Baker of Gettysburg

 

The Baker of Gettysburg July 1, 2024Jenny Ashcraft It’s been 161 years since the Battle of Gettysburg raged from July 1 to 3, 1863. It was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, with more than 50,000 casualties. Amidst the fighting in Adams County, PA, one young woman emerged heroic when she refused orders to flee and baked bread for hungry, weary, and wounded soldiers. The Boston Globe – October 3, 1886 Josephine Rodgers Miller Slyder was born on October 9, 1836. She was living in a farmhouse occupied by her relatives, Peter and Susan Rodgers, on the edge of Emmitsburg Road in Gettysburg when the war came to her front door. Josephine had bread in the oven when the shooting began. Peter and Susan Rodgers fled the farm, but Josephine wanted to wait until her bread came out of the oven. The smell of freshly baked bread attracted hungry soldiers, so Josephine sliced and distributed the fresh bread. With the bread gone and hungry soldiers wanting more, Josephine decided to mix another batch of bread. As fighting intensified, Josephine kept baking. The soldiers offered to pay Josephine for the bread, but she declined. Union General Joseph B. Carr warned Josephine that she was unsafe and needed to flee. Josephine promised to leave soon, but hearing the cries of hungry and wounded soldiers, she continued to bake and distribute bread that was quickly devoured. She also tended to the wounded from both sides. Muncie Evening Press: March 23, 1892 During the battle, artillery shook the foundation of the Rodgers farmhouse, Pickett’s men charged past the house, and Josephine continued to bake. The farmhouse was hit by dozens of shells and bullets, and numerous dead were in the yard. When the battle was over, Josephine was uninjured, but seventeen soldiers were found dead in the house, having crawled there before succumbing to their wounds. Josephine spent days nursing the wounded. Josephine Slyder in 1886 – photo via Find a Grave Following the war, Josephine married her neighbor, William J. Slyder, and moved to Ohio. In July 1886, veterans of the Battle of Gettysburg reunited in Gettysburg. Surviving members of the 1st Massachusetts gathered to unveil a monument on Emmitsburg Road, just south of the Rodgers house. The house still bore the scars of ferocious fighting, bringing back memories of Josephine’s kindness. The 1st  Massachusetts discovered Josephine was alive and living in Ohio, so they paid for her train passage and invited her to Gettysburg as their guest of honor. Josephine was awarded several military decorations and made an honorary member of the 3rd Corps, the only woman to achieve that distinction. Josephine Slyder and veterans from the Battle of Gettysburg in front of the 1st Mass Infantry Regiment monument – photo via Find a Grave Soldiers returned to the old farmhouse and retrieved Josephine’s stove, placing it in front of the regiment’s monument. Josephine was photographed along with many of the soldiers whom she had helped. Josephine died in 1911, but memories of her heroism and kindness have outlived her. If you would like to learn more about Josephine or the Battle of Gettysburg, search Newspapers.com™ today. Share using:

Illumination

 

Illumination
Monday, July 1, 2024 by Brave Knight Writers

A recent event gained me new insights and qualifications. This blog is not intended to bring attention to my situation but rather to everyone’s. It is our nature to go about our daily lives with a feeling of wellbeing, it’s a healthy attitude for our physical existence. Where it all goes awry, we place too much value on our stuff, our importance, and false beliefs. Nothing sorts out reality more than finding yourself crossing over.

In my experience, I lost half my blood due to abdominal aneurysms. My blood pressure dropped to 50/30 and I sensed myself leaving my body. They say your life flashes before you, well, it was more of an awareness of how little, so much means. Daily dramas over trivial and petty disputes really gain nothing. In the big scheme of things, we leave it all behind.

As the medical staff worked to resuscitate me, I had no awareness of their efforts. My wife said there were about a dozen people taking part. A nurse told me they had me hanging by my feet. My memory of this event, although vivid from my own perspective, left me with no recollection of the physical world. Instead, I remember questioning if I should pray to stay in my damaged body or move on to another space. Peace embraced me as I let go of all my worldly blessings and gratefulness overwhelmed me for all my life’s experiences. The prayer I remember mulling was for God’s will be done and to be wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, to conceal my shortcomings.

