Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Those Historic Christian Hymns Are Just for Old Folks, Right?

Uh, no. Not at all. As a matter of fact, the two video clips I post below are remarkably moving testimonies about how profoundly important those hymns can be...for children!

Check 'em out.

Item 1) Modern hymn writer Keith Getty, in this fascinating 4-minute vidcast, talks about Cecil Frances Alexander, a musician who, two centuries ago, "realized that the music of her time was beginning to lose its focus and quality. Fearing that this decline took away from the heavenly glory we are meant to revel in, she made it her mission to bring new inspiring and faithful music to her worship community. She wanted to present young people with songs that encourage them to have big thoughts and greater understanding about their faith."



Item 2) Joni Eareckson Tada talks about her deep gratitude for her parents teaching her the great hymns of the Christian faith when she was a young girl. She does so in a remarkable moment when she joins the Getty family in their ongoing family hymn sing. The whole event is inspiring and fun but you'll find Joni's testimony (just before she joins the Gettys in singing") at about 8 minutes into the clip.

Okay, What's Actually Going On? (Another Compilation of Exceptional Articles)

* "U.S. Has 3.5 Million More Registered Voters Than Live Adults -- A Red Flag For Electoral Fraud" (Editors, Investor's Business Daily)

* "Misinformation Isn’t the Only Danger" (Katrina Trinko, Daily Signal)

* "Woman Who Blamed Trump after Giving Her Husband Fish-Tank Cleaner Now Under Investigation for Murder" (Tobias Hoonhout, National Review)

* "Cuomo to blame for COVID spreading through nursing home" (Michael Goodwin, NY Post)

* "Blame Bill de Blasio" (Kyle Smith, National Review)

* "Civil War on the Left: Michael Moore Against the Greens" (Steven Hayward, Power Line) and "Michael Moore Heresy Watch: Continued" (Steven Hayward, Power Line)

* "The Left’s Long War on Parents Over Schooling Their Kids" (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* "Millennials: A Peter Pan generation with no happy ending?" (Ann Farmer, Mercator)

Tuesday, April 28, 2020

The Latest WSWK Activity Pages Are Here!

The "Great Hunkering Down" has kept us out of the 12 senior living facilities where we are honored and blessed to present our "When Swing Was King" shows every month. That's a bummer, no doubt.

But instead of just twiddling our thumbs and waiting for permission to re-enter the premises, we have been creating and sending over "Anti-Boredom" packets with quizzes, quotations, personal notes, and a few photos.

They have been received warmly and wonderfully by both the residents and by the activity directors. They have also been appreciated by some of you guys, especially those who not only have fun taking the quizzes yourself but who then pass them along to the seniors (and baby boomers) among your own family and friends.

Well, here you go with # 8 in the series!

Saturday, April 25, 2020

#7 in Our "Anti-Boredom" Series Has Been Sent

Last week we received a very inspiring note from one of our friends who lives with his wife in one of the senior care facilities where we present our "When Swing Was King" shows every month. In that note, he refers to the "Anti-Boredom" pages we have been sending their way -- pages with personal notes, photos, quotations and Scriptures, and a bunch of informative and entertaining pop culture quizzes.

Below I print Tom's delightful note AND THEN I give you right here the link for #7 in our activity packet series, the latest we sent over to the facilities. We're pleased to hear that not only are they being appreciated in all 12 of the senior care centers on our "When Swing Was King" schedule, but that many others are having fun with them as well. For instance, one facility is passing them along to the other facilities in their system. In other cases, internet surfers are "playing the game" themselves while some then copy the pages off and send them to friends and family who need a little lifting up.

We are really thrilled with the success of this outreach. Thank You, Lord.

# 7, by the way, features 30 Multiple Choice questions, 20 Matching questions, a few quotations about patience and hope, 10 Fill in the Blank questions, 10 Finish the Line questions, and the answers to them all. Again, you'll find it right here.

And now for Tom's encouraging note, accompanied by the lovely photo he sent with it -- a photo that now adorns our refrigerator.

Denny,

It seems to me that I have written to you and thanked you for providing puzzles,
etc. for us at --------.  So, if that’s the case, then I’ll just say Thanks Again.  My 93-year old memory is not what it once was.  I really miss your “When Swing Was King” appearances as this WWII vet relates to the music in the 40s and 50s.  So hope we return to normal soon.

We see this on our bedside table every morning and try to “Live up to it.”

