Unexpected Legacies: Horatio Spafford

By Matthew J. Elliott

Upfront, I am compelled to warn you that the story I have to share for this post is not one to be taken lightly. Aside from how purposeful the words Horatio Spafford wrote over 150 years ago, there is a story behind what led him to the words of the song ‘It is Well with My Soul’. Some stories just need to be told, and that have been told before, but hit differently once you understand where they came from and this story is one of those. 

To provide a little of background on why I selected this song. In truth, this is one song that is difficult for me to listen to. My father sang it at my mother’s memorial service in 2009 after cancer took her life much sooner than expected. While that is not a story for me to share with you in this post, knowing the story behind this song now gives me a much better understanding of the legacy ‘It is Well with My Soul’ has for us today. 

If you can imagine with me for a moment, or two…what it was like to live in the 1870s. There were no phones, computers, TVs, or even any type of vehicle we’d consider using today. It sounds like something the word would never survive today, doesn’t it? Now, let’s dig even deeper. Travel with me to Chicago, one of the nation’s biggest cities, and a bustling economy filled with opportunities to build something worth investing in. 

As we walk through the streets of this ever-growing environment, we find ourselves standing in front of a well-known district filled with thriving businesses and successful people living out their daily lives. Suddenly, everything changes! Out of nowhere, a huge, uncontrollable fire breaks out and changes everything. The once prosperous district is gone, and what’s more, the fire continues, killing hundreds of people and leaving a third of the population homeless. 

In the heart of a once vibrant metropolis, the feeling of desolation is overwhelming as the only visible sights for miles are blackened ashes and fragmented rocks. Almost everything in this society is beyond repair, leaving no choice but to start from scratch. The survivors are left in a state of complete shock. Their souls rattled to their very core, with little hope for a restoration of their former lives in any form. Many people ask themselves the same question: Does this mark the long-awaited culmination?

The road ahead leads us to a man named Horatio Spafford. He is a well-known lawyer, who invested his entire fortune into Chicago real estate. Much of which was no longer there. Recognizing this, he looks up at his wife and their four daughters. His mind becomes filled with fear and worry. Considering this, the family makes plans to journey to England for some time to recover and heal from the monumental loss they all had just endured. 

When the time comes to journey upon the sea to the old country, Horatio is unable to join his family because of other matters with the estate. He stays behind to tie up a few things and plans to join his family soon. As they depart, imagine his family waving to him from the ship as it leaves port and begins a journey it will never recover from. Along the way, their ship unexpectedly collides with another ship, resulting in the death of over 200 people, including his four daughters, at sea. 

Upon being rescued, Anna, his wife, sends a single note to tell her husband of what had transpired, “Saved and Alone, what should I do?” This note hits on so many levels, but Horatio immediately departs. Eventually, he finds his way to the exact spot where his daughters were lost. While the captain takes a break from the journey to remember those who have passed, Horatio stands in quiet contemplation. The significance of certain words are imprinted on his heart.

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll—

Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to know

It is well, it is well with my soul.

In the midst of this unprecedented storm, Horatio is given a gift. A promise that regardless of what he has faced, there is hope and it can be well with his soul. As the journey continued, he eventually reunited with his beloved, and things found a new routine once more. Nothing will ever be the same again, but there is something he can place his hope in. There is something he and his wife can hold on to. 

There is a profound depth to the story that extends beyond what has been mentioned in this post. In truth, immense tragedy marks Horatio and Anna’s path. While the rest of his story speaks to the unexpected legacy they have left behind, it is not my place to continue sharing their pain. Feel free to look it up, though, because it adds to their legacy’s value. It is a powerful story to discover as well. 

This article focuses on the message that was left behind. Horatio’s legacy, built through the words he wrote in the hymn we now call “It is Well with My Soul,” is meaningful to us all. The storms of life will always be there, doing everything they can to keep us from finding purpose in the pain and value of the trials we face. It is never easy to survive those storms.

