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 »

Here it is, 2025, and we’ve been using it for a number of years.  But do we know what it means?  SMS.  It’s been with us since December 3, 1992.  Now, we have MMS.  Do we know what that means? SMS stands for Short Message/Messaging Service.  It is the message component of our mobile devices… Read More »

Were you the class clown, always doing something to draw attention to yourself and get everyone laughing?  Most likely, you received LOTS of special attention, just not the kind you were hoping for.  Still, it didn’t slow you down. Hopefully you didn’t continue being a clown as an adult.  Unless you were a clown.  Such… Read More »

Through the years, we have witnessed acts of graciousness and forgiveness that go beyond human comprehension.  We see the lesson and know that it is generous and kind yet we find it nearly impossible to replicate in our own lives.  Let me set up the story for you. The Civil War marched across our fledgling… Read More »

The year was 1941 and the unthinkable happened.  Our home soil was under attack.  On December 8 of that year, President Franklin D. Roosevelt stood before a joint session and uttered those infamous words. Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Speaker, and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which… Read More »

Our four-year-old grandson, Oliver, provided a very special lesson to me that impacted my praying.  Let me set this up for you. Oliver is a sweet, blond haired boy who can go off and play by himself or have you play with him. He does well either way, depending on his mood and the moment.… Read More »

Change is inevitable.  However, how we make change changed on Wednesday, November 12 as the last penny was minted at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia.  It’s rather ironic that this is the place where the first penny was minted in 1793. “The profile view of President Abraham “Abe” Lincoln first showed up on the front… Read More »

Shake. Spanish tile.  Copper. Clay.  Sod.  Rubber.  Phyllite.  Tin.  Thatch.  Slate.  Asphalt shingle.  If you couldn’t guess what I was describing, the last one is a giveaway.  These are all types of roofs.  Yesterday was National Roof Over Your Head Day and the celebration is a call to be thankful for that roof and everything… Read More »

On this day in 1965, Denise Darvall and Louis Washkansky became inextricably linked, their names being side-by-side in books, magazines, and various journals.  Let’s start with Mrs. Darvall. A resident of Cape Town, South Africa, Darvall and her family were going to visit some friends on Saturday, December 2, 1965.  Not wanting to arrive empty-handed,… Read More »