Tom 

Monday, April 20, 2020

Ministry in the "Great Hunkering Down" Era

Despite the quarantine that has shut down so much around the world, Vital Signs Ministries has found ways to keep serving Christ in the specific areas of mercy, encouragement, the gospel, and the sanctity of life.

Check out this month's Vital Signs Ministries letter for the details.

Friday, April 17, 2020

The Latest “When Swing Was King” Anti-Boredom Activity

The latest "Activity Pages" (pop culture quizzes, points to ponder, and a personal note from Claire and I) have been sent over to our "When Swing Was Fans" and, for that matter, to all the residents of the 12 senior facilities where we present our show every month. We're doing this to help them deal more successfully with the boredom and loneliness created by the mandated quarantines. And we're delighted to say they are being very warmly received and appreciated.

This time around we have 30 general knowledge Multiple Choice questions, 20 Fill-in-the-Blank questions dealing with song titles and lyrics, a few Duke Ellington quotes, a few nifty poster pics, and an idea about how to use the alphabet as a game source.

Here's the link that will take you to "Activity Pages" Number 6 AND the previous 5.

Of course, we also invite you to not only join in yourselves but to pass along these anti-boredom exercises to seniors among your own family and friends (including those baby boomers!) to give them a lift too. Thanks.

Seeing Through the Media Hype: The Latest Compilation of Must-Reads

* "The Coronavirus Is Exposing Little Tyrants All Over The Country" (John
Daniel Davidson, Federalist)

* "Thoughts on the Current Crisis" (Larry P. Arnn, President, Hillsdale College, Imprimis)

* "We Are Needlessly Devastating Our Country" (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

* "Ex-NYT reporter Berenson warns of 'big pivot' from officials to justify lockdown strategy" (Adam Shaw, Fox News)

* "Coronavirus Lessons: Fact and Reason vs. Paranoia and Fear" (William J. Bennett & Seth Leibsohn, Real Clear Politics)

* "On 4 Fronts, How China Quietly Infiltrates American Life" (Jarrett Stepman, Daily Signal)

* "New Unsealed Documents Show Planned Parenthood Profited From Aborted Baby Body Parts" (Madeline Osburn, Federalist)

* "Nancy Pelosi: Little Sisters of the Poor Should be Forced to Pay for Abortions" (Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews.com)

* "Georgia Democrat Becomes First To Endorse Trump, Credits His Work For Black Community" (Jason Hopkins, LifeNews.com)

Friday, April 10, 2020

About That Empty Tomb (Revisited)

The relevance of this post from 2016 remains.

The “When Swing Was King” Anti-Boredom Packet #5

Right here you will find the 5th installment of our "When Swing Was King" activity pages designed to help our friends living in the 12 senior facilities where we present our show every month. And, of course, they can be effectively used by absolutely anyone anyone else who is bored by the isolation imposed by these mandated quarantines. With these quizzes and quotations we hope to share items of interest, kindle memories, and give tidbits of fun information that can be passed along to others.

This time around we have 30 general knowledge Multiple Choice questions, 20 Fill-in-the-Blank questions dealing with old Western TV shows, and then several provocative quotations about Easter.

Claire and I sure miss all of our "When Swing Was King" fans and we are so looking forward to the time we can come back and present a "When Swing Was King" show to them. But until then, we will at least keep sending these activity packets.

And please remember, you can share these activity pages with the other seniors and baby boomers among your family and friends.

Happy Easter, everyone!


Talk About Must-Reading! Try These Amazing Articles.

"Meet the former NYT reporter who is challenging the coronavirus narrative" (Adam Shaw, Fox News)

"Are We Still Americans?" (John Hinderaker, Power Line)

"Life after the Plague?" (Helen Dale, Law & Liberty)

"Ben Carson says 'about 98 percent' of people who get coronavirus will recover: 'We can't operate out of hysteria'" (Charles Creitz, Fox News)

"C. S. Lewis’ Advice To Students During A Pandemic Will Do All Our Souls Good Right Now" (Joseph Griffith, Federalist)

"Is America a roaring giant or crying baby?" (Victor Davis Hanson, Jewish World Review)

"Trump and the Case of Trish Regan" (Conrad Black, National Review)

"Defense official says media reports about November coronavirus intel assessment are false" (Louis Casiano and Jennifer Griffin, Fox News)

"WHO Failed" (Editors, National Review)

"CNN Has Leana Wen on 44 Times to Discuss Coronavirus. Never Says She Was Planned Parenthood CEO" (Curtis Houck, LifeNews.com)

"Democrat Party Kicks Out 26-Year State Legislator Because He’s Pro-Life on Abortion" (Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com)

Sunday, April 05, 2020

Points to Ponder for Passion Week

Here are a few quotations about the resurrection of Jesus that you might find useful. We suggest you not only reflect on them yourself but also use them in your prayers and for Easter cards and social media posts.

