some powerful waves. The Northern Lights are on my bucket list. NASA images of planets, stars, nebulae and other astronomical phenomena blow me away. While strong weather isn't always enjoyable, it is usually awesome. Birds sing. Geckos gecko (thus their name). Crickets chirp. The sounds of the animals alone can become a stunning symphony.</div><div><br /></div><div>To think that the God who made all that cared so much for me that He sent His Son to die <i>for me</i>, and I will meet Him face to face someday!</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-carl-boberg-how-great-thou-art/" target="_blank">https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-carl-boberg-how-great-thou-art/</a></div><div><a href="https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2016/06/24/story-behind-song-how-great-thou-art/16304855007/" target="_blank">https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2016/06/24/story-behind-song-how-great-thou-art/16304855007/</a></div></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-50264687997653537812023-05-01T18:55:00.001-07:002023-05-01T18:55:00.134-07:00Charlie<p>This is my friend Charlie. He is pretty amazing, and I have a lot of respect for him. He also played Cchhär in my movies <i><a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/03/yibvlidj-apocalypse.html" target="_blank">Yibvlidj Apocalypse</a></i> and <i><a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-heirs-of-djeek.html" target="_blank">The Heirs of Djeek</a></i>. The graphic I made of him is based on a picture I took for <i>Yibvlidj Apocalypse</i>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxUBJJfG5sqZqIe9hJB9atR6rMfEBo4BdxLZV1DAspYGNW0aRHgZOr3z_DEBE9As8oHcVkbspgK-ktMuHJRNSghhbh5VP0QK9OEV0RY3_BhOjlT06OaP2e67Wza7nu1XpWQUtkm6CxIY9z0LjVV3OEfmz4MFC7IVvP5bvK67k1TO9-C2Wz0xjKmoE/s1721/CharlieOstlie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1721" data-original-width="1425" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxUBJJfG5sqZqIe9hJB9atR6rMfEBo4BdxLZV1DAspYGNW0aRHgZOr3z_DEBE9As8oHcVkbspgK-ktMuHJRNSghhbh5VP0QK9OEV0RY3_BhOjlT06OaP2e67Wza7nu1XpWQUtkm6CxIY9z0LjVV3OEfmz4MFC7IVvP5bvK67k1TO9-C2Wz0xjKmoE/s320/CharlieOstlie.png" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Charlie Ostlie</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration<br />2012</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_k-k3p6YHHMcg9a5Hu5okRVofCXzci-eCI9NkbZxJD61SKP1EGehIsTfCqN4mgw9LCywFKnPiEzXR4pzkcppPZVZNDjTYC0JK-JhtrmqkEsfbovRUGrgIeVw3JjXK5Sb1LhHIo6h1xbSeKlS0NyvCjEOvkrsEvDdM7L5Nk40bEI-xh41giD08lXk/s960/482207_465862296819946_1208735063_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="960" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_k-k3p6YHHMcg9a5Hu5okRVofCXzci-eCI9NkbZxJD61SKP1EGehIsTfCqN4mgw9LCywFKnPiEzXR4pzkcppPZVZNDjTYC0JK-JhtrmqkEsfbovRUGrgIeVw3JjXK5Sb1LhHIo6h1xbSeKlS0NyvCjEOvkrsEvDdM7L5Nk40bEI-xh41giD08lXk/s320/482207_465862296819946_1208735063_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Charlie Ostlie </i>(Facebook cover photo version)<br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration<br />2012</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_k-k3p6YHHMcg9a5Hu5okRVofCXzci-eCI9NkbZxJD61SKP1EGehIsTfCqN4mgw9LCywFKnPiEzXR4pzkcppPZVZNDjTYC0JK-JhtrmqkEsfbovRUGrgIeVw3JjXK5Sb1LhHIo6h1xbSeKlS0NyvCjEOvkrsEvDdM7L5Nk40bEI-xh41giD08lXk/s960/482207_465862296819946_1208735063_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-68098385712859352342023-04-30T18:55:00.000-07:002023-04-30T18:55:00.142-07:00Blessed Assurance: Glory from Blindness<p>Frances Jane was born in Putnam County, New York on March 24, 1820. She was a beautiful baby girl, but at 6 weeks, a misguided doctor attempted to treat an eye infection with a mustard plaster poultice. It was a decision that would leave her blind for the next (nearly) 95 years.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTPSRuR-Kp9Kz_fCgmX2DLruOvECd0WK-BRwdDTQxeqtxfKXgGquyQbk6o0S3X5uRNlsbKCDWqTXnzZBtT6K4p8VQK4FPlfbmV1xR6CtuG0OuiM2U2IR2vv-dRifcUZYUkQHcZ0t3L55YtMJycQmNXHC3jNUD0etmRFtduEZAq0Sct_5mOpMrRo_8/s2048/CYMERA_20230416_195335.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyTPSRuR-Kp9Kz_fCgmX2DLruOvECd0WK-BRwdDTQxeqtxfKXgGquyQbk6o0S3X5uRNlsbKCDWqTXnzZBtT6K4p8VQK4FPlfbmV1xR6CtuG0OuiM2U2IR2vv-dRifcUZYUkQHcZ0t3L55YtMJycQmNXHC3jNUD0etmRFtduEZAq0Sct_5mOpMrRo_8/s320/CYMERA_20230416_195335.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fanny Crosby at 25</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When she was 9, young Fanny Crosby wrote:</p><blockquote>"O what a happy soul am I,<br />Although I cannot see,<br />I am resolved that in this world<br />Contented I will be.<br />How many blessings I enjoy<br />That other people don't.<br />To weep and sigh because I'm blind,<br />I cannot, and I won't."</blockquote><p>Incredibly gifted, she entered New York Institute for the Blind at the age of 15, and after graduating was invited to teach there. While she was in school, Braille hadn't even reached the US yet. She would never use it. Around the age of 20, she met a talented blind musician named Alexander Van Alstyne, who came to her school. They fell in love and were married in 1858.</p><p>In 1873, she was visiting her friend Mrs. Phoebe Knapp. By this time she was known to many as Aunt Fanny. During their visit, Mrs. Knapp sat down at her piano and played a new piece she had just written. Phoebe wondered, "What does this tune say?" After a few minutes of thought and prayer, Fanny said, "It says, 'Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!'"</p><p>She then began to dictate words to fit in Knapp's tune:</p><blockquote>Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!<br />Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!<br />Heir of salvation, purchase of God,<br />Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.<div><br /></div><div>This is my story, this is my song,<br />Praising my Savior all the day long;<br />This is my story, this is my song,<br />Praising my Savior all the day long.</div><div><br />Perfect submission, perfect delight,<br />Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;<br />Angels, descending, bring from above<br />Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.</div><div><br />Perfect submission, all is at rest,<br />I in my Savior am happy and blest,<br />Watching and waiting, looking above,<br />Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.</div></blockquote><div><p>She took great joy in her salvation, her love, and the promise of glory. A blind woman had "visions of rapture...burst[ing] on [her] sight!" The first thing she saw after being blinded as a baby was the glory she sang about in life. Indeed, she once said, "If I had a choice, I would still choose to remain blind...for when I die, the first face I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Saviour."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rbr7Sj80_F_VgJ-NYv8TFchE162fv069YX902W6EgbztsMiwbQaDBmlWrYvNM0fQwwh-ZilZS64NYH_K3a9ACJ2ynV5oacpGhManx8MKoW7j2fx1le3OI84BmEX95vmfWIJ4KHHCGiSXeKjqvrOUI8zVVjW9sxfdXDgc_-LzWeLQMH5CxcXG5KHf/s500/Fanny_Crosby_at_home.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="500" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rbr7Sj80_F_VgJ-NYv8TFchE162fv069YX902W6EgbztsMiwbQaDBmlWrYvNM0fQwwh-ZilZS64NYH_K3a9ACJ2ynV5oacpGhManx8MKoW7j2fx1le3OI84BmEX95vmfWIJ4KHHCGiSXeKjqvrOUI8zVVjW9sxfdXDgc_-LzWeLQMH5CxcXG5KHf/s320/Fanny_Crosby_at_home.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From her autobiography<br /><i>Fanny Crosby, Memories of Eighty Years</i><br />Published in 1906</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Fanny Crosby wrote over 8000 Gospel songs and hymns, in addition to over 1000 non-religious songs. She also published four books of poetry and two autobiographies. She did not allow blindness to hold her back, and in fact, she used it as inspiration and saw it as a gift from God. She is still one of the greatest hymn writers in history. Nobody has come close to writing as many as hymns and Gospel songs as she did.</p><p></p><blockquote><p>"It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."</p><p>- Fanny J. Crosby</p></blockquote><p></p><p>Fanny Crosby was influential in the lives of multiple US presidents, including Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, James Polk and Grover Cleveland. (In fact, she dictated some of her work to a 15-year-old Cleveland to write down!) She played at President Ulysses S. Grant's funeral and wrote a poetic eulogy for President William Henry Harrison. She also addressed Congress regarding education of the blind. She spent her later years serving the poor and needy, supporting herself with her writing. She could also recite the four Gospels and the first three books of the Old Testament, as well as Ruth, Proverbs and Song of Solomon.