CLARIFICATION - How Sweet Is the Victory

A sweet friend just emailed me saying that she thinks that the words I have given are to a song that is already in circulation. I am SO thankful for that clarification...! Apparently, Dad heard them and wrote them down and was learning the song so he could sing it. Either way, it certainly expresses his heart and causes me to think that he sensed he was soon to go...

Celebrating the Life of Kenneth Brand

My Father, Rev. Kenneth F. Brand, went to be with the Lord last Monday afternoon. We are having the visitation this afternoon, Thursday, January 7th from 5-6pm and his funeral service tomorrow morning, Friday, January 8th at 11:00am in the auditorium of the first church he and Mom pastored, the Full Gospel Tabernacle at 1801 Guthrie Avenue in Paducah, Kentucky.

Dad will be interned on Saturday, January 9th in Edwardsville, Illinois. Due to the inclement weather and the size of the cemetary chapel, this ceremony will be private but our our family will host a reception for our friends in the greater Saint Louis area who would like to express their condolences to Mom immediately following from 2:30-4:30pm at Calvary Life Church at 4650 Maryville Road in Granite City, Illinois, thanks to the kindness of their Senior Pastor, Mark Maynard.

We request that in lieu of flowers consideration be given in his memory to the Hillcrest Church World Missions Fund, 12123 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, Texas 75230 for world outreach or directly to Mom for her ongoing care.

If you would like to stay in touch with Mom you can do so via the email address we have set for her at: VeraMaeBrand@gmail.com or by postal mail c/o Hillcrest Church, 12123 Hillcrest Road, Dallas, TX 75230.

Oh How Sweet Is The Victory

This afternoon, we have the visitation and tomorrow the funeral for my father, Rev. Kenneth F. Brand. He often wrote songs and always dated them when they were finished.

We found the following, handwritten words on his piano's music holder after he died. The paper was undated, which means it was still a work in progress. My brother, Jason, was in their home in the days leading up to Dad's heart attack, but he had never noticed the paper on the piano, even though it sits in a very prominent and visibile place in the living room. That makes us think that he had written it in the last day or so before he died. He was a very early riser and may even have penned the words early Christmas morning. Late that evening he was taken to the hopsital.

Unfortunately, we do not have any idea of the melody...

Oh How Sweet Is The Victory!

I.

Oh the storm has come and passed,

I can see the sunshine at last.

There's a rainbow appearing just for me,

Sure, I've suffered for a while,

But, He gave me a brand new smile,

And oh how sweet is the victory!

Chorus

Oh how sweet is the victory,
After the battle has been won,
Well, I've got the valley far behind,
Living on the mountain, walking in the sunshine,

Oh how sweet is the victory!

II.

Well the ole river was dark and wide,
But He was waiting on the other side,
Jesus has set me safely across the rolling tide.
There were many times I thought I'd drown,
But He was standing on solid ground,
And Oh how sweet is the victory!

(repeat chorus 2 times)

It's something...as I was just typing those words in on the computer, I had a melody come to mind that fits perfectly. It's as if I can hear him playing the piano and singing this song in my head...One thing's for sure, if he could speak to us now, this song expresses some of what I think he'd say.

"...thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Corinthians 15:57 NIV)