Everett Jenkins Birthday Blog

  "The mystery of my vocation, of my entire life, and above all, of the special graces Jesus has given me, stood revealed.  He does not call those who are worthy, but those He chooses to call.  As St. Paul says:  "God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy; so then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."  (Cf.  Rom.  9:15-16). ( The Story of a Soul , pg. 3) "For a long time, I had wondered why God had preferences, why He did not give the same degree of grace to everyone.  I was rather surprised that He should pour out such extraordinary graces on great sinners like St. Paul, St. Augustine and so many others, forcing His grace on them, so to speak.  I was rather surprised, too, when reading the lives of the Saints, to find Our Lord treating certain privileged souls with the greatest tenderness from the cradle to the grave, removing all obstacles from their upward path to Him, and preserving t...

  As I continue my march through 1930, I came across an unknown (to me) singer by the name of Goree Carter Goree Carter - Wikipedia In reading about this native of Houston, Texas, and his recording "Rock Awhile", I was shaken. Contrary, to Marty McFly in "Back to the Future" and contrary to the assertions of Ike Turner with his 1951 recording of "Rocket 88", it is Goree Carter's 1949 recording of "Rock Awhile" which seems to be the best candidate for being the first Rock and Roll recording.  Please listen to the song and, perhaps, join me in sending a letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to recognize Goree Carter on this 75th anniversary year of the song he created that gave birth to Rock and Roll. Peace, Everett "Skip" Jenkins Fairfield, California February 21, 2024 Goree Carter - Rock Awhile (1949) (youtube.com) Goree Carter - Rock Awhile (1949)

  I watched with interest the Gospel shows referenced below.  For the most part, I think that Professor Gates did an outstanding job in presenting a history of Gospel.  I greatly appreciated the profile of Thomas A. Dorsey Thomas A. Dorsey - Wikipedia and the personal tragedy behind his composition of the great gospel song "Take My Hand, Precious Lord". Take My Hand, Precious Lord - Wikipedia I was particularly impressed with the profile of the great Gospel singer, Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson - Wikipedia and her inspirational relationship with Martin Luther King.  As shown in the documentary, on more than one occasion it was Mahalia who spiritually lifted up Martin, most notably during Martin's speech at the March on Washington in 1963 when Martin began to meander.  It was Mahalia who urged Martin to tell the audience about a dream that he had had.  Martin heard Mahalia and seemed to shift gears.  Martin began to tell the audience about the dream t...