Say what you will about the unexpected legacy of Horatio Spafford, but the proof is there. It is up to you to determine what you do with it. History has many stories that capture experiences like this, and each one has a lesson for us to learn from.  

  

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He has served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which has given him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is happily married to Traci, and they have three children named Leyla, Caleb, and Hannah, who bring them immense joy and inspiration. As a writer, Matthew's goal is to share love, equip others, and edify them for the greater good. He loves connecting any amount of scripture to his stories and uses his knowledge of Biblical History to do so often.

You can find Matthew's works on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

A Kindle Vella Story in progress, Read the first 10 episodes FREE!

One Man. His Continued Journey. Working to Build the Early Church. 

John Mark is haunted by his past, and there is one person he has never been able to reconcile with. Join him on his continuing missionary journey as he leaves Cyprus to search for Saul, now known as Paul, before the epic ending of his Missionary Journey in Cyprus. Who will he meet along the way and what lessons will he learn? Will this journey help him find the answers he seeks?

Unexpected Legacies: Joseph M. Scriven

By Matthew J. Elliott

Joseph M Scriven - keithbeattyonline

In my last article, I spent a great deal of time writing to you about unexpected legacies in unexpected ways. I talked about how sometimes even the smallest act can have the biggest impact on the world around you. 

Continuing our conversation, I imagined how E.M. Reynolds found the inspiration for her song. “Jesus Paid it All.” My primary focus was to bring new life to a story that has been told many times over. In the end. We put some energy into celebrating the not-so-well-known historical figures who left their own unexpected legacy.  

As I searched for a historical figure for this month’s article, I came upon the story of a young man who went through a great deal of hardship throughout his life. This story tells of friendship and pain, hope and loss. I will not pretend to understand how much pain Joseph M. Scriven endured, but I can speak to the impact the pains he faced in life had on his legacy in the end. 

Unfortunately, there is not much of a happy ending to the story behind the song this man wrote. Everyone knows how popular the song “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is, don’t they? Well, the tragic story behind how this song started with the death of someone he held quite dear to his heart. However, let’s start at the beginning rather than the ending of this sad story. To do that, though, let us go back to the beginning of his story.

Joseph M. Scriven had lifelong hopes and dreams as a child growing up. In particular, one of his biggest streams was to find happiness through marriage. His parents had enough money to send him to the college of his choice. He dreamed of a life and service in the military, but, like many young men, companionship was a deep longing of his. 

When his military career practically failed because of health issues, he had to let go of that dream for a more realistic one. He still longed to find that place where he could find love. The end of his military career was just the beginning of all the things he would have to endure throughout his life.  

After his career in the military failed, Joseph returned home and fell in love with his childhood sweetheart. Despite wanting to stay behind, he pursued graduating from a non-military college. Once he was able to complete this academic adventure, he returned home intending to marry the childhood sweetheart he fell in love with. At some point, Joseph and his fiance planned a wedding. However, on the day before the wedding was to take place, Joseph and his sweetheart traveled to meet for unknown reasons. 

As they traveled along opposite sides of the riverbed close to where they lived, the two found themselves in an uneasy predicament. The ice from the riverbed had melted enough that when his fiance tried to cross it, she fell off her horse and drowned. All Joseph could do was stand there helplessly watching as his fiance died.

Honestly, there was nothing the man could have done to save his fiance. We do not know what else may have happened at this time in Joseph’s life, but something caused him to move to Canada two years later and take up the role of a teacher, and tutor, for our family in need.  

Catherine Roche - Porthopehistory

Unexpectedly, during his time in Port Hope Canada, Joseph fell in love with a young lady named Catherine Roche, who was related to the family of the child he was tutoring. This young lady and Joseph became quite close and while, at the time, she was still underage, they eventually reunited and became engaged as well. 

The two of them were engaged for almost a year before they planned their wedding. At the time, the young lady Joseph was to marry committed to converting to the faith that he lived by. For the wedding to even take place this time, the young lady would have to be baptized. 