“I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)

Clarence W. Hall wrote, “The resurrection of Jesus changes the face of death for all His people. Death is no longer a prison, but a passage into God’s presence.  Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there.”

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”  (1 Peter 1:3)

Timothy Keller in his book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, wrote this — “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all that He said; if He didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what He said? The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like His teaching but whether or not He rose from the dead.”

“If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  (Romans 8:11)

Charles Colson wrote, “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Every one of them was beaten, tortured, stoned and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the world -- and they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  (Romans 10:9)

Philip Yancey wrote, “In many respects I find an unresurrected Jesus easier to accept. Easter makes Him dangerous. Because of Easter I have to listen to His extravagant claims and can no longer pick and choose from His sayings. Moreover, Easter means He must be loose out there somewhere.”

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

“According to the laws of legal evidence used in courts of law, there is more evidence for the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ than for just about any other event in history.”  (Harvard Law Professor Dr. Simon Greenleaf)

John MacArthur wrote, “The truth of the resurrection gives life to every other area of gospel truth. The resurrection is the pivot on which all of Christianity turns and without which none of the other truths would much matter. Without the resurrection, Christianity would be so much wishful thinking, taking its place alongside all other human philosophy and religious speculation.”

“Christ the Lord is risen today, Sons of men and angels say. Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing ye heavens, and earth reply. “ (Charles Wesley from the hymn “Christ the Lord is Risen Today.”)

Saturday, April 04, 2020

Easter's in the Front Yard!

Our yard signs are amateur, no doubt about that. But the banner is a bit more professional. Nevertheless, with them all is the sincere desire to promote a bit of color, hope, and joyful witness for Christ in our neighborhood.

Happy Easter, everyone! Christ is risen!





For Your Weekend Enlightenment (Saturday Edition)

* "UK: Do It Yourself Home Abortion Allowed During Coronavirus Crisis" (Kurt Zindulka, Breitbart)

* "5 Keys to Unlocking Why the World Health Organization Bows to China on COVID-19" (Fred Lucas, Daily Signal)

* "World Health Organization Spends Twice as Much on Travel as on Medical Supplies" (Peter Hasson, Daily Signal)

* "If Regulations Impede Necessities in a Crisis, They Should Be Abolished Forever" (Ellie  Bufkin, Town Hall)

* "The Senator Who Saw the Coronavirus Coming" (John McCormack, National Review)

Want a closer look at what "globalism" means? Check out this next scenario.

* "United Nations wants 10% of entire planet’s annual income in fund for coronavirus response -- Use of funds would include contraception and 'reproductive health.'" (Matthew Cullinan Hoffman, LifeSite News)

And finally, a couple of examples to illustrate how absolutely demented the old guard media has become:

* "ABC Trashes Pence’s Christian Faith: Do You “Talk to God” About How Many You Let Die From Coronavirus?" (Curtis Houck, LifeNews.com)

* "MSNBC Blames Christians for Coronavirus: More People Are Dead Because of 'Religious Nationalism'" (Alex Christy, LifeNews.com)

Wednesday, April 01, 2020

#4 In Our Quarantine Activities For Seniors (And Maybe You Too!)

Okay, this morning we sent out the latest “When Swing Was King” activity pages
to the 12 senior facilities where we normally do our program every month. We're told by the activity directors that the quizzes and trivia and personal notes that we've been creating have been very warmly received. That's great news. And, as we've mentioned in previous posts about this matter, please feel free to copy the material and send them along to seniors (including your baby boomer buddies) as a little help with the "quarantine blues."

--- 

Hey, friends! This time around we have another 40 Multiple Choice questions for you (with answers provided afterward) as well as a few “points to ponder” that we hope you will enjoy. For next time, we are preparing a couple of pop culture-themed crossword puzzles for you to try.

Despite the quarantine, Claire and I are keeping busy. For instance, we are engaged in a lot of correspondence, learning how to use Zoom for video conversations (amazing technology), home projects, and creating these activity pages for you. We are also doing a lot of reading, some writing, and I’m working on a sermon I’ll be giving at Emmanuel Church this Sunday morning. I will actually be preaching to an empty church sanctuary while some tech guys will “live stream” the video over the internet. Unusual times we’re living in, huh?

