Author Archives: Nannette

About Nannette

Wife to The Sweetheart, Mom to the Fantastic Six, Nana to six of the cutest littles on the planet, Author, The Daniel Fast, A Devotional. UPCI ministers.

The story behind America, the Beautiful

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O beautiful for spacious skies…

When we hear that first line of one of our most beloved national hymns, the emotions of Love for Country stir within us. Do you know the story behind this Independence Day song?

Katharine Lee Bates (1859 -1929), wrote the original poem in 1893 and revised it twice in 1904 and 1913. The words of this song came from a poem of the same title by Bates. It was originally published in the July 4th edition of The Congregationalist, 1895.

Bates was a teacher and professor of English at Wellesley College, poet and author of books such as America the Beautiful and Other Poems, which was published in 1911.

She made a trip to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, which was her inspiration for the lyrics to America the Beautiful. There is a plaque there today and the story is best told by Katharine herself: “We strangers celebrated the close of the session by a merry expedition to the top of Pike’s Peak, making the ascent by the only method then available for people not vigorous enough to achieve the climb on foot nor adventurous enough for burro-riding. Prairie wagons, their tail-boards emblazoned with the traditional slogan, “Pike’s Peak or Bust,” were pulled by horses up to the half-way house, where the horses were relieved by mules.

We were hoping for half an hour on the summit, but two of our party became so faint in the rarified air that we were bundled into the wagons again and started on our downward plunge so speedily that our sojourn on the peak remains in memory hardly more than one ecstatic gaze. It was then and there, as I was looking out over the sea-like expanse of fertile country spreading away so far under those ample skies, that the opening lines of the hymn floated into my mind.”

The original melody was written in 1882 by Samuel Augustus Ward, a composer and organist. It was titled Materna and was first published in 1910. It was sung for many years to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. It was said there were as many as 74 different melodies tried out on the poem before deciding on the one we hold so dear.

Ward died one year before the song was published as America the Beautiful. Ward and Bates never did meet.

Interestingly, Ward’s family never obtained any royalties for the song and Bates received $5 when the poem was first published and then gave up all royalties to the title.

Along with My Country ‘Tis of Thee and The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful was considered for the national anthem. But President Herbert Hoover signed a law giving the right to bear the national anthem to The Star Spangled Banner. Many disagreed and have lobbied down through the years for it to be changed to America the Beautiful. There are still many active petitions today.

 
America The Beautiful:
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.
O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Many things have changed since Katharine Bates first penned these lyrics. Some might say she would hardly recognize her Beautiful America today. Yet, we are still among the most blessed people in the world to live in a free country. May you enjoy the patriotic unity we feel on this wonderful holiday of Independence Day and let us pray that we always enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear.

From sea to shining sea.

Ray Charles’ rendition seems to be beloved by so many…enjoy!

Do you have a favorite memory of Independence Day? What are you doing to celebrate this most patriotic of holidays? Share with us!

So, I return things.

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So, I return things. It’s #FiveMinuteFriday! I was drawn to the word prompt today and although I will probably not stay within the five minute writing guideline, I hope it still is a blessing to someone.

So, yeah, I return things. I do it for the typical reasons most people return an item purchased:

  • It didn’t fit
  • I didn’t like it
  • It was damaged
  • It was used (i.e., the toaster oven had crumbs!)
  • Or, insert reason here ______

I am an avid online shopper. With my back issues, I have had to resort to Amazon and Kroger Click-List! Kohl’s is, of course, a favorite because, according to their policy, you can return just about anything just about anytime (watch that Kohl’s cash though!)  and so is Macy’s because they do not charge to return by mail on most things. (Kohl’s you need to return in-store or pay for shipping.) You are most welcome for my insider shopping tips. (smile)

I do seem to favor stores that have free shipping and free returns, who wouldn’t? I do not abuse the policy, I do not wear an item on purpose and return it later just to have a new outfit. (Not ethical, people.) But, they offer the service, I didn’t care for the item , so yes, I will return it if possible; tags are attached and I have my receipt.

But lately, the news has been abuzz with stories of the colossal giant, Amazon, banning faithful customers because of their many returns! Of course there are always two sides to every story but according to the customers interviewed, it was unfair. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. I have to admit I went to count the number of items I had returned in comparison to items kept. Whew! Wasn’t near as bad as I had thought. Hopefully, I am still in their good graces.

Many stores are following suit, or had started to crack down long ago and with The Retail Equation tracking a customers returns, policies could change drastically in the future.

Naturally, you would guess that my entire post is not just about the number of returns I generate. My posts are always about Jesus. (mic drop!) And how does He come into the picture on this one? Hint: it doesn’t have anything to do with praying before you step up to the return counter.