However, she was already dealing with a sickness of her own. Upon getting baptized in the lake close to where her family lived, she became consumed with a better cold. It was winter when this baptism took place. Before Joseph knew it, his fiance had died because of the sickness she contracted after her baptism had taken place. 

Maybe winter just wasn’t his season, I don’t know, but based on my research, Joseph published a poem called “Pray Without Ceasing” at this juncture. This is the poem that would eventually become the words to the Hymn “What a Friend we have in Jesus.”

Scriven Residence - Porthopehistory

Ultimately, Joseph remained unmarried. Despite this, he managed to find a sense of purpose in the pain he experienced. For the rest of his life, the man focused on mentoring and tutoring young men, while also selflessly devoting his free time to helping his community with various tasks, aiming to make their lives a little easier. His life’s purpose was to remind anyone who experienced pain that Jesus was there as a friend to support and protect them. 

However, to this day, there is still a great mystery surrounding his own death. In truth, people have not been able to find much evidence of what took place. It is rumored that he drowned as well. That, however, is not the purpose of his legacy. The purpose of his legacy is one of overcoming a great deal of pain multiple times in life, and turning that pain into something useful and encouraging for those around them. This is where we find the unexpected legacy of Joseph M. Scriven.

~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He has served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which has given him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is happily married to Traci, and they have three children named Leyla, Caleb, and Hannah, who bring them immense joy and inspiration. As a writer, Matthew's goal is to share love, equip others, and edify them for the greater good. He loves connecting any amount of scripture to his stories and uses his knowledge of Biblical History to do so often.

You can find Matthew's works on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and even Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

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The Cyprus Journal is Out! Have you grabbed Your copy?

One Young Man. His Significant Story. A Witness of the Early Church.

Many knew him as the young cousin to Barnabas the Encourager, the son of Mary who offered her home to honor the Savior and those who followed Him, or even the man who abandoned Paul on his First Missionary Journey, but there is more to his story. His story is one of new beginnings, a promise fulfilled, and a man who overcame fear of the unknown.

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Lessons Learned from the Suffrage Movement By Donna Schlachter with Giveaway

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis -- Courtesy Wikipedia

In writing the second in my Suffrage Spinsters” series, Theresa’s Talent, I did plenty of research about the suffrage movement. I thought I’d share some lessons we might all take to heart, and that can be useful today:



1. Settle in for the long haul: the suffrage movement in America began in the 1850s and ended in 1920 with the ratification of Article 19, giving women the right to vote. That right had been extended by many states prior to this, including Colorado in 1893, Wyoming in 1869, and Utah in 1870. However, women couldn’t vote federally until much later. The Bible tells us to settle in for the long haul (1 Peter 5:10) and we see in the Old Testament that the prophet Jeremiah told the people that they should build houses, plant gardens, because it would be 70 years before they returned to Israel (Jeremiah 29:4-14) From this, we can find peace in knowing that whatever is in store, God has us safely in His hands.

2. Count the cost: The women who began campaigning for suffrage never dreamed it would take more than sixty years to accomplish their goal. Many of those who started in the 1850s were dead and gone before their sisters won that right. God also reminds us to count the cost before we begin any project, and even to count the cost of following Jesus (Luke 14:28-29). If we aren’t willing to invest whatever is needed to accomplish our goal, we should rethink our actions. Nobody wants to start and run out of money or steam before seeing the accomplishment of our goal.

3. Choose your companions wisely: Not every woman who said she stood for suffrage was truly supportive of women getting the right to vote. Many were planted in organizations and trade associations to spy on the movement. The Bible also tells us to choose wisely (Proverbs 16:28) because most often, we become like those we spend time with, to our detriment. We must also remember that the enemy comes disguised as an angel of light, seeking to deceive us.