My week in the hospital was filled with humor. I harassed my room mate a bit, joked with the doctors and nurses. When the Angio doctor came into the operating room, I asked him if he had watched the latest YouTube videos on the procedure. When my pastor came to pray over me and shared how close I had come to dying, I said, “I saw no bright light, just some flickering flames. What do you think it means?” I asked. He laughed, I guess I need more work. God wants us to laugh, he wants us to celebrate the gift of life and our spiritual birth.

We love our home, it is the fruit of much labor, but I remind myself constantly of the fact we must be willing to walk away at any time. Like our body, everything is temporary. We can’t cling to any of it, nor should we place too high a value on it. In Romans 12:2 we see this lesson, ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.’

The support, encouragement, and prayer offerings were overwhelming. I received messages from Australia, Africa, Europe, and all over the United States. Most people offered to pray for me, those who stated this showed me they had no fear of scoffers and mockers. Others said I would be in their thoughts, so what does that mean? To me, it meant they didn’t believe in any powers higher than themselves. If true, how would their thoughts do me any good? I appreciate the gesture, but did it have any real value? I refer to Revelation 3:16, the NIV: So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Then there were those who offered nothing—no inquiry, no prayers or thoughts— close blood relatives who blew off this near-death event as if I were a stranger.

 Well, the event provided great insight into how people would view my passing. Not many people are blessed with such knowledge, it is a game changer. Honesty and truth can be harsh and heart-breaking but it also sets you free and lets you focus on where to place your future efforts and concerns.

Recovery has proven to be a tough process, both physically and emotionally. The doctors have helped physically, and many friends have risen to show their love and concern. The process has shed light on those who care as well as those who don’t. No bitterness forms in my heart, and our prayers will continue for the lost. One question has been answered, would I have what it takes to walk away from everything if the government put stipulations on receiving a number to pay property taxes or engage in business transactions? When Y2K occurred, I watched as people horded and stockpiled supplies. It was never my style. In the event of some worldwide catastrophe, I will let go and walk toward the chaos. My survival will be ushered in by Jesus Christ. Do I wish for death or the world to end? Absolutely not, no one knows when either event will occur, so it is best to build treasures in heavenly places.

Matthew 6:19-21 NIV tells us: ‘Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.’

One of the best medicines for my recovery has come from the children who surround me. In the days prior to my bleeding event, we took five children to Sight and Sound Theatre in Lancaster, PA. to see the Daniel play. We were filled with joy by the performance, special effects, and delight of the children. Boom. From this high point, the next day I found myself bleeding to death. It wasn’t a low point though; it was just an event to remind me how fragile physical life can be. Live, and appreciate every moment you are granted. At my homecoming from the hospital, grandchildren ran to me arms wide for hugs screaming, “Pappy!”

 Luke 18:15-17 ‘Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it. They rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’

Grateful?” You betcha.    

Food faith fitness

Hello,

Just wanted to share this with you, my new online presence! 

Brave Knight Writers functions in many venues, in this one we writer for a company based in the United Kingdom.

Our mission is to inspire good health through nutrition, our bodies and spirirts become what we consume.

Donning the full armor of God, requires the strength and courage. It also requires a sense of humor, the best way to ward off fear is ti laugh. 

Follow our blogs, webs and look for us on Amazon. 

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Quantum Physics

 

https://youtu.be/n7cOlBxtKSo?si=u1kNzjE5B4dOx1zV

How can we reconcile gravity with quantum physics? Why are there different types of particles? How can we verify the existence of additional dimensions? All these answers in 16 minutes! 0:00 - Introduction 2:17 - Strings and vibrations

4:03 - Dynamics and interactions 7:14 - Superstrings 10:09 - Compact dimensions 13:50 - Conclusion

Losing everything makes you aware of what to value.

 Losing everything makes you aware of what to value.

https://womenofchristianity.com/treasures-by-martha-snell-nicholson/

“The light that you discover in your life is proportionate to the amount of the darkness you are willing to forthrightly confront.” Jordan Peterson

https://www.fatherly.com/health/how-parents-experience-the-death-of-a-child

When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

― C.S. Lewis

 

Treasures by Martha Snell Nicholson

Published July 10, 2018 | By womenofchristianity

One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost.