But, I’m sure, like many of you, we are earnestly praying for America and the world, asking the Lord to deliver us from the virus (and the fears associated with it), to get our economy back to some degree of efficiency, and yet to learn those crucial spiritual lessons He has for us in this crisis.

We miss you all. But we do hope these pages we’re sending over bring a little relief from the tedium of these quarantine days. Keep looking up!

Points to Ponder

“There are three signs of old age: loss of memory and…Well, I forget the other two.” (Red Skelton)

“Just the other day, it seems, the kids were running through the house, slamming doors, breaking glass, making noise. Time goes by so quickly. Sometimes everything seems so fleeting.” (Perry Como)

“It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that counts.”
(Ella Fitzgerald)


Multiple Choice Questions

1) Clem Kaddidlehopper, Sheriff Deadeye, Cauliflower McPugg, and the Mean Widdle Kid were all characters created by what comic genius?
A) Sid Caesar
B) Red Skelton
C) Joey Bishop
D) Flip Wilson

2) What product used the tagline,
“A little dab'll do ya?”
A) Jack Daniels
B) Pepsodent
C) Listerine
D) Brylcreem

3) Which one of these World War II commanders represented the U.S. Navy?
a) Douglas MacArthur
b) Omar Bradley
c) Chester Nimitz
d) George Patton

4) The famous “Who’s on First?” comedy routine was created by:
A) Abbott & Costello
B) Bugs Bunny & Daffy Duck
C) The Three Stooges
D) Steve Allen

5) The “Twist” dance craze was due primarily to a singer whose real name was Ernest Evans.  But we know him as:
A) Fat Domino
B) Fred Astaire
C) Donald O'Connor
D) Chubby Checker

6) Who in this list were NOT regulars on The Lawrence Welk Show?
A) The Lennon Sisters
B) Norma Zimmer
C) Doc Severinsen
D) Myron Floren

7) Referring to the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that it would be a day that would "live in _________."
A) horror
B) infamy
C) our hearts forever
D) history

8) LaVerne, Patty, and Maxene are better known as:
A) The Lennon Sisters
B) The Andrews Sisters
C) The McGuire Sisters
D) Patty and the Patty-Cakes

9) What early TV star is associated with the shows House Party, People Are Funny, and Kids Say the Darndest Things?
A) Art Linkletter
B) Wink Martindale
C) Jack Paar
D) Allen Funt

10) Who did John F. Kennedy defeat in the U.S. Presidential election in 1960?
A) Richard Nixon
B) Ronald Reagan
C) Thomas Dewey
D) Hubert Humphrey

11) Jackie Robinson was the first black player signed to play in Major League
Baseball’s National League?  Who was the first in the American League?
A) Willie Mays
B) Willie McCovey
C) Satchel Paige
D) Larry Doby

12) Which of the following was NOT
a TV newscaster?
A) Chet Huntley
B) David Brinkley
C) Jack Paar
D) Walter Cronkite

13) What actor was a star in Bonanza and Little House on the Prairie?
A) Lorne Greene
B) Michael Landon
C) Pernell Roberts
D) Dan Blocker

14) What singer was managed by Colonel Tom Parker?
A) Jerry Lee Lewis
B) Frank Sinatra
C) Patsy Cline
D) Elvis Presley

15) What became the 50th U.S. state in August 1959?
A) Hawaii
B) New Mexico
C) Puerto Rico
D) Alaska

16) Which of the following was NOT 
a Bing Crosby movie?
A) My Favorite Brunette
B) Going My Way
C) Bells of St. Mary’s
D) High Society

17) Which famous American penitentiary closed in 1963?
A) Folsom Prison
B) Alcatraz
C) San Quentin
D) Leavenworth

18) What do Jane Cairns, Margaret Allen, Lana Turner, Betty Kern, Ava Gardner, Kathleen Winsor, Doris Dowling, and Evelyn Keyes all have in common?
A) They all were winners of Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actress.
B) They were all wives of bandleader Artie Shaw.
C) They were all winners of the Miss California contest.
D) They all portrayed girl detective Nancy Drew in the movies.