4. Don’t dismiss small beginnings: The movement in the US to win suffrage began small, and moved at a snail’s pace. In fact, by the early 1900s, at the federal level, many members of the various unions and associations of suffragettes were tired of how long it was taking. They decided to employ civil disobedience to push the movement along faster, believing men would cave in. Instead, men dug in their heels all the more, and the movement lost many of their financial supporters, women in high society, who had provided money and influence in secret. The Bible also tells us that we are not to despise what might seem like small advances (Zechariah 4:10) but instead to focus on what the Lord is doing.

5. Consider how to help another along their path: Women began their fight for suffrage before the Civil War frees tens of thousands of Black Americans, of which about half were men. Before their emancipation, these folks were not considered worthy of voting. In fact, in the 1860s, before seeing success to get suffrage for white women, the movement was encouraged to step aside and allow the focus to fall on colored (non-white) men to achieve the same rights their white brothers did. This happened in 1870. The Bible also tells us we should think of others before ourselves (Philippians 2:3-5) This deference to bring success to their colored brothers resulted in a stronger unity among the women, as well as a grateful category of voters who understood what it meant to be oppressed and downtrodden.

The Preamble of the Wyoming Territory 1869 Grant for Women's Suffrage

As you can see, the Suffrage Movement provides many life lessons that we can apply even today, as all positive changes should.

Leave a comment to enter a random drawing for an ebook copy of Theresa's Talent. Cleverly disguise your email address so the 'bots don't get you. For example, donna AT livebytheword DOT com

You can purchase Theresa’s Talent here: https://www.amazon.com/Theresas-Talent-Suffrage-Spinsters-Book-ebook/dp/B0C7DPQF89

1970 USPS Stamp -- Wikipedia

About Theresa’s Talent:

Theresa, a former slave, wants two things: to own a business, and to vote. She excels at cooking and baking, so the first should be easy. The second? Already suffragettes had been working for twenty years—would she see it the law of the land in her lifetime?

Toby, a freeman now working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, loves the sense of adventure and justice that being a private investigator brings. But when he sees justice failing for a white man, he can’t stand idly by and do nothing. Even if it means putting himself in danger.

But, is he willing to put another in the same position?



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching writers at any stage of their manuscript. Learn more at https://www.donnaschlachter.com/the-purpose-full-writer-coaching-programs Check out her coaching group on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/604220861766651





Connecting Online:

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History of the Suffrage Movement in the US – by Donna Schlachter – with Giveaway

Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B Anthony 1869

 

Smithsonian Magazine, April 2019

The movement to gain the right for women to vote began in the 1840s, at a time when women still had no right to own property, possess a bank account, sign for a loan, or even control her own wages. The notion of a woman acting outside her rightful place—the home—was foreign, although many worked alongside fathers, brothers, or husbands on farms, in fishing boats, in shops, and in many other businesses. The general consensus was that granting women the right to vote would only clutter the election process with twice the votes but still produce the same outcome, since the belief was that most women would vote as their husband or close male relative did. In fact, at one point, unmarried women were excluded from the discussion altogether as they were so marginalized that the notion of giving them a say in politics wasn’t even considered.

In 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention on women’s rights unanimously passed resolutions that favored a woman’s right to her own wages, to divorce an abusive husband, and to be represented in government. However, the notion that women should be able to vote, while the resolution passed, had many dissenters. How these attendees thought women might be represented in government without being able to vote apparently didn’t come up.

The movement continued gaining traction, but by the end of the Civil War, another obstacle emerged: racial division. White abolitionist men said that white suffragette women should wait their turn and allow the black man to be gain the vote. This happened in 1870, but fundamental differences in how to achieve the right for women constrained the movement for another forty years.

Police Protection for Suffrage Procession

 

Perhaps one of the most exciting events in suffrage history came in 1913, when young radicals held a parade down Washington DC’s Pennsylvania Avenue that attracted more than five thousand marchers, as well as bands, floats, and mounted brigades. They’d skillfully chosen the day before Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, and attracted tens of thousands of spectators. However, what happened next was completely unplanned.

