There is a poem that has been printed and read for years at Christmas time. I have often read it but until this year I never really questioned who wrote it or why. Writing this month about my memories of past Christmas times I thought of this poem and decided to find out who wrote […]
We all love a winner! We hold parades, parties, all kinds of celebrations when our team becomes state champion. Coming in second in a state-wide contest leaves people feeling so dejected. They seem to forget that being second means they have beat out many other teams. In the Olympics, athletics say they are going for […]
Often I hear Christians talking about different Bible characters that they look forward to meeting in heaven. Names often spoken are Paul, Peter, John from the New Testament or King David, Elijah or Jeremiah from the Old Testament. For me, my hero from the Bible is Barnabas. I can’t wait to meet him. We first […]
I love music! My best times of devotion are when I listen first to a praise song and sit and meditate on God’s presence before I pick up my Bible or my devotional book. In times of great joy or great sorrow in my life I have often gone to my piano and played a […]
In 1959 Hawaii became our fiftieth state. A statewide referendum in favor of statehood was approved by 93% of Hawaiians. Before then multiple proposals for statehood had been submitted to Congress. Many were skeptical that a territory two thousand miles from the U.S. coast could be a viable state. Long before Hawaii became a part […]
The news media today was talking about Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day falling on the same day. They seemed to think that made it difficult for those who like to observe both days. Valentine’s Day for couples is a day to celebrate with food, wine, flowers, a date night. The origin of Valentine’s Day is shrouded […]
While reading through Genesis this year with my husband, I again questioned the story of Abraham. Abraham is honored and recognized as an important part of three religions: Jewish, Christian and Islam. James in the New Testament tells us he was “the friend of God.” His story is told in Hebrews 11 – the Faith Chapter – […]
“How can a nation founded on the homelands of dispossessed Indigenous people be the world’s most exemplary democracy?” This is the opening question in a book I started reading this week. The book, “The Rediscovery of America”, written by Ned Blackhawk, raises some hard questions about our claim to being the “city on a hill.” In […]
February is Black History Month. Except for the Indigenous people all of us in America can trace our ancestry back other countries. Which story would most likely fit your history? Two Islands – Two Stories – Which One is Yours?
In good times and bad – blessed be the name of the Lord! This weekend I attended a church conference and one speaker’s message really resonated with me. He asked us what we were preoccupied with. Preoccupied – (of a matter or subject) dominate or engross the mind of (someone) to the exclusion of other […]
When the new year comes around, I always take time to think about years past. When I do, I always think of my sisters. This is a blog I posted in 2015. But today my memories of times past with my sisters still brings me joy. Growing up I was fortunate to have two older sisters. Time and […]
I just finished reading (for the second time) the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer was a German pastor during the time of Hitler and World War II. As the Nazis came to power and took control of the church, he faced a real dilemma. He could not continue to stand with the church hierarchy who […]
As I recently posted, I love to start the New Year by cleaning out closets, drawers, and cabinets. It gives me a feeling of starting the new year fresh and ready for new adventures. Going through my memory box I found a booklet someone had given me for a birthday that listed news from the year […]
The following is excerpted from “A Note from the Author to Parents and Educators” that is included in The Story of St. Nicholas: More than Reindeer and a Red Suit, a book for children published by VOM that tells the true story of St. Nicholas of Myra, the man whose story became the basis of our […]