</p><p>As I <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/01/pigmentary-degeneration-of-retina.html" target="_blank">blogged previously</a>, I very nearly joined her among the blind. God miraculously healed my eyes, for which I am incredibly grateful. My life would have been very different had my eyes followed the natural progression of retinitis pigmentosa. But I know that even if it had, I would still glorify God. Fanny Crosby is a shining example of keeping in perspective what many would consider a weakness, instead turning it into a strength. We can all learn from her determination, strength, drive and optimism, both despite and because of her blindness.</p><p>February 12, 1915 was a glorious day for Fanny. She opened her eyes and saw for the first time since she was 6 weeks old. After nearly 95 years, "visions of rapture now burst on [her] sight," as the first thing she saw was the face of Jesus. In the words of another of her hymns, she was "Safe in the Arms of Jesus."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAJyxAMWbz-F2tso2-YFx2v0Tc5200CbVuNJeLn856WXN6FHsYO7KyqfeiUZCMdI6uT8usNAGERWL0A6Wf5-r4zQyfMDCvhieosDMpgKP6dw2ZG5ztskuXN78V3xenKyVx_e2VIHA4g5EE2xRsFGG5R1RXeI-G1loiiQSbggYILyno-zn5iTVyPz0/s599/370px-Fanny_Crosby_1906.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="370" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAJyxAMWbz-F2tso2-YFx2v0Tc5200CbVuNJeLn856WXN6FHsYO7KyqfeiUZCMdI6uT8usNAGERWL0A6Wf5-r4zQyfMDCvhieosDMpgKP6dw2ZG5ztskuXN78V3xenKyVx_e2VIHA4g5EE2xRsFGG5R1RXeI-G1loiiQSbggYILyno-zn5iTVyPz0/s320/370px-Fanny_Crosby_1906.jpg" width="198" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From her autobiography<br /><i>Fanny Crosby, <br />Memories of Eighty Years</i><br />Published in 1906</td></tr></tbody></table><p>https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2015/02/20/story-behind-song-blessed-assurance/16249006007/<br />https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-blessed-assurance<br />https://wordwisehymns.com/2010/11/20/today-in-1850-fanny-crosby-converted/<br />https://www.nyise.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=428557&type=d&pREC_ID=936886<br />https://www.aph.org/fanny-j-crosby-embracing-the-gift/<br />https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fanny-Crosby</p></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-4232795695675928012023-04-29T18:55:00.000-07:002023-04-29T18:55:00.142-07:00Andy and Jill<p>Way back around the turn of the century, I met Jill online. She adopted me as a younger brother and became the big sister I never had. I visited them in Tennessee in 2009, and I'm so thankful to know them. She has inspired me to adopt several siblings of my own. Though said adoptions have not been done in a court of law, they are siblings in every other way. However, Andy and Jill have adopted a bunch of kids (the official way), and they are now proud grandparents. </p><p>I did this portrait of Jill and her amazing husband Andy a few years ago.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk01kWE3qM8f4kyCJvW4IA578c5Tmgl6zHYFUAErKk7YWb-ld5MuPpuXEGAQYLwJilEp_hEPjUWuKvdkqbSDorlzoiVIVIY6BvZMEaAYik_eNfq2wTtn6_kxv8wotFmvKilEgj-W2rC3ws6VOOwzGI273E2_VYNds6mgfJxaqE1ajbf2MilvMKnaK/s960/69473_465826956823480_1855280686_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="960" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglk01kWE3qM8f4kyCJvW4IA578c5Tmgl6zHYFUAErKk7YWb-ld5MuPpuXEGAQYLwJilEp_hEPjUWuKvdkqbSDorlzoiVIVIY6BvZMEaAYik_eNfq2wTtn6_kxv8wotFmvKilEgj-W2rC3ws6VOOwzGI273E2_VYNds6mgfJxaqE1ajbf2MilvMKnaK/s320/69473_465826956823480_1855280686_n.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Jill and Andy</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-29640628536057076312023-04-28T18:55:00.004-07:002023-04-28T19:51:58.062-07:00Nearer, My God, to Thee: A Titanic Stairway<p>The state-of-the-art ship was massive and was supposed to be unsinkable. It was one of the greatest achievements of the age, but an iceberg on a calm moonless night contributed to one of the greatest maritime disasters in recent history, and many souls found themselves literally nearer to God than they would have dreamed when setting out from England, France and Ireland just a few days previous.</p><p>But our story begins several millennia earlier.</p><p><b>c. 2000 BC, around 4000 years previous</b></p><p>The night was dark, and Jacob was exhausted from his trek across the land that would one day bear his future name of Israel. He found a stone and placed it on the ground to use as a pillow. As he slept, he dreamed about a stairway stretching into the sky with angels walking up and down it. God stood at the top and gave Jacob the following promise:</p><blockquote>“I am the <font style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</font>, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”<div><br /></div><div>Genesis 28:13-15</div></blockquote><div><div>Upon waking, Jacob was awe-struck, and he named the place Bethel, or "House of God." He took the rock he had used as a pillow, and set it up as a pillar.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyRfRzwHZFPBAoPgpRlqfZDCZYjKDXKaKiFv45tUZrGzayhA0GaSkEkG886uKdCiwVvnmc-oE-CFAb0Rqhr9m2iHfhJfsbjvh98h-hLYagWeX9t4ynqj4KeUouUZV1YgsFECi9mFwDKOS84y6jY2T7J8PvG2-_97q7WCYXxsJ_ft_xwgABmr8c6-P/s1476/Bartolome_murillo-sue%C3%B1o_jacob.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="993" data-original-width="1476" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyRfRzwHZFPBAoPgpRlqfZDCZYjKDXKaKiFv45tUZrGzayhA0GaSkEkG886uKdCiwVvnmc-oE-CFAb0Rqhr9m2iHfhJfsbjvh98h-hLYagWeX9t4ynqj4KeUouUZV1YgsFECi9mFwDKOS84y6jY2T7J8PvG2-_97q7WCYXxsJ_ft_xwgABmr8c6-P/s320/Bartolome_murillo-sue%C3%B1o_jacob.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>El sueño de Jacob/Jacob's Dream</i><br />Bartholomé Esteban Murillo<br />Oil on canvas<br />1665</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>1841</b></div><div><br /></div><div>British actress Sarah Flower Adams had been obliged to leave the stage due to health troubles, and in 1841, her pastor was working on a sermon about Jacob's dream. He needed a song to go with it in the service, and Adams volunteered to write it. Her sister Eliza Flower set it to music, though a different tune by Lowell Mason would eventually become the one commonly used. (Incidentally, Mason also set the poem "Mary Had a Little Lamb" to music.) Summarizing Jacob's dream, Sarah wrote: <br /><blockquote>Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!<br />E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me,<br />still all my song shall be,<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br />nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!<br /><br />Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,<br />darkness be over me, my rest a stone;<br />yet in my dreams I'd be<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br />nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!<br /><br />There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;<br />all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;<br />angels to beckon me<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br />nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!<br /><br />Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise,<br />out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;<br />so by my woes to be<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br />nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!<br /><br />Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky,<br />sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly,<br />still all my song shall be,<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br />nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!</blockquote></div><div>Adams would write multiple poems and hymns, but this was her most well known. They couldn't know how poignant these words would be about 72 years later.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNr1TjQ4AhyikVohaFuSEASm5KspUilbaML6x7smBT_pegDB7Lu3Le6QypswPZp2pjglsRIBn_hqx0buzVOAMhCPP9oexTh4MZO0JF5sTUFLTptfVmZtqIi6yNOxGFvwyHJJmyRi2v_kuRajpicWHheRbeTquMaeVay3E1DDi2WFG1oc_avAHsat1/s500/SarahFlowerAdams.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="384" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNr1TjQ4AhyikVohaFuSEASm5KspUilbaML6x7smBT_pegDB7Lu3Le6QypswPZp2pjglsRIBn_hqx0buzVOAMhCPP9oexTh4MZO0JF5sTUFLTptfVmZtqIi6yNOxGFvwyHJJmyRi2v_kuRajpicWHheRbeTquMaeVay3E1DDi2WFG1oc_avAHsat1/s320/SarahFlowerAdams.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sarah Flower Adams</i><br />Margaret Gillies<br />Sketch, touched with chalk<br />artwork c. 1850-1875</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b>April 14-15, 1912</b></div><div><br /></div><div>It was a dark but calm night. The appropriately-named ship was titanic (that is, massively huge), and it was on its maiden voyage. Just 39 years after the SS <i>Ville du Havre</i> had collided with another ship and sunk (inspiring another hymn), a much greater disaster was about to go down, literally. RMS <i>Titanic</i> also collided, but this time with an iceberg around 800 miles southwest of the other collision (if my calculations are accurate). </div><div><br /></div><div>Around 11:40 PM, lookout Frederick Fleet sounded the alarm: "Iceberg! Right ahead!" First Officer William Murdoch immediately ordered the ship "hard-a-starboard" to turn around posthaste! (Starboard is the ship's right side.) They did their best, but were too close to the iceberg, which scraped the starboard side, rupturing at least five watertight compartments. Captain Edward J. Smith ordered wireless operator Jack Phillips to begin sending distress signals, which he and his fellow operator Harold Bride did. The ship let off flares that lit up the sky. The RMS <i>Carpathia</i> received the signals, but being 58 nautical miles away, it would take them about three hours to reach the <i>Titanic</i>. The massive ship only had 20 lifeboats, not nearly enough for all their passengers.