Lucy Barns on hunger strike (Smithsonian 4/2019)

 

The women picketed the White House by the hundreds, partly in response to slurs—and more—hurled at them by spectators. Police were called, and more than 100 women were arrested. When some went on a hunger strike, they were force-fed via a tube jammed into the nose. While they underwent a horrible ordeal, the event proved to be the publicity they needed to further the movement.

On June 10, 1919, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin were there first states to ratify the amendment. With The Great War (World War 1) just a few months in the past, President Woodrow Wilson, recognizing the contribution women made to the war effort by performing jobs normally done by men, acknowledged that a country that would rely on women in wartime, yet deny them such a fundamental right, was foolish, to say the least.

In my recent release, Rollie’s Riddle: The Suffrage Spinsters, Book 10, Rollie, my heroine, is a member of the suffrage movement and the owner of a newspaper in Whispering Pines, Colorado, a small town west of Colorado Springs, in 1883. Her brother Paul owns the livery. A string of bank robberies in the area has everybody on alert. Lucas Bryant, a young attorney, is running for state senate in 1884, but figures he needs a wife if he’s to succeed. When Paul is arrested on suspicion of bank robbery, any notion Lucas had that Rollie might be his choice goes out the window. Desperate to free her brother, Rollie enlists Lucas’s help. However, he’s not certain where he stands on suffrage. Can God bring these two opposites together? Or will one of them have to give in to the other?

 

 

You can check out the book here: : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMW1MCQY and the rest of the Series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9YF8CC5





Giveaway: Leave a comment in response to this question: Do you think that granting women the right to vote has improved the election process? Please remember to cleverly disguise your email address so the ‘bots don’t get you. For example: Donna AT LiveByTheWord DOT com I will draw randomly and one winner will win an ebook of Rollie’s Riddle

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She also coaches writers who struggle to get their first draft done. Learn more at www.donnaschlachter.com/Tapestry




www.DonnaSchlachter.com Stay connected so you learn about new releases, preorders, and presales, as well as check out featured authors, book reviews, and a little corner of peace. Plus: Receive 2 free ebooks simply for signing up for our free newsletter!

www.DonnaSchlachter.com/blog

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Resources:

https://www.crusadeforthevote.org/wilson

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/long-battle-womens-suffrage-180971637/

Oliver and Alva Belmont—of the Belmont Stakes horseracing fame

by Susan G Mathis

Oliver and Alva Belmont—of the Belmont Stakes horseracing fame—were multi-millionaire socialites during the Gilded Age. Alva was married first to William K. Vanderbilt, a good friend of Oliver’s. The Vanderbilts had three children, and Alva’s many building projects included the Marble House in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Belmont House in New York.
In 1890, Oliver Belmont, a successful, single New York banker, inherited millions from his father who financed the first Belmont Stakes that was subsequently named after him. Oliver Belmont used some of his inheritance to build an extravagant mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, called Belcourt. Because he loved his race horses so much, the entire first floor was nothing but

rows and rows of stables for his prized horses! The rest of his massive bachelor pad sported Gothic rooms with elaborate stained-glass windows including the Belmont coat of arms.

In 1896, Alva married Oliver Belmont, whom she had known for over a decade. Oliver had been a guest on the Vanderbilt’s yacht, the Alva, twice, and rumors touted his and Alva’s attraction to one another upon returning from the last voyage in 1889.

In 1900, Oliver Belmont served as a delegate to the 1900 Democratic National Convention. He served one term as the New York Congressman from 1901-1903.

In August, 1904, Oliver and Alva Belmont spent the month at the New Frontenac Hotel resort on Round Island in the Thousand Islands along with many of the rich and famous of the Gilded Age era. In my story, Rachel’s Reunion, Rachel serves the Belmonts and interacts with Alva about the topic of suffrage.

Alva was considered rather radical for her time thanks to her willingness to challenge convention with her strong opinions, energy, and keen intelligence. She worked as a women’s suffrage activist, even founding the Political Equality League to get suffrage-supporting votes in the 1909 elections. She also led the 1912 Women’s Votes Parade in New York City and was one of the founders of the National Women’s Party in 1916.

