It is No Secret

Stuart Hamblen was a hard drinking, horse-racing entertainer who was converted during a 1963 Billy Graham Crusade on the West Coast. Fired from his $1,000-a-week radio program because he refused to advertise beer, he was seeking God’s will for his life. One day an actor said to him, “I’ve heard you haven’t taken a drink for thirty days. Tell me truthfully, Stuart, have you wanted one?” “No,” he answered. “It is no secret what God can do.” “You ought to write a song about ‘It is no secret what God can do,’” suggested the friend. Hamblen did, and he found his life’s work, and strength for every temptation and trial. It is No Secret is one of my favorite hymns, and I'd like to share a slideshow I created featuring Daniel O'Donnell singing it. I hope you enjoy it. Be sure your sound is turned up before you click on "play." I have turned comments off for this post.

A Tribute to Billy Graham

Mr. Billy Graham turned 93 on November 7, 2011. In his new book, Nearing Home: Life, Faith, and Finishing Well, he says, "I never thought I would live to be this old."

In honor of Mr. Graham reaching such a memorable milestone, I would like to share a slideshow I created featuring pictures I gathered from the Internet, which depict his life from the early years of his ministry to the present.

[Turn your speakers on, if you would like to hear the music]

May God bless you, Mr. Graham.

Happy Birthday, Billy Graham

Today is Reverend Billy Graham's 92nd birthday.

Age has taken its toll on Mr. Graham physically, but a spokesperson says "the lion still has a roar."

Today, Billy Graham spends most of his time in the remote western North Carolina mountain home where he and his wife, Ruth, raised their five children. "There are a lot of miles on that body," his daughter Ruth says. "His world has become smaller."

It has been a difficult time for Graham. In summer 2007, his wife, Ruth, died after being bedridden for many years. The grief is still constant for Graham.

Graham's children say that despite his remarkable life, he is a humble man who doesn't dwell on the past. "My father doesn't look backwards," his daughter Ruth said. "He really does see that God was the one who did it, and he just happened to be in the room."

I recently watched a couple of excellent movies about Billy Graham, and highly recommend them. The first movie, Billy: The Early Years of Billy Graham, chronicles his early life and tells the story of what drove him, as he followed his faith during the journey that ultimately led him to revolutionize modern-day evangelism.

The second movie, Billy Graham: God's Ambassador, is a documentary which uses rare archival footage from Graham's early life, and looks back on his ministry by talking to those who know him best, including family members, friends, and Presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush.

At the end of the movie, Mr. Graham says that, "One day, we will hear a news bulletin declaring 'Billy Graham is dead.' But I'm not going to be dead. I'm just going to have a new address — in Heaven."

I have created a slideshow in honor of Mr. Graham's birthday today. If you would like to see it, turn your sound up on your computer and click on the arrow.

May God bless you, Mr. Graham, on this, your 92nd birthday.