Books are good enough in their own way, but they are a poor substitute for life.
– Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)
Day: December 12, 2011
Florence + The Machine: No Light, No Light
On This Day: December 12
Updated December 11, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 12, 1963, Kenya gained its independence from Britain.
On Dec. 12, 1915, Frank Sinatra, the American singer and actor who elevated popular song into an art, was born. Following his death on May 14, 1998, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1745 John Jay, statesman and the first chief justice of the Supreme Court, was born in New York City. 1787 Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. 1870 Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first black congressman. 1897 “The Katzenjammer Kids,” the pioneering comic strip by Rudolph Dirks, debuted in the New York Journal. 1914 The New York Stock Exchange re-opened for the first time since July 30. The market had shut down when World War I broke out. 1915 Singer Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, N.J. 1917 Father Edward Flanagan founded Boys Town outside Omaha, Neb. 1925 The first motel, the Motel Inn, opened, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. 1947 The United Mine Workers union withdrew from the American Federation of Labor. 1963 Kenya gained its independence from Britain. 1975 Sara Jane Moore pleaded guilty to trying to kill President Gerald R. Ford. 1998 The House Judiciary Committee approved a fourth article of impeachment against President Bill Clinton and submitted the case to the full House. 2003 Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” movies, died in a Norwegian fjord. 2009 Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress Jennifer Connelly turns 41 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg
Actor Bill Nighy (“Pirates of the Caribbean” movies) turns 62 years old today.
AP Photo/Graham Hughes
1923 Bob Barker, TV game show host (“The Price is Right”), turns 88 1924 Ed Koch, Former New York City mayor, turns 87 1937 Connie Francis, Singer, actress, turns 74 1940 Dionne Warwick, R&B singer, turns 71 1943 Dickey Betts, Rock musician (The Allman Brothers), turns 68 1950 Duane Chase, Actor (Kurt in “The Sound of Music”), turns 61 1952 Cathy Rigby, Actress, Olympic gymnast, turns 59 1957 Sheila E., Singer, musician, turns 54 1962 Tracy Austin, Tennis Hall of Famer, turns 49 1975 Mayim Bialik, Actress (“Blossom”), turns 36 Historic Birthdays
Frank Sinatra 12/12/1915 – 5/14/1998 American actor and singer.Go to obituary »
61 Alvaro de Bazan Santa Cruz 12/12/1526 – 2/9/1588
Spanish naval commander83 John Jay 12/12/1745 – 5/17/1829
First chief justice of the United States73 William Lloyd Garrison 12/12/1805 – 5/24/1879
American abolitionist64 Stand Watie 12/12/1806 – 9/9/1871
Cherokee chief67 Gustave Flaubert 12/12/1821 – 5/8/1880
French novelist80 Edvard Munch 12/12/1863 – 1/23/1944
Norweigan painter72 Arthur Garfield Brisbane 12/12/1864 – 12/25/1936
American editor and writer51 Alvin Kraenzlein 12/12/1876 – 1/6/1928
American Olympic athlete; first competitor to win four gold medals in a single Olympics73 Arthur Garfield Hays 12/12/1881 – 12/14/1954
American lawyer and defender of civil liberties79 Edward G. Robinson 12/12/1893 – 1/26/1973
American actor and singer85 Henry Armstrong 12/12/1912 – 10/24/1988
American boxer65 John Osborne 12/12/1929 – 12/24/1994
English playwright
Classic Hymns of Christmas | Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come
Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come
Hymn Story:
When declining health forced Isaac Watts to cut back on his preaching, he turned to another task, Christianizing the Psalms. At the age of forty-five, he sat under a favorite tree on the Abney estate-property of the close friends with whom he lived-and penned the now famous words of “Joy to the World.” His 1719 hymnal, Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, included the words under his original title for the poetry: “The Messiah’s Coming and Kingdom.”
As part of his effort to bring New Testament meanings to the Old Testament psalms, Watts based “Joy to the World” on the last half of Psalm 98: “Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth, . . . Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.” (vs. 4, 8).
Psalm 98 celebrated God’s protection and restoration of his chosen people. Watts’ carol rejoices in the same, as it expresses praise for the salvation that began when God became man. Both the psalm and the hymn also look ahead, to Christ coming again to reign: “He will judge the world with righteousness” (v. 9)
“Joy to the World” includes references to other Bible verses as well, including Gen. 3:17, Rom. 5:20, and Luke 2:10. Yet despite its lack of reference to Mary, Joseph, shepherds, angels, wise men, or the manger, it became one of the most loved Christmas carols. In a season for celebrating our Savior’s birth, Watts’ hymn beautifully expresses our joy at the coming of our Savior.