</div><div><br /></div>As the ship broke apart and sank, multiple survivors recalled the ship's band, led by band leader Wallace Hartley, playing a hymn as some of the passengers sang along:<blockquote><i>There let the way appear, steps unto heaven;<br />all that thou sendest me, in mercy given;<br />angels to beckon me<br />nearer, my God, to thee;<br /></i><div style="text-align: left;"><i>nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!</i></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div>Hartley has said that he wanted that hymn played at his funeral. It would be the last song he would direct as he and the entire band found themselves nearer to God. Over 1500 souls were lost that night.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitezB6E-AFS6zr8tQK56zAhjBDIsuMy8pPAG10zbyE6mJgnmrXuWn7pXyw5q3AdW6o_QY14Amrupmiqv3lJ1J1wpDcAUrQk3tJ5maTYmvMyrotxRLzR538sq6rZ_SU26IGcCcUWsi1124dORriOgfRBXhKohlLeR-2W1dz95PbvEr_jVXKmq9sJHTU/s800/Titanic_in_color.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="800" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitezB6E-AFS6zr8tQK56zAhjBDIsuMy8pPAG10zbyE6mJgnmrXuWn7pXyw5q3AdW6o_QY14Amrupmiqv3lJ1J1wpDcAUrQk3tJ5maTYmvMyrotxRLzR538sq6rZ_SU26IGcCcUWsi1124dORriOgfRBXhKohlLeR-2W1dz95PbvEr_jVXKmq9sJHTU/s320/Titanic_in_color.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RMS <i>Titanic</i> departing Southampton<br />April 10, 1912<br />Photo by Francis Godolphin Osbourne Stuart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titanic" target="_blank">https://www.britannica.com/topic/Titanic</a></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic</span></a></div></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nearer,_My_God,_to_Thee" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nearer,_My_God,_to_Thee</span></a></div><div><a href="https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/nearer-my-god-to-thee-history-and-lyrics.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/nearer-my-god-to-thee-history-and-lyrics.html</span></a></div>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-68523757640305367782023-04-28T00:00:00.054-07:002023-04-28T00:26:04.350-07:00Aaron<p>This is my brother Aaron. We may not be biologically related, but that's beside the point. Although, there are Olsons among my ancestors, and we do look like we could be related, so I've often wondered if we are, distantly. We even have a similar sense of humor.</p><p>He was our pastor a few years ago, and of all our pastors, was one of the closest in age to me. After leaving our church, he moved to Texas. I miss him and keep in touch.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9FYj2ym5dblWJMBh8dlmhTGwkywfZyVLAGdaSX2XBUn-n-jyvZn6fH2es4o0hPBmxZiumkK-RqiNnBFuavV2gi8Aq4fPy7DVuhqpbHFR5wzKlJV6JC-Y0u8ikiaP_GmDlUY9mIbGbLE6wzpvfbtGnw-xU5eh4W5xU5_aTHbiJLOYNT9TMAXsOuon/s960/538718_465822753490567_1339202348_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="767" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9FYj2ym5dblWJMBh8dlmhTGwkywfZyVLAGdaSX2XBUn-n-jyvZn6fH2es4o0hPBmxZiumkK-RqiNnBFuavV2gi8Aq4fPy7DVuhqpbHFR5wzKlJV6JC-Y0u8ikiaP_GmDlUY9mIbGbLE6wzpvfbtGnw-xU5eh4W5xU5_aTHbiJLOYNT9TMAXsOuon/s320/538718_465822753490567_1339202348_n.png" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Aaron Olson</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />2012<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Today he sets a new personal record in the age department. I am proud to claim him as a brother, and he is one of the best.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaU01sjKIttOyIhOErXFhwPX2wPRhZ4-577NUDzsH-ARH-nWFkcjKcVi3uZSP-yAGxlVV7rRvqQcQn92OZVdV9sUOevcv20GJaXjIVrSUSJepHThoHO8ChZsIHCp_qK0BxRzuFwSsMZIcJIdxET4BRvlWyO-ATStTWJDw-9CSTGcRyoenbIKVHqiN/s960/68498_465862286819947_1650136810_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="960" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaU01sjKIttOyIhOErXFhwPX2wPRhZ4-577NUDzsH-ARH-nWFkcjKcVi3uZSP-yAGxlVV7rRvqQcQn92OZVdV9sUOevcv20GJaXjIVrSUSJepHThoHO8ChZsIHCp_qK0BxRzuFwSsMZIcJIdxET4BRvlWyO-ATStTWJDw-9CSTGcRyoenbIKVHqiN/s320/68498_465862286819947_1650136810_n.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facebook Cover Art<br />Steven Sauke<br />2012<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Following are more pictures of him. The illustration above was based on one of the below. I am even in one of these pictures! I took these in 2012 and 2013. Since he lives so far away, we haven't been able to get pictures any more recently than that. Someday!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jGhTdtGE3Xkf1wIIl40hVHr5IdWbZYSNgYf6ZEEZWO22YZ6fAJ3BJmeHfsxsGED5DbHaowV8bp_Q89ECgAe3N6D88wdr851kd_VH8r7EbTF_g0WpV8PPaTaaqqd_t73K43n2BVZNHrDVulu_JCPYNonKWF_Q52oOEZGDwGso1Kh80VMWv76kqs7G/s2048/466051_10151810519085641_2061142696_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1586" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2jGhTdtGE3Xkf1wIIl40hVHr5IdWbZYSNgYf6ZEEZWO22YZ6fAJ3BJmeHfsxsGED5DbHaowV8bp_Q89ECgAe3N6D88wdr851kd_VH8r7EbTF_g0WpV8PPaTaaqqd_t73K43n2BVZNHrDVulu_JCPYNonKWF_Q52oOEZGDwGso1Kh80VMWv76kqs7G/s320/466051_10151810519085641_2061142696_o.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitK8JTchscK0tu8yyFuP4zwhpQaLbuE7yd3CnX2QuHKC7yUwxbz9GT8hUlwt32VyADt-e77GbefToPe_JBZkaAf6ripLmEN5Ge7Qk6RfJGnQmi2dP1bRj8RZ0bMbgILZrktRkJAfqOlJXrJBTMlQkLHM-R1aa3OD6C0Dl65oOL0eoxQCUsjf879C7/s1949/467696_10151810385885641_1517467343_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1949" data-original-width="1797" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitK8JTchscK0tu8yyFuP4zwhpQaLbuE7yd3CnX2QuHKC7yUwxbz9GT8hUlwt32VyADt-e77GbefToPe_JBZkaAf6ripLmEN5Ge7Qk6RfJGnQmi2dP1bRj8RZ0bMbgILZrktRkJAfqOlJXrJBTMlQkLHM-R1aa3OD6C0Dl65oOL0eoxQCUsjf879C7/s320/467696_10151810385885641_1517467343_o.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC50KN3350XG6NJaQgGMajRqzGaSLPDsZytHDtiO4a9J1bhQMuhqWqjNX3iefBvW1kekjeW_C5snIgyWTGM7MRccQ-ayevg5lbiNbRucnkoPAelLnCMoW9Vh79h8Tmz5zIDy-BMlzXeoaQX_xOLyHxTUGqT6mRuWNC4QQFRskogNiPlwRXem8SNGv/s960/539628_10151905077265641_1048686937_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC50KN3350XG6NJaQgGMajRqzGaSLPDsZytHDtiO4a9J1bhQMuhqWqjNX3iefBvW1kekjeW_C5snIgyWTGM7MRccQ-ayevg5lbiNbRucnkoPAelLnCMoW9Vh79h8Tmz5zIDy-BMlzXeoaQX_xOLyHxTUGqT6mRuWNC4QQFRskogNiPlwRXem8SNGv/s320/539628_10151905077265641_1048686937_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1vI3ZclZmtdIjvrg9c1Xdl0ZkC6uCjBxBlmwimxCCKN-cFgtXnXBWceJM4aXswWJgg3xqYDN1OTgtplcQRILaYL5YjmlaSUAS8ODO5_YZVoxFq8MlHtYOSRq0NkX3sc-5NMa-7BjLdnFvtZaIAJW84CySbZJkI6eJrhB5f8D1_5KEQmK4GyOFXgJ/s960/549795_10151419579145641_1042900312_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="960" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1vI3ZclZmtdIjvrg9c1Xdl0ZkC6uCjBxBlmwimxCCKN-cFgtXnXBWceJM4aXswWJgg3xqYDN1OTgtplcQRILaYL5YjmlaSUAS8ODO5_YZVoxFq8MlHtYOSRq0NkX3sc-5NMa-7BjLdnFvtZaIAJW84CySbZJkI6eJrhB5f8D1_5KEQmK4GyOFXgJ/s320/549795_10151419579145641_1042900312_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxeW-9a_UNndI0ku8049i-wDPQqMu-6lL2X0Zw9-Q44x3SbzuNMR9QBHYn2OVoQ3Zi8egydFPIRk1fNCoC-n6fezinPE6-SwKglXuv1B-h8g2zQ7Tf1-PVv9Dsq6KHLDMkQjb2y5eg3In9wq-_fdX0LKOfhPez9N1QL6TWg7qsEJ8yUb-l572uOmG/s206/946354_10153126852200641_1180230205_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="206" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxeW-9a_UNndI0ku8049i-wDPQqMu-6lL2X0Zw9-Q44x3SbzuNMR9QBHYn2OVoQ3Zi8egydFPIRk1fNCoC-n6fezinPE6-SwKglXuv1B-h8g2zQ7Tf1-PVv9Dsq6KHLDMkQjb2y5eg3In9wq-_fdX0LKOfhPez9N1QL6TWg7qsEJ8yUb-l572uOmG/s1600/946354_10153126852200641_1180230205_n.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF18aAfpst5tKMhnndxjAAw5C2LxyGkQFSX692t7a3qCoRwEONbjmk04FrJ85F_vhwx_oTy1MrdMBDFTjWsLAEvDokO97nYFn7f_qFQEpbST08OGfoyPfKVIj2v6XdFlHzPoaAb28A7iId-aF5YAejAy-CyZ33h-WtLqbn_fHUkZjh_I7JtvsYjN0p/s526/13423784_10156977529385641_8489813294587790145_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF18aAfpst5tKMhnndxjAAw5C2LxyGkQFSX692t7a3qCoRwEONbjmk04FrJ85F_vhwx_oTy1MrdMBDFTjWsLAEvDokO97nYFn7f_qFQEpbST08OGfoyPfKVIj2v6XdFlHzPoaAb28A7iId-aF5YAejAy-CyZ33h-WtLqbn_fHUkZjh_I7JtvsYjN0p/s320/13423784_10156977529385641_8489813294587790145_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-53608405976700877612023-04-27T00:00:00.027-07:002023-04-27T00:00:00.148-07:00We interrupt this program....<p>CHANGES COMING!!</p><p>Due to my exciting new job, I will not have as much time to maintain my blog. I still hope to blog regularly, but it will likely slow down a bit. I scheduled a bunch of blogs prior to starting my job (for example, it's April 12 as I type this), so they should still be coming for a while, but we will see how everything lands once I strike the proper balance. It may be every other day, or perhaps once or twice a week. We shall see.