Henry van Dyke, Jr was a minister, short story writer, poet, essayist and a college professor. He went to school with Woodrow Wilson, was a good friend of Helen Keller and gave the eulogy at Mark Twain's funeral. He wrote the words to the "Hymn of Joy" (often called "Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee", which is the first line). It is set to a magnificent melody from Beethoven. (Symphony # 9). If you don't know it...
There, aren't they beautiful lyrics? (And it is helpful to have a good tune, thank you, Ludwig!)
It is said that Henry van Dyke wrote this poem in 1907 while staying with a friend in the Berkshire mountains. (He read from the Book of Psalms every day of his life. It is thought that the lyrics are adapted from Psalm 71.) Inspired by nature, his very first sermon was "The Voice of God" in which he preached on hearing God in the outdoors.
Now my friends, I have a dear little calendar at my work that has inspirational quotes and sayings... it is a perpetual calendar. Shall I tell you how long I have used it? I just looked at it recently, it has been at my desk since 2004! Yes, I do take care of things! (And the words never grow old to me.) Several of the quotes are from the esteemed Henry Van Dyke...I should like to share some of them with you now.
"Spend as much time as possible with body and with spirit in God's out -of doors."
"There is no personal charm so great as the charm of a cheerful temperament"
"Use what talents you possess."
"Be glad of life. It gives you the chance to love, to work, to play and to look up at the stars."
"There is a loftier ambition than to stand high in the world. It is to step down and lift mankind a little higher."
There! I hope you like his words as much as I do. Seems to me that we are in need of inspiration these days.
"Genius is talent set on fire by courage."
That is another quote I forgot to give you that I really like!
How is everyone getting on with the new Blogger? Uh, me ...not so good. I somehow got this thing to underline stuff (which I fixed) and now it is bold and the only photo I have here is of a lizard that I had on here already because this is a draft that I began writing some time ago and never had time to finish...at least I can get videos on here!
Hope you like the lizard photo! It is called an Eastern fence lizard and ...you might not believe me but it's true...it was doing push ups! (And guess what else, I just saw this on a British TV show, they call them "press ups" in the UK! It so amuses me how the least little thing will be worded differently between the USA and the UK!)
Oh good, there...I got it off the BOLD print. I should go back and fix all that I just wrote but hey, I really did that, so I will just leave it. Hey folks, you got me, mistakes and ALL!
Hope you are getting out into God's out- of- doors! It is good for body and soul, I believe that also.
Joy! I kept working at it and here is a photo of some of the cucumbers that we have grown from seed! (They are pickling cucumbers and are meant to be short and stubby. They are delicious!)
"Look around for a place to sow a few seeds". (Sorry, just one more of his quotes!)
How about you, any joy?
Well, you are having fun with New Blogger. I have not attempted underline or bold, so we will see how that develops for me. So far so good. Love the lizard - it looks to have a blue stripe underneath, very attractive. We have a blue tongue lizard in Australia, which is a bit unnerving. Thank you for introducing Henry Van Dyke - he was a good wordsmith. I love Beethoven's 9th, and have sun various hymns or songs to that melody. We have tickets to a live performance with chorus and orchestra in August - don't like our chances of that one happening :) Great post, xx
ReplyDeleteHa, I wasn't trying to underline or do the bold things, I just somehow did both! Then, I kept hitting those icons and nothing happened. Honestly, I really do love the new blogging thing. (Maybe it is sensitive and will do better if I praise it! LOL.)
DeleteYou should look up Mr. Henry Van Dyke, I am happy to introduce you to him! He wrote a great deal, really he did and he really does sound like the kind of person that is just my cup of tea. That might not have come across very well in my post but I hope it as implied!
And thanks very much for saying this is a great post! You are a sweetie.
Who knows, maybe you will get to see that live performance in August, here's hoping.
Of course I love Hymn to Joy. Those are wonderful quotes.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them too!
DeletePlenty of joy in my happy little bubble of the world, as (almost) always... O.K. spent the weekend here with me, and as an extra-nice surprise decided to stay the Sunday night, too - he was able to do that because today, Monday, he works the late shift which means he'll have to show up at work only after lunch.
ReplyDeleteAnother GREAT joy for me at the moment is that we are finally getting some rain! After all of spring was way too dry (again) in this area, it looks like we*re in for a more mixed, meaning more healthy, weather this summer.
