Once upon a time, a small acorn fell to the forest floor. As it nestled among the leaves, it spent its first winter waiting. When the spring’s sun warmed the air and its rains moistened the soil, the little nut sent out a root below and a shoot above. Within…
It’s graduation season again and it’s wonderful to see our young people completing various phases of their educational journeys. From preschool through advanced degrees, it’s time for tassels and diplomas. During these festivities, I’m reminded of my own school experiences. One in particular comes to mind from high school trigonometry…
May’s second Sunday is always a day of great celebration. Mother’s Day is a special time to honor our mothers if they are living or to remember them if they have passed on. In either case, all children owe their mothers an enormous debt of gratitude and we should all…
A little over thirteen years ago, an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded causing the largest oil spill in world history. In short order, the name of the rig, Deepwater Horizon, became a familiar household term to describe the event and its aftermath. The mayhem was caused by…
When Nancy and I visited Israel in 2018, we had the privilege of touring Masada. This rock plateau is perched 1300 feet above the Dead Sea and after taking a cable car to the top, we were able to see for many miles in every direction. Masada is most well-known…
One of my favorite classes to teach was Natural Resources Management. I had the privilege of not only helping students learn to identify, describe, and appreciate many aspects of the created world, but also to provide instruction in their wise use. During the course, we covered forestry, fish, wildlife, surface…
I’m thankful to have the privilege to write a column for the Northern Virginia Daily that runs every Friday. My deadline for submitting this article, however, is on Wednesday of each week. I have to pace myself to have it written, proofread and formatted by midweek or it won’t appear…
Last Spring, Shenandoah County witnessed a resurrection that many never thought possible. After over 31 years of absence, Bible classes returned for students enrolled in Weekday Religious Education at each elementary school! What began last year with fourth graders expanded to include second graders this year and will grow even…
You better be careful because your shoe’s untied! There’s also some dirt on your jacket and a spider is crawling up your leg. Tomorrow is April Fool’s Day and gags like these will make the rounds along with many on social media poking fun at politicians and other popular individuals.…
The time is fast approaching for me to get both a new laptop and a new cell phone. I have been delaying this pain dreading the learning curves involved with both as well as the associated expenses. Nevertheless, age and obsolescence are catching up with each of these devices as…