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xSdeitS3YAi2a-sRlsmdPE_vJcG-IvHfyBMk64npMOhk0-yRwUYHYV06ajy0oshf9mno2nzRVnkrKA6riV54z76co3v8DvCan4vwB6JAS9o8xQu9eaUNIiT6Je72_aHZwsPi5izb29scQMHnIGzztYER2l7coIIxZl_yp470at9sCEr3-BIpQ42Y/s7296/young-smiling-office-worker-man-headphones-optical-glasses-sits-desk-with-office-tools-using-laptop-looks-side-isolated-green-background-with-copy-space.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5017" data-original-width="7296" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1xSdeitS3YAi2a-sRlsmdPE_vJcG-IvHfyBMk64npMOhk0-yRwUYHYV06ajy0oshf9mno2nzRVnkrKA6riV54z76co3v8DvCan4vwB6JAS9o8xQu9eaUNIiT6Je72_aHZwsPi5izb29scQMHnIGzztYER2l7coIIxZl_yp470at9sCEr3-BIpQ42Y/s320/young-smiling-office-worker-man-headphones-optical-glasses-sits-desk-with-office-tools-using-laptop-looks-side-isolated-green-background-with-copy-space.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/young-smiling-office-worker-man-headphones-optical-glasses-sits-desk-with-office-tools-using-laptop-looks-side-isolated-green-background-with-copy-space_13320089.htm#from_view=detail_alsolike#position=9">Image by stockking</a> on Freepik</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I still have some exciting ideas, so stay tuned, and be sure to hit the "Follow" button to the right! (You may need to scroll down a bit. If you are on a cell phone or tablet, you may need to view the Desktop version to see the Follow button.)</p><p>Don't touch that dial!</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-21283760845593329792023-04-26T00:00:00.001-07:002023-04-26T00:00:00.144-07:00Randy Rusk<p>My uncle Randy was tragically killed by a drunk driver before I was born. I have heard wonderful things about him, and I wish I could have known him. It sounds like he was an amazing and very talented person. I did this portrait of him a few years ago in his memory. </p><p>My aunt Bonnie, his widow, did a guest blog a few years ago, telling <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2014/04/bonnies-story.html" target="_blank">her story</a>, remembering him and her life since losing him. That was the first guest post on this blog.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvD2FVZlhVfJwaUVWpyhvMQYUvH06iX6q3nfDXiZJqWgmbyZcGt30JUbMefAum45bZO6LuXL_qWL_r5IetY7tBuOjdtU29dU-_rfaRepIgNSzLz205CXdPh7Gmgm9yPcPeASb_Y-tL-ovitJdeJniHQraAlRa8K84wnPYoaiAbqMKG307b7-wDJ2R/s803/559062_465857910153718_16307227_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvD2FVZlhVfJwaUVWpyhvMQYUvH06iX6q3nfDXiZJqWgmbyZcGt30JUbMefAum45bZO6LuXL_qWL_r5IetY7tBuOjdtU29dU-_rfaRepIgNSzLz205CXdPh7Gmgm9yPcPeASb_Y-tL-ovitJdeJniHQraAlRa8K84wnPYoaiAbqMKG307b7-wDJ2R/s320/559062_465857910153718_16307227_n.png" width="249" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Randy Rusk</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-44431707460631393492023-04-25T00:00:00.010-07:002023-04-25T00:39:39.264-07:00It Is Well: Lost at Sea<p>In late 1873, a heartbroken father stood on the deck of a ship gazing out to sea at the site of the disaster that had tragically claimed the lives of all four of his daughters. This was only two years after he had lost his son and his business. Now this.</p><p>Horatio Spafford was a lawyer and real estate investor who had seen great success. He had an amazing wife and beloved children. He had a lucrative business. But his successful life began to unravel in 1871 when his 4-year-old son contracted and succumbed to scarlet fever. It was a tragedy no parent should have to go through, having to bury their own son. But things would get worse. The Great Chicago Fire tore through the city, leaving large swathes of it in charred ruins. Shortly after losing his son, his successful business was quite literally up in smoke. In the face of such unimaginable loss, he could not know that even worse tragedy was on its way.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYJhFTlf_Jp9GO7ef8MaHOV5O2bVPNDD9nfnsYFwcsTvrpxnlAcEu_pSNdGDZq7oq4jwPS08mQKjAE-97ECklRjiYYGU2_kzwTyLQiIJMRHteEiOlo0-Qm8K7LkbB90o-vwyMfOT_pL5XasArNhCJGajMnclPJAs2fmQdPEW-yHL6243gzW96NVeg/s3570/Sinking%20Steamship%20VILLE%20DU%20HAVRE%20-%20Currier%20&%20Ives.tif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2724" data-original-width="3570" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYJhFTlf_Jp9GO7ef8MaHOV5O2bVPNDD9nfnsYFwcsTvrpxnlAcEu_pSNdGDZq7oq4jwPS08mQKjAE-97ECklRjiYYGU2_kzwTyLQiIJMRHteEiOlo0-Qm8K7LkbB90o-vwyMfOT_pL5XasArNhCJGajMnclPJAs2fmQdPEW-yHL6243gzW96NVeg/s320/Sinking%20Steamship%20VILLE%20DU%20HAVRE%20-%20Currier%20&%20Ives.tif" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Sinking of the Steamship </i><u style="font-style: italic;">Ville du Havre</u><br />Currier & Ives, 1873<br />Hand-colored lithograph<br />Image courtesy of <a href="https://springfieldmuseums.org/" target="_blank">Springfield Museums</a><br />Used with permission</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Horatio and his wife Anna were devastated. The stress of raising children and rebuilding a business in the face of such unspeakable loss was heartrending. They decided that they needed a change of scene. A vacation to England would be just the thing. Horatio was detained by unexpected business obligations, so he saw his wife and four daughters off as they boarded the SS <i>Ville du Havre</i>, bound for England. He would take another ship and join them soon.</p><p>November 21, 1873 was a day that would shatter their lives, literally and figuratively. Over the Atlantic Ocean, the <i>Ville du Havre</i> collided with the Scottish iron-hulled ship <i>Loch Earn</i>. Anna Spafford gathered her four young daughters on the deck and they desperately prayed to be spared, or to be able to endure what was to come. The ship sank in 12 minutes. Over 200 lives were lost that day.</p><p>A few days later, Horatio received a telegram from Cardiff, Wales that began:</p><p><span style="font-family: courier;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: courier;">Saved alone. What shall I do?</span></blockquote><p></p><p>A sailor on a small boat had spotted a woman floating on a piece of wreckage and pulled her aboard. They were then picked up by a larger boat bound for Cardiff. As soon as Anna arrived, she telegrammed her husband back in Chicago. Anna told another survivor of the <i>Ville du Havre</i>, "God gave me four daughters. Now they have been taken from me. Someday I will understand why."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciBg_Dz-E2folHdDd0LZimZKBGMyOKqOMzeA_-Hz1aNPzBDom3hQPKrXvfizBCl0b1iu3SEknHj_sN1ePV5J0FCa3DkC5FL_IcTKtXff2FkXUAchBHOgvz8Avxoupiw7VOx5Q7EFiPltq5zGEgPdTbyiObDJrAFo1BTkSkpV9b35IJcEQTmKtgb3y/s750/Spafford+children.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="750" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciBg_Dz-E2folHdDd0LZimZKBGMyOKqOMzeA_-Hz1aNPzBDom3hQPKrXvfizBCl0b1iu3SEknHj_sN1ePV5J0FCa3DkC5FL_IcTKtXff2FkXUAchBHOgvz8Avxoupiw7VOx5Q7EFiPltq5zGEgPdTbyiObDJrAFo1BTkSkpV9b35IJcEQTmKtgb3y/s320/Spafford+children.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horatio and Anna Spafford's daughters</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Gutted, Horatio booked the next available ship to Wales. The captain was aware of Spafford's tragedy and brought him out to the deck as they reached the site of the collision. As he looked out to sea and thought about his daughters, he was filled with a mixture of grief, comfort and peace. His emotions flowed on paper as he wrote the words that came to him to comfort in this horrible tragedy:</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>When peace like a river, attendeth my way,<br />When sorrows like sea billows roll—<br />Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know,<br />It is well, it is well with my soul.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>As the waves buffeted the ship back and forth, he wrote on:</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come<br />Let this blest assurance control<br />That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate<br />And hath shed his own blood for my soul.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Some of this is speculation on my part, but having gone through tragedies of my own, I know we are often plagued by the "what ifs" of life. What if they had stayed home? What if he had gone with them and could have protected them? What if he had committed some sin God was punishing him for? At their hour of greatest need, he was miles away, helplessly and ignorantly unable to help. Rational or not, I know my mind has gone to places like that, and I'm sure his did as well, particularly in light of his poem.</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>My sin—oh the bliss of this glorious thought—<br />My sin, not in part, but the whole,<br />Is nailed to His cross, & I bear it no more;<br />Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh my soul.