Thank you for leaving this post as it was, "mistakes" and all - it shows those who, like me, have not yet switched to the new blogger what it is like.
Oh me, I am sure that no one will have as much trouble with the new blogger as I do. I am very bad at new things, just cannot seem to get my head around different fonts and icons. I am old though, so I do have a good excuse!
DeleteRain is such a welcome sight and sound when you are in dire need of it, isn't it? Take care of yourself in your happy little bubble of the world!
I was quite confused there for a moment. Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony used words by Schiller the German Poet etc. Then I realised (I think) that you said Henry van Dyke simply set his own words to the tune.
ReplyDeleteIf only we all had a cheerful temperament and were decent people what a wonderful place this world would be. Instead.....
I am sure you know the words that Henry Van Dyke wrote to this hymn but perhaps you didn't know he was American? Don't hold that against him! (Just kidding, I am so funny.)
DeleteHey Graham, nice to see your comment here! Hope you are well. Say hello to your neighbors for me! :-)
Inspirational words and a great lizard photo. I'm surprised you call it a lizard as so many USA animals and things are labeled differently. Buffalo instead of Bison Bill, Hawk instead of Buzzard, Buzzard instead of hawk, Cookies for cakes and biscuits... the list is endless.It's as if once people got to America they thought " New Country- We'll have to name everything differently here from Europe."
ReplyDeleteYou know, we think just alike! I have said the EXACT same thing to Richard. "Did people get to the American colonies and say, "Look I know this has been said this way for centuries in the old world but WE are going to say THIS!!"
DeleteGlad you like the lizard photo. It was some distance away but that Richard took it for me and he has such a steady hand!
Yes, I was wondering what the hell that lizard had to do with anything, LOL! Blogger hasn't switched me over to New Blogger yet, but I expect that will happen any day now. I'm holding out until the bitter end.
ReplyDeleteDEBRA!! I read your comment during my lunch break today and thank God, I wasn't eating at the time. I HOWLED with laughter at this! All afternoon, I kept giggling..."I was wondering what the hell that lizard had to do with anything". Oh my, my co workers must have wondered what I had been up to!
DeleteYou won't have one bit of trouble with the New Blogger, it's just me, I am sure.
Oh! And the lizard is one of God's creatures, in the great outdoors, right?
Joyful, Joyful is a beautiful hymn and one of my favorites. I have a small collection of old books by Henry Van Dyke, as much because of their beautiful covers, blue and each with a lovely unique gold design, as his wise words. He was a very kindred spirit! I am a bit nervous about the switch to the new Wordpress editor which is a month late already...I am sure I will not find it an improvement. I love those little pickling cucumbers but around here there is a small yellow and black striped beetle which spreads wilt and always managed to kill my baby cucumbers. So sad!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, a kindred spirit! I didn't say how much I liked him, how I felt he was a soul right after my own heart! As usual, I am not able to convey what I really want to say, not these days anyway. Those books by him, I would treasure them! I am sure you do.
DeleteOur cucumbers have gone crazy! Wish I could box some up and send them to you, they are really good. x
I do love that quote..Be glad of life. It gives you the chance to love, to work, to play and to look up at the stars. Life is such a gift. I try to rejoice in life often.
ReplyDeleteRejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!
DeleteThere, you have reminded me of that and I am sure you know it, from Philippians!
That is a great photograph of the lizard …
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the video and the quotes.
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan! All the best to you also!
DeleteI’ve seen other bloggers complaining about the NEW blogger so I’m staying away from it for as long as I can. Thank you for the warning.
ReplyDeleteOh well, hopefully we will get used to it! :-)
DeleteThe joy of living the good life without getting in trouble.
ReplyDeleteYou? In trouble? NEVER! :-)
DeleteThanks, glad you like this gentleman also and his positive ways!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting "Hymn of Joy" it's one of my favorites and I have not listened to it for a while. It was one of the hymns I chose for my late husband's funeral, it was one of his favorites, he wanted it used for the recessional. Peace and all good, Jenny
ReplyDeletePeace to you, Jenny. That is a lovely song to have for the recessional. Henry Van Dyke also wrote a poem that is very often used for funerals, about a ship that is just going over the horizon, and you feel very sad but then, you think of someone on another shore, saying, Here she comes! It's a lovely poem, I think he was a fantastic writer.
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