A few months back I was visiting with Bob Gochenour about some of our shared ancestors. As we talked about what life must have been like for them, he told me a story from when he surveyed a plot of land for the US Forest Service in West Virginia. The…
Most readers have probably heard of the killer bees that arrived in the US in 1990. This Africanized honey bee is a cross between the East African Lowland honey bee and different European honey bee subspecies. In 1957, 26 swarms of the African bees escaped quarantine and began moving northward…
Next week is often referred to as Holy Week because of all that took place within it. According to the Gospel writers, many events transpired within a very short span of time including Jesus’s weeping over Jerusalem, His Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday, His clearing of the Temple, His teachings…
As the temperatures warm up, many are returning to the woods and the waters. Youth season for turkeys is this weekend and many have been pulling trout out of valley creeks for weeks. Along with mulching, these too are annual rites of springtime. Although Dad didn’t mount nearly as many…
What a glorious time is spring! After another cold grey winter, it’s so refreshing to see green grass once again! It’s also exciting to see the beautiful yellow daffodils blooming from bulbs that came from my parents’ home. In addition, the advent of spring graces our ears with gobbling turkeys,…
Few topics interest children any more than dinosaurs. Even us older children are fascinated by fossils left behind from these amazing giants! But where do dinos fit into Biblical history and how can we make sense of it all? Although there’s no proof that humans had dinosaur pets like the…
Before becoming a fulltime pastor, I had the privilege of teaching students about agriculture, natural resources, and leadership. As a part of those responsibilities, I served as an Advisor for the Central Future Farmers of America (FFA) Chapter and have many great memories of students and activities. At that time,…
Imagine relaxing comfortably in your recliner reading the newspaper at the end of a busy day; scanning headlines, arguing with the opinion writers, laughing at the comics. Suddenly, your personal reverie is interrupted by a loud banging on the door. Grabbing your slippers you shuffle toward the foyer to see…
As most readers will remember, I was privileged to be the son of a taxidermist. As such, I got to see many animals and experience many situations most children never do. My father’s shop along the Valley Pike was always an interesting place not only for hunters and occasional visitors,…
Although high winds recently brought down several trees and caused power outages, thankfully we didn’t experience the widespread wildfires our valley saw last March. We are also thankful for the linemen who worked diligently to restore electricity to all who were without. The old saying informs us that where there’s…