Most Americans don’t know much about our nation’s twelfth President, Zachary Taylor, but a few things happened early in his presidency that are very noteworthy. For starters, even though he had the nickname of “Old Rough and Ready” from his leadership in the War of 1812, he refused to be…
I recently had the privilege of attending a seminar in which I got to touch a nearly 600 year old scroll which consisted of the first five books of the Bible. It was a fascinating experience to see a document which had been the spiritual center a Jewish community in…
Although it may have taken a little longer to get here than some of us had hoped, it seems that spring has finally sprung. The trees are blooming, the turkeys are gobbling and the grass is growing. For all of its beauty, color, and newness, I don’t think I’ve ever…
Nearly a month ago, in the March 14 edition of this newspaper, an article highlighted sexual oddities that are plaguing smallmouth bass in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Being an outdoorsman and an occasional fisherman, I found the article interesting and informing if not a bit disturbing. Fish biologists are…
The Spring planting season is in full swing. Gardens are being plowed, fields are being disked, potatoes are being dropped, and before we know it, we will be setting out tomatoes. What a wonderful gift God created when He made springtime and what a wonderful gift He gave us in…
Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday, the most death-defying celebration of all history. Every human being lives with the inevitable reality of death staring us all in the face. We know that, unless Jesus comes first, every last one of us will “give up the ghost” as our lives leave our bodies. …
Have you ever felt overwhelmed with all the evil in this world? Drug abuse and overdoses, domestic disputes, disregard for human life, religious persecution, the rapid decay of the family, starving children, etc. Any one of these by itself is daunting enough, but when confronted by all of them together,…
Imagine climbing a spiral staircase that was 25,000 steps tall. Such a fete winds me just thinking about it, but try imagining that each of those steps was perfectly placed and deeply engraved with vital information about your existence. As you climb higher, you learn more and more about who…
As another winter approached in November of 2013, approximately 180 concerned Christians gathered at a local church to discuss issues related to homelessness in Shenandoah County. Perspectives were shared, opinions expressed, and various suggestions were put forward. One of them, the development of a local Family Promise Affiliate, has finally…
February is quite a historical month for our country. Not only is it Black History Month, but it is also when we celebrate the birthdays of two of our nation’s preeminent presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. William Henry Harrison and Ronald Wilson Reagan were also February babies, although their…