Over the last few weeks, winter storm after winter storm has rolled into the northwestern US and blown across the country dumping feet of snow and inches of rain from west to east. As I write this article, yet another threatens to add several additional inches of snow to the…
One hundred and forty-two years ago this coming Tuesday, the Shenandoah Valley was shaken from its slumber about midnight. A twenty-five car Baltimore and Ohio train carrying people, livestock, and freight tragically crashed off the Narrow Passage trestle and plunged ten stories into the chilly creek below. Eleven human lives…
I still remember the first time I ever tasted coffee. It was a freezing cold night at a Central home football game and I was a scrawny elementary kid. I was desperate for some warmth and my sister, Judy, compassionately and willingly shared her java with me. That sip, however,…
This coming Monday is a holiday to honor the birthdays of all US Presidents. Although only Washington, Harrison, Lincoln and Reagan were actually born in February, the holiday that originated to celebrate our first president has expanded to include all forty-four. Washington’s actual birthday is February 22 but to create…
During these chilly winter months, Nancy and I warm up remembering our sunny vacation last spring in Hawaii. The incredible beauty of those islands combined with the ocean breezes created the perfect setting to both relax and worship the One who made them! Even the memories are tropical. One of…
Winter is the perfect season for jigsaw puzzles. Gathering around a card table with all the pieces sprawled out along with some hot chocolate, soft music, and good friends can be very enjoyable. Conversation is unhindered by the minimal mental effort expended to connect odd shaped pieces with their intended…
The western United States has received a welcome reprieve from devastating firestorms that claimed many lives, destroyed thousands of properties, and cost billions of dollars. We should all pray that 2018 will be more kind to these areas and that life and homes will be spared. Meanwhile, we in the…
This month is a special treat for sky observers. Moon gazers are treated to two supermoons as well as a lunar eclipse all in the same month. One of the supermoons has already passed on New Year’s Day but the second will occur on January 31. A supermoon is a…
As I reflect back over 2017, I am thankful for so many blessings God has dumped in my lap yet again. He has given me more air than I can breathe, more food than I can eat, more friends than I am worthy of, more love than I can return,…
As we enjoy Christmas greetings, occasionally we’ll receive a piece of fine stationery with some type of faint image in the paper, known as a watermark. More recently, copyrighted web photos also have various watermarks that prevent them from being pirated without payment. As we celebrate Jesus’ birth, it’s imperative…