Please visit Spiritual Sunday to fill your heart with joy.
Elisha Hoffman was born in Pennsylvania in 1839, and he died ninety years later in 1929 in Chicago. Elisha enrolled in the Union Bible Seminary in Pennsylvania, but when the Civil War erupted, he served with the 47th Pennsylvania Infantry Division.
Near the end of the war, he married Susan Orwig, and they moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Elisha was hired as the publishing agent of the Evangelical Association. He later pastored churches in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan.
In 1894, he became the music editor for Hope Publishing Company, and remained in that post until 1912. Through those years, he published fifty songbooks and hymnals and wrote the words or music to at least one thousand gospel and Sunday school songs. "Are You Washed in the Blood?" first appeared in Spiritual Songs for Gospel Meetings and Sunday School in 1878.
I want you all to meet my cousin, Mike. Actually, Mike is my cousin by marriage. He has been married to my cousin for twenty-four years. Wow! I had to open my genealogy program to find out just how long they had been married. It seems they will be having the famous silver wedding anniversary next time around.
Anyway, it seems like I've known Mike forever. And, I definitely remember the first time I met him. You see, I am 5'2" tall, and Mike is very, very tall. (Just how tall are you, Mike?) I just kept looking up and up, and there he was. My mother's family is what some might say "on the short side", and Mike seems very tall to all of us.
Mike loves my cousin, and that is important to me. They have four children, and they are grandparents, too. Young grandparents. Wink!
This weekend I received a telephone call from Mike about starting a blog, and ... he did it.
I am asking that you all go introduce yourselves to my cousin Mike. His first post is so moving; it is about his experience taking God into his life.
So, head on over to Mike at Finding My Religion. Be sure to say hello, and tell him I sent you. I believe he is going to have some important things to discuss with us in the future. Let's all help Mike get started toward a great blogging experience.