19) Neil Armstrong was the first man to set foot on the moon. Who followed him down the lunar module ladder soon afterwards?
A) Gus Grissom
B) John Glenn
C) Buzz Aldrin
D) Wally Schirra

20) The singer who recorded “Sixteen Tons” was:
A) Jimmy Dean
B) Hank Williams
C) Jerry Lee Lewis
D) Tennessee Ernie Ford

21) What general was Supreme Commander over the Allied forces in Europe?
A) George Marshall
B) Douglas MacArthur
C) Dwight D. Eisenhower
D) George S. Patton

22) What actor starred in the epic films The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, El Cid, and Planet of the Apes?
A) Robert Redford
B) Gregory Peck
C) Stephen Boyd
D) Charlton Heston

23) Which Pope was the first to visit the United States in 1965?
A) Pope Paul VI
B) Pope John
C) Pope Pius X
D) Pope John Paul II

24) Which of these early TV programs was NOT a game show?
A) The $64,000 Question
B) Sky King
C) What’s My Line?
D) To Tell the Truth   

25) In 1955, which popular fast food chain first opened?
A) McDonald's
B) Taco Bell
C) Kentucky Fried Chicken
D) Dunkin Donuts

26) During what year did Disneyland first open in Southern California?
A) 1939
B) 1955
C) 1964
C) 1971

27) The gorgeous Edie Adams was the wife of :
A) Steve McQueen
B) James Garner
C) Jack Webb
D) Ernie Kovacs
                               
28) What actor was NOT frequently featured in monster movies?
A) Bela Lugosi
B) Boris Karloff
C) Spencer Tracy
D) Lon Chaney, Jr.

29) Which of those listed below was NOT an important World War II battle fought in the South Pacific?
A) Malta
B) Coral Sea
C) Midway
D) Leyte Gulf

30) In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black actor to win the Academy Award for best actor. The film he won the award for was:
A) In the Heat of the Night
B) Lilies of the Field
C) Song of the South
D) Shakespeare's Othello

31) The R.C. in R.C. Cola stood for:
A) Red Cap
B) Royal Crown
C) Registered Cola
D) Raystar Company

32) What did the V. in V.E.
and V.J. stand for?
A) Vacuum
B) Veronica
C) Victory
D) Vegetables

33) What company introduced “T.V. Dinners” back in 1954?
A) Swanson
B) NBC
C) Safeway
D) Krogers

34) The highest score ever in professional basketball was 100 points set by this man in 1962:
A) Bob Cousy
B) Jerry West
C) Wilt Chamberlain
D) Oscar Robertson

35) What “lucky” aviator first flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean?
A) Amelia Earhart
B) Wily Post
C) Charles Lindbergh
d) Orville Wright

36) Elvis Presley’s mansion in Memphis is called:
A) Graceland
B) Heartbreak Hotel
C) Old Dominion
D) Shangri-La

37) The star of the TV series
The Honeymooners was:
A) Ernie Kovacs
B) Red Skelton
C) Dick Van Dyke
D) Jackie Gleason

38) What was the theme song of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans?
A) “Buttons and Bows”
B) “Happy Trails”
C) “A Cowboy’s Serenade”
D) “Don’t Fence Me In”

39) Which New York Yankee was baseball’s “home run king” in 1961?
A) Mickey Mantle
B) Yogi Berra
C) Joe Dimaggio
D) Roger Maris

40) Of which automobile did Dinah Shore sing, “See the U.S.A. in your       

_____________________________”


Quiz Answers:

1) B -- Red Skelton
2) D -- Brylcreem
3) C -- Chester Nimitz

4) A -- Abbot & Costello
5) D -- Chubby Checker
6) C -- Doc Severinsen

7) B -- infamy
8) B -- The Andrews Sisters
9) A -- Art Linkletter

10) A -- Richard Nixon
11) D -- Larry Doby
12) C -- Jack Paar

13) B -- Michael Landon
14) D -- Elvis Presley
15) A -- Hawaii

16) A -- My Favorite Brunette
17) B -- Alcatraz
18) B -- Artie’s wives

19) C -- Buzz Aldrin
20) D -- Tennessee Ernie Ford
21) C -- Dwight Eisenhower

22) D -- Charlton Heston
23) A -- Pope Paul VI
24) B -- Sky King

25) A -- McDonald’s
26) B -- 1955
27) D -- Ernie Kovacs

28) C -- Spencer Tracy
29) A -- Malta
30) B -- Lilies of the Field

31) B -- Royal Crown
32) C -- Victory
33) A -- Swanson

34) C -- Wilt Chamberlain
35) C -- Charles Lindbergh
36) A -- Graceland

37) D -- Jackie Gleason
38) B -- “Happy Trails”
39) D -- Roger Maris

40) “See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet!”