Many hymns of the faith have an inspirational or profound background story.
Each of our products come with a tag that give the history behind the hymn. 
Below are a few of our patterns and their stories.

"Thou Dids't Leave Thy Throne"

Hymn writer, Emily E.S. Elliott, magnifies the Kingship of Jesus in Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne. She recounts Jesus leaving heaven to come to earth as a baby; but, there was no room in the Bethlehem home. Elliot's refrain beckons her Savior to "come to my heart, dear Jesus, there is room in my heart for thee."

This song was written in 1864 to be sung by the choir at St. Mark's Church in Brighton, England, where Emily's father, Rev. Edward Bishop Elliott, was the rector. Emily's aunt, Charlotte Elliott, wrote the popular hymn,
"Just as I Am."

"The Lord Bless You and Keep You"

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Well known as the “Priestly Blessing” or the “Aaronic Benediction”, the lyrics to "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" are based on Bible verses from Numbers 6:24-26.  In this passage God instructs Moses to tell his brother, Aaron, and sons, to bless the Israelites with these words.

D.L. Moody said about this blessing, “Here is a benediction that can give all the time without being impoverished.  Every heart may utter it, every letter may conclude with it, every day may begin with it, every night may be sanctified by it.  Here is blessing—keeping—shining—the uplifting upon our poor life of all heaven’s glad morning.  It is the Lord Himself who (gives us) this bar of music from heaven’s infinite anthem.” Notes from My Bible.

Music to this hymn, "Benediction", was composed by Peter C. Lutkin in 1900 and in 1981 a beautiful sacred choral rendition was composed by John Rutter in London, sung by the Cambridge Singers, and beloved by many.

"Children of the Heavenly Father"

This Scandinavian hymn was written in 1855 by Carolina Sandell-Berg who was known as the "Fanny Crosby of Sweden".  It is beloved by many and tells of God's faithfulness to his children.  The traditional hand painted rosemaling border is a nod to the hymns' Scandinavian roots.
At age 26, Lina and her father were on a boat trip across Lake Vättern when the vessel suddenly lurched and her father fell in, drowning in front of his devoted daughter. It is said, "The tragedy inspired some of her first hymns as she poured out her broken heart in many of her songs."

"His Eye is On The Sparrow"

I sing because I'm happy
I sing because I'm free!
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know he watches over me.
This cheerful black and white pattern has a chirping sparrow and the inspiring words
of gospel writer Civilla D. Martin.  Written in 1905 it is a hymn with a simple expression
of boundless faith in God's provision and care.
     Civilla tells the background of the hymn-
     “Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in  Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. 
      Despite their afflictions, they lived happy lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: 'His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.' The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn, 'His Eye is on the Sparrow' was the outcome of that experience.”

"'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus"

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord!"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
Like other hymns birthed out of sorrow (e.g., "It is Well with My Soul"), "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" was inspired by the tragic drowning of Louisa Stead's husband.
        Born in England, Louisa became a Christian at age nine and in her teens felt led to become a missionary. At age 21 she moved to America and lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her earlier call to missions was solidified after attending a revival meeting in Urbana, Ohio. 
        Louisa had hoped to go to China but her frail health prevented that move. She eventually married and had a daughter, Lily. In 1875 the family was enjoying a beach picnic on Long Island Sound, New York. In a tragic turn of events, Louisa's husband drowned in attempting to rescue a drowning child. Louisa was heartbroken, yet, she knew that God never left her. While she and Lily struggled to survive, God provided. They grieved but were not hopeless (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
         Louisa and Lily moved to Cape Colony, South Africa where Louisa did see her dream realized to become a missionary.  It was there that she penned the beautiful words to 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.
Photo credit: Christine Walraven c. 2017 Used with permission