Devotional:
It’s that time of year again-the time of busy shopping days, holiday baking, and twinkling lights. The time when schedules overflow with parties and events. The time to send out cards to family and friends. It’s supposed to be the season of “holiday cheer.” But in the weeks before we celebrate our Savior’s birth, so often we feel anxiety and stress instead.
Years ago, Isaac Watts wrote “Joy to the World,” the well-loved hymn often sung during this busy Christmas season. Ironically, Watts never intended his hymn for Christmas use. Instead, he simply intended to paraphrase the words of Psalm 98: “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth . . . for he comes. . .” (vs. 4, 9).
Amidst his poetry about Christ’s second coming, however, Watts also provides fitting words for our Christmas frenzy: “Joy to the world! the Lord is come . . . Let every heart prepare him room.” Prepare him room-significant words for any time of year. Yet perhaps we need to hear them the most at Christmastime, when so many things can distract us from our faith. .
This year, as the hectic Christmas season approaches, take the time to prepare your heart. Remember Christ’s first coming, as a humble King and Savior. Reflect on the certainty of his return, as Judge over all. And as you think on these precious truths, you’ll probably experience the best holiday feeling of all-the joy of knowing “the Lord is come” into your heart.
Facts:
Lyricist: Isaac Watts
Lyrics Date: 1719
Arranger: Lowell Mason
Key: D
Theme: Christmas, Christ’s birth
Composer: G. F. Handel
Music Date: 1742
Arranged Date: 1836
Tune Title: ANTIOCH
Meter: C.M.rep
Scripture: Psalm 98Copyright © 2011 Center for Church Music
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On This Day: December 11
Updated December 10, 2011, 1:28 pm
On Dec. 11, 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States; the U.S. responded in kind.
On Dec. 11, 1882, Fiorello H. La Guardia, the former mayor of New York City for three consecutive terms, was born. Following his death on Sept. 20, 1947, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1816 Indiana became the 19th state. 1936 Britain’s King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Warfield Simpson. 1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United States, which responded in kind. 1946 UNICEF (the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) was established. 1972 Man landed on the moon for the last time during the Apollo 17 mission. 1981 The U.N. Security Council chose Javier Perez de Cuellar of Peru to be its fifth secretary-general. 1994 Russian troops rolled into breakaway republic of Chechnya in a failed bid to restore Moscow’s control over the region. 1997 More than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to take steps to control greenhouse gas emissions. 1998 The House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against President Bill Clinton. 2000 Shortstop Alex Rodriguez agreed to a $252 million 10-year deal with the Texas Rangers, the most lucrative sports contract in history to date. 2002 A congressional report found that intelligence agencies before Sept. 11, 2001, were poorly organized, poorly equipped and slow to pursue clues that might have prevented that day’s terrorist attacks. 2008 Financial manager Bernard Madoff was arrested, accused of running a multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme that destroyed thousands of people’s life savings and wrecked charities. (Madoff later pleaded guilty and is serving150 years in federal prison.) 2009 Tiger Woods announced on his website that he was taking an indefinite leave from golf to try to save his marriage to Elin Nordegren. (The couple divorced in August 2010.) Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Actress-comedian Mo’Nique turns 44 years old today.
AP Photo/Matt Sayles
Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., turns 70 years old today.
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
1931 Rita Moreno, Actress, turns 80 1939 Tom Hayden, Activist, turns 72 1942 Donna Mills, Actress (“Knots Landing”), turns 69 1943 John Kerry, U.S. senator, D-Mass., turns 68 1944 Lynda Day George, Actress, turns 67 1944 Brenda Lee, Singer, turns 67 1947 Teri Garr, Actress, turns 64 1954 Jermaine Jackson, Singer (The Jackson 5), turns 57 1958 Nikki Sixx, Rock musician (Motley Crue), turns 53 1966 Gary Dourdan, Actor (“CSI”), turns 45 1973 Mos Def, Rapper, actor, turns 38 1996 Hailee Steinfeld, Actress, turns 15 Historic Birthdays
Fiorello H. La Guardia 12/11/1882 – 9/20/1947 New York City mayor. Go to obituary »
45 Leo X 12/11/1475 – 12/1/1521
Italian pope86 Sir David Brewster 12/11/1781 – 2/10/1868
Scottish physicist65 (Louis-)Hector Berlioz 12/11/1803 – 3/8/1869
French composer and conductor46 Alfred de Musset 12/11/1810 – 5/2/1857
French poet and playwright66 Robert H.H. Koch 12/11/1843 – 5/27/1910
German physician77 Annie Jump Cannon 12/11/1863 – 4/13/1941
American astronomer87 Max Born 12/11/1882 – 1/5/1970
German physicist and Nobel Prize winner68 Erskine (Hamilton) Childers 12/11/1905 – 11/17/1974
Irish statesman and fourth president (1973-74)62 Sir Kenneth MacMillan 12/11/1929 – 10/29/1992
Scottish-English choreographer
