Fascinating Facts of the Faith

2008 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 978-1-60260-013-3
www.barbourbooks.com

Women of the Faith
Fanny J. Crosby
(1820-1915)
American hymn writer and poet

The Parents of baby Frances Jane Crosby, born March 24, 1820, became alarmed when they noticed their tiny infant’s eyes were red and inflamed. A doctor wasn’t readily available, so when Frances was six weeks old, her parents took her to a practitioner who was later exposed as a quack. After his prescribed treatment, the infection gradually healed, but the damage to little Frances’s eyes was permanent. She was blind.
Fourteen years later, Frances traveled by stagecoach to the New York Institute for the Blind. She described the day as the happiest of her life. Miss Crosby spent two decades at the Institute. When her own schooling there was complete, she stayed on as a teacher. Nationally recognized as “The Blind Poetess,” she was called upon many times to write and recite a poem for visiting U.S. presidents and other dignitaries.
In 1858 Frances (better known as Fanny) married a fellow teacher and blind musician, Alexander Van Alstyne, and they left the institute to begin a new life. Sadly, their only child died in infancy. Fanny’s life work was redirected in 1864 when William Bradbury encouraged her to write Sunday school hymns.
Fanny Crosby perceived her blindness as a gift from God. She even believed the practitioner’s mistake became a prelude to her writing nearly nine thousand hymns. “Blessed Assurance” and many other beloved hymns became favorites at D.L. Moody’s revivals and are still being sung in congregations today.

FACT: Fanny Crosby never earned more than four hundred dollars per year and gave away anything not needed for basic living. She spent countless hours ministering in street missions and the slums of New York, where she also lived.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.
Philippians 4:12

Praying for These

The good reports regarding Jenny keep coming. Your prayers are appreciated, please continue. Rosemary is home and improving well. Perry is home and slowly gaining strength — prayers appreciated. I cannot confirm word on Iris but hoping she will be going home soon, and possibly already there. Elaine just sent me an email and she is rallying – prayers appreciated, please continue.

ABBA, we thank You for these reports, so grateful! And we continue to ask for complete recoveries for each of these.  We continue to ask You favor and tending of all on our caring list as well as protection and safety for our IDOK Troops. I praise You and thank You for the continuing ministry of the hymns and poems You gave to Fanny to write. Thank You for the life she lived and for the promises she now enjoys with You. We pray to likewise do as You have called us to do in our allotted time here.
Again, we pray for the peace and salvation of Israel. And for repentance and an awakening among the people of America. Thank You for this Country. Thank You for ordaining and birthing it; please forgive us and have mercy upon us, redeem us, JESUS, I pray.
Thank You for each IDOK; thank You for every word You have given through this ministry and I pray that each will be used again and again for Your Glory and the betterment of others. Amen and amen.

Until Then + + +
Kathie