There is a Christmas tradition that you might think is dead or dying a rapid death because we don’t see it as much anymore.  It’s the tradition of Christmas caroling. This tradition has survived longer than your great aunt Matilda’s fruitcake recipe – maybe even as long as the original loaf of fruitcake itself!  Since… Read More »

This is an absolutely ugly day – National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, that is!  Tis the season to be tacky, fa la la la la la la la la!  How did we ever get such a tradition?  And where did it come from?  We have the 1950s to thank. “The story of the ugly Christmas… Read More »

How do you feel about regifting?  Through the years, it has become one of those issues where people take definitive sides, either in support of or against.  Few are truly neutral.  Consider some of the most recent statistics on the issue. 89% of respondents have received a (regifted) present, with siblings and friends being the… Read More »

September 10, 2025, is a day that many will not soon forget.  It was the day Charlie Kirk’s life was taken by a gunman.  Speaking about the morning of that day, Erika Kirk “recalled the morning of the assassination, sharing how Charlie left their Arizona home early to travel to Utah. “The night before the… Read More »

Joseph Fry is a name from the 19th c. that you need to become well acquainted with because he introduced us to something that should be in a food group all of its own:  chocolate.  Before we consider his invaluable contribution, let’s take a moment and go back farther than the 19th c.  That requires… Read More »

From May until September 1787, the United States Constitution was written, signed by the 39 delegates on September 17, 1787.  The document was ratified on June 21, 1788 and it replaced the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.  The work was not finished, though. Beginning in September of 1789, the first Congress of the… Read More »

“On Thursday, December 12, 1799, George Washington was out on horseback supervising farming activities from late morning until three in the afternoon. The weather shifted from light snow to hail and then to rain. Upon Washington’s return it was suggested that he change out of his wet riding clothes before dinner. Known for his punctuality,… Read More »

As I was looking for a story to share, I ran across something that intersected with a special family birthday. Today, my dad would have been 87.  It has been 12 years since dad went home to be with the Lord at the age of 74.  One of the things dad always wanted to do… Read More »

We need something a bit lighthearted after the seriousness of yesterday’s devotional.  Allow me to take us to a Christmas tradition that’s been observed in America since the 18th century. The lebkuchenhaeusle was introduced to America via German immigrants.  Since the 16th century, Germans had been lebkuchenhaeusle enthusiasts.  But they weren’t the first.  “An Armenian… Read More »

Today’s devotional serves as both a public service announcement as well as having a spiritual application.  Today (11/20), I received an email from KSL Associate Law Firm.  Here’s how it started. Hello Pastor John, On behalf of the trustees and executor to the estate of Late Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III. I wish to… Read More »