</i></blockquote><p></p><p>As he pondered, prayed, and agonized, it helped to remind himself that this was in God's hands, and God would bring him through it. Whatever sins he may have committed, whether or not they contributed to the tragedy, were forgiven and atoned on the cross. But even so, he missed his son and daughters horribly, and couldn't wait to see them again someday in heaven.</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight<br />The clouds be rolled back as a scroll—<br />The trump shall resound, & the Lord shall descend—<br />A song in the night, Oh my soul!</i></blockquote><p></p><p>The above poem is from the original manuscript, which you can see <a href="https://www.spaffordhymn.com/" target="_blank">here</a>. A few words have been changed over the years for the hymn that we have grown up singing, but it is mostly intact. The biggest change I see is the last line. He would also write, <br /></p><blockquote>"On Thursday last we passed over the spot where she went down in mid-ocean, the water three miles deep. But I do not think of our dear ones there. They are safe, folded, the dear lambs, and there, before very long, shall we be too. In the meantime, thanks to God, we have an opportunity to serve and praise Him for His love and mercy to us and ours. I will praise Him while I have my being. May we each one arise, leave all, and follow Him."</blockquote><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq77v-bZrIdsl0UZ7MWzT80QitBrrntnITB4s25ZBcEcdSRv4idjzdtzxtM0TqwpEFYKVEV-xyiTXmNZEAlciM76z7z6gy8AlXawFmIrqVrF6a5cQXzfOgrM0sUhPRVF1LCSVeHIKVXPAAXBhiqyqa_pCKV9b0maxLzpHN61HBqc_7stQt3F35iBv/s2636/Naufrage_du_paquebot_transatlantique_la_Ville-du-Havre_(Monde_illustr%C3%A9,_1873-12-13).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1696" data-original-width="2636" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq77v-bZrIdsl0UZ7MWzT80QitBrrntnITB4s25ZBcEcdSRv4idjzdtzxtM0TqwpEFYKVEV-xyiTXmNZEAlciM76z7z6gy8AlXawFmIrqVrF6a5cQXzfOgrM0sUhPRVF1LCSVeHIKVXPAAXBhiqyqa_pCKV9b0maxLzpHN61HBqc_7stQt3F35iBv/s320/Naufrage_du_paquebot_transatlantique_la_Ville-du-Havre_(Monde_illustr%C3%A9,_1873-12-13).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Naufrage du paquebot transatlantique la <u>Ville-du-Havre</u>.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>L'arrière du navire est encore au-dessus des flots,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>et le <u>Loch-Earn</u> envoie ses embarcations pour sauver les naufragés.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Translation:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Shipwreck of the transatlantic liner the <i>Ville du Havre</i>.</div><div style="text-align: center;">The back of the ship is still above the waves,</div><div style="text-align: center;">and the <i>Loch Earn</i> sends its small boats to </div><div style="text-align: center;">save the shipwrecked.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Artwork by Évremond de Bérard in <i>Le Monde illustré</i>, </div><div style="text-align: center;">December 13, 1873 based on information taken in </div><div style="text-align: center;">Le Havre, France and a sketch by M.G. Roullet</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Public Domain</div></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After returning home, their friends rallied around them. Among those friends was Phillip Bliss, who was gifted in music and was so moved by Spafford's poem that he set it to music. It has comforted and moved generations ever since.</p><p>Following the tragedy, the Spaffords had three more children, losing another son to pneumonia. They would eventually move to Jerusalem. His "faith became sight" in 1888, when he passed away and was buried there.</p><p>This hymn has been special for me, particularly when I learned as a child that I was born on the anniversary of the shipwreck that inspired it. The first time I heard the story behind it was on the radio. We sang the song growing up, and hearing the story moved me. But now, it means more to me than ever.</p><p>In 2019, I took my parents on an errand to Bellingham, Washington, about a 2-hour drive north of us. On the way home, I could feel myself getting drowsy and pulled into a rest stop so I could get coffee and stretch my legs. But just as we were on the freeway exit into the rest stop, I dozed off momentarily. The car veered off the road into the grass, taking out a road sign as I desperately tried to regain control. The car went neatly between trees and slammed into another tree, momentarily going airborne and landing perpendicular from where it had hit the tree. (I'm hearing the crashes and feeling the shock again just typing this.) The airbags deployed. My dad found my glasses on the ground outside the passenger door. I was badly bruised. My parents were injured worse. My brother Tim, who was at work at the time, immediately left work and rushed to the hospital where we were taken. I was in the hospital a few hours, and my dad was in a bit longer. After nine days in the hospital, my mom had to spend a few weeks in rehab. I did a sleep study and CT scan to determine if there were any sleep or brain issues. (On one visit to the neurologist, I joked that I had to have my head examined.) There were no brain issues, but I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. While my glasses were thankfully intact, I got a new pair that wouldn't come off as easily. I went through terrible feelings of guilt and "what ifs"... What if I had pulled off the freeway sooner? What if I had stayed alert for five more minutes? On the other hand, what if we had been on a bridge over a river when it happened, which would have been worse? So many "what ifs"! My family and friends had to reassure me over and over that it wasn't my fault, and the feelings of guilt were not helpful. After I had worked through that, a well-meaning friend asked me if I was feeling guilt about it and offered unsolicited advice—but by that point, her efforts were a bit counterproductive as it revived it a bit. Never assume what someone is feeling when they are grieving. You could be reawakening things they've already worked through and don't need to be reminded.</p><p>In mid-November 2021, my dad was in the family room watching football. I thought it was a bit odd that he was still sitting there at midnight, which was not like him, but I told him I was going to bed. He offered to turn the TV down, but I assured him the volume was fine. About 3 and a half hours later, my mom woke me. She was in tears. My dad was still sitting in front of the TV, but the screen saver had come on, and when she asked him questions, his answers didn't make sense. I got up and went in and talked to him. Most of his answers to my questions also didn't make sense. At one point I commented that we were very worried, and he said, "I can see that." He didn't want us to call 911, because he was afraid they would ask him questions and he wouldn't know what to tell them. We finally decided to call 911 anyway, and paramedics rushed to the house. At the hospital, he was diagnosed with a hemorrhagic stroke, which involves bleeding in the brain, and eventually transferred to another hospital a bit farther away that was better equipped to help. While he was in the hospital, their COVID guidelines only allowed for one designated visitor throughout the stay. My mom was the obvious choice, so Tim and I waited in the parking lot while our mom visited him nearly daily. His condition was up and down. Due to COVID, I was working from home, so one day while I was working, Tim took my mom. They made the painful decision to move him to comfort care, as all attempts at getting food into him were failing, and the only other option had the potential of doing more harm than good. Tim called me and told me they were coming home to get me. I alerted my manager that I had to go, and once they arrived, we returned to the hospital. Since he was on comfort care, the one-guest rule didn't apply, so we went up. I had some things I needed to discuss with my dad, and I wish I could have discussed them with him when he was coherent. But I was able to tell him, clear some things up, and get some closure. He was clearly in pain, and was unable to talk right then, but I'm fairly certain he could hear me. We were hoping he would feel a bit better the following day and I might be able to talk some more. But that night, shortly after midnight, we were back home and had gone to bed. Tim got a call from the hospital. Once he had turned the phone over to our mom, he came and got me. I will never forget his next words: "Dad just died." We hurried back to the hospital. He was gone.</p><p>Once again, the "what ifs" came. What if I had realized before going to bed that something was physically wrong? What if we had called 911 sooner? Could they have saved him? With a stroke, minutes count. What if the accident in 2019 contributed to his stroke? What if I had listened to his lessons more and appreciated him more when he was alive? What if? What if? What if? I even had to work through some of the "what ifs" from the accident again.