A contemporary envisioning of a nineteenth-century poem pairs artwork by G. Brian Karas with the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow classic. His brow is wet with honest sweat; He earns whate’er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man. The neighborhood blacksmith is a quiet and unassuming presence, tucked in his smithy under the chestnut tree. Sturdy, generous, and with sadness of his own, he toils through the day, passing on the tools of his trade, and come evening, takes a well-deserved rest. Longfellow’s timeless poem is enhanced by G. Brian Karas’s thoughtful and contemporary art in this modern retelling of the tender tale of a humble craftsman. An afterword about the tools and the trade of blacksmithing will draw readers curious about this age-honored endeavor, which has seen renewed interest in developed countries and continues to be plied around the world.
What happens when the king’s most obedient soldier is issued a wicked command? Benaiah is valiant against men and beasts. He is known for three heroic deeds that lead to his appointment in the elite force of David’s Mighty Men: aggressively going down into a pit on a snowy day to kill a lion; fighting two Moabite ariels; and challenging a giant Egyptian the size of David’s Goliath, armed with only a staff, and killing him with the man’s own spear. When David is crowned king, Benaiah is made his chief bodyguard and eventually head of the whole army of Israel under King Solomon. Reeling from the tragic cost of disobedience when he was young, Benaiah directs his life toward one chief aim: to be found a faithful, loyal, valiant and obedient soldier, servant of the King and follower of Yahweh. But when “just following orders” leads to his part in adultery, murder and death, he questions his life’s direction. If both obedience and disobedience cause death, how can he ever find redemption?
Unique Element About the Author / Historical Context A POETRY COLLECTION by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW. Ballads and Other Poems by AMERICAN author HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW (1807-1882) is a collection of poems first published in 1842 in the UNITED STATES. A popular LITERARY classic containing the popular "The Wreck of the Hesperus" and "The Village Blacksmith." Longfellow wrote many lyric poems known for their musicality and often presenting stories of mythology and legend. He became the most popular American poet of his day and had success overseas. Sneak Peak It was the schooner Hesperus, That sailed the wintry sea; And the skipper had taken his little daughtèr, To bear him company. Blue were her eyes as the fairy-flax, Her cheeks like the dawn of day, And her bosom white as the hawthorn buds, That ope in the month of May. Title Details Originally published in 1842 Poetry collection 5.5 x 8.5 inches
Of all of Longfellow's beloved poems (and there are many) none is so personal, so sunny, or so touching as this affectionate love letter to his three daughters, "grave Alice, and laughing Allegra, and Edith with the golden hair." Longfellow's happiest hours were spent writing on a cluttered desk by the south window of his beloved Craigie House, an imposing mansion still preserved on Cambridge's famous Brattle Street. It was here that most of the action takes place (except for his literary reference, and brief excursion, to the "Mouse-Tower on the Rhine"), here that his daughters come creeping down the stairs to beard the gentle, genial poet in his lair. Lang's luminous illustrations perfectly capture the happy atmosphere of that house, the author's affections for his daughters, and the painterly quality of his verse. This book for young readers presents one of the sweetest poems in the English language, her newly illustrated, beautifully presented, and now available to a new generation of readers.
Mighty Men of Valor have three distinct characteristics; strength, courage, and passion. In this Bible study we unpack the first characteristic, strength. Men need strength that comes from God alone, the kind of strength He gave men like Gideon (who lived at a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes), David and his band of mighty men, and Jesus' early church followers. The world, the flesh, and the devil wage constant battle against us and seek to usurp God's rule over His creation. To fight these enemies, God calls and empowers men to be Mighty Men of Valor. Gideon is one such example. "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!" (Judges 6:12, NKJV). As the angel of the Lord greeted Gideon in Old Testament times, He invites you to become one of God's choice warriors. He will use the 10 lessons in this compact Bible study to help point the way. You'll be guided on this journey by men from Scripture as well as church history and the present day who will serve as mentors of godly strength. You'll also journey deep into the "living and active" word of God (Hebrews 4:12), which He will use to shape you in this process. God is calling us to develop our "spiritual muscles" of love, winning others to the kingdom of God, and building them up in Christ. That's what Mighty Men of Valor: Book 1 - Strength is all about. As with the additional Bible studies in this series-Mighty Men of Valor: Book 2 - Courage and Mighty Men of Valor: Book 3 - Passion-this study can be used in three essential ways. Use these studies as a daily devotional. We strongly encourage every man to take time out for a daily meeting-or appointment-with God. Work through these studies with another man. Think of this as walking "Side-by-Side," meeting weekly for mutual growth, support, and accountability. Connect with other men in a triad or small-group setting. Think of Jesus, who invested in a small group of 12 men, guiding them on the spiritual journey. Make A Mark Ministries is a ministry of Sure Passage
The final book of the Bible, Revelation prophesies the ultimate judgement of mankind in a series of allegorical visions, grisly images and numerological predictions. According to these, empires will fall, the "Beast" will be destroyed and Christ will rule a new Jerusalem. With an introduction by Will Self.
A month's worth of daily readings with a common theme--"my soul, wait thou only upon God" (Psalm 62:5). These stimulating meditations were born out of a burning conviction that Christians should learn to know God better. In his introductory sections, the author says: We want to...give God time and place to show us what He could, what He will do. Let us expect great things of our God. The great lack of our religion is we do not know God. Let us enlarge our hearts and not limit Him. We need more of God. [Prayer is] the one great remedy for all our need. Thirty-one thought-provoking reminders of the "must" of-- Waiting on God.