He accepts returns.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have returned my sorry self to Jesus. I am more than a mess, more than a disaster when I come crawling back, ashamed, confused, tired, weary and beyond exhausted. But He never turns me away, He never questions me or chides me for not having my receipt, i.e., dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s!

Deuteronomy 4:29 “But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

He knows I have worn this same sin or regret many times and here I am at His feet returning…again. But He doesn’t push me away, He doesn’t tell me I have met my quota and He doesn’t ban me from coming back time and time again. He knows I will be back and yet He welcomes me, like the prodigal son, over and over again!

What do you need to return to Him today?

  • A broken heart?
  • A bad attitude?
  • A rapidly dissolving marriage?
  • Children who have strayed from Truth?
  • A job situation that is more than desperate?
  • Insert need here ______!
  • Worried about contracting the virus or financial stress since the quarantine started.
  • Worried that you haven’t seen your grandkids in two months!
  • Anxious to get back to church but maybe apprehensive about being in a crowd again?

Jesus knows them all! He hears your worries, your cares and your prayers and He is near to your broken and anxious heart.

Psalm 37:23-24 “The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.”

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Isaiah 30:18 “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.”

So, pack up your worries, troubles, anxieties and cares and return them to Jesus. Today. His arms are open and His mercies are new. Every morning.

For the kingdom

To the frazzled young mother on Mother’s Day

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I always did pretty well in school growing up, at least until high school. I loved grade school, loved everything about it including the teachers, and I even wanted to be a teacher. When I hit the teenage years I changed my outlook a bit. Boys were a little more interesting than teachers but I still had many interests that kept me busy. I loved Sunday School, reading, the clarinet, and babysitting. The latter because it paid!

Then I met The Sweetheart and I knew I had fallen and fallen hard. Of course you will say I didn’t know what love was as a teenager. That’s what The Parents said too. But when July 20 rolls around it will be 39 years and whatever it was has lasted a long, long time.

I have never been happier than when My Three Sons were little and in school; the house was busy, messy and crazy. I dearly loved the daily routines, fixing breakfast, getting them ready for school, seeing them off to school, enjoying the little ones that were still at home, and trying my best to keep the house clean.

I miss that big old two-story, four-bedroom house with the wood floors that made so much noise when the three boys were chasing each other up and down the hallway. The memories of the wild things they did like duct-tape four-year-old Korey to the wall, pretending they were Tarzan only to have the vine break just as they soared halfway over the gully, or slamming doorknobs into each other’s foreheads…at least we kept the ER busy.

I miss riding the tractor for hours, the growing grass was just an excuse for quiet time! I could watch the world go by and see everything the boys were doing while the lawn was getting manicured: the softball and basketball games, chasing Molly the Beagle back onto her own property, or trying their best to pull a catfish out of the pond.

I couldn’t wait until they came home, even though I may not have gotten everything finished that I had intended. Even though they were going to pick at each other and there would probably be some punching and name-calling before the night was over, this is what I had chosen for my life. I didn’t want a career in the corporate world, nothing wrong with that, it just wasn’t for me. I had helped to get The Sweetheart there and he promised I could stay home with the boys. We never regretted it.

But seasons change and…

  • All of that time that I wished for a clean house?
  • No laundry flowing out of the basket and into the hallway?
  • No dishes in the dishwasher?
  • No dirt on the floor?
  • No Legos puncturing my tender feet in the middle of the night?
  • No calls from the schoolteacher?
  • No sound of little fists pounding on the bathroom door?

Those wishes have come true and I would give anything to relive them. You don’t know what you have sometimes until you are missing it.

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I remember when I was a young mother so many older women would say to me when I was frazzled and chasing three little boys, “Oh, you had better enjoy these days! They will be grown before you know it!” And I would just want to turn around and smack ‘em! I DID love my boys and I DID love everything about my life but sometimes it was just plain hectic. It is hard to realize that when you are in the middle of it.

And you know what? It is true…it does go by so fast. It is such a wonderful time in your life that you would love to be able to do over again if you could. Now I am the old lady saying the same thing to young mothers in the checkout line!

But God has given us seasons in our lives for a reason. And I am learning to enjoy every single one, even if it is sometimes painful. I didn’t know then what I know now and I didn’t have the relationship with HIM that I do now, which is so much to be thankful for.

And if you ARE that young mother who is so sleep deprived you can’t stay awake through church, remember they are only little for a short while. Drink in the smiles, the mischievous antics, the endless “Why’s” and “Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!” God has entrusted you with His most important treasure and most important task: to bring up your child in the way he should go so that when he is grown, when she has children of her own, they will remember a frazzled mother who even made mistakes but they will also remember the time you spent with them and the love that surrounded them.

For God is in control of each new day and if we let Him, He makes every season beautiful in its own way. And, don’t forget, the grandchildren are coming!

(photo courtesy of Shelby Fannin Photography)