</p><p>It has been a difficult road since losing my dad. So many times I want to tell him something, ask him a question, give him a hug. While he was fighting for his life, I felt helpless. But "Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul." In some ways, I felt I failed as a son, and didn't honor and respect my dad as much as I should have. But "My sin—oh the bliss of this glorious thought—my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, Oh my soul!" I miss my dad horribly, but I cling to that "peace like a river" that "attendeth my way" as "sorrows like sea billows roll." Someday the faith WILL become sight. I will see my dad again. He is completely healed. I miss him, but for his sake I don't want him to come back. So I sing with my brother in Christ Horatio Spafford:</p><p><i></i></p><blockquote><i>And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight<br />The clouds be rolled back as a scroll—<br />The trump shall resound, & the Lord shall descend—<br />A song in the night, Oh my soul!</i></blockquote><p></p><p>Don't get me wrong, I plan to live for a long time yet, and I want to make an impact while I'm here, but a part of me yearns for that day when we run into each other's arms and joyfully sing Jesus' praises at His feet!</p><p>Sources:</p><p>https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2014/10/17/story-behind-song-it-well-my-soul/985525007/<br />https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/it-is-well-with-my-soul.html<br />https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-it-is-well-with-my-soul<br />https://seelemag.com/blog/story-behind-it-is-well-with-my-soul-cportee<br />https://springfieldmuseums.org/collections/item/the-sinking-of-the-steamship-ville-du-havre-currier-ives/<br />https://www.spaffordhymn.com/</p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-86044043184159191812023-04-24T00:00:00.006-07:002023-04-24T00:00:00.205-07:00Darcy<p>My cousin Darcy is an amazing, talented person. In the years since I did this portrait of her, she also got married and has an amazing son. Those facts have nothing to do with the fact that I did a portrait of her. Did I mention that I'm thankful for my family?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzplBLjaVWXAL3hsR1JVnRfDs5zyPkY-THNbcq3z2Jazjjas_5dhvx1ZSH1ZXtnCgSBfB-ihM5qJufVxAidr5mFqibl3jRs5pGa04XIcGereoOV1NxSKhI_mpEGza9XR05CbA0BOvPVkMDRn_8wTiZQsOwLr7vcCYVBn-_2H1QLyneHiwwSnHA_1C/s960/534113_465849956821180_973124682_n.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="769" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzplBLjaVWXAL3hsR1JVnRfDs5zyPkY-THNbcq3z2Jazjjas_5dhvx1ZSH1ZXtnCgSBfB-ihM5qJufVxAidr5mFqibl3jRs5pGa04XIcGereoOV1NxSKhI_mpEGza9XR05CbA0BOvPVkMDRn_8wTiZQsOwLr7vcCYVBn-_2H1QLyneHiwwSnHA_1C/s320/534113_465849956821180_973124682_n.png" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Darcy</i><br />Steven Sauke<br />Illustration</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-58459272258157025992023-04-23T00:00:00.363-07:002023-04-23T00:06:02.476-07:00Days of Yore Post-Credits 2: Glasses<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some movies even have two post-credits scenes! I'm pretty sure this is the last "Days of Yore" post, but never say never! :-)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back in January of this year, I shared my story about when I had <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/01/pigmentary-degeneration-of-retina.html" target="_blank">retinitis pigmentosa</a>, and it miraculously healed! I got my first glasses at that time, and it took a long time before I really enjoyed wearing them. Now I'm proud to be bespectacled, and wouldn't have it any other way! I wish more people understood how helpful and awesome they are. Many who need them don't realize it for various reasons, such as not knowing anything different, or their eyesight diminishing so gradually that they don't notice it. It's common for the newly-bespectacled to be shocked how much better they can see with their glasses. I've heard multiple people comment that they can suddenly see the leaves on the trees that they couldn't distinguish in the past. I was one of those who didn't know any different.</div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDzXH51rh5oGRFF9cP71qCk1KgIhCTnsAVd7xiz5Q71Ooz8OBEV69sO9jOVpu5eF8CRE89JKH4QoA71Hrgg-s0BfL1bnFKSwzekRO9FWOTIT0jDVsNPuZMHzfOBimW9AuJv-bD36lwj4jkfo-KDRUWCu8HweooUXJfFaV314r3c88H14na43Hgcwn/s5031/AdobeStock_107972691.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3354" data-original-width="5031" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDzXH51rh5oGRFF9cP71qCk1KgIhCTnsAVd7xiz5Q71Ooz8OBEV69sO9jOVpu5eF8CRE89JKH4QoA71Hrgg-s0BfL1bnFKSwzekRO9FWOTIT0jDVsNPuZMHzfOBimW9AuJv-bD36lwj4jkfo-KDRUWCu8HweooUXJfFaV314r3c88H14na43Hgcwn/s320/AdobeStock_107972691.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/205506265/bravissimos?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">bravissimos</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The process of getting glasses has changed a bit over the course of my lifetime. When I was younger, the doctor had to put drops in my eyes to dilate them, in order to be able to look into my eyes easier. After the exam was done, I had to wear sunglasses for a while because they were sensitive to light while the dilation was wearing off. While people still do this sometimes, I much prefer the Optomap that they do now. You put your eye up to a fancy camera, and it takes pictures. I also like this because I can then see the inside of my eye on the computer screen as well. It's a more educational experience, as the ophthalmologist can point out parts of my eye, as well as indicate any issues. I find that fascinating, and I like to ask them to send me the pictures. (I call it my super extreme closeup.) The Optomap costs extra, but it's worth it for me, particularly because then I'm not super-sensitive to light for the next while. I've never particularly been a fan of the part of the exam where they puff a burst of air in the eye to test the pressure, though. While painless, it's a weird feeling.</p><p>In a different part of the office, you sit on a chair, cover one eye, and read from an eye chart on the wall. Then you do the same with the other eye. Then they pull out the phoropter. It looks like this, or some variation on it:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQhG7Fmjn_wJfizEuQg2Q2TH1AkNkeojnoIisydDsttX2DsHxASIfHJLVgwJWxsaRs7s3qTfMesxj1eWnQv7iF1WeIfaNXF0-QnHqc1nr3-lV07TU4ef_qdGMRiGFbtkbMK66zKKvqcTV7LUgykJV6IbLWj2aTUsr7sOeNs1g3RHVxirpLcNFhLkR/s6240/AdobeStock_550542949.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4160" data-original-width="6240" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQhG7Fmjn_wJfizEuQg2Q2TH1AkNkeojnoIisydDsttX2DsHxASIfHJLVgwJWxsaRs7s3qTfMesxj1eWnQv7iF1WeIfaNXF0-QnHqc1nr3-lV07TU4ef_qdGMRiGFbtkbMK66zKKvqcTV7LUgykJV6IbLWj2aTUsr7sOeNs1g3RHVxirpLcNFhLkR/s320/AdobeStock_550542949.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/206298966/ijeab?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">ijeab</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You look through the eye holes, which have panes of glass in them that the doctor can change. They look a bit like magnifying glasses in there. They then have you look at the eye chart and compare two thicknesses of glass... "Can you see better with 1...or 2? 1...or 2?" After going through these and trying different ones, they can tell your prescription. That part hasn't changed much at all in my experience.</p><p>There is of course more to the eye exam than that, but those are the highlights. <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/eye-examination-equipment-4020398" target="_blank">This site</a> has good descriptions and pictures of the common equipment, if you'd like to learn more.</p><p>Once that is done, they can give you a printout of your prescription, though you sometimes have to ask for it if you want it.</p><p>Then you get to select frames (I love this part). Once you've picked out your frames, the optician (in the front office) has you put them on and look straight forward, and marks the temporary lenses where the centers of your pupils are. This tells the pupillary distance (PD), which is important for the people adding the lenses. (If you order frames online, you need the PD, and you usually have to ask for it. There are other ways of measuring it if you aren't picking frames in the shop.)</p><p>I went into changing frame styles over my lifetime in my post about <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/03/days-of-yore-what-cool-kids-wore.html" target="_blank">what the cool kids wore</a>.</p><p>Anatomy of Glasses (some of these may seem obvious, but people may find this useful):</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Lenses.</b> These are the clear (or sometimes tinted) panes that have the prescription. The rest of the glasses are there to hold these in place in front of your eyes.</li><li><b>Frames.