The Belmonts, along with many of the Gilded Age socialites, made quite a mark on American history. I love telling their tales.

Do like to ride horses? Leave your answer or comments on the post below and join me on December 19th for my next post.

About Rachel’s Reunion:

Summer 1904

Rachel Kelly serves the most elite patrons at the famed New Frontenac Hotel on Round Island. She has wondered about her old beau, Mitch, for nearly two years, ever since he toyed with her affections while on Calumet Island, then left for the high seas and taken her heart with him. Now he’s back, opening the wound she thought was healed.

Mitch O’Keefe returns to claim his bride but finds it more difficult than he thought. Returning to work at the very place he hated, he becomes captain of a New Frontenac Hotel touring yacht, just to be near Rachel. But his attempts to win her back are thwarted, especially when a wealthy patron seeks her attention. Who will Rachel choose?

About Susan:

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has nine in her fiction line including Peyton’s Promise. Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com.

Texas Women and the Right to Vote

Women's Suffrage: A Long, Hard Battle

Women’s suffrage in Texas was slow in coming as it went through difficult years of being heard and taken seriously. Many states before Texas allowed women to vote in various forms of elections. The women in Texas worked for decades before the amendment granting voting privileges to women was actually passed into law as the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

The first organized efforts by the women in Texas on behalf of women’s suffrage

occurred in Dallas County in 1893 when they formed the Texas Equal Rights Association, also known as T.E.R.A. It was at a convention in the Windsor Hotel that the group was formed with forty-eight charter members.

From there, Texas newspapers began carrying suffrage news. The first bill on behalf of women’s suffrage was filed in 1895, but was defeated. 

Despite the work of the women, TERA was short-lived because of dissension among the members and lack of intense interest. In 1895, when Rebecca Hayes was not re-elected as president, the association entered a period of decline and finally died in 1895.

No further interest was shown until three sisters, Annette, Elizabeth, and Katherine Finnigan organized the Equal Suffrage League of Houston in February 1903. From there, a similar organization was formed in Galveston. 

Delegates from both groups joined together in December of 1903 to form the Texas Woman Suffrage Association with Annette Finnigan as president. For some reason the sisters moved away from Texas in 1905. Without leadership, the group became inactive.

Even without this group, interest in suffrage grew in favor others like Jess A. Baker of Granbury who introduced a bill to the House of Representatives in 1907, but his efforts and those of women like Helen     Stoddard and Elisabet Ney were of no avail.

Women on the March

Without that vote, interest again waned. Austin, Texas formed a suffrage club in 1908, and for several years it was the only such group in Texas. Then in 1912,

Mary Eleanor Brackenridge became president of the Equal Franchise Society in San Antonio.

Their goal was to educate the women of Texas with frequent meetings, public lectures and the distribution of literature about the group and the movement.

Interest did begin to grow, and in 1913, the Texas Woman Suffrage Association was reactivated with Brackenridge as president. By 1914 the group had over 2,500 women across the state.

The tenacity shown by these women was somewhat incredible as they continued in their fight to earn the right to vote. Despite numerous setbacks and defeats, Texas finally opened up and allowed women to vote in the primaries in 1918. Then Texas became the ninth state to ratify the 19^th amendment in 1919 even though it lost the popular vote when it appeared on a ballot as an amendment for the state constitution.

Thus, women in the state of Texas did gain the right to vote and a plaque commemorating their efforts was erected in Dallas, Texas on October 14, 2010.

Martha’s book credits include a four book historical series, Winds Across the Prairie, Seasons of the Heart, and The Homeward Journey. She is a contributor to devotional anthologies such as Blissfully Blended, Devotionals for Step-Moms from Barbour. She also contributed to novellas, Sugar and Grits, and River Walk Christmas. She is a former President of the Woodlands Chapter of ACFW, WOTS in Houston and president of Inspirational Writers Alive. Martha has been a member of ACFW since the beginning and has served as a volunteer writing Verse of the Week for a number of years. She is also a member of ChiLibris, CAN, and AWSA.

