Herman Melville

On August 1, 1819, American novelist Herman Melville was born in New York City. He spent several years traveling the world’s oceans which in turn gave him material for his novels of the seas. Descended from Scottish and Dutch settlers of New York, who were part of the American Revolution, while one grandfather, Major Thomas Melvill was a member of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. Another grandfather, Gen. Peter Gansevoort was a friend of James Fenimore Cooper.
After several attempts at “normal” jobs and not succeeding for various reasons, he was back in Boston in 1844, married to Elizabeth Shaw in 1847.
He read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter and was so impressed with it he bought a farm near Hawthorn in 1850. His and Hawthorn’s friendship reanimated Melville’s creative energy. The problem was that Melville’s intense feelings of friendship were​ uncomfortable for the cooler Hawthorne. They ended up growing apart.
In 1851, Moby Dick was published in London as “The Whale”, while one month later in The United States as “Moby-Dick”.
His last years are fraught​ with tragedy, unhappiness, and withdrawal. He died in 1891 with only a single obituary notice.

Gardening & Christian

Lily of the Valley

The May Flower is the sweet-smelling Lily of the Valley. It thrives in moist soil and needs partial or dappled shade. These are perennials and can be somewhat invasive. This can be a great ground cover in a wooded setting but you need to be aware that this plant is poisonous.
Plant them in late Fall in zones 2-9

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The Lily of the Valley by Charles W. Fry

 

  1. I’ve found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me,
    He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul;
    The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see
    All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole.
    In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble He’s my stay;
    He tells me every care on Him to roll.

    • Refrain:
      He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star,
      He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.
  2. He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne;
    In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r;
    I’ve all for Him forsaken, and all my idols torn
    From my heart and now He keeps me by His pow’r.
    Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore,
    Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal.
  3. He’ll never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here,
    While I live by faith and do His blessed will;
    A wall of fire about me, I’ve nothing now to fear,
    From His manna He my hungry soul shall fill.
    Then sweeping up to glory to see His blessed face,
    Where rivers of delight shall ever roll.

ASA

ASA 

During Asa’s Reign, he did good in the eyes of The Lord. He got rid of the idols and broke them down. He even removed his Grandmother, Maacah from her position as Queen Mother because she had idols.

Asa was 20 years old when he came to power in approximately 913-873 BC. He was the 1st King since David, his great-great-grandfather220px-Asa_of_Judah that followed The Lord.

He did fall away later in his reign when he went to people instead of God to solve his problems.

This shows that however long you follow The Lord, you can fall away, so it is a lifelong commitment to surrender your life over to Him.

The Leaf

God’s simple beauty, beyond compare

Nature’s bounty everywhere

So much to smell–so much to see

Let’s take the Stately Old Oak Tree

Six hundred species, big family and strong

but how do you prove that you really belong

Examine my LEAF said the Little Sprout

that will tell you what I’m all about.

One of these years I’ll drop an acorn

and be a hundred feet tall

but until then–I’ll show you my colors

they will be blazing–just wait until Fall!oak-791737_640