And I walked earth’s highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
Till I heard His voice inviting,
“Lift your empty hands to Me!”

So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches,
Till they could contain no more.

And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God COULD not pour His riches
Into hands already full!

Foxburg, an event

 

Foxburg, an event

Recently we attended an event in Foxburg, Pa. Foxburg is a small town along the Allegheny river and is home to the oldest golf course in the United States. This excerpt is from GolfWRX December 23, 2017, “Consider the Foxburg Golf Club (Pennsylvania), and The Oakhurst Golf Club (West Virginia). Both Foxburg and Oakhurst had records of playable courses in 1884. The Foxburg, however, was a private course on private property that originally only had eight holes. In 1887, the Foxburg added nine new public holes to their course, and that course has been in continuous working existence ever since.” This isn’t a sports blog, so let’s move on.

Foxburg has a rich history, founded on land owned by the Fox family of Philadelphia. Samuel and brother George purchased the land in the 1790s comprised 6600 acres. Samuel’s son Joseph established a residence in 1826 near the confluence of the Clarion River. The residence became known as “the Mansion” where the succeeding generation of Foxes would take up season residence for 140 years. Oil development in 1870 stimulated the founding of the town with a peak population of 1000. Two railroads served the borough, with one lasting into the 1960s, but by 2008 the railroad remnants were no more, and the beds now host Rails to Trails.

The Fox family founded the Quaker religion in the 1600s in England, and the family built vast investments, business holdings and wealth in America. At one point, the hundreds of employees included a junior accountant named Benjamin Franklin. The Mansion legacy witnessed many upgrades over the years, including four powder rooms, wine cellar, conservatory, music room. 17 fireplaces and English-style pub. The entire estate grew to 26 structures, including additional homes. The grounds offer 23 ponds, hiking trails, an aviary, complete arboretum, sugar house for maple syrup, greenhouse, a one-of-a-kind carriage house and much more. Known as the River Stone Estate, it is the largest private estate in Pennsylvania.

Now you know the backstory, what is happening today, why do I offer this post? We are members of ARCA, Allegheny Riverstone Center for the Arts based in Foxburghttps://alleghenyriverstone.org › about › riverstone-estate. World-class performers come to this little town’s Lincoln Hall to perform. Names such as Barbara Nissman, https://www.barbaranissman.com, David Wickerham, https://www.manasotatheatreorgan.org/dave-wickerham/ but here is a 2024 season schedule, https://alleghenyriverstone.org/event-calendar/. On May 5, 2024, we were in attendance for the last performance on the McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer before it enters a yearlong renovation. There are only 350 organs left of the ten thousand originally built between 1910 and 1940. Only 38 remain in their original venues. The McKissick Mighty Wurlitzer has a history of its own before finding its way to Foxburg. On November 22, 1928, this instrument played during silent films and vaudeville in Cleveland’s Uptown Theater. Lincoln Hall is in the center of Foxburg with a view of the Allegheny River. The town also offers a winery, an art gallery (Red Brick Gallery), a library, hotel https://foxburginn.com/ and restaurants https://www.opentable.com/r/allegheny-grille-foxburg with balconies overlooking the river. Tickets for Lincoln Hall events sell out fast, so if you plan to attend, make your purchases and reservations early. The patrons prove friendly and easy to talk to.

My first forays into Foxburg occurred years ago, as a canoeist navigating overnight river adventures. Just below the town, on the riverbank, you’ll find free campsites to pitch a tent. In the evenings, we would walk the railroad tracks into town to watch the Steelers play football. The town also became a destination for our motorcycle rides. On any weekend of summer, you’ll find motorcycles packed in the parking lot (no outlaws) but just people enjoying their ride. Foxburg can serve a wide variety of interests. We’ve motorcycled through Europe, and the Foxburg reminds me of sleeping German village along the Mosel River. 

For additional information, www.alleghenyriverstone.org, join the concerts and RBG exhibits. Brave Knight Writers support the arts, literature, and music of the region. Visit us at braveknightwriters.com.

https://braveknightwriters.com/ 

https://youtu.be/CZKR4WLALJw?si=gnqlNyIEZbYkoO3b

A Universe of Music
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 by Brave Knight Writers

Music touches the soul.