</b> These go around the lenses to hold them in place. They are basically everything that is not lenses. They can be made of any number of materials, such as various metals (such as titanium) or plastic. The frames have several parts:</li><ul><li><b>Rims</b>. These are the part of the frames that go around the lenses. There are also half-rim (also called semi-rimless) glasses, which have a rim around the top and a fishing-line-type cord made of nylon around the bottom to give the illusion of no bottom rim. (Occasionally, mainly in some readers, this is switched and the rim is around the bottom and the fishing line on top.) They also have rimless glasses, which don't have rims, but they drill holes in the sides of the lenses to attach the rest of the frame.</li><li><b>Bridge.</b> This is the bar (or sometimes bars) between the lenses that holds the sides together. It goes over the top of your nose.</li><li><b>Temples.</b> Also called stems or arms, these are the two bars that go from the sides of your glasses back over the temples of your face, and rest over your ears.</li><li><b>Temple Tips.</b> These are at the end of the temples to provide padding for the ears. They can be varying shapes, from straight back, to bent down a bit, to a half circle that wraps around the ears. (That latter one isn't very common any more in my observation.) If you wear headphones, I find it's best to have the ones that go straight back as there's less touching the ears that the headphones could squeeze.</li><li><b>Nosepads.</b> These are small gizmos that provide padding for the nose. Depending on the material of the frames, they look different between frames.</li></ul></ul><p></p><p>Over the centuries, there have been multiple kinds of eyewear:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Monocle.</b> This was a round frame with a lens that people could either hold over their eye, or scrunch their cheek and brow muscles to hold it in place. It only went over one eye.</li><li><b>Lorgnette.</b> This was a pair of glasses without temples/stems that people had to hold over their eyes. It often had an extra bit to hold so you didn't have to get fingerprints on the lenses.</li><li><b>Pince-nez.</b> Literally translated "pinch nose," this was similar to a lorgnette in that it didn't have temples, but you didn't have to hold it because it clamped to the nose.</li><li><b>Glasses.</b> For lack of a better term, as most of these could be classified glasses, this is what we normally think of as glasses. They have temples so they can rest on the ears.</li><li><b>Bifocals and Progressive.</b> Bifocals were invented by Benjamin Franklin and provided an option for both far vision and close-up vision in one lens. They had a line down the middle that marked sections. More recently, they have developed progressive lenses, which serve the same purpose, but eliminate the line. (I just got my first pair of progressive lenses a couple weeks ago. It is a bit of an adjustment, but not as bad as I was expecting. The biggest adjustment for me has been getting used to looking through the right part of the lens for what I'm doing.) Some people need trifocals, which add another level of complexity.</li><li><b>Reading Glasses.</b> Also known as readers, these have magnification rather than prescriptions. They generally sell them in drugstores, and they can be helpful for people who don't necessarily need a prescription, but do need to have their text magnified a bit. They are only used for reading or other close-up stuff, as they don't work for distance.</li><li><b>Blue-light Glasses.</b> These look like regular glasses, but have a film over the lenses to filter out harmful blue light from screens and other sources. (This includes computers, cell phones, tablets and more. I think many mistakenly think they're only for computer use.) This is a fairly recent development. Depending on the strength of the filter, it can look different from regular glasses, though. The strongest filter has an amber tint. The kind I prefer is clear, but has a bluish sheen if you look at it from certain angles. The past few years I have made sure my glasses have a blue light filter, but they are also available in non-prescription glasses, which I recommend even for people who don't normally wear glasses. They are most commonly worn when using screens, but as the biggest source of blue light is the sun, I think it's a good idea to wear them all the time, even if they are non-prescription (unless of course you have a blue light filter on your readers).</li><li><b>Sunglasses.</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>Some people call these glasses, and while they are a kind of glasses, I don't feel they count. They are very useful, though, and I feel everyone should have a pair. For people who wear regular glasses, there are several options. There are some that attach magnetically to glasses. Some clip on the glasses. Some are larger and fit over glasses. Transitions lenses are clear when you are inside and turn dark when you go outside. (While I like the concept of Transitions, I wish they had a way of turning the sunglasses off when you want to take pictures outside and sunglasses seem odd.)</li><li><b>Smart Glasses.</b> These have been developing in recent years and have various capabilities, depending on the brand. Some have earphones built into the temples and can play music. Some can take pictures. Some can count steps and do many of the things a cell phone can. There has been some controversy around these, and while I'm excited about the possibilities, I'm waiting for further development before getting some.</li><li><b>Contacts.</b> These are small lenses that fit in the eyes. I'm not a fan of the idea of putting something in my eyes, but they do have some advantages. For me, it isn't worth the eyedrops, keeping track of them, the risk of them shifting back in the eyes (I've heard horror stories, though I don't think this is common), and more. But that's just my opinion.</li><li><b>LASIK.</b> While not eyewear, this replaces eyewear. It is an operation where doctors use lasers to correct some vision problems. It doesn't work for everyone, and depending on your age and other factors, may or may not hold for long. For people who are good candidates, it works great. It is a bit expensive, though. In some cases, it is necessary to prevent blindness due to injuries.</li><li><b>Sports Glasses.</b> These are specifically made for people who are into sports. They are more durable than normal glasses, and often have better padding. (Speaking from experience, I don't recommend wearing regular glasses while playing basketball, because the ball hitting them is a painful experience, but I think sports glasses take that kind of thing into account.)</li><li><b>Doggles.</b> These are also a fairly new development, but now they have glasses specially designed for dogs with vision problems!</li><li><b>Safety Glasses.</b> These are generally used for industrial work, and anything where you need to protect your eyes from being hit by flying objects. They also have versions that fit over regular glasses.</li><li><b>Goggles. </b>These protect the eyes when diving, and for various other purposes.</li><li>I'm sure there have been others, but those are the ones that come to mind.</li></ul><div>I have a theory that, especially with the development of blue-light glasses that come in prescription and non-prescription, everyone should wear them even if they have good vision. In the case of people with good vision, it can help preserve their vision longer by protecting from the harmful blue light. Some people object that they don't look good in glasses, but I have another theory that if you feel you don't look good, you just haven't found the right pair for you. Opticians can help with that, but it also depends on your tastes. There are also sometimes issues with discomfort in the nose and ears. Opticians can help with this too. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you order glasses online, it's important to know the size of your face, as well as your PD and prescription. Once they arrive, it's best to go into an optical shop to get them adjusted for your face. When selecting glasses, in the shop or online, you want to be sure they aren't too large (which could make it easy for them to fall off) or too small (which could cause them to squeeze your face and cause pain in the temples and possible headaches). If they become loose or askew, you can go into any optical shop, and they typically adjust them for free.</div><div><br /></div><div>The size is often indicated on the interior of one of the temples (or occasionally on the back of the bridge). It also generally tells on the website when you are ordering online. For example, if the size numbers say 54-20-140, that means each lens is 54mm wide, the bridge is 20mm long, and the temples are 140mm long.</div><div><br /></div><div>Personally, I've been a big fan of the Oakley brand in recent years. My new glasses are Nike, and they are just as great. I love how both brands cling to my face, and I don't need to push them up as often. Your optician can advise on other brands, but those are my recent preferences.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you are looking for more information on glasses and eye health, I have found some great YouTube channels. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DoctorEyeHealth" target="_blank">Doctor Eye Health</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@ThatGlassesGuy03" target="_blank">That Glasses Guy</a> are two of my favorites.</div><p></p><p></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-28843666172014079392023-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:002023-04-22T00:00:00.178-07:00SMS<p>One assignment in one of my design classes was to make a personal logo. If I remember right, I made this one in Adobe After Effects. I also have a simplified version without the blue background, which I use for the logo on my blog.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs2gvJQNcMl6YnJTtY-czaMWKFbYaCi2_DwyUTpv9uT_3HLji47Yv4pGciNRXWwGujSm548_jJ7ihzi6zTRPdmwqsCUWXkxMOHlc5AYu2qFJo3_4nXTCpJdoDJQIqLZyWxAIe326grfHX-aLpBY_oMgvawKvalJP0exejvCO8f9FbFPrvZ3zfYXVq/s1275/775713_10152454472840641_1894671133_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1275" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQs2gvJQNcMl6YnJTtY-czaMWKFbYaCi2_DwyUTpv9uT_3HLji47Yv4pGciNRXWwGujSm548_jJ7ihzi6zTRPdmwqsCUWXkxMOHlc5AYu2qFJo3_4nXTCpJdoDJQIqLZyWxAIe326grfHX-aLpBY_oMgvawKvalJP0exejvCO8f9FbFPrvZ3zfYXVq/s320/775713_10152454472840641_1894671133_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steven Sauke<br />Personal Logo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027750474533985485.post-75087996697493692862023-04-21T00:00:00.136-07:002023-04-21T00:00:00.161-07:00Days of Yore Post-Credits: Video Games<p>You know how the past few years, certain movies have enticed you to stay through the credits by including a scene at the end of the credits? It often reveals something you need to know for the sequel. (Pro tip: <i>Pirates of the Caribbean</i> and Marvel movies are never over until the credits have finished rolling!) Think of this post like that, except that this isn't necessarily important to understand for future blogs. But you never know!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSMuAHjRH4ezt0DtXl73kFFkb8PfGYNhqEwhh01Rhw-P3EC18pfyKDe-lk6KGD8y3-nHLbYxOTx0qk1q6ge04249mjIkpSpVufRhpQ2fDCvoHvxCeros-Nl9Vm6m_bQrgyMV2QLXGDzJi97L07k2JW0t1s6P8S_19Mjt6QAc2u_QY3fQV1hif2Zs7/s3900/AdobeStock_203020521.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2248" data-original-width="3900" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSMuAHjRH4ezt0DtXl73kFFkb8PfGYNhqEwhh01Rhw-P3EC18pfyKDe-lk6KGD8y3-nHLbYxOTx0qk1q6ge04249mjIkpSpVufRhpQ2fDCvoHvxCeros-Nl9Vm6m_bQrgyMV2QLXGDzJi97L07k2JW0t1s6P8S_19Mjt6QAc2u_QY3fQV1hif2Zs7/s320/AdobeStock_203020521.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Image by <a class="blue science-text js-contributor-link" data-ingest-clicktype="details-contributor-link" href="https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/201376482/sergey-nivens?load_type=author&prev_url=detail" style="background: rgb(245, 245, 245); border: 0px; box-shadow: none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0d66d0; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sergey Nivens</a> on Adobe Stock</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As you may recall, I covered some aspects of video games in my post on <a href="https://stevensauke.blogspot.com/2023/02/days-of-yore-computers.html" target="_blank">computers</a>, but there is more! We had games on floppy disks back in the '80s. When friends came over, sometimes they brought their games on floppy disks to play together. I loved playing games like <i>Digger</i>, <i>Carmen Sandiego</i>, <i>Mario Bros</i>, <i>Arkanoid</i>, <i>Galaxian</i>, <i>Tetris</i>, <i>Pac-Man</i> and others. I learned how to play Solitaire on the computer and have only played it a couple times with real cards.</p><p>At that time, most of those games could be played using the keyboard (particularly the arrow keys, and certain numbers and letters). Some could also be played using a joystick, a small hand-held device with a knob that looked a bit like a gear shift in a car. Joysticks were generally pretty cool, but could be frustrating as well. For example, if I accidentally moved the knob in the wrong direction playing <i>Tetris</i>, the blocks would drop where I didn't want them to drop. As I grew up with a tremor, involuntary movements from time to time could be annoying. (That can also be annoying at times when trying to hold a camera still to take a picture.)</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRySbtNW-GXYhQSXI2NdY_a8dt3qyXhfcALHvJdJikdoxiSQ3QojQz41_-Q-M21X-KnQANI2GEcQiEAtgxV4A805iiiCNfXY8c0biW490kazFjdhz0WRkUa-kzKNot1zZpKSauNTUXDr_0GQgou0yEXfB55nVn-SrRLn4WTgbS6RyV-bmDdMQljFMq/s650/space-invaders-kotecki.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRySbtNW-GXYhQSXI2NdY_a8dt3qyXhfcALHvJdJikdoxiSQ3QojQz41_-Q-M21X-KnQANI2GEcQiEAtgxV4A805iiiCNfXY8c0biW490kazFjdhz0WRkUa-kzKNot1zZpKSauNTUXDr_0GQgou0yEXfB55nVn-SrRLn4WTgbS6RyV-bmDdMQljFMq/s320/space-invaders-kotecki.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Space Invaders</i><br />Jason Kotecki<br />Oil on canvas<br />Used with permission</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Occasionally we would go to a video arcade where we could play games on bigger machines. Depending on the nature of the game, we would be standing and pressing buttons or a joystick knob built into the machine, or we might be sitting on a motorbike built into the machine. Or we could be seated and turning a steering wheel. Games like <i>Duck Hunt</i> involved a toy gun that you pointed at ducks as they crossed the screen. Last time I was at the Seattle Museum of Flight, I used a flight simulator that works very much like an arcade game, where you try to land a plane smoothly.</p><p>As I grew older, smaller devices became more popular, such as Game Boy, Nintendo DS series and others. There were also some tiny ones like Tamagotchi, which involved a digital animal or character that the user could feed and nurture.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM6EOCe2gJ5xzbE_84HUp6pIHpTjRHKeWdffRJAyP5_LUL7n27JbDWTe8XoM24Y-y0ryiwsKgbuRkTdn0N6rmAqgL5bFoCKxMZ-IQUiQKOs-qgRqgbiHGbn3ciLRFw9cUWxs-wRhaG_JF3aOa3c75WlL8DjA8mNd1Affu9poK-s_L5I5iRGt80z5C/s5184/claudio-luiz-castro-_R95VMWyn7A-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM6EOCe2gJ5xzbE_84HUp6pIHpTjRHKeWdffRJAyP5_LUL7n27JbDWTe8XoM24Y-y0ryiwsKgbuRkTdn0N6rmAqgL5bFoCKxMZ-IQUiQKOs-qgRqgbiHGbn3ciLRFw9cUWxs-wRhaG_JF3aOa3c75WlL8DjA8mNd1Affu9poK-s_L5I5iRGt80z5C/s320/claudio-luiz-castro-_R95VMWyn7A-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@claudiolcastro?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Cláudio Luiz Castro</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/_R95VMWyn7A?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some of my friends in school got into <i>Call of Duty</i>, which I haven't tried<i>. </i>One job where I worked, a bunch of my coworkers were into <i>World of Warcraft</i>. As I am told it is very time-consuming, I haven't gotten into that one, but I'm curious. My brother Aaron works for Blizzard, who makes it. I did a seasonal job testing the French versions of games at Nintendo in 2009. That was when I got to know the Wii. This is a bigger console, and includes a board that you put pressure on in different places. The console also has other components. I tested <i>Wii Fit Plus</i> and <i>Wii Sports Resort</i>, which had exercises you could do on the board and it kept score. The player was represented on the screen by a customizable character called a Mii. I also tested the <i>New Super Mario Bros Wii</i>, which didn't use a Mii due to Mario, Luigi and Toad already being there. I then got to know <i>Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks</i> on the much smaller Nintendo DSi. I'm not sure why I didn't get into <i>Zelda</i> when I was younger, but it was fun! </p><p>As time has gone on, video games have become more available. I even (I know this may be shocking) have some on my cell phone! (My favorite story there is one time when I downloaded a <i>Mario Bros</i> app. I can get very competitive, and I got so into it on my cell phone that my thumbs were sore the next day!) <i>Pokémon Go</i> was particularly popular a few years ago on cell phones. "Gotta catch 'em all!"</p><p>This seemed to be an appropriate way to end this post:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbcweDH9NjuTAg2bc4YdOXc2Hpx9eZ0ns8dDo7U9rP6709ICs1FW20cBKYZuNW3yVhBtBWt1YelSrk6a9RL6IC6QriWk24ECE2YxA80sqM9oWbnyGQoiAgZmJQonXjtElvRyXBeN1I08AjifPTKyVcEldnHPiYbsJ6nzAUyLkib7iQUN3-UUipXHd/s4048/sigmund-By-tZImt0Ms-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3036" data-original-width="4048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbcweDH9NjuTAg2bc4YdOXc2Hpx9eZ0ns8dDo7U9rP6709ICs1FW20cBKYZuNW3yVhBtBWt1YelSrk6a9RL6IC6QriWk24ECE2YxA80sqM9oWbnyGQoiAgZmJQonXjtElvRyXBeN1I08AjifPTKyVcEldnHPiYbsJ6nzAUyLkib7iQUN3-UUipXHd/s320/sigmund-By-tZImt0Ms-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sigmund?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Sigmund</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/By-tZImt0Ms?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table>StevenSaukehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00293614066612212183noreply@blogger.com0