Martha and her husband live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to four. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English.

The Second Great Awakening--and a Giveaway

I’m sure if you believe in God and have for any length of time, you’ve probably experienced the frustration of praying for something without seeing the results you are hoping for. This experience seems to be a right of passage with God, a test that one must pass in order to get to the next level. Very often, God places a promise of something in our hearts long before the promise will be fulfilled.

John Erskine

So is the case of John Erskine of Edinburgh, Scotland. Erskine felt a prompting of God to pray for revival in 1744. He asked many of his friends to join him in a “Concert of Prayer” for the next two years. They prayed every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, as well as the first Tuesday of each new quarter, that God “would appear in His glory...by an abundant effusion of His Holy Spirit...to revive true religion in all parts of Christendom...and fill the whole earth with His glory.” Dutifully, they prayed, and they saw some effect, but not the sweeping moves of God that they hoped for. After a time, the Concerts of Prayer waned, leaving many to feel they’d had no effect.

Years passed. Life carried on. Tensions between Britain and the colonies intensified until the colonies declared independence. War broke out, and people’s focus centered on the crisis at hand. At the end of that conflict, the people of America found themselves far from God and in a state of moral decline. Across the ocean, the French Revolution was in full swing, bringing with it another crisis to keep people’s focus from seeking after God fully. Infidelity and rationalism grew rampant in Europe. The world seemed to be going bad all at once.

Yet God hadn’t forgotten the promise he gave John Erskine for revival.  Once again in 1784—nearly forty years after the initial prompting—Erskine felt the stirring to pray for revival again. This time, he reprinted a call to revival prayer given by Jonathan Edwards, a key player in the Great Awakening of decades earlier. Because of Erskine’s efforts to distribute the booklet and call others to pray, many churches across all denominations, both in Britain and the U. S., agreed to institute Concerts of Prayer each Monday night. They continued this pattern for the next seven years.

In 1791, another central figure from the First Great Awakening, John Wesley, died. Even as churchgoers mourned his death, the stirrings of revival began to break out among the industrial towns of Yorkshire, England. Suddenly, church membership just among the Methodist denomination skyrocketed from 72,000 to nearly 250,000 across the next 20 years. Churches in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland became full—so full that they spilled over into open fields where more people could attend.

Isaac Backus

By 1794, America was sensing the spiritual shift, and twenty-five men in New England gathered to form a Concert of Prayer there. Led by Isaac Backus and Stephen Gano, these men distributed letters calling others to pray on the first Tuesday of each quarter. Within a year, revival broke out, and within four years, it had reached every state. Students attending colleges across the nation began to seek God in droves. In fact, Yale saw half their student body become converted to Christianity during the year of 1795.

Itinerant preachers, known as circuit-riders began to go into less populated or frontier areas and preach to those living in the distant locales. Camp meetings popped up in frontier areas, where residents of a wide region would come to a central area and camp for a week while attending meetings put on by the circuit-riding preacher. They would worship with hymns, hear sermons, and share communion.

Other outcomes of the revival were the inception of many missionary societies, both in Britain and America. Social reforms also took place. Slavery was abolished in Britain, and an abolition movement began in America. Prisons were reformed. Sunday Schools and benevolence institutions were started. Temperance societies were formed, and women’s rights and women’s suffrage became a hot topic of discussion.

By 1800, the awakening reached Switzerland, Scandinavia, and Germany, and before it waned in the 1840’s, it had reached central Europe, South Africa, India, and the Pacific Islands.

It’s your turn. Do you believe there will be another worldwide revival like either the First or Second Great awakenings? If so, do you expect to see it in your lifetime? Leave me a comment to be included in the drawing for my second release—The Convenient Bride Collection.

Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen, when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has won five writing competitions and finaled in two other competitions. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers and lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, teenaged son, and four fur children.