Dear Reader:

Amid all the fun craziness of ☘️ St. Patrick’s Day and Lachlan’s birthday, Honey sent me a picture of their state magazine’s cover for April and there, in all its charm and beauty, was ( another Saint close to me) St. Jude’s Chapel of Hope!

It all came under an article entitled…A Springtime Tour of 9 HISTORIC CHURCHES. ( But as you can see St Jude’s Chapel of Hope rose above all the others… making the front cover of the NC State magazine.)

The cover photo depicts the quaint little chapel from the angle across from Spring Creek- the perfect name with Spring arriving tomorrow! However it is the title of the article that brings us our story today … ” PEACE LIKE a RIVER…”

Ironically the creation of this favorite old gospel song…starts with a tragedy… a terrible tragedy! The author and creator of this favorite ageless song was Horatio Spafford-a Chicago lawyer and respected friend of the city’s most prominent evangelists

The Spaffords, even before their life-altering tragedy… had certainly had their share of life’s challenges. They had five children-four daughters and one son who died from pneumonia… the same year the Great Chicago Fire destroyed so much of Chicago and Horatio had to rebuild his career from the ” ashes up.”

Soon after …their family physician advised Horatio that a trip abroad might be good for his wife ‘s tenuous health. But right before he, his wife Anna and their four daughters were to leave …last minute business matters delayed Horatio’s departure. Still his wife and daughters sailed, as scheduled, on the SS Vi’ e du Havre in November 1873.

Midway a ship collided with the Stafford’s ship …sinking it in a small matter of time. Anna and her four daughters held hands and prayed together but it was only Anna, who was later discovered (by a lone sailor) floating on a piece of wreckage.

She sent her husband a telegraph message ” Saved Alone-What Shall I Do? ”

Later, a daughter ( Bertha) born after the tragedy told her father’s ” rest of the story.” He quickly sailed to join his wife… one day during the passage, midway across the Atlantic, the captain pulled Horatio up to the captain’s cabin and pointed around him -it was where his family’s ship went down.

Though still grieving her father experienced a moment right then when a ” supernatural” ” peace like a river” enveloped him.

In 1904 the traditional song was included in the Baptist Hymnal in Nashville Tennessee. ( adding the refrain ” It is well , it is well in my soul. )

Later three more children ( another died from pneumonia) blessed the Spafford family. . In 1881 they moved to Jerusalem where Horatio Spafford died.

So until tomorrow… ” And the peace of GOD which surpasses all understanding shall guard your hearts, your minds … through Jesus Christ. ” Philippians 4: 7

Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh

So glad St Patrick’s Day was bright and sunny Friday because yesterday was chilly and raining … luck of the Irish! But before I left Friday I took pictures of new life popping up!