Honored Glory

HERE LIES IN HONORED GLORY A COMRADE IN ARMS KNOWN BUT TO GOD

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. 

Honored Glory
Steven Sauke
May 27, 2013
Illustration and Historical Photos

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.

Uff da!

Uff da!

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:

• Good grief!
• Oh my!
• Oh no!
• Bless your heart
• What a mess!
• What a nightmare!
• That's hilarious!
• You've got to be kidding!
• That's so silly!
• Yikes!

Uff da!
Steven Sauke
Illustration

I made this graphic a few years ago in commemoration of Syttende mai, or May 17, Norwegian Independence Day. It features part of the Norwegian flag and, well, uff da!

Kyler

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 here. 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:

Kyler Clem
Steven Sauke
Illustration
2013

2023 Update

They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love: Striving for Unity

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.

Jesus Christ, John 13:34-35

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. 

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 "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council." This reversed a previous position, where they were less accepting of non-Catholic Christians.

Photo by New Africa on Adobe Stock

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!

Inspired by John 13:35 (above), Scholtes wrote:

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
We are one int he Spirit, we are one in the Lord;
And we pray that all unity will one day be restored.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand;
And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

We will work with each other, we will work side by side;
We will work with each other, we will work side by side;
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

All praise to the Father, from whom all things come;
And all praise to Christ Jesus, His only Son.
And all praise to the Spirit who makes us one.

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

This also calls to mind the words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, shortly before His crucifixion:

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.

John 17:20-23

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?

We are ONE. We are called to LOVE. As Christians, we can and MUST do better. We must work together to bring about unity.

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.

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: "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."

Another good one to remember: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Vatican_Council
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960s
https://pscholtes.com/obituary.htm
https://hymnary.org/person/Scholtes_P
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-theyll-know-we-are-christians-by-our-love
https://wordtoworship.com/song/14526

Tu déchires !

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.

Tu déchires !
Dessin, stylet sur Samsung Note
Dessiné en Adobe Draw
Steven Sauke

¡Eres la máxima! ¡Eres el máximo!

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.

¡Eres la máxima! ¡Eres el máximo!
Dibujo, lápiz óptico en Samsung Note
Diseñado en Adobe Draw
Steven Sauke

You rock!

Thought you should know. This is for you. Yes, you, amazing person reading this! You are awesome. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

You Rock!
Drawing, stylus on Samsung Note
Designed on Adobe Draw
Steven Sauke

How Great Thou Art: God's Awesome Symphony of Nature

CRASH! 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.

Image by IgorZh on Adobe Stock

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.

That evening, Boberg wrote a poem entitled O Store Gud (literally "O Mighty God"). It would later be set to music, using a Swedish folk tune.

Image by Наталья Евтехова on Adobe Stock

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 O Store Gud. He and his wife would sing it for years, until one day he translated it into English:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the works Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow’r thru-out the universe displayed!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When thru the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze,

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in –
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great Thou art!

Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee;
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

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."

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.

To think that the God who made all that cared so much for me that He sent His Son to die for me, and I will meet Him face to face someday!

https://americansongwriter.com/behind-the-song-carl-boberg-how-great-thou-art/

https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2016/06/24/story-behind-song-how-great-thou-art/16304855007/

Charlie

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 Yibvlidj Apocalypse and The Heirs of Djeek. The graphic I made of him is based on a picture I took for Yibvlidj Apocalypse.

Charlie Ostlie
Steven Sauke
Illustration
2012

Charlie Ostlie (Facebook cover photo version)
Steven Sauke
Illustration
2012

Blessed Assurance: Glory from Blindness

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.

Fanny Crosby at 25

When she was 9, young Fanny Crosby wrote:

"O what a happy soul am I,
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't."

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.

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!'"

She then began to dictate words to fit in Knapp's tune:

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

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."

From her autobiography
Fanny Crosby, Memories of Eighty Years
Published in 1906

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.

"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."

- Fanny J. Crosby

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.

As I blogged previously, 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.

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."

From her autobiography
Fanny Crosby,
Memories of Eighty Years
Published in 1906

https://www.staugustine.com/story/lifestyle/faith/2015/02/20/story-behind-song-blessed-assurance/16249006007/
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-blessed-assurance
https://wordwisehymns.com/2010/11/20/today-in-1850-fanny-crosby-converted/
https://www.nyise.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=428557&type=d&pREC_ID=936886
https://www.aph.org/fanny-j-crosby-embracing-the-gift/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Fanny-Crosby