Thomas Ken

 Ordained in 1662, Thomas Ken successively held the livings of Little Easton in Essex, St. Mary's Church, Brighstone in the Isle of Wight, and East Woodhay in Hampshire; in 1672 he resigned the last of these, and returned to Winchester, being by this time a prebendary of the cathedral, and chaplain to the bishop, as well as a fellow, at Winchester College.

He remained there for several years, acting as curate in one of the lowest districts, preparing his Manual of Prayers for the use of the Scholars of Winchester College (first published in 1674), and composing hymns It was at this time that he wrote, primarily for the same body as his prayers, his morning, evening and midnight hymns, the first two of which, beginning "Awake, my soul, and with the sun" and "Glory to Thee, my God, this night," are well known. The latter is often made to begin with the line "All praise to Thee, my God, this night," but in the earlier editions over which Ken had control, the line is as first given. Both of these hymns end with a doxology beginning "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow," which is widely sung today by itself, often to the tune Old 100th.

Twenty-two People

Twenty-two people wear 44 shoes.

Some are worn down at the heel

And some at the toe.  We can excuse

The aged spots; they’re the annealed

Crosses and scourges they had to bear.

That’s the same cause for the cracks where

They bent so many times to run, to walk,

To follow, to lead. And when the people talk

The words come effortlessly. There’s comfort

In knowing about and sharing others’efforts.

We were there and did the same as you

When you had children and when they grew,

Getting sick, puking on the couch, peeing

In bed, going to school to fill their heads

Not with knowledge but with attitudes, seeing

People and events the same way, A to Zed.

Old and Worn #2

Twenty-two people wear 44 shoes.

Some are worn down at the heel

And some at a toe.  We can excuse

The aged spots. They’re the annealed

Crosses and scourges they had to bear.

That’s the same cause for the cracks where

They bent so many times to run, to walk,

To follow, to lead. And when the people talk

The words come effortlessly. There’s comfort

In knowing about and sharing others’efforts.

We were there and did the same as you

When you had children and when they grew,

Getting sick, puking on the couch, peeing

In bed, going to school to fill their heads

Not with knowledge but with attitudes, seeing

People and events the same way. A move ahead?

Old and Worn

Twenty-two People wear 44 shoes.

Some are worn down at the heel

And some at a toe.  We can excuse

The aged spots, created by the annealed

Crosses and scourges they had to bear.

It’s the same situation for the cracks where

They bent so many times to run, to walk,

To follow, to lead. And when the People talk

Their words come effortlessly. Each tear

Is nothing more than a 15-second gawk.

The Andrews at dinner.

Larry and Ruthie celebrating Ruthie's birthday anniversary at Granite City in Lincoln, NE. In front of us is a HUGE chocolate chip cookie ala mode with caramel drizzle.

Christmas Stocking Stuffer

This book isn’t sold at J. C. Penny, but  it’s easily available elsewhere. When paired, the book compliments a cup of English Breakfast Tea, a latte, or a bottle of chardonnay.

1. SONGS OF SADNESS, SONGS OF LOVE, by Larry K. Andrews. (Mystery-Romance. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4567-1595-3) This is the story of Ryan Graves, a young boy growing up. With the usual fears of adolescence, and a physical disability that causes him even greater agony and heightened fears and of being rejected by his peers. The reader watches this young man as he goes through middle school, high school, and the university with new emotional challenges at each level. This is a study about how people respond to challenging experiences in their lives; some people are overwhelmed and defeated by their challenges while others accept and accommodate them, moving onwards to successful adulthood.

Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Or, order e-books direct from amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or the Kindle Store.