Does it? Why does it? Do we have a soul? Does the soul connect us to something greater than the universe?

If you are inclined to follow science, you might want to indulge in the latest breakthroughs in quantum physics. If you are a believer in creation, turn to your Bible. In either case, your journey may very well lead to the same point. This blog is far too short to do much more than inspire you to do more research. Mathematics and music have a close relationship, and to please a question, the pieces must fit together in perfect symmetry, and balance.

Quantum physics proposes the universe exists as a matter of frequencies, oscillations, harmonics and vibrations. Matter is merely energy of a certain frequency. In physics the definition of frequency is:

“The increase in amplitude of oscillation of an electric or mechanical system exposed to a periodic force whose frequency is equal or very close to the natural undamped frequency of the system.”

So, ask yourself, what is music? According to Merriam-Webster, “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity” The longest book of the Bible is Psalms, many of them written by David-a man after God’s own heart- and set to music. So I would guess music is important in Christianity? In Revelation, 5, 7 and 15 we find songs. The first musician of the Bible appears in Genesis 4:21. Why does the Bible have such a consistent thread of music in it? Where else in the Bible can you find mention of Music? Try Exodus, Numbers, Judges, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Kings, Chronicles, Samuel, Ecclesiastics, Joshua and Samuel, I rest my case. Job 38:7 While the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (CSB)

Why do we have a desire for music? Most of our desires fall into the physical realm. We desire food, drink, shelter, and physical comfort to survive in this world. Our desire for music is not derived from a physical need, it feeds our emotional desire for order and continuity, it fulfills a spiritual need. Does our very DNA, at a subcellular level, respond to harmony, frequency, and the vibrations of the music of creation? Why do sour notes turn us off? When musical continuity breaks, we are left with an uneasy feeling, just as when people indulge in distorted desires. Everyone has desires and temptations, neither of these are sins but when we act on distorted temptations, or our desires become distorted, a sour note is struck.   

Distortion alters truth. Whether authenticity fails in the natural, original state, or in physics, creating a lack of proportionality, the result is a change in wave form from the original signal. Epicureans embraced the thoughts of Epicurus, where desires are not the problem within harmony. It is false beliefs which cause a distortion of desires. Society often propagates myths, false expectations, and superstitions with an offer to fulfill desires. Such offers lead us to wrong ways to find satisfaction, the results of which disturb natural continuity. The same is true in music and mathematics. Harmony requires truth, anything less becomes chaos. Science and the Bible both point to these required conditions for a successful existence.

Is God the great maestro, whose creation is one great musical score where he uses it to hammer home, telegraph, or contradict the emotions and actions of happenings? Everything appears timed to the closest millisecond to provide cues for comedy, suspense, horror, and more. God gave us freewill; he wants us to add our dialogue, and play out our roles, his creation offering a backdrop for our stories. Harmony and frequency generate all we see and experience, God wants us to flow with his music, to prove we can sync with the angels. Since I can’t sing a note or play an instrument, this whole scenario leaves me feeling uneasy, why would God want me in his band? Well, maybe he finds it more important for me to let his music touch my heart, than to expect me to make my own music. It isn’t about my music. Creation’s music belongs to Him. By grace, he will invite me backstage if I accept Him as the master musician.

In my research I found many references to the sounds of the universe. Most refer to global warming, climate change, eastern mysticism, and philosophies other than Christianity. Even though there is a segment of the population who refuses to include the Bible and propositions of a music-based creation in these references, there is no denying the Bible’s musical threads which appeared long before any of these new-age theories. Check out Smithsonian Magazine, Dan Falk’s article of March 1, 2023, What Does the Universe Sound Like? “The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and other researchers have melded astronomy and music to offer a new oeuvre.” (Definition of oeuvre: The complete body of an artist's work.) So, I come full circle, Job 38:7, While the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? (CSB) One goal the Smithsonian article says, “people who are blind or have low vision… can also become part of the scientific enterprise.” In Romans 14:1 “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” (NIV) So, research and draw your own conclusions. May I suggest—in your research—include the Bible.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-does-the